Band Pass Filter Patents (Class 455/339)
  • Publication number: 20030224753
    Abstract: A high-frequency coupler for extracting a secondary signal representative of a main signal carried by a conductive line, comprising two series-associated, respectively high-pass and low-pass, filters, and the input of which is intended to be connected to said line while its output is intended to provide the secondary signal, the filters being sized so that the sum of their respective attenuations is substantially constant over the coupler passband, and so that their respective cut-off frequencies are in said passband.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2003
    Publication date: December 4, 2003
    Inventors: Andre Bremond, Francois Dupont
  • Patent number: 6658245
    Abstract: A radio receiver (100) has an IF (intermediate frequency) filter (200) for dynamically adjusting its intermediate frequency. The filter (200) includes a filter bank (301), power/amplitude estimator circuits (308, 310, 312), and weighting circuits (314, 316, 318). The filter bank (301) generates sub-bands, each sub-band having a predetermined frequency range. The power/amplitude estimators (308, 310, 312) provide an estimated power/amplitude in each sub-band. A filter control (320) uses the power/amplitude estimates to determine a percentage of each sub-band signal that is permitted to be coupled a summation circuit (319). The summation circuit (319) sums the weighted sub-band signals to provide a filtered output signal to a demodulator (212).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2003
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Junsong Li, Charles E. Seaberg, Jie Su
  • Publication number: 20030207679
    Abstract: A channel select filter circuit is disclosed using a current-mode transconductance-capacitor (gm-C) architecture, which is tuned by digitally controlled capacitor arrays. The main filter includes at least one transconductor-capacitor (gm-C) filter and a transresistance amplifier. A replica transconductor-capacitor (gm-C) filter and a phase detector are used to establish any phase shift in an input signal, and a state machine adjusts capacitor arrays in the the replica transconductor-capacitor (gm-C) filter and the at least one transconductor-capacitor (gm-C) filter in order to set a cut-off frequency of the channel select filter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2002
    Publication date: November 6, 2003
    Applicant: Atheros Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Kaczynski, Srenik Mehta
  • Patent number: 6643502
    Abstract: In a receiver, a tuner (TUN) converts a reception signal (Srf) to an intermediate-frequency signal (Sif). An adjustable frequency converter (AFRC) converts the intermediate-frequency signal (Sif) to an input signal (Sin) for a filter arrangement (FIL) which is capable of providing various frequency responses (Hfil1, Hfil2) associated with different transmission standards. The adjustable frequency converter (AFRC) and the filter arrangement (FIL) may form part of an integrated receiver-circuit (IRC) suitable for many different transmission standards. The tuner (TUN) may provide the intermediate-frequency signal (Sif) at any one of various different intermediate frequencies (IF1, IF2). For any intermediate frequency (IF1,IF2), the adjustable frequency converter (AFRC) can be adjusted in such a way that the filter arrangement (FIL) receives the input signal (Sin) in a frequency range (FR) which is suitably located with respect to its frequency responses (Hfil1, Hfil2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Rudy J. Van De Plassche, Alphons A. M. L. Bruekers, Gerardus C. M. Gielis
  • Patent number: 6643503
    Abstract: A wireless speaker apparatus for a radio communication device includes a receiver front end to receive two RF carrier signals with audio information. A tunable filter circuit provides a low side and high side frequency response slope to slope demodulate the carrier frequencies to provide respective amplitude modulated output signals. A control signal tunes a center frequency of the tunable filter circuit to center one of the low or high side frequency response slopes near its associated carrier frequency while decentering the other frequency response slope from its carrier frequency so as to favor demodulation of the former modulated output signals over the latter. An audio back end converts the amplitude modulated output signals to audio. This same simple apparatus can be used for either left or right channel audio signals depending on the control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventor: Sharon E. T. Phillips
  • Publication number: 20030186671
    Abstract: A complex low-pass filter that reduces the influence of component mismatch. The filter includes a first filter section for effecting a first single pole transfer function and a second filter section for effecting a second single pole transfer function, where the first and the second single pole transfer functions collectively define a conjugate pair of poles. In higher order low-pass filters, an optimal cascade order follows a shoestring pattern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2002
