In Radio Frequency Amplifier, Intermediate Frequency Amplifier Or Converter Circuit Patents (Class 455/311)
  • Patent number: 11025211
    Abstract: An amplification apparatus as the embodiment of the present invention includes a switching amplifier and an adjuster. The switching amplifier is driven on the basis of a control signal and amplifies an input signal to be amplified to generate an amplified signal. The adjuster adjusts the control signal before it is inputted into the switching amplifier. Specifically, the adjuster adjusts at least one of a pulse width of the control signal and a delay time of the control signal with respect to the signal to be amplified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Infrastructure Systems & Solutions Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Yamaoka, Keiichi Yamaguchi, Yuuki Funahashi
  • Patent number: 10251274
    Abstract: A printed circuit board has a printed wiring board and a semiconductor package mounted on the printed wiring board. The printed wiring board has a signal conductor pattern and a resonance portion resonating with a plurality of resonance frequencies. The resonance portion has a plurality of conductor patterns aligned while separated each other to oppose to the ground conductor pattern through an insulating layer. The plurality of conductor patterns are arranged so as to oppose to the ground conductor pattern which is connected to a ground terminal of the semiconductor package. The resonance portion has a connecting conductor connecting the conductor patterns adjacent to each other. The resonance portion has a via conductor connecting the conductor pattern with the signal conductor pattern. The printed circuit board can reduce an exclusive region of the resonance portion interrupting a plurality of harmonic components, and can reduce EMI originating in a digital signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshikazu Inagaki
  • Patent number: 10200107
    Abstract: An interference cancellation repeater includes: a first transmission/reception processing unit configured to convert a radio frequency (RF) input signal input via a link antenna communicatively coupled to a base station into a digital input signal; an interference canceller configured to cancel an interference signal from the digital input signal and to output an interference canceled signal; a second transmission/reception processing unit configured to convert the interference canceled signal into an RF output signal and to amplify the RF output signal; and a gain controller configured to detect a gain change of the interference cancellation repeater based on the interference canceled signal and to change a current gain of the interference cancellation repeater to a target gain by adjusting intensity of at least one of the RF input signal, the interference canceled signal, and the RF output signal when the gain change of the interference cancellation repeater is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: SOLiD, INC.
    Inventor: Hyunchae Kim
  • Patent number: 9621312
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a wireless transceiver. The transceiver includes a plurality of receiving paths, a plurality of transmitting paths, a number of RF components, and a configurable multiplexer for coupling one or more RF components to the transmitting paths and the receiving paths. The multiplexer is configured in such a way as to allow a particular RF component to couple to a subset of the receiving paths and/or a subset of the transmitting paths, thereby enabling flexible provisioning of the RF components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: AVIACOMM INC.
    Inventors: Tao Li, Hans Wang, Binglei Zhang, Shih Hsiung Mo
  • Patent number: 9553621
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for signal generation, reception, and calibration involving quadrature modulation and frequency conversion. Embodiments of the present invention provide extremely wide bandwidth, high spectral purity, versatility and adaptability in configuration, and ease of calibration, and are particularly well-adapted for use in integrated circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: VAYYAR IMAGING LTD.
    Inventors: Zivi Nadiri, Jonathan Rosenfeld, Naftali Chayat
  • Patent number: 9236957
    Abstract: RF switching circuitry includes an RF switch coupled between an input node and an output node. Distortion compensation circuitry is coupled in parallel with the RF switch between the input node and the output node. The RF switch is configured to selectively pass an RF signal from the input node to the output node based on a first switching control signal. The distortion compensation circuitry is configured to boost a portion of the RF signal that is being compressed by the RF switch when the amplitude of the RF signal is above a predetermined threshold by selectively injecting current into one of the input node or the output node. Boosting a portion of the RF signal that is being compressed by the RF switch allows a signal passing through the RF switch to remain substantially linear, thereby improving the performance of the RF switching circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: RF Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric K. Bolton, Daniel Charles Kerr, Marcus Granger-Jones
  • Patent number: 9214908
    Abstract: An amplification circuit (100) comprising a first filter (102) and an LNA (110). The first filter (102) comprising an input (104) for receiving an input signal; a first differential output (106); and a second differential output (108). The first filter (102) has a differential mode of operation for frequencies in its pass-band (706, 806) and a common mode of operation for frequencies outside its pass-band (706, 806), and may be an acoustic wave filter. The LNA (110) comprising a first differential input (112) connected to the first differential output (106) of the first filter (102); a second differential input (114) connected to the second differential output (108) of the first filter (102); and an output (116) for providing an amplified output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: NXP, B.V.
