Abstract:
A conventional method of controlling the passband of a filter involves an increase in cost for a chip due to a large area of a detection circuit for determining the level of an interference wave. The present invention utilizes a result obtained by detecting the amplitude level of a signal with an automatic gain control circuit to appropriately control the passband of a filter. The amplitude level of all the signals including a desired wave and an interference wave is detected by utilizing the automatic gain control circuit to thereby control the passband of a filter on the basis of the result.

Description:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY 
     The present application claims priority from Japanese application JP 2004-303887 filed on Oct. 19, 2004, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference into this application. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for controlling the passband of a filter in a receiver, and particularly to a method and an apparatus for controlling, with a simple structure, the passband of a filter that suppresses an interference wave in accordance with an incoming signal in an integrated circuit (hereinafter, abbreviated as IC) for a wireless receiver. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In a conventional technique, a wireless receiver employs a configuration in which two bandpass filters are utilized in order to detect an adjacent interference wave (for example, see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-72576). 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 11  shows a general configuration of a wireless receiver having a Low-IF architecture. A high-frequency signal received by an antenna  21  is amplified by a low noise amplifier  22 , and then mixed with a reference wave from a local oscillator circuit  23  by a mixer  24  so as to be converted to a low-frequency signal. Interference wave components of the low-frequency signal are suppressed to some extent by an analog filter  25 , and then the low-frequency signal is amplified by a programmable gain amplifier  26  so that the signal amplitude is equal to the input dynamic range of an analog-digital converter  27 . The signal output from the programmable gain amplifier  26  is converted to a binary value by the analog-digital converter  27 , and then the interference wave components are sufficiently suppressed by a digital filter  28 , so that the communications data is finally demodulated by a demodulator  29 . 
     The amount of suppression by the analog filter  25  is usually determined on the basis of the resolution of the analog-digital converter  27 , that is, the effective number of bits thereof. Specifically, when the effective number of bits is large, the amount of suppression by the analog filter  25  is not necessarily large. On the contrary, when the effective number of bits is small, the large amount of suppression by the analog filter  25  is necessary. This means that it is possible to increase desired wave components, which are supplied to the analog-digital converter  27 , by suppressing the interference wave components included in the input signal to some extent with the analog filter  25 . As a result, the effect caused by the quantization noise that is generated by the analog-digital converter  27  can be eased. 
     Here, the suppression of the interference wave by a fixed filter is described with reference to  FIG. 12 . In a conventional wireless communication system, there is a case that not only a desired wave but also an interference wave with several tens of decibels larger than the desired wave is simultaneously input. Therefore, in order to address such a case, a fixed filter that can enormously suppress a signal, namely, a fixed filter with a narrow passband is utilized in many cases. The suppression characteristics of the fixed filter are represented by a solid line in  FIG. 12 . As shown  FIG. 12 , not only the interference wave components but also the desired wave components are largely suppressed because the passband is narrow, which consequently causes a distortion in modulated data to thereby increase the bit error rates. In the case of such a fixed filter, even when a filtering function is not essentially required because of little interference wave components, a signal passes through the filter with a narrow passband, thus deteriorating the modulated data due to the above-mentioned passband limitation. As described above, there is a problem that the use of the fixed filter with a narrow passband causes deterioration in the desired wave signal and decrease in receiver sensitivity. 
     In a more sophisticated system, the amount of suppression by a filter, namely, the passband of a filter needs to be dynamically varied in accordance with magnitudes of interference wave components included in an incoming signal. Specifically, as shown in  FIG. 13 , in the case where the level of the interference wave is larger than a predetermined value, a filter A with a narrow passband is selected. On the contrary, in the case where the level of the interference wave is smaller than the predetermined value, a filter B with a broad passband is selected. 
     There is an apparatus described in the Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-72576 in which the passband of a filter is dynamically controlled. The example is shown in  FIG. 14  where the level of the interference wave in an adjacent channel is detected by an adjacent interference wave detector  7  in an FM receiver, and a controller  8  controls the passband of an IF filter  1  on the basis of the detected result. The adjacent interference wave detector  7  is configured by using two bandpass filters for detection. 
     In a conventional method of controlling the passband of a filter, filters or detection circuits for extracting only an interference wave are required in order to determine the level of the interference wave, especially the level of the interference wave in an adjacent channel. This requirement has involved a problem that a circuit area is significantly increased, which results in increase in cost for a chip. For example, the adjacent interference wave detector described in the Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-72576 has a problem that the requirement of two bandpass filters for detection causes a significant increase in circuit area, which is unsuitable for an IC for wireless receiver to be employed. 
