Varactor Tuned Patents (Class 455/191.2)
  • Patent number: 9008590
    Abstract: A radio circuit includes a front-end module, a board, a liquid MEMS component, and a coupling component. The front-end module is implemented on at least one integrated circuit (IC) die and includes a variable circuit. The variable circuit is adjustable to facilitate an operational adjustment of the front-end module for a given operational condition of the radio circuit. The board supports the liquid MEMS component and supports, at least indirectly, the at least one IC. The coupling component electrical couples the liquid MEMS component to the variable circuit, wherein, based on a control signal, one or more characteristics of the liquid MEMS component is changed, which adjusts the variable circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Ahmadreza Rofougaran
  • Patent number: 8811911
    Abstract: A radio-frequency (RF) processing device, for a wireless communication device, is disclosed. The RF processing device comprises an antenna, an RF-signal processing module, a controller, for generating a control signal according to a band switching signal, and a matching adjustment module for adjusting an impedance between the antenna and the RF-signal processing module according to the control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: HTC Corporation
    Inventors: Chih-Chin Su, Chung-Chi Lai, Chien-Ting Ho, Wan-Ming Chen
  • Patent number: 8538361
    Abstract: A TV tuner includes an Ultra High Frequency (UHF)/Very High Frequency (VHF) tracking filter, an UHF/VHF matching circuit and a single conversion Tuner IC. The UHF/VHF tracking filter includes a first Low-Temperature Co-fired Ceramics (LTCC) inductor, a first varactor diode and a fine-tune capacitor electrically connected to determine the maximum gain frequency of the UHF/VHF tracking filter. The UHF/VHF matching circuit includes a second LTCC inductance, a second varactor diodes and a fine-tune capacitor electrically connected to determine the maximum gain frequency of the UHF/VHF matching circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Himax Technologiel Limited
    Inventor: Wen-Po Ho
  • Patent number: 8521111
    Abstract: A TV tuner includes an Ultra High Frequency (UHF)/Very High Frequency (VHF) tracking filter, an UHF/VHF matching circuit and a single conversion Tuner IC. The UHF/VHF tracking filter includes a first Low-Temperature Co-fired Ceramics (LTCC) inductor, a first varactor diode and a fine-tune capacitor electrically connected to determine the maximum gain frequency of the UHF/VHF tracking filter. The UHF/VHF matching circuit includes a second LTCC inductance, a second varactor diodes and a fine-tune capacitor electrically connected to determine the maximum gain frequency of the UHF/VHF matching circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Himax Technologies Limited
    Inventor: Wen-Po Ho
  • Patent number: 8374566
    Abstract: A wideband RF tracking filter having a set of parallel tuned resonator amplifier stages with a de-Q resistor for each subband is disclosed. The resonant amplifier contains programmable tuned LC tank impedance and an array of parallel voltage to current converters (V2I) for each subband. The de-Q resistor together with the array of V2I converters provides a flat gain over each subband and each of the other subbands covering different frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Weinan Gao, Ray Rosik
  • Patent number: 8306492
    Abstract: A TV tuner includes an Ultra High Frequency (UHF)/Very High Frequency (VHF) tracking filter, an UHF/VHF matching circuit and a single conversion Tuner IC. The UHF/VHF tracking filter includes a first Low-Temperature Co-fired Ceramics (LTCC) inductor, a first varactor diode and a fine-tune capacitor electrically connected to determine the maximum gain frequency of the UHF/VHF tracking filter. The UHF/VHF matching circuit includes a second LTCC inductance, a second varactor diodes and a fine-tune capacitor electrically connected to determine the maximum gain frequency of the UHF/VHF matching circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Himax Technologies Limited
    Inventor: Wen-Po Ho
  • Patent number: 8155609