    Inventors: Marcel Geurts, Louis Praamsma, Michel Groenewegen, Rainier Breunisse, Freek van Straten, Robert Buytenhuijs
  • Patent number: 9088069
    Abstract: A wireless communication apparatus that includes a first antenna section having a first power feed point; a second antenna section having a second power feed point; a first electrically conductive plate extending between the first antenna section and the second antenna section; a second electrically conductive plate disposed substantially in parallel with the first electrically conductive plate and extending between the first antenna section and the second antenna section; and a short-circuiting member that electrically short-circuits the first electrically conductive plate and the second electrically conductive plate to each other such that a slit is formed by a part of a periphery of the first electrically conductive plate and a part of a periphery of the second electrically conductive plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Mobile Communications Inc.
    Inventor: Akihiro Bungo
  • Patent number: 8977250
    Abstract: A processing device local context is determined, and a communication of the processing device is filtered at least in part according to the local context.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, LLC
    Inventors: Mark A. Malamud, Paul G. Allen, Royce A. Levien, John D. Rinaldo, Jr., Edward K. Y. Jung
  • Patent number: 8971835
    Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention relate a circuit having a first and a second electrically connected voltage domains, respectively biased at different supply voltages (e.g., the first voltage domain biased at a low bias voltage and the second voltage domain biased at a second, different supply voltage). The apparatus further comprises a first DC current source coupled to one of the voltage domains (e.g., the first voltage domain having a low DC voltage potential) and a second DC current source coupled to the other voltage domain (e.g., the second voltage domain having a high DC voltage potential). The first and second DC current sources are configured to provide a DC cancellation current having a value that cancels a DC current generated by the potential difference between the first and second voltage domains.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Intel Mobile Communications GmbH
    Inventors: Krzysztog Dufrene, Elmar Wagner
  • Publication number: 20150056940
    Abstract: A circuit, a method and an apparatus, are described. A radio frequency (RF) signal received from a transmission line is provided to the source of a transistor in a common-gate amplification circuit. A series resonance connected to the source provides a low impedance path to ground for interfering RF components in the RF signal. The series resonance is tuned to provide a high impedance to a band of frequencies centered on a frequency of interest and to shunt interfering RF components outside the band of frequencies centered on the frequency of interest. The interfering RF components may include a harmonic of the frequency of interest.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2013
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Applicant: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Rajagopalan Rangarajan, Chirag Dipak Patel
  • Patent number: 8964532
    Abstract: A wireless communication device includes more than one radio. A lossless switching module allows for selectively using one of the radios in a standby mode. The switching module allows for switching in the standby radio in the event that another radio fails without introducing any loss. In disclosed examples, switching module inputs coupled with inactive or failed radio output ports are coupled to an impedance corresponding to the associated radio. Disclosed examples are also useful for combining the outputs of more than one radio under selected circumstances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Alcatel Lucent
    Inventors: Christopher J. Capece, Gregg Nardozza
  • Patent number: 8965308
    Abstract: A mobile wireless communications device includes a housing, antenna, and circuit board carried by the housing and having radio frequency (RF) circuitry operative with the antenna for receiving and transmitting RF signals through the antenna. A power amplifier is connected within a transmission line for amplifying RF signals to be transmitted over the transmission line to the antenna. An antenna switch is connected to the antenna and RF circuitry. An RF shield surrounds the power amplifier and antenna switch and isolates the power amplifier and antenna switch from the antenna and RF circuitry. A low pass filter is connected to the power amplifier and antenna switch for reducing any RF coupling of voltage standing waves of upper harmonic frequencies from the power amplifier into the antenna switch through the RF shield while maintaining transmission of signals through the transmission line at a desired fundamental frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Lizhong Zhu, George Soliman Mankaruse, Michael Stephen Corrigan
