Method and system for improving dynamic range for communication systems using upstream analog information

Abstract

The receiver is provided which comprises a mixer, a low pass filter coupled to the mixer and a plurality of gain controllers serially coupled to an output of the low pass filter (LPF). A plurality of analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) is coupled so that an input of a first of the ADCs is coupled to the output of the LPF. An input of each of a remaining portion of the ADCs is individually coupled to a corresponding output of each of the serially coupled gain blocks. An output path traced from the output of the LPF to an output of each of the analog-to-digital converters may be referred to as a processing path. Each processing path may comprise a gain controller and an ADC, except for the first processing path, which may have an ADC coupled directly to the output of the LPF.

41 . A method for processing signals in a communication system, the method comprising: 
 generating a plurality of baseband signals from a received RF signal, wherein each of said generated baseband signals occupies a frequency band that is narrow with respect to a frequency band of said received RF signals;    converting at least a portion of said generated baseband signals to corresponding digital signals;    calculating an intermediate gain, which enables carrier sense detection, for each of said at least a portion of said generated baseband signals based on a power of each of said corresponding digital signals and based on whether said each of said corresponding digital signals is clipped; and    adjusting a final gain of said received RF signal based on said calculated intermediate gain of said each of said at least a portion of said generated baseband signals.    
   
   
       42 . The method according to  claim 41 , comprising sampling said each of said at least a portion of said generated plurality of baseband signals during a training period.  
   
   
       43 . The method according to  claim 42 , comprising determining a power of said each of said at least a portion of said generated plurality of baseband signals based on said sampling.  
   
   
       44 . The method according to  claim 43 , comprising summing samples resulting from said sampling to determine said power of each of said at least a portion of said generated plurality of baseband signals based on said sampling narrowband signals.  
   
   
       45 . The method according to  claim 44 , comprising comparing said determined power of said each of said at least a portion of said generated plurality of baseband signals to defined threshold values.  
   
   
       46 . The method according to  claim 45 , comprising selecting said final gain based on said comparing.  
   
   
       47 . The method according to  claim 45 , comprising selecting a comparable power value corresponding to one of said defined threshold values as said final gain.  
   
   
       48 . The method according to  claim 45 , wherein said defined threshold values are stored in a lookup table.  
   
   
       49 . The method according to  claim 41 , comprising determining whether said corresponding digital signals is clipped during a preamble portion of packets in said received RF signals.  
   
   
       50 . The method according to  claim 41 , comprising applying said calculated intermediate gain that enables said carrier sense detection to each of said at least a portion of said generated plurality of upstream narrowband signals.  
   
   
       51 . A machine-readable storage, having stored thereon a computer program having at least one code section for processing signals in a communication system, the at least one code section being executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps comprising: 
 generating a plurality of baseband signals from a received RF signal, wherein each of said generated baseband signals occupies a frequency band that is narrow with respect to a frequency band of said received RF signals;    converting at least a portion of said generated baseband signals to corresponding digital signals;    calculating an intermediate gain, which enables carrier sense detection, for each of said at least a portion of said generated baseband signals based on a power of each of said corresponding digital signals and based on whether said each of said corresponding digital signals is clipped; and    adjusting a final gain of said received RF signal based on said calculated intermediate gain of said each of said at least a portion of said generated baseband signals.    
   
   
       52 . The machine-readable storage according to  claim 51 , wherein said at least one code section for processing signals comprises code for sampling said each of said at least a portion of said generated plurality of baseband signals during a training period.  
   
   
       53 . The machine-readable storage according to  claim 52 , wherein said at least one code section for processing signals comprises code for determining a power of said each of said at least a portion of said generated plurality of baseband signals based on said sampling.  
   
   
       54 . The machine-readable storage according to  claim 53 , wherein said at least one code section for processing signals comprises code for summing samples resulting from said sampling to determine said power of each of said at least a portion of said generated plurality of baseband signals based on said sampling narrowband signals.  
   
   
       55 . The machine-readable storage according to  claim 54 , wherein said at least one code section for processing signals comprises code for comparing said determined power of said each of said at least a portion of said generated plurality of baseband signals to defined threshold values.  
   
   
       56 . The machine-readable storage according to  claim 55 , wherein said at least one code section for processing signals comprises code for selecting said final gain based on said comparing.  
   
   
       57 . The machine-readable storage according to  claim 55 , wherein said at least one code section for processing signals comprises code for selecting a comparable power value corresponding to one of said defined threshold values as said final gain.  
   
   
       58 . The machine-readable storage according to  claim 55 , wherein said defined threshold values are stored in a lookup table.  
   
   
       59 . The machine-readable storage according to  claim 51 , wherein said at least one code section for processing signals comprises code for determining whether said corresponding digital signals is clipped during a preamble portion of packets in said received RF signals.  
   
