Patents by Inventor Frederic F. Villain

Frederic F. Villain 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).

  • Mixer circuit and method of operation
    Patent number: 8140044
    Abstract: A mixer circuit to mix a RF (Radio Frequency) signal with a LO (Local Oscillator) signal to generate an IF (Intermediate Frequency) signal including a dummy branch connected in parallel of a mixing branch, the dummy branch including a transconductance stage having an input connected to a reference potential independent from the RF signal, to transform the reference potential into a current signal, and a current switching core to switch the current signal according to LO and signals, and chopping switches to connect in series the transconductance stage of the mixing branch to the current switching core of the mixing branch and, in the alternative, to the current switching core of the dummy branch under the control of a chopping signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: ST-Ericsson SA
    Inventors: Frederic F. Villain, Olivier Burg
  • MIXER CIRCUIT AND METHOD OF OPERATION
    Publication number: 20100048152
    Abstract: A mixer circuit to mix a RF (Radio Frequency) signal with a LO (Local Oscillator) signal to generate an IF (Intermediate Frequency) signal including a dummy branch connected in parallel of a mixing branch, the dummy branch including a transconductance stage having an input connected to a reference potential independent from the RF signal, to transform the reference potential into a current signal, and a current switching core to switch the current signal according to LO and signals, and chopping switches to connect in series the transconductance stage of the mixing branch to the current switching core of the mixing branch and, in the alternative, to the current switching core of the dummy branch under the control of a chopping signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2007
    Publication date: February 25, 2010
    Inventors: Frederic F. Villain, Olivier Burg