Processor Controlled Patents (Class 455/234.2)
  • Patent number: 7747234
    Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) transceiver integrated circuit (IC) includes a plurality of baseband Tx sections, a plurality of RF Tx sections, a plurality of RF Rx sections, and a plurality of baseband Rx sections. The RF transceiver IC further includes a static digital interface, a dynamic digital interface, and gain control, distribution, and buffering circuitry. Static digital interfaces are operable to receive static gain control commands from a coupled baseband processor. The dynamic digital interface is also operable to receive dynamic gain control commands from the coupled baseband processor. The gain control, distribution, and buffering circuitry is operable to apply the static gain control commands and dynamic gain control commands to at least some of the plurality of baseband Tx sections, the plurality of RF Tx sections, the plurality of RF Rx sections, and the plurality of baseband Rx sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Arya Reza Behzad
  • Patent number: 7746966
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for automatic gain control (AGC) before an initial synchronization of a mobile station modem in OFDM system, and an apparatus thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, KT Corporation, SK Telecom Co., Ltd., KTFreetel Co., Ltd., Hanaro Telecom, Inc.
    Inventors: Yong-Su Lee, Youn-Ok Park, Jun-Woo Kim, Young-Jo Bang
  • Publication number: 20100136933
    Abstract: A configuration controller generates one or more control signals based on channel data. A receiver includes an RF receiver section and a receiver processing module that are configured in response to the control signal. A transmitter includes an RF transmitter section and a transmitter processing module that are configured in response to the control signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2008
    Publication date: June 3, 2010
    Applicant: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Ahmadreza (Reza) Rofougaran
  • Publication number: 20100130153
    Abstract: A receiver (100) includes a first element (110) with a signal input, a control input, a signal output, and gain steps of a first magnitude, a signal processing circuit (120-168) with a signal input coupled to the first element, and a signal output, a second element (180) that has a signal input coupled to signal processing circuit, a control input, a signal output, and gain steps of a second magnitude smaller than the first magnitude, and a controller (180) that has a control output coupled to the first element (110), a control output coupled to the second element (180), and that adjusts receiver (100) gain by changing the first element (110) gain by a first magnitude, changing the second element (180) gain by substantially an inverse first magnitude, and subsequently changing the gain of the second element (180) by steps of the second magnitude to achieve a desired gain.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2008
    Publication date: May 27, 2010
    Applicant: SILICON LABORATORIES, INC.
    Inventors: Ramin Khoini-Poorfard, Alessandro Piovaccari, David S. Trager
  • Patent number: 7697901
    Abstract: A method includes controlling a mixer gain to provide a range of selected power output levels from the mixer using a first control scheme for a low portion of the range and using a second control scheme for a high portion of the range. Using the selected mixer gain, incoming baseband signals may be upconverted in the mixer to a transmission frequency and output from the mixer at the selected power output level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: ST-Ericsson SA
    Inventors: Srinath Sridharan, Ahmed Emira, Aria Eshraghi, David Welland
  • Patent number: 7653369
    Abstract: A wireless communications receiver includes a memory configured to store offset values corresponding to respective gain settings. A gain controller is configured to continuously select one of the gain settings based on amplitude of a received signal. An amplifier is configured to amplify the signal based on the selected gain setting. An offset estimator is configured to determine an updated offset value as a function of both a time-average value of the signal and a previously-stored offset value. The previously stored offset value is an offset value that was stored in the memory at a time prior to the gain controller switching to the currently-selected gain setting from a previously-selected gain setting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2010
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Sean Simmons, Muhammad Dajani, Zoltan Kemenczy
  • Patent number: 7650128
    Abstract: A received low-frequency standard radio wave, which is an amplitude modulation signal, is converted to an intermediate frequency signal Sa, and is output to a detection circuit and an AGC circuit. The detection circuit and AGC circuit generates an RF control signal Sf1 and IF control signal Sf2 from the input intermediate frequency signal Sa, and controls an RF control circuit and IF control circuit by outputting the generated RF control signal Sf1 and IF control signal Sf2 to the RF control circuit and IF control circuit. By this a radio wave reception device can speed up AGC operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2010
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kaoru Someya
  • Patent number: 7639998
    Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) receiver utilizing dynamic power management for administration of power consumption. The RF receiver includes an RF antenna, an RF full band filter, an RF amplifier, an RF sub-band filter, a first local oscillator, an RF mixer, a first IF amplifier, an IF wide band filter, a second local oscillator, an IF mixer, two secondary IF amplifiers, an IF narrow band filter, a digital signal processing subsystem, three power sensors, and a control logic subsystem. Based on its location in the system, each power sensor has a unique threshold setting that is set just below a total RF power level where desired signal degradation might occur. The control logic subsystem utilizes outputs of the power sensors to detect a total RF power present due to interfering signals plus a desired signal within an entire bandwidth present at each stage and dynamically manages power by adjusting bias of each stage accordingly via its bias control outputs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2009
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventor: David H. Halvorson
  • Publication number: 20090305656
    Abstract: A direct conversion receiver and a DC offset cancellation method are provided. An RF module receives a transmission signal to generate an RF signal. A mixer converts the RF signal to a mixer output comprising baseband and imaginary parts. A filter module filters out the imaginary part of the mixer output and adjusts gain of the baseband part to generate a baseband signal. A calibrator performs a calibration to determine a mismatch value of the mixer. A static DC offset canceller provides a constant offset compensation according to the mismatch value; wherein the mismatch value is used to minimize component mismatching effects of the mixer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2008
    Publication date: December 10, 2009
    Applicant: MEDIATEK INC.
