JP4802979B2 - Wireless communication device, analog delay amount control method, program, and recording medium - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a wireless communication device, an analog delay amount control method, a program, and a recording medium. The present invention relates to a transmission / reception timing adjustment technique in a wireless communication device such as a mobile phone or a base station, and is particularly suitable for a wireless communication device (communication terminal) in a W-CDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access) communication system. Can be applied. Further, the present invention is not limited to the W-CDMA system, and can be widely applied to wireless communication apparatuses of other communication systems.

In general CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) mobile phone and other wireless communication devices (mobile communication devices), it is necessary to strictly control transmission power and adjust transmission and reception timing due to the characteristics of the method. There is. In recent communications, in addition to voice, it is required to transmit (that is, communicate) digital data having various information amounts such as images and moving image data. One method for effectively transmitting digital data with various amounts of information is a W-CDMA communication system, which has already started operation. As a specification of the W-CDMA system, an agreement for performing communication between a base station and a communication terminal constituting a wireless communication device is, for example, 3GPP
It is finely set by the (3 ^rd Generation Partnership Project) standard. Hereinafter, a wireless communication device constituting a wireless network is referred to as a base station, and a mobile wireless communication device is referred to as a communication terminal.

  As a first background, there is a specification related to transmission / reception timing of a wireless communication device. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining a part of DL / UL (Downlink, Uplink) timing specifications of the W-CDMA wireless communication device (communication terminal). The relationship of the transmission / reception timing at the antenna end is shown. The standard of transmission / reception timing control error is defined within ± 1.5 chips as defined in “3GPP TS 25.214”.

In FIG. 4, UE means a communication terminal (User Equipment) of a radio communication device, and “DL DPCCH at UE” is a DL (Downlink) transmitted from a base station at the antenna end of the communication terminal. The state of data is shown. Also, “UL
“DPCCH at UE” indicates the state of UP (Uplink) data transmitted to the base station at the antenna end of the communication terminal. Here, “PILOT” is a pilot signal for acquisition of synchronization, “Data1” and “Data2” are data areas for loading user data, and “TPC” is data for power control. (Transmit
“TFCI” is an indicator (Transport Format) for displaying a combination of transfer formats.
Combination Indicator).

Here, the DL / UL timing relationship is defined as 1024 Chips as DL / UL Timing offset as shown in FIG. 4 in accordance with “3GPP TS” of the non-patent document. As described above, the control error is defined to be within ± 1.5 Chip. Note that “Chip” is a minimum unit for sending one spread data, and corresponds to 3.84 MHz. In order to maintain timing accuracy like this, it is necessary to measure the amount of analog processing in the analog circuit section in the wireless communication device. Also, “UL
As shown in “DPCCH at UE”, UL (Uplink) data transmitted to the base station consists of a slot with a data length of 2,560 chips.

  Further, it is necessary to receive a DL (Downlink) signal and update the data by reflecting the result on the UL (Uplink) signal. Therefore, it is necessary to calculate (stack) the internal processing amount in the communication terminal, and output UL transmission data or perform power control at the specified timing, and distribute the processing amount. As one of the determinations, it is necessary to measure the amount of analog processing.

As a second background, recent mobile terminals cannot use all frequency bands because they cannot accommodate all users or have different frequency band allocations in different countries. The multi-band compatible communication terminal is in the flow. Furthermore, in order to cope with measurement (Compressed Mode function) for shifting to other frequencies (including other bands), it has become necessary to set the transmission and reception frequencies to independent arbitrary frequencies. Therefore, the frequency synthesizer (Frequency
Synthesizer. (Hereinafter abbreviated as “Synth”) can be set to any frequency, and two or more device configurations have been adopted.

  As described above, in a wireless communication device using a plurality of frequency band bands, the analog components of the analog circuit unit used in each frequency band are different (in a current wireless communication device, a plurality of frequency band When switching bands, there are many configurations that use different analog components), and the analog delay amount of the analog circuit section is also different for each frequency band, so analog delay (processing amount) is easily measured It has become necessary to make it possible.

  As a basic technique for measuring the analog delay amount of the analog circuit unit, a loopback function for returning the signal from the transmission unit to the reception side is necessary, and various loopback techniques have been proposed conventionally. For example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-21811 “Wireless Communication Device with Self-Diagnosis Function” disclosed in Patent Document 1, in order to perform self-diagnosis of a radio unit (RF unit), etc., in order to adjust a frequency difference between transmission and reception A system has been proposed in which a folding circuit is configured by performing frequency conversion using an external local signal oscillator (LO).

  Further, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-120561 “Radio apparatus, IQ signal adjustment method, and IQ signal adjustment program” disclosed in Patent Document 2, a received signal is in-phase with an in-phase signal (In-Phase Signal: I signal). A dedicated filter (offset adjustment filter, amplitude adjustment filter) is provided to extract both the signal (Quadrature Signal: Q signal) and the RXIQ signal on the receiving side, and receive the transmission signal. The system is configured to adjust the offset and amplitude when looping back to the system and loop back.

  Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-324086 disclosed in Patent Document 3 “Failure method for wireless device failure” wraps back a signal from a transmission side to a reception side and from a reception side to a transmission side in a hot standby wireless device. A failure diagnosis method has been proposed in which a circuit, a test signal signal generator, and a synchronous switch for detecting coincidence of two systems of test signals are provided to detect a signal error when the test signal is turned back.

  In addition, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-144597 “Transmission signal generation circuit” shown in Patent Document 4, test data from a test data generation circuit is inserted into the transmission side via an individual user data insertion circuit when a test mode is set, A configuration for testing the receiving circuit by folding back to the receiving circuit side has been proposed.