     The object of the present invention is to provide a method and an apparatus for controlling a filter in a wireless receiver which can solve the above-mentioned problem, can be manufactured at low cost, and can satisfy good receiver sensitivity and interference wave resistance. 
     Representative aspects of the present invention disclosed herein may be summarized as follows. That is, a filter control method for a wireless receiver which comprises at least a programmable gain amplifier, at least a variable-bandpass filter and an automatic gain control circuit for controlling a gain for the programmable gain amplifier so as to be an optimum value, wherein the passband of the variable-bandpass filter is controlled on the basis of a result obtained by detecting the amplitude level of a signal that has been input to the wireless receiver, said result being detected by said automatic gain control circuit. 
     In the present invention, the amplitude level of all the signals including the desired wave and the interference wave is detected as it is, to thereby control the passband of a filter on the basis of the result. The detection of the amplitude level is performed by utilizing the automatic gain control circuit that originally exists in the receiver. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of a wireless receiver according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a diagram showing an example of an automatic gain control circuit according to the first embodiment; 
         FIG. 3  is a diagram showing a specific example of a configuration of a variable-bandpass digital filter in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a diagram showing an example of a time chart representing an operation of the automatic gain control circuit according to the first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a diagram explaining the effectiveness of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6A  is an explanatory diagram of an operation of the present invention assuming that a system employs Bluetooth to be used in a transceiver; 
         FIG. 6B  is an explanatory diagram of an operation of the present invention assuming that a system employs Bluetooth to be used in a transceiver; 
         FIG. 6C  is an explanatory diagram of an operation of the present invention assuming that a system employs Bluetooth to be used in a transceiver; 
         FIG. 6D  is an explanatory diagram of an operation of the present invention assuming that a system employs Bluetooth to be used in a transceiver; 
         FIG. 7  is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of a wireless receiver according to a second embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a diagram showing an example of an automatic gain control circuit according to the second embodiment; 
         FIG. 9  is a diagram showing a specific example of a configuration of a variable-bandpass analog filter in  FIG. 8 ; 
         FIG. 10  is a diagram showing an example of a time chart representing an operation of the automatic gain control circuit according to the second embodiment; 
         FIG. 11  is a diagram showing a configuration of a conventional receiver of a wireless system; 
         FIG. 12  is an explanatory diagram of the suppression of an interference wave by a fixed filter; 
         FIG. 13  is an explanatory diagram of the suppression of an interference wave by switching the passband of a filter; and 
         FIG. 14  is a diagram showing a conventional method of switching a filter. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of a wireless receiver having a Low-IF architecture according to a first embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment exemplifies a case in which an IC for wireless receiver having a variable-bandpass filter configured as a digital filter is applied to a transceiver. A circuit unit of the wireless receiver comprises a high-frequency signal processing unit  1 A, a low-frequency signal processing unit  10 B and a demodulation unit  10 C. A high-frequency signal received by an antenna  21  is amplified by a low noise amplifier  22  in the high-frequency signal processing unit  10 A, and then mixed with a reference wave from a local oscillator circuit (LO)  23  by a mixer  24  so as to be converted to a low-frequency signal. The low-frequency signal is supplied to a programmable gain amplifier (PGA)  11  in the low-frequency signal processing unit  10 B through an analog filter (ABPF)  35 . 
     A gain is set to the PGA  11  by a gain control signal from an automatic gain control circuit (AGC 1 )  12  so as to amplify the input signal supplied from the previous stage. An analog-digital converter (ADC)  13  serves to convert the output signal from the PGA  11  into a binary value. The AGC 1   12  detects the amplitude level of the output from the ADC  13  to generate the gain control signal for the PGA  11 . In addition thereto, the AGC 1   12  has a function of controlling the passband of a variable-bandpass digital filter  14 . Interference wave components included in the output from the ADC  13  are suppressed by the variable-bandpass digital filter  14  whose passband has been controlled, and the data is finally demodulated by a demodulator  15  in a demodulation unit  10 C. 
     In the above-described configuration, a low pass filter or a bandpass filter with moderate characteristics enough to prevent the aliasing effect of the ADC  13  is used as the analog filter  35  in the previous stage of the PGA  11 . Alternatively, this analog filter may be dislocated. 
     For wireless communications with the wireless receiver in this embodiment, for example, Bluetooth is utilized. Bluetooth uses the 2.45 GHz band, and performs communications in a bitrate of 1 Mbps or 2 Mbps. 