    Publication date: October 2, 2003
    Inventors: Vladimir Prodanov, Peter Kiss, Mihai Banu
  • Publication number: 20030186672
    Abstract: This filter comprises, on a substrate (2), at least one microtip (4) extended by a beam-shaped nanostructure (6). The microtip and the nanostructure are at least superficially conductive. The nanostructure forms an electromechanical resonator. At least one input electrode (16) and at least one output electrode (18) are formed on an insulating layer, on both sides of the axis of the microtip, in the vicinity of the apex thereof. The input electrode receives a signal to be filtered and the output electrode provides a filtered signal. The invention is particularly applied to wireless communications.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2002
    Publication date: October 2, 2003
    Inventors: Lionel Buchaillot, Dominique Jules Victor Collard
  • Publication number: 20030186673
    Abstract: A filter chip includes multiple series-arm resonators arranged in series arms of a ladder arrangement, and multiple parallel-arm resonators arranged in parallel arms of the ladder arrangement. A common line is connected to first electrodes of at least two parallel-arm resonators among the multiple parallel-arm resonators. Second electrodes of said at least two parallel-arm resonators are connected to associated series-arm resonators among the multiple series-arm resonators.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2003
    Publication date: October 2, 2003
    Applicants: FUJITSU MEDIA DEVICES LIMITED, FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Rei Kimachi, Tokihiro Nishihara, Takeshi Sakashita, Tsuyoshi Yokoyama, Tsutomu Miyashita
  • Patent number: 6628960
    Abstract: A radio receiver having a selectable first downconverter stage for each mode to convert radio frequencies to intermediate frequencies, a second downconverter stage to convert the intermediate frequencies to baseband frequencies, said second downconverter stage being common to both modes, and channel selection at baseband frequencies by means of re-configurable filtering. A radio receiver having a selectable first downconverter stage for each mode to convert radio frequencies to intermediate frequencies, a second downconverter stage to convert the intermediate to baseband frequencies, said second downconverter stage being common to all modes, and channel selection at baseband frequencies by means of re-configurable filtering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2003
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Nigel James Tolson, Stuart Parrott
  • Patent number: 6611569
    Abstract: A down-converter converts an amplitude modulated high frequency signal into a low frequency or baseband signal. A first mixer (30, 32) mixes the high frequency signal into a composite signal having an in-phase component and a quadrature component. A complex bandpass filter (34) bandwidth limits the composite signal into a bandwidth limited signal with an in-phase component and a quadrature component. A second mixer (36, 38) mixes the bandwidth limited signal into an intermediate signal with an in-phase component and a quadrature component, and an adder (40) adds one component of the intermediate signal to the other. A similar up-converter performs the reverse process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2003
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
    Inventors: Thorsten Schier, Svante Signell
  • Publication number: 20030143972
    Abstract: A low pass filter (LPF) can realizes a sophisticated transmission filter usable in a dual-band application. The transmission filter features a compact size, a low cost, a lower insertion loss, and an excellent harmonics-suppression characteristic. In the LPF, a high pass filter (HPF) section working in a high frequency band or a band pass filter (BPF) section, is coupled with a first LPF section in parallel between an input terminal and an output terminal. The HPF section or the BPF section includes a switch circuit formed of one diode that switches the pass band thereof to a rejection band. In one case, a signal passing through the HPF section or the BPF section is input to the input terminal. In the other case, a signal passing thorough the first LPF is input to the input terminal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2002
    Publication date: July 31, 2003
    Inventor: Yuki Satoh
  • Publication number: 20030129956
    Abstract: A method of controlling a conference call in a system which comprises a conference bridge for combining several audio signals arriving from terminals and transmitting the combined signal further to at least one of the terminals. The method comprises detecting substantially simultaneously active predetermined audio signals, such as speech signals, in the audio signals of the conference bridge inputs and filtering the audio signals of the inputs with substantially different filters when there is more than one simultaneously active predetermined audio signal. The filtered audio signals are combined into one signal, and the combined signal is transmitted to at least one terminal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2002