Further, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-125026 “Communication line test method” disclosed in Patent Document 5, when the transmission / reception data transfer rate and the modulation / demodulation method are the same, the frequency and jitter with respect to the external clock are set when the test mode is set. A test method for testing whether there is no abnormality as received data by returning test data modulated based on the length to the receiving unit is proposed.
JP 2003-21811 A (page 3-4) JP 2004-120561 A (page 10-11) JP 2000-324086 A (page 4-5) Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-144697 (page 3-4) JP2003-1225026 (page 2-3)

  However, the conventional techniques have the following problems. As a first problem, as described above, in the W-CDMA system, the specifications for the timing of UL and DL are determined. That is, various signals must be processed within a predetermined timing range in accordance with the UL transmission format based on the DL reception data. At this time, with regard to the processing of the CPU and the processing of the digital circuit, the processing amount (delay amount) and processing time (delay time) can be accurately estimated according to the operating frequency of the clock to be used. The delay amount and the delay time cannot be estimated using such means. In addition, in order to measure the analog delay amount of the analog circuit unit with the wireless communication device assembled as a device, an external measuring instrument such as a base station simulator is required, and DL / UL communication is possible. There is also a problem that accurate measurement cannot be performed unless the state is set to a proper state (a state in which the communication system is operated).

  As described above, the conventional method for measuring the analog delay amount in the analog circuit unit requires an expensive base station simulator or a special measuring device as an external measuring device, and therefore the analog delay amount by the wireless communication device (communication terminal) itself. Therefore, it is required to realize a highly accurate adjustment method by the wireless communication device itself in response to the state of the wireless communication device. In other words, if a deviation occurs in the adjustment value of the analog delay amount depending on the state of the wireless communication device, the connection rate with the base station decreases, or communication between the base station and the wireless communication device (communication terminal) becomes impossible. Therefore, there is a problem that it is necessary to perform measurement more reliably and accurately.

  As a second problem, there is a case where analog parts forming the analog circuit section are switched and used in accordance with the multi-banding, and the analog delay amount at the time of switching is different in each case. In order to cope with such a case, there is a problem that it is desired to make it possible to measure and manage the analog delay amount by the wireless communication device (communication terminal) itself.

For example, in the case of conventional wireless communication devices (communication terminals), there were many single configurations (Single Synth) consisting of only one frequency synthesizer (Synth), but with the recent trend toward multiband, frequency synthesizers (Synth) Dual configuration with two (Dual
Synth) is increasingly used.

In a single synth wireless communication device, as shown in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, frequency conversion or the like is required again in order to return the transmission waveform to the receiving side by loopback. The circuit scale has increased, and the circuit configuration has become complicated. In particular, IF frequency (Intermediate
In a wireless communication device (communication terminal) using a frequency (intermediate frequency), the circuit configuration becomes complicated.

  Further, the conventional techniques in the patent documents as described above have the following problems. That is, as described above, Patent Document 1 is a method of performing frequency conversion using a local signal oscillator (LO) provided outside in order to adjust the frequency deviation between transmission and reception, and the circuit configuration is complicated. There's a problem. Further, Patent Document 2 also has a problem that the circuit scale increases as described above because it is necessary to provide a dedicated filter or the like for extracting the RXIQ signal.

  Moreover, the said patent document 3 aims at failure detection, and is not a viewpoint of performing the automatic adjustment of the timing between transmission / reception. Further, Patent Document 4 is a test data generation circuit that generates a signal for testing a receiving circuit, and does not generate a transmission signal for measuring a delay amount of an analog circuit unit. Further, Patent Document 5 is a test method for testing whether there is no abnormality as received data on the premise that the transmission / reception data transfer rate and the modulation / demodulation method are the same, and the delay of the analog circuit unit. It does not measure quantity.

  The problems of the prior art as described above are summarized as follows. First, since the specification regarding the control error of DL / UL Timing Offset is within ± 1.5 Chip, a technology that enables highly accurate timing adjustment values to be measured as a wireless communication device (communication terminal). is necessary. Second, there is a need for a technique that enables easy measurement of the analog delay amount by forming a signal loopback only by the wireless communication device (communication terminal) itself without using an external measuring device. Thirdly, it is necessary to make it possible to incorporate in advance an analog delay amount control program capable of measuring the analog delay amount and automatically adjusting the timing correction value in the wireless communication device. Fourthly, there is a need for a technique that can follow the change in the analog delay amount that occurs when the analog circuit unit is switched with respect to the multiband wireless communication device.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and is provided with a radio having an analog delay time measurement function and a delay time adjustment function capable of suppressing variations in transmission / reception timing in an analog circuit unit composed of analog components. An object is to provide a communication device, an analog delay amount control method, an analog delay amount control program, and a program recording medium.

  Here, generally, a wireless communication device currently mass-produced is manufactured as a device in which analog parts and digital parts are mixed as shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a block configuration diagram showing a part of a circuit configuration in a general wireless communication device, and mainly shows a circuit block of the analog circuit portion in order to explain a delay occurrence portion of the analog portion. .

That is, the wireless communication device 100 includes a D / A converter 10, an RF module (TX) 20, a duplexer (DUP) 30, an antenna 40, an RF module (RX) 50, an A / D converter 60, and a digital processing unit 70. Among these, the path of the transmission / reception signal from the end portion (antenna end) of the antenna 40 to the digital processing by the digital processing unit 70 is an analog circuit unit configured by analog parts. As illustrated in FIG. 5, in the wireless communication device 100, transmission from the D / A converter 10 to the antenna end via the RF module (TX) 20 and the duplexer 30 is performed as an analog delay amount in the analog circuit unit. A / D conversion processing is performed by the A / D converter 60 from the antenna end via the duplexer 30 and the RF module (RX) 50, and the transmission side analog delay amount (TX Analog Delay) generated in the analog circuit section of the system. Receiver side analog delay amount (RX)
Analog Delay).

  The present invention makes it possible to easily measure the amount of signal delay (signal processing time) in an analog circuit unit using this analog component, and the measurement result of the signal processing time in the analog circuit unit, that is, generated in the analog circuit unit. In order to suppress the variation in analog processing delay of signal transmission / reception within an allowable range using the analog delay amount of signal (analog processing delay time), it has a configuration that can automatically correct timing between transmission and reception. Another object of the present invention is to provide a wireless communication device, an analog delay amount control method, an analog delay amount control program, and a program recording medium.