    Inventor: Chinq-Shiun CHIU
  • Publication number: 20090291657
    Abstract: Systems and methods for sharing an AGC loop between a wireless data demodulator and a spectrum analysis module that operates simultaneously with the data demodulator. In one embodiment, a predetermined hold time prevents the AGC loop from changing gain too often, thereby allowing the spectrum analysis module to collect reliable data. In another embodiment, the hold time may be extended to coincide with a spectrum analysis event, such as a boundary of an FFT block. In still another embodiment, an FFT valid signal is provided such that collected FFT blocks can be designated as suspect and then subsequently processed accordingly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2008
    Publication date: November 26, 2009
    Applicant: CISCO TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: David Kloper, Yohannes Tesfai, Chandra Vaidyanathan
  • Patent number: 7606544
    Abstract: A receiver for processing a signal comprises a first amplifier circuit and a second amplifier circuit. The first amplifier circuit is operated in association with a first gain profile. The second amplifier circuit is operated in association with a second gain profile. The receiver further comprises a gain control circuit that determines a quality indicator associated with a modulated signal. The gain control circuit adjusts the first gain profile and the second gain profile based at least in part upon the determined quality indicator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2009
    Assignee: Microtune (Texas), L.P.
    Inventor: Andreas G. Hennig
  • Patent number: 7593700
    Abstract: A radio frequency stage comprises an analog multiplier cell, and an analog current routing cell coupled thereto. The analog multiplier cell includes an input for receiving an input current having a DC component and a radio frequency dynamic component, and a controllable current source for delivering a DC control current. A current multiplication circuit generates an output current having a radio frequency dynamic component equal to a product of the dynamic component of the input current times a multiplier coefficient dependent on a ratio between a value proportional to that of the DC control current and a value of the DC component of the input current. An output delivers the output current. The analog current routing cell includes an input coupled to the output of the analog multiplier cell. A controllable voltage source delivers a control voltage and a routing circuit for routing a part of the input current to the output of the analog routing cell as a function of the value of the control voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics SA
    Inventors: Philippe Cathelin, Jean-Charles Grasset
  • Patent number: 7590397
    Abstract: An IC chip allows first communication for performing communication with all of the other IC chips, and second communication for performing communication while restricting communication parties. That is to say, the IC chip performs sending/receiving signals with a new communication arrangement with both the first communication which is a broadcasting arrangement and the second communication which is a communicatory arrangement. This enables the function upgrading electronic equipment to be performed easily, and enables flexible signal processing with a new communication arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2009
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsujiro Kondo, Takashi Nakanishi
  • Patent number: 7583943
    Abstract: An automatic gain control device capable of reducing signal saturation or signal distortion caused by out-of-band signals of a filter or delay of a control signal. An AGC response control section compares a level of control voltage (‘V2_I terminal’ signal) output from an AGC control section b with a level of control voltage (‘V3_I terminal’ signal) output from an AGC control section c. If the ‘V3_I terminal’ signal is below the ‘V2_I terminal’ signal, an AGC amplifier is controlled by the ‘V3_I terminal’ signal. If the ‘V3_I terminal’ signal is above the ‘V2_I terminal’ signal, the AGC amplifier is controlled by the ‘V2_I terminal’ signal. In the latter case, control information of the AGC control section b is replaced by control information of the AGC control section c so that the AGC control section c controls the AGC amplifier c.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2009
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Takahiko Kishi
  • Publication number: 20090201426
    Abstract: This disclosure presents an apparatus and method for automatic gain control correction for a television signal in which the Radio Frequency (RF) and Intermediate Frequency (IF) power signal levels are collected for a band of channels, identifying a channel having a strong RF power signal level and an IF gain signal level that is lower than a nominal IF gain signal level, comparing the identified channel RF gain signal level with the RF gain signal level of adjacent channels to identify the relative power signal levels of the channel and associated adjacent channels, and applying correction to the channel wherein there is an imbalance in the RF and IF power signal levels of the identified channel. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2008
    Publication date: August 13, 2009
    Inventors: Hiromichi Sano, William Bennett, Liviu Burciu
  • Patent number: 7565125
