Abstract: Code-domain spread spectrum (CDSS) correlation embodiments for wireless and radar transceivers with the dual purposes of in-band jammer rejection and transmitter-to-receiver self-interference suppression. The encode/decode schemes may be employed at different locations on the TRx paths such as TRx front-end and/or in the baseband, for different TR transceiver architectures such as I/Q TRx, MIMO/phase array TRx and polar TRx. The encoder may be placed in the baseband digital unit and the decoder may be placed in front-of-the LNA in the RF domain for easy encoder implementation in the digital domain while protecting the receiver path from interferences. Group delay filters and/or tunable time delays can be employed to compensate for a signal path delay in a radar TRx. Signals coded with a correlated code sequence and synchronized with the encoder in the transmitter may be decoded and restored at the receiver while the in-band jammers and self-interference can be suppressed.

Abstract: Code-domain spread spectrum (CDSS) correlation embodiments for wireless and radar transceivers with the dual purposes of in-band jammer rejection and transmitter-to-receiver self-interference suppression. The encode/decode schemes may be employed at different locations on the TRx paths such as TRx front-end and/or in the baseband, for different TR transceiver architectures such as I/Q TRx, MIMO/phase array TRx and polar TRx. The encoder may be placed in the baseband digital unit and the decoder may be placed in front-of-the LNA in the RF domain for easy encoder implementation in the digital domain while protecting the receiver path from interferences. Group delay filters and/or tunable time delays can be employed to compensate for a signal path delay in a radar TRx. Signals coded with a correlated code sequence and synchronized with the encoder in the transmitter may be decoded and restored at the receiver while the in-band jammers and self-interference can be suppressed.

Abstract: An analog-to-digital converter includes a first converter stage comprising a successive-approximation-register (SAR) analog-to-digital converter (ADC), the SAR ADC being configured for voltage domain quantization, a second converter stage coupled to the first converter stage to quantize residual voltages of the voltage domain quantization, the second converter stage including a ring time-to-digital converter (TDC), and a third converter stage comprising an interpolation TDC, the interpolation TDC being coupled to the second converter stage to provide further time domain quantization.

Abstract: An analog-to-digital converter includes a first converter stage comprising a successive-approximation-register (SAR) analog-to-digital converter (ADC), the SAR ADC being configured for voltage domain quantization, a second converter stage coupled to the first converter stage to quantize residual voltages of the voltage domain quantization, the second converter stage including a ring time-to-digital converter (TDC), and a third converter stage comprising an interpolation TDC, the interpolation TDC being coupled to the second converter stage to provide further time domain quantization.

Abstract: An analog-to-digital converter includes a first converter stage, a second converter stage coupled to the first converter stage to quantize a residue signal of the first converter stage, and an inter-stage converter disposed between the first and second converter stages. The inter-stage converter is configured to convert between a first domain and a second domain. The inter-stage converter is configured to process the residue signal of the first converter stage such that a range of the residue signal matches a full scale of the second converter stage.

Abstract: An analog-to-digital converter includes a first converter stage, a second converter stage coupled to the first converter stage to quantize a residue signal of the first converter stage, and an inter-stage converter disposed between the first and second converter stages. The inter-stage converter is configured to convert between a first domain and a second domain. The inter-stage converter is configured to process the residue signal of the first converter stage such that a range of the residue signal matches a full scale of the second converter stage.

Abstract: An analog-to-digital converter includes a first converter stage, a second converter stage coupled to the first converter stage to quantize a residue signal of the first converter stage, and an inter-stage converter disposed between the first and second converter stages. The inter-stage converter is configured to convert between a first domain and a second domain. The inter-stage converter is configured to process the residue signal of the first converter stage such that a range of the residue signal matches a full scale of the second converter stage.

Abstract: The present disclosure includes a time-to-digital converter (TDC) based RF-to-digital (RDC) data converter for time domain signal processing polar receivers. Polar data conversion achieves better SNR tolerance owing to its phase convergence near the origin in a polar coordinate. The proposed RDC consists of a TDC for phase detection and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) for amplitude conversion. Unlike the conversional data converter, the proposed ADC's sampling position is guided by the detected phase result from the TDC's output. This TDC assisted data-converter architecture reduces the number of bits required for the ADC. In addition, oversampling is no longer needed. With precisely controlled tunable delay cells and gain compensator, this hybrid data convertor is capable to directly convert Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) waveforms and Amplitude Phase Shift Keying (APSK) waveforms directly from the RF signal without down-conversion.

