Patent ID: 6678509
Filing Date: 2004-01-13
Classification: H03G

Abstract:
An apparatus in a receiver in a communication system for selectively increasing the signal power level of a received desired signal, the apparatus comprising:an amplifier having an adjustable gain that amplifies signals received by the receiver including the desired signal, an interfering signal that interferes with the desired signal, and thermal noise, the amplifier having a fixed dynamic range that is substantially less than 100 dB; an analog to digital (A/D) converter that processes a signal derived from an output of the amplifier to produce a digitized signal; a gain control unit coupled to the amplifier in a feedback configuration, said gain control unit receiving the digitized signal from the A/D converter and providing a feedback control signal to the amplifier that selectively positions the fixed dynamic range of the amplifier by adjusting the amplifier gain based on a signal power level of the received signals, said gain control unit controlling the amplifier to attenuate the received signals when the signal power level of the interfering signal causes the signal power level of the received signals to exceed a level that the A/D converter can process; and means for adjusting, in response to the gain control unit selectively positioning the fixed dynamic range of the amplifier, the transmit power of a transmitter in the communication system transmitting the desired signal, whereby the received signal power level of the desired signal is selectively increased in relation to the interfering signal and the thermal noise.