  • Patent number: 8965322
    Abstract: A low noise amplifier comprises at least one amplifying transistor (Ts1; Ts2) configured in a common source configuration to receive an input signal (RFin) at a gate terminal and provide an amplified signal at a drain terminal and at least one feedback path arranged to couple a part of the amplified signal back to the gate terminal and comprising a feedback impedance. The low noise amplifier further comprises a self-coupled step-up transformer having at least one primary winding (Lp) connected to a supply voltage (Vdd) and the drain terminal of the at least one amplifying transistor and at least one self-coupled secondary inductor winding (Lf1; Lf2) arranged in the feedback path. The low noise amplifier provides a better suppression for out-band interference and at the same time it has a wider input match bandwidth, decent conversion gain and decent noise figure without increasing power consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (Publ)
    Inventor: Fenghao Mu
  • Patent number: 8948712
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure relate to determining the location and/or density of vias that form part of an RF isolation structure of a packaged module and the resulting RF isolation structures. From electromagnetic interference (EMI) data, locations of where via density can be increased and/or decreased without significantly degrading the EMI performance of the RF isolation structure can be identified. In certain embodiments, one or more vias can be added and/or removed from a selected area of the packaged module based on the EMI data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Skyworks Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Howard E. Chen, Matthew Sean Read, Hoang Mong Nguyen, Anthony James LoBianco, Guohao Zhang, Dinhphuoc Vu Hoang
  • Patent number: 8942313
    Abstract: An open loop envelope tracking system calibration technique and circuitry are proposed. A radio frequency power amplifier receives a modulated signal. An envelope tracker power converter generates a modulated power amplifier supply voltage for the radio frequency power amplifier based on a control signal derived from the modulated signal. A first output power and a second output power of the radio frequency power amplifier are measured when the control signal is respectively delayed by a first delay period and a second delay period. A sensitivity of the output power of the radio frequency power amplifier is near a maximum near the first delay period and the second delay period. The first delay period and/or the second delay period are adjusted until the first output power substantially equals the second output power. The first delay period and the second delay period are used to obtain a calibrated fine tuning delay offset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: RF Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Nadim Khlat, Karl Francis Horlander
  • Patent number: 8929848
    Abstract: An interference-robust receiver includes an RF signal processor, a frequency conversion interface and an analog signal processor. The RF signal processor provides an RF signal. The frequency conversion interface includes a passive mixer for generating an intermediate frequency signal by down-converting an in-band part of the RF signal to a passband of a filter and down-converting an out-of-band part of the RF signal to a stopband of the filter. The filter can thus filter the intermediate frequency signal with the passband and the stopband.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: MediaTek Singapore Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: George Chien, Yen-Horng Chen, Chi-Yao Yu, Lan-Chou Cho, Chih-Chun Tang, Siu-Chuang Ivan Lu
  • Patent number: 8923780
    Abstract: Aspects of a method and system for sharing low noise amplifier (LNA) circuitry in a single chip Bluetooth and wireless local area network (WLAN) system are disclosed. Aspects of the system may comprise a chip with integrated WLAN and Bluetooth radios. RF signals may be received via a single antenna coupled to a shared LNA integrated in chip. When WLAN signals are received they are communicated from the shared LNA to a subsequent amplification stage integrated within the WLAN radio. When Bluetooth signals are received they are communicated from the shared LNA to a subsequent amplification stage that comprises a transconductance amplifier integrated within the WLAN radio and an LNA load integrated within the Bluetooth radio. Gains in the LNAs, the transconductance amplifier, and/or the subsequent WLAN amplification stage may be dynamically adjusted. Outputs from the subsequent amplification stages may be communicated to mixers for further processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Adedayo Ojo, Bojko Marholev, Shahla Khorram
  • Patent number: 8913702
