Method and apparatus for reducing DC offset in a wireless receiver

1. A method for receiving comprising:

blocking a signal path between a receive antenna and a mixer within an RF section of a wireless receiver by deactivating an RF low-noise amplifier (LNA) within the signal path;

estimating a DC offset at the output of the RF section of the wireless receiver while the signal path is blocked; and

subsequently using the estimated DC offset to reduce a DC component at the output of the RF section,

wherein the blocking and the estimating are performed within time intervals between received signal bursts of time-division multiple access (TDMA) signals, and

wherein the method further comprises:

deactivating a local oscillator (LO) and a baseband frequency variable gain amplifier (VGA) within the RF section during at least a portion of the time intervals between the received signal bursts to reduce energy consumption, the LO and the baseband frequency VGA to remain activated during the estimating.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

estimating the DC offset includes converting an output signal of the RF section to a digital representation and estimating the DC offset using the digital representation, and

wherein the deactivating the RF LNA is performed at a time after a signal burst of the TDMA signals is fully received.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein:

subsequently using the estimated DC offset includes subtracting the estimated DC offset from an analog output signal of the RF section.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein:

subsequently using the estimated DC offset includes subtracting the estimated DC offset from a digital representation of the output signal of the RF section.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising predicting a VGA level for the baseband frequency VGA and a LO frequency for the LO for use in receiving a subsequent signal burst of the TDMA signals,

wherein the RF LNA is not deactivated during at least a portion of the time intervals between the received signal bursts when the predicting is being performed.

6. The method of claim 5

wherein the predicting comprises varying a gain of the baseband frequency VGA while monitoring a baseband signal level output of the VGA while the RF LNA is not deactivated,

wherein during the blocking and estimating, the gain and the LO frequency are set based on the prediction, and

wherein the gain and the LO frequency are set for receipt of the subsequent signal burst based on the prediction.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

blocking a signal path includes reflecting back energy flowing through the signal path by deactivating the RF LNA.

8. A method for use in reducing DC offset in a wireless receiver, comprising:

blocking a signal path between a receive antenna and a mixer by deactivating an RF low-noise amplifier (LNA) within the signal path;

applying an LO signal to the mixer that is selected to process a signal burst to be received by the wireless receiver at a future time;

applying a gain control signal to a variable gain amplifier (VGA) within the wireless receiver, said gain control signal being selected to process the signal burst to be received by the wireless receiver at the future time; and

estimating a DC offset at an output of the VGA when the signal path is being blocked and the LO signal and the gain control signal are being applied,

wherein the blocking, the applying the LO signal, the applying the gain control signal and the estimating are performed within time intervals between received signal bursts of time-division multiple access (TDMA) signals, and

wherein the method further comprises:

deactivating the VGA and a local oscillator (LO) that generates the LO signal during at least a portion of the time intervals between the received signal bursts to reduce energy consumption, the LO and the VGA to remain activated during the estimating.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein:

estimating a DC offset includes converting an output signal of the variable gain amplifier to a digital representation and estimating the DC offset based on the digital representation, and

wherein the deactivating the RF LNA is performed at a time after a signal burst of the TDMA signals is fully received.

10. The method of claim 9 , comprising:

using the estimated DC offset to reduce a DC component within an output signal of the variable gain amplifier.

11. The method of claim 9 , comprising:

using the estimated DC offset to reduce a DC component within a digital representation of an output signal of the variable gain amplifier.

12. The method of claim 8 , comprising:

unblocking the signal path between the receive antenna and the mixer by activating the RF LNA before the signal burst is received while continuing to apply the local oscillator signal and the gain control signal.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein:

said wireless receiver is part of a communication system using the TDMA signals, and

wherein said signal burst to be received by the wireless receiver at a future time includes information to be received within a known time slot associated with the wireless receiver.

14. The method of claim 13 , comprising:

determining, before blocking said signal path, said gain control signal to be applied to said variable gain amplifier for use in receiving a subsequent signal burst of the TDMA signals,

wherein the RF LNA is not deactivated when the gain control signal is being determined, and

wherein the determining is performed during at least a portion of the time intervals between received signal bursts.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein:

determining includes iteratively applying gain control values to said variable gain amplifier while measuring an output level of the VGA while the RF LNA is not deactivated, and

wherein during the blocking and estimating, the determined gain control values are applied to the VGA and used for receipt of the subsequent signal burst.

