KR102736635B1 - Adaptive power adjustment for transmition signal and electonic device thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, an electronic device includes a digital block which processes an input signal and outputs a baseband digital signal, an analog block which converts the baseband digital signal into an analog signal, processes the converted analog signal and converts it into a radio frequency (RF) signal, and an antenna module which amplifies the RF signal and outputs the amplified transmission signal, wherein the digital block determines whether an output waveform of the transmission signal output through the antenna module is a first waveform or a second waveform, and if the output waveform is the first waveform, adjusts a level of the baseband digital signal based on a first backoff value, and if the output waveform is the second waveform, adjusts a level of the baseband digital signal based on a second backoff value. One or more other embodiments may be possible.

Description

Adaptive transmission signal power adjustment method and electronic device thereof {ADAPTIVE POWER ADJUSTMENT FOR TRANSMITION SIGNAL AND ELECTONIC DEVICE THEREOF}

Various embodiments of the present invention relate to a method for adaptively controlling transmission signal power and an electronic device thereof.

In order to meet the increasing demand for wireless data traffic since the commercialization of 4G (4th-generation) communication systems, efforts are being made to commercialize next-generation (e.g., 5th-generation or pre-5G) communication systems. For example, a 5G communication system or pre-5G communication system is called a communication system after a 4G network (beyond 4G network) or a system after an LTE system (post LTE).

To achieve high data rates, next-generation communication systems can be implemented in high-frequency bands. To mitigate path loss of radio waves and increase transmission distances of radio waves in high-frequency bands, beamforming, massive multi-input multi-output (massive MIMO), full-dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antenna, analog beam-forming, or large scale antenna technologies are being discussed in next-generation communication systems.

In 5G, two different waveforms, DFT-s-OFDM (discrete fourier transform spread OFDM) and CP-OFDM (cyclic prefix OFDM), are used for uplink communication. In addition, 5G applies various modulation methods to uplink communication signals. Despite different waveforms and/or different modulation methods, if the same transmission signal power level is applied, the power of the final output signal may be lowered or the current consumption of the amplifier may increase to increase the power of the final output signal.

An electronic device according to one or more embodiments of the present invention may provide a method and an electronic device capable of adaptively adjusting a transmission signal power level according to different waveforms and/or modulation schemes to adjust the power of a final output signal.

According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, an electronic device may include a digital block which processes an input signal and outputs a baseband digital signal; an analog block which converts the baseband digital signal into an analog signal, processes the converted analog signal, and converts the converted analog signal into a radio frequency (RF) signal; and an antenna module which amplifies the RF signal and outputs the amplified transmission signal. The digital block may determine whether an output waveform of the transmission signal output through the antenna module is a first waveform or a second waveform, and if the output waveform is the first waveform, may adjust a level of the baseband digital signal based on a first backoff value, and if the output waveform is the second waveform, may adjust a level of the baseband digital signal based on a second backoff value.

According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, an electronic device includes a communication processor; and an RFIC connected to the communication processor, wherein the communication processor determines whether an output waveform of a transmission signal output through an antenna is a first waveform or a second waveform, and controls the RFIC to adjust a level of a baseband digital signal based on a first backoff value if the output waveform is the first waveform, and to adjust a level of the baseband digital signal based on a second backoff value if the output waveform is the second waveform.

According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, a method of an electronic device may include: determining whether an output waveform of a transmission signal output through an antenna of the electronic device is a first waveform or a second waveform; adjusting a level of the baseband digital signal based on a first backoff value if the output waveform is the first waveform; and adjusting a level of the baseband digital signal based on a second backoff value if the output waveform is the second waveform.

A method for adaptive transmission signal power control and an electronic device thereof according to one or more embodiments of the present invention can prevent signal loss and control the power of a final output signal by adaptively controlling a transmission signal power level according to different waveforms and/or modulation methods.

A method for adaptive transmission signal power control and an electronic device thereof according to one or more embodiments of the present invention can reduce current consumption by increasing the efficiency of an amplifier for amplifying a transmission signal power level to a target power level by controlling the transmission signal power level according to different waveforms and/or modulation methods.

The effects obtainable from the present disclosure are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by a person skilled in the art to which the present disclosure belongs from the description below.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device within a network environment in one or more embodiments of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a communication module supporting communication with multiple wireless networks in an electronic device according to one or more embodiments of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is an example of a communication module configuration in an electronic device according to one or more embodiments of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is another example of a communication module configuration in an electronic device according to one or more embodiments of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is another example of a communication module configuration in an electronic device according to one or more embodiments of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a graph comparing peak to average power ratio (PAPR) according to waveforms of transmission signals of electronic devices according to one or more embodiments of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an operation for adjusting transmission signal power according to a waveform of a transmission signal of an electronic device according to one or more embodiments of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an operation for adjusting the power of a transmission signal according to a modulation method in an electronic device according to one or more embodiments of the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an operation for adjusting the power of a transmission signal according to an output waveform and a modulation method in an electronic device according to one or more embodiments of the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining an example of increasing the output power of a transmission signal by adaptive transmission signal power adjustment according to an output waveform according to one or more embodiments of the present invention.
FIG. 11 is a graph for explaining an example of increasing the output power of a transmission signal by adaptive transmission signal power adjustment according to an output waveform according to one or more embodiments of the present invention.

One or more embodiments are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device (101) in a network environment (100) according to various embodiments. Referring to FIG. 1, in the network environment (100), the electronic device (101) may communicate with the electronic device (102) through a first network (198) (e.g., a short-range wireless communication network), or may communicate with the electronic device (104) or a server (108) through a second network (199) (e.g., a long-range wireless communication network). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may communicate with the electronic device (104) through the server (108). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may include a processor (120), a memory (130), an input module (150), an audio output module (155), a display module (160), an audio module (170), a sensor module (176), an interface (177), a connection terminal (178), a haptic module (179), a camera module (180), a power management module (188), a battery (189), a communication module (190), a subscriber identification module (196), or an antenna module (197). In some embodiments, the electronic device (101) may omit at least one of these components (e.g., the connection terminal (178)), or may have one or more other components added. In some embodiments, some of these components (e.g., the sensor module (176), the camera module (180), or the antenna module (197)) may be integrated into one component (e.g., the display module (160)).

The processor (120) may control at least one other component (e.g., a hardware or software component) of an electronic device (101) connected to the processor (120) by executing, for example, software (e.g., a program (140)), and may perform various data processing or calculations. According to one embodiment, as at least a part of the data processing or calculations, the processor (120) may store a command or data received from another component (e.g., a sensor module (176) or a communication module (190)) in a volatile memory (132), process the command or data stored in the volatile memory (132), and store result data in a nonvolatile memory (134). According to one embodiment, the processor (120) may include a main processor (121) (e.g., a central processing unit or an application processor) or an auxiliary processor (123) (e.g., a graphics processing unit, a neural processing unit (NPU), an image signal processor, a sensor hub processor, or a communication processor) that can operate independently or together with the main processor (121). For example, when the electronic device (101) includes a main processor (121) and an auxiliary processor (123), the auxiliary processor (123) may be configured to use less power than the main processor (121) or to be specialized for a given function. The auxiliary processor (123) may be implemented separately from the main processor (121) or as a part thereof.

The auxiliary processor (123) may control at least a portion of functions or states associated with at least one of the components of the electronic device (101) (e.g., the display module (160), the sensor module (176), or the communication module (190)), for example, while the main processor (121) is in an inactive (e.g., sleep) state, or together with the main processor (121) while the main processor (121) is in an active (e.g., application execution) state. In one embodiment, the auxiliary processor (123) (e.g., an image signal processor or a communication processor) may be implemented as a part of another functionally related component (e.g., a camera module (180) or a communication module (190)). In one embodiment, the auxiliary processor (123) (e.g., a neural network processing device) may include a hardware structure specialized for processing artificial intelligence models. The artificial intelligence models may be generated through machine learning. Such learning may be performed, for example, in the electronic device (101) on which artificial intelligence is performed, or may be performed through a separate server (e.g., server (108)). The learning algorithm may include, for example, supervised learning, unsupervised learning, semi-supervised learning, or reinforcement learning, but is not limited to the examples described above. The artificial intelligence model may include a plurality of artificial neural network layers. The artificial neural network may be one of a deep neural network (DNN), a convolutional neural network (CNN), a recurrent neural network (RNN), a restricted Boltzmann machine (RBM), a deep belief network (DBN), a bidirectional recurrent deep neural network (BRDNN), deep Q-networks, or a combination of two or more of the above, but is not limited to the examples described above. In addition to the hardware structure, the artificial intelligence model may additionally or alternatively include a software structure.