  Furthermore, when it demonstrates, the objective of this invention exists in the following points. First, it is possible to measure the analog delay time in the analog circuit section of the transmission / reception system only within the own wireless communication device, and second, a mechanism capable of automatically adjusting the timing relationship between transmission / reception is incorporated. Provides a wireless communication device, an analog delay amount control method, an analog delay amount control program, and a program recording medium that can prevent analog component delay changes due to temperature changes and analog delay time adjustment deviation due to secular changes. The purpose is to do.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a wireless communication device, an analog delay amount control method, a program, and a recording medium according to the present invention employ the following characteristic configuration.

(1) A pulse for detecting an analog delay amount of the analog circuit unit in a wireless communication apparatus including an analog circuit unit and a digital circuit unit and capable of looping back from the transmission side to the reception side of the analog circuit unit. A pulse generation means for generating a signal, a changeover switch for transmitting the generated pulse signal as transmission data to the transmission side of the analog circuit unit instead of normal transmission data, and a reception data received on the reception side A pulse detection means for detecting the pulse signal transmitted from the inside to the transmission side and looped back; a detection time of the pulse signal by the pulse detection means; and a transmission section of the analog circuit section generated by the pulse generation means The difference in timing from the time when the pulse signal is transmitted to is calculated as the analog delay amount of the analog circuit unit A timing counting means based on the calculated the analog delay amount, the radio communication device includes at least a transmission data timing adjusting means for correcting the transmission timing for transmitting the transmission data to the transmission side of the analog circuit portion.
(2) The wireless communication device according to (1), further including an antenna output control switch capable of disconnecting an antenna that radiates a wireless signal from the analog circuit unit.
(3) In the wireless communication device according to (1) or (2), the wireless communication device further includes a frequency synthesizer capable of setting a frequency arbitrarily specified on each of the transmission side and the reception side of the analog circuit unit, A wireless communication device that sets the same frequency to each of the frequency synthesizers of the transmission unit and the reception unit of the analog circuit unit when the pulse signal is looped back from the transmission side to the reception side.
(4) In the wireless communication device according to any one of the above (1) to (3), power control capable of amplifying at an arbitrarily specified amplification factor on each of the transmitting side and the receiving side of the analog circuit unit A wireless communication device further comprising an amplifier, wherein when the pulse signal is looped back from the transmission side to the reception side, the power control amplifiers of the transmission unit and the reception unit of the analog circuit unit are set to predetermined amplification factors, respectively.
(5) In the wireless communication device according to any one of the above (1) to (4), an operation of detecting an analog delay amount of the analog circuit unit and correcting a transmission timing at which transmission data is transmitted by the transmission data timing adjustment unit Is a wireless communication device that automatically implements when the wireless communication device is powered on.
(6) In the wireless communication device according to any one of (1) to (5), an operation of detecting an analog delay amount of the analog circuit unit and correcting a transmission timing of transmitting transmission data by the transmission data timing adjusting unit Is a wireless communication device that automatically implements at a time determined arbitrarily within a section in which a normal transmission / reception data transmission / reception operation is not performed.
(7) In the wireless communication device according to any one of the above (1) to (6), an operation of detecting an analog delay amount of the analog circuit unit and correcting a transmission timing at which transmission data is transmitted by the transmission data timing adjustment unit Prior to the start of normal transmission data transmission operation.
(8) In the wireless communication device according to any one of the above (1) to (7), an operation of detecting an analog delay amount of the analog circuit unit and correcting a transmission timing at which transmission data is transmitted by the transmission data timing adjustment unit A wireless communication device that automatically implements each time an internal clock built in the wireless communication device measures a predetermined time.
(9) In the wireless communication device according to any one of (1) to (8), an operation of detecting an analog delay amount of the analog circuit unit and correcting a transmission timing at which transmission data is transmitted by the transmission data timing adjustment unit Is automatically executed when a thermometer built in the wireless communication device detects a temperature exceeding a predetermined threshold.
(10) In the wireless communication device according to any one of (1) to (9), an operation of detecting an analog delay amount of the analog circuit unit and correcting a transmission timing of transmitting transmission data by the transmission data timing adjustment unit A wireless communication device that automatically implements when the frequency band used by the wireless communication device is switched.
(11) In an analog delay amount control method for controlling an analog delay amount of the analog circuit unit in a wireless communication device having a loopback function from the transmitting side to the receiving side of the analog circuit unit, for detecting the analog delay amount A pulse signal is generated and transmitted to the transmission side of the analog circuit unit in place of normal transmission data, and received by detecting the pulse signal that has looped back from the reception data received at the reception side. The transmission data is transmitted to the transmission side of the analog circuit unit based on the analog delay amount of the analog circuit unit detected from the timing difference between the detection time of the pulse signal on the side and the time when the pulse signal is transmitted to the transmission unit Analog delay amount control method for correcting transmission timing.
(12) In the analog delay amount control method according to (11), a radio signal is detected during a period in which an analog delay amount of the analog circuit unit is detected and transmission timing for transmitting transmission data is corrected by the transmission data timing adjustment unit. An analog delay amount control method for separating an antenna that radiates from the analog circuit section.
(13) In the analog delay amount control method according to (11) or (12), an operation of detecting an analog delay amount of the analog circuit unit and correcting a transmission timing of transmitting transmission data by the transmission data timing adjustment unit. An analog delay amount control method that is automatically performed when the wireless communication device is powered on.
(14) In the analog delay amount control method according to any one of (11) to (13), the analog delay amount of the analog circuit unit is detected, and the transmission timing for transmitting transmission data is corrected by the transmission data timing adjustment means. An analog delay amount control method for automatically performing the operation to be performed at an arbitrary time within a period in which the normal transmission / reception data transmission / reception operation is not performed.
(15) In the analog delay amount control method according to any one of (11) to (14), the analog delay amount of the analog circuit unit is detected, and the transmission timing for transmitting transmission data is corrected by the transmission data timing adjustment unit. An analog delay amount control method for automatically performing the operation to be performed prior to the start of the normal transmission data transmission operation.
(16) In the analog delay amount control method according to any one of (11) to (15), the analog delay amount of the analog circuit unit is detected, and the transmission timing for transmitting the transmission data is corrected by the transmission data timing adjustment means. An analog delay amount control method for automatically performing an operation every time an internal clock built in the wireless communication device counts a predetermined time.
(17) In the analog delay amount control method according to any one of (11) to (16), the analog delay amount of the analog circuit unit is detected, and the transmission timing for transmitting transmission data is corrected by the transmission data timing adjustment unit. An analog delay amount control method for automatically performing the operation to be performed when a temperature meter built in the wireless communication device detects a temperature exceeding a predetermined threshold.
(18) In the analog delay amount control method according to any one of (11) to (17), the analog delay amount of the analog circuit unit is detected, and the transmission timing for transmitting transmission data is corrected by the transmission data timing adjustment unit. An analog delay amount control method for automatically performing the operation to be performed when the frequency band used by the wireless communication device is switched.
(19) An analog delay amount control program in which at least a part of the analog delay amount control method of any one of (11) to (18) is implemented as a program executable by a computer.
(20) A program recording medium in which the analog delay amount control program of (19) is recorded on a computer-readable recording medium.

