Patent Application
20080057897
For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Frequency Control Unit (FCU) 208 controls local oscillators 206 and 207 and filters 202, 204, and 210. LC variation determination unit 209 receives LC data, determines an LC variation therefrom, and sends information indicating the LC variation to frequency control unit 208. FCU 208 is adapted to adjust RF filter 202 based on the LC variation during operation of the tuner. For example, as the tuner is operating, the user may change the frequency band of interest. The tuner locks onto the new frequency by, among other things, adjusting RF filter 202 to pass signals that fall within the new band of interest. Since LC process variation affects the performance of LC-based filter 202, FCU 208 accounts for the process variation as it adjusts RF filter 202 by, for example, selecting one or more inductors and capacitors for operation inside filter 202.
System 200 is exemplary, as tuners may conform to a variety of configurations, and such configurations are within the scope of various embodiments. Further, various embodiments of the invention may adjust filters alternatively to or in addition to RF filters at the input of a signal path.
In step 301, External Control Software (ECS) in communication with the tuner receives a center frequency for a first IF filter (fFIFF) from the tuner. In an example embodiment, calculating fFIFF can be performed by temporarily changing the first IF filter into an oscillator and measuring the oscillations, as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ [attorney docket number 49581/P048US/10607945], filed concurrently herewith, and entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR FILTER CENTER FREQUENCY LOCATION.”
Other techniques for calculating the center frequency of a filter are possible and within the scope of various embodiments. The ECS also receives a desired RF frequency value (e.g., a value representing a selected television channel) and a value for a center frequency of the second IF filter (fSIFF).
Some tuners available from MICROTUNE™, Inc. include a feature called EASYTUNE™, wherein local oscillator frequencies are calculated by the tuner rather than by the ECS. Returning to
LO1=fdesired RF+fFIFF (1)
LO2=fFIFF−fSIFF (2)
In step 304, the ECS sends the LO1 and LO2 frequencies to the FCU of the tuner (e.g, 208 of
In step 305, the FCU independently calculates the desired RF frequency from LO1 frequency and fFIFF. In other words, the FCU performs the reverse calculation that is performed in step 303. In some embodiments it may be possible to send the desired RF value to the FCU from the ECS, thereby obviating step 305.
If the tuner has an EASYTUNE™ feature that is turned “on,” then steps 307 and 308 are performed in place of steps 303-305. In step 308, the ECS sends the desired RF frequency and the fSIFF to the FCU. In step 309, the FCU calculates LO1 and LO2 frequencies from fFIFF, the desired RF frequency, and fSIFF. Thus, whether EASYTUNE™ is enabled or not, the tuner will have available to it values that indicate fFIFF, fSIFF, desired RF frequency, LO1 frequency, and LO2 frequency.
In step 306, the tuner generates an LC variation measurement. LC variation represents the discrepancy between nominal values for capacitors and inductors and the actual values for capacitors and inductors. Such variation can be caused by manufacturing imperfections, device age, temperature, and other factors that may cause a capacitor or inductor to have an effective value that is different from its nominal value. One technique that can be used to generate an LC variation measurement is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ [attorney docket number 49581/P044US/10604113], filed concurrently herewith, and entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHOD FOR DETECTING CAPACITOR PROCESS VARIATION.” In USPA [attorney docket number 49581/P044US/10604113], methods and systems are described that measure variation in an on-chip LC oscillator where the measured variation can be expected of other inductors and capacitors also formed on the same chip.
While USPA [attorney docket number 49581/P044US/10604113] describes using the LC oscillator variation to calculate a capacitor variation by assuming zero inductor variation, it is possible in some embodiments to use the variation measurement as a measurement for LC variation. Thus, even though it is not easily determined how much of the variation is due to capacitor variation and how much is due to inductor variation, the variation measurement describes a systematic LC variation that can be correlated to other LC components, such as RF filters.
One way to optimize correlation between the LC variation from the on-chip LC oscillator and the other LC devices (including RF filters) is to make most or all of the inductors and capacitors throughout the chip in same or similar sizes and at same or similar orientations while using larger capacitors (because larger capacitors generally have less variation). Thus, a percentage LC variation measurement from the on-chip LC oscillator can be assumed to be present in another LC component with a same or similar LC element. It is also possible to use known relationships between variation and inductor/capacitor size, arrangement, and/or orientation to calculate probable LC variation in other LC components that differ somewhat from the on-chip LC oscillator.
While the technique in USPA [attorney docket number 49581/P044US/10604113] is described as one way to generate an LC variation measurement, other techniques now known or later developed to measure inductor and/or capacitor variation can be used. For instance, measurements based on time-constant variation can be used.
Returning to
As mentioned above, various embodiments within the scope of the invention perform methods that differ somewhat from method 300. For instance, there is no requirement that an LC variation measurement be generated after local oscillator frequencies and/or desired RF frequencies are calculated. In fact, LC variation can be performed at any time, including, e.g., at each channel change that the tuner performs, when the tuner is turned on, at periodic intervals, during manufacture of the tuner, and the like. Further, various tuners may use different on- or off-chip components to perform any of the steps shown in method 300, and such variations are within the scope of the invention.
Method 300 describes using an IF filter center frequency to calculate adjusted local oscillator frequencies and using LC variation to adjust one or more RF filters. However, various embodiments of the invention are not so limited. For instance, LC variation can be used in some embodiments to adjust frequency components other than RF filters, provided those components can be appropriately assumed to have an inductor or capacitor variation that bears a relation to the measured LC variation. Such components may include other filters and oscillators. Additionally, if adjustable filters are used as IF filters, it is possible to adjust one or more of those IF filters based at least on part on calculated IF filter center frequency and/or LC variation.
Advantages of some embodiments include, for example, facilitating the real-time adjustment of a tuner during operation. When performed periodically, at channel changes, or other times during operation, various embodiments can compensate for non-ideal operation, even for process variation that changes due to device age, temperature, and other conditions that are not necessarily present at time of manufacture. Another advantage of some embodiments is that the functional units to perform the measuring and adjusting can be included in a tuner system, rather than as an external feature, sometimes even in the same semiconductor chip as other portions of the tuner. This may reduce the chance of error and be more convenient for customers who buy such tuner systems for installation in devices such as cell phones, laptop and desktop computers, televisions, cable receivers, digital video recorders, and the like.
Although the present invention and its advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the disclosure of the present invention, processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according to the present invention. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps.
This application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ [attorney docket number 49581/P044US/10604113], filed concurrently herewith, and entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHOD FOR DETECTING CAPACITOR PROCESS VARIATION,” and to U.S. patent application Ser. No. [attorney docket number 49581/P048US/10607945], filed concurrently herewith, and entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR FILTER CENTER FREQUENCY LOCATION,” the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