    Abstract: A receiver 30 has an adjustable gain control circuit 32 that provides gain control base on the magnitude of the signal at the input of an analog-to-digital converter 22. The magnitude of a gain increase or decrease can be based on the most significant bits of the analog-to-digital output, indicating whether the analog-to-digital converter is close to saturation, approaching saturation, or well below saturation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2009
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Pascal Audinot, Vincent Roussel
  • Patent number: 7536159
    Abstract: In a radio including analog and digital portions, with at least one A/D Convener between the analog and digital portions, and the selectivity of the radio at least partly implemented in the digital domain, an AGC controller sets a first variable gain amplifier (VGA) (302) to low gain upon a determination that a wide-band power estimation exceeds a wide-band threshold. The wide-b and threshold is selected to reduce the occurrence of A/D converter saturation. If the wide-band power estimation is less than the wide-band threshold, then for each VGA (302) in the analog portion, a determination is made whether a narrow band power estimate exceeds a narrow-band threshold, corresponding to that VGA (302), plus a hysteresis value, in which case that VGA (302) is set to low gain; or whether the narrow-band energy estimate is less than the narrow-band threshold minus a hysteresis value, in which case that VGA (302) is set to high gain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventor: Charles Razzell
  • Patent number: 7522892
    Abstract: In a power amplifier, a serial bus interface is provided for sending and receiving information to other devices, such as a baseband controller. The power amplifier includes several control pins that can be used as a serial interface, or alternately, with a direct pin control interface. The power amplifier uses various techniques to address noise problems related to the use of a serial bus with a power amplifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: Black Sand Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Timothy J. Dupuis
  • Publication number: 20090061803
    Abstract: In an exemplary embodiment, a circuit is disclosed comprising a plurality of inputs, each input to receive a radio frequency waveform from a plurality of differential input waveforms having different phases; and an inverter circuit to invert a waveform from the plurality of differential inputs waveforms to a substantially same phase as a non-inverted input waveform. The circuit further comprises a combiner node to combine the inverted and the non-inverted input waveforms into an output waveform.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2007
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Applicant: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Aristotele Hadjichristos
  • Patent number: 7496337
    Abstract: The method for controlling a low noise amplifier (LNA) gain state which is applied to a receiver having the LNA is disclosed. The method includes the steps of: storing an LNA gain state of an idle mode when a state of the receiver transits an idle mode to a sleep mode; and returning to the stored LNA gain state when the receiver transits the sleep mode to the idle mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignee: Pantech&Curitel Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Hyun-Mook Lee, Young-Nam Seo
  • Patent number: 7496163
    Abstract: In a slot format of a received signal, AGC gain update timings (t1 to t4) are shifted every time to disperse and reduce an influence of a noise attributable to a direct current component specific to direct conversion which is accompanied by AGC gain update. In particular, in the case where each of slots in the received signal includes an information portion (data) having a larger code correcting capability and an information portion having a smaller code correcting capability (TPC (transmission power control), TFCI (transport format combination indicator), PILOT), the AGC gain update timing is generated while being shifted in the former information portion, thereby reduce the influence of the noise. When the amount of shift of the AGC gain update timing is set to be larger than that of one symbol of the received signal, the influence of the noise accompanied by the AGC gain update is further reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Kenji Terao
  • Publication number: 20090042527
    Abstract: The present invention comprises a dynamic front end radio receiver that determines the current operating conditions and adjusts the power consumption of the receiver accordingly. In one embodiment, the receiver can detect the strength of an incoming signal and the presence of any interfering signals. The receiver includes a series of programmable blocks, where the bias of each block is adjustable. The power consumption of the overall receiver can be minimized by controlling each programmable block with a control signal. Thus, the receiver can contend with a dynamic environment, so that the performance is controlled in a manner sufficient to process the incoming signal and minimize the power dissipation necessary to achieve acceptable radio performance. An embodiment of the invention may be used in wireless radio networks for a variety of applications, such as healthcare wireless technology.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2008
    Publication date: February 12, 2009
    Applicant: HMicro Inc.