Abstract: The present disclosure includes a time-to-digital converter (TDC) based RF-to-digital (RDC) data converter for time domain signal processing polar receivers. Polar data conversion achieves better SNR tolerance owing to its phase convergence near the origin in a polar coordinate. The proposed RDC consists of a TDC for phase detection and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) for amplitude conversion. Unlike the conversional data converter, the proposed ADC's sampling position is guided by the detected phase result from the TDC's output. This TDC assisted data-converter architecture reduces the number of bits required for the ADC. In addition, oversampling is no longer needed. With precisely controlled tunable delay cells and gain compensator, this hybrid data convertor is capable to directly convert Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) waveforms and Amplitude Phase Shift Keying (APSK) waveforms directly from the RF signal without down-conversion.

Abstract: The present disclosure includes a time-to-digital converter (TDC) based RF-to-digital (RDC) data converter for time domain signal processing polar receivers. Polar data conversion achieves better SNR tolerance owing to its phase convergence near the origin in a polar coordinate. The proposed RDC consists of a TDC for phase detection and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) for amplitude conversion. Unlike the conversional data converter, the proposed ADC's sampling position is guided by the detected phase result from the TDC's output. This TDC assisted data-converter architecture reduces the number of bits required for the ADC. In addition, oversampling is no longer needed. With precisely controlled tunable delay cells and gain compensator, this hybrid data convertor is capable to directly convert Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) waveforms and Amplitude Phase Shift Keying (APSK) waveforms directly from the RF signal without down-conversion.

Abstract: The present disclosure includes a time-to-digital converter (TDC) based RF-to-digital (RDC) data converter for time domain signal processing polar receivers. Polar data conversion achieves better SNR tolerance owing to its phase convergence near the origin in a polar coordinate. The proposed RDC consists of a TDC for phase detection and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) for amplitude conversion. Unlike the conversional data converter, the proposed ADC's sampling position is guided by the detected phase result from the TDC's output. This TDC assisted data-converter architecture reduces the number of bits required for the ADC. In addition, oversampling is no longer needed. With precisely controlled tunable delay cells and gain compensator, this hybrid data convertor is capable to directly convert Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) waveforms and Amplitude Phase Shift Keying (APSK) waveforms directly from the RF signal without down-conversion.

Abstract: The present disclosure includes a time-to-digital converter (TDC) based RF-to-digital (RDC) data converter for time domain signal processing polar receivers. Polar data conversion achieves better SNR tolerance owing to its phase convergence near the origin in a polar coordinate. The proposed RDC consists of a TDC for phase detection and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) for amplitude conversion. Unlike the conversional data converter, the proposed ADC's sampling position is guided by the detected phase result from the TDC's output. This TDC assisted data-converter architecture reduces the number of bits required for the ADC. In addition, oversampling is no longer needed. With precisely controlled tunable delay cells and gain compensator, this hybrid data convertor is capable to directly convert Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) waveforms and Amplitude Phase Shift Keying (APSK) waveforms directly from the RF signal without down-conversion.

Abstract: The disclosure of the present application presents a multiple-ring coupled ring oscillator design that employs multiple-ring coupling to achieve improved phase noise by minimizing noise injection from tail current and adjacent rings, while providing additional output phases for multiphase signal generation. In one non-limiting exemplary prototype embodiment, a 1.5 GHz triple-ring coupled ring oscillator achieved measured phase noise of ?110.5 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz offset, demonstrating phase noise reduction of 7 dB compared with its single-ring oscillator counterpart. The MROs couple multiple rings with proper phase shifting to achieve improved phase noise. Common source coupling benefits from tail current noise reduction, and introducing phase delays in the coupling paths minimizes noise coupling from the adjacent cores. The overall effect leads to improved phase noise performance as demonstrated in quadrature voltage controlled VCO designs.

Abstract: The present disclosure includes a time-to-digital converter (TDC) based RF-to-digital (RDC) data converter for time domain signal processing polar receivers. Polar data conversion achieves better SNR tolerance owing to its phase convergence near the origin in a polar coordinate. The proposed RDC consists of a TDC for phase detection and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) for amplitude conversion. Unlike the conversional data converter, the proposed ADC's sampling position is guided by the detected phase result from the TDC's output. This TDC assisted data-converter architecture reduces the number of bits required for the ADC. In addition, oversampling is no longer needed. With precisely controlled tunable delay cells and gain compensator, this hybrid data convertor is capable to directly convert Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) waveforms and Amplitude Phase Shift Keying (APSK) waveforms directly from the RF signal without down-conversion.

