System and method for estimating an amplifier operating point using measurements at a receiver

Abstract

An apparatus includes a receiver component, a first signal processing component and a second signal processing component. The receiver component can receive a transmission signal, wherein the received transmission signal reflects an encoded and modulated initial source signal, amplified via a source transmitter, and transmitted over one or more channels of a wireless communications network. The first signal processing component can process the received transmission signal to generate a replica transmission signal that estimates the encoded and modulated initial source signal. The second signal processing component can determine an optimal parametric function for modeling the source transmitter, wherein the determination of the optimal parametric function comprises an iterative non-linear curve-fitting process, and wherein the optimal parametric function reflects one or more parameters of the source transmitter.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a receiver component configured to receive a transmission signal, wherein the received transmission signal reflects an encoded and modulated initial source signal, amplified via a source transmitter, and transmitted over one or more channels of a wireless communications network;   a first signal processing component configured to process the received transmission signal to generate a replica transmission signal that estimates the encoded and modulated initial source signal; and   a second signal processing component configured to determine an optimal parametric function for modeling the source transmitter, wherein the determination of the optimal parametric function comprises an iterative non-linear curve-fitting process, and wherein the optimal parametric function reflects one or more parameters of the source transmitter.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first signal processing component comprises:
 a demodulator/decoder component configured to demodulate and decode the received transmission signal to generate a replica source signal that estimates the initial source signal; and   an encoder/modulator component configured to encode and modulate the replica source signal to generate a replica transmission signal that estimates the encoded and modulated initial source signal.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more parameters of the source transmitter comprise a gain parameter reflecting an amplification gain of the source transmitter. 
     
     
         4 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by a receiver component of a communications device, a transmission signal, wherein the received transmission signal reflects an encoded and modulated initial source signal, amplified via a source transmitter, and transmitted over one or more channels of a wireless communications network;   processing the received transmission signal to generate a replica transmission signal that estimates the encoded and modulated initial source signal; and   determining an optimal parametric function for modeling the source transmitter, wherein the determination of the optimal parametric function comprises an iterative non-linear curve-fitting process, and wherein the optimal parametric function reflects one or more parameters of the source transmitter.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the processing the received transmission signal comprises:
 demodulating and decoding the received transmission signal to generate a replica source signal that estimates the initial source signal; and   encoding and modulating the replica source signal to generate a replica transmission signal that estimates the encoded and modulated initial source signal.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the one or more parameters of the source transmitter comprise a gain parameter reflecting an amplification gain of the source transmitter.