The memory (130) can store various data used by at least one component (e.g., processor (120) or sensor module (176)) of the electronic device (101). The data can include, for example, software (e.g., program (140)) and input data or output data for commands related thereto. The memory (130) can include volatile memory (132) or nonvolatile memory (134).

The program (140) may be stored as software in memory (130) and may include, for example, an operating system (142), middleware (144), or an application (146).

The input module (150) can receive commands or data to be used in a component of the electronic device (101) (e.g., a processor (120)) from an external source (e.g., a user) of the electronic device (101). The input module (150) can include, for example, a microphone, a mouse, a keyboard, a key (e.g., a button), or a digital pen (e.g., a stylus pen).

The audio output module (155) can output an audio signal to the outside of the electronic device (101). The audio output module (155) can include, for example, a speaker or a receiver. The speaker can be used for general purposes such as multimedia playback or recording playback. The receiver can be used to receive an incoming call. According to one embodiment, the receiver can be implemented separately from the speaker or as a part thereof.

The display module (160) can visually provide information to an external party (e.g., a user) of the electronic device (101). The display module (160) can include, for example, a display, a holographic device, or a projector and a control circuit for controlling the device. According to one embodiment, the display module (160) can include a touch sensor configured to detect a touch, or a pressure sensor configured to measure the intensity of a force generated by the touch.

The audio module (170) can convert sound into an electrical signal, or vice versa, convert an electrical signal into sound. According to one embodiment, the audio module (170) can obtain sound through an input module (150), or output sound through an audio output module (155), or an external electronic device (e.g., an electronic device (102)) (e.g., a speaker or a headphone) directly or wirelessly connected to the electronic device (101).

The sensor module (176) can detect an operating state (e.g., power or temperature) of the electronic device (101) or an external environmental state (e.g., user state) and generate an electric signal or data value corresponding to the detected state. According to one embodiment, the sensor module (176) can include, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an IR (infrared) sensor, a biometric sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illuminance sensor.

The interface (177) may support one or more designated protocols that may be used to directly or wirelessly connect the electronic device (101) with an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (102)). In one embodiment, the interface (177) may include, for example, a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a universal serial bus (USB) interface, an SD card interface, or an audio interface.

The connection terminal (178) may include a connector through which the electronic device (101) may be physically connected to an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (102)). According to one embodiment, the connection terminal (178) may include, for example, an HDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, or an audio connector (e.g., a headphone connector).

The haptic module (179) can convert an electrical signal into a mechanical stimulus (e.g., vibration or movement) or an electrical stimulus that a user can perceive through a tactile or kinesthetic sense. According to one embodiment, the haptic module (179) can include, for example, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulation device.

The camera module (180) can capture still images and moving images. According to one embodiment, the camera module (180) can include one or more lenses, image sensors, image signal processors, or flashes.

The power management module (188) can manage power supplied to the electronic device (101). According to one embodiment, the power management module (188) can be implemented as, for example, at least a part of a power management integrated circuit (PMIC).

The battery (189) can power at least one component of the electronic device (101). In one embodiment, the battery (189) can include, for example, a non-rechargeable primary battery, a rechargeable secondary battery, or a fuel cell.

The communication module (190) may support establishment of a direct (e.g., wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel between the electronic device (101) and an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (102), the electronic device (104), or the server (108)), and performance of communication through the established communication channel. The communication module (190) may operate independently from the processor (120) (e.g., the application processor) and may include one or more communication processors that support direct (e.g., wired) communication or wireless communication. According to one embodiment, the communication module (190) may include a wireless communication module (192) (e.g., a cellular communication module, a short-range wireless communication module, or a GNSS (global navigation satellite system) communication module) or a wired communication module (194) (e.g., a local area network (LAN) communication module or a power line communication module). Among these communication modules, a corresponding communication module may communicate with an external electronic device (104) via a first network (198) (e.g., a short-range communication network such as Bluetooth, wireless fidelity (WiFi) direct, or infrared data association (IrDA)) or a second network (199) (e.g., a long-range communication network such as a legacy cellular network, a 5G network, a next-generation communication network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g., a LAN or WAN)). These various types of communication modules may be integrated into a single component (e.g., a single chip) or implemented as multiple separate components (e.g., multiple chips). The wireless communication module (192) may use subscriber information (e.g., an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI)) stored in the subscriber identification module (196) to identify or authenticate the electronic device (101) within a communication network such as the first network (198) or the second network (199).

The wireless communication module (192) can support a 5G network and next-generation communication technology after a 4G network, for example, NR access technology (new radio access technology). The NR access technology can support high-speed transmission of high-capacity data (eMBB (enhanced mobile broadband)), terminal power minimization and connection of multiple terminals (mMTC (massive machine type communications)), or high reliability and low latency (URLLC (ultra-reliable and low-latency communications)). The wireless communication module (192) can support, for example, a high-frequency band (e.g., mmWave band) to achieve a high data transmission rate. The wireless communication module (192) may support various technologies for securing performance in a high-frequency band, such as beamforming, massive multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO), full dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antenna, analog beam-forming, or large scale antenna. The wireless communication module (192) may support various requirements specified in an electronic device (101), an external electronic device (e.g., an electronic device (104)), or a network system (e.g., a second network (199)). According to one embodiment, the wireless communication module (192) can support a peak data rate (e.g., 20 Gbps or more) for eMBB realization, a loss coverage (e.g., 164 dB or less) for mMTC realization, or a U-plane latency (e.g., 0.5 ms or less for downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) each, or 1 ms or less for round trip) for URLLC realization.

The antenna module (197) can transmit or receive signals or power to or from the outside (e.g., an external electronic device). According to one embodiment, the antenna module (197) can include an antenna including a radiator formed of a conductor or a conductive pattern formed on a substrate (e.g., a PCB). According to one embodiment, the antenna module (197) can include a plurality of antennas (e.g., an array antenna). In this case, at least one antenna suitable for a communication method used in a communication network, such as the first network (198) or the second network (199), can be selected from the plurality of antennas by, for example, the communication module (190). A signal or power can be transmitted or received between the communication module (190) and the external electronic device through the selected at least one antenna. According to some embodiments, in addition to the radiator, another component (e.g., a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC)) can be additionally formed as a part of the antenna module (197).

According to various embodiments, the antenna module (197) may form a mmWave antenna module. According to one embodiment, the mmWave antenna module may include a printed circuit board, an RFIC positioned on or adjacent a first side (e.g., a bottom side) of the printed circuit board and capable of supporting a designated high-frequency band (e.g., a mmWave band), and a plurality of antennas (e.g., an array antenna) positioned on or adjacent a second side (e.g., a top side or a side) of the printed circuit board and capable of transmitting or receiving signals in the designated high-frequency band.

At least some of the above components may be interconnected and exchange signals (e.g., commands or data) with each other via a communication method between peripheral devices (e.g., a bus, a general purpose input and output (GPIO), a serial peripheral interface (SPI), or a mobile industry processor interface (MIPI)).

In one embodiment, commands or data may be transmitted or received between the electronic device (101) and an external electronic device (104) via a server (108) connected to a second network (199). Each of the external electronic devices (102, or 104) may be the same or a different type of device as the electronic device (101). In one embodiment, all or part of the operations executed in the electronic device (101) may be executed in one or more of the external electronic devices (102, 104, or 108). For example, when the electronic device (101) is to perform a certain function or service automatically or in response to a request from a user or another device, the electronic device (101) may, instead of executing the function or service itself or in addition, request one or more external electronic devices to perform at least a part of the function or service. One or more external electronic devices that have received the request may execute at least a part of the requested function or service, or an additional function or service related to the request, and transmit the result of the execution to the electronic device (101). The electronic device (101) may process the result as it is or additionally and provide it as at least a part of a response to the request. For this purpose, for example, cloud computing, distributed computing, mobile edge computing (MEC), or client-server computing technology may be used. The electronic device (101) may provide an ultra-low latency service by using, for example, distributed computing or mobile edge computing. In another embodiment, the external electronic device (104) may include an IoT (Internet of Things) device. The server (108) may be an intelligent server using machine learning and/or a neural network. According to one embodiment, the external electronic device (104) or the server (108) may be included in the second network (199). The electronic device (101) can be applied to intelligent services (e.g., smart home, smart city, smart car, or healthcare) based on 5G communication technology and IoT-related technology.