  According to the wireless communication device, the analog delay amount control method, the program, and the recording medium of the present invention, the wireless communication device itself measures the timing relationship between transmission and reception of the analog circuit unit without using an external measuring device, and automatically Therefore, the following effects can be obtained.

  The first is a case where a high accuracy such as ± 1.5 chips is required as a specification of a device as a wireless communication device regarding a DL / UL (Downlink / Uplink) timing offset defined in the 3GPP standard. However, the timing adjustment (correction) can be made possible by appropriately setting the clock frequency for determining the counting operation of the timing counting means built in the wireless communication device.

  Second, it is not necessary to use an external measuring instrument, and the analog delay amount of the analog circuit unit can be easily measured by looping back the impulse signal in the transmitting / receiving unit of the analog circuit unit only by the wireless communication device itself. It becomes possible.

  Third, the wireless communication device itself can arbitrarily incorporate an analog delay amount control program for automatically adjusting the analog delay amount. As a result, even if the manufacturing process / adjustment process is simplified and the analog delay amount shifts due to the aging of the analog element, it is possible to automatically adjust the transmission timing and cope with it.

  Further, as one of the failure detection means, a secondary effect that it can be used for the continuity check of the analog circuit unit 80 is also obtained.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of a wireless communication device, an analog delay amount control method, a program, and a recording medium according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(Features of the present invention)
Prior to the description of the embodiments of the present invention, first, the outline of the features of the present invention will be described. Basically, the present invention is a dual configuration synthesizer.
Synth's wireless communication device has the function of turning back the signal between transmission and reception at the antenna end, the function of sending the impulse signal for measuring the analog delay amount in the analog circuit section to the transmission side, and the impulse signal turned back on the reception side And a function of detecting a timing difference from the transmission time point to the reception time point is implemented, and the detected timing difference value is used as a DL / UL timing adjustment value. Thus, the wireless communication device itself can measure the analog delay amount in the analog circuit unit and adjust the timing between transmission and reception without using an external measuring device or the like. In addition, the digital processing unit can measure the analog delay amount (delay amount in the analog circuit unit) as described above, manage the measured value, and adjust the timing relationship between transmission and reception, and automatically adjust the analog delay. This makes it possible to execute an analog delay amount control program for use by a CPU.

Furthermore, by applying to a wireless communication device (communication terminal) having the function of a dual configuration synthesizer (Dual Synth), it is possible to set the same frequency on the transmission / reception side. In this case, since the frequency of the band limiting filter for transmission and reception is usually different, a propagation loss of several tens of dB occurs when the frequency is set outside the band of the band limiting filter. However, in the present invention, the transmission and reception GCA (Gain
By controlling the (Control Amplifier), it is possible to amplify the attenuated analog signal and adopt a configuration capable of detecting a pulse signal having the same frequency in the pulse detection unit after A / D conversion.

  In recent years, matching matching technology using MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems) switches has matured, and matching matching corresponding to multiband can be easily performed. Even in the case of passing a signal, it is expected to reduce loss due to different DL / UL frequencies (loss due to DL / UL frequency shift in power amplifier PA, band limiting filter, etc.) in the future. Can do. Note that the MEMS switch is a radio frequency switch based on micromachine technology using nanotechnology, and can achieve low power loss when turned on and high insulation when turned off.

  The main features of the present invention described above are summarized as follows. First, an analog processing unit switching unit (partly including a matching function) that enables signal folding, an analog delay amount measurement impulse signal generation unit, and an impulse signal detection unit at least Implementation in a wireless communication device, secondly, an analog delay amount automatic measurement function and an automatic timing adjustment function between transmission and reception are embedded in the wireless communication device as an analog delay amount control program, and third, a dual configuration By applying to a wireless communication device that has the function of a synthesizer (Dual Synth), the wireless communication device (communication terminal) itself measures the analog delay and suppresses variations in timing between transmission and reception. It is configured as a wireless communication device (communication terminal).

(Configuration of Example)
First, an example of the configuration of a wireless communication device according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. A wireless communication device 100A in FIG. 1 exemplifies a circuit block configuration in a cellular phone in a direct conversion system as an embodiment of the wireless communication device according to the present invention, and includes a digital processing unit 70 for processing a digital signal and an analog signal. And an analog circuit unit 80 that performs the transmission. The wireless communication device according to the present invention is not limited to a mobile phone. For example, the present invention can be applied not only to portable wireless communication devices such as PHS, PDA, and portable notebook PCs, but also to fixed installation type and in-vehicle wireless communication devices such as base stations and wireless access points. Although the case of the W-CDMA system will be described as a communication system, the present invention is not limited to such a communication system, and any communication system may be used.

The analog circuit unit 80 includes a D / A converter 10, a modulator 81, a GCA (Gain Control Amplifier) 82, a band limiting filter 83, a power amplifier (PA) 84, and a transmission-side frequency synthesizer (SYNTH). 85, and the receiving unit of the analog circuit unit 80 is an LNA (Low
A noise amplifier 91, a band limiting filter 92, a GCA (Gain Control Amplifier) 93, a demodulator 94, a receiving side frequency synthesizer (SYNTH) 95, and an A / D converter 60. 1 includes a duplexer (DUP) 30 and an antenna output control switch (switched antenna end output control switch) 101. Note that a detailed additional circuit such as an impedance matching circuit is required for the actual configuration of the transmission unit (reception unit), but the detailed additional circuit is omitted here.