    Inventor: Ali M. NIKNEJAD
  • Publication number: 20090023408
    Abstract: An electric wave receiving apparatus comprises: an antenna; an amplifier; filter circuits that extract signals in different frequency bands from an output of the amplifier; detector circuits that demodulate time codes from outputs of the filter circuits; automatic gain control circuits that generate gain control signals from the detector circuits; a selector that selects one gain control signal indicating a maximum signal level among the gain control signals; and an arithmetic processing section to be able to analyze the time codes of outputs of the plurality of detector circuits, wherein the one gain control signal is supplied to the amplifier to control an amplification factor of the amplifier so that signal levels output from detector circuits do not become excessive, and the arithmetic processing section selects an output to enable the analysis of the time code among the outputs of detector circuits to perform the analysis of the time code.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2008
    Publication date: January 22, 2009
    Applicant: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kaoru SOMEYA
  • Patent number: 7474883
    Abstract: A receiver in a radio communication system and method for optimizing a use of an available dynamic range. The receiver has an automatic gain controller in an automatic gain control loop, a first measuring device, connected to the automatic gain controller, operable to measure a total received energy, a second measuring device, connected to the automatic gain controller, operable to measure the inband signal energy, wherein the automatic gain controller is operable to adjust the gain based on both the total received energy and the inband signal energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2009
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventor: Mikael Rudberg
  • Patent number: 7474882
    Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for RF gain control that extracts the background noise information of the received RF signal in the short inter-frame space (SIFS), and computes the background noise information and strength information of the received RF signal to output a feedback control signal to adjust the gain of the RF signal receiver. It optimizes the receiving system and makes the received RF signal be of sufficient strength and have a good quality as well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2009
    Assignee: Accton Technology Corporation
    Inventor: I-Ru Liu
  • Patent number: 7469134
    Abstract: In order to avoid disappearance of output symbols in accompaniment with DC voltage fluctuations occurring at the timing of switching gain in receiving systems for mobile telephones or the like compatible with W-CDMA systems, the present invention provides a variable gain amplifier circuit, a gain control circuit and a mobile communication terminal apparatus, in which a PGA section is comprised of PGAs having different amplification widths continuously arranged in plural stages as in, two coarse adjustment PGAs, a fine adjustment PGA and a coarse adjustment PGA from the input side to the output side; and a gain control circuit has a memory storing a history of gain control with regard to the PGA section and a logic circuit individually controlling gain of each PGA.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2008
    Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications Japan, Inc.