   
       60 . The machine-readable storage according to  claim 51 , wherein said at least one code section for processing signals comprises code for applying said calculated intermediate gain that enables said carrier sense detection to each of said at least a portion of said generated plurality of upstream narrowband signals.  
   
   
       61 . A system for processing signals in a communication system, the system comprising: 
 at least one circuitry that generates a plurality of baseband signals from a received RF signal, wherein each of said generated baseband signals occupies a frequency band that is narrow with respect to a frequency band of said received RF signals;    said at least one circuitry converts at least a portion of said generated baseband signals to corresponding digital signals;    said at least one circuitry calculates an intermediate gain, which enables carrier sense detection, for each of said at least a portion of said generated baseband signals based on a power of each of said corresponding digital signals and based on whether said each of said corresponding digital signals is clipped; and    said at least one circuitry adjusts a final gain of said received RF signal based on said calculated intermediate gain of said each of said at least a portion of said generated baseband signals.    
   
   
       62 . The system according to  claim 61 , wherein said at least one circuitry samples said each of said at least a portion of said generated plurality of baseband signals during a training period.  
   
   
       63 . The system according to  claim 62 , wherein said at least one circuitry determines a power of said each of said at least a portion of said generated plurality of baseband signals based on said sampling.  
   
   
       64 . The system according to  claim 63 , wherein said at least one circuitry sums samples resulting from said sampling to determine said power of each of said at least a portion of said generated plurality of baseband signals based on said sampling narrowband signals.  
   
   
       65 . The system according to  claim 64 , wherein said at least one circuitry compares said determined power of said each of said at least a portion of said generated plurality of baseband signals to defined threshold values.  
   
   
       66 . The system according to  claim 65 , wherein said at least one circuitry selects said final gain based on said comparing.  
   
   
       67 . The system according to  claim 65 , wherein said at least one circuitry selects a comparable power value corresponding to one of said defined threshold values as said final gain.  
   
   
       68 . The system according to  claim 65 , wherein said defined threshold values are stored in a lookup table.  
   
   
       69 . The system according to  claim 61 , wherein said at least one circuitry determines whether said corresponding digital signals is clipped during a preamble portion of packets in said received RF signals.  
   
   
       70 . The system according to  claim 61 , wherein said at least one circuitry applies said calculated intermediate gain that enables said carrier sense detection to each of said at least a portion of said generated plurality of upstream narrowband signals.  
   
   
       71 . A method for processing signals in a communication system, the method comprising: 
 generating a plurality of narrowband signals from a received RF signal;    converting one or more of said narrowband signals to corresponding digital signals;    adjusting a final gain of a received RF signal based on an intermediate gain derived from said corresponding digitals signals, wherein said intermediate gain prevents clipping of and enable carrier sense detection of said generated narrowband signals.    
   
   
       72 . The method according to  claim 71 , wherein each of said plurality of narrowband baseband signals comprises a frequency bandwidth that is narrow with respect to a frequency bandwidth of said RF signal.  
   
   
       73 . The method according to  claim 71 , wherein said generated narrowband signal comprises narrowband signals.  
   
   
       74 . The method according to  claim 71 , comprising determining a power of each of said corresponding digital signals.  
   
   
       75 . The method according to  claim 71 , comprising generating said intermediate gain based on said determined power.  
   
   
       76 . The method according to  claim 71 , comprising sampling one or more of said generated plurality of narrowband signals during a training period.  
   
   
       77 . The method according to  claim 76 , comprising determining a power of said one or more of said generated plurality of narrowband signals based on said sampling.  
   
   
       78 . The method according to  claim 77 , comprising summing samples resulting from said sampling to determine said power of said one or more of said generated plurality of narrowband signals.  
   
   
       79 . The method according to  claim 78 , comprising comparing said determined power of said one or more of said generated plurality of narrowband signals to defined threshold values.  
   
   
       80 . The method according to  claim 79 , comprising selecting said final gain based on said comparing.  
   
   
       81 . The method according to  claim 79 , comprising selecting a comparable power value corresponding to one of said defined threshold values as said final gain.  
   
   
       82 . The method according to  claim 79 , wherein said defined threshold values are stored in a lookup table.  
   
   
       83 . The method according to  claim 71 , comprising determining whether said corresponding digital signals is clipped during a preamble portion of packets in said received RF signals.  
   
   
       84 . The method according to  claim 71 , comprising applying said intermediate gain that enables said carrier sense detection to each of said generated plurality of narrowband signals.  
   
   
       85 . A machine-readable storage, having stored thereon a computer program having at least one code section for processing signals in a communication system, the at least one code section being executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps comprising: 
 generating a plurality of narrowband signals from a received RF signal;    converting one or more of said narrowband signals to corresponding digital signals;    adjusting a final gain of a received RF signal based on an intermediate gain derived from said corresponding digitals signals, wherein said intermediate gain prevents clipping of and enable carrier sense detection of said generated narrowband signals.    
   