    Publication date: July 10, 2003
    Applicant: Nokia Corporation
    Inventor: Jussi Virolainen
  • Publication number: 20030129959
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus, in accordance with the present invention, use at least two phase-locked loop based frequency synthesizers to provide a synthesized frequency output having a step size of X, where X is less than the step size of any of the at least two phase-locked loop based oscillators. By combining a first signal having a first frequency, with the output of a first frequency synthesizer having a first frequency step size, NX, to produce an intermediate signal which is in turn combined with the output a second frequency synthesizer having a second frequency step size, MX, an output signal is produced. M and N are related such that i times M=N±1, and i, M and N are integers. By varying the output frequency of the first and second frequency synthesizers, the frequency of the output signal is changed by steps of X, where X is less than the step size of either the first or second frequency synthesizers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2002
    Publication date: July 10, 2003
    Inventor: Robert P. Gilmore
  • Publication number: 20030114128
    Abstract: A mobile station is constructed to include a transceiver comprising a transmitter circuit having a transmit RF filter that passes a transmit band of frequencies that is partitioned into transmit frequency channels and a receiver circuit having a receiver RF filter that passes a receive band of frequencies that is partitioned into receiver frequency channels. Also included is an antenna coupled through a duplexer to an output of the transmitter circuit and to an input of the receiver circuit. The mobile station further includes circuitry, responsive to a currently selected RF channel, for compensating for a non-ideal operation of the RF filters and the duplexer over a full bandwidth range of the transmit and receive frequencies. The compensating circuitry compensates for RF filter operation in a transmit RF channel that is nearest to the band of receive RF frequencies and/or compensates for RF filter operation in a receive RF channel that is nearest to the band of transmit RF frequencies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2001
    Publication date: June 19, 2003
    Applicant: Nokia Corporation, Espoo Finland (2)
    Inventors: Sami Haapoja, Marko E. Leinonen
  • Patent number: 6578202
    Abstract: A standard, high performance CATV signal splitter that operates at high signal levels with greatly reduced intermodulation distortion. The circuit retains the presently accepted performance standards for RF signal splitters while reducing the unacceptable distortion resulting from the higher signal levels currently encountered in applications such as Internet communication. The improved signal splitter circuitry reduces or eliminates signal distortion due to magnetization of the ferrite core material. Such core magnetization occurs in prior art signal splitters when the high permeability ferrite core of the transformer is exposed to random electrical spikes, power surges, and static charge build-up. In the present invention, a tuned circuit is added in the output balance section of a prior art signal splitter to confine the transformer performance to the narrower range of CATV frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2003
    Inventor: Michael Holland
  • Publication number: 20030078028
    Abstract: A conventional receiver system has a filter circuit with unsatisfactory gain characteristics, and thus does not offer satisfactory reception performance. A receiver system of the invention has a filter circuit employing an equivalent inductor circuit including a capacitor, a gyrator composed of a plurality of operational transconductance amplifiers and having the capacitor as a load, and a resistor connected in series with the capacitor. A conventional receiver system has a band-pass filter circuit with a low third-order input intercept point, and thus does not offer satisfactory reception performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2002
    Publication date: April 24, 2003
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Shimada, Hiroyuki Ashida
  • Publication number: 20030068998
    Abstract: An RF device, has a first substrate made of a material with a lower relative dielectric constant and having a high frequency circuit formed therein or on a surface thereof; and
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2002
    Publication date: April 10, 2003
    Inventors: Takehiko Yamakawa, Toru Yamada, Toshio Ishizaki
  • Patent number: 6542725
    Abstract: According to the invention a digital signal path includes a first filter and an analog signal path includes a second filter. For analog reception both filters are connected in cascade, the first filter aiding the second filter in achieving a desired selectivity. Additional selection devices are obviated. Preferably the filters are surface acoustic wave filters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2003
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing S.A.
