Patent Description:
Various electronic devices, such as smart phones, tablet PCs, portable multimedia players (PMPs), personal digital assistants (PDAs), laptop personal computers (laptop PCs), wearable devices, etc., have become popular.

These electronic devices may perform communication functions, and may perform transmission or reception of data with other electronic devices. An electronic device may output a signal for communication using an antenna of the electronic device, or may receive a signal transmitted from another electronic device in order to perform the communication.

The frequency band used for transmission of data and the frequency band used for reception of data may be different from each other. Since the frequency band (i.e. transmission channel) used for transmission and the frequency band (i.e. reception channel) used for reception are different from each other, transmission and reception of data may be smoothly performed without interfering with each other. A guard band of a predetermined interval may be disposed between the transmission channel and the reception channel to minimize interference between the transmission channel and the reception channel. By minimizing the interference between the transmission channel and the reception channel, data reception performance and data transmission performance may be optimized.

In addition, in order to prevent interference between the transmission channel and the reception channel, different frequency bands may be used. However, although different frequency bands are used, interference between the transmission channel and the reception channel may exist in reality. For example, a part of a signal used in the transmission channel may overlap a frequency band corresponding to the reception channel.

Some prior art documents are: <CIT> and <CIT>.

When the outputted signal is amplified, if the signal's frequency exceeds a predetermined band, linearity may decrease due to saturation. When the linearity decreases, interference between the transmission channel and the reception channel may increase.

If a digital pre-distortion is performed with respect to the signal input to the amplifier, the linearity may be best maintained, even though the signal's frequency exceeds the predetermined frequency band. But when using digital pre-distortion, while the linearity of the signal may be improved, noise of the reception channel caused by the transmission signal corresponding to the transmission channel may not be reduced. Thus, digital pre-distortion may increase transmission performance, but may not prevent deterioration in reception performance.

In accordance with an aspect of the disclosure, an electronic device includes: an antenna; a duplexer electrically connected to the antenna, and configured to separate a Tx signal that the antenna transmits and an Rx signal that the antenna receives based on frequency bands of the Tx signal and the Rx signal; an amplifier electrically connected to the duplexer, and configured to amplify an input signal and to transmit the amplified input signal to the duplexer; a memory storing a digital pre-distortion (DPD) table; a transceiver; and a processor operatively connected to the transceiver and the memory, wherein the processor is configured to: control the transceiver to transmit, to the amplifier, a first signal in a first frequency band which is used for transmission of the Tx signal; determine whether to perform pre-distortion of the first signal, based on a reception performance of the Rx signal in a second frequency band; perform the pre-distortion of the first signal by making reference to the DPD table configured to decrease a strength of the first signal in the second frequency band; and control the transceiver to transmit the pre-distorted first signal to the amplifier.

In accordance with an aspect of the disclosure, an operation method of an electronic device includes; transmitting, by a transceiver, a first signal in a first frequency band which is used for transmission of a Tx signal to an amplifier; determining whether to perform pre-distortion of the first signal, based on a reception performance of an Rx signal in a second frequency band; performing the pre-distortion of the first signal by making reference to a digital pre-distortion (DPD) table configured to decrease a strength of the first signal in the second frequency band; and transmitting, by the transceiver, the pre-distorted first signal to the amplifier.

According to various embodiments, an electronic device and an operation method of the electronic device may analyze a signal provided via a transmission channel, and may control a transceiver and a modem so as to decrease the strength of a signal in a frequency band corresponding to a reception channel, so that noise of the reception channel may be reduced.

According to various embodiments, an electronic device and an operation method of the electronic device may reduce noise of a reception channel, and may increase a data reception performance.

According to various embodiments, an electronic device and an operation method of the electronic device may enable the electronic device that supports communication using a plurality of frequency bands to analyze a signal provided via a transmission channel of a single frequency band, and to control a transceiver so as to decrease the strength of a signal of a frequency band of a reception channel corresponding to another frequency band, so that a data performance increases in communication using a plurality of frequency bands.

According to certain embodiments, an electronic device and an operation method of the electronic device may analyze a signal provided via a transmission channel, and may control a transceiver and a modem so as to decrease the strength of a signal in a frequency band corresponding to a reception channel, so that noise of the reception channel may be reduced.

According to certain embodiments, an electronic device and an operation method of the electronic device may reduce noise of a reception channel, and may increase data reception performance.

According to certain embodiments, an electronic device and an operation method of the electronic device may enable the electronic device that supports communication using a plurality of frequency bands to analyze a signal provided via a transmission channel of a single frequency band, and to control a transceiver so as to decrease the strength of a signal of a frequency band of a reception channel corresponding to another frequency band, so that a data performance of communications in the plurality of frequency bands improves.

<FIG> is a block diagram illustrating an electronic device <NUM> in a network environment <NUM> according to an embodiment.

<FIG> is a block diagram <NUM> of an electronic device <NUM> for supporting legacy network communication and <NUM> network communication according to an embodiment. Referring to <FIG>, the electronic device <NUM> may include a first communication processor <NUM>, a second communication processor <NUM>, a first radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) <NUM>, a second RFIC <NUM>, a third RFIC <NUM>, a fourth RFIC <NUM>, a first radio frequency front end (RFFE) <NUM>, a second RFFE <NUM>, a first antenna module <NUM>, a second antenna module <NUM>, and an antenna <NUM>. The electronic device <NUM> may further include the processor <NUM> and the memory <NUM>. The network <NUM> may include a first network <NUM> and a second network <NUM>. According to another embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may further include at least one component among the components illustrated in <FIG>, and the network <NUM> may further include at least one other network. According to an embodiment, the first communication processor <NUM>, the second communication processor <NUM>, the first RFIC <NUM>, the second RFIC <NUM>, the fourth RFIC <NUM>, the first RFFE <NUM>, and the second RFFE <NUM> may be included as at least a part of the wireless communication module <NUM>. According to another embodiment, the fourth RFIC <NUM> may be omitted or may be included as a part of the third RFIC <NUM>.

