Abstract: A method for power management for applications having duty-cycled high peak supply currents includes charging a buffer capacitor with a first current supplied by a battery, wherein the first current is limited by a current limiter. A load is supplied with a second current supplied by the buffer capacitor, wherein the second current comprises a pulsed current. The current limiter is controlled with at least one of a plurality of sensor inputs to limit a capacity degradation of the battery.

Abstract: A communication device and method include a reconfigurable receiver that is reconfigurable between communication, ranging and radar modes. The reconfigurable receiver includes a mixer configured to mix digital samples with a carrier phase estimate signal and configured to generate in-phase digital samples based on the carrier phase estimate. The reconfigurable receiver further includes a symbol correlator configured to correlate against the in-phase digital samples and generate correlated data, and a symbol binning unit configured to bin the correlated data and generate a first order channel impulse response estimate. The reconfigurable receiver yet further includes a multiplexer configured to switch the digital samples to the symbol binning unit when the reconfigurable receiver is configured in radar mode and to switch the correlated data to the symbol binning unit when the reconfigurable receiver is configured in a ranging mode.

Abstract: A moving object detector detects a moving object in a channel. The detection comprises the detector receiving a plurality of frames based on a transmitter transmitting a plurality of frames over a channel. One or more channel impulse responses (CIRs) of the channel is determined based on the received plurality of frames. The detector determines a CIR phase for each of the CIRs and a phase signal is formed based on a phase value of the CIR phase for each of the CIRs. The detector compares the phase signal with a target signal and detects the moving object in the channel based on the comparison.

Abstract: A communication device and method include a reconfigurable receiver that is reconfigurable between communication, ranging and radar modes. The reconfigurable receiver includes a mixer configured to mix digital samples with a carrier phase estimate signal and configured to generate in-phase digital samples based on the carrier phase estimate. The reconfigurable receiver further includes a symbol correlator configured to correlate against the in-phase digital samples and generate correlated data, and a symbol binning unit configured to bin the correlated data and generate a first order channel impulse response estimate. The reconfigurable receiver yet further includes a multiplexer configured to switch the digital samples to the symbol binning unit when the reconfigurable receiver is configured in radar mode and to switch the correlated data to the symbol binning unit when the reconfigurable receiver is configured in a ranging mode.

Abstract: A method for power management for applications having duty-cycled high peak supply currents includes charging a buffer capacitor with a first current supplied by a battery, wherein the first current is limited by a current limiter. A load is supplied with a second current supplied by the buffer capacitor, wherein the second current comprises a pulsed current. The current limiter is controlled with at least one of a plurality of sensor inputs to limit a capacity degradation of the battery.

Abstract: A moving object detector detects a moving object in a channel. The detection comprises the detector receiving a plurality of frames based on a transmitter transmitting a plurality of frames over a channel. One or more channel impulse responses (CIRs) of the channel is determined based on the received plurality of frames. The detector determines a CIR phase for each of the CIRs and a phase signal is formed based on a phase value of the CIR phase for each of the CIRs. The detector compares the phase signal with a target signal and detects the moving object in the channel based on the comparison.

Abstract: The invention relates to frequency synthesizer circuits, and in particular to frequency synthesizer circuits characterized by a small channel spacing. Embodiments disclosed include a frequency synthesizer circuit for a radio receiver, the circuit comprising: a digitally controlled oscillator configured to generate an output signal with an output frequency on application of an oscillator enable signal; a delay module; configured to delay an input reference signal to generate a delayed reference signal; and a duty cycle module configured to modulate the oscillator enable signal based on a period of an input reference signal and the delay of the delayed reference signal, such that a ratio between the output frequency and the frequency of the input reference signal is a non-integer.

Abstract: A frequency converter, comprising a multi-phase local oscillator and a multi-phase mixer. The mixer comprises a plurality of mixer switches, each connected to a respective amplifier. The local oscillator is configured to provide a switching signal to each mixer switch, and comprises a plurality of inverters configured as a ring oscillator.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods concern down-converting a radio frequency (RF) signal. As an example, one apparatus includes a first mixer and a second mixer. The first mixer down-converts an RF signal to produce a first intermediate frequency (IF) signal. The second mixer down-converts the first IF signal to produce a second IF signal having a plurality of phase components. The down-converter also includes a plurality of summing circuits. Each of the summing circuits is configured to combine various ones of the phase components of the second IF signal to produce a respective phase component of a third IF signal. The number of phase components in the third IF signal is different from the number of phase components in the second IF signal.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods concern down-converting a radio frequency (RF) signal. As an example, one apparatus includes a first mixer and a second mixer. The first mixer down-converts an RF signal to produce a first intermediate frequency (IF) signal. The second mixer down-converts the first IF signal to produce a second IF signal having a plurality of phase components. The down-converter also includes a plurality of summing circuits. Each of the summing circuits is configured to combine various ones of the phase components of the second IF signal to produce a respective phase component of a third IF signal. The number of phase components in the third IF signal is different from the number of phase components in the second IF signal.

