Common data path rake receiver for a CDMA demodulator circuit
AssigneeSTMicroelectronics S.r.l.
InventorStefano Cervini
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An architecture for a rake receiver of a CMDA demodulator utilizes a common data path for signal processing. This common data path is shared by all channels (either physical channels or propagation paths within physical channels) to avoid redundant calculations, reduce circuit space and reduce power consumption. The sharing of the common data path for demodulation is made on a time divided manner, with each channel being given sequential access to the data path to perform all or part of a given demodulation function (for example, de-scrambling, de-spreading, de-rotating, and de-skewing accumulation).
Claims29
A demodulator for demodulating a spread spectrum signal transmitted over a physical channel and received with multiple instances corresponding to plural propagation paths, comprising:
- a demodulating data path operable to perform spread spectrum demodulating operations;
- and
- a control system operable to manage time-shared access to the demodulating data path for performing spread spectrum demodulating operations on each of the instances of the spread spectrum signal in a time divided manner.
A demodulator for demodulating spread spectrum signals transmitted over a plurality of channels, comprising:
- a demodulating data path operable to perform spread spectrum demodulating operations;
- and
- a control system operable to manage time-shared access to the demodulating data path for performing spread spectrum demodulating operations on each of the spread spectrum signals in a time divided manner.
A method for demodulating a spread spectrum signal transmitted over a physical channel and received with multiple instances corresponding to plural propagation paths, comprising the steps of:
- performing spread spectrum demodulating operations on the received spread spectrum signal along a single demodulating data path;
- and
- managing time-shared access to the demodulating data path for performing spread spectrum demodulating operations on each of the instances of the spread spectrum signal in a time divided manner.
A method demodulating spread spectrum signals transmitted over a plurality of channels, comprising:
- performing spread spectrum demodulating operations on the received spread spectrum signals along a single demodulating data path;
- and
- managing time-shared access to the demodulating data path for performing spread spectrum demodulating operations on each of the spread spectrum signals in a time divided manner.
A demodulator for spread spectrum signals, comprising:
- a shared access data path, comprising:
- a symbol integration stage operable to perform de-scrambling and de-spreading operations on the spread spectrum signals to produce recovered symbols;
- and
- a symbol combining stage operable to perform de-rotation on the recovered symbols and to accumulate de-rotated symbols and produce a output symbol;
- and
- a control circuit selectively granting each spread spectrum signal time divided access to the shared access data path for the purpose of utilizing an appropriate one of the symbol integration stage and the symbol combining stage to operate on the spread spectrum signals.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.