The first communication processor <NUM> may establish a communication channel of a band to be used for wireless communication with the first network <NUM>, and may support legacy network communication via the established communication channel. According to an embodiment, the first network may be a legacy network including <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, or long term evolution (LTE) network. The second communication processor <NUM> may establish a communication channel corresponding to a designated band (e.g., approximately <NUM> to <NUM>) among bands to be used for wireless communication with the second network <NUM>, and may support <NUM> network communication via the established channel. According to an embodiment, the second network <NUM> may be a <NUM> network defined in 3GPP. Additionally, according to an embodiment, the first communication processor <NUM> or the second communication processor <NUM> may establish a communication channel corresponding to another designated band (e.g., lower than <NUM>) among bands to be used for wireless communication with the second network <NUM>, and may support <NUM> network communication via the established channel. According to an embodiment, the first communication processor <NUM> and the second communication processor <NUM> may be implemented in a single chip or a single package. According to an embodiment, the first communication processor <NUM> or the second communication processor <NUM> may be implemented in a single chip or a single package, together with the processor <NUM>, the sub-processor <NUM>, or the communication module <NUM>.

In the case of transmission, the first RFIC <NUM> may convert a baseband signal generated by the first communication processor <NUM> into a radio frequency (RF) signal in a range of approximately <NUM> to <NUM> used for the first network <NUM> (e.g., a legacy network). In the case of reception, an RF signal is obtained from the first network <NUM> (e.g., a legacy network) via an antenna (e.g., the first antenna module <NUM>), and may be preprocessed via an RFFE (e.g., the first RFFE <NUM>). The first RFIC <NUM> may convert the preprocessed RF signal to a baseband signal so that the base band signal is processed by the first communication processor <NUM>.

In the case of transmission, the second RFIC <NUM> may convert a baseband signal generated by the first communication processor <NUM> or the second communication processor <NUM> into an RF signal (hereinafter, a <NUM> Sub6 RF signal) of a Sub6 band (e.g., lower than <NUM>) used for the second network <NUM> (e.g., <NUM> network). In the case of reception, a <NUM> Sub6 RF signal is obtained from the second network <NUM> (e.g., a <NUM> network) via an antenna (e.g., the second antenna module <NUM>), and may preprocessed by an RFFE (e.g., the second RFFE <NUM>). The second RFIC <NUM> may convert the preprocessed <NUM> Sub6 RF signal into a baseband signal so that the baseband signal is processed by a corresponding communication processor from among the first communication processor <NUM> or the second communication processor <NUM>.

The third RFIC <NUM> may convert a baseband signal generated by the second communication processor <NUM> into an RF signal (hereinafter, a <NUM> Above6 RF signal) of a <NUM> Above6 band (e.g., approximately <NUM> to <NUM>) to be used for the second network <NUM> (e.g., <NUM> network). In the case of reception, a <NUM> Above6 RF signal is obtained from the second network <NUM> (e.g., a <NUM> network) via an antenna (e.g., the antenna <NUM>), and may be preprocessed by the third RFFE <NUM>. The third RFIC <NUM> may convert the preprocessed <NUM> Above6 RF signal to a baseband signal so that the base band signal is processed by the second communication processor <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the third RFFE <NUM> may be implemented as a part of the third RFIC <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may include the fourth RFIC <NUM>, separately from or as a part of the third RFIC <NUM>. In this instance, for transmission of data, the fourth RFIC <NUM> may convert a baseband signal generated by the second communication processor <NUM> into an RF signal (hereinafter, an IF signal) in an intermediate frequency band (e.g., approximately <NUM> to <NUM>), and may transfer the IF signal to the third RFIC <NUM>. The third RFIC <NUM> may convert the IF signal to a <NUM> Above6 RF signal. In the case of reception, a <NUM> Above6 RF signal is received from the second network <NUM> (e.g., a <NUM> network) via an antenna (e.g., the antenna <NUM>), and may be converted into an IF signal by the third RFFE <NUM>. The fourth RFIC <NUM> may convert the IF signal to a baseband signal so that the base band signal is processed by the second communication processor <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the first RFIC <NUM> and the second RFIC <NUM> may be implemented as a single chip or at least a part of the single package. According to an embodiment, the first RFFE <NUM> and the second RFFE <NUM> may be implemented as a single chip or at least a part of the single package. According to an embodiment, at least one antenna module of the first antenna module <NUM> or the second antenna module <NUM> may be omitted, or may be combined with another antenna module so as to process RF signals in a plurality of bands.

According to an embodiment, the third RFIC <NUM> and the antenna <NUM> may be disposed in the same substrate, and may form the third antenna module <NUM>. For example, the wireless communication module <NUM> or the processor <NUM> may be disposed in a first substrate (e.g., main PCB). In this instance, to form the third antenna module <NUM>, the third RFIC <NUM> is disposed in a part (e.g., a lower part) of the second substrate (e.g., a sub PCB) separate from the first substrate and the antenna <NUM> is disposed on another part (e.g., an upper part) of the second substrate. By disposing the third RFIC <NUM> and the antenna <NUM> in the same substrate, the length of a transmission line therebetween may be reduced. For example, this may reduce a loss (e.g., attenuation) of a signal in a high-frequency band (e.g., approximate <NUM> to <NUM>) used for <NUM> network communication, the loss being caused by a transmission line. Accordingly, the electronic device <NUM> may improve the quality or speed of communication with the second network <NUM> (e.g., <NUM> network).

According to an embodiment, the antenna <NUM> may be implemented as an antenna array including a plurality of antenna elements which may be used for beamforming. In this instance, the third RFIC <NUM> may be, for example, a part of the third RFFE <NUM>, and may include a plurality of phase shifters <NUM> corresponding to a plurality of antenna elements. In the case of transmission, each of the plurality of phase shifters <NUM> may shift the phase of <NUM> Above6RF signals so that they can be transmitted from the electronic device <NUM> via a corresponding antenna element. As an example, the electronic device <NUM> may be a <NUM> network base station. In the case of reception, each of the plurality of phase shifters <NUM> may shift the phase of the <NUM> Above6 RF signal received from the second network <NUM> via a corresponding antenna element into the same or substantially the same phase. This may enable transmission or reception via beamforming between the electronic device <NUM> and the second network <NUM>.