In the structure of the electronic device (101) described with reference to FIG. 1, the communication module (190) may include various hardware components for performing communication. For example, the communication module (190) may include components as illustrated in any one of FIGS. 2 to 5 below.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a communication module that supports communication with multiple wireless networks in an electronic device (101) according to various embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 2, the electronic device (101) may include a first communication processor (CP) (212), a second CP (214), a first RFIC (222), a second RFIC (224), a third RFIC (226), a fourth RFIC (228), a first radio frequency front end (RFFE) (232), a second RFFE (234), a first antenna module (242), a second antenna module (244), and an antenna (248). The electronic device (101) may further include a processor (120) and a memory (130). The second network (199) may include a first cellular network (292) and a second cellular network (294). In another embodiment, the electronic device (101) may further include at least one of the components described in FIG. 1, and the second network (199) may further include at least one other network. In one embodiment, the first CP (212), the second CP (214), the first RFIC (222), the second RFIC (224), the fourth RFIC (228), the first RFFE (232), and the second RFFE (234) may form at least a portion of the wireless communication module (192). In another embodiment, the fourth RFIC (228) may be omitted or included as a part of the third RFIC (226).

The first CP (212) may support establishment of a communication channel of a band to be used for wireless communication with the first cellular network (292), and legacy network communication through the established communication channel. According to various embodiments, the first cellular network (292) may be a legacy network including a second generation (2G), 3G, 4G, or long term evolution (LTE) network. The second CP (214) may support establishment of a communication channel corresponding to a designated band (e.g., about 6 GHz to about 60 GHz) among the bands to be used for wireless communication with the second cellular network (294), and 5G network communication through the established communication channel. According to various embodiments, the second cellular network (294) may be a 5G network defined by 3GPP. Additionally, according to one embodiment, the first CP (212) or the second CP (214) may establish a communication channel corresponding to another designated band (e.g., about 6 GHz or less) among the bands to be used for wireless communication with the second cellular network (294), and support 5G network communication through the established communication channel. According to one embodiment, the first CP (212) and the second CP (214) may be implemented in a single chip or a single package. According to various embodiments, the first CP (212) or the second CP (214) may be formed in a single chip or a single package with the processor (120), the coprocessor (123), or the communication module (190). According to one embodiment, the first CP (212) and the second CP (214) may be directly or indirectly connected to each other by an interface (not shown) to provide or receive data or control signals in one or both directions.

The first RFIC (222) may, upon transmission, convert a baseband (BB) signal generated by the first CP (212) into a radio frequency (RF) signal of about 700 MHz to about 3 GHz used in the first cellular network (292) (e.g., a legacy network). Upon reception, the RF signal may be acquired from the first cellular network (292) (e.g., a legacy network) via an antenna (e.g., the first antenna module (242)) and preprocessed via an RFFE (e.g., the first RFFE (232)). The first RFIC (222) may convert the preprocessed RF signal into a BB signal so that the first CP (212) may process the BB signal.

The second RFIC (224) may, upon transmission, convert a BB signal generated by the first CP (212) or the second CP (214) into an RF signal (hereinafter, a 5G Sub6 RF signal) of a Sub6 band (e.g., about 6 GHz or less) used in the second cellular network (294) (e.g., a 5G network). Upon reception, the 5G Sub6 RF signal may be acquired from the second cellular network (294) (e.g., the 5G network) through an antenna (e.g., the second antenna module (244)) and preprocessed through an RFFE (e.g., the second RFFE (234)). The second RFIC (224) may convert the preprocessed 5G Sub6 RF signal into a BB signal so that the preprocessed 5G Sub6 RF signal may be processed by a corresponding CP among the first CP (212) or the second CP (214).

Upon transmission, the third RFIC (226) may convert the BB signal generated by the second CP (214) into an RF signal (hereinafter, referred to as a 5G Above6 RF signal) of a 5G Above6 band (e.g., about 6 GHz to about 60 GHz) to be used in the second cellular network (294) (e.g., a 5G network). Upon reception, the third RFIC (226) may preprocess the 5G Above6 RF signal obtained from the second cellular network (294) (e.g., a 5G network) via an antenna (e.g., the antenna (248)) and convert the preprocessed 5G Above6 RF signal into a BB signal to be processed by the second CP (214). According to one embodiment, the third RFFE (236) may be formed as a part of the third RFIC (226).

The electronic device (101) may, according to one embodiment, include a fourth RFIC (228) separately from or at least as a part of the third RFIC (226). In this case, the fourth RFIC (228) may convert a BB signal generated by the second CP (214) into an RF signal (hereinafter, referred to as an IF signal) of an intermediate frequency (IF) band (e.g., about 9 GHz to about 11 GHz) and then transmit the IF signal to the third RFIC (226). The third RFIC (226) may convert the IF signal into a 5G Above6 RF signal. Upon reception, the 5G Above6 RF signal may be received from the second cellular network (294) (e.g., a 5G network) via an antenna (e.g., antenna (248)) and converted into an IF signal by the third RFIC (226). The fourth RFIC (228) can convert the IF signal into a BB signal so that the second CP (214) can process it.

In one embodiment, the first RFIC (222) and the second RFIC (224) can be implemented as at least a portion of a single chip or a single package. In one embodiment, the first RFFE (232) and the second RFFE (234) can be implemented as at least a portion of a single chip or a single package. In one embodiment, at least one antenna module of the first antenna module (242) or the second antenna module (244) can be omitted or combined with another antenna module to process RF signals of corresponding multiple frequency bands.

According to one embodiment, the third RFIC (226) and the antenna (248) may be disposed on the same substrate to form the third antenna module (246). For example, the wireless communication module (192) or the processor (120) may be disposed on the first substrate (e.g., the main PCB, the first printed circuit board). In this case, the third RFIC (226) may be disposed on a portion (e.g., the lower surface) of a second substrate (e.g., the sub PCB, the second printed circuit board) separate from the first substrate, and the antenna (248) may be disposed on another portion (e.g., the upper surface) to form the third antenna module (246). By disposing the third RFIC (226) and the antenna (248) on the same substrate, it is possible to reduce the length of the transmission line therebetween. This can reduce, for example, the loss (e.g., attenuation) of signals in a high frequency band (e.g., about 6 GHz to about 60 GHz) used for 5G network communication by the transmission line. As a result, the electronic device (101) can improve the quality or speed of communication with the second cellular network (294) (e.g., 5G network). According to one embodiment, the included third RFFE (236) may be separated from the third RFIC (226) and formed as a separate chip. For example, the third antenna module (246) may include the third RFFE (236) and the antenna (248) on the second substrate. For example, the third RFIC (226) from which the third RFFE (236) is separated may or may not be disposed on the second substrate.

In one embodiment, the antenna (248) may be formed as an antenna array including a plurality of antenna elements that may be used for beamforming. In such a case, the third RFIC (226) may include a plurality of phase shifters (238), for example, as part of the third RFFE (236), corresponding to the plurality of antenna elements. Upon transmission, the plurality of phase shifters (238) may shift the phase of a 5G Above6 RF signal to be transmitted to an external source (e.g., a base station of a 5G network) of the electronic device (101) via the corresponding antenna element. Upon reception, the plurality of phase shifters (238) may shift the phase of a 5G Above6 RF signal received from the external source via the corresponding antenna element to the same or substantially the same phase. This enables transmission or reception via beamforming between the electronic device (101) and the external source.

According to one embodiment, the third antenna module (246) can up-convert a baseband transmission signal provided by the second communication processor (214). The third antenna module (246) can transmit an RF transmission signal generated by up-conversion through at least two transmit/receive antenna elements among a plurality of antenna elements (248). The third antenna module (246) can receive an RF reception signal through at least two transmit/receive antenna elements and at least two receive antenna elements among the plurality of antenna elements (248). The third antenna module (246) can down-convert the RF reception signal to generate a baseband reception signal. The third antenna module (246) can output the baseband reception signal generated by down-conversion to the second communication processor (214). The third antenna module (246) may include at least two transmit/receive circuits in one-to-one correspondence with at least two transmit/receive antenna elements and at least two receive circuits in one-to-one correspondence with at least two receive antenna elements.

