Apparatus and method for calibration of gain and/or phase imbalance and/or DC offset in a communication system

1. A radio frequency (RF) receiver system for communication, the receiver system comprising:

a receive channel frequency converter including a first receive input configured to receive a first receive calibration signal during a receive calibration mode and configured to receive a first receive communication signal during a receive communication operation mode, the receive channel frequency converter further including a second receive input configured to receive a receive reference signal, the receive channel frequency converter further including a first receive output configured to provide a second receive calibration signal during the receive calibration mode and configured to provide a second receive communication signal during the receive communication operation mode, the second receive calibration signal comprising a frequency-translated version of the first receive calibration signal, the second receive communication signal comprising a frequency-translated version of the first receive communication signal;

a receive pre-distortion module coupled to the receive channel frequency converter, the receive pre-distortion module including a third receive input configured to receive a third receive calibration signal during the receive calibration mode and configured to receive a third receive communication signal during the receive communication operation mode, the receive pre-distortion module further including a fourth receive input configured to receive one or more receive calibration adjustment signals to adjust the third receive calibration signal during the receive calibration mode and configured to receive one or more receive calibration adjustment signals to adjust the third receive communication signal during the receive communication operation mode, the receive pre-distortion module further including a second receive output configured to provide a fourth receive calibration signal during the receive calibration mode and configured to provide a fourth receive communication signal during the receive communication operation mode; and

a receive calibration module coupled to the receive pre-distortion module, the receive calibration module including a calibration signal generator for generating a calibration signal, the receive calibration module further including a fifth receive input configured to receive a fifth receive calibration signal during the receive calibration mode, the receive calibration module further including a third receive output configured to provide the one or more receive calibration adjustment signals for the third receive calibration signal and the one or more receive calibration adjustment signals for the third receive communication signal, the receive calibration module further including a fourth receive output configured to provide a sixth receive calibration signal during the receive calibration mode, wherein value or values of the one or more receive calibration adjustment signals for the third receive calibration signal are determined during the receive calibration mode, and value or values of the one or more receive calibration adjustment signals for the third receive communication signal are determined during the receive calibration mode.

2. An RF receiver system of claim 1 , wherein the receive calibration module includes a plurality of filters configured to separate and provide a first calibration error signal associated with a receive calibration signal and a second calibration error signal associated with the receive calibration signal, wherein the first and second calibration error signals are not based on any receive communication signal.

3. An RF receiver system of claim 2 , wherein the first calibration error signal corresponds to an error due to gain and/or phase imbalance, and the second calibration error signal corresponds to an error due to DC offset.

4. An RF receiver system of claim 1 further including a multiplexer coupled to the receive channel frequency converter, the multiplexer configured to select the first receive calibration signal or the first receive communication signal.

5. An RF receiver system of claim 1 , wherein the calibration signal generator is configured to generate the sixth receive calibration signal, and the first receive calibration signal is based on the sixth receive calibration signal.

6. An RF receiver system of claim 1 , wherein the receive pre-distortion module includes a plurality of multipliers for receiving in-phase and quadrature phase signals and phase adjustment parameters and a plurality of adders for receiving in-phase and quadrature phase DC offset adjustment parameters.

7. An RF receiver system of claim 1 , wherein the receive calibration module includes a calibration receiver, a calibration processor and a microprocessor.

8. An RF receiver system of claim 7 , wherein the calibration receiver includes a plurality of bandpass filters, a plurality of square-law blocks and a plurality of adders,

wherein the plurality of bandpass filters are configured to separate and provide a first calibration error signal associated with an in-phase of the fifth receive calibration signal and a second calibration error signal associated with a quadrature phase of the fifth receive calibration signal.

9. A radio frequency (RF) receiver system for communication, the receiver system comprising:

a receive channel frequency converter configured to provide a second receive calibration signal during a receive calibration mode based on a first receive calibration signal and a receive reference signal; and

a receive pre-distortion module coupled to the receive channel frequency converter and configured to provide a fourth receive calibration signal during the receive calibration mode based on a third receive calibration signal and one or more receive calibration adjustment signals, the one or more receive calibration adjustment signals comprising an offset parameter associated with DC offset and an imbalance parameter associated with at least one of gain and phase imbalances,

wherein:

the receive channel frequency converter includes a first receive input configured to receive the first receive calibration signal during the receive calibration mode and configured to receive a first receive communication signal during a receive communication operation mode, the receive channel frequency converter further including a second receive input configured to receive the receive reference signal, the receive channel frequency converter further including a first receive output configured to provide the second receive calibration signal during the receive calibration mode and configured to provide a second receive communication signal during the receive communication operation mode, the second receive calibration signal comprising a frequency-translated version of the first receive calibration signal, the second receive communication signal comprising a frequency-translated version of the first receive communication signal;

the receive pre-distortion module includes a third receive input configured to receive the third receive calibration signal during the receive calibration mode and configured to receive a third receive communication signal during the receive communication operation mode, the receive pre-distortion module further including a fourth receive input configured to receive the one or more receive calibration adjustment signals to adjust the third receive calibration signal during the receive calibration mode and configured to receive one or more receive calibration adjustment signals to adjust the third receive communication signal during the receive communication operation mode, the receive pre-distortion module further including a second receive output configured to provide the fourth receive calibration signal during the receive calibration mode and configured to provide a fourth receive communication signal during the receive communication operation mode; and

the RF receiver further comprises a receive calibration module coupled to the receive pre-distortion module, the receive calibration module including a calibration signal generator for generating a calibration signal, the receive calibration module further including a fifth receive input configured to receive a fifth receive calibration signal during the receive calibration mode, the receive calibration module further including a third receive output configured to provide the one or more receive calibration adjustment signals for the third receive calibration signal and the one or more receive calibration adjustment signals for the third receive communication signal, the receive calibration module further including a fourth receive output configured to provide a sixth receive calibration signal during the receive calibration mode, wherein value or values of the one or more receive calibration adjustment signals for the third receive calibration signal are to be determined during the receive calibration mode, and value or values of the one or more receive calibration adjustment signals for the third receive communication signal are to be determined during the receive calibration mode.

10. An RF receiver system of claim 9 , wherein the receive calibration module includes a plurality of filters configured to separate and provide a first calibration error signal associated with a receive calibration signal and a second calibration error signal associated with the receive calibration signal, wherein the first and second calibration error signals are not based on any receive communication signal, and

wherein the first calibration error signal corresponds to an error due to gain and/or phase imbalance, and the second calibration error signal corresponds to an error due to DC offset.

11. An RF receiver system of claim 9 further including a multiplexer coupled to the receive channel frequency converter, the multiplexer configured to select the first receive calibration signal or the first receive communication signal.

12. An RF receiver system of claim 9 , wherein the calibration signal generator is configured to generate the sixth receive calibration signal, and the first receive calibration signal is based on the sixth receive calibration signal.

13. An RF receiver system of claim 9 , wherein the receive pre-distortion module includes a plurality of multipliers for receiving in-phase and quadrature phase signals and phase adjustment parameters and a plurality of adders for receiving in-phase and quadrature phase DC offset adjustment parameters.

14. An RF receiver system of claim 9 , wherein the receive calibration module includes a calibration receiver, a calibration processor and a microprocessor.

15. An RF receiver system of claim 14 , wherein the calibration receiver includes a plurality of bandpass filters, a plurality of square-law blocks and a plurality of adders, wherein the plurality of bandpass filters are configured to separate and provide a first calibration error signal associated with an in-phase of the fifth receive calibration signal and a second calibration error signal associated with a quadrature phase of the fifth receive calibration signal.