The second network <NUM> (e.g., <NUM> network) may operate independently (e.g., Stand-Along (SA)) from the first network <NUM> (e.g., a legacy network), or may operate by being connected thereto (e.g., Non-Stand Alone (NSA)). For example, in the <NUM> network, only an access network (e.g., <NUM> radio access network (RAN) or next generation RAN (NG RAN)) may exist, and a core network (e.g., next generation core (NGC)) may not exist. In this instance, the electronic device <NUM> may access an access network of the <NUM> network, and may access an external network (e.g., the Internet) under the control of the core network (e.g., an evolved packed core (EPC)) of the legacy network. Protocol information (e.g., LTE protocol information) for communication with the legacy network or protocol information (e.g., New Radio (NR) protocol information) for communication with the <NUM> network may be stored in the memory <NUM>, and may be accessed by another component (e.g., the processor <NUM>, the first communication processor <NUM>, or the second communication processor <NUM>).

<FIG> is a block diagram of an electronic device according to an embodiment.

Referring to <FIG>, an electronic device <NUM> (e.g., the electronic device <NUM> of <FIG>) according to an embodiment may include an antenna <NUM>, a duplexer <NUM>, a first amplifier <NUM>, a second amplifier <NUM>, a transceiver <NUM>, and a processor <NUM>. The processor <NUM> may include a microprocessor or any suitable type of processing circuitry, such as one or more general-purpose processors (e.g., ARM-based processors), a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), a Programmable Logic Device (PLD), an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), a Graphical Processing Unit (GPU), a video card controller, etc. In addition, it would be recognized that when a general purpose computer accesses code for implementing the processing shown herein, the execution of the code transforms the general purpose computer into a special purpose computer for executing the processing shown herein. Certain of the functions and steps provided in the Figures may be implemented in hardware, software or a combination of both and may be performed in whole or in part within the programmed instructions of a computer. No claim element herein is to be construed under the provisions of <NUM> U. <NUM>(f), unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase "means for. " In addition, an artisan understands and appreciates that a "processor" or "microprocessor" may be hardware in the claimed disclosure. Under the broadest reasonable interpretation, the appended claims are statutory subject matter in compliance with <NUM> U.

According to an embodiment, the antenna <NUM> may output a Tx signal having a first frequency band, and may receive a Rx signal having a second frequency band. The Tx signal may refer to a signal that the electronic device <NUM> outputs to the external environment. The Rx signal may refer to a signal that is transmitted from an external electronic device and is received by the electronic device <NUM>. The Tx signal and an Rx signal may include data transmitted or received in a cellular communication network. The cellular communication network may be one of various types of networks. For example, the cellular communication network may be one of <NUM> communication network, <NUM> LTE-based communication network, and <NUM> network. The Tx signal may have the first frequency band, and the Rx signal may have the second frequency band which is different from the first frequency band. Although only a single antenna <NUM> is illustrated in <FIG>, a number of antennas may be included in the electronic device <NUM> depending on the number of frequency bands that the electronic device <NUM> supports.

According to an embodiment, the duplexer <NUM> is electrically connected to the antenna <NUM>, and may separate signals input to the duplexer <NUM> based on the frequency bands of the signal. For example, the duplexer <NUM> may receive a Tx signal input from the first amplifier <NUM>, and may receive an Rx signal input from the antenna <NUM>. The duplexer <NUM> may transmit the Tx signal to the antenna <NUM>, and may transmit the Rx signal to the second amplifier <NUM>, depending on the frequency band of the input signal. Although only a single duplexer <NUM> is illustrated in <FIG>, a number of duplexers may be included in the electronic device <NUM> depending on the number of frequency bands that the electronic device <NUM> supports.

According to an embodiment, the first amplifier <NUM> may receive a signal transmitted from the transceiver <NUM>, may amplify the received signal, and may transmit the amplified signal to the duplexer <NUM>. The signal received from the transceiver <NUM> may be the Tx signal described above having the first frequency band. The first amplifier <NUM> may amplify the signal received from the transceiver <NUM> according to the control of the processor <NUM>. The first amplifier <NUM> may amplify the signal using power supplied from a power supply module (not illustrated) connected to the first amplifier <NUM>. The processor <NUM> may control the first amplifier <NUM> by controlling the power supply module.

According to an embodiment, the second amplifier <NUM> may amplify a signal received from the duplexer <NUM>, and may transmit the amplified signal to the transceiver <NUM>. The signal received from the duplexer <NUM> may be the Rx signal described above having the second frequency band. The second amplifier <NUM> may be implemented as a low noise amplifier so as to amplify the Rx signal while reducing the noise in the Rx signal.

According to an embodiment, the second amplifier <NUM> may amplify the signal received from the duplexer <NUM> according to the control of the processor <NUM>. The second amplifier <NUM> may amplify the signal using power supplied from a power supply module (not illustrated) connected to the second amplifier <NUM>. The processor <NUM> may control the second amplifier <NUM> by controlling the power supply module.

According to an embodiment, the transceiver <NUM> may control the first amplifier <NUM>, the second amplifier <NUM>, and the antenna <NUM>, so as to transmit or receive signals using the antenna <NUM> operatively connected to the transceiver <NUM>. Also, the transceiver <NUM> may process the transmitted or received signals. The transceiver <NUM> may include various components (e.g., power amplifier, phase shifter, or mixer) in order to process signal amplification, signal phase shift, signal frequency conversion, etc. According to an embodiment, the Tx signal may be transmitted to the first amplifier <NUM> by the transceiver <NUM>. The Tx signal amplified by the first amplifier <NUM> may have non-linearity due to the characteristic of the first amplifier <NUM>. The non-linearity of the amplified Tx signal may cause noise in the frequency band of the Rx signal. The noise in Rx band caused by the Tx signal may cause deterioration in the reception performance of the Rx signal.