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a type of LNB frequency down conversion integrated circuit. The present invention frequency-down-converts the RF signal with the Quadrature local oscillation signal (LO) and Quadrature Mixer. Then the 90 degree phase-shifting of the quadrature intermediate frequency (IF) signal after mixed is done by the use of passive Polyphase filter. The present invention further discloses a LNB frequency down conversion chip, a LNB frequency down circuit adopting the LNB frequency down conversion chip circuit and a method of LBN frequency down. The invention ensures the elimination of the minor image signal and the realization of the minor image suppression function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: RDA Technologies Limited
    Inventors: Shunran Wei, Xunsong Yin
  • Patent number: 8884795
    Abstract: A reception device and corresponding method for maintaining a high dynamic range of an AD converter circuit and preventing excessive input to the AD converter circuit is disclosed. For example, a reception device includes a variable gain amplifier circuit that amplifies an input analog signal with a gain controlled by a predetermined control signal, an analog-to-digital converter circuit an overload detector circuit with the same frequency characteristic as the analog-to-digital converter circuit. The overload detector circuit outputs a signal according to a comparison between a level of a signal input to the analog-to-digital converter circuit and a predetermined threshold. The signal that lowers the gain of the variable gain amplifier circuit more greatly is selected out of the signal from the overload detector circuit and another signal, and the gain of the variable gain amplifier circuit is controlled on the basis of the selected signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihisa Takaike, Hideki Yokoshima, Yuya Kondo, Tomohiro Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 8781411
    Abstract: A baseband filter and upconverter with configurable efficiency for use in wireless transmitters is disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, an apparatus is provided that includes a baseband filter having configurable efficiency, and an upconverter having configurable efficiency and coupled to the baseband filter. The baseband filter and upconverter are configured to operate at a first efficiency level in a first output power range and to operate at a second efficiency level in a second output power range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Bhushan Shanti Asuri, Ibrahim Ramez Chamas
  • Patent number: 8754710
    Abstract: Disclosed are low-noise amplifiers and SAW-less receivers. An exemplary amplifier includes at least two amplifier modules. The amplifier modules share a common output node and comprise a common input to which the amplifier modules are AC or DC coupled for receiving an inbound RF signal. The amplifier modules operate at different biases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: MStar Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Qiang Li, Si-Ning Zhou, Chih-Ming Hung
  • Patent number: 8755762
    Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) receiver includes an amplifier stage, a blocking module, and a down conversion module. The amplifier stage amplifies an inbound RF signal (includes a desired component and a blocking component) to produce an amplified inbound RF signal. The blocking module generates an oscillation corresponding to a frequency of the blocking component and filters the amplified inbound RF signal based on the oscillation to substantially attenuate the blocking component and to pass, substantially unattenuated, the desired component. The down conversion module converts the desired RF signal component into a baseband or near baseband inbound signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Mohyee Mikhemar, Hooman Darabi
  • Patent number: 8676148
    Abstract: A differential amplifier circuit includes a source follower circuit to which is input one of the differential signals and a common source circuit that is connected in series with the source follower circuit and to which is input the other of the differential signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Yosuke Ogasawara
  • Patent number: 8670738
    Abstract: An imbalance compensator includes a phase/filter mismatch correction circuit and a gain mismatch correction circuit. The phase/filter mismatch correction circuit includes an adjustable filter and a processing unit. The adjustable filter is arranged for adjusting a filter coefficient setting according to a first input signal of a first signal branch and a second input signal of a second signal branch, and generating a first compensated signal to the first signal branch according to the filter coefficient setting and the first input signal. The processing unit is arranged for processing the second input signal according to the first compensated signal and generating a second compensated signal to the second signal branch. The gain mismatch correction circuit is arranged for referring to the first and second compensated signals to configure gain compensation, and applying the configured gain compensation to one of the first and second compensated signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Mediatek Inc.
