# US 12,009,845 B2 · Concept for an RF frontend > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,009,845 B2 - Document ID: US12009845B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/928,309 - Filed: 2020-07-14 - Published: 2022-01-20 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2020-07-14 - Assignees: Intel Corporation - Applicants: Intel Corporation - Inventors: Steffen Trautmann; Alexander Kahl; Thomas Niederfriniger; Harald Enzinger - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12009845B2 ## CPC - H04B 1/04: Circuits - H04B 1/0475: {with means for limiting noise, interference or distortion (H04B1/0483 takes precedence)} - H03F 1/3247: {using feedback acting on predistortion circuits (H03F1/3264 takes precedence)} - H03F 3/195: in integrated circuits - H03F 3/245: {with semiconductor devices only} - H03F 3/72: Gated amplifiers, i.e. amplifiers which are rendered operative or inoperative by means of a control signal - H04B 1/62: for providing a predistortion of the signal in the transmitter and corresponding correction in the receiver, e.g. for improving the signal/noise ratio - H04L 5/14: Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex - H03F 2200/111: the amplifier being a dual or triple band amplifier, e.g. 900 and 1800 MHz, e.g. switched or not switched, simultaneously or not - H03F 2200/294: the amplifier being a low noise amplifier [LNA] - H03F 2200/451: the amplifier being a radio frequency amplifier - H03F 2203/7209: the gated amplifier being switched from a first band to a second band - H04B 2001/0416: {having gain or transmission power control} - H04B 2001/0425: {with linearisation using predistortion} - H04B: TRANSMISSION - H03F: AMPLIFIERS - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract Examples relate to a concept for a Radio-Frequency (RF) frontend, and for a communication device comprising such an RF frontend. A radio-frequency frontend apparatus comprises a receive branch, comprising circuitry configured to obtain a received signal and a digital pre-distortion feedback signal from an external transceiver device. The radio-frequency frontend apparatus comprises power measurement circuitry configured to generate a first signal that represents a power of the received signal based on the received signal, and to generate a second signal that represents a power of an amplified signal based on the digital pre-distortion feedback signal, the amplified signal being a signal that is amplified by a power amplifier of the external transceiver device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A radio-frequency frontend apparatus, comprising: a receive branch, comprising circuitry configured to obtain a received signal and a digital pre-distortion feedback signal from an external transceiver device; and power measurement circuitry configured to generate a first signal that represents a power of the received signal based on the received signal, and to generate a second signal that represents a power of an amplified signal based on the digital pre-distortion feedback signal, the amplified signal being a signal that is amplified by a power amplifier of the external transceiver device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The radio-frequency frontend apparatus according to claim 1, comprising combination circuitry configured to generate a combined signal based on the first signal and based on the second signal. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The radio-frequency frontend apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the combined signal is based alternatingly on the first signal or on the second signal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The radio-frequency frontend apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the combination circuitry is configured to combine the first and second signals using the currents of the respective signals. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The radio-frequency frontend apparatus according to claim 2, comprising circuitry for obtaining a transmit power feedback signal from the external transceiver device, the combination circuitry being configured to generate the combined signal based on the first signal, the second signal and the obtained transmit power feedback signal. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The radio-frequency frontend apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the combination circuitry is configured to select one of the second signal and the transmit power feedback signal for the combined signal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The radio-frequency frontend apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the combination circuitry is configured to process the second signal and the transmit power feedback signal to determine a signal related to the power of the amplified signal, and to generate the combined signal based on the first signal and based on the signal related to the power of the amplified signal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The radio-frequency frontend apparatus according to claim 1, comprising first power measurement circuitry for generating the first signal and separate second power measurement circuitry for generating the second signal. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The radio-frequency frontend apparatus according to claim 8, comprising a plurality of capacitors, wherein the first power measurement circuitry and the second power measurement circuitry are configured to share the plurality of capacitors. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The radio-frequency frontend apparatus according to claim 1, comprising control circuitry configured to control the power measurement circuitry, the control circuitry being configured to alternate between providing the received signal and providing the digital pre-distortion feedback signal to the power measurement circuitry, the power measurement circuitry being configured to alternatingly generate the first signal or the second signal based on the provided signal. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The radio-frequency frontend apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the radio-frequency frontend apparatus is suitable for time-division duplex communication, alternating between a transmit operation state and a receive operation state, wherein the power measurement circuitry is configured to generate the first signal in the receive operation state, and to generate the second signal in the transmit operation state. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The radio-frequency frontend apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the receive branch comprises a variable attenuator for attenuating the digital pre-distortion feedback signal, the radio-frequency frontend apparatus comprising control circuitry being configured to control the variable attenuator based on an expected power of the amplified signal. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The radio-frequency frontend apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry of the receive branch is configured to process the received signal and the digital pre-distortion feedback signal. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The radio-frequency frontend apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the circuitry of the receive branch is configured to provide the signals processed by the circuitry of the receive branch to a baseband processing apparatus. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The radio-frequency frontend apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a transmit branch comprising circuitry configured to process a signal to be transmitted, and to provide the signal to be transmitted to the power amplifier of the external transceiver device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The radio-frequency frontend apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the circuitry of the transmit branch is configured to obtain the signal to be transmitted from a baseband processing apparatus. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) A transceiver apparatus comprising the radio-frequency frontend apparatus according to claim 1. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The transceiver apparatus according to claim 17, comprising the external transceiver device. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The transceiver apparatus according to claim 17, comprising a baseband processing apparatus. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The radio-frequency transceiver apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the transceiver apparatus is a Wi-Fi transceiver apparatus. ### Claim 21 A radio-frequency frontend method, comprising: obtaining a received signal and a digital pre-distortion feedback signal from an external transceiver device; generating a first signal that represents a measured power of the received signal based on the received signal; and generating a second signal that represents a measured power of an amplified signal based on the digital pre-distortion feedback signal, the amplified signal being a signal that is amplified by a power amplifier of the external transceiver device. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The radio-frequency frontend method according to claim 21, wherein the first signal is generated using first power measurement circuitry and wherein the second signal is generated using separate second power measurement circuitry. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The radio-frequency frontend method according to claim 21, wherein the same power measurement circuitry is used to alternatingly generate the first signal or the second signal.