According to an embodiment, the processor <NUM> may perform pre-distortion of the Tx signal, based on a predetermined digital pre-distortion (DPD) table, in order to improve the reception performance of the Rx signal. The DPD table may include gain information of various components of the transceiver <NUM> in order to decrease noise in the Rx band which is caused by the signal amplified by the first amplifier <NUM>. The number of DPD tables is not limited, and if a plurality of DPD tables are implemented, the degree of decrease in noise in the Rx band may be different for each of the plurality of DPD tables.

According to an embodiment, the processor <NUM> may control the transceiver <NUM> so that the transceiver <NUM> transmits a pre-distorted Tx signal to the first amplifier <NUM>. The pre-distorted Tx signal may be amplified by the first amplifier <NUM>. The processor <NUM> may distort the Tx signal by decreasing the strength of a part of the Tx signal which corresponds to the second frequency band, so as to decrease noise in the Rx band caused by the Tx signal. Thus, the processor <NUM> may decrease noise in the Rx band which may be caused by the Tx signal, and may improve the reception performance of the Rx signal of the electronic device <NUM>. A detailed embodiment associated with generating a DPD table will be described with reference to <FIG>.

According to an embodiment, the processor <NUM> may perform pre-distortion of the Tx signal by making reference to a DPD table, in response to detection of various situations that require improvement of reception performance in the second frequency band corresponding to the Rx signal.

According to an embodiment, the processor <NUM> may identify the strength of a signal received by the antenna <NUM> in the second frequency band, and if the strength of the signal in the second frequency band is lower than a predetermined value, the processor <NUM> may determine to perform pre-distortion of the Tx signal.

According to another embodiment, the processor <NUM> may identify the reception performance of the Rx signal (e.g., the RSSI of the Rx signal), and may determine whether to perform pre-distortion of the Tx signal, based on the result of identifying the reception performance of the Rx signal. For example, the processor <NUM> may determine to perform pre-distortion of the Tx signal in response to identifying that the reception performance of the Rx signal is less than a predetermined value. The processor <NUM> may perform pre-distortion of the Tx signal by making reference to a DPD table which is generated to reduce noise in the Rx band caused by the Tx signal.

According to an embodiment, while communication using at least two frequency bands (e.g., transmission of a Tx signal using the first frequency band and transmission of a Tx signal using the second frequency band) is performed, if the reception performance of the Rx signal in the second frequency band is decreased due to the Tx signal in the first frequency band, i.e. when the reception performance of the Rx signal in the second frequency band may be decreased due to noise in the second frequency band increases caused by the Tx signal in the first frequency band, the processor <NUM> may determine to perform pre-distortion of the Tx signal in the first frequency band.

According to another embodiment, the processor <NUM> may identify the reception performance of the Rx signal, and may determine that the immediate vicinity of the electronic device <NUM> corresponds to a low-electric field (e.g. low-electric field strength). The processor <NUM> may determine whether to perform pre-distortion of the Tx signal, based at least on the result of the identification of the location of the electronic device <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the pre-distortion of the Tx signal may be referring to an operation of controlling various components included in the transceiver <NUM> or the processor <NUM>, so as to decrease the strength of the part of the Tx signal in the second frequency band. The processor <NUM> may control various components, including a mixer and an amplifier which are included in the transceiver <NUM> or the processor <NUM>.

For example, the processor <NUM> may change the gain of an In-phase/quadrature (I/Q) signal of the transceiver <NUM>, in order to change the amplitude and phase of the Tx signal, after making reference to the DPD table. The processor <NUM> may control components (e.g., mixer, modulator, demodulator, or modem) related to the I/Q signal gain, so as to decrease the strength of the part of the Tx signal in the second frequency band.

As another example, the processor <NUM> may decrease the output of a reference signal, so as to decrease the strength of the part of the Tx signal in the second frequency band. The processor <NUM> may control an amplifier included in the transceiver <NUM> so as to decrease the amplification gain value of the amplifier, so that the strength of the part of the Tx signal in the second frequency band is decreased.

According to an embodiment, the processor <NUM> may control the transceiver <NUM> after making reference to the DPD table so that a part of the reference signal which corresponds to the second frequency band is decreased to be less than or equal to a predetermined value.

According to an embodiment, the processor <NUM> may be a communication processor implemented in a communication module (e.g., the communication module <NUM> of <FIG>) or may be an application processor (e.g., the processor <NUM> of <FIG>). At least two components from among the duplexer <NUM>, the first amplifier <NUM>, the second amplifier <NUM>, the transceiver <NUM>, and the processor <NUM> may be implemented as one integrated module.

The above-described DPD table may be a table used for improving the reception performance of the Rx signal. According to an embodiment, the DPD table may further include a DPD table for improving the linearity of the Tx signal. The processor <NUM> may perform digital pre-distortion of a signal input to the first amplifier <NUM> by making reference to the DPD table for increasing the linearity of the Tx signal, which accordingly will increase the linearity of the signal output from the first amplifier <NUM>. The processor <NUM> may perform digital pre-distortion of the signal input to the first amplifier <NUM> by making reference to the DPD table for improving the reception performance of the Rx signal, instead of using the DPD table for improving the linearity of the Tx signal, in response to detection of various situations that require improvement of the reception performance of the second frequency band corresponding to the Rx signal. The various situations that require improvement of the reception performance of the second frequency band will be described with reference to <FIG>.

<FIG> is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment in which an electronic device generates a DPD table for improving the reception performance of an Rx signal, <FIG> is another block diagram illustrating the embodiment in which an electronic device generates a DPD table for improving the reception performance of an Rx signal, <FIG> is a yet another block diagram illustrating the embodiment in which an electronic device generates a DPD table for improving the reception performance of an Rx signal, and <FIG> is a diagram illustrating strength of a reference signal in a frequency band, and strength of a reference signal which is pre-distorted by the electronic device <NUM> using a DPD table for improving the reception performance of an Rx signal, according to an embodiment.

A description of the components which have been described in <FIG> is omitted in the description of <FIG> for the sake of simplicity.