  Here, with respect to the transmission unit of the analog circuit unit 80, the D / A converter 10 performs digital / analog conversion of transmission data. In the modulation circuit 81, the output of the input D / A converter 10 and The signal is modulated into a transmission signal output as radio by the radio carrier frequency that is the output of the transmission side frequency synthesizer 85. The GCA 82 is a power control amplifier that can control the power gain of the transmission signal. The output signal of the GCA 82 is attenuated and removed by the band limiting filter 83. The power amplifier (PA) amplifies the output signal from the band limiting filter 83 to power for outputting the signal from the antenna 40 as a radio wave.

  In addition, the antenna 40 has a function of radiating radio waves, is connected to the antenna output control switch 101, measures an analog delay amount, and adjusts timing between transmission and reception based on the result. During the period, the connection between the antenna 40 and the analog circuit unit 80 can be disconnected. The duplexer (DUP) 30 is configured to have a filter function for separating transmitted and received signals.

  Regarding the receiving unit of the analog circuit unit 80, the LNA 91 is an amplifier for amplifying the received signal, and the band limiting filter 92 is a filter for extracting only a necessary frequency band for the received signal amplified by the LNA 91, The GCA 93 is a power control amplifier for controlling the power of the received signal. In the demodulation circuit 94, a received signal of a radio frequency (carrier frequency) is input by an input from the GCA 93 and an input from a receiving side frequency synthesizer 95 that generates a difference frequency for converting the received frequency into an analog baseband signal. Convert to analog baseband signal. The A / D converter 60 performs analog-digital conversion for digitizing the received analog signal (analog baseband signal) and outputs the result to the digital processing unit 70.

Next, the configuration of the digital processing unit 70 of the wireless communication device (communication terminal) 100A will be described. The digital processing unit 70 includes a transmission data encoder (TX DATA Encoder) 71, a transmission data timing adjustment unit (Programmable Delay) 72, a changeover switch 73, a reception data decoder (RX)
DATA Decoder) 74, CPU 75, and analog delay measurement unit 76, and the analog delay measurement unit 76 further includes at least a pulse generation unit 76a, a pulse detection unit 76b, and a timing counter 76c. Yes.

  The CPU 75 is a central processing unit that handles communication processing, measures a communication control program for managing transmission / reception of normal communication data and an analog delay amount in the analog circuit unit 80, and controls timing between transmission / reception. It constitutes a processing unit such as an analog delay amount control program and user application software. The transmission data encoder 71 is a digital processing unit related to transmission data, and performs data generation processing for matching user data to be transmitted with a W-CDMA communication format. On the other hand, the reception data decoder 74 is a reception data decoder 74. A digital processing unit for performing a decoding process for returning received data in a W-CDMA communication format to the original user data.

  The changeover switch 73 is a switch for switching between a transmission data path for normal data transmission and an analog delay measurement path for measuring the delay amount of the analog circuit unit 80, and the transmission data timing adjustment unit 72 is In consideration of the timing relationship between transmission and reception, the timing adjustment circuit can adjust the transmission time of transmission data at a specified arbitrary time.

  The analog delay measurement unit 76 is a characteristic circuit unit added as an embodiment of the present invention in order to measure the delay amount of the analog circuit unit 80. The pulse generation unit 76a constituting the analog delay measurement unit 76 is a processing unit that generates an impulse signal for measuring the analog delay amount of the analog circuit unit 80, and the pulse detection unit 76b is output from the pulse generation unit 76a. The processing unit detects the impulse signal that has passed through the analog circuit unit 80 (looped back) and returned via the receiving unit of the analog circuit unit 80. The timing counter 76c is a counter for measuring the time from when the impulse signal is output by the pulse generator 76a until the impulse signal is detected by the pulse detector 76b.

(Description of operation of the embodiment)
Next, the operation of the wireless communication device 100A shown in FIG. 1 will be described using the flowchart shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining an example of the operation of the wireless communication device 100A of FIG. 1 which is an embodiment of the present invention.

  First, as a preparation for measuring the analog delay amount in the analog circuit unit 80, the state of the analog circuit unit 80 is set as follows. That is, first, the antenna output control switch 101 is turned OFF to disconnect the analog circuit unit 80 from the antenna 40 so that unnecessary radio waves are not output from the antenna 40 (step S1). This is a measure for considering that an unnecessary radio wave is output during measurement of the analog delay amount and does not become a jamming radio wave to other wireless communication devices (communication terminals) in the operating frequency band.

  Next, the frequencies of the transmission side frequency synthesizer (SYNTH) 85 and the reception side frequency synthesizer (SYNTH) 95 are set to the same frequency (step S2). This is a measure for looping back and receiving an impulse signal for measuring the analog delay amount of the analog circuit unit 80. If the frequencies on the transmission side and the reception side are not set to the same frequency, the A / This is because the impulse signal demodulated by the D converter 60 cannot be normally detected. Furthermore, the amplification factor for amplifying the signal power in the power control amplifiers (GCA82 and GCA93) for both transmission and reception is set to a predetermined amplification factor as a value for amplifying the impulse signal passing through the analog circuit unit 80 (step S3). . This is a measure for compensating for the power that the impulse signal looped back at the same frequency in transmission and reception is attenuated by the duplexer 30 and the band limiting filters 83 and 92.