    Inventors: Veit Armbruster, Ali Dener, Helmut Hirt, Reinhard Sauter
  • Publication number: 20030054783
    Abstract: A Method for filter tuning using direct digital sub-sampling is provided. The tuning is accomplished in the digital domain by determining the filter characteristics from the shape of the transfer function. The input signal (1) is passed through the filter (3) and is then sub-sampled by and Analog-to-digital Converter (ADC) (5). The sub-sampled signal (6) is then processed in the digital domain using a digital circuit (7) that is used to determine the center frequency (Fc) and Quality factor (Q) and/or other important filter parameters. The Fc, Q and/or other important filter parameters are then adjusted by generating digital control signals (8) that can be converted to analog signals (10) using Digital-to-analog Converters (DACs) (9).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2002
    Publication date: March 20, 2003
    Inventors: Ralph Mason, Chris DeVries
  • Publication number: 20030054792
    Abstract: An active tunable filter circuit for use as an integratable active filter in a mobile radio apparatus, comprises an active amplifier circuit (A) including a reactive feedback network including a first tunable element (L1) set to pass with amplification a wanted input signal, and a passive resonant circuit (P) coupled to the active amplifier circuit and including an inductive element (LFB, L3 or L4) and an inactive semiconductor element (FET2, FET3 or FET4) having an interelectrode capacitance which in operation resonates with the inductive element at a harmonic of the wanted signal. In one configuration (FIG. 1) the circuit comprises a band pass filter with amplification and in another configuration (FIG. 6-not shown) the circuit comprises a harmonic notch filter with amplification.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2002
    Publication date: March 20, 2003
    Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N.V.
    Inventor: Sueng-il Nam
  • Patent number: 6535722
    Abstract: A tuning circuit, as for a television receiver or video recorder, employs switchable tuning circuits including micro-electronic electro-mechanical switches for selecting the ones of an array of capacitors and/or inductors as is useful in tunable circuits. The array of capacitors and/or inductors and micro-electro-mechanical switches of the switched tuning matrix is formed on an integrated circuit or an electronic circuit substrate along with amplifiers and other electronic elements of the tuning circuit for which the switched tuning matrix is employed. The switchable capacitance and inductance matrices are well suited for use in the resonators employed in the pre-selector filters, post-selector filters and oscillators of electronic tuners, such as those employed in television receivers and video recorders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2003
    Assignee: Sarnoff Corporation
    Inventors: Arye Rosen, Stewart Mark Perlow, Raymond Louis Camisa
  • Publication number: 20030008617
    Abstract: A variable band-pass filter unit which is free from deterioration in throughput or incapability of communication even if jamming signals are inputted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2002
    Publication date: January 9, 2003
    Applicant: Hitachi Media Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Tamaru, Takashi Shiba, Masao Oguri
  • Publication number: 20030003889
    Abstract: A communication device includes a noise flattening filter having a filter response that dynamically adjusts based on the current noise spectrum in a wireless channel. The noise spectrum of the wireless channel is estimated and used to determine a noise classification for the channel. A noise flattening filter response is then selected based upon the noise classification for use in filtering signals received from the channel. The filtered signals are then delivered to an equalizer for further processing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2001
    Publication date: January 2, 2003
    Applicant: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: Yoni Perets
  • Publication number: 20020142746
    Abstract: A radio receiver (100) has an IF (intermediate frequency) filter (200) for dynamically adjusting its intermediate frequency. The filter (200) includes a filter bank (301), power/amplitude estimator circuits (308, 310, 312), and weighting circuits (314, 316, 318). The filter bank (301) generates sub-bands, each sub-band having a predetermined frequency range. The power/amplitude estimators (308, 310, 312) provide an estimated power/amplitude in each sub-band. A filter control (320) uses the power/amplitude estimates to determine a percentage of each sub-band signal that is permitted to be coupled a summation circuit (319). The summation circuit (319) sums the weighted sub-band signals to provide a filtered output signal to a demodulator (212).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2001
    Publication date: October 3, 2002
    Inventors: Junsong Li, Charles E. Seaberg, Jie Su
  • Patent number: 6445735
    Abstract: A switched bandwidth filter in a digital signal processor selectively provides a first bandwidth characteristic or a second bandwidth characteristic by loading separate first and second sets of filter coefficients into the digital filter. The level of transients during coefficient switching is reduced by specially designing the respective coefficient sets using modifications obtained according to the invention. The modifications substantially match net gains at at least one of the internal nodes between filter sections provided by the first and second coefficient sets, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: J. William Whikehart
  • Patent number: 6442382
    Abstract: A communication system with variable filter bandwidth includes a first mixer circuit configured to receive a communication signal and shift the frequency range of the communication signal to a first frequency range. A second mixer circuit is configured to receive the same communication signal and shift the frequency range of the communication signal to a second frequency range. An activation circuit is coupled to the first and second mixer circuits so as to provide an activation signal that activates at least one of the mixer circuits. A plurality of filter circuits are provided such that each filter circuit is configured to receive a signal from a corresponding mixer circuit, when said corresponding mixer circuit is activated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2002
    Assignee: Agere Systems Guardian Corp.