   
       86 . The machine-readable storage according to  claim 85 , wherein each of said plurality of narrowband baseband signals comprises a frequency bandwidth that is narrow with respect to a frequency bandwidth of said RF signal.  
   
   
       87 . The machine-readable storage according to  claim 85 , wherein said generated narrowband signal comprises narrowband signals.  
   
   
       88 . The machine-readable storage according to  claim 85 , wherein said at least one code section for processing signals comprises code for determining a power of each of said corresponding digital signals.  
   
   
       89 . The machine-readable storage according to  claim 85 , wherein said at least one code section for processing signals comprises code for generating said intermediate gain based on said determined power.  
   
   
       90 . The machine-readable storage according to  claim 85 , wherein said at least one code section for processing signals comprises code for sampling one or more of said generated plurality of narrowband signals during a training period.  
   
   
       91 . The machine-readable storage according to  claim 90 , wherein said at least one code section for processing signals comprises code for determining a power of said one or more of said generated plurality of narrowband signals based on said sampling.  
   
   
       92 . The machine-readable storage according to  claim 91 , wherein said at least one code section for processing signals comprises code for summing samples resulting from said sampling to determine said power of said one or more of said generated plurality of narrowband signals.  
   
   
       93 . The machine-readable storage according to  claim 92 , wherein said at least one code section for processing signals comprises code for comparing said determined power of said one or more of said generated plurality of narrowband signals to defined threshold values.  
   
   
       94 . The machine-readable storage according to  claim 93 , wherein said at least one code section for processing signals comprises code for selecting said final gain based on said comparing.  
   
   
       95 . The machine-readable storage according to  claim 93 , wherein said at least one code section for processing signals comprises code for selecting a comparable power value corresponding to one of said defined threshold values as said final gain.  
   
   
       96 . The machine-readable storage according to  claim 93 , wherein said defined threshold values are stored in a lookup table.  
   
   
       97 . The machine-readable storage according to  claim 85 , wherein said at least one code section for processing signals comprises code for determining whether said corresponding digital signals is clipped during a preamble portion of packets in said received RF signals.  
   
   
       98 . The machine-readable storage according to  claim 85 , wherein said at least one code section for processing signals comprises code for applying said intermediate gain that enables said carrier sense detection to each of said generated plurality of narrowband signals.  
   
   
       99 . A system for processing signals in a communication system, the system comprising: 
 at least one circuitry that generates a plurality of narrowband signals from a received RF signal;    said at least one circuitry converts one or more of said narrowband signals to corresponding digital signals;    said at least one circuitry adjusts a final gain of a received RF signal based on an intermediate gain derived from said corresponding digitals signals, wherein said intermediate gain prevents clipping of and enable carrier sense detection of said generated narrowband signals.    
   
   
       100 . The system according to  claim 99 , wherein each of said plurality of narrowband baseband signals comprises a frequency bandwidth that is narrow with respect to a frequency bandwidth of said RF signal.  
   
   
       101 . The system according to  claim 99 , wherein said generated narrowband signal comprises narrowband signals.  
   
   
       102 . The system according to  claim 99 , wherein said at least one circuitry determines a power of each of said corresponding digital signals.  
   
   
       103 . The system according to  claim 99 , wherein said at least one circuitry generates said intermediate gain based on said determined power.  
   
   
       104 . The system according to  claim 99 , wherein said at least one circuitry samples one or more of said generated plurality of narrowband signals during a training period.  
   
   
       105 . The system according to  claim 104 , wherein said at least one circuitry determines a power of said one or more of said generated plurality of narrowband signals based on said sampling.  
   
   
       106 . The system according to  claim 105 , wherein said at least one circuitry sums samples resulting from said sampling to determine said power of said one or more of said generated plurality of narrowband signals.  
   
   
       107 . The system according to  claim 106 , wherein said at least one circuitry compares said determined power of said one or more of said generated plurality of narrowband signals to defined threshold values.  
   
   
       108 . The system according to  claim 107 , wherein said at least one circuitry selects said final gain based on said comparing.  
   
   
       109 . The system according to  claim 107 , wherein said at least one circuitry selects a comparable power value corresponding to one of said defined threshold values as said final gain.  
   
   
       110 . The system according to  claim 107 , wherein said defined threshold values are stored in a lookup table.  
   
   
       111 . The system according to  claim 99 , wherein said at least one circuitry determines whether said corresponding digital signals is clipped during a preamble portion of packets in said received RF signals.  
   
   
       112 . The system according to  claim 99 , wherein said at least one circuitry applies said intermediate gain that enables said carrier sense detection to each of said generated plurality of narrowband signals.