Patents by Inventor Andreas Menkhoff
Andreas Menkhoff has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Publication number: 20240036165Abstract: An electronic device may include radar circuitry. Control circuitry may calibrate the radar circuitry using a multi-tone calibration signal. A first mixer may upconvert the calibration signal for transmission by a transmit antenna. A de-chirp mixer may mix the calibration signal output by the first mixer with the calibration signal as received by a receive antenna or loopback path to produce a baseband multi-tone calibration signal. The baseband signal will be offset from DC by the frequency gap. This may prevent DC noise or other system effects from interfering with the calibration signal. The control circuitry may sweep the first mixer over the radio frequencies of operation of the radar circuitry to estimate the power droop and phase shift of the radar circuitry based on baseband calibration signal. Distortion circuitry may distort transmit signals used in spatial ranging operations to invert the estimated power droop and phase shift.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 10, 2023Publication date: February 1, 2024Inventors: Jochen Schrattenecker, Bernhard Sogl, Andreas Menkhoff, Joonhoi Hur, Harald Pretl, Christian Mayer, Andreas Langer, Rastislav Vazny
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Publication number: 20240012125Abstract: An electronic device may include wireless circuitry having a set of two or more antennas coupled to voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) sensors. The VSWR sensors may gather VSWR measurements from radio-frequency signals transmitted using the set of antennas. The antennas may be disposed on one or more substrates and/or may be formed from conductive portions of a housing. Control circuitry may process the VSWR measurements to identify the ranges between each of the antennas in the set of antennas and an external object. The control circuitry may process the ranges to identify an angular location of the external object with respect to the device. The control circuitry may adjust subsequent communications based, adjust the direction of a signal beam produced by a phased antenna array, identify a user input, or perform any other desired operations based on the angular location.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 25, 2023Publication date: January 11, 2024Inventors: Joonhoi Hur, Andreas Menkhoff, Bernhard Sogl, Jochen Schrattenecker, Rastislav Vazny
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Patent number: 11863225Abstract: An electronic device may include wireless circuitry. The wireless circuitry may include a quadratic phase generator for outputting a perfectly interpolated constant amplitude zero autocorrelation (CAZAC) sequence for a transmit path. The quadratic phase generator may include a numerically controlled oscillator, a switch controlled based on a value output from the numerically controlled oscillator, a first integrator stage, and a second integrator stage connected in series with the first integrator stage. The numerically controlled oscillator may receive as inputs a chirp count and a word length. The switch may be configured to switchably feed one of two input values that are a function of the chirp count and the word length to the first integrator stage. The quadratic phase generator may output full-bandwidth chirps or reduced-bandwidth chirps. Bandwidth reduction can be achieved by scaling the two input values of the switches.Type: GrantFiled: September 7, 2021Date of Patent: January 2, 2024Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Andreas Menkhoff, Andreas Boehme, Bernhard Sogl, Jochen Schrattenecker, Joonhoi Hur
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Publication number: 20230417900Abstract: An electronic device may include a voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) sensor disposed along a radio-frequency transmission line between a signal generator and an antenna. The VSWR sensor may gather VSWR measurements from radio-frequency signals transmitted by the signal generator over the transmission line. Control circuitry may identify a variation in the VSWR measurements over time and may compare the variation to a threshold value to determine whether an external object in the vicinity of the antenna is animate or inanimate. The control circuitry may reduce the maximum transmit power level of the antenna when the external object is animate and may maintain or increase the maximum transmit power level when the external object is inanimate. This may serve to maximize the wireless performance of the electronic device while also ensuring that the device complies with regulatory limits on radio-frequency energy exposure.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 25, 2023Publication date: December 28, 2023Inventors: Joonhoi Hur, Andreas Menkhoff, Bernhard Sogl, Jochen Schrattenecker, Rastislav Vazny