    Inventors: Atsushi Yoshizawa, Masahisa Tamura
  • Patent number: 7463704
    Abstract: A wireless local area network (WLAN) system can have multiple antennas to improve signal detection and decoding. A WLAN receiver in such a system includes multiple amplifiers that can appropriately size an incoming signal and an automatic gain control unit to process the received incoming signals. The amplifiers of a chain of the WLAN receiver, i.e. an antenna and associated receiver components, can be adjusted with computed gains. To optimize the wireless system detection and decoding, the automatic gain control unit can advantageously compute these gains for each amplifier in the WLAN receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2008
    Assignee: Atheros Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Ardavan Maleki Tehrani, Xiaoru Zhang, Paul J. Husted, Jeffrey M. Gilbert
  • Patent number: 7463871
    Abstract: An integrated circuit radio receiver includes radio frequency (“RF”) front end circuitry for receiving and transmitting digital data received through a wireless interface. A baseband processor is operable to process the digital data received through the wireless interface. A first logic is operable to provide a first level of digital filtering for a first received digital data signal format. A second logic is operable to provide the first level of digital filtering and derotation for a second received digital data signal format. A third logic is operable to provide a second level of digital filtering for a third received digital data signal format wherein the second level of digital filtering is reduced in comparison to the first level of digital filtering. Selection logic is operable to select between the first, second and third logic for processing the digital data received through the wireless interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2008
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Weidong Li
  • Patent number: 7463872
    Abstract: The settling time of a wireless receiver is reduced by providing a previously utilized gain control state value to a low noise amplifier (LNA) of a receiver front end during a warm-up portion of a wake-up period of the wireless receiver which follows a sleep period. One illustrative method includes the steps of receiving a notification signal which indicates that the wireless receiver is to be placed in a sleep mode, reading a gain control state value from a gain controller based on receiving the notification signal, storing the gain control state value in memory, providing the stored gain control state value from the memory to the wireless receiver during a warm-up period of a second wake-up period following the first wake-up period, and providing a gain control state value from the gain controller to the wireless receiver based on a signal level of a currently received signal of the wireless receiver after the warm-up period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2008
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Xin Jin, Qingzhong Jiao, Tom Yun Sang Young
  • Patent number: 7454186
    Abstract: The direct conversion receiving apparatus has a gain control amplifier for variably amplifying a base band signal based on a gain switching control signal. A high pass filter has a first circuit including capacitors connected in parallel that are inserted in a path connecting an input terminal to an output terminal and switching effective total capacitance of the capacitors based on a first time constant switching control signal, and a second circuit including a resistor for providing a predetermined direct current voltage to the output terminal and switching the effective resistance value of the resistor based on a second time constant switching control signal. A control circuit outputs the gain switching control signal, and the first and second time constant switching control signals according to the change of the gain control of said gain control amplifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2008
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Takuji Yoneda, Hidehiko Kurimoto, Kaoru Ishida
  • Patent number: 7450918
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling a gain of a transceiving device in a terminal for a communication system is disclosed. A memory stores predetermined thresholds for level-by-level gain controlling. A signal intensity detector detects an intensity value of a received signal. Comparators compare the received signal intensity value with thresholds predetermined according to the current state. A state detector detects a gain level for the current state according to the comparison results provided from the comparators. A controller updates the current state according to the detected gain level, controls a gain of the transceiving device according to the updated current state, and sets thresholds corresponding to the updated current state in the comparators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2008
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hung-Su Park
  • Patent number: 7433431
    Abstract: A method of and device for automatic gain control (AGC) incorporates digitally controlled variable gain amplifiers (VGAs). An AGC circuit comprises multiple AGC stages, where each of the stages comprises: respective I and Q VGAs; a detector for detecting respective I and Q output signals received from the respective I and Q VGAs; an analogue to digital converter for converting the detected I and Q output signals; and a digital engine for adjusting the respective I and Q VGAs for differences between the detected I and Q output signals and a reference signal. Using staggered AGCs incorporating respective I and Q VGAs splits the total dynamic range between n stages, allowing for reduced gain requirements in the VGAs. Using digital control for setting the VGA gains reduces analogue variations and I/Q gain imbalances. Using multiple update rates or magnitudes in the VGA control improves dynamic settling time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2008
    Assignee: Zarbana Digital Fund, LLC
    Inventor: Neil Birkett
  • Publication number: 20080160946
    Abstract: Systems for suppressing image noise are provided. In this regard, one embodiment includes a system for suppressing image noise comprising a low noise amplifier (LNA) configured to amplify a received RF signal, an RF variable gain attenuator with an image rejection filter with programmable bandwidth configured to suppress image noise and image interference, and an RF mixer configured to perform frequency translation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2006
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Applicant: CONEXANT SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Jianhua Lu, Mark Santini, Weinan Gao, Mats Lindstrom, Damian Costa
  • Patent number: 7386063
    Abstract: A WLAN device operating in an 802.11g mode can receive signals of different modulations. A technique is provided that quickly and accurately identifies signals of different modulation types when received by the WLAN device. This technique includes beginning demodulation of the received signal using components associated with potential types of modulation. One or more identification values can be provided to a voting block for potential types of modulation based on the received signal. The voting block can advantageously determine the most probable modulation based on such identification value(s). At this point, components associated with the determined modulation can be used to correctly decode the received signal and components not associated with the determined modulation can be deactivated, thereby saving valuable power resources in the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2008
    Assignee: Atheros Communications, Inc.