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a combination RF tuner capable of receiving signals from the FM radio band and from the TV band. Prior art combination tuners had to compromise in quality resulting in combination tuners that neither exhibited high-end FM nor TV-signal reception behavior. A combination RF tuner capable of optimal receiving an FM-radio signal type and a TV signal type, comprising a switch-able tuned input filter (440), is proposed. One response of the input filter (440) provides a sufficient big bandwidth for enabling reception of the TV-signal type. The input filter (440) of the invention can be switched, providing a second response that has a smaller bandwidth for enabling reception of the FM-radio signal type. The second response can be realized by substantially bypassing an 10 inductive element (450) (e.g., comprising a inductor, L21, in series with a damping resistor, R3) of the input filter (440).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Yeow T. Toh, Kam C. Kwong
  • Patent number: 8000668
    Abstract: Structurally simple transmit/receive circuits for hearing devices are to be able to be deployed for higher frequencies as well. It is therefore proposed according to the invention that at least two PIN diodes should be connected in an anti-parallel manner between the receive oscillating circuit and the amplifier connected thereto to protect the amplifier. A capacitance diode can optionally be expanded so that larger component tolerances can be permitted for the circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH
    Inventors: Mihail Boguslavskij, Peter Nikles, Jürgen Reithinger, Ulrich Schätzle
  • Patent number: 7983638
    Abstract: A system, apparatus and/or method provides frequency response adjustment of an RF input filter of an RF tuner based on impedance of an antenna system that is providing reception of RF signals to the RF tuner. The frequency response adjustment is preferably accomplished dynamically and/or with respect to each frequency tuned. Particularly, the system, method and/or apparatus provides compensation at the RF tuner level for mistuning effects produced on the RF tuner by antenna system impedance presented at the antenna input that is other than a designed for impedance. Frequency response of an RF input filter for the RF tuner is electronically adjustable with an independent or semi-independent control voltage signal based on one or more measured parameters of a tuning frequency. Frequency response adjustment may include adjustment of a center frequency of the RF input filter bandpass frequency range and/or altering the bandpass frequency range of the RF input filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing
    Inventors: Michael Anthony Pugel, Kumar Ramaswamy
  • Patent number: 7937056
    Abstract: A variable capacitance device has a piezoelectric driving part, a movable electrode, a fixed electrode, a dielectric film and a driving control unit. The piezoelectric driving part has a piezoelectric film, an upper electrode disposed on a top surface of the piezoelectric film, a lower electrode disposed on an undersurface of the piezoelectric film and electrode slits which separate the upper electrode and the lower electrode into two, respectively. The movable electrode is provided via the electrode slits at one end of the piezoelectric driving part. The fixed electrode is disposed opposite to the movable electrode via a gap. The dielectric film is disposed opposite to the movable electrode via the gap and provided on the fixed electrode. The driving control unit adjusts a distance between the movable electrode and the fixed electrode to reduce a fluctuation of a predetermined capacitance of a variable capacitor formed between the variable electrode and the fixed electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Itaya, Hiroshi Yoshida, Takashi Kawakubo
  • Patent number: 7904050
    Abstract: A mixer apparatus (60), such as an integrated circuit (IC) mixer is provided for improving the physical layout of devices containing mixers. The mixer includes a multiplier (62) with an input port (64), an output port (66), a first switchable local oscillator input port (68) and a second switchable local oscillator input port (72). The dual switchable local oscillator ports are located on either side of the mixer, between the input side and the output side. The dual switchable local oscillator ports allow the mixer to provide more flexibility in integrated circuit and printed circuit board design layouts involving mixer apparatus. For example, in dual channel devices, a local oscillator can be coupled to a pair of the mixers using transmission lines that do not have to be routed around the integrated circuit, to a different level of the printed circuit board or underneath one of the mixers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: General Instrument Corporation
