Multi-standard Mobile Terminals Research Articles

Coalition formation game toward green mobile terminals in heterogeneous wireless networks

Multi-standard mobile terminals (MTs) are the trend of current and future mobile devices for taking advantage of heterogeneous integration of wireless access networks and providing ubiquitous connectivity and better quality of service. Holding multiple active interfaces, however, incurs significant power consumption burdens to MTs. This not only increases the carbon footprint of MTs but also makes the batteries of MTs deplete rapidly. Consequently, mobile users may have to relentlessly look for power outlets to charge their devices, which may threaten their true mobility freedom. To this end, in this article, we propose a promising approach based on coalition formation game and inter-terminal cooperation. Our innovative approach motivates MTs to cooperate, while addressing the issue of isolating selfish players. MTs assess radio channels and disseminate the acquired information as well as their available resources to sketch a global view of the radio environment. Based on this view, coalitions are formed whenever energy saving is foreseeable. Within a coalition, MTs pool their resources and perform their tasks cooperatively to maximize their energy efficiency. Simulation results validate that the proposed approach can effectively double the battery lifetimes of MTs, while successfully eliminating selfish players from cooperative groups.

능동 인덕터를 이용한 주파수 가변형 대역통과 필터 설계

최근 이동통신 시장의 급속한 증가에 따라 단말기 설계는 다표준 방식으로 발전하고 있다. 본 논문에서는 다표준 이동통신 시스템에 적용할 수 있는 주파수 가변형 능동 RC 대역통과 필터를 능동 인덕터를 사용하여 설계하였다. 기존의 대역통과 필터 설계법에서는 저지대역의 감쇠 특성과 통과대역의 주파수 선택도를 향상시키기 위하여 필터의 차수를 높게 하거나 극점 Q를 증가시키는 설계법을 사용한다. 본 논문에서는 극점 Q가 높은 능동 인덕터로 대역통과 필터를 설계하여 주파수 특성이 향상되었다. 또한 설계된 대역통과 필터는 튜닝 회로를 이용하여 필터의 중심주파수와 이득을 간단히 조절할 수 있도록 제안하였다. 설계된 능동 RC 대역통과 필터 특성은 TSMC <TEX>$0.18{\mu}m$</TEX> 공정 파라미터를 이용하여 해석하였다. 시뮬레이션 결과, Q=20.5를 갖는 능동 인덕터를 이용한 필터는 1.86GHz 중심주파수에서 90MHz의 대역폭을 갖고, 튜닝 회로의 커패시터 값으로 중심주파수를 1.86~2.38GHz 범위까지 튜닝이 가능하여 다표준 무선통신 시스템에 적용할 수 있다. The fast-growing market in wireless communications has led to the development of multi-standard mobile terminals. In this paper, a frequency-tunable active RC bandpass filter for multi-standards wireless communication system is designed using an active inductor. The conventional bandpass filter design methods employ the high order filter or high quality factor Q to improve the stopband attenuation characteristics and frequency selectivity of the passband. The proposed bandpass filter based on the high Q active inductor has an improved frequency characteristics. The center frequency and gain of the designed bandpass filter is tuned by employing the tuning circuit. We have performed the simulation using TSMC <TEX>$0.18{\mu}m$</TEX> process parameter to analyze the characteristics of the designed active RC bandpass filter. The bandpass filter with Q=20.5 has 90MHz half power bandwidth at the center frequency of 1.86GHz. Moreover, the center frequency of the proposed bandpass filter can be tuned between 1.86~2.38GHz for the multi-standards wireless communication system using the capacitor of the tuning circuit.

