IP Library Granted Patent US 9,100,088
Granted Patent B2
US 9,100,088 · App. 13/917,794 · Granted Aug 4, 2015

Method and system for guard band detection and frequency offset detection

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,100,088
App. No.
13/917,794
Granted
Aug 4, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

A signal processing circuit, which is within a satellite reception assembly, may be operable to analyze actual frequency information corresponding to a plurality of downconverted signals. Each of the downconverted signals may be downconverted using one or more corresponding local oscillators (LOs). Based on the analyzing, one or more of the following may be determined: one or more frequency offsets associated with the one or more corresponding LOs and one or more actual guard bands. The signal processing circuit may generate information on the determined frequency offsets and the determined actual guard bands. The signal processing circuit may perform, based on the generated information, one or both of a band stacking operation and a channel stacking operation so as to prevent channels/bands being stacked on each other or being overlapped. The signal processing circuit may perform, based on the generated information, frequency corrections for channel tuning in a gateway.

Claims (42)

1. A method, comprising:

in a signal processing circuit that is within a satellite reception assembly:

analyzing actual frequency information corresponding to a plurality of downconverted signals; wherein each of the plurality of downconverted signals is downconverted using one or more corresponding local oscillators (LOs) in the signal processing circuit;

determining, for each of the downconverted signals and based on the analyzing, one or more of at least the following:

one or more frequency offsets, which are associated with the one or more corresponding local oscillators (LOs), in relation to corresponding standard LO frequencies; and

one or more actual guard bands between adjacent frequency bands;

generating, for the plurality of downconverted signals, information on one or more of at least the following: the determined frequency offsets and the determined actual guard bands; and

performing, based on the generated information, one or both of a band stacking operation and a channel stacking operation so that:

during the band stacking operation, frequency bands are not stacked on each other or stacked frequency bands do not overlap; and

during the channel stacking operation, channels are not stacked on each other or stacked channels do not overlap during the channel stacking operation.

2. The method according to claim 1 , comprising performing, based on the generated information, frequency corrections, in compliance with standard band frequencies and standard channel frequencies, on output signals of the band stacking operation or output signals of the channel stacking operation, for channel tuning in a gateway.

3. The method according to claim 1 , comprising downconverting a plurality of radio frequency (RF) signals to the plurality of downconverted signals correspondingly, wherein each of the RF signals corresponds to one or more satellite frequency bands, and the downconverted signals comprises L-band signals or baseband signals.

4. The method according to claim 1 , comprising performing the analyzing, the determining, and the generating, using a frequency detection module in the signal processing circuit.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the frequency detection module comprises a demodulator.

6. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the frequency detection module comprises at least a portion of a demodulator, and the at least a portion of the demodulator comprises a phase locked loop (PLL).

7. The method according to claim 4 , wherein:

the plurality of downconverted signals are in digital domain and the frequency detection module is operational in the digital domain; and

the frequency detection module performs the analyzing using one or more of the following: a fast fourier transform (FFT), an edge detection and a center-of-mass computation.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the frequency detection module determines, based on the edge detection, a symbol rate associated with each channel for channel filtering in the band/channel stacking module, during at least the channel stacking operation.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein each of the local oscillators (LOs) comprises a dielectric resonant oscillator (DRO).

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the generated information comprises a form of a matrix, and each element of the matrix corresponds to one of at least the following: a particular frequency offset associated with a particular local oscillator (LO) and a particular actual guard band associated with a particular downconverted signal.

11. A system, comprising:

a signal processing circuit that is operational within a satellite reception assembly, wherein the signal processing circuit is operable to:

analyze actual frequency information corresponding to a plurality of downconverted signals; wherein each of the plurality of downconverted signals is downconverted using one or more corresponding local oscillators (LOs) in the signal processing circuit;

determine, for each of the downconverted signals and based on the analyzing, one or more of at least the following:

one or more frequency offsets, which are associated with the one or more corresponding local oscillators (LOs), in relation to corresponding standard LO frequencies; and

one or more actual guard bands between adjacent frequency bands;

generate, for the plurality of downconverted signals, information on one or more of at least the following: the determined frequency offsets and the determined actual guard bands; and

perform, based on the generated information, one or both of a band stacking operation and a channel stacking operation so that:

during the band stacking operation, frequency bands are not stacked on each other or stacked frequency bands do not overlap; and

during the channel stacking operation, channels are not stacked on each other or stacked channels do not overlap during the channel stacking operation.

12. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the signal processing circuit is operable to perform, based on the generated information, frequency corrections, in compliance with standard band frequencies and standard channel frequencies, on output signals of the band stacking operation or output signals of the channel stacking operation, for channel tuning in a gateway.

13. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the signal processing circuit is operable to downconvert a plurality of radio frequency (RF) signals to the plurality of downconverted signals correspondingly, and each of the RF signals corresponds to one or more satellite frequency bands, and the downconverted signals comprises L-band signals or baseband signals.

14. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the signal processing circuit is operable to perform the analyzing, the determining, and the generating, using a frequency detection module in the signal processing circuit.

15. The system according to claim 14 , wherein the frequency detection module comprises a demodulator.

16. The system according to claim 14 , wherein the frequency detection module comprises at least a portion of a demodulator, and the at least a portion of the demodulator comprises a phase locked loop (PLL).

17. The system according to claim 14 , wherein:

the plurality of downconverted signals are in digital domain and the frequency detection module is operational in the digital domain; and

the frequency detection module performs the analyzing using one or more of the following: a fast fourier transform (FFT), an edge detection and a center-of-mass computation.

18. The system according to claim 17 , wherein the frequency detection module determines, based on the edge detection, a symbol rate associated with each channel for channel filtering in the band/channel stacking module, during at least the channel stacking operation.

19. The system according to claim 11 , wherein each of the local oscillators (LOs) comprises a dielectric resonant oscillator (DRO).

20. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the generated information comprises a form of a matrix, and each element of the matrix corresponds to one of at least the following: a particular frequency offset associated with a particular local oscillator (LO) and a particular actual guard band associated with a particular downconverted signal.

Assignments (6)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 23, 2021
From: MUFG UNION BANK, N.A.
To: MAXLINEAR, INC.; EXAR CORPORATION; MAXLINEAR COMMUNICATIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 056656/0204 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 12, 2021
From: MAXLINEAR, INC.
To: ENTROPIC COMMUNICATIONS, LLC
Reel/Frame 055898/0230 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 31, 2021
From: MUFG UNION BANK, N.A.
To: MAXLINEAR, INC.; MAXLINEAR COMMUNICATIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 055779/0001 →
SUCCESSION OF AGENCY (REEL 042453 / FRAME 0001) Recorded Jul 1, 2020
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: MUFG UNION BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 053115/0842 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 12, 2017
From: MAXLINEAR, INC.; ENTROPIC COMMUNICATIONS, LLC (F/K/A ENTROPIC COMMUNICATIONS, INC.); EXAR CORPORATION
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 042453/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 14, 2013
From: PULLELA, RAJA; CHANG, GLENN; RAMESH, SRIDHAR
To: MAXLINEAR, INC.
Reel/Frame 030613/0277 →