    Inventors: David J. Smentek, Richard J. Keniuk, Ronald E. Wilson
  • Patent number: 7852177
    Abstract: In a double-tuning circuit including a primary tuning circuit having a first inductor and a first variable capacitive element connected in parallel and a secondary tuning circuit having a second inductor and a second variable capacitive element connected in parallel, a fixed part of a copper-foil pattern is connected to a connection point at which the double-tuning circuit is connected to an input terminal of a frequency mixing circuit, and a tip part of the copper-foil pattern extends to near the first inductor, whereby a trap circuit for attenuating an image frequency component is formed. A pattern is formed between a ground-side terminal of the first inductor and the ground, and a capacitor is connected between a connection point at which the first inductor is connected to one terminal of the pattern and a ground-side terminal of the second variable capacitive element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: ALPS Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masaki Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 7822430
    Abstract: An ultra wide band (UWB) device and a detect and avoid (DAA) method thereof are provided. The UWB device includes a detect and avoid (DAA) module block which detects a strength of radio signals received in a plurality of channels and determines communicability of the channels; a multitone generation block which generates a plurality of frequencies corresponding to the plurality of the channels and outputs one of the plurality of frequencies; and a controller which controls the multitone generation block to generate frequencies of an available channel which is determined to be communicable by the DAA module block. The method includes detecting a strength of radio signals received in a plurality of channels; determining communicability of the channels according to the detected strength of the radio signals; generating frequencies corresponding to a channel which is determined to be communicable; and transmitting or receiving a signal using the generated frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Byung-tae Yoon, Young-eil Kim, Chang-won Jung, Se-hyun Park
  • Patent number: 7668519
    Abstract: A system, apparatus and/or method provides frequency response adjustment of an RF input filter of an RF tuner based on impedance of an antenna system that is providing reception of RF signals to the RF tuner. The frequency response adjustment is preferably accomplished dynamically and/or with respect to each frequency tuned. Particularly, the system, method and/or apparatus provides compensation at the RF tuner level for mistuning effects produced on the RF tuner by antenna system impedance presented at the antenna input that is other than a designed for impedance. Frequency response of an RF input filter for the RF tuner is electronically adjustable with an independent or semi-independent control voltage signal based on one or more measured parameters of a tuning frequency. Frequency response adjustment may include adjustment of a center frequency of the RF input filter bandpass frequency range and/or altering the bandpass frequency range of the RF input filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing
    Inventors: Michael Anthony Pugel, Kumar Ramaswamy
  • Patent number: 7386065
    Abstract: A voltage controlled oscillator (VCO), suitable for use in a frequency shift keying (FSK) system. The VCO device comprises a switching varactor unit, having a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the switching varactor unit produces a capacitance, according to a frequency-selection voltage. A VCO core has a first output terminal, a second output terminal complementary to the first output terminal, and an input terminal. Wherein, the switching varactor unit is coupled in parallel with the VCO core at the first output terminal and the second output terminal to produce a capacitance effect with respect to the capacitance, so as to adjust a frequency constant ?{square root over (LC)} of the VCO core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2008
    Assignee: Novatek Microelectronics Corp.