Abstract: A low power frequency synthesizer circuit for a radio transceiver, the synthesizer circuit comprising: a digital controlled oscillator configured to generate an output signal (Fo) having a frequency controlled by an input digital control word (DCW); a feedback loop connected between an output and an input of the digital controlled oscillator, the feedback loop configured to provide the digital control word to the input of the digital controlled oscillator from an error derived from an input frequency control word (FCW) and the output signal; and a duty cycle module connected to the digital controlled oscillator and the feedback loop, the duty cycle module configured to generate a plurality of control signals to periodically enable and disable the digital controlled oscillator for a set fraction of clock cycles of an input reference clock signal (RefClock).

Abstract: The invention relates to frequency synthesiser circuits, and in particular to frequency synthesiser circuits characterised by a small channel spacing. Embodiments disclosed include a frequency synthesiser circuit (100) for a radio receiver, the circuit comprising: a digitally controlled oscillator (118) configured to generate an output signal (128) with an output frequency on application of an oscillator enable signal (126); a delay module (160; 210) configured to delay an input reference signal (142) to generate a delayed reference signal (144; 244); and a duty cycle module (150) configured to modulate the oscillator enable signal based on a period of an input reference signal (142) and the delay of the delayed reference signal (144), such that a ratio between the output frequency and the frequency of the input reference signal (142) is a non-integer.

Abstract: A frequency converter, comprising a multi-phase local oscillator and a multi-phase mixer. The mixer comprises a plurality of mixer switches, each connected to a respective amplifier. The local oscillator is configured to provide a switching signal to each mixer switch, and comprises a plurality of inverters configured as a ring oscillator.

Abstract: A phase estimator comprising a first input terminal configured to receive a first analog input signal; a second input terminal configured to receive a second analog input signal, wherein the second analog input signal is 90° out of phase with the first analog input signal. The phase estimator is configured to provide a digital word representative of the phase of the first analog input signal and the second analog input signal. The phase estimator comprises a register configured to store N bits as a digital word a first reference signal generator, a second reference signal generator and a comparator.

Abstract: A phase estimator comprising a first input terminal configured to receive a first analogue input signal; a second input terminal configured to receive a second analogue input signal, wherein the second analogue input signal is 90° out of phase with the first analogue input signal. The phase estimator is configured to provide a digital word representative of the phase of the first analogue input signal and the second analogue input signal. The phase estimator comprises a register configured to store N bits as a digital word a first reference signal generator, a second reference signal generator and a comparator.

Abstract: Communication networks are implemented using a variety of devices and methods. In a particular embodiment for use in a communication network having RF-communication devices that communicate using a RF protocol, an RF-communication device is implemented with an RF transceiver (110) to communicate over the network using the RF protocol and being controllable in a reduced power-consumption mode in which the RF transceiver does not communicate over the network. The device also includes an RF receiver (104, 106) including an envelope detector (104) and a pulse generator circuit (106). The envelope detector circuit (104) providing an envelope-based signal to a pulse generator circuit (106) that, in response to the envelope-based signal and after generating a number of pulses that exceeds a predetermined number of pulses, prompts the RF transceiver (110) to transition out of the reduced power-consumption mode.

Abstract: A low power frequency synthesiser circuit (30) for a radio transceiver, the synthesiser circuit comprising: a digital controlled oscillator (33) configured to generate an output signal (F0) having a frequency controlled by an input digital control word (DCW); a feedback loop (35-38) connected between an output and an input of the digital controlled oscillator, the feedback loop configured to provide the digital control word to the input of the digital controlled oscillator from an error derived from an input frequency control word (FCW) and the output signal; and a duty cycle module (32) connected to the digital controlled oscillator and the feedback loop, the duty cycle module configured to generate a plurality of control signals to periodically enable and disable the digital controlled oscillator for a set fraction of clock cycles of an input reference clock signal (RefClock).

Abstract: Communication networks are implemented using a variety of devices and methods. In a particular embodiment for use in a communication network having RF-communication devices that communicate using a RF protocol, an RF-communication device is implemented with an RF transceiver (110) to communicate over the network using the RF protocol and being controllable in a reduced power-consumption mode in which the RF transceiver does not communicate over the network. The device also includes an RF receiver (104, 106) including an envelope detector (104) and a pulse generator circuit (106). The envelope detector circuit (104) providing an envelope-based signal to a pulse generator circuit (106) that, in response to the envelope-based signal and after generating a number of pulses that exceeds a predetermined number of pulses, prompts the RF transceiver (110) to transition out of the reduced power-consumption mode.

Abstract: A method of providing only pre-screened content is described. The method includes maintaining a database on a server including a plurality of pre-screened sites. When a universal resource locator (URL) is received, the method verifies that the URL represents one of the plurality of pre-screened sites. If the URL represents one of the plurality of prescreened sites, displaying data associated with the URL, otherwise, not displaying the data.