    Inventor: Paul J. Husted
  • Patent number: 7373121
    Abstract: The invention is directed to an apparatus, method and system for providing reduced power consumption, fast processing of digitized communication signals and relatively easy reconfiguration for different applications, such as communication protocols/standards. The invention recognizes that the processing of signals associated with different types of communication standards can be recharacterized as deterministic data flows. Also, for each deterministic data flow, several of the same categories of computation are performed in substantially the same manner, albeit in a different order or somewhat differently, that is unique to a particular application. Based on this recharacterization, the invention divides the processing of the deterministic data flow for a communication signal among several Class processors that are separately configurable to optimize their particular category/class of computation in the processing of the signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2008
    Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventor: Ahmad Bahai
  • Patent number: 7313416
    Abstract: A power amplifier for a dual antenna is disclosed. The power amplifier comprises at least four controlled amplifier loops receiving a signal to be transmitted. The power amplifier also comprises a first combining structure combining at least two of the amplifier loops and a second combining structure combining at least two of the amplifier loops. The power amplifier also comprises a ninety degree hybrid receiving output from the first and second combining structures and providing output to a first antenna output and a second antenna output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: Clayton Harmon, Allen W. Jones, Russell W. Barta, James L. Barlett
  • Publication number: 20070281653
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention adjust an operating mode of a configurable receiver based at least in part on a selected communication service to be provided and an available signal quality. A control unit receives data related to one or more selected communication services to be provided. The control unit also receives information about the environmental operating conditions in which the configurable receiver is operating, via one or more signal quality metrics. The control unit adjusts the operating mode of the configurable receiver by modifying the gain of a received signal, the channel bandwidth, or controlling the synthesizers or equalizers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2006
    Publication date: December 6, 2007
    Applicant: Quorum Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: David Ryan Haub
  • Patent number: 7286807
    Abstract: Receiver comprising a cascade of first to N resonance amplifiers (SA1, SA2, SA3), an output thereof being coupled to signal processing means (TO, SD, PK, LP1, S) for deriving a baseband modulation signal. To improve the signal to noise ratio said cascade is included in an RF input stage of the receiver for a distributed selective amplification of an RF reception signal, preferably with an impedance level of the individual resonance amplifiers within said cascade of first to N resonance amplifiers increasing in signal downstream direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: Semiconductor Ideas to Market (ITOM) BV
    Inventor: Herman Wouter Van Rumpt
  • Patent number: 7272371
    Abstract: A radio receiver comprises an LNA which amplifies An RF signal, a quadrature demodulator which directly demodulates the amplified RF signal into a B/B signal, using a LO signal, a VGA which amplifies the B/B signal, a DC offset canceller which executes feedback control on the amplified B/B signal, and a gain controller which controls at least the gain of the LNA, the gain controller including a signal intensity detector which detects the intensity of the amplified B/B signal, a gain selector which selects a desired one of preset gains on the basis of the detected intensity, a timing controller which controls timing of switching to the selected desired gain, and a gain control signal generator which changes, in accordance with the controlled timing, the interval at which an LNA gain control signal is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Takehiko Toyoda, Hiroshi Yoshida, Takayuki Kato
  • Patent number: 7266345
    Abstract: A system and a method for receiving and processing broad-band signals in a software defined radio (SDR) terminal are provided. The system comprises first and second frequency pass units and an analog to digital signal converter (A/D converter). The first frequency pass unit converts an analog radio frequency (RF) signal into a direct current (DC) level signals and removes noise and DC components from the analog RF signal, if the RF signal is a high frequency signal. Otherwise, the second frequency pass unit removes noise and DC components from the analog RF signal, if the RF signal is a low frequency signal. The A/D converter converts the RF signal into a digital RF signal after the DC components are removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2007
    Inventor: Jeong-Ho Park
  • Patent number: 7248847
    Abstract: Accordingly, a system and method are provided for adaptively controlling amplification in a wireless communications device receiver. The method comprises: receiving a signal with a variable signal strength; amplifying the received signal in response to the signal strength, to supply an amplified signal. More specifically, amplifying the received signal in response to signal strength includes selecting a gain state in response to a plurality of signal strength switch point. The method further comprises: measuring signal quality; measuring signal energy; and, modifying a relationship between receiver performance and amplified signal strength, in response to the measured signal quality and measured signal energy. Other aspects of the method comprise processing the amplified signal, so that a processed signal quality and processed signal energy can be measured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignee: Kyocera Wireless Corp.