<FIG> illustrates an embodiment of extracting a reference signal. Referring to <FIG>, the electronic device <NUM> according to an embodiment may extract a reference signal in order to generate a DPD table for reducing noise in a second frequency band which is caused by a Tx signal corresponding to a first frequency band.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may input a reference signal to a first amplifier (e.g., the first amplifier <NUM> of <FIG>), and may extract a part of the reference signal amplified by the first amplifier <NUM>. To this end, the processor <NUM> may control the transceiver <NUM> in order to transmit the reference signal to the first amplifier <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, a power modulator <NUM> is electrically connected to the processor <NUM>, and may modulate power <NUM> supplied to the first amplifier <NUM> based on the control of the processor <NUM>. For example, the power modulator <NUM> may modulate the power <NUM> supplied to the first amplifier <NUM> by changing the magnitude of the power <NUM> or the frequency of the power <NUM> supplied to the first amplifier <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrate an operation of analyzing, by the electronic device <NUM>, the characteristics of a reference signal using the power modulator <NUM>, according to an embodiment.

According to an embodiment, the power modulator <NUM> may modulate the power <NUM> supplied to the first amplifier <NUM> in order to change the characteristic of a reference signal including the amplitude of the reference signal and the frequency of the reference signal. The power modulator <NUM> may provide various modes for tracking the reference signal amplified by the first amplifier <NUM>. For example, the power modulator <NUM> may track the amplified reference signal using an envelope tracking mode (EP mode) or an average power tracking mode (APT mode). The envelope tracking mode tracks the envelope of the amplified reference signal in real time, and supplies power to the first amplifier <NUM> based on an instantaneous amplitude information of the signal (including real-time change in the envelope). Thus, the envelope tracking mode refers to a mode of supplying power to the first amplifier <NUM> according to the envelope of the tracked signal.

According to an embodiment, the power modulator <NUM> may perform an operation of changing the frequency of the reference signal (e.g., increasing the frequency of the reference signal) via modulation <NUM> of power supplied to the first amplifier <NUM>. A reference signal <NUM> of which the frequency is changed is illustrated in <FIG>.

According to an embodiment, the processor <NUM> may identify the characteristics of the reference signal <NUM>. For example, the processor may determine the frequency band of the reference signal <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrates an embodiment in which the electronic device <NUM> generates a DPD table based on identification of the strength <NUM> of the reference signal according to an embodiment.

Referring to <FIG>, the electronic device <NUM> may identify the strength <NUM> of the reference signal after its frequency is changed. For example, the electronic device <NUM> may identify the strength <NUM> of the reference signal in a second frequency band which is the frequency band of an Rx signal. The electronic device <NUM> may control various components included in the transceiver <NUM> or the processor <NUM> so that the strength <NUM> of the reference signal in the second frequency band is less than a predetermined value.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may control the transceiver <NUM> or the processor <NUM> so that the strength <NUM> of the reference signal in the second frequency band is less than a predetermined value, by adjusting at least one of an I/Q signal gain value of a modem, a gain value of a mixer, a gain value of a driver, and a gain value of an amplifier included in the transceiver <NUM> or the processor <NUM>.

For example, the electronic device <NUM> may change the gain of an In-phase/quadrature (I/Q) signal of the transceiver <NUM>, in order to change the amplifier and phase of the reference signal. The processor <NUM> may control components (e.g., mixer, modulator, demodulator, or a modem) related to an I/Q signal gain, so as to decrease the strength of the extracted signal (e.g. the extracted part of the reference signal) in the second frequency band <NUM> shown in <FIG>. In this instance, the strength of the reference signal in the first frequency band <NUM> may also be partially decreased.

As another example, the electronic device <NUM> may decrease the output of the reference signal, so as to decrease the strength of the extracted signal in the second frequency band <NUM>. The electronic device <NUM> may control the amplifier included in the transceiver <NUM> to decrease the amplification gain value of the amplifier, so that the strength of the extracted signal in the second frequency band <NUM> is decreased. In this instance, the strength of the reference signal in the first frequency band <NUM> may also be partially decreased.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may generate a DPD table including set values of various components (e.g., modem, mixer, driver, or amplifier) included in the transceiver <NUM> or the processor <NUM> which decrease the strength <NUM> of the reference signal in the second frequency band to be less than a predetermined value. Table <NUM> provided below shows an example of a DPD table.

According to an embodiment, the predetermined value may be variable, and the electronic device <NUM> may change the predetermined value based on the reception performance of an Rx signal and may generate another DPD table. The generating another DPD table may include modifying the DPD table by changing the predetermined value based on the reception performance of an Rx signal.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may perform the above-described operations so as to generate a DPD table with respect to a channel corresponding to the center frequency of a plurality of channels included in the frequency band of a reference signal, and may perform channel bandwidth delay calibration with respect to the other channels, and may correct the DPD table according to the result of the channel bandwidth delay calibration, as opposed to performing the above-described operations, so as to generate the DPD table for each of the plurality of channel.

<FIG> illustrates the strength <NUM> of a reference signal in a frequency band, and the strength <NUM> of a reference signal which is pre-distorted by the electronic device <NUM> using a DPD table for improving the reception performance of an Rx signal, according to an embodiment.

<FIG> illustrates the strength <NUM> of the reference signal which is not pre-distorted based on the DPD table for improving the reception performance of the Rx signal, and the strength <NUM> of the reference signal which is pre-distorted using the DPD table. As shown, the strength <NUM> of the reference signal which is pre-distorted is decreased compared to the strength <NUM> of the reference signal, which is not pre-distorted using the DPD table, in the second frequency band <NUM>. The fact that the strength <NUM> of the reference signal is decreased in the second frequency band <NUM> may indicate that noise in the second frequency band <NUM> is decreased.

<FIG> is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment in which an electronic device extracts a reference signal in order to reduce noise in a frequency band corresponding to an Rx signal, <FIG> is a block diagram illustrating another embodiment in which an electronic device extracts a reference signal in order to reduce noise in a frequency band corresponding to an Rx signal, and <FIG> is a block diagram illustrating still another embodiment in which an electronic device extracts a reference signal in order to reduce noise in a frequency band corresponding to an Rx signal.

