Transceiver Power Sensor Calibration for RF Auto-Correlation Estimation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional systems for estimating an auto-correlation matrix in transceivers require high-speed analog-to-digital converters and voltage domain processing, which are expensive in terms of hardware, power, and cost, and are affected by environmental conditions and non-ideal factors in power sensors, leading to inaccurate power measurements.
Innovation Solution
A power sensor calibration process is implemented in the RF domain to account for non-ideal factors, using phase and amplitude adjustments and power measurements from multiple antennas to estimate the auto-correlation matrix efficiently and accurately.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If high-speed analog-to-digital converters are used to digitize incoming analog signals in the voltage domain, then accurate power measurements can be obtained, but hardware cost, processing complexity, and power consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the conventional voltage-domain digital signal processing approach with an RF-domain power measurement approach. Instead of using high-speed ADCs to convert analog signals to digital samples for autocorrelation calculation, the system uses power sensors to directly measure RF power levels, substituting complex digital processing with simpler RF domain measurements that are less sensitive to non-ideal factors
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the measurement domain from voltage domain (requiring high-speed ADCs) to RF power domain (using power sensors). This parameter change allows the system to estimate the autocorrelation matrix using power measurements rather than voltage samples, significantly reducing hardware requirements while maintaining measurement accuracy through calibration
2Device complexity
If power sensors are used to measure signal power, then hardware cost and processing complexity are reduced, but measurement accuracy deteriorates due to environmental conditions and non-ideal factors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary calibration actions to the power sensors before they are used for measurements. By performing calibration procedures that account for environmental conditions and non-ideal factors in advance, the system compensates for these factors and maintains measurement accuracy without requiring complex real-time corrections during operation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms through calibration processes that continuously monitor and adjust for non-ideal factors. By feeding back information about environmental conditions and sensor performance, the system can compensate for inaccuracies and maintain precise measurements despite the simplified hardware architecture
3Measurement precision
If calibration procedures are implemented to account for non-ideal factors, then power measurement accuracy is improved, but processing time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs calibration actions in advance before actual measurements are taken. By pre-characterizing the power sensors and accounting for non-ideal factors during calibration, the system eliminates the need for time-consuming real-time corrections during operation, thus improving measurement accuracy without significantly impacting processing time during actual signal analysis
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques are provided for implementing a power sensor calibration process and estimating an auto-correlation matrix for a transceiver with a multi-antenna array. Prior to auto-correlation matrix estimating, the power sensors may be calibrated. A different power sensor may measure the power of the signals received at a corresponding antenna of the multi-antenna array. The signals received at one antenna of each unique pair of antennas may be shifted in phase using a plurality (e.g., three) of different phase settings to generate a plurality of different shifted signals for each unique pair of antennas. Each of one or more power sensors, for each unique pair of antennas, may measure different combined powers based on the shifted signals and the RF signals received at the other antenna of the unique pair. A module may use the different combined powers with the power measured for each antenna to estimate the auto-correlation matrix.