Subcarrier Processing Component for OFDM Modem Interface
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Solution Overview
Problem
In Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) communications systems, such as LTE, the increased data throughput requirements lead to higher power consumption and complexity in the digital interface between baseband and RF ICs, necessitating more physical pins and increased signal interference, which are costly and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A modem apparatus with a digital interface that reduces data transfer between baseband and RF ICs by using a subcarrier processing component to convert between collapsed and expanded spaces of subcarriers based on resource assignment data, thereby reducing the data bandwidth and power consumption, and allowing separate development of baseband and RF ICs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If data throughput is increased to support LTE-Advanced optimisations such as MIMO and carrier aggregation, then wireless communications performance is improved, but power consumption and complexity of the digital interface increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the digital interface data stream by separating wanted subcarriers from unwanted subcarriers. The subcarrier processing component selectively passes only the required subcarriers to the baseband IC, dividing the full data stream into relevant and irrelevant portions. This segmentation reduces the volume of data transmitted over the digital interface while maintaining support for LTE-Advanced features like MIMO and carrier aggregation.
2Productivity
If data throughput is increased to support LTE-Advanced optimisations such as MIMO and carrier aggregation, then wireless communications performance is improved, but power consumption of the digital interface increases
Solution Approach 1:
The subcarrier processing component extracts only the wanted subcarriers from the complete set of subcarriers before transmission over the digital interface. By taking out and transmitting only the necessary data portion rather than the entire data stream, the patent reduces the power consumption of the digital interface while maintaining the data throughput required for LTE-Advanced operations.
3Productivity
If the number of physical pins is increased to support higher data rates, then data communication capability is improved, but manufacturing cost and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation to reduce the data volume requiring physical pin connections. By segmenting the subcarrier data into wanted and unwanted portions and transmitting only the relevant segment, the digital interface requires fewer physical pins to achieve the same effective data communication capability, thereby reducing manufacturing cost and device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A modem apparatus is configured to provide wireless network access in accordance with an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing communications scheme. The apparatus comprises a hardware subsystem comprising baseband processing components (302), Radio Frequency processing components (304) and a digital interface. The Radio Frequency processing components (304) comprise a converter component arranged to convert between time and frequency domains in accordance with the Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing communications scheme; a subcarrier processing component operably coupled to the converter component, the subcarrier processing component being arranged to implement conversion between a collapsed space of subcarriers and an expanded space of subcarriers in accordance with resource assignment data; a cyclic prefix processing component responsive to control information. The baseband processing components (302) comprise a channel estimation component. The digital interface (306) is disposed between the baseband processing components (302) and the RF processing components (304), the digital interface (306) being operably coupled to the subcarrier processing component and the channel estimation component.