A description of the components which have been described in <FIG> and <FIG> is omitted in the descriptions of <FIG> for simplicity.

Referring to <FIG>, the electronic device <NUM> may further include a connector <NUM> and a coupler <NUM> between an antenna (e.g., the antenna <NUM> of <FIG>) and a duplexer (e.g., the duplexer of <FIG>). The electronic device <NUM> may further include an SAW filter <NUM> between the second amplifier <NUM> and the transceiver <NUM>. The SAW filter <NUM> may filter only a partial signal corresponding to a predetermined frequency band in the RX signal amplified by the second amplifier <NUM>, and may transmit the filtered signal to the transceiver <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the coupler <NUM> may generate a signal which is coupled to the Tx signal transferred to the antenna <NUM> for emission. The connector <NUM> may be disposed between the coupler <NUM> and the antenna <NUM>, and may electrically connect the coupler <NUM> and the antenna <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG>, the electronic device <NUM> may extract a signal that is generated when a reference signal amplified by the first amplifier <NUM> passes through the coupler <NUM>. The electronic device <NUM> may receive the signal generated when the reference signal passes through the coupler <NUM>, and may analyze the received signal. The electronic device <NUM> may control the components included in the transceiver <NUM> or the processor <NUM> based on the result of the analysis, and may generate a DPD table using the set values of the components.

Referring to <FIG>, the electronic device <NUM> may extract a signal that is generated when a reference signal amplified by the first amplifier <NUM> passes through the duplexer <NUM> and the coupler <NUM>, prior to the signal being transferred to the antenna <NUM>. According to the embodiment illustrated in <FIG>, a signal may be extracted by a separate external measuring device (e.g., a call box) which is wiredly or wirelessly connected to the electronic device <NUM>. The external measuring device may identify the strength of a measured signal in the second frequency band, and may transmit the result of identification to the electronic device <NUM>. The electronic device <NUM> may control the components included in the transceiver <NUM> or the processor <NUM> based on the result of the identification, and may generate a DPD table using the set values of the components.

Referring to <FIG>, the electronic device <NUM> may extract a signal which corresponds to the reference signal amplified by the first amplifier <NUM>, prior to the signal passing through the duplexer <NUM>. The electronic device <NUM> may analyze the extracted signal, may control the components included in the transceiver <NUM> or the processor <NUM> based on the result of the analysis, and may generate a DPD table using the set values of the components.

<FIG> is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment in which an electronic device decreases noise in a frequency band corresponding to an Rx signal.

Referring to <FIG>, an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device <NUM> of <FIG>) according to an embodiment may include the antenna <NUM>, the duplexer <NUM>, the first amplifier <NUM>, the second amplifier <NUM>, the SAW filter <NUM>, and the transceiver <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may control the transceiver <NUM> so as to transmit a signal including data to the first amplifier <NUM>. The transceiver <NUM> may control the first amplifier <NUM> so that the first amplifier <NUM> amplifies the signal. The signal amplified by the first amplifier <NUM> may be filtered by the duplexer <NUM>, and may be emitted via the antenna <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, a part <NUM> of the signal amplified by the first amplifier <NUM> may be transmitted to a path for receiving an Rx signal (e.g., a path in which the Rx signal is transmitted to the transceiver <NUM> via the second amplifier <NUM> and the SAW filter <NUM>). The part <NUM> of the signal amplified by the first amplifier <NUM> may be transmitted to an Rx port of the transceiver <NUM>, and may deteriorate the reception performance of the Rx signal.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may perform pre-distortion of the signal including the data, using a DPD table, in order to decrease the strength of a partial signal which corresponds to the frequency band (e.g., the second frequency band) corresponding to the Rx signal in the signal amplified by the first amplifier <NUM>. The DPD table may be a table used for improving the reception performance of the Rx signal. The electronic device <NUM> may decrease the strength of a part of the Tx signal transferred to the Rx port of the transceiver <NUM>, by performing pre-distortion using the DPD table for improving the reception performance of an Rx signal, and may prevent decrease in the reception performance of the Rx signal caused by the Tx signal.

<FIG> is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment in which an electronic device decreases noise in a frequency band corresponding to an Rx signal, where the electronic device supports communication in a plurality of frequency bands.

Referring to <FIG>, the electronic device <NUM> according to an embodiment may support data communication in a plurality of frequency bands. For example, the electronic device <NUM> may support carrier aggregation in the <NUM> data communication, Wi-Fi bonding using all of the adjacent frequency bands, <NUM> cellular communication (<NUM>-LTE), and <NUM> cellular communication.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may include transmission paths and reception paths which respectively correspond to the supported frequency bands to perform transmission or reception of signals of the plurality of frequency bands.

In the example shown in <FIG>, the electronic device <NUM> supports two frequency bands (e.g., B3 and B8), and transmission paths and reception paths respectively corresponding to two frequency bands are illustrated in <FIG>. The transmission path and the reception path corresponding to frequency band B8 are indicated by a broken line <NUM>, and the transmission path and the reception path corresponding to frequency band B3 are indicated by a broken line <NUM>. However, the disclosure is not so limited, and other frequency bands may also be supported.

According to an embodiment, each of the two frequency bands may be separated into a frequency band for a signal to be transmitted and a frequency band for a signal to be received.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may include the antenna <NUM>, a diplexer <NUM>, a first duplexer <NUM>, a second duplexer <NUM>, a first low noise amplifier <NUM>, a second low noise amplifier <NUM>, a first SAW filter <NUM>, a first amplifier <NUM>, a second SAW filter <NUM>, a second amplifier <NUM>, and a transceiver <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the antenna <NUM> may transmit or receive signals corresponding to two frequency bands B3 and B8.