    Inventor: Yih-Ming Tsuie
  • Patent number: 8665127
    Abstract: Architectures of ?? difference-of-squares RMS-to-digital converters employing multiple feedback paths. Additional feedback paths enable a stable ?? closed-loop behavior in different topologies where the RMS level of the quantization error processed by the squaring non-linearity is minimized. Such feedback paths include lowpass filtered and constant gain feedback paths, lowpass and highpass filtered paths or multiple lowpass filtered paths. These can be combined with multiple integrators in the forward path, with frequency compensation provided by additional feedforward or feedback paths. Electronic configurability can further extend the total input referred dynamic range (DR) of such architectures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventor: Paulo Gustavo Raymundo Silva
  • Patent number: 8665126
    Abstract: A sigma-delta (??) difference-of-squares LOG-RMS to digital converter” by merging a traditional ?? modulator with an analog LOG-RMS to DC converter based on a difference-of-squares concept. Two basic architectures include one based on two squaring cells in the feedforward and feedback paths and a second based on a single squaring cell in the forward path. High-order ?? LOG-RMS can be implemented with a loop filter containing multiple integrators and feedforward and/or feedback paths for frequency compensation. The embodiments as described allow the implementations of ?? difference-of-squares LOG-RMS to DC converters with a natural digital output and a logarithmically compressed dynamic range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Paulo Gustavo Raymundo Silva, Michael Hendrikus Laurentius Kouwenhoven
  • Patent number: 8665128
    Abstract: A sigma-delta (??) difference-of-squares LOG-RMS to digital converter for true RMS detection by merging a ?? modulator with an analog LOG-RMS to DC converter based on a difference-of-squares. Chopper-stabilization, implemented through commutators running at two different frequencies, can be employed to reduce sensitivity to DC offsets and low-frequency errors, resulting in an extension of the useful input-referred dynamic range. High-order ?? LOG-RMS converters can be implemented with a loop filter containing multiple integrators and feedforward and/or feedback paths for frequency compensation. The resulting implementations are ?? difference-of-squares LOG-RMS to DC converters with a natural digital output and a logarithmically compressed dynamic range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Paulo Gustavo Raymundo Silva, Michael Hendrikus Laurentius Kouwenhoven
  • Patent number: 8639193
    Abstract: A tri-state control mechanism can be implemented for a line driver of a transmitter unit to switch the output impedance of the transmitter unit between a low impedance state in the transmit mode and a high impedance state in the receive mode while minimizing turn-off glitch. It may be determined whether a communication device comprising the transmitter unit is configured in a transmit operating mode or a receive operating mode. If the communication device is configured in the receive operating mode, a first bias voltage can be generated to bias output transistors of the line driver circuit in a sub-threshold state. If the communication device is configured in the transmit operating mode, a second bias voltage can be generated to bias output transistors of the line driver circuit in a saturation state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Sang-Min Lee, Michael Peter Mack
  • Patent number: 8624979
    Abstract: A monitoring apparatus includes a detection circuit, a filter circuit, an amplifying circuit, a regulation circuit, a delay and charging circuit, and a driving circuit. The detection circuit receives a video signal, and performs an operation to obtain an image signal from the video signal. The filter circuit obtains an average intensity of a luminance signal corresponding to the image signal. The delay and charging circuit charges an input capacitor when receiving a low level regulated signal from the amplifying circuit. The driving circuit activates an alarm when a charging voltage of the chargeable capacitor exceeds a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignees: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (ShenZhen) Co., Ltd., Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jia Li
  • Patent number: 8619997
    Abstract: A receiving apparatus includes: a local oscillator to output first- and second-local-oscillator signals whose phases are orthogonal to each other; a mixer to output first- and second-intermediate-frequency signals; a first filter to allow a component from a desired signal to pass therethrough, and eliminate a component from an image signal having a frequency symmetrical with that of the desired signal, in the first- and second-intermediate-frequency signals; a second filter to allow a component from the image signal to pass therethrough, and eliminate a component from the desired signal, in the first- and second-intermediate-frequency signals; a comparator to compare levels between output signals of the first and second filters; and a control unit to switch a frequency of the first- and second-local-oscillator signals to a difference frequency between a frequency of the desired signal and the intermediate frequency or a sum frequency thereof, according to a comparison result of the comparator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignees: Sanyo Semiconductor Co., Ltd., Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC
    Inventors: Kazunari Kurokawa, Satoru Sekiguchi
  • Patent number: 8620231
    Abstract: A mobile wireless communications device includes a housing, antenna, and circuit board carried by the housing and having radio frequency (RF) circuitry operative with the antenna for receiving and transmitting RF signals through the antenna. A power amplifier is connected within a transmission line for amplifying RF signals to be transmitted over the transmission line to the antenna. An antenna switch is connected to the antenna and RF circuitry. An RF shield surrounds the power amplifier and antenna switch and isolates the power amplifier and antenna switch from the antenna and RF circuitry. A low pass filter is connected to the power amplifier and antenna switch for reducing any RF coupling of voltage standing waves of upper harmonic frequencies from the power amplifier into the antenna switch through the RF shield while maintaining transmission of signals through the transmission line at a desired fundamental frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Lizhong Zhu, George Soliman Mankaruse, Michael Stephen Corrigan
  • Publication number: 20130344838
    Abstract: Disclosed are low-noise amplifiers and SAW-less receivers. An exemplary amplifier includes at least two amplifier modules. The amplifier modules share a common output node and comprise a common input to which the amplifier modules are AC or DC coupled for receiving an inbound RF signal. The amplifier modules operate at different biases.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2012
    Publication date: December 26, 2013
    Applicant: MStar Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Qiang Li, Si-Ning Zhou, Chih-Ming Hung
  • Patent number: 8610495
    Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention relate a transimpedance amplifier circuit having a negative feedback network that provides additional filtering of an out-of-band transmitted signal is provided herein. In one embodiment, the transimpedance amplifier circuit has a first pole, transimpedance amplifier having a multi-stage operational amplifier with an input terminal and an output terminal. An RC feedback network extends from the output terminal to the input terminal. A negative feedback network, extending from an internal node of the multi-stage operational amplifier to an input terminal of the single pole, transimpedance amplifier provides a negative feedback signal with an amplitude having an opposite polarity as the out-of-band transmitted signal. The negative feedback signal suppresses the out-of-band-transmitted signals within the demodulator circuit, thereby improving linearity of the transimpedance amplifier circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Intel Mobile Communications GmbH
    Inventors: Umut Basaran, Ashkan Naeini
  • Patent number: 8594604
    Abstract: Capacitive circuits are implemented with desirable quality factors in various implementations. According to an example embodiment, a fringe capacitor includes two capacitive circuits (e.g., plates), respectively having a plurality of capacitive fingers extending from an end structure, and respectively having a connecting pin that is adjacent the connecting pin of the other capacitive circuit, on a common side fringe capacitor. The capacitive fingers are arranged in stacked layers, with vias connecting the fingers in different layers back to the connecting pins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: NXP, B.V.
    Inventors: Edwin van der Heijden, Lukas Frederik Tiemeijer, Maristella Spella
  • Publication number: 20130295869
    Abstract: A square law extension circuit is disclosed that operates over a range of frequencies and power levels. The square law extension circuit includes a detector, an amplifier, and an expander. The detector has an input for receiving radio frequency (RF) signals and providing a detected signal output. The amplifier has an input that receives the detected signal output of the detector and provides an output for an amplified detected signal. The expander has an input that receives the amplified detected signal and is arranged to provide an expanded signal output. The expanded signal output is a signal that increases in a first proportion to the amplified detected signal up to a predetermined threshold and increases at a second proportion to the amplified detected signal that is more than the first proportion when the expanded signal output exceeds the predetermined threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2013
    Publication date: November 7, 2013
    Applicant: MICROSEMI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Alan D. Kendall, John H. Merriner
  • Patent number: 8571152
    Abstract: The present invention discloses an apparatus and method for power-saving switch on a pair of configurable analog-to-digital converters. The apparatus mainly comprises an antenna, an antenna switch, a zero-IF RF receiver, and a baseband demodulator. By using a first and a second control signal to control the ON/OFF states of a plurality of switches and a plurality of stage units in the configurable analog-to-digital converters, and the third control signal to control the ON/OFF states of a plurality of LNA stages and the gain of a plurality VGAs, the power saving of the analog-to-digital converter is easily achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: ISSC Technologies Corp.