The second cellular network (294) (e.g., a 5G network) may operate independently (e.g., Stand-Alone (SA)) or connectedly (e.g., Non-Stand Alone (NSA)) to the first cellular network (292) (e.g., a legacy network). For example, the 5G network may only have an access network (e.g., a 5G radio access network (RAN) or next generation RAN (NG RAN)) and no core network (e.g., next generation core (NGC)). In such a case, the electronic device (101) may access an external network (e.g., the Internet) under the control of the core network (e.g., evolved packed core (EPC)) of the legacy network after accessing the access network of the 5G network. Protocol information for communicating with a legacy network (e.g., LTE protocol information) or protocol information for communicating with a 5G network (e.g., new radio (NR) protocol information) may be stored in the memory (230) and accessed by other components (e.g., the processor (120), the first CP (212), or the second CP (214)).

According to various embodiments, the processor (120) of the electronic device (101) may execute one or more instructions stored in the memory (130). The processor (120) may include a circuit for processing data, for example, at least one of an integrated circuit (IC), an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and a large scale integration (LSI). The memory (130) may store data related to the electronic device (101). The memory (130) may include volatile memory such as random access memory (RAM), including static random access memory (SRAM) or dynamic RAM (DRAM), or may include nonvolatile memory such as read only memory (ROM), magneto-resistive RAM (MRAM), spin-transfer torque MRAM (STT-MRAM), phase-change RAM (PRAM), resistive RAM (RRAM), ferroelectric RAM (FeRAM), as well as flash memory, embedded multimedia card (eMMC), solid state drive (SSD), etc.

According to various embodiments, the memory (130) may store instructions related to an application and instructions related to an operating system (OS). The operating system is system software executed by the processor (120). The processor (120) may manage hardware components included in the electronic device (101) by executing the operating system. The operating system may provide an API (application programming interface) to applications, which are the remaining software except for the system software.

According to various embodiments, one or more applications, which are a collection of multiple instructions, may be installed in the memory (130). That the application is installed in the memory (130) may mean that the application is stored in a format that can be executed by the processor (120) connected to the memory (130).

FIG. 3 is an example of a configuration of a communication module in an electronic device according to one or more embodiments of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3, the communication module (300) may include a digital block (310) and/or an analog block (320). The analog block (320) may be connected to an RF front end (330). For example, the RF front end (330) may include an antenna module (197, 242, 244, 248) of FIG. 1 or FIG. 2.

According to one embodiment, the digital block (310) of the communication module (300) may include at least some components of the wireless communication module (192) of FIG. 1 or FIG. 2. For example, the digital block (310) of the communication module (300) may include at least some components of the wireless communication module (192) of FIG. 1 or FIG. 2. At least one function of the digital block (310) described below may be performed by, for example, a communication processor of the wireless communication module (192) of FIG. 1 or FIG. 2 (e.g., the first communication processor (212) or the second communication processor (214) of FIG. 2). For example, the functions and/or components of the digital block (310) may each be implemented as functions and/or components of a communication processor and/or RFIC (e.g., the first to fourth RFICs (222, 224, 226 and/or 228) of FIG. 2) and may be implemented as software or a combination of software and hardware. For example, various components of the communication module may be integrated into one component (e.g., a single chip) or implemented as multiple separate components (e.g., multiple chips).

In one embodiment, the digital block (310) may be implemented as a separate component from the communication processor. For example, the overall operation or state control function for the communication module (300) may be performed by a separate communication processor, and thus the digital block (310) may perform operations under the control of the communication processor.

In one embodiment, the digital block (310) can process digital/baseband signals.

For example, the digital block (310) can perform channel encoding and/or modulation. For example, the digital block (310) can perform modulation on a baseband signal based on a waveform and/or modulation method of a transmission signal output through at least one antenna of the electronic device (101). For example, the communication processor (220) can output a digital signal modulated with a specified modulation method to the analog block (320).

For example, the digital block (310) can identify a communication system such as 4G LTE B5 or B66 or 5G NR (New Radio) N5 or N66 and/or a corresponding modulation scheme, and process a digital signal based thereon and apply clipping to secure system stability.

For example, the digital block (310) can determine the level of the digital signal according to the waveform of the transmission signal. For example, the digital block (310) can adjust the level of the digital signal by applying a backoff value corresponding to the waveform of the transmission signal.

For example, the digital block (310) can request and receive data from a lookup table stored in a memory (e.g., the memory (130) of FIGS. 1 and 2) to apply a backoff value to a digital signal. For example, the digital block (310) can request and receive data from a lookup table stored in a memory (e.g., the memory (130) of FIGS. 1 and 2) to apply a backoff value corresponding to a waveform of a transmission signal. For example, if a waveform of a transmission signal is a first waveform, the digital block (310) can obtain a first backoff value corresponding to the first waveform from the lookup table. For example, if a waveform of a transmission signal is a second waveform, the digital block (310) can obtain a second backoff value corresponding to the second waveform from the lookup table. The first waveform may include a DFT-s-OFDM (discrete fourier transform spread OFDM), and the second waveform may include a CP-OFDM (cyclic prefix OFDM) waveform.

For example, a memory (e.g., memory (130) of FIG. 1 or FIG. 2) may store a lookup table (LUT) that matches backoff values corresponding to a plurality of output power levels, respectively, to apply a backoff value to a digital signal in a format as shown in Table 1 below.

PWR lvl/communication system 4G LTE B5 4G LTE B66 5G NR N5 5G NR N66 Target Power Level 1 LUT11 LUT11 LUT11 LUT11 ... ... ... ... ?? Target Power Level N LUT1N LUT1N LUT1N LUT1N

Referring to Table 1, a lookup table (LUT) designated for each band operated by each communication system in response to each power level can be matched and stored. For convenience of explanation below, a lookup table (LUT) corresponding to a designated band operated in a 5G NR N5 communication system is described as an example, but this embodiment is not limited thereto and can be applied to other bands and/or other communication systems.

For example, each lookup table (e.g., one of LUT11 to LUT1N) may include information for generating a transmit signal output at that power level, for example, a level of a digital signal (envelop scale) corresponding to the transmit signal output at that power level, and/or a backoff value to apply to the digital signal for that level output.

According to one embodiment, when the digital block (310) is to output a transmission signal at power level 1, it may refer to the lookup table (e.g., LUT11) corresponding to the output power level 1 of the transmission signal and apply the level and/or backoff value of the matching digital signal to the digital signal.

According to one embodiment, when the digital block (310) is to output a transmission signal at power level 1, the digital block (310) may determine a backoff value based on the level and/or backoff value of the matching digital signal by referring to the lookup table (e.g., LUT11) corresponding to the output power level 1 of the transmission signal, and apply the determined backoff value to the digital signal.

According to one embodiment, the digital block (310) can apply different backoff values to the digital signal to output the same target power level depending on the output waveform of the transmit signal.

For example, if the output waveform of the transmission signal is the first waveform, the first backoff value obtained from the lookup table can be directly applied to the digital signal to adjust the level of the digital signal, and if it is the second waveform, the second backoff value calculated by applying a specified offset to the first backoff value can be applied to the digital signal to adjust the level of the digital signal.

For example, when the output waveform of the transmission signal is the first waveform or the second waveform, the first backoff value or the second backoff value calculated by applying an offset specified for each waveform to the backoff value obtained from the lookup table is applied to each digital signal, thereby adjusting the level of the digital signal according to the output waveform.

For example, the specified offset may be a value inversely proportional to the PAPR of the corresponding output waveform. For example, for a waveform having a relatively low PAPR among the first and second waveforms, a relatively large offset may be applied, thereby applying a relatively small backoff value, so that the level of the output digital signal may be relatively high.

According to one embodiment, each lookup table may include information for generating a transmit signal output of a corresponding power level for each output waveform of the transmit signal, for example, a level (envelop scale) of a digital signal corresponding to the transmit signal output of a first waveform of the corresponding power level, and/or a plurality of backoff values applied to the digital signal for the corresponding level output. For example, each lookup table may pre-store a first backoff value for application to a digital signal corresponding to a first waveform and a second backoff value for application to a digital signal corresponding to a second waveform, for each output power level.