    Inventors: Yih-Min Tu, Yung-Lung Chen, Yuan-Tung Peng, Fan-Chung Lee
  • Patent number: 7363015
    Abstract: A television tuner includes a tuning circuit having two first varactor diodes for changing a tuning frequency, a mixer for converting a television signal to an intermediate frequency signal, an oscillator having a second varactor diode, and a PLL circuit for outputting a tuning voltage for tuning the television signal. The tuning voltage is applied to cathodes of the first varactor diodes and the second varactor diode, and voltages of anodes of the first varactor diodes and the second varactor diode are higher at a time of receiving the television signal whose frequency is lower than or equal to a predetermined frequency than at a time of receiving a television signal whose frequency is higher than the predetermined frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Masaki Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 7312672
    Abstract: A local oscillating circuit includes an integrated circuit that has an oscillating transistor, protection diodes against electrostatic damage, and first and second terminals each being connected to a base and a collector of the oscillating transistor, cathodes of the protection diodes being respectively connected to the first and second terminals and anodes thereof being connected to a ground; and a resonating circuit that is provided outside the integrated circuit and is connected between the first and second terminals. A reverse-biasing voltage is applied to each of the cathodes of the protection diodes when VHF high-band signals are received while a voltage is not applied to each of the cathodes when VHF low-band signals are received.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masaki Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 7269399
    Abstract: A receiver of double conversion system wherein unwanted components included in received signals can be removed without fail and wherein the number of constituent parts has been reduced. The receiver comprises an antenna tuning circuit 10 including a tuning coil 11 and a variable-capacitance diode 13; a high frequency amplification circuit 20 for performing a high frequency amplification of a signal outputted by the antenna tuning circuit 10; two-stage mixing circuits 22, 28 for performing two frequency conversions of an output from the high frequency amplification circuit 20; and a detecting circuit 36 for detecting an output from the latter-stage mixing circuit 28.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2007
    Assignee: Niigata Seimitsu Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Miyagi, Hiroshi Katsunaga
  • Publication number: 20070207754
    Abstract: The present invention provides a means for improving the sensitivity and selectivity of a car radio receiver. The variable inductance LC resonant circuit comprises: a amplifier 53 having enough high input impedance and enough low output impedance, a inductive element 51 connected a terminal to the input of said amplifier 53 and the other terminal to the output terminal of said amplifier 53, and a capacitive element 52 connected a terminal to the input terminal of said amplifier 53 and the other terminal to the ground. The proposed technique alters the parallel resonant frequency by varying an equivalent inductance 51, 53 seen from the condenser 52 side, wherein the equivalent inductance 51, 53 varies associated with the gain of said amplifier depending on the frequency control voltage from the PLL synthesizer to the terminal 54.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2006
    Publication date: September 6, 2007
    Inventor: Shintaro Gomi
  • Patent number: 7245892
    Abstract: A typical satellite reception system comprises a satellite dish, a low noise block (LNB) and a satellite receiver. The low noise block converts the received signals into lower frequency signals which are fed to the satellite receiver. It is now becoming increasingly desirable for STBs to be fitted with two or more tuners, each having an associated receiver/decoder. This is to allow, for example, a user to watch a satellite television program whilst recording, on a video recorder, a different satellite television channel. However, since a single LNB can only supply signals from either a vertically or horizontally polarised signal, it is not possible to use a single LNB to provide all the desired portions of the incoming satellite signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2007
    Assignee: Nokia Corporation
    Inventor: Lauri Merio
  • Patent number: 7035608
    Abstract: Electronic circuitry supports utilization of a series of pulses of varying width to tune a transducer (e.g., a coil that produces or receives a magnetic field) for transmitting or receiving. For example, a control voltage generator generates a sequence of digital pulses of varying pulse widths to produce respective control voltages. The control voltage generator applies a produced control voltage to a varactor element whose capacitance changes depending on a magnitude of the produced control voltage. The varactor element forms part of a tank circuit. Consequently, the series of pulse widths controls an operating frequency of the tank circuit at different times. The tank circuit includes an inductive coil that is tuned to produce or receive a magnetic or inductive field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2006
    Assignee: Aura Communications Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Vincent Palermo, Domenic F. Terranova
  • Patent number: 6950152
    Abstract: A gain deviation is leveled in the same band by using a varactor diode having the same characteristics as that used in an input tuning circuit for coupling the input tuning circuit and a high frequency amplifier The input tuning circuit has a tuning varactor diode whose tuning frequency varies with a tuning voltage applied to the cathode of the tuning varactor diode, a high-frequency amplifier is provided in a stage subsequent to the input tuning circuit, and a coupling varactor diode for coupling the input tuning circuit to the high-frequency amplifier, in which the cathode of the coupling varactor diode and that of the tuning varactor diode are connected with each other and a bias voltage higher than the voltage at the anode of the tuning varactor diode and lower than the lowest voltage of the tuning voltage is applied to the anode of the coupling varactor diode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2005