    Inventor: Erik Busking
  • Publication number: 20020098819
    Abstract: A receiver (600) uses a scanning technique (100) to minimize scan time. An initial bandwidth setting is selected that covers multiple channel frequencies (106). A signal detection step (108) is performed looking for channel activity. As channel activity is detected, the bandwidth of a baseband filter (628) is narrowed (140, 146). The radio remains programmed to the same channel while the bandwidth is varied. Once the last signal detection with the narrowest possible bandwidth setting has been determined (144, 150, 152) the radio is programmed to that channel. Thus, more than one channel frequency is capable of being scanned without reprogramming the radio to a new channel for each scan.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2001
    Publication date: July 25, 2002
    Inventors: Wayne M. Phang, John K. Mckinney, Dang Vu
  • Publication number: 20020068541
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for tuning a filter (5). The filter has at least one variable time constant, by which the location of the pass band (pc) of said at least one filter can be changed. In the method, at least one reference signal is inputted in said filter (5), and the frequency of said at least one reference signal is changed, and/or said at least one time constant of the filter (5) is changed. The method also comprises the steps of measuring the strength of the output signal of the filter (5) and determining, on the basis of the measurement on the strength of the output signal of the filter (5), the location of the pass band of said filter (5).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2001
    Publication date: June 6, 2002
    Inventors: Petri Helio, Tomi-Pekka Takalo
  • Patent number: 6392592
    Abstract: A car locator system includes a hand held locator which receives information with regard to the location of a vehicle and then stores that information for display on the hand held locator. The hand held locator could be a key fob having buttons to command operation to the vehicle. When a command signal is transmitted to the vehicle, the vehicle then transmits its position location to the hand held location for storage. In this way, an operator will be able to have an indication of the location of the vehicle. The vehicle can communicate with GPS satellites to determine its location, or may communicate with ground based local transmitters. The ground based local transmitters can be programmed to provide an indication of the location of the vehicle within a parking lot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Assignee: Siemens Automotive Corporation
    Inventors: Susan Johnson, Tejas Desai
  • Publication number: 20020052179
    Abstract: A pass band flatness correction circuit for improving flatness of a ripple occurring within a pass band in a band pass filter and a mobile telecommunication repeater system is provided. The pass band flatness correction circuit includes a complementary band pass filter having a pass band transfer characteristic producing a counter-ripple of a reverse shape to a ripple in a pass band of a main band pass filter, for flattening a total of pass band transfer characteristics of a filtering system, an amplifier circuit for enhancing an increase in a filter insertion loss, and an attenuator circuit for enhancing a reflection loss characteristic of the whole circuit. The flatness and a stop band attenuation characteristic of the band pass filter whose pass band flatness is distorted and a repeater system employing the band pass filter is enhanced, to thereby improve performance and speech quality of a mobile telecommunication service.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2001
    Publication date: May 2, 2002
    Inventors: Hee Yong Hwang, Sang Won Yoon
  • Patent number: 6377788
    Abstract: A single chip superheterodyne AM receiver is disclosed herein. The receiver has a control pin for application of control signals to adjust a frequency response of a baseband filter to tailor its frequency response to a particular type of signal received by the receiver. Various techniques are described for enabling a complete superheterodyne AM receiver to be implemented on a single chip which receives an antenna input signal and outputs a digital data signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2002
    Assignee: Micrel, Incorporated
    Inventors: Joseph S. Elder, Joseph T. Yestrebsky, Mohammed D. Islam
  • Patent number: 6347222
    Abstract: The invention relates to a tuning method used in a base station which comprises, in addition to at least one transceiver unit generating signals, a filtering means which is separate from the transceiver unit and filters signals which are generated on the transmitting end of the transceiver unit, of which signals part advances to the filtering means and part is reflected back, and which filtering means is tuned to operate in a predetermined frequency band. The transceiver unit comprises a test signal generating means which generates a control signal and a test signal that is located in a predetermined frequency band, which test signal is transmitted further to the filtering means, a means which generates signals of the same magnitude as the signal which advances to the filtering means and is reflected from the filtering means, which signals are connected from the transmitting end to the receiving end of the transceiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2002