According to one embodiment, when the digital block (310) is to output a transmission signal at power level 1, the digital block (310) may, by referring to the lookup table (e.g., LUT11) corresponding to the output power level 1 of the transmission signal, obtain a matching first backoff value when the output waveform of the transmission signal is a first waveform and apply the same to the digital signal, and obtain a matching second backoff value when the output waveform of the transmission signal is a second waveform and apply the same to the digital signal.

According to one embodiment, the digital block (310) can apply different backoff values to the digital signal to output the same target power level depending on the output waveform and modulation method of the transmission signal.

For example, if the output waveform of the transmission signal is the first waveform and the modulation method is QPSK (quadrature phase shift keying), the first backoff value obtained from the lookup table is directly applied to the digital signal to adjust the level of the digital signal, and if the output waveform is the first waveform and has a different modulation method and/or the second waveform and has QPSK or a different modulation method, the second backoff value calculated by applying a specified offset to the first backoff value can be applied to the digital signal to adjust the level of the digital signal.

For example, depending on whether the output waveform of the transmission signal is the first waveform or the second waveform, and depending on which of different modulation methods is applied, such as QPSK, 16QAM, 64QAM, or 256QAM, the backoff value obtained by applying an offset specified for each waveform and modulation method to the backoff value obtained from the lookup table is applied to each digital signal, so that the level of the digital signal can be adjusted according to the output waveform and modulation method.

For example, a specified offset can be applied with a relatively large value for QPSK compared to 256QAM even for the same output waveform. For example, for QPSK of the first waveform, a relatively large offset can be applied compared to 256QAM of the first waveform, thereby applying a relatively small backoff value, so that the level of the output digital signal can be relatively high.

According to one embodiment, each lookup table may include information for generating a transmit signal output of the corresponding power level according to the output waveform and modulation scheme of the transmit signal in response to the output power level of the transmit signal, for example, a level (envelop scale) of a digital signal corresponding to a transmit signal output of the QPSK modulation scheme of the first waveform of the corresponding power level, and/or a plurality of backoff values applied to the digital signal for the corresponding level output. For example, each lookup table may pre-store respective backoff values for applying to digital signals corresponding to different modulation schemes for each of the first waveform and the second waveform in response to each output power level.

For example, when the digital block (310) needs to output a transmission signal at power level 1, it can obtain a matching backoff value and apply it to a digital signal by referring to the lookup table (e.g., LUT11) corresponding to the output power level 1 of the transmission signal, when the output waveform of the transmission signal corresponds to the first waveform or the second waveform and the modulation method is one of QPSK, 16QAM, 64QAM, or 256QAM.

According to one embodiment, when a backoff is applied to a digital signal according to the output waveform and modulation method of the transmission signal in the digital block (310), the level of the output digital signal (envelop scale output) is converted into a voltage value as shown in Table 2 below.

　 Env Scale Output(dBv) Comparative Example Example CP OFDM QPSK Inner RB 0 0 QPSK Outer RB -1.5 -1.5 16QAM Inner RB -0.5 -0.5 16QAM Outer RB -1.5 -1.5 64QAM Inner RB -2 -2 64QAM Outer RB -2 -2 256QAM Inner RB -5 -5 256QAM Outer RB -5 -5 DFT-s-OFDM QPSK Inner RB 0 1.5 QPSK Outer RB -1 0.5 16QAM Inner RB -1 0.5 16QAM Outer RB -2 -0.5 64QAM Inner RB -2.5 -2 64QAM Outer RB -2.5 -2 256QAM Inner RB -4.5 -3 256QAM Outer RB -4.5 -3

Referring to Table 2, for example, in the case of DFT-s-OFDM, the level of the digital signal output from the digital block (310) may be applied relatively higher than in the case of CP OFDM. In addition, in the case of QPSK, the level of the digital signal may be applied relatively higher than in the case of 16QAM, in the case of 16QAM, and in the case of 64QAM, compared to 256QAM. In addition, the level of the digital signal may be applied differently depending on the location of the RB (resource block). For example, the level of the digital signal may be applied higher in the case of the inner RB than in the case of the outer RB.

Referring to Table 2, according to the comparative example, even in the case of the DFR-s-OFDM waveform, backoff is performed based on the CP-OFDM waveform, so that, for example, the QPSK Inner RB power of the CP-OFDM signal can be input to the digital block (310) at the highest level. In the case of the DFT-S-OFDM signal, since it has low PAPR characteristics, even though it can be input to the digital block (310) at a higher level than the QPSK Inner RB power of the CP-OFDM signal, in the comparative example, the QPSK Inner RB power level of the DFT-S-OFDM signal is set to be the same as the QPSK Inner RB power level of the CP-OFDM signal, which is the highest power level, so that the level of the signal is set to be lower than the PAPR. In the case of the DFT-S-OFDM waveform according to the results of the embodiment of the present invention, compared to the comparative example, an input power level that is approximately 1.5 V higher than that of the QPSK Inner RB can be applied, thereby securing a higher output for the amplified signal according to the output of the final analog block (320). Accordingly, the maximum power efficiency (Max Power Capability) of the analog amplifier output in the NR 5G terminal can be improved.

According to one embodiment, the digital block (310) can apply nonlinearity in the digital domain to compensate for nonlinear performance of the amplifier (331) of the RF front end (330) to the digital signal to which the backoff value is applied. For example, the digital block (310) can change the magnitude and/or phase of the I domain and Q domain signals (I/Q signals) of the digital signal to pre-compensate for signal distortion by the amplifier (331).

According to one embodiment, the digital block (310) may perform clipping to reduce signal distortion for each of the I/Q signals, perform sampling and quantization, and store them in a bit register (not shown), respectively.

According to one embodiment, the analog block (320) may convert a baseband signal processed and output by the digital block (310) into an analog signal and perform frequency band conversion to output an RF signal.

According to one embodiment, the RF front end (330) can amplify an RF signal output from the analog block (320) through an amplifier (331) and transmit it through an antenna (333).

FIG. 4 is another example of a communication module configuration in an electronic device according to one or more embodiments of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, the communication module (400) may include a communication processor (CP) (410) and an RFIC (420). The RFIC (420) may be connected to an RF front end (430). The RFIC (420) may include a digital block (421) and an analog block (423). Hereinafter, a detailed description of the signal processing operation already described with reference to FIG. 3 will be omitted to avoid duplication of description.

According to one embodiment, the CP (410) may include a communication processor (e.g., the first communication processor (212) or the second communication processor (214) of FIG. 2) of the wireless communication module (192) of FIG. 1 or FIG. 2.

According to one embodiment, the CP (410) can control the overall operation or state of the communication module (400) for communication. For example, the CP (410) can determine the operation or state of a component included in the communication module (400) and generate a command for controlling the operation or state.

According to one embodiment, CP (410) may include a protocol stack for performing operations within layers defined in a communication standard. For example, CP (410) may generate and interpret messages according to a format defined in the standard, and interact with a network based on the messages.

According to one embodiment, the CP (410) may verify a communication system, such as 4G LTE B5 or B66 or 5G NR N5 or N66, an output waveform of a transmission signal, and/or a specified modulation scheme.

In one embodiment, the CP (410) may control the RFIC (420) to process a signal based on the identified communication system, the output waveform of the transmitted signal, and/or the modulation scheme.

According to one embodiment, the CP (410) may control the digital block (421) based on the identified output waveform and/or modulation scheme to perform channel encoding and/or modulation on the digital signal. For example, the CP (410) may control the digital block (421) to apply a backoff value for generating a level of a digital signal corresponding to the identified output waveform and/or modulation scheme in order to output a target power level of the transmission signal. For example, the CP (410) may calculate a backoff value to be applied to the digital signal based on the identified output waveform and/or modulation scheme in order to output the target power level of the transmission signal and transmit the calculated backoff value to the digital block (421). For example, the CP (410) may obtain data necessary for calculating the backoff value from a memory (e.g., the memory (130) of FIG. 1 or FIG. 2). For example, the CP (410) can obtain a backoff value corresponding to the identified output waveform and/or modulation method according to the target power level of the transmission signal from a lookup table stored in the memory.