    Inventors: Jeng-Hong Chen, Chin-Chang Chang, Kuang-Hu Huang, Chih-Ching Huang, Che-Kang Sun, Chun-Yuan Huang
  • Patent number: 8571510
    Abstract: A receiver includes a low noise amplifier (LNA) and multiple pairs of mixers. The LNA receives and amplifies an LNA input signal and provides at least one LNA output signal. Each pair of mixers downconverts one of the at least one LNA output signal when enabled. Each pair of mixers may be selectively enabled or disabled, e.g., based on a mode selected from among multiple modes. In one design, the LNA includes multiple load sections coupled in parallel. Each load section may be selectively enabled or disabled, e.g., based on the selected mode. In one design, first and second pairs of mixers and first and second load sections may be enabled for a high linearity mode. The first pair of mixers and the first load section may be enabled and the second pair of mixers and the second load section may be disabled for a low linearity mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Qualcomm Incorporated
    Inventors: Li Liu, Prasad S. Gudem
  • Publication number: 20130281043
    Abstract: A low noise amplifier comprises at least one amplifying transistor (Ts1; Ts2) configured in a common source configuration to receive an input signal (RFin) at a gate terminal and provide an amplified signal at a drain terminal and at least one feedback path arranged to couple a part of the amplified signal back to the gate terminal and comprising a feedback impedance. The low noise amplifier further comprises a self-coupled step-up transformer having at least one primary winding (Lp) connected to a supply voltage (Vdd) and the drain terminal of the at least one amplifying transistor and at least one self-coupled secondary inductor winding (Lf1; Lf2) arranged in the feedback path. The low noise amplifier provides a better suppression for out-band interference and at the same time it has a wider input match bandwidth, decent conversion gain and decent noise figure without increasing power consumption.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2011
    Publication date: October 24, 2013
    Applicant: TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET L M ERICSSON (PUBL)
    Inventor: Fenghao Mu
  • Publication number: 20130281042
    Abstract: A reconfigurable LNA for increased jammer rejection is disclosed. An exemplary embodiment includes an LNA having a tunable resonant frequency, and a detector configured to output a control signal to tune the resonant frequency of the LNA to increase jammer suppression. An exemplary method includes detecting if a jammer is present, tuning a resonant frequency of an LNA away from the jammer to increase jammer rejection if the jammer is present, and tuning the resonant frequency of the LNA to a selected operating frequency if the jammer is not present.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2012
    Publication date: October 24, 2013
    Applicant: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Cheng-Han Wang, Liang Zhao, Hong Sun Kim, Jin-Su Ko
  • Patent number: 8565671
    Abstract: This invention concerns a repeater for radio frequency signals having a channel filter and an active filter connected to the channel filter output. The active filter covers the channels adjacent to the channel filter and includes an amplifier and; two bandpass filters in parallel connected as a negative feedback loop around the amplifier. The first bandpass filter covers the lower adjacent channels and the second bandpass filter covers the higher adjacent channels. The invention notably applies to the development of domestic repeaters for mobile terminals meeting the DVB-H digital television standard.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing
    Inventors: Jean-Luc Robert, Jean-Yves Le Naour, Philippe Minard
  • Patent number: 8548414
    Abstract: The invention discloses a circuit and a method for reducing radio frequency power consumption of mobile phone, wherein a baseband processing chip (21) adjusts a base bias voltage and/or a collector bias voltage of a radio frequency power amplifier (23) according to radio frequency power output of the radio frequency power amplifier (23). Since the invention reduces the radio frequency output power of the radio frequency power amplifier (23) by moderately reducing the base bias voltage and/or the collector bias voltage at the same time when it is ensured that the mobile phone communicates with a base station normally and the linear index and the Adjacent Channel Power Ratio (ACPR) of the radio frequency power amplifier (23) meet the requirements of the specification, thus the efficiency of the radio frequency power amplifier can be improved, the battery energy is saved and the heating problem of the mobile phone is relieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: ZTE Corporation
    Inventor: Shouyan Chen
  • Publication number: 20130230026
    Abstract: A system and method for device-to-device (D2D) communication is disclosed. A preferred embodiment comprises a frequency synthesizer configured to provide a first carrier frequency and a second carrier frequency, an up-converter coupled to the frequency synthesizer and configured to up-convert a first baseband signal into a cellular uplink signal when receiving the first carrier frequency from the frequency synthesizer, and configured to up-convert the first baseband signal into a first device-to-device signal when receiving the second carrier frequency from the frequency synthesizer, and a down-converter coupled to the frequency synthesizer and configured to down-convert a second device-to-device signal into a second baseband signal when receiving the first carrier frequency from the frequency synthesizer, and configured to down-convert a cellular downlink signal into the second baseband signal when receiving the second carrier frequency from the frequency synthesizer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2012
    Publication date: September 5, 2013
    Applicant: FUTUREWEI TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Young Hoon Kwon, Jorge Fabrega Sanchez
  • Patent number: 8526883
    Abstract: An RF switch for an RF splitter is disclosed, in which the bias voltage for the RF switching elements can be supplied, by using an RF to DC translator, from the RF signal on the input side to the switch. By using a native NMOS switch, routing of the RF signal is thus enabled without the necessity for an external power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: NXP, B.V.