Energy saving in multi-standard mobile terminals through short-range cooperation

Multi-standard mobile devices are allowing users to enjoy higher data rates and ubiquitous connectivity. These advances are achieved on the expense of higher energy consumption requirements due to the continuous connectivity and the multiple active wireless interfaces. In this article, we use one advantage of the multiple interfaces, namely short-range (SR) communications. Mobile terminals (MTs) use SR cooperative networking to take advantage of the good channel quality of SR links to save energy in multi-standard MTs. In this cooperative network, the combined energy of all MTs is treated as a pool of resources, which is used by all MTs in the network. Towards this end, we propose using cooperation between MTs using SR technology to achieve energy savings. We conduct a quantitative numerical analysis to show the energy saving gains that can be achieved. We derive the energy gains in different use cases, considering different combinations of technologies (WiFi-WiMedia, WiMAX-WiFi and WiFi-WiFi) and different channel conditions. We show that up to 80% energy savings can be achieved when using a combination of WiMedia as SR and WiFi as long-range technology, compared to using WiFi without cooperation. We also show that SR cooperation can be used to extend the lifetime of the whole network. In such scenario, terminals, which are running out of battery or low in energy, can still relay their data through other MTs, even if this will result in a slight increase in the total consumption of all MTs. This way, source MTs with low battery level benefit from the good condition of the SR channel, extending the lifetime of their batteries. The increase in the energy consumption of the relays can hence be compensated by some kind of payment, which opens opportunities for new business models involving source MTs, relays and network operators.

Baseband analog front-end and digital back-end for reconfigurable multi-standard terminals

Multimedia applications are driving wireless network operators to add high-speed data services such as EDGE (E-GPRS), WCDMA (UMTS) and WLAN (IEEE 802.11a,b,g) to the existing network. This creates the need for multi-mode cellular handsets that support a wide range of communication standards, each with a different RF frequency, signal bandwidth, modulation scheme, etc. This in turn generates several design challenges for the analog and digital building blocks of the physical layer. In addition to the above mentioned protocols, mobile devices often include Bluetooth, GPS, FM-radio and TV services that can work concurrently with data and voice communication. Multi-mode, multi-band, and multi-standard mobile terminals must satisfy all these different requirements. Sharing and/or switching transceiver building blocks in these handsets is mandatory in order to extend battery life and/or to reduce cost. Only adaptive circuits that are able to reconfigure themselves within the handover time can meet the design requirements of a single receiver or transmitter covering all the different standards while ensuring seamless inter-operability. This paper presents analog and digital base-band circuits that are able to support GSM (with EDGE), WCDMA (UMTS), WLAN and Bluetooth using reconfigurable building blocks. The blocks can trade off power consumption for performance on the fly, depending on the standard to be supported and the required QoS (Quality of Service) level.

Toward multistandard mobile terminals - fully integrated receivers requirements and architectures

In the recent past, there has been an evolution in wireless communications toward multifunctions and multistandard mobile terminals. Reducing the number of external components to a minimum is key when the same mobile terminal has to process several different standards. Highly integrated solutions in low-cost silicon technologies are thus required. Zero-IF and low-IF receiver architectures are most suitable for a high level of integration. This paper presents a review of global system for mobile communications, universal mobile telecommunication system, Bluetooth, and wireless local area network (IEEE802.11a, b, g and HiperLAN2) standards, likely to all be present in the "universal" terminal of the future, enabling global roaming and wireless connectivity. The various standards are analyzed in order to find the optimal architecture and the building-block specifications for the receive section, with particular care to the RF front-end. State-of-the-art solutions are discussed, with emphasis on direct conversion CMOS implementations. A multistandard architecture for a fully-integrated CMOS receiver is proposed.

An above IC MEMS RF switch

Addressing reconfiguration of radio frequency (RF) systems might require high performance integrated RF switching capabilities. In this regard, a particular design experience of an integrated circuit (IC) monolithically integrated microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) ohmic switch is reported here. Applications at 2 GHz have been targeted. The MEMS device was processed on top of a 0.25-μm standard BiCMOS wafer including the switch IC driver. An extensive RF characterization has been made. The switch exhibits at 2 GHz a 0.18-dB insertion loss and a 57-dB isolation level. This realization opens the way to further designs of reconfigurable architectures for multiband and multistandard mobile terminals.