  Normally, when the transmission / reception frequencies are different, the band limiting filters 83 and 92 have a bandpass filter filtering range set in accordance with the pass frequency band, and therefore the frequency at which the attenuation amount of the transmission / reception signal is reduced. It is necessary to set the frequencies of the transmission-side frequency synthesizer 85 and the reception-side frequency synthesizer 95 at the same position. For this reason, in consideration of the filtering characteristics of the band limiting filters 83 and 92, the frequency setting positions of the transmission-side frequency synthesizer 85 and the reception-side frequency synthesizer 95 may be searched in advance so that the transmission / reception level is maximized. is necessary. Here, in order to enable the impulse signal having the same frequency to be folded back between transmission and reception in order to measure the analog delay amount, the frequencies of the transmission side frequency synthesizer 85 and the reception side frequency synthesizer 95 are set to the same value. Therefore, it is necessary to amplify the power by the GCA 82 and 93 because it deviates from the permissible frequency band of the band limiting filters 83 and 92.

  If a recent technique is used, it is possible to configure the power amplifier PA84, the band limiting filters 83 and 92, and the duplexer 30 corresponding to the multiband using the MEMS SW, and the attenuation amount due to the difference in the transmission / reception frequency. Can be minimized.

  When the preparation for measuring the analog delay amount is completed by the above procedure, next, in order to measure the analog delay amount, the digital processing unit 70 of the wireless communication device 100A is operated to transmit / receive the impulse signal. Thus, the actual analog delay amount of the analog circuit unit 80 is measured as follows. First, the selector switch 73 of the digital processing unit 70 is switched from the path state for transmitting normal data to the analog delay measurement path (step S4). Next, an impulse signal is generated by the pulse generation unit 76a of the analog delay measurement unit 76 and is output to the transmission system of the analog circuit unit 80, and the timing counter 76c is reset to zero to start counting from zero (step) S5).

  The impulse signal generated and output by the pulse generator 76a is looped back from the duplexer 30 from the transmission side of the analog circuit unit 80 and passes through the reception side of the analog circuit unit 80, and then the pulse detection unit of the digital processing unit 70 76b is reached (step S6). The pulse detection unit 76b searches the converted value (digital value) after A / D conversion from the data after A / D conversion of the received signal that arrives, and detects the maximum value. Since the impulse signal returned by looping back the duplexer 30 is detected, it is determined that the received impulse signal has been detected when the maximum value is detected, and the counting of the timing counter 76c is stopped. (Step S7).

  The CPU 75 can know the analog delay amount of the analog circuit unit 80 by reading the count value of the timing counter 76c (step S8).

  When the measurement of the analog delay amount is completed by the above operation, the amplification factor of both the transmission and reception power control amplifiers (GCA82 and GCA93) set as preparations, the frequencies of the transmission side frequency synthesizer 85 and the reception side frequency synthesizer 95, and the like. The state of the antenna output control switch 101 is restored to the original data transmission / reception state setting (step S9), and finally the timing difference between the transmission data and the reception data is within the allowable range based on the measured analog delay amount. So that the transmission timing of the transmission data timing adjustment unit 72 is corrected (step S10).

Next, the operation of the flowchart shown in FIG. 2 will be further described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram for schematically explaining an example of the operation of the wireless communication device 100A of FIG. 1 which is an embodiment of the present invention. From the upper side in the drawing, the horizontal axis is the time axis. The transmission data (Impulse (TX: DA)) in the pulse generation unit 76a, which becomes a transmission impulse signal, and the analog waveform (analog) of the impulse signal that reaches the A / D converter 60 by looping back the analog circuit unit 80.
Impulse (RX)), received data (Impulse (RX: AD)) of the impulse signal that has been digitally converted by the A / D converter 60 and reached the pulse detector 76b, and the count status (COUNTER) of the timing counter 76c. Each is shown.

  In the transmission data (Impulse (TX: DA)) of the transmission impulse signal, for example, a value of “F” (hexadecimal number) is output as an arbitrary pulse indicating the impulse signal, and data of “all 0” is output at other times. I will decide. A value “F” is output from the pulse generator 76a as a transmission impulse signal, and the count value (COUNTER) of the timing counter 76c starts counting up from “0”.

The analog waveform (analog Impulse (RX)) of the impulse signal indicates the analog waveform input to the A / D converter 60, and the received data (Impulse (RX: AD)) of the impulse signal that has reached the pulse detector 76b. ) Is the processing time of the transmission / reception unit of the analog circuit unit 80, that is, after transmitting the impulse signal as transmission data (Impulse (TX: DA)),
Analog delay =
Transmit analog delay (TX Analog Delay)
+ Receiver side analog delay (RX Analog Delay)
The state of the digital value after elapse of time is shown. In addition, as the received data (Impulse (RX: AD)), the digital value after A / D conversion changes from 0 → 5 → F → 5 → 0 because the impulse signal “ Since the waveforms before and after F ”are rounded, a value such as“ 5 ”is output as an intermediate value.

  The pulse detection unit 76b is configured to detect a peak value (Peak) of received received data (Impulse (RX: AD)), and receives received data (Impulse (RX: AD: AD: A: D) after A / D conversion. )) Maximum value (MAX), that is, the count value (COUNT) Xcount of the timing counter 76c when the peak value (Peak) is detected is output to the CPU 75 as an analog delay amount of the analog circuit unit 80.

When the CPU 75 acquires the count value (COUNT) Xcount of the timing counter 76c, the actual analog delay time of the analog circuit unit 80 is calculated from the frequency used for the timing counter 76c (clock frequency for counting the counter). To do. For example, when the frequency fc of the clock used for the timing counter 76c is fc = 30 MHz and the count value (COUNT) Xcount = 26, the analog delay time is
Analog delay time (Analog Delay) = Xcount / fc = 0.8666 μsec can be calculated.

  As described above, the allowable range of DL / UL defined in the 3GPP standard, that is, the timing deviation between transmission and reception is within ± 1.5 Chip (= ± 0.390625 μsec), so the analog delay time can be accurately set. In order to measure, it is desirable that the frequency fc used for the timing counter 76c is at least 15 MHz or more. That is, the clock frequency of the timing counter 76c may be set according to the required timing accuracy. Processing time available in the digital processing unit = 1024 Chip (time) −Analog delay time The measurement accuracy (resolution) of the analog delay time is preferably a clock frequency corresponding to about 0.25 Chip or less.