    Assignee: Nokia Networks Oy
    Inventor: Kari Niemelä
  • Publication number: 20020004377
    Abstract: The invention relates to a system (500) for radio communication in the microwave range, comprising a transmitting device and a receiving device, said transmitting device comprising a transmitter (530), an antenna (510′), a filter (520′) with variable filter characteristics, and a device (550′) for controlling the variable filter (520′), and said receiving device comprising a receiver (540), an antenna (510), a filter (520) with variable filter characteristics, and a device (550) for controlling the variable filter (520). The filters (520, 520′) are arranged between the antenna and the transmitter, and the antenna and the receiver, respectively, the filters have variable filter characteristics, and said devices (550, 550′) for controlling the respective filters are responsive to control signals from an external source, whereby the frequency range at which the respective device and thereby the whole system (500) operates can be controlled during operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2001
    Publication date: January 10, 2002
    Inventors: Goran Snygg, Erik Carlsson
  • Patent number: 6334060
    Abstract: A multi-channel system is provided for both wide-band and narrow band low frequency transmission/reception of digital telemetry. The multi-channel system uses coherent detection having a high selectivity, and a quadrature detector having a high sensitivity. A filter is provided to average out noise. The multi-channel system oscillator is software controlled for scanning/multiplexing. The multi-channel system is used for data transmission over inductive, infrared, sonic and cable links.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: Acumen, Inc.
    Inventors: Ka Yiu Sham, Philip Lim-Kong Wong
  • Patent number: 6332083
    Abstract: Apparatus, and an associated method, for the IF stage of a receiver, such as the receive portion of a multi-mode mobile station. Direct conversion of an IF-stage receive signal is made into the digital domain through the use of a &Sgr;&Dgr; analog-to-digital converter. Increased portions of the receiver processes signals in the digital domain using digital-domain circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2001
    Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones Limited
    Inventors: Zhongming Shi, Ken Hsu
  • Publication number: 20010049271
    Abstract: The invention provides a simple solution for a broadband transmitter/receiver for which the working bandwidth is split into at least two non-contiguous sub-bands. The invention uses a filtering means 50 which comprises at least two band-pass filters 51 and 52 provided with switching means 53 and 54. The use of two switched filters 51 and 52 makes it possible to use a single synthesizer 6 to scan two sub-bands of the working bandwidth. The frequency synthesizer 6 operates for one sub-band in supradyne mode and for the other sub-band in infradyne mode. In a variant, the invention uses a third filter and divides the bandwidth into three sub-bands.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2001
    Publication date: December 6, 2001
    Inventors: Patrice Hirtzlin, Jean-Yves Le Naour, Patrick Wurm
  • Patent number: 6298224
    Abstract: A multiple frequency band receiver (102) receives at least two frequency bands that are close but not adjacent. A first bandpass filter (304) passes signals in the first frequency band. A second bandpass filter (306) passes signals in the second frequency band. The first and second filters each attenuate signals between the first and second frequency band to at least a first level so as to provide selectivity in the frequency range between the first and second frequencies to prevent the signals between these frequency bands from being further processed by the communication device. A third filter (322) coupled to first and second filters passes signals in both the first and second frequency band and attenuates signals above the pass band of the higher of the first and second filters and below the lower of the first and second filters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2001
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: David S. Peckham, David Z. Ding, Frank Skutta, Robert M. Johnson, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6266522
    Abstract: A signal having a substantially uniform spectral distribution, e.g., a flat noise signal such as a signal ground, is provided at the input of a bandpass filter such as an IF filter of a receiver circuit, to thereby produce an output signal at the output of the bandpass filter. The output signal is processed in a limiter to produce a limited signal. An average frequency of the limited signal is determined, and the bandpass filter is adjusted based on the determined average frequency. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the bandpass filter comprises a Gm-C filter having a transconductance, and the filter is adjusted by adjusting the transconductance of the Gm-C filter based on the determined average frequency. According to another aspect of the present invention, a desired center frequency for the bandpass filter is identified. A resolution and a desired confidence interval are also identified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2001
    Assignee: Ericsson Inc.