According to an embodiment, the diplexer <NUM> may transmit a signal via a reception path corresponding to the frequency band of a signal received via the antenna <NUM>. For example, if the frequency band of the signal received via the antenna <NUM> is B3, the diplexer <NUM> may transmit the signal via a reception path corresponding to frequency band B3 (e.g., a path connected via the second duplexer <NUM>, the second low noise amplifier <NUM>, and the second SAW filter <NUM>). As another example, if the frequency band of a signal received via the antenna <NUM> is B8, the diplexer <NUM> may transmit the signal via a reception path corresponding to frequency band B8 (e.g., a path connected via the first duplexer <NUM>, the first low noise amplifier <NUM>, and the first SAW filter <NUM>).

According to an embodiment, the first duplexer <NUM>, the first low noise amplifier <NUM>, the first SAW filter <NUM>, and the first amplifier <NUM> may process a signal corresponding to band B8. The detailed functions thereof may be the same as those of the components which have been described with reference to <FIG>.

According to an embodiment, the second duplexer <NUM>, the second low noise amplifier <NUM>, the second SAW filter <NUM>, and the second amplifier <NUM> may process a signal corresponding to band B3. The detailed functions thereof may be the same as those of the components which have been described with reference to <FIG>.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may control the transceiver <NUM> so as to transmit a signal including data to the first amplifier <NUM>, in order to transmit data via frequency band B8. The transceiver <NUM> may control the first amplifier <NUM> so that the first amplifier <NUM> amplifies a signal. The signal amplified by the first amplifier <NUM> may be filtered by the first duplexer <NUM> and the diplexer <NUM>, and may be emitted via the antenna <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, a part <NUM> of the signal amplified by the first amplifier <NUM> may be transmitted via a path for receiving an Rx signal having frequency band B3 (a path in which the Rx signal having frequency band B3 is transmitted via the diplexer <NUM>, the second duplexer <NUM>, the second low noise amplifier <NUM>, and the second SAW filter <NUM>). The part <NUM> of the signal amplified by the first amplifier <NUM> may be transmitted to an Rx port of the transceiver <NUM>, and may deteriorate the reception performance of the Rx signal.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may detect that the reception performance of the RX signal having frequency band B3 is decreased, and may determine to perform pre-distortion of the Tx signal in the frequency band B8. The electronic device <NUM> may perform the pre-distortion by changing set values of various components included in the transceiver <NUM> after making reference to a DPD table.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may perform pre-distortion of the Tx signal in the frequency band B8 so as to decrease the strength of the partial signal which corresponds to the frequency band of the Rx signal having frequency band B3. The strength of the Tx signal having frequency band B8, which is transferred to an Rx port of the transceiver <NUM>, is decreased by the pre-distortion, and deterioration in the reception performance of the Rx signal having frequency band B3 caused by the Tx signal having frequency band B8 may be prevented.

An electronic device according to an embodiment may include: an antenna; a duplexer electrically connected to the antenna, and configured to separate a Tx signal that the antenna transmits and an Rx signal that the antenna receives based on frequency bands of the Tx signal and the Rx signal; an amplifier electrically connected to the duplexer, and configured to amplify an input signal and to transmit the amplified input signal to the duplexer; a memory storing a digital pre-distortion (DPD) table; a transceiver; and a processor operatively connected to the transceiver and the memory, wherein the processor is configured to: control the transceiver to transmit, to the amplifier, a first signal in a first frequency band which is used for transmission of the Tx signal; determine whether to perform pre-distortion of the first signal, based on a reception performance of the Rx signal in a second frequency band; perform the pre-distortion of the first signal by making reference to the DPD table configured to decrease the strength of the first signal in the second frequency band; and control the transceiver to transmit the pre-distorted first signal to the amplifier.

In the electronic device according to an embodiment, the processor may be configured to control internal components of the transceiver, based on values corresponding to the internal components included in the DPD table.

In the electronic device according to an embodiment, the processor may be configured to: analyze the first signal amplified by the amplifier; and determine whether to perform the pre-distortion of the first signal, based on the strength of the amplified first signal in the second frequency band.

In the electronic device according to an embodiment, the processor may be configured to: identify whether the strength of the received signal in the second frequency band exceeds a predetermined value; and to perform the pre-distortion of the first signal when the strength of the first signal in the second frequency band exceeds the predetermined value.

In the electronic device according to an embodiment, the processor may be configured to control the transceiver to decrease the strength of the first signal in the second frequency band to be less than or equal to the predetermined value.

In the electronic device according to an embodiment, the processor may be configured to: control the transceiver to output a reference signal used for generating the DPD table to the amplifier; receive the reference signal amplified by the amplifier; identify the strength of the received reference signal in the second frequency band; control a plurality of components included in the transceiver to decrease the strength of the received reference signal in the second frequency band to be less than a predetermined value, based on the identified strength of the received signal; identify values for each of the plurality of components; and generate the DPD table based on the values.

In the electronic device according to an embodiment, the processor may be configured to receive the amplified reference signal before the amplified reference signal is transferred to the duplexer.

In the electronic device according to an embodiment, the processor may be configured to receive the amplified reference signal after the amplified reference signal is transferred to the duplexer.

In the electronic device according to an embodiment, the electronic device may further include a coupler connected between the duplexer and the antenna, and the processor may be configured to receive the amplified reference signal the coupler.

In the electronic device according to an embodiment, the processor may be configured to: perform pre-distortion of the first signal, based on another DPD table for increasing a linearity of the Tx signal; and determine whether to perform the pre-distortion based on the DPD table or the other DPD table, based on the reception performance of the Rx signal.

<FIG> is a flowchart illustrating an operation method of an electronic device according to an embodiment.

Referring to <FIG>, in operation <NUM> of the operation method of an electronic device according to an embodiment, an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device <NUM> of <FIG>) may control a transceiver (e.g., the transceiver <NUM> of <FIG>) so as to provide a Tx signal having a first frequency band to a first amplifier (e.g., the first amplifier <NUM> of <FIG>).

According to an embodiment, the transceiver <NUM> may provide the Tx signal to the first amplifier <NUM>, and may control the first amplifier <NUM> to amplify the Tx signal.

According to an embodiment, in operation <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may identify the reception performance of an Rx signal having a second frequency band.

According to an embodiment, the reception performance of the Rx signal may be identified using various indications including the received signal strength indication (RSSI) or the received signal code power of the Rx signal.