Abstract: Some embodiments include a privacy/security apparatus for a portable communication device that includes a housing assembly configured to at least partially attenuate at least one of sound energy, acoustic energy, and electromagnetic energy including light, optical, and IR energy and RF radiation from passing through the housing assembly. The housing assembly includes a Faraday cage with two or more portions, and at least one protective shell coupled to or forming at least one aperture. The at least one aperture is configured and arranged to at least partially enclose the portable communication device so that at least a portion of the portable communication device is positioned within at least one portion of the Faraday cage, and the at least one seal coupled or integrated with the protective shell. The housing assembly can be an articulating assembly, a sliding assembly, and can include an active acoustic jamming or passive acoustic attenuation element.

Abstract: A digitally controlled oscillator (DCO) modulation apparatus and method provides a wideband phase-modulated signal output. An exemplary modulator circuit uses an oscillator in a phase-locked loop. The circuit receives a wrapped-phase input signal, unwraps the wrapped-phase input signal to generate an unwrapped-phase signal, and differentiates the unwrapped-phase signal. The wrapped-phase input signal and the differentiated unwrapped-phase signal are both injected into a feedback loop of the modulator circuit. The feedback loop may include a multi-modulus frequency divider with a frequency divisor that is temporarily incremented or decremented to cancel out abrupt phase jumps associated with the wrapped-phase to unwrapped-phase conversion.

Abstract: Some embodiments include a privacy/security apparatus for a portable communication device that includes a housing assembly configured to at least partially attenuate at least one of sound energy, acoustic energy, and electromagnetic energy including light, optical, and IR energy and RF radiation from passing through the housing assembly. The housing assembly includes a Faraday cage with two or more portions, and at least one protective shell coupled to or forming at least one aperture. The at least one aperture is configured and arranged to at least partially enclose the portable communication device so that at least a portion of the portable communication device is positioned within at least one portion of the Faraday cage, and the at least one seal coupled or integrated with the protective shell. The housing assembly can be an articulating assembly, a sliding assembly, and can include an active acoustic jamming or passive acoustic attenuation element.

Abstract: A digitally controlled oscillator (DCO) modulation apparatus and method provides a wideband phase-modulated signal output. An exemplary modulator circuit uses an oscillator in a phase-locked loop. The circuit receives a wrapped-phase input signal, unwraps the wrapped-phase input signal to generate an unwrapped-phase signal, and differentiates the unwrapped-phase signal. The wrapped-phase input signal and the differentiated unwrapped-phase signal are both injected into a feedback loop of the modulator circuit. The feedback loop may include a multi-modulus frequency divider with a frequency divisor that is temporarily incremented or decremented to cancel out abrupt phase jumps associated with the wrapped-phase to unwrapped-phase conversion.

Abstract: A digitally controlled oscillator (DCO) modulation apparatus and method provides a wideband phase-modulated signal output. An exemplary modulator circuit uses an oscillator in a phase-locked loop. The circuit receives a wrapped-phase input signal, unwraps the wrapped-phase input signal to generate an unwrapped-phase signal, and differentiates the unwrapped-phase signal. The wrapped-phase input signal and the differentiated unwrapped-phase signal are both injected into a feedback loop of the modulator circuit. The feedback loop may include a multi-modulus frequency divider with a frequency divisor that is temporarily incremented or decremented to cancel out abrupt phase jumps associated with the wrapped-phase to unwrapped-phase conversion.

Abstract: A digitally controlled oscillator (DCO) modulation apparatus and method provides a wideband phase-modulated signal output. An exemplary modulator circuit uses an oscillator in a phase-locked loop. The circuit receives a wrapped-phase input signal, unwraps the wrapped-phase input signal to generate an unwrapped-phase signal, and differentiates the unwrapped-phase signal. The wrapped-phase input signal and the differentiated unwrapped-phase signal are both injected into a feedback loop of the modulator circuit. The feedback loop may include a multi-modulus frequency divider with a frequency divisor that is temporarily incremented or decremented to cancel out abrupt phase jumps associated with the wrapped-phase to unwrapped-phase conversion.