Signal-Based Thresholding for Interference Blankers

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing blanking techniques in signal processing often sacrifice part of the desired signal to reduce interference, leading to suboptimal receiver signal processing performance, especially in scenarios with excessive noise or interference.

Innovation Solution

An apparatus and method that utilize adaptive thresholding schemes tailored to specific signal components and replicas, allowing for targeted blanking of interference-affected signal portions while preserving desired signal components, thereby improving correlator channel signal quality.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If traditional blanking techniques are applied to reduce interference, then noise interference is reduced, but part of the desired signal is lost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenoise interferenceVSAvoidsignal loss
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies different blanking thresholds to different signal components (I-component and Q-component) based on their individual characteristics. The thresholding is adapted locally to each component's signal properties, allowing selective blanking that preserves desired signal portions while removing interference, rather than applying a uniform threshold that would sacrifice more signal.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The blanking thresholds are dynamically adjusted based on the signal replica and signal component characteristics. The system adaptively determines optimal thresholds for each correlator channel signal, making the blanking process dynamic rather than static, which improves the balance between interference rejection and signal preservation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If adaptive thresholding schemes are applied to preserve signal components, then signal integrity is maintained, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesignal integrityVSAvoidprocessing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the signal processing into distinct I-component and Q-component processing paths, each with its own adaptive thresholding scheme. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each component while maintaining overall signal integrity, and the modular structure manages complexity by organizing processing into separate, manageable blocks.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses the signal replica itself to determine the blanking thresholds, making the thresholding process self-adaptive without requiring external calibration or complex manual configuration. The signal replica provides the reference information needed to automatically adjust thresholds, reducing the need for additional complex control mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP3182606B1Blanking using signal-based thresholding schemes
Publication Date: 2019.10.23 AIRBUS DEFENCE & SPACE GMBH
  • EP3182606B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3182606B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3182606B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Inter alia an apparatus (200) is disclosed. The apparatus (200) comprises a blanker (230) configured to provide a plurality of blanked signals (BE,I, BP,I, BL,I, BE,Q, BP,Q, BL,Q), each blanked signal corresponding to a respective correlator channel signal (EI, PI, LI, EQ, PQ, LQ) of a plurality of correlator channel signals, the correlator channel signal (EI, PI, LI, EQ, PQ, LQ) being obtainable based on the respective blanked signal (BE,I, BP,I, BL,I, BE,Q, BP,Q, BL,Q) and a respective signal replica (RE, RP, RL) of a plurality of signal replicas, the signal replicas (RE, RP, RL) being shifted with respect to each other. Therein, the blanker (230) is configured to obtain each blanked signal (BE,I, BP,I, BL,I, BE,Q, BP,Q, BL,Q) based on applying a respective thresholding scheme to a respective signal component (SI, SQ) of a plurality of signal components derived from a received spread-spectrum signal. The respective thresholding scheme is based on the respective signal component (SI, SQ) and the signal replica (RE, RP, RL). Further, a receiver (100) comprising such an apparatus (200) is disclosed. Moreover, a method comprising providing a plurality of blanked signals is disclosed.