    Inventor: Frederic Francois Villain
  • Patent number: 8521118
    Abstract: A circuit arrangement is disclosed with a radio-frequency mixer in which a plurality of preamplifiers in a receiver have a common output node. This node is connected to a common, broadband radio-frequency mixer via common coupling capacitances. Switching means can be used to connect and disconnect the preamplifiers, which can be associated with various frequency bands, independently of one another. The present principle can be applied in multiband receivers in mobile radio and allows integration using little chip area with good radio-frequency characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Intel Mobile Communications GmbH
    Inventor: Axel Schmidt
  • Patent number: 8509290
    Abstract: A closed loop power output calibration system for variable power output wireless devices. The wireless device includes a wireless transceiver having a transmit core coupled to a discrete power amplifier. Power detection circuitry formed in the wireless transceiver provides a detected power level of the power amplifier, and a reference power level, both of which are converted to digital signals using existing I and Q signal analog to digital converters in the receiver core. The digital signals are processed to cancel power distortion and temperature effects to provide a resulting power feedback signal. Corrective control signals are generated in response to the power feedback signal relative to a desired power output level. The gain in the transmit core is then adjusted in response to the corrective control signals such that the power amplifier outputs the target output power level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Icera Canada ULC
    Inventors: Abdellatif Bellaouar, Tajinder Manku
  • Patent number: 8489153
    Abstract: A two way communication system is adapted to reduce latency while the communications system is operating in a low power mode. The two way communication system includes a local host having a first primary communication channel and a secondary out of band transmitter; and customer premise equipment having a primary communication channel for communicating with the first primary communication channel of the local host and a secondary low power out of band receiver that receives out of band control signals from the out of band transmitter during low power operation of the customer premise equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas J. Quigley, Ted Rabenko
  • Patent number: 8467760
    Abstract: Embodiments of a SAW-less RF receiver front-end that includes a frequency translated notch filter (FTNF) are presented. An FTNF includes a passive mixer and a baseband impedance. The baseband impedance includes capacitors that form a low-Q band-stop filter. The passive mixer is configured to translate the baseband impedance to a higher frequency. The translated baseband impedance forms a high-Q notch filter and is presented at the input of the FTNF. The FTNF can be fully integrated in CMOS IC technology (or others, e.g., Bipolar, BiCMOS, and SiGe) and applied in wireless receiver systems including EDGE/GSM, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Bluetooth, and wireless LANs (e.g., IEEE 802.11). In addition, embodiments of a generalized FTNF for wideband applications are presented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Ahmad Mirzaei, Hooman Darabi
  • Publication number: 20130078938
    Abstract: A low noise converter includes a plurality of amplification circuits receiving a plurality of polarized wave signals transmitted from a satellite for amplifying the plurality of polarized wave signals, respectively, a plurality of switch circuits, each selecting one of outputs from the plurality of amplification circuits, a plurality of filter circuits provided corresponding to the plurality of switch circuits, respectively, for removing an image signal, a plurality of signal mixer-amplifiers provided corresponding to the plurality of filter circuits, respectively, to frequency-convert each output from the plurality of filter circuits by mixing with a local oscillation signal and to amplify the frequency-converted signal, and a plurality of output ports provided corresponding to the plurality of signal mixer-amplifiers, respectively, to receive an output from the plurality of signal mixer-amplifiers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2012
    Publication date: March 28, 2013
    Inventor: Kohji MOTOYAMA
  • Patent number: 8401509
    Abstract: A radio frequency receiver subject to a large in-band interferor employs active cancellation with coarse and at least one cancellation signals, each with a respective radio frequency combiner, in order to increase the effective dynamic range of the receiver for weak signals of interest. One or both can be digitally synthesized. This is particularly applicable for co-site interference, whereby the interfering transmit signal is directly accessible. A similar system and method may also be applied to external interferors such as those produced by deliberate or unintentional jamming signals, or by strong multipath signals. An adaptive algorithm may be used for dynamic delay and gain matching. In a preferred embodiment, a hybrid technology hybrid temperature system incorporates both superconducting and semiconducting components to achieve enhanced broadband performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Hypres, Inc.
    Inventors: Deepnarayan Gupta, Amol Inamdar