16. A wireless receiver comprising:

an RF section having a mixer to down convert a received signal based on an LO signal applied to the mixer; and

a controller to estimate a DC offset at an output of the RF section during a period when a received signal is blocked from reaching the mixer,

wherein the controller blocks a signal path between a receive antenna and the mixer by deactivating an RF low-noise amplifier (LNA) within the signal path,

wherein the controller subsequently uses the estimated DC offset to reduce a DC component at the output of the RF section,

wherein the controller blocks the signal path and estimates the DC offset within time intervals between received signal bursts of time-division multiple access (TDMA) signals,

wherein the controller further deactivates a local oscillator (LO) and a baseband frequency variable gain amplifier (VGA) within the RF section during at least a portion of the time intervals between the received signal bursts to reduce energy consumption, and

wherein the controller activates the LO and the baseband frequency VGA during the estimating and the blocking.

17. The wireless receiver of claim 16 , wherein:

said controller estimates the DC offset while a first LO signal is being applied to the mixer, said first LO signal being selected to process a signal burst to be received by the wireless receiver at a future time, and

wherein the deactivating of the RF LNA is performed at a time after a signal burst of the TDMA signals is fully received.

18. The wireless receiver of claim 16 , wherein:

the variable gain amplifier is to amplify an output signal of the mixer by a controllable gain value, said variable gain amplifier having an input to receive a gain control signal.

19. The wireless receiver of claim 18 , wherein:

said controller estimates the DC offset while a first gain control signal is being applied to the variable gain amplifier, said first gain control signal being selected to process a subsequent signal burst to be received by the wireless receiver at a future time.

20. The wireless receiver of claim 16 , wherein:

said controller determines a gain control value for the VGA for use in receiving a subsequent signal burst of the TDMA signals, and

wherein the RF LNA is not deactivated during at least a portion of the time intervals between the received signal bursts when the determining is being performed.

21. The wireless receiver of claim 20 , wherein:

the controller determines the gain control value by varying a gain of the VGA while monitoring a baseband signal level output of the VGA while the RF LNA is not deactivated,

wherein during the blocking and estimating by the controller, the controller sets the gain of the VGA using the determined gain control value, and

wherein the determined gain control value is used for receiving the subsequent signal burst.

22. The wireless receiver of claim 21 , wherein:

said controller subtracting the DC offset estimate from an analog version of the output signal of the RF section.

23. A wireless receiver comprising:

a dipole antenna to receive an RF signal;

an RF section having a mixer to down convert the received RF signal based on an LO signal applied to the mixer and an RF low-noise amplifier (LNA) controllably block the received signal from reaching the mixer; and

a controller to deactivate the RF LNA to block the received signal when an estimate of DC offset at an output of the RF section is to be made,

wherein the controller subsequently uses the estimated DC offset to reduce a DC component at the output of the RF section,

wherein the controller deactivates the RF LNA and estimates the DC offset within time intervals between received signal bursts of time-division multiple access (TDMA) signals,

wherein the controller further deactivates a local oscillator (LO) and a baseband frequency variable gain amplifier (VGA) within the RF section during at least a portion of the time intervals between the received signal bursts to reduce energy consumption, and

wherein the controller activates the LO and the baseband frequency VGA during the estimating and the blocking.

24. The wireless receiver of claim 23 , wherein:

the deactivation of the RF LNA is performed by the controller at a time after a signal burst of the TDMA signals is fully received.

25. The wireless receiver of claim 23 , wherein:

the controller predicts a VGA level for the baseband frequency VGA and a LO frequency for the LO for use in receiving a subsequent signal burst of the TDMA signals,

wherein the RF LNA is not deactivated during at least a portion of the time intervals between the received signal bursts when the predicting is being performed.

26. The wireless receiver of claim 25 , wherein:

said controller estimates the DC offset at the output of the RF section while the blocking device is blocking the received signal,

wherein the controller varies a gain of the VGA while monitoring a baseband signal level output of the VGA while the RF LNA is not deactivated,

wherein during the blocking and estimating, the controller sets the gain of the VGA based on the prediction, and

wherein the controller further sets the gain of the VGA for receiving the subsequent signal burst.

27. The wireless receiver of claim 26 , wherein:

said variable gain amplifier is to amplify an output signal of the mixer based on a gain control signal, wherein said controller estimates the DC offset while a first LO signal is being applied to the mixer and a first gain control signal is being applied to the variable gain amplifier, said first LO signal and said first gain control signal being selected to process the subsequent signal burst to be received by the wireless receiver at a future time.

28. The wireless receiver of claim 26 , comprising:

a subtractor to subtract the estimated DC offset from an analog output signal of the RF section.

29. The wireless receiver of claim 28 , comprising:

a digital to analog converter to convert the estimated DC offset to an analog representation for use by the subtractor.

30. The wireless receiver of claim 23 , comprising:

an analog to digital converter to convert an output signal of the RF section to a digital representation for use by the controller.