Signal Receiver Group Delay and Amplitude Distortion Compensation

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Signal receivers introduce phase and amplitude distortions due to non-linear phase and magnitude responses in their analog signal processing circuitry, limiting the accuracy of wideband signal processing and combination of multi-frequency signals.

Innovation Solution

A signal receiver system with a compensation mechanism that includes an antenna interface, analog signal processing circuitry, sampling circuitry, and a digital processor, which uses a calibration signal to configure the compensation mechanism to correct for non-uniform group delay and amplitude distortions by generating complex filter coefficients for a finite impulse response filter.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If analog signal processing circuitry is used to condition received signals, then signal amplitude and phase characteristics are improved, but group delay distortion and amplitude distortion are introduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesignal processing accuracyVSAvoidgroup delay distortion

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent measures the actual group delay and amplitude response of the analog signal processing circuitry using calibration signals, then uses this measured distortion information to compute compensation filter coefficients. The harmful distortions are converted into useful calibration data that enables digital compensation, transforming the problem into a solution.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs feedback by measuring the actual response of the analog circuitry through calibration signals, comparing it to ideal response, computing the difference (distortion), and using this feedback to configure compensation filters that apply corrective phase and amplitude adjustments to received signals.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Measurement precision

If analog signal processing circuitry is used to condition received signals, then signal amplitude and phase characteristics are improved, but amplitude distortion is introduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesignal processing accuracyVSAvoidamplitude distortion

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent measures the actual amplitude response of the analog signal processing circuitry using calibration signals, then uses this measured amplitude distortion information to compute compensation filter coefficients. The harmful amplitude distortions are converted into useful calibration data that enables digital compensation, transforming the problem into a solution.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs feedback by measuring the actual amplitude response of the analog circuitry through calibration signals, comparing it to ideal response, computing the difference (amplitude distortion), and using this feedback to configure compensation filters that apply corrective amplitude adjustments to received signals.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Measurement precision

If calibration signals are injected to configure compensation mechanism, then distortion compensation accuracy is improved, but signal processing time is increased

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompensation accuracyVSAvoidcalibration time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs calibration signal injection and compensation mechanism configuration in advance, before actual signal processing begins. The compensation filter coefficients are pre-computed based on measured distortions, so that when real signals arrive, the compensation is already configured and ready, minimizing processing delays during operational phases.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS8837654B2Signal receiver with group delay and amplitude distortion compensation

Publication Date: 2014.09.16 DEERE & CO

AI summary

A signal receiver includes an antenna interface for receiving signals from an antenna, analog signal processing circuitry coupled to the antenna interface for processing the received signals to produce filtered signals, sampling circuitry to sample the filtered signals so as to produce digitized received signals, a digital compensator to receive the digitized received signals and compensate for non-uniform group delay and amplitude distortion introduced by the analog signal processing circuitry to produce compensated digitized received signals, and a digital processor to process the compensated digitized received signals so as to produce a result.