       FIG. 2  shows a specific example of a configuration of the AGC 1   12  in  FIG. 1 . The output signal from the ADC  13  is supplied to the AGC 1   12 , and its amplitude level is detected by a level detection unit  61 . A gain setting unit  62  sets an appropriate gain control signal on the basis of the result detected by the level detection unit  61 . Further, an antenna reception level estimation unit  63  estimates the level of the received signal at an antenna input terminal on the basis of the current gain value held by the gain setting unit  62  and the result of the amplitude level detected by the level detection unit  61  at the time. The AGC 1   12  is controlled by a clock signal or a frequency-divided clock signal generated by a clock signal generation circuit (not shown). 
     A comparator  64  compares the estimated level at the antenna input terminal that has been estimated by the antenna reception level estimation unit  63 , with a predetermined threshold, for example, −60 dBm, and generates and outputs a bandpass control signal on the basis of the result. The passband or the amount of suppression of the variable-bandpass digital filter  14  is controlled by the bandpass control signal. For example, when the estimated level of the antenna reception is larger than the threshold, the passband of the variable-bandpass digital filter  14  is made narrow. On the contrary, when the estimated level of the antenna reception is smaller than the threshold, the passband of the variable-bandpass digital filter  14  is made broad. 
     The variable-bandpass digital filter  14  may be realized by a digital filter with a configuration in which, for example, the tap coefficients or the number of tap stages can be varied. 
       FIG. 3  shows a specific example of a configuration of the variable-bandpass digital filter  14  shown in  FIG. 2 . A bandpass filter  141  employs a two-stages configuration of the second-order IIR filters and is given two kinds of tap coefficients (an, bn) for narrow band and broadband. Either of the tap coefficients for narrow band and broadband is selected on the basis of the bandpass control signal output from the comparator  64 . Alternatively, the number of tap stages may be switched by using the bandpass control signal. 
       FIG. 4  shows an example of a time chart representing an operation of the AGC 1   12 . Bluetooth uses the 2.45 GHz band, and the waveform of the input signal is composed of the preamble period TPr and the subsequent data period TDt. As an example, the preamble period TPr has the signal rise time of about 4 μs and the subsequent time of about 4 μs after the rise of the signal, thus totaling 8 μs. 
     In this embodiment, the AGC 1   12  detects the level of the input signal, that is, the incoming signal including a desired wave and an interference wave, and during the preamble period after the rise of the signal, the AGC 1   12  determines a gain and a bandwidth of the input signal and sets the gain for the PGA  11  and the bandwidth of the variable-bandpass digital filter  14 . In the initial stage-of the preamble period, the amplitude of the signal is so small that the gain is set to the maximum value as default. Switching of the gain is sequentially repeated until the AGC 1   12  determines that the level of the input signal that is supplied to the ADC  13  reaches the maximum value within the dynamic range of the ADC  13 . The set gain and bandwidth are kept throughout the data period TDt of the input signal. 
     The significant feature of the present invention is that the amplitude level of the incoming signals including the desired wave and the interference wave is detected as it is, unlike the conventional example in which only the level of the interference wave is detected by separating the interference wave with circuits or filters for detection of the interference wave. The detection of the amplitude level is performed by utilizing the AGC 1  that originally exists in the receiver. Accordingly, there is no need for newly adding circuits or filters for detection of the interference wave as in the conventional example, thus realizing the substantial reduction in circuit scale. 
     Next, with reference to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the effectiveness of the present invention will be described under the respective conditions of input signals in a system which assumes that Bluetooth used for a transceiver is employed as an example of typical wireless system.  FIG. 5  shows the conditions of input signals on the basis of the relationship between desired waves and interference waves.  FIGS. 6A to 6D  are diagrams of an operational explanation. 
     In the case where the input signal includes no interference wave, it is required for a system employing Bluetooth to receive a desired wave with about −70 dBm. However, in the case where the input signal includes an interference wave, a system employing Bluetooth is acceptable if it can receive a desired wave with about −60 dBm. For the sake of simple explanation, the variable-bandpass digital filter  14  may be switched between two kinds of filters, that is, a narrow band filter A and a broadband filter B by switching the tap coefficients or the number of tap stages. The threshold used when comparing the estimated level of the antenna reception in  FIG. 2  is assumed as −60 dBm. 