According to an embodiment, in operation <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may determine whether to perform pre-distortion of the Tx signal, based on the reception performance of the Rx signal.

According to an embodiment, the pre-distortion of the Tx signal may be performed in order to improve the reception performance of the Rx signal.

According to an embodiment, in operation <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may perform pre-distortion of the Tx signal using a digital pre-distortion (DPD) table which is configured to decrease the strength of the Tx signal in the second frequency band.

According to an embodiment, the DPD table may include gain information of various components of the transceiver <NUM> in order to decrease noise in the Rx band which is caused by the signal amplified by the first amplifier <NUM>. The number of DPD tables is not limited, and if a plurality of DPD tables are implemented, the degree of decrease in noise in the Rx band is different for each of the plurality of DPD tables.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may control the transceiver <NUM> so that the transceiver <NUM> transmits the pre-distorted Tx signal to the first amplifier <NUM>. The pre-distorted Tx signal may be amplified by the first amplifier <NUM>. The electronic device <NUM> may perform pre-distortion of the Tx signal by decreasing a part of the Tx signal which corresponds to the second frequency band, so as to decrease noise in the Rx band which is caused by the Tx signal. The electronic device <NUM> may decrease noise in the Rx band which may be caused by the Tx signal, and may improve the reception performance of the Rx signal of the electronic device <NUM>. The electronic device <NUM> may perform pre-distortion of the Tx signal using a DPD table, and may reduce noise in the Rx band. The detailed embodiment associated with generating a DPD table has been described with reference to <FIG>.

An operation method of an electronic device according to an embodiment may include: transmitting, by a transceiver, a first signal in a first frequency band which is used for transmission of a Tx signal to an amplifier; determining whether to perform pre-distortion of the first signal, based on a reception performance of an Rx signal in a second frequency band; performing the pre-distortion of the first signal by making reference to a digital pre-distortion (DPD) table configured to decrease the strength of the first signal in the second frequency band; and transmitting, by the transceiver, the pre-distorted first signal to the amplifier.

In the operation method of an electronic device according to an embodiment, the operation of performing the pre-distortion of the first signal may include controlling internal components of the transceiver, based on values corresponding to the internal components included in the DPD table.

In the operation method of an electronic device according to an embodiment, the operation of determining whether to perform the pre-distortion of the first signal may include: analyzing the first signal amplified by the amplifier; and determining whether to perform the pre-distortion of the first signal, based on the strength of the amplified first signal in the second frequency band.

In the operation method of an electronic device according to an embodiment, the operation of determining whether to perform the pre-distortion of the first signal may further include: identifying whether the strength of the received signal in the second frequency band exceeds a predetermined value; and performing the pre-distortion of the first signal when the strength of the first signal in the second frequency band exceeds the predetermined value.

In the operation method of an electronic device according to an embodiment, the operation of performing the pre-distortion of the first signal may include controlling the transceiver to decrease the strength of the first signal in the second frequency band to be less than or equal to the predetermined value.

The operation method of an electronic device according to an embodiment may further include: controlling the transceiver to output a reference signal used for generating the DPD table to the amplifier; receiving the reference signal amplified by the amplifier; identifying the strength of the received reference signal in the second frequency band; controlling a plurality of components included in the transceiver to decrease the strength of the received reference signal in the second frequency band to be less than a predetermined value, based on the identified strength of the received reference signal; identifying values for each of the plurality of components; and generating the DPD table based on the values.

In the operation method of an electronic device according to an embodiment, the operation of receiving of the reference signal may include receiving the amplified reference signal before the amplified reference signal is transferred to a duplexer.

In the operation method of an electronic device according to an embodiment, the operation of receiving the reference signal may include receiving the amplified reference signal after the amplified reference signal is transferred to the duplexer.

In the operation method of an electronic device according to an embodiment, the operation of receiving the reference signal may include receiving the amplified reference signal using a coupler connected between the duplexer and an antenna.

The operation method of an electronic device according to an embodiment may further include: performing the pre-distortion of the first signal, based on another DPD table for increasing a linearity of the Tx signal; and determining whether to perform the pre-distortion based on the DPD table or the other DPD table, based on the reception performance of the Rx signal.

Certain of the above-described embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented in hardware, firmware or via the execution of software or computer code that can be stored in a recording medium such as a CD ROM, a Digital Versatile Disc (DVD), a magnetic tape, a RAM, a floppy disk, a hard disk, or a magneto-optical disk or computer code downloaded over a network originally stored on a remote recording medium or a non-transitory machine readable medium and to be stored on a local recording medium, so that the methods described herein can be rendered via such software that is stored on the recording medium using a general purpose computer, or a special processor or in programmable or dedicated hardware, such as an ASIC or FPGA. As would be understood in the art, the computer, the processor, microprocessor controller or the programmable hardware include memory components, e.g., RAM, ROM, Flash, etc. that may store or receive software or computer code that when accessed and executed by the computer, processor or hardware implement the processing methods described herein.

Claim 1:
An electronic device (<NUM>), comprising:
an antenna (<NUM>);
a duplexer (<NUM>)
electrically connected to the antenna, and configured to
separate a Tx signal that the antenna transmits and an Rx signal that the antenna receives based on frequency bands of the Tx signal and the Rx signal;
an amplifier (<NUM>)
electrically connected to the duplexer, and configured to amplify an input signal and to transmit the amplified input signal to the duplexer;
a memory (<NUM>)
storing a digital pre-distortion (DPD) table;
a transceiver (<NUM>); and
a processor (<NUM>)
operatively connected to the transceiver and the memory,
wherein the processor is configured to:
control the transceiver to transmit, to the amplifier, a first signal in a first frequency band which is used for transmission of the Tx signal;
determine whether to perform pre-distortion of the first signal, based on a reception performance of the Rx signal in a second frequency band;
perform the pre-distortion of the first signal by making reference to the DPD table configured to decrease a strength of the first signal in the second frequency band; and
control the transceiver to transmit the pre-distorted first signal to the amplifier.