According to one embodiment, the digital block (421) may apply a backoff value to adjust the level of the baseband digital signal based on the waveform and/or modulation scheme of the transmission signal output through the RF front end (430) under the control of the CP (410). For example, the digital block (421) may receive a backoff value for adjusting the level of the digital signal in response to the waveform and/or modulation scheme of the transmission signal from the CP (410).

In one embodiment, the digital block (421) can adjust the level of the digital signal by applying a backoff value to the digital signal.

According to one embodiment, the digital block (421) can perform predistortion on a level-adjusted digital signal by applying a backoff value and perform clipping, sampling, and quantization to process the digital signal.

According to one embodiment, the analog block (423) converts a baseband signal processed and output by the digital block (421) into an analog signal, performs frequency band conversion to output an RF signal, and amplifies the signal through an amplifier (431) of the RF front end (430) and transmits the signal through an antenna (433).

FIG. 5 is another example of a communication module configuration in an electronic device according to one or more embodiments of the present invention.

According to one embodiment, the communication module (500) may include a Tech modulator (510), a digital transmit front-end (TxFE) (520), a digital pre-distortion (DPD) (530), an I/Q quantization (540) and/or a digital analog convertor (DAC) (550).

According to one embodiment, some of the components of the communication module (500) may be implemented as included in a CP (e.g., a communication processor (212, 214 or 410) of FIG. 2 or FIG. 4) or an RFIC (e.g., an RFIC (222, 224, 226, 228 or 420) of FIG. 2 or FIG. 4). For example, the tech modulator (510) may be implemented as included in a CP. For example, the TxFE (520) may be implemented as included in a CP. In another example, the TxFE (520) may be implemented as included in an RFIC.

In one embodiment, the tech modulator (510) can identify a communication system and/or a corresponding modulation scheme, such as 4G LTE B5 or B66 or 5G NR (New Radio) N5 or N66. The tech modulator (510) can secure system stability by processing a digital signal and applying clipping based on the identified communication system and/or modulation scheme.

According to one embodiment, the TxFE (520) may determine the level of a digital signal output according to the waveform and/or modulation method of the transmission signal from the digital block (310). For example, the TxFE (520) may calculate a backoff value of a digital signal corresponding to the waveform and modulation method of the transmission signal according to the target output power level of the transmission signal output from the antenna, thereby adjusting the level of the digital signal input to the DPD (530).

According to one embodiment, a memory (e.g., memory (130) of FIG. 1 or FIG. 2) may store backoff values, for example, in the form of a lookup table, each corresponding to a waveform and modulation method of a transmission signal according to a target output power level of the transmission signal.

According to one embodiment, the DPD (530) may change the magnitude and/or phase of a digital signal to apply nonlinearity in the digital domain to compensate for nonlinearity added due to signal processing in the analog block to the input digital signal, by applying a backoff value to adjust the level.

According to one embodiment, the I/Q quantizer (540) may perform clipping and sampling and quantization, respectively, to minimize signal distortion for each of the I/Q signals.

According to one embodiment, the DAC (550) can convert a digital signal output from the I/Q quantizer (540) into an analog signal.

According to one embodiment, an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1) may include a digital block (e.g., the digital block (310, 421) of FIG. 3 or 4) that processes an input signal to output a baseband digital signal, an analog block (e.g., the analog block (320, 423) of FIG. 3 or 4) that converts the baseband digital signal into an analog signal, processes the converted analog signal, and converts it into a radio frequency (RF) signal, and an antenna module (e.g., the antenna module (330, 430) of FIG. 3 or 4) that amplifies the RF signal and outputs an amplified transmission signal.

According to one embodiment, the digital block determines whether an output waveform of the transmission signal output through the antenna module is a first waveform or a second waveform, and if the output waveform is the first waveform, adjusts a level of the baseband digital signal based on a first backoff value, and if the output waveform is the second waveform, adjusts a level of the baseband digital signal based on a second backoff value.

According to one embodiment, the device may further include a memory (e.g., memory (130) of FIG. 1 or 2) storing a lookup table (LUT) including the first backoff value and the second backoff value respectively applied to the baseband digital signal corresponding to each of the plurality of target power levels of the transmission signal depending on whether the output waveform is the first waveform and the second waveform.

In one embodiment, the second backoff value may be calculated by applying an offset value based on a difference in average power (PAPR) of the transmitted signals of the first waveform and the second waveform with respect to the first backoff value.

According to one embodiment, the digital block determines a modulation scheme of the transmission signal transmitted through the antenna, and if the determined modulation scheme corresponds to a reference modulation scheme, applies the first backoff value to the baseband digital signal of the first waveform, and applies the second backoff value to the baseband digital signal of the second waveform to adjust the level of the baseband digital signal.

According to one embodiment, the digital block can adjust the level of the baseband digital signal by applying an offset value based on an average power difference between the reference modulation scheme and the determined modulation scheme to the first backoff value or the second backoff value if the determined modulation scheme is not the reference modulation scheme.

According to one embodiment, the modulation scheme of the transmission signal may include QPSK, 16QAM, 64QAM and 256QAM, and the reference modulation scheme may be set to QPSK.

According to one embodiment, the output waveform may include a discrete fourier transform spread OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM) or cyclic prefix OFDM (CP-OFDM) output waveform.

According to one embodiment, an electronic device (e.g., electronic device (101) of FIG. 1) may include a communication processor (e.g., communication processor (212, 214, 410) of FIG. 2 or FIG. 3) and an RFIC connected to the communication processor (e.g., RFIC (222, 224, 226, 228) of FIG. 2, analog block (320, 423) of FIG. 3 or FIG. 4).

According to one embodiment, the communication processor determines whether an output waveform of a transmission signal output through an antenna is a first waveform or a second waveform, and controls the RFIC to adjust a level of a baseband digital signal based on a first backoff value if the output waveform is the first waveform, and to adjust a level of the baseband digital signal based on a second backoff value if the output waveform is the second waveform.

According to one embodiment, the communication processor determines a modulation scheme of the transmission signal transmitted through the antenna, and controls the RFIC to apply the first backoff value to the baseband digital signal of the first waveform and to apply the second backoff value to the baseband digital signal of the second waveform to adjust the level of the baseband digital signal if the determined modulation scheme corresponds to a reference modulation scheme.

According to one embodiment, the communication processor may adjust the level of the baseband digital signal by applying an offset value based on an average power difference between the reference modulation scheme and the determined modulation scheme to the first backoff value or the second backoff value, if the determined modulation scheme is not the reference modulation scheme.

FIG. 6 is a graph comparing peak to average power ratio (PAPR) according to waveforms of transmission signals of electronic devices according to one or more embodiments of the present invention.

Since LTE (long term evolution), communication network systems have applied OFDM (orthogonal frequency division multiplexing) technology to increase frequency efficiency by overlapping multiple subcarriers for transmission, thereby increasing the peak to average power ratio (PAPR).

An electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1) according to an embodiment of the present invention can transmit an RF signal to a base station through uplink communication, and amplify the signal through a power amplifier (PA) (e.g., the amplifier (331 or 431) of FIG. 3 or 4) so that a sufficient power level is transmitted. Due to the high PAPR characteristic of OFDM, in LTE, DFT-s-OFDM (discrete Fourier transform spread OFDM) is developed to reduce PAPR, so that the electronic device can operate different waveforms with DFT-s-OFDM and the base station can operate different waveforms with CP-OFDM (cyclic prefix OFDM). DFT-s-OFDM has a disadvantage in that it has low frequency efficiency in terms of resource operation of the base station, but it can increase the power that the electronic device can output, and CP-OFDM has an advantage in that it has high frequency efficiency in terms of resource operation of the base station, but it can lower the power that the electronic device can output. In the uplink of 5G, both types of waveforms are supported by electronic devices, and the base station can adaptively operate the output waveform of the electronic device depending on the purpose and situation.

The two output waveforms described above may exhibit a PAPR difference of, for example, about 2 dB between the PAPR (601) of the output waveform of CP OFDM and the PAPR (603) of the output waveform of DFT-s-OFDM, depending on the implementation of the electronic device, as illustrated in FIG. 6.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an operation for adjusting transmission signal power according to a waveform of a transmission signal of an electronic device according to one or more embodiments of the present invention.