    Inventors: Alan R. Holden, Antonio Montalvo, Richard H. Myers
  • Patent number: 6263195
    Abstract: A wideband digital tuner (14′) has an analog front-end section (10), a high speed analog-to-digital converter (12), demultiplexer (13) and a plurality of filters (341-342) arranged in a parallel input architecture to process wideband digital data received at extremely high sampling rates, such as at 2 Gsps (giga-samples per second). The tuner greatly attenuates an undesired spectral half of the wide bandwidth digital spectrum of the incoming digital signal using a complex band-pass filter, such as a Hilbert Transform filter. The tuner places the remaining half of the wide bandwidth digital spectrum of the incoming digital signal at complex baseband and down samples by 2. The architecture of the tuner can be partitioned into two separate halves which are hardware copies of each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2001
    Assignee: TRW Inc.
    Inventors: Edward L. Niu, Sam H. Liu, Gregory S. Caso
  • Publication number: 20010001759
    Abstract: A signal having a substantially uniform spectral distribution, e.g., a flat noise signal such as a signal ground, is provided at the input of a bandpass filter such as an IF filter of a receiver circuit, to thereby produce an output signal at the output of the bandpass filter. The output signal is processed in a limiter to produce a limited signal. An average frequency of the limited signal is determined, and the bandpass filter is adjusted based on the determined average frequency. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the bandpass filter comprises a Gm-C filter having a transconductance, and the filter is adjusted by adjusting the transconductance of the Gm-C filter based on the determined average frequency. According to another aspect of the present invention, a desired center frequency for the bandpass filter is identified. A resolution and a desired confidence interval are also identified.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2000
    Publication date: May 24, 2001
    Inventors: Alan R. Holden, Antonio Montalvo, Richard H. Myers
  • Patent number: 6208850
    Abstract: A tunable voltage controlled bandpass filter for a direct conversion receiver. A phase locked loop uses the phase change imparted by the bandpass filter to local oscillator breakthrough from the mixer for a measure of frequency difference between input RF and local oscillator output. An error voltage derived from the measured phase change is applied as a tuning control to the bandpass filter. A sample and hold arrangement allows disconnection of the tuning circuit for power saving. The filter is suitable for implementation as an integral part of an ASIC receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2001
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Nigel James Tolson
  • Patent number: 6177964
    Abstract: A broadband integrated television receiver for receiving a standard antenna or cable input and outputting an analog composite video signal and composite audio signal is disclosed. The receiver employs an up-conversion mixer and a down-conversion mixer in series to produce an IF signal. An IF filter between the mixers performs coarse channel selection. The down-conversion mixer may be an image rejection mixer to provide additional filtering. The received RF television signals are converted to a standard 45.75 MHz IF signal for processing on-chip by additional circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2001
    Assignee: Microtune, Inc.
    Inventors: Vince Birleson, Albert Taddiken, Ken Clayton
  • Patent number: 6134425
    Abstract: A miniature RF receiver in the UHF frequency band. This receiver design is specific to the implementation of a digital module, as it contains no downconversion elements, and provides the capability of defining the operational frequency with cascaded tunable filter stages. The tunable filters are combline filters with tuning varactor diodes terminating each printed resonator. The 1 dB bandwidth of the filter is 7 Mhz, and for resonator length of 31 degrees (at the center frequency), the filter bandwidth remains nearly constant across the tunable frequency range. The capacitance of a varactor diode is a function of applied voltage. By controlling the voltage to each varactor, the filter response can be tuned across the operational frequency range of 50 Mhz.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2000
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventor: Frank Willwerth
  • Patent number: 6122404
    Abstract: A visible Stokes polarimetric imager (80) that separately and contemporaneously measures each of the four separate Stokes polarization parameters of a visible light beam reflected from a scene. The imager (80) includes a compound prism assembly (50) including five prism elements (52-58). The reflected beam from the scene is collected by an input lens (84) in the imager (80), and is directed to the prism assembly (50) at a certain location. The prism elements (52-58) split the beam (82) into four separate beams (62-68) of substantially equal intensity that are emitted from the prism assembly (50) in different directions. Four separate polarimetric filters (86) and imaging devices (88) are positioned relative to the prism assembly (50) to separately receive each of the four beams (62-68) emitted from the prism assembly (50).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2000
    Assignee: TRW Inc.