  The example of the configuration and operation of the wireless communication device 100A according to the present invention has been described in detail above, but a control method related to the measurement of the analog delay amount will be additionally described. Here, regarding the control method (that is, the control flow) related to the measurement of the analog delay amount, the analog delay measurement and adjustment mechanism is mounted in the wireless communication device 100A itself, and therefore the control (operation) method is the same as that of the wireless communication device 100A. It depends on the operation of the analog delay amount control program installed in the CPU 75. For example, as an operation example related to the correction of the analog delay amount, any one of the operations of the following embodiments may be used. Alternatively, in order to further ensure flexibility, control may be performed by combining a plurality of operations in each embodiment.

Example 1
During the manufacturing process, the analog delay amount is once measured in the analog delay amount control program, and the measured analog delay amount is written to the nonvolatile memory (ROM). The analog delay amount written in the nonvolatile memory (ROM) is used as a timing adjustment value in the transmission data timing adjustment unit 72.

(Example 2)
Each time the radio communication device 100A is turned on, the analog delay amount is measured in the analog delay amount control program, the measured analog delay amount is stored, and the timing adjustment value in the transmission data timing adjustment unit 72 is automatically updated.

(Example 3)
The timing adjustment value in the transmission data timing adjustment unit 72 is measured in the analog delay amount control program, and the measured analog delay amount is stored in the stop period where data is not transmitted and received, such as during intermittent reception. Update automatically.

Example 4
During normal operation, immediately before starting the data transmission operation, in the analog delay amount control program, the antenna output control switch 101 is temporarily set to the OFF state (loopback connection), the analog delay amount is measured, and the measured analog delay amount is calculated. The timing adjustment value stored in the transmission data timing adjustment unit 72 is automatically updated. That is, immediately before starting the data transmission operation, an operation of measuring the analog delay amount and updating the timing adjustment value is performed every time.

(Example 5)
Using the internal clock incorporated in the wireless communication device 100A, the analog delay amount is measured in the analog delay amount control program every predetermined time, and the measured analog delay amount is stored and transmitted in the transmission data timing adjustment unit 72 The timing adjustment value is automatically updated.

Example 6
When the analog delay amount changes due to a temperature rise, a threshold is set for the temperature measurement result, and the analog delay amount is measured in the analog delay amount control program triggered by exceeding the threshold, and the measured analog delay amount is saved. Then, the timing adjustment value in the transmission data timing adjustment unit 72 is automatically updated.

(Example 7)
In conjunction with the switching of the frequency band (that is, the switching of the analog element to be used), the analog delay amount is measured in the analog delay amount control program, the measured analog delay amount is stored, and the timing adjustment in the transmission data timing adjustment unit 72 is performed. Automatically update the value.

  As described above, in any of the embodiments, the wireless communication device 100A itself measures the analog delay amount without using an external measuring device, stores the measured analog delay amount, and performs the timing in the transmission data timing adjustment unit 72. A mechanism to automatically update the adjustment value is realized.

(Explanation of effect of embodiment)
The wireless communication device 100A itself can measure the analog delay amount of the analog circuit unit 80 and automatically adjust the timing between transmission and reception without using an external measuring instrument or the like. Is obtained.

  The first is a case where a high accuracy such as ± 1.5 chips is required as a specification of a device as a wireless communication device regarding a DL / UL (Downlink / Uplink) timing offset defined in the 3GPP standard. However, the timing adjustment (correction) can be performed by appropriately setting the clock frequency that determines the counting operation of the timing counter 76c built in the wireless communication device 100A.

  Second, it is not necessary to use an external measuring device, and the analog delay amount of the analog circuit unit 80 can be easily measured by looping back the impulse signal at the transmitting / receiving unit of the analog circuit unit 80 only by the wireless communication device 100A itself. It becomes possible to do.

  Third, the wireless communication device 100A itself can arbitrarily incorporate an analog delay amount control program for automatic adjustment of the analog delay amount. As a result, even if the manufacturing process / adjustment process is simplified and the analog delay amount shifts due to the aging of the analog element, it is possible to automatically adjust the transmission timing and cope with it.

  Further, as one of the failure detection means, a secondary effect that it can be used for the continuity check of the analog circuit unit 80 is also obtained.

  The configuration of the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above. However, it should be noted that such examples are merely illustrative of the invention and do not limit the invention in any way. Those skilled in the art will readily understand that various modifications and changes can be made according to a specific application without departing from the gist of the present invention.

It is a circuit diagram explaining an example of a structure of the radio | wireless communication apparatus which concerns on this invention. 2 is a flowchart for explaining an example of the operation of the wireless communication device of FIG. 1 which is an embodiment of the present invention. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating typically an example of operation | movement of the radio | wireless communication apparatus of FIG. 1 which is one Example of this invention. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating a part of DL / UL (Downlink, Uplink) timing specification of a W-CDMA radio | wireless communication apparatus. It is a block block diagram which shows a part of circuit structure in a general radio | wireless communication apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

10 D / A converter 20 RF module (TX)
30 Duplexer (DUP)
40 Antenna 50 RF module (RX)
60 A / D converter 70 Digital processing unit 71 Transmission data encoder (TX DATA Encoder)
72 Transmission data timing adjustment block (Programmable Delay)
73 Changeover switch 74 Receive data decoder (RX DATA Decoder)
75 CPU
76 Analog delay measurement unit 76a Pulse generation unit 76b Pulse detection unit 76c Timing counter 80 Analog circuit unit 81 Modulation circuit (Modulator)
82 GCA (Gain Control Amplifier)
83 Bandwidth limiter 84 Power amplifier (PA)
85 Transmitter frequency synthesizer 91 LNA (Low Noise Amplifier)
92 Band-limiting filter 93 GCA ((Gain Control Amplifier)
94 Demodulator
95 Reception-side frequency synthesizer 101 Antenna output control switch (switched antenna end output control switch)

Claims (20)

