System and method for IQ mismatch calibration and compensation

1. A method of providing IQ mismatch (IQMM) compensation, the method comprising:

estimating an overall frequency response of a compensation filter by stepping through a frequency range starting at an initial frequency and performing (1) through (3) at each step, a selected frequency at each step being a multiple of a subcarrier frequency of the initial frequency:

(1) sending a single tone signal at the selected frequency,

(2) determining a first response of a mismatched signal at the selected frequency and a second response of the mismatched signal at an image frequency of the selected frequency, and

(3) estimating a frequency response of the compensation filter at the selected frequency based on the first response and the second response;

generating time-domain filter taps based on the estimated overall frequency response of the compensation filter;

determining a time delay based on the time-domain filter taps; and

generating a compensated signal based on the time delay.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the time-domain filter taps includes performing a pseudo-inverse of a time-to-frequency conversion matrix.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the time-to-frequency conversion matrix is obtained by performing a discrete time Fourier (DFT) on the overall frequency response of the compensation filter.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the time delay includes determining a delay that provides a minimal least square error (LSE) based on a plurality of LSEs for the corresponding time-domain filter taps.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising selecting a finite number of filter taps among the plurality of time-domain filter taps.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the finite number of filter taps includes one or more positive filter taps.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising adding an extra time delay in a feedforward path of the compensation filter to include a negative filter tap.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the compensation filter is a complex-valued filter.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the compensation filter is a real-valued filter including a real-valued scaling factor that feeds a delayed version of an in-phase (I) path into an output of a real-valued filter of a quadrature (Q) path.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the compensation filter is implemented in a receiver of a wireless communication system.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the compensation filter includes a baseband digital filter.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

estimating filter coefficients for the plurality of time-domain filter taps during initial calibration based on a static calibration scheme;

setting each of the plurality of time-domain filter taps with a corresponding estimated filter coefficient;

setting an initial value for a time delay tap to zero or based on an estimated value obtained using the static calibration scheme; and

estimating a filter coefficient for the time delay tap using a signal received during signal reception operation after initial calibration based on an iterative scheme using an adaptive filter.

13. An apparatus comprising:

a signal generator for generating and sending a single tone signal at a selected frequency;

a compensator including a time delay and a plurality of time-domain filter taps; and

a compensation logic for performing a calibration of the compensator,

wherein the compensation logic is configured to:

(1) determine a first response of a mismatched signal at the selected frequency and a second response of the mismatched signal at an image frequency of the selected frequency;

(2) estimate a frequency response of the compensator at the selected frequency based on the first response and the second response;

(3) estimate an overall frequency response of the compensator by stepping the selected frequency of the signal generator through a frequency range starting at an initial frequency and performing (1) and (2) at each step, the selected frequency at each step being multiple of a subcarrier frequency of the initial frequency;

(4) determine the plurality of time-domain filter taps of the compensator based on the estimated overall frequency response of the compensator; and

(5) determine the time delay of the compensator based on the plurality of time-domain filter taps, and

wherein the compensator generates a compensated signal based on the time delay.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the compensation logic performs a pseudo-inverse of a time-to-frequency conversion matrix to determine the plurality of time-domain filter taps.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the compensation logic determines the time delay based on a delay that provides a minimal least square error (LSE) among a plurality of LSEs for the corresponding time-domain filter taps.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the compensation logic is further configured to select a finite number of filter taps among the plurality of time-domain filter taps.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the finite number of filter taps includes one or more positive filter taps.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the compensation logic is further configured to add an extra time delay in a feedforward path of the compensator to include a negative filter tap.

19. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the compensator is a complex-valued compensator.

20. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the compensator is a real-valued compensator including a real-valued scaling factor that feeds a delayed version of an in-phase (I) path into an output of a real-valued filter of a quadrature (Q) path.