    Inventors: James D. Barter, Peter H. Y. Lee
  • Patent number: 6094564
    Abstract: A radio communication apparatus is designed for a plurality of different radio communication formats, one of which can be selected. The radio communication apparatus includes a fixed-gain IF amplifier and a variable-gain IF amplifier. One is selected out of the fixed-gain IF amplifier and the variable-gain IF amplifier as an effectively used IF amplifier in response to which of the radio communication formats is selected. The fixed-gain IF amplifier is selected as an effectively used IF amplifier when a narrow-band radio communication format is selected. The variable-gain IF amplifier is selected as an effectively used IF amplifier when a wide-band radio communication format is selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2000
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Wataru Tomiya, Seiichi Yamaguchi, Fujio Sasaki, Hiroaki Kosugi
  • Patent number: 6088569
    Abstract: A first mixer (306) shifts a first end (208) of a desired signal frequency bandwidth (206) of a desired signal (202) to an edge (508) of a first filter frequency bandwidth (502) of a first filter (312), wherein the first filter frequency bandwidth (502) is greater than the desired signal frequency bandwidth (206). Signals within a first undesired frequency spectrum (504) are attenuated by the first filter (314). A second mixer (316) shifts a second end (210) of the desired signal frequency bandwidth (206) to an edge (608) of a second filter frequency bandwidth (602) of a second filter (320) to receive the desired signal (202).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2000
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher R. Bach, Patrick D. Smith
  • Patent number: 6064866
    Abstract: To achieve a high passband attenuation, a switchable bandpass filter for a multiband tuner, includes at least a capacitance diode for frequency-tuning of at least a resonant circuit of the bandpass filter, and a switching diode arranged at the input and the output, this switching diode being switchable to either the blocked state or to the conducting state by DC voltages. The capacitance diode is additionally usable for blocking the bandpass filters and is integrated in the resonant circuit of the bandpass filter in such a way that, in dependence upon a switching potential, the capacitance diode couples the resonant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2000
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventor: Joachim Lange
  • Patent number: 6029058
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for passband communication using direct conversion avoids 1/f and DC-offset noises by shaping the spectrum of the signal so that it has little energy near zero frequency. After the receiver frequency down-converts the signal to baseband, it filters frequencies in the neighborhood of zero prior to demodulation. Since the spectrum of the signal was shaped by a coder prior to transmission so that it has little energy content near zero frequency, the filtering at the receiver eliminates 1/f and DC-offset noise without reducing significantly the energy of the desired information signal. After the noise has been filtered, the receiver demodulates and decodes the signal to recover the information signal. The coding can be based upon broadening of the amplitude range or the frequency range to create the required spectrum shaping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2000
    Assignee: The Board of Trustee of The Leland Stanford Junior University
    Inventors: Won Namgoong, Teresa H. Y. Meng
  • Patent number: 6029052
    Abstract: A multiple-mode receiver incorporating direct conversion (processing received signals using intermediate frequencies within the same frequency range as the received signal bandwidth) rather than superheterodyne circuitry, allowing receiver hardware components to be re-used rather than replicated for each band. Various embodiments are disclosed in which low pass filters, mixers, quadrature generators, oscillators, and amplifiers are re-used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2000
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
    Inventors: Martin Isberg, Bjorn Lindquist, Peter Jakobsson, Jan Celander, Kjell Gustafsson, Lars-Peter Kunkel, Torsten Carlsson, Jacob Mannerstr.ang.le
  • Patent number: 6020911
    Abstract: A filter for treating a plurality of channels in a television signal cable distribution system comprises a plurality of paralel bandpass filters having a frequency which is individually controlled by frequency control voltages. A master filter provided with a filtering cell of a type identical to that used in a bandpass filter corresponds to each bandpass filter. For adjusting the central frequency of a master filter, a frequency is applied thereto by a frequency synthesizer and the cell is aligned with this frequency by acting on its frequency control voltage. This voltage is simultaneously applied to a bandpass filter for controlling the frequency, which is thus aligned with the frequency of the synthesizer simultaneously with that of the corresponding master filter. Each couple consisting of a bandpass filter and a corresponding master filter is realized by means of integration on the same semiconductor substrate (IC).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2000
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventors: Pierre Chanteau, Yannick Deville, Paul Friedel