According to one or more embodiments, a communication processor (e.g., a first or second communication processor (212 or 214) of FIG. 2) or a digital block (e.g., a digital block (310 or 410) of FIG. 3 or FIG. 4) of an electronic device (e.g., an electronic device (101) of FIG. 1) or a tech modulator (510) of FIG. 5 may check an output waveform of a transmission signal output through an antenna (e.g., an antenna (333 or 433) of FIG. 3 or FIG. 4) of the electronic device (101) in operation 701.

For example, a communication processor or a digital block can identify an output waveform of a transmission signal through a control signal transmitted from a base station. The output waveform of the transmission signal can be set by the base station as, for example, a DFT-s-OFDM or CP-OFDM output waveform and can be received by an electronic device through the control signal. For example, the output waveform of the transmission signal can be a first waveform (e.g., DFT-s-OFDM) or a second waveform (e.g., CP-OFDM).

According to one embodiment, the communication processor or the digital block may, depending on whether the output waveform confirmed in operation 703 is the first waveform, if the output waveform is the first waveform, adjust the level of the digital signal by applying a first backoff value to the digital signal to obtain a target output power level of the transmission signal in operation 705.

For example, if the output waveform is the first waveform, the backoff value for adjusting the level of the digital signal can be obtained from a lookup table corresponding to the target output power level of the transmission signal, referring to Table 1 above. For example, if the target output power level of the transmission signal is 1, the backoff value obtained from the corresponding lookup table (LUT11) can be used as the first backoff value.

In one embodiment, the communication processor or the digital block may adjust the level of the digital signal by applying a second backoff value to the digital signal in operation 707 if the output waveform identified in operation 703 is not the first waveform, for example, if the output waveform is the second waveform.

For example, when the output waveform is the second waveform, the second backoff value for adjusting the digital signal level can be calculated by applying a specified offset to the first backoff value obtained from a lookup table (e.g., LUT11) corresponding to the target output power level of the transmission signal with reference to Table 1. For example, when the difference between the PAPR of the transmission signal of the DFT-s-OFDM waveform and the PAPR of the transmission signal of the CP-OFDM waveform is about 2 dB, the offset value to be applied to the first backoff value obtained from the lookup table can be calculated as a value capable of compensating for the difference in PAPR and specified in advance.

In one embodiment, a lookup table (e.g., LUT11) corresponding to the target output power level of the transmission signal of Table 1 may store a first backoff value corresponding to the first waveform together with a second backoff value corresponding to the second waveform. For example, the digital block may obtain the second backoff value corresponding to the second waveform from the lookup table.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an operation for adjusting the power of a transmission signal according to a modulation method in an electronic device according to one or more embodiments of the present invention.

According to one or more embodiments, a communication processor (e.g., a first or second communication processor (212 or 214) of FIG. 2) or a digital block (e.g., a digital block (310 or 410) of FIG. 3 or FIG. 4) or a tech modulator (510) of FIG. 5 (hereinafter referred to as a digital block) of an electronic device (e.g., an electronic device (101) of FIG. 1) may determine a modulation scheme of a transmission signal output through an antenna (e.g., an antenna (333 or 433) of FIG. 3 or FIG. 4) of the electronic device (101) in operation 801.

For example, a communication processor or a digital block can determine the modulation scheme of a transmission signal through a control signal transmitted from a base station. The modulation scheme of the transmission signal can include, for example, QPSK, 16QAM, 64QAM, or 256QAM.

According to one embodiment, the communication processor or the digital block may, if the modulation scheme identified in operation 803 is a reference modulation scheme, adjust the level of the digital signal by applying a reference backoff value to the digital signal to obtain a target output power level of the transmission signal in operation 805. For example, the reference modulation scheme may be set to QPSK with a low code rate.

For example, if the verified modulation method is a reference modulation method, the reference backoff value for adjusting the level of the digital signal can be obtained from a lookup table corresponding to the target output power level of the transmission signal, referring to Table 1 above. For example, if the target output power level of the transmission signal is 1, the backoff value obtained from the corresponding lookup table (LUT11) can be used as the reference backoff value.

For example, a backoff value for adjusting the level of a digital signal to obtain a target output level of a transmission signal modulated with QPSK, which is a reference modulation method, can be obtained from a lookup table corresponding to the target output power level of the transmission signal, as shown in Table 1 above. For example, when the target output power level of the transmission signal is 2, a backoff value obtained from the corresponding lookup table (LUT12) can be used as a reference backoff value.

According to one embodiment, if the communication processor or the digital block determines in operation 803 that the modulation scheme is not the reference modulation scheme, in operation 807, the communication processor or the digital block may adjust the level of the digital signal by applying a backoff value calculated by applying a designated offset of the determined modulation scheme to a reference backoff value obtained from a lookup table corresponding to a target output power level of the transmission signal by comparing the modulation scheme with the reference modulation scheme.

For example, if the verified modulation method is not the reference modulation method, the backoff value for adjusting the level of the digital signal can be used by applying a specified offset to the backoff value obtained from the corresponding lookup table (LUT11) when the target output power level of the transmission signal is 1, referring to Table 1 above.

For example, if the difference between the PAPR of a transmission signal according to the verified modulation method and the PAPR of a transmission signal according to the reference modulation method is about 1 dB, the offset value applied to the first backoff value obtained from the lookup table can be calculated as a value capable of compensating for the difference in PAPR and can be designated in advance.

In one embodiment, a lookup table (e.g., LUT11) corresponding to the target output power level of the transmission signal of Table 1 may pre-store backoff values corresponding to other modulation schemes together with a reference backoff value corresponding to the reference modulation scheme. For example, a communication processor or a digital block may obtain a backoff value corresponding to the identified modulation scheme from the lookup table.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an operation for adjusting the power of a transmission signal according to an output waveform and a modulation method in an electronic device according to one or more embodiments of the present invention.

According to one or more embodiments, a communication processor (e.g., a first or second communication processor (212 or 214) of FIG. 2) or a digital block (e.g., a digital block (310 or 410) of FIG. 3 or FIG. 4) of an electronic device (e.g., an electronic device (101) of FIG. 1) or a tech modulator (510) of FIG. 5 may check an output waveform and a modulation method of a transmission signal output through an antenna (e.g., an antenna (333 or 433) of FIG. 3 or FIG. 4) of the electronic device (101) in operation 901.

For example, a communication processor or a digital block can identify an output waveform and a modulation scheme of a transmission signal through a control signal transmitted from a base station. The output waveform of the transmission signal can be set by the base station as, for example, a DFT-s-OFDM or CP-OFDM output waveform and can be received by an electronic device through the control signal. For example, the output waveform of the transmission signal can be a first waveform (e.g., DFT-s-OFDM) or a second waveform (e.g., CP-OFDM). For example, the modulation scheme of the transmission signal can include QPSK, 16QAM, 64QAM, or 256QAM. For example, the reference modulation scheme can be set to QPSK with a low code rate.

In one embodiment, the communication processor or digital block may, at operation 903, determine whether the output waveform is the first waveform, proceed to operation 905, and determine whether the modulation scheme of the transmission signal is the reference modulation scheme.

According to one embodiment, the communication processor or the digital block can adjust the level of the digital signal by applying a first backoff value corresponding to the reference modulation scheme of the first waveform in operation 907, when the modulation scheme is a reference modulation scheme.

In one embodiment, a first backoff value for adjusting a digital signal level to obtain a target output power level of a transmission signal modulated with QPSK, which is a reference modulation method of the first waveform, can be obtained from a lookup table corresponding to the target output power level of the transmission signal, with reference to Table 1 above.

In one embodiment, the communication processor or the digital block, if it is determined in operation 905 that the modulation scheme is not the reference modulation scheme, can compare the reference modulation scheme and the determined modulation scheme in operation 909 and apply an offset to a first backoff value obtained from a lookup table corresponding to a target output power level of the transmission signal to derive a backoff value.

In one embodiment, the communication processor or digital block may determine, at operation 903, that the output waveform is not the first waveform, but, for example, the second waveform, and then determine, at operation 911, whether the modulation scheme of the transmission signal is the reference modulation scheme.

According to one embodiment, the communication processor or the digital block may, if the modulation scheme of the transmission signal in operation 911 is a reference modulation scheme, adjust the digital signal level by applying a second backoff value to the second waveform in operation 913.

