Patents by Inventor Willie O. Simmons

Willie O. Simmons has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7181168
    Abstract: A loop-back self-test circuit (10) that has particular application for a cellular telephone base station, where the components of the self-test circuit (10) are integrated on a common integrated circuit chip (20). The transmit signal and an LO signal are applied to a mixer (28) to convert the frequency of the transmit signal to the frequency of a receive signal. A VCO (56) generates the LO signal and a PLL (26) synchronizes the phase of the VCO signal to the phase of a reference signal. A divided reference signal and a divided VCO signal are applied to a phase comparator (52) that generates an error signal indicative of the phase difference between the reference signal and the VCO signal. The error signal is applied to a charge pump (60) that generates a current signal to tune a tank circuit (66). A voltage signal from a loop filter (62) is applied to the VCO (56) to tune it to the LO frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey A. Grant, Peter F. Chu, William R. Goyette, Willie O. Simmons, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20030185328
    Abstract: A loop-back self-test circuit (10) that has particular application for a cellular telephone base station, where the components of the self-test circuit (10) are integrated on a common integrated circuit chip (20). The transmit signal and an LO signal are applied to a mixer (28) to convert the frequency of the transmit signal to the frequency of a receive signal. A VCO (56) generates the LO signal and a PLL (26) synchronizes the phase of the VCO signal to the phase of a reference signal. A divided reference signal and a divided VCO signal are applied to a phase comparator (52) that generates an error signal indicative of the phase difference between the reference signal and the VCO signal. The error signal is applied to a charge pump (60) that generates a current signal to tune a tank circuit (66). A voltage signal from a loop filter (62) is applied to the VCO (56) to tune it to the LO frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2002
    Publication date: October 2, 2003
    Inventors: Jeffrey A. Grant, Peter F. Chu, William R. Goyette, Willie O. Simmons