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Patent number: 11828871Abstract: An electronic device may include radar circuitry. Control circuitry may calibrate the radar circuitry using a multi-tone calibration signal. A first mixer may upconvert the calibration signal for transmission by a transmit antenna. A de-chirp mixer may mix the calibration signal output by the first mixer with the calibration signal as received by a receive antenna or loopback path to produce a baseband multi-tone calibration signal. The baseband signal will be offset from DC by the frequency gap. This may prevent DC noise or other system effects from interfering with the calibration signal. The control circuitry may sweep the first mixer over the radio frequencies of operation of the radar circuitry to estimate the power droop and phase shift of the radar circuitry based on baseband calibration signal. Distortion circuitry may distort transmit signals used in spatial ranging operations to invert the estimated power droop and phase shift.Type: GrantFiled: January 15, 2021Date of Patent: November 28, 2023Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Jochen Schrattenecker, Bernhard Sogl, Andreas Menkhoff, Joonhoi Hur, Harald Pretl, Christian Mayer, Andreas Langer, Rastislav Vazny
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Patent number: 11817892Abstract: Systems, circuitries, and methods for predistorting a digital signal in a transmit chain based on a predistortion function are provided. A method includes shifting a center frequency of an input signal by an offset to generate an adapted signal; predistorting the adapted signal based on a predistortion function to generate a predistorted adapted signal; reverting the shifting of the center frequency of the predistorted adapted signal by the offset to generate a predistorted signal; and causing transmission of the predistorted signal by a transmit chain.Type: GrantFiled: October 13, 2022Date of Patent: November 14, 2023Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Andreas Langer, Christoph Hepp, Andreas Menkhoff, Gunther Kraut
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Patent number: 11791861Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a transceiver comprising a transmitter with transformation circuitry configured to transform a frequency-domain transmit symbol from frequency domain to time domain to generate a time-domain transmit signal, a receiver with inverse transformation circuitry configured to transform a time-domain receive signal from time domain to frequency domain to generate a frequency-domain receive symbol, and self-interference cancellation circuitry configured to modify the frequency-domain receive symbol based on at least one frequency-domain transmit symbol and a frequency-domain crosstalk channel estimate of a crosstalk channel between the transmitter and the receiver.Type: GrantFiled: November 27, 2019Date of Patent: October 17, 2023Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Andreas Menkhoff, Stefan Fechtel
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Publication number: 20230327929Abstract: An electronic device may include wireless circuitry that conveys data with a base station according to a communication standard and that detects range to an external object using a first antenna that transmits a waveform compliant with the standard. The waveform may be a Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) waveform, a transmit data waveform, or another waveform. A second antenna may receive a reflected signal that includes the transmitted waveform. The communications circuitry may perform element-wise division on symbols of a selected subcarrier in the reflected signal using corresponding phases and magnitudes of a set of complex OFDM symbols used to generate the transmitted waveform. Peak detection may be performed to detect the range. Using standard-compliant transmit waveforms to also perform spatial ranging may allow the communications circuitry to avoid dedicated radar circuitry while also minimizing impact to the transfer of the data.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 9, 2023Publication date: October 12, 2023Inventors: Jochen Schrattenecker, Michael Hofstadler, Andreas Springer, Reinhard Feger, Andreas Stelzer, Harald Pretl, Bernhard Sogl, Andreas Menkhoff
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Patent number: 11782151Abstract: An electronic device may include a voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) sensor disposed along a radio-frequency transmission line between a signal generator and an antenna. The VSWR sensor may gather VSWR measurements from radio-frequency signals transmitted by the signal generator over the transmission line. Control circuitry may identify a variation in the VSWR measurements over time and may compare the variation to a threshold value to determine whether an external object in the vicinity of the antenna is animate or inanimate. The control circuitry may reduce the maximum transmit power level of the antenna when the external object is animate and may maintain or increase the maximum transmit power level when the external object is inanimate. This may serve to maximize the wireless performance of the electronic device while also ensuring that the device complies with regulatory limits on radio-frequency energy exposure.Type: GrantFiled: May 27, 2021Date of Patent: October 10, 2023Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Joonhoi Hur, Andreas Menkhoff, Bernhard Sogl, Jochen Schrattenecker, Rastislav Vazny