     First, as shown in the condition  1  in  FIG. 5 , when the input signal includes no interference wave and a desired wave with a level smaller than −60 dBm of the threshold, the broadband filter B is selected. Accordingly, since the suppression of the desired wave can be prevented as shown in  FIG. 6A , even in the case of inputting the desired wave with a level of about −70 dBm, the distortion of the modulated data can be suppressed to thereby decrease the bit error rates, which means the improvement in minimum receiver sensitivity. 
     Further, as shown in the condition  2 , when the input signal includes no interference wave and a desired wave with a level larger than the threshold, the narrow band filter A is selected. In this case, since the degree of suppression of the desired wave is increased as shown in  FIG. 6B , the modulated data is largely distorted. However, the signal-to-noise ratio is still high as the level of the desired wave is relatively large, for example, −20 dBm, which causes no problems. 
     As shown in the condition  3 , the input signal includes a high level of an interference wave in addition to a desired wave, and as a result, the level of all the input signals including the desired wave and the interference wave becomes larger than −60 dBm. In this case, since the narrow band filter A that largely suppresses the signal is selected, the interference wave is sufficiently suppressed. According to typical wireless systems as well as Bluetooth, as shown in  FIG. 6C , the input level of the desired wave in the presence of the interference wave with a level of about −20 dBm is, for example, −67 dBm which is at least 3 dBm larger than −70 dBm, which causes no problems in the signal-to-noise ratio. Although bit errors largely depend on the ratio of desired waves to interference waves, the selection of the narrow band filter lessens the effect of bit errors. Further, since the signal-to-noise ratio is still high, the distortion of the modulated data due to the narrow band filter does not matter. 
     As shown in the condition  4 , a desired wave with a level of, for example, −67 dBm and an interference wave with a level of, for example, −62 dBm are simultaneously input, and as a result, the level of all the input signals including the desired wave and the interference wave becomes smaller than −60 dBm. In this case, the broadband filter B that suppresses less the signal is selected. As described above, in typical wireless systems employing, for example, Bluetooth, the level of the desired wave in the presence of the interference wave is relatively high. In the presence of the interference wave, the input level of the desired wave is expected to become larger than −67 dBm. Accordingly, the ratio of the interference wave to the desired wave is not so large that no problem arises in the signal-to-noise ratio and the broadband filter that suppresses less the signal suffices. In the condition  4 , as the level of the interference wave is originally small, the selection of the broadband filter causes no problems. 
     According to the first embodiment of the present invention as described above, only the amplitude level of all the input signals including the desired wave and the interference wave is detected in order to determine the bandwidth of the filter. However, the bandwidth of the filter can be controlled without problems under the respective conditions, and further, the minimum receiver sensitivity is especially improved. Furthermore, although the employment of a feed forward system with no filter in the loop makes the responsiveness excellent, a feedback system may be employed. 
     According to the first embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to appropriately control the passband of a filter without newly adding circuits or filters for detection of the interference wave in a wireless receiver, thus realizing the substantial reduction in circuit scale. As a result, there can be realized an IC for wireless receiver which can be manufactured at low cost and has a good receiver sensitivity and interference wave resistance. 
     In other words, according to the first embodiment of the present invention, a simple configuration of circuits allows for appropriately controlling the passband of a filter, and thus there is no need for newly adding circuits or filters for detection of the interference wave. Accordingly, there can be realized an IC for wireless receiver with a circuit scale reduced which can be manufactured at low cost and has a good receiver sensitivity and interference wave resistance. 
     Further, this embodiment is suitable for a case in which the ADC  13  has such a high resolution that the quantization noise causes no problem to the ADC  13 . In this embodiment, it is not necessary to employ an analog filter having a large area and large variation in time constant. 
     Next, the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to  FIGS. 7 to 10 . In  FIG. 7 , a circuit unit of a wireless receiver comprises a high-frequency signal processing unit  10 A, a low-frequency signal processing unit  10 B and a demodulation unit  10 C. PGAs  81 ,  83  of the low-frequency signal processing unit  10 B amplify the input signal by a gain that is set by an AGC 2   85 . A variable-bandpass analog filter  82  serves to suppress interference wave components included in the output signal from the PGA 1   81 , and the passband or the amount of suppression is controlled by the AGC 2   85 . Further, an ADC  84  converts the output signal from the PGA 2   83  into a binary value. 
     Here, the PGA 1   81  is installed in order to reduce a relatively large noise that is generated by the variable-bandpass analog filter  82 . The PGA 2   83  serves to adjust the amplitude level of the signal so as to be equal to the input dynamic range of the ADC  84 . 