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masaki Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 6937846
    Abstract: A PIN diode switching system is provided, particularly for the transmission stage of a mobile radio telephone, in which, when the PIN diode switching system is in a reverse-bias state, a PIN diode is isolated from its power supply via a high-impedance switch and is, thus, biased by its self-rectification to a radio-frequency voltage in order to suppress harmonic formation and radio-frequency attenuation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2005
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Ralf Herzberg
  • Patent number: 6889036
    Abstract: An integrated center frequency selectable resonant coupling network suited for use in an integrated circuit is disclosed. The network includes an integrated coupling transformer having a secondary winding for coupling to a load and a primary winding for coupling to a source; a first integrated capacitive circuit controllably coupled across one of the primary and secondary windings and when so coupled operable to resonate with the integrated coupling transformer at a frequency in a first frequency band; and a second integrated capacitive circuit coupled across a second one of the primary and the secondary windings that is operable to resonate with the integrated coupling transformer at a frequency in a second frequency band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2005
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian M. Ballweber, Stephen W. Dow
  • Patent number: 6760079
    Abstract: A TV tuner unit uses a frequency-selective element before or after the resonance stage of either a UHF or VHF tuner for separation of UHF signals from VHF signals. Thus, performance is preserved while eliminating the need for circuitry including high and low pass filters and related switches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Katsuhiro Morisada
  • Publication number: 20020193088
    Abstract: Frequency matching method and apparatus to automatically adjust the frequency of a communication signal received by a mobile system are provided. The apparatus comprises: a baseband unit for changing frequency of a signal received through an antenna and providing an output signal; a control unit for recognizing one or more frequency characteristics of the output signal and applying a control voltage in accordance with the respective frequency characteristics; a matching unit connected to the antenna for changing the signal frequency according to the control voltage; and a memory in which control voltage values for the respective frequency characteristics are stored. Accordingly, signal gain is optimized in correspondence with the respective frequency characteristics and thereby signal reception and transmission are improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2002
    Publication date: December 19, 2002
    Applicant: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Sang-Il Jung
  • Publication number: 20020065056
    Abstract: An electronic tuning system includes an electronic tuner for adjusting the predetermined control voltage of a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) to tune the local frequency signal to radio waves on an arbitrary channel in accordance with channel selection information. A booster circuit boosts a source voltage to generate a boosted voltage in order to ensure the predetermined control voltage. A non-volatile memory stores the channel selection information in response to a predetermined write voltage. The boosted voltage of the booster circuit is utilized as the predetermined write voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2001
    Publication date: May 30, 2002
    Applicant: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoh Takano, Fumihiro Sasaki
  • Patent number: 6226503
    Abstract: Between one end of a high-band tuning coil in a primary tuning circuit and one end of a high-band tuning coil in a secondary tuning circuit, a first switch diode and a second switch diode connected in series are provided. A second coupling coil is provided between the ground and the connection point of the first switch diode and the second switch diode. Both first switch diode and second switch diode are set to a continuity state or a non-continuity state to switch between a high-band state and a low-band state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2001
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaki Yamamoto, Michinori Sasaki
  • Patent number: 6218909
    Abstract: A radio frequency oscillator containing a means of frequency band selection and a tuning mechanism permitting frequency variation within each of the bands. The oscillator typically consists of a transistor, a frequency determining circuit, one or more voltage controlled variable capacitance diodes for frequency tuning and frequency range switching means to step change the operating frequency. The frequency determining circuit can consist of a lumped inductor, a microstrip line or a combination of a microstrip line and a lumped inductor. The frequency determining circuit is typically connected to the base of the transistor. In a preferred embodiment the frequency range switching is accomplished using an RF switching diode, used to short out one or more portions of the tuned microstrip line in accordance with the required frequency step change. The circuit also incorporates additional circuitry to support frequency modulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2001
    Assignee: Texas Insturments Israel Ltd.
    Inventor: Alexander Eban