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Publication number: 20230291432Abstract: An electronic device may include wireless circuitry. The wireless circuitry may include a quadratic phase generator for outputting a perfectly interpolated constant amplitude zero autocorrelation (CAZAC) sequence for a transmit path. The quadratic phase generator may include a numerically controlled oscillator, a switch controlled based on a value output from the numerically controlled oscillator, a first integrator stage, and a second integrator stage connected in series with the first integrator stage. The numerically controlled oscillator may receive as inputs a chirp count and a word length. The switch may be configured to switchably feed one of two input values that are a function of the chirp count and the word length to the first integrator stage. The quadratic phase generator may output full-bandwidth chirps or reduced-bandwidth chirps. Bandwidth reduction can be achieved by scaling the two input values of the switches.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 18, 2023Publication date: September 14, 2023Inventors: Andreas Menkhoff, Andreas Boehme, Bernhard Sogl, Jochen Schrattenecker, Joonhoi Hur
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Publication number: 20230102526Abstract: An electronic device may include wireless circuitry with a transmit antenna that transmits signals and a receive antenna that receives reflected signals. The wireless circuitry may detect a range between the device and an external object based on the transmitted signals and the reflected signals. When the range exceeds a first threshold, the wireless circuitry may use the transmitted signals and received signals to record background noise. When the range is less than a second threshold value, the wireless circuitry may detect the range based on the reflected signals and the recorded background noise. This may allow the range to be accurately measured within an ultra-short range domain even when the device is placed in different device cases, placed on different surfaces, etc.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 8, 2022Publication date: March 30, 2023Inventors: Joonhoi Hur, Jochen Schrattenecker, Bin Xiao, Andre Hanke, Harald Pretl, Rastislav Vazny, Bernhard Sogl, Andreas Menkhoff
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Publication number: 20230075465Abstract: An electronic device may include wireless circuitry. The wireless circuitry may include a quadratic phase generator for outputting a perfectly interpolated constant amplitude zero autocorrelation (CAZAC) sequence for a transmit path. The quadratic phase generator may include a numerically controlled oscillator, a switch controlled based on a value output from the numerically controlled oscillator, a first integrator stage, and a second integrator stage connected in series with the first integrator stage. The numerically controlled oscillator may receive as inputs a chirp count and a word length. The switch may be configured to switchably feed one of two input values that are a function of the chirp count and the word length to the first integrator stage. The quadratic phase generator may output full-bandwidth chirps or reduced-bandwidth chirps. Bandwidth reduction can be achieved by scaling the two input values of the switches.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 7, 2021Publication date: March 9, 2023Inventors: Andreas Menkhoff, Andreas Boehme, Bernhard Sogl, Jochen Schrattenecker, Joonhoi Hur
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Patent number: 11575364Abstract: An apparatus for shifting a digital signal having a first sample rate by a shift time to provide a shifted signal having a second sample rate is provided. The apparatus includes a sample rate converter configured to provide a value of an interpolated signal at a compensated sample time as a sample of the shifted signal, the interpolated signal being based on the digital signal. The sample rate converter is configured to modify a time interval between a sample time of the digital signal and the compensated sample time based on the shift time.Type: GrantFiled: August 19, 2019Date of Patent: February 7, 2023Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Thomas Bauernfeind, Andreas Menkhoff, Michael Bruennert
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Publication number: 20230034540Abstract: Systems, circuitries, and methods for predistorting a digital signal in a transmit chain based on a predistortion function are provided. A method includes shifting a center frequency of an input signal by an offset to generate an adapted signal; predistorting the adapted signal based on a predistortion function to generate a predistorted adapted signal; reverting the shifting of the center frequency of the predistorted adapted signal by the offset to generate a predistorted signal; and causing transmission of the predistorted signal by a transmit chain.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 13, 2022Publication date: February 2, 2023Inventors: Andreas Langer, Christoph Hepp, Andreas Menkhoff, Gunther Kraut
