Method and arrangement for setting the transmission of a mobile communication device

1. A method of setting a transmitted power of a mobile communication device, the method comprising:

amplifying digital signals (I 1 , Q 1 ) from a data source belonging to the mobile communication device by a digital gain by means of a controllable digital amplifier to generate amplified digital signals (I 2 , Q 2 );

converting the amplified digital signals (I 2 , Q 2 ) into analog signals (I 3 , Q 3 );

modulating the analog signals onto a carrier frequency (f T );

amplifying the modulated analog signals (X 3 ) by an analog gain in at least one controllable analog amplifier to produce amplified analog signal (X 4 ); and

matching the digital gain (D) and the analog gain (A), as a function of a difference between a measured power signal (p(t)) derived from the amplified analog signal (X 4 ) that represents a measurement of the transmitted power and a desired power signal that represents a desired value for the transmitted power from a base station, wherein the matching combines the digital gain and the analog gain to produce an overall gain and the desired value for the transmitted power by controlling the digital gain to minimize a contribution of the analog gain to the overall gain.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

only adjusting the analog gain (A) in steps.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

applying the digital gain (D) in two steps, wherein an exact setting of a signal level is made in a first step by means of finely graduated factors and the signal level is set in a second step, at a reduced signal-to-noise ratio, with more coarsely graduated factors.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first step further comprises:

multiplying the digital signals (I 1 , Q 1 ) by a first parameter (g 1 ) to produce multiplied signals, and the second step further comprises:

applying the multiplied signals and a second parameter (g 2 ) to a shift unit to produce the amplified digital signals (I 2 , Q 2 ).

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

performing a self-calibration process for the at least one controllable analog amplifier that corrects the analog gain.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the self-calibration process further comprises:

repeatedly storing matching parameters in a micro-controller; and

determining the digital gain and the analog gain in the micro-controller based upon the stored matching parameters.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mobile communication device is a Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS) device.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

measuring the transmitted power at time t with a power sensor coupled to an input node of an antenna; and

producing the measured power signal (p(t)) based on a result of the measuring step.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of amplifying the digital signals (I 1 , Q 1 ) further comprises:

multiplying the digital signals (I 1 , Q 1 ) by a first parameter (g 1 ) to produce multiplied signals; and

applying the multiplied signals and a second parameter (g 2 ) to a shift unit to produce the amplified digital signals (I 2 , Q 2 ).

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

storing matching parameters in a micro-controller; and

determining the digital gain and the analog gain in the micro-controller based upon the stored matching parameters.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

calculating a table of corrections for the analog gain after only one absolute measurement by a calibrated measuring device.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

storing the table of corrections in a micro-controller.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

recalibrating the table of corrections in a sporadic manner.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

recalibrating the table of corrections in a cyclical manner.

15. An apparatus that sets a transmitted power of a mobile communication device, the apparatus comprising:

a controllable digital amplifier that receives digital signals (I 1 , Q 1 ) from a data source belonging to the mobile communication device and amplifies the digital signals to (I 2 , Q 2 );

a digital to analog converter that receives the amplified digital signals (I 2 , Q 2 ) from the controllable digital amplifier and converts the amplified signals to produce analog signals (I 3 , Q 3 );

a frequency modulator that receives the analog signals (I 3 , Q 3 ) from the digital to analog signal and modulates the analog signals (I 3 , Q 3 ) to produce modulated analog signals (X 3 );

one or more analog amplifiers that amplify the modulated analog signals (X 3 ) to produce an amplified analog signal (X 4 ); and

a control circuit that controls an overall gain of the digital amplifier and the one or more analog amplifiers to produce a desired value of the transmitted power by comparing a measured value of the transmitted power derived from the amplified analog signal (X 4 ) to the desired value of the transmitted power, wherein the control circuit controls the digital gain to minimize a contribution of the analog gain to the overall gain.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the controllable digital amplifier further comprises:

a first amplifier stage comprising multipliers; and

a second amplifier stage comprising a shift unit.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , further comprising:

an uncalibrated power sensor that approximately detects the transmitted power and makes the detected transmitted power available to the control circuit as the measured value.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 , further comprising:

a calibrated measuring device that enables calculation a table of corrections for the analog gain after only one absolute measurement.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein each of the one or more analog amplifiers receives a separate control line (g 3 , g 4 , g 5 ) to adjust the analog gain.

20. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the mobile communication device is a Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS) device.