Time-Domain Diversity Combining for RF Broadcast Receivers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing frequency-domain diversity combining techniques for broadcast receivers are complex and require significant circuitry for channel estimation and timing synchronization, making them inefficient for improving reception of digital broadcast signals subject to multi-path distortions.
Innovation Solution
Implementing time-domain diversity combining by generating frequency-domain diversity weighting signals from channelized quadrature signals from multiple antennas, converting these weights to time-domain weights, and applying them to combine RF signals, thereby reducing complexity and improving signal reception.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If frequency-domain diversity combining is used to improve reception of digital broadcast signals, then reception performance is improved, but device complexity increases due to required channel estimation and timing synchronization circuitry
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the complex frequency-domain diversity combining system (which requires channel estimation, frequency adjustments, and timing synchronization) with a time-domain diversity combining system. This substitution eliminates the need for complex synchronization and channel estimation circuitry by performing diversity combining directly in the time domain before OFDM processing, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining reception performance improvement.
2Reliability
If frequency-domain diversity combining is implemented to reduce multi-path distortion effects, then signal reception quality is improved, but the quantity of required circuitry increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the unnecessary frequency-domain processing steps (channel estimation, frequency adjustments, timing synchronization) from the diversity combining process. By taking out these complex circuitry requirements and performing diversity combining directly in the time domain, the patent reduces the quantity of circuitry needed while still achieving multi-path distortion mitigation and signal reception quality improvement.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are disclosed for time-domain diversity combining of radio frequency (RF) broadcast signals. Two channelized quadrature (I/Q) signals are generated by different tuner circuitry coupled to two different antennas, are converted to frequency-domain signals, and are used to generate frequency-domain diversity weighting signals. The frequency-domain diversity weighting signals are then converted to time-domain weights and applied to the channelized I/Q signals. The weighted and channelized I/Q signals are then combined in the time-domain to provide a time-domain diversity combined signal. The resulting combined signal can be further processed, as desired, such as by using a demodulator to generate demodulated output signals. Disclosed methods and systems can be applied to a variety of receiver systems configured to receive RF broadcast signals.