Transceiver Harmonic Compensation for Carrier Aggregation Sensitivity

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Solution Overview

Problem

Transceivers face signal degradation due to undesired harmonic signal portions generated in the transmit path, which interfere with the receive signals, leading to decreased receiver sensitivity, particularly in multiband RF systems like 3GPP Carrier Aggregation.

Innovation Solution

A transceiver device with a compensation signal generator module that processes the baseband transmit signal to produce a compensation signal, which includes signal portions corresponding to undesired harmonic frequencies, allowing for the cancellation of these harmonics in the receive path, thereby improving receiver sensitivity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If transceivers simultaneously transmit and receive signals, then communication efficiency is improved, but receiver sensitivity deteriorates due to harmonic signal interference

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication efficiencyVSAvoidreceiver sensitivity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent generates a compensation signal that replicates the harmonic interference caused by the transmit path, then subtracts this compensation signal from the receive signal. This converts the harmful harmonic interference into a beneficial cancellation process, allowing simultaneous transmit and receive operations while maintaining receiver sensitivity

Inventive Principle:

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

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies preliminary anti-action by generating and subtracting a compensation signal that anticipates and counteracts the harmonic interference before it degrades the receive signal. The compensation signal is created based on the transmit signal characteristics and subtracted in advance to prevent harmonic degradation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

2Productivity

If multiband RF systems use carrier aggregation, then network capacity is improved, but harmonic interference increases causing receiver sensitivity to decrease

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork capacityVSAvoidreceiver sensitivity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

In multiband carrier aggregation systems, the patent converts the harmful third harmonic interference that falls into receive bands into a beneficial cancellation process. By generating compensation signals that match the harmonic characteristics and subtracting them, the system maintains both high network capacity through carrier aggregation and acceptable receiver sensitivity

Inventive Principle:

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

Data Source

PatentUS9680671B2Transceiver device and a method for generating a compensation signal

Publication Date: 2017.06.13 APPLE INC

AI summary

A transceiver device 100 includes a transmit path module 110, a receive path module 120 and a compensation signal generator module 130. The transmit path module 110 generates a high frequency transmit signal 112 based on a baseband transmit signal. The receive path module 120 generates a baseband receive signal 122 based on a received high frequency receive signal 114. Further, the compensation signal generator module 130 generates a compensation signal 132 comprising at least one signal portion with a frequency equal to a frequency of an undesired signal portion of the baseband receive signal 122 caused by an undesired signal portion within the high frequency transmit signal 112 comprising a frequency equal to an integer multiple larger than 1 of a transmit frequency of the high frequency transmit signal 112.