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Publication number: 20220413094Abstract: An electronic device may include a processor and wireless circuitry with transmit and receive antennas. Radar circuitry may use the transmit and receive antennas to perform spatial ranging on external objects farther than a threshold distance (e.g., 1-2 cm) from the transmit antenna. The wireless circuitry may include a voltage standing wave ration (VSWR) sensor coupled to the transmit antenna to detect the presence of objects within the threshold distance from the transmit antenna. This may serve to cover a blind spot for the radar circuitry near to the transmit antenna. The VSWR sensor may gather background VSWR measurements when other wireless performance metric data for the wireless circuitry is within a predetermined range of satisfactory values. The background VSWR measurements may be subtracted from real time VSWR measurements to perform accurate and robust ultra-short range object detection near to the transmit antenna.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 30, 2022Publication date: December 29, 2022Inventors: Joonhoi Hur, Bernhard Sogl, Jochen Schrattenecker, Andreas Menkhoff, Bin Xiao, Lucas Calderin, Andre Hanke, Harald Pretl, Rastislav Vazny
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Patent number: 11528181Abstract: A method for determining a noise shaped quantized parameter contributing to generation of an output signal comprises estimating an error within the output signal using a quantization of the parameter and a quantization of a further parameter contributing to generation of the output signal. The quantization of the parameter is used as the noise shaped quantized parameter according to a selection criterion.Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 2019Date of Patent: December 13, 2022Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Andreas Menkhoff, Mohamed Ibrahim
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Publication number: 20220381900Abstract: An electronic device may include a voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) sensor disposed along a radio-frequency transmission line between a signal generator and an antenna. The VSWR sensor may gather VSWR measurements from radio-frequency signals transmitted by the signal generator over the transmission line. Control circuitry may identify a variation in the VSWR measurements over time and may compare the variation to a threshold value to determine whether an external object in the vicinity of the antenna is animate or inanimate. The control circuitry may reduce the maximum transmit power level of the antenna when the external object is animate and may maintain or increase the maximum transmit power level when the external object is inanimate. This may serve to maximize the wireless performance of the electronic device while also ensuring that the device complies with regulatory limits on radio-frequency energy exposure.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 27, 2021Publication date: December 1, 2022Inventors: Joonhoi Hur, Andreas Menkhoff, Bernhard Sogl, Jochen Schrattenecker, Rastislav Vazny
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Publication number: 20220381895Abstract: An electronic device may include wireless circuitry having a set of two or more antennas coupled to voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) sensors. The VSWR sensors may gather VSWR measurements from radio-frequency signals transmitted using the set of antennas. The antennas may be disposed on one or more substrates and/or may be formed from conductive portions of a housing. Control circuitry may process the VSWR measurements to identify the ranges between each of the antennas in the set of antennas and an external object. The control circuitry may process the ranges to identify an angular location of the external object with respect to the device. The control circuitry may adjust subsequent communications based, adjust the direction of a signal beam produced by a phased antenna array, identify a user input, or perform any other desired operations based on the angular location.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 26, 2021Publication date: December 1, 2022Inventors: Joonhoi Hur, Andreas Menkhoff, Bernhard Sogl, Jochen Schrattenecker, Rastislav Vazny
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Publication number: 20220368360Abstract: A predistortion circuit for a wireless transmitter includes a signal input configured to receive a baseband signal. Further, the predistortion circuit includes a predistorter configured to generate a predistorted baseband signal using the baseband signal and a select of one of a first predistorter configuration and a second predistorter configuration.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 12, 2022Publication date: November 17, 2022Inventors: Andreas Menkhoff, Gunther Kraut, Andreas Langer
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Patent number: 11502707Abstract: Systems, circuitries, and methods for predistorting a digital signal in a transmit chain based on a predistortion function are provided. A method includes shifting a center frequency of an input signal by an offset to generate an adapted signal; predistorting the adapted signal based on a predistortion function to generate a predistorted adapted signal; reverting the shifting of the center frequency of the predistorted adapted signal by the offset to generate a predistorted signal; and causing transmission of the predistorted signal by a transmit chain.Type: GrantFiled: April 14, 2021Date of Patent: November 15, 2022Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Andreas Langer, Christoph Hepp, Andreas Menkhoff, Gunther Kraut