  Generates a pulse signal to detect the analog delay amount of the analog circuit unit in a wireless communication device that consists of an analog circuit unit and a digital circuit unit and can loop back from the transmission side to the reception side of the analog circuit unit A pulse generation means for transmitting, a changeover switch for transmitting the generated pulse signal as transmission data to the transmission side of the analog circuit unit instead of normal transmission data, and transmission from the reception data received at the reception side Pulse detecting means for detecting the pulse signal transmitted to the loop side and looped back, the detection time of the pulse signal by the pulse detecting means, and the pulse generating means for generating the pulse signal to the transmitting section of the analog circuit section The timing for calculating the timing difference from the time when the signal was transmitted as the analog delay amount of the analog circuit unit And a transmission data timing adjustment unit that corrects transmission timing for transmitting transmission data to the transmission side of the analog circuit unit based on the calculated analog delay amount. Wireless communication device.   2. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, further comprising an antenna output control switch capable of disconnecting an antenna that radiates a wireless signal from the analog circuit unit.   The wireless communication device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a frequency synthesizer capable of setting arbitrarily specified frequencies on each of a transmission side and a reception side of the analog circuit unit, and the pulse signal A radio communication device characterized in that, when looping back from a transmission side to a reception side, the same frequency is set in each of the frequency synthesizers of the transmission unit and the reception unit of the analog circuit unit.   4. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, further comprising a power control amplifier capable of performing amplification at an arbitrarily specified amplification factor on each of a transmission side and a reception side of the analog circuit unit. A radio communication device characterized in that when the pulse signal is looped back from the transmission side to the reception side, the power control amplifiers of the transmission unit and the reception unit of the analog circuit unit are set to predetermined amplification factors, respectively. .   5. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein an operation of detecting an analog delay amount of the analog circuit unit and correcting a transmission timing at which transmission data is transmitted by the transmission data timing adjustment unit is performed by the wireless communication device. A wireless communication device that is automatically executed when the communication device is powered on.   6. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein an operation of detecting an analog delay amount of the analog circuit unit and correcting a transmission timing of transmitting transmission data by the transmission data timing adjusting unit is a normal operation. A wireless communication apparatus, which is automatically implemented at a time arbitrarily determined in a section in which transmission / reception data transmission / reception is not performed.   The wireless communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein an operation of detecting an analog delay amount of the analog circuit unit and correcting a transmission timing of transmitting transmission data by the transmission data timing adjusting unit is a normal operation. A wireless communication device, which is automatically performed prior to the start of transmission operation of transmission data.   8. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein an operation of detecting an analog delay amount of the analog circuit unit and correcting a transmission timing at which transmission data is transmitted by the transmission data timing adjustment unit is performed by the wireless communication device. A wireless communication device, which is automatically implemented every time a predetermined time set in advance by an internal clock built in the communication device.   9. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein an operation of detecting an analog delay amount of the analog circuit unit and correcting a transmission timing for transmitting transmission data by the transmission data timing adjusting unit is performed. A wireless communication device, which is automatically executed when a temperature meter built in the communication device detects a temperature exceeding a predetermined threshold.   10. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein an operation of detecting an analog delay amount of the analog circuit unit and correcting a transmission timing at which transmission data is transmitted by the transmission data timing adjustment unit is performed by the wireless communication device. A wireless communication device that is automatically implemented when a frequency band used by the communication device is switched.   In an analog delay amount control method for controlling an analog delay amount of the analog circuit unit in a wireless communication device having a loopback function from the transmitting side to the receiving side of the analog circuit unit, a pulse signal for detecting the analog delay amount is provided. Generate, instead of normal transmission data, transmit to the transmission side of the analog circuit unit, and by detecting the pulse signal that has looped back from the reception data received on the reception side, the reception side A transmission timing for transmitting transmission data to the transmission side of the analog circuit unit based on an analog delay amount of the analog circuit unit detected from a timing difference between a detection time point of the pulse signal and a time point of transmitting the pulse signal to the transmission unit A method of controlling an analog delay amount, wherein:   12. The analog delay amount control method according to claim 11, wherein an analog delay amount of the analog circuit unit is detected, and a radio signal is emitted during a period in which transmission timing for transmitting transmission data is corrected by the transmission data timing adjustment unit. An analog delay amount control method comprising: separating an antenna to be separated from the analog circuit unit.   13. The analog delay amount control method according to claim 11 or 12, wherein an operation of detecting an analog delay amount of the analog circuit unit and correcting a transmission timing at which transmission data is transmitted by the transmission data timing adjustment unit is the wireless communication. An analog delay amount control method, which is automatically performed when a machine is turned on.   14. The analog delay amount control method according to claim 11, wherein an operation of detecting an analog delay amount of the analog circuit unit and correcting a transmission timing of transmitting transmission data by the transmission data timing adjustment unit, An analog delay amount control method, which is automatically performed at an arbitrarily determined time within a section in which a normal transmission / reception data transmission / reception operation is not performed.   15. The analog delay amount control method according to claim 11, wherein an operation of detecting an analog delay amount of the analog circuit unit and correcting a transmission timing of transmitting transmission data by the transmission data timing adjustment unit, An analog delay amount control method, which is automatically performed prior to the start of normal transmission data transmission operation.   The analog delay amount control method according to any one of claims 11 to 15, wherein an operation of detecting an analog delay amount of the analog circuit unit and correcting a transmission timing of transmitting transmission data by the transmission data timing adjusting unit, An analog delay amount control method, which is automatically performed each time an internal clock built in the wireless communication device measures a predetermined time.   The analog delay amount control method according to any one of claims 11 to 16, wherein an operation of detecting an analog delay amount of the analog circuit unit and correcting a transmission timing of transmitting transmission data by the transmission data timing adjusting unit, An analog delay amount control method, which is automatically performed when a thermometer built in the wireless communication device detects a temperature exceeding a predetermined threshold.   The analog delay amount control method according to any one of claims 11 to 17, wherein an operation of detecting an analog delay amount of the analog circuit unit and correcting a transmission timing of transmitting transmission data by the transmission data timing adjustment unit, An analog delay amount control method, which is automatically performed when a frequency band used by the wireless communication device is switched.   19. An analog delay amount control program, wherein at least part of the analog delay amount control method according to claim 11 is implemented as a program executable by a computer. 20. A program recording medium, wherein the analog delay amount control program according to claim 19 is recorded on a computer-readable recording medium.

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