     The signal output from the PGA 2   83  is converted into a binary value by the ADC  84 , and then the interference wave components of the signal are sufficiently suppressed by a digital filter  86 , so that the communications data is finally demodulated by a demodulator  87 . The digital filter  86  with moderate bandpass characteristics may be employed, or may be dislocated. 
       FIG. 8  shows an example of the AGC 2   85  according to the second embodiment. The input amplitude levels of the PGAs  81 ,  83  are respectively detected by level detection units  91 ,  92 . Each of gain setting units  93 ,  94  sets an optimum gain for each of the PGAs  81 ,  83  on the basis of the results detected by the level detection units  91 ,  92 . At the same time, the result detected by the level detection unit  91  is input to an antenna reception level estimation unit  95 . The antenna reception level estimation unit  95  estimates the reception level of the signal at an input terminal of an antenna on the basis of the result detected by the level detection unit  91  and a fixed gain that has been set in advance. The fixed gain is a sum of gains in previous stages, corresponds to the current gain value held by the gain setting unit and is given at the time of designing the apparatus. 
     A comparator  96  compares the level of the antenna reception estimated by the antenna reception level estimation unit  95 , with a predetermined threshold, for example, −60 dBm, and generates and outputs a bandpass control signal on the basis of the result. The passband or the amount of suppression of the variable-bandpass analog filter  82  is controlled by the bandpass control signal. For example, when the estimated level of the antenna reception is larger than the threshold, the passband of the variable-bandpass analog filter  82  is made narrow. On the contrary, when the estimated level of the antenna reception is smaller than the threshold, the passband of the variable-bandpass analog filter  82  is made broad. 
     The variable-bandpass analog filter  82  can be realized in a configuration where, for example, the bandpass control signal allows for switching of time constants or the number of filter stages, or selection from a group of filters with a plurality of passbands. 
       FIG. 9  shows a specific example of a circuit configuration of the variable-bandpass analog filter. This circuit employs the second-order RC LPF that is configured by resistances R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , capacitances C 1 , C 2 , and an operational amplifier A 1 . Any one of the resistances R 1 , R 2  and R 3  is adjusted by the bandpass control signal. 
       FIG. 10  shows a time chart illustrating an operation of the AGC 2   85 . 
     In the second embodiment, during the preamble period of the input signal, that is, all the signals including the desired wave and the interference wave, the AGC 2   85  detects the level of the input signal, determines a gain and a bandwidth, and sets the appropriate gains for the PGAs  81 ,  83  as well as the bandwidth of the variable-bandpass analog filter  82 . The set gains and bandwidth are kept throughout the data period of the input signal. 
     In the second embodiment, the passband or the amount of suppression of the variable-bandpass analog filter  82  is controlled on the basis of the relationship between desired waves and interference waves as shown in  FIG. 5 . 
     In the second embodiment, as similar to the first embodiment, the amplitude level of all the signals including the desired wave and the interference wave is detected as it is, unlike the conventional example in which only the level of the interference wave is detected. The detection of the amplitude level is performed by utilizing the AGC 2  that originally exists in the receiver, and accordingly, there is no need for newly adding circuits or filters for detection of the interference wave. 
     According to the second embodiment, it is possible to appropriately control the passband of a filter without newly adding circuits or filters for detection of the interference wave in a wireless receiver, thus realizing the substantial reduction in circuit scale. As a result, there can be realized an IC for wireless receiver which can be manufactured at low cost and has good receiver sensitivity and interference wave resistance. Accordingly, there can be realized an IC for wireless receiver with a circuit scale reduced which can be manufactured at low cost and has good receiver sensitivity and interference wave resistance. 
     The second embodiment is effective in a case where the ADC  84  with a high resolution, which assists the suppression of interference waves, cannot be employed due to conditions in manufacturing processes for IC and the like. 
     The second embodiment is applicable to an arbitrary configuration, different from the above-mentioned configuration shown in  FIG. 7 , in which, for example, the arbitrary number of stages of the PGAs, the arbitrary number of stages of the variable-bandpass analog filters, or a combination of these arbitrary orders is employed, 
     The present invention is not limited to the system employing Bluetooth that has been described in the embodiments, but is applicable to the general systems which control the passband of a filter of a receiver in typical wireless systems. The present invention is also applicable to, for example, a wireless LAN and HomeRF. 
     According to the present invention, it is possible to appropriately control the passband of a filter in a wireless receiver without newly adding circuits or filters for detection of the interference wave.