In one embodiment, a lookup table (e.g., LUT11) corresponding to the target output power level of the transmission signal of Table 1 may store a first backoff value corresponding to the first waveform and a second backoff value corresponding to the second waveform. For example, the second backoff value corresponding to the reference modulation scheme of the second waveform may be obtained from the lookup table.

In one embodiment, the communication processor or the digital block, in operation 911, if the modulation scheme is not a reference modulation scheme, compares the modulation scheme with the reference modulation scheme in operation 915 to derive a backoff value with a specified offset applied to the second backoff value and applies the backoff value to the digital signal.

FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining an example of increasing the output power of a transmission signal by adaptive transmission signal power adjustment according to an output waveform according to one or more embodiments of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 10, according to the embodiments described above, by applying a first back-off value (1001) applied in the digital domain for a DFT-s-OFDM output waveform with a relatively smaller value than a second back-off value (1003) applied in the digital domain for a CP-OFDM output waveform in 5G, the output power level of a transmission signal output through an antenna after passing through an amplifier can be higher at a power level (1007) than a power level (1005) applied with the same back-off value.

FIG. 11 is an example of a graph for explaining an example of increasing the output power of a transmission signal by adaptive transmission signal power adjustment according to an output waveform according to one or more embodiments of the present invention. In the graph, the x-axis represents frequency (MHz) and the y-axis represents output power level (dBm).

In general, the PAPR of the DFT-s-OFDM output waveform is lower at 3.2 dB than the PAPR of the CP-OFDM output waveform in 5G at 4.5 dB. FIG. 11 and Table 3 below show examples of output power levels of a transmission signal output through an antenna after adjusting the digital signal level by applying different backoff values when the output waveform of the transmission signal is CP OFDM and DFT-s-OFDM according to the embodiments described above.

Frequency (MHz) 1715 1717 1719 1721 1723 1725 1727 1729 1731 1733 1735 1737 PAPR 4.5dB(dBm) 26.23 26.23 26.19 26.19 26.11 25.98 25.9 25.88 25.82 25.82 25.89 26.02 PAPR 3.2dB(dBm) 27.53 27.58 27.53 27.51 27.39 27.36 27.23 27.18 27.2 27.22 27.29 27.36 Delta(dB) 1.3 1.35 1.34 1.32 1.28 1.38 1.33 1.3 1.38 1.4 1.4 1.34

Referring to FIG. 11 and Table 3, it can be seen that the output power level (1101) of the transmission signal output through the antenna in the case of the DFT-s-OFDM output waveform with PAPR 3.2 dB is higher than the output power level (1103) of the transmission signal in the case of the CP OFDM output waveform with PAPR 4.5 dB. Accordingly, the power supplied to the amplifier can be reduced to obtain the target output power, thereby increasing the efficiency of the amplifier and reducing the current consumption.

An electronic device according to one or more embodiments disclosed in this document may be a variety of devices. The electronic device may include, for example, a portable communication device (e.g., a smartphone), a computer device, a portable multimedia device, a portable medical device, a camera, a wearable device, or a home appliance device. The electronic device according to the embodiments of this document is not limited to the above-described devices.

It should be understood that the description of one or more embodiments of this document and the terminology used herein are not intended to limit the technical features described in this document to the embodiments specified, but rather to encompass various modifications, equivalents, or substitutes of the embodiments. In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar or related components. The singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one or more of the items, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this document, each of the phrases "A or B," "at least one of A and B," "at least one of A or B," "A, B, or C," "at least one of A, B, and C," and "at least one of A, B, or C" can include any one of the items listed together in the corresponding phrase, or all possible combinations thereof. Terms such as "first", "second", or "first" or "second" may be used merely to distinguish one component from another, and do not limit the components in any other respect (e.g., importance or order). When a component (e.g., a first component) is referred to as "coupled" or "connected" to another (e.g., a second component), with or without the terms "functionally" or "communicatively," it means that the component can be connected to the other component directly (e.g., by wire), wirelessly, or through a third component.

The term "module" as used in this document may include a unit implemented in hardware, software or firmware, and may be used interchangeably with terms such as logic, logic block, component, or circuit. A module may be an integrally configured component or a minimum unit of a component or a part thereof that performs one or more functions. For example, according to one embodiment, a module may be implemented in the form of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

One or more embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented as software (e.g., a program (140)) including one or more instructions stored in a storage medium (e.g., an internal memory (136) or an external memory (138)) readable by a machine (e.g., an electronic device (101)). For example, a processor (e.g., a processor (120)) of the machine (e.g., the electronic device (101)) may call at least one instruction among the one or more instructions stored from the storage medium and execute it. This enables the machine to operate to perform at least one function according to the at least one instruction called. The one or more instructions may include code generated by a compiler or code executable by an interpreter. The machine-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, 'non-transitory' simply means that the storage medium is a tangible device and does not contain signals (e.g., EM waves), and the term does not distinguish between cases where data is stored semi-permanently or temporarily on the storage medium.

According to one embodiment, a method according to one or more embodiments disclosed in the present document may be provided as included in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded between a seller and a buyer as a commodity. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a device-readable storage medium (e.g., a compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM)), or may be distributed online (e.g., by download or upload) via an application store (e.g., Play Store ^TM ) or directly between two user devices (e.g., smartphones). In the case of online distribution, at least a part of the computer program product may be at least temporarily stored or temporarily generated in a device-readable storage medium, such as a memory of a manufacturer's server, a server of an application store, or an intermediary server.

According to one or more embodiments, each component (e.g., a module or a program) of the described components may include a single or multiple entities. According to one or more embodiments, one or more components or operations of the aforementioned components may be omitted, or one or more other components or operations may be added. Alternatively or additionally, a plurality of components (e.g., a module or a program) may be integrated into a single component. In such a case, the integrated component may perform one or more functions of each of the plurality of components identically or similarly to those performed by the corresponding component of the plurality of components prior to integration. According to one or more embodiments, the operations performed by a module, a program or another component may be performed sequentially, in parallel, repeatedly, or heuristically, or one or more of the operations may be performed in a different order, omitted, or one or more other operations may be added.

Claims (20)

In electronic devices,
A digital block that processes the input signal and outputs a baseband digital signal;
An analog block that converts the above baseband digital signal into an analog signal, processes the converted analog signal, and converts it into a radio frequency (RF) signal; and
It includes an antenna module that amplifies the RF signal and outputs the amplified transmission signal,
The above digital block is,
Determine whether the output waveform of the transmission signal output through the antenna module is the first waveform or the second waveform,
Determine the modulation method of the transmission signal transmitted through the above antenna,
If the determined modulation method corresponds to a reference modulation method, a first backoff value is applied to the baseband digital signal of the first waveform, and a second backoff value is applied to the baseband digital signal of the second waveform to adjust the level of the baseband digital signal.
Electronic devices. In the first paragraph,
An electronic device further comprising a memory storing a look-up table (LUT) including the first backoff value and the second backoff value respectively applied to the baseband digital signal corresponding to each of a plurality of target power levels of the transmission signal depending on whether the output waveform is the first waveform and the second waveform.
In paragraph 1 or 2,
An electronic device wherein the second backoff value is calculated by applying an offset value based on a difference in average power (PAPR) of the transmitted signals of the first waveform and the second waveform with respect to the first backoff value.
delete In the first paragraph,
The above digital block is,
An electronic device that adjusts the level of the baseband digital signal by applying an offset value based on an average power difference between the reference modulation method and the determined modulation method to the first backoff value or the second backoff value, if the determined modulation method is not the reference modulation method. In the first paragraph,
An electronic device wherein the modulation scheme of the above transmission signal includes QPSK, 16QAM, 64QAM and 256QAM, and the reference modulation scheme is set to QPSK. In the first paragraph,
An electronic device, wherein the output waveform includes a DFT-s-OFDM (discrete fourier transform spread OFDM) or CP-OFDM (cyclic prefix OFDM) output waveform.
delete delete delete delete delete delete delete In a method of an electronic device,
An operation for determining whether the output waveform of a transmission signal output through an antenna of the electronic device is a first waveform or a second waveform;
An operation for determining a modulation method of the transmission signal transmitted through the antenna; and
A method including an operation of adjusting the level of the baseband digital signal by applying a first backoff value to the baseband digital signal of the first waveform and applying a second backoff value to the baseband digital signal of the second waveform, if the determined modulation method corresponds to a reference modulation method. delete delete delete delete delete