    Inventors: Ray Wallace, Ed Corn
  • Patent number: 7248890
    Abstract: A transceiver according to some embodiments of the present invention receives data from a plurality of frequency separated transmission channels from a complementary transmitter of another transceiver and adjusts the power output of certain channels in a transmitter of the receiver. Upon start-up, the power output levels of signals in individual channels in the transmitter can be preset. A power balance can determine new power output levels of the transmitter from parameters in the receiver while receiving data transmitted by a similarly situated complementary transmitter in a second transceiver coupled to the transceiver. In some embodiments, a complementary receiver of the other transceiver determines the power outputs of the transmitter and the power levels are transmitted to the transmitter by the other transceiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignee: Vativ Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Sreen A. Raghavan, Thulasinath G. Manickam, Peter J. Sallaway, Gerard E. Taylor
  • Patent number: 7245890
    Abstract: A high frequency variable gain amplification device 100 includes: a feedback circuit 103 capable of changing a feedback impedance to adjust the gain of an amplifier 101 in accordance with a control signal from a control device 200; and a current consumption adjustment circuit 102 capable of adjusting current consumption of the amplifier 101. The control device 200 controls the feedback impedance and the current consumption based on a desired signal power level and an undesired signal power level. If the desired signal power level exceeds a predetermined value, the control device 200 reduces the feedback impedance to increase the amount of a feedback signal, thereby allowing the amplifier 101 to operate with low gain so as to prevent the distortion characteristic from being reduced and to reduce the current consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Kumagawa, Toshifumi Nakatani, Hisashi Adachi
  • Patent number: 7242915
    Abstract: A Radio Frequency (RF) receiver includes a low noise amplifier (LNA) and a mixer coupled to the output of the LNA. The gain of the LNA is adjusted to maximize signal-to-noise ratio of the mixer and to force the mixer to operate well within its linear region when an intermodulation interference component is present. The RF receiver includes a first received signal strength indicator (RSSI_A) coupled to the output of the mixer that measures the strength of the wideband signal at that point. A second received signal strength indicator (RSSI_B) couples after the BPF and measures the strength of the narrowband signal. The LNA gain is set based upon these signal strengths. LNA gain is determined during a guard period preceding an intended time slot of a current frame and during a guard period following an intended time slot of a prior frame. The lesser of these two LNA gains is used for the intended time slot of the current frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2007
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Hong Shi
  • Patent number: 7212797
    Abstract: A wireless communication device (WCD) performs DC removal on a received signal using a coarse DC removal unit that removes relatively large DC components and a fine DC removal loop that removes residual DC components. The coarse DC removal unit can be implemented in a receiver, and the flue DC removal loop can be implemented in a modem. In addition, a coarse DC estimation loop implemented on the modem may be coupled to the coarse DC removal unit to update DC offset values stored in the DC removal unit. By storing coarse DC offset values locally on the receiver, DC removal can be achieved very quickly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Qualcomm Incorporated
    Inventor: Daniel F. Filipovic
  • Patent number: 7209723
    Abstract: A direct conversion circuit includes first and second mixers to which a radio frequency signal is input. An oscillator supplies the first and second mixers with local oscillation signals whose phases are orthogonal to each other. A baseband processing circuit processes baseband signals output from the first and second mixers. A level-difference correcting circuit which corrects the two baseband signals input to the baseband processing circuit so that the levels of both are equal to each other is provided in a stage before the first and second mixers. The levels of the baseband signals are corrected by changing relative levels of the radio frequency signal input to the first mixer and the radio frequency signal input to the second mixer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2007
    Assignee: ALPS Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeo Suzuki, Shigeru Osada
  • Patent number: 7203472
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for operating a RF receiver of a communications equipment, as is circuitry for implementing the method. The method includes, while operating under the control of a data processor of the communications equipment, generating a calibration signal; injecting the calibration signal into a low noise amplifier (LNA) of the RF receiver; measuring a downconverted response of the receiver at a plurality of different frequencies of the calibration signal, or measuring the downconverted response of the receiver at a plurality of different LNA tuning combinations using a fixed calibration frequency, and at least one of tuning a resonance frequency of at least one LNA resonator based on the measured downconverted response so as to compensate at least for variations in component values that comprise the at least one resonator, or adjusting the linearity of the receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2007
    Assignee: Nokia Corporation
    Inventors: Pauli Seppinen, Aarno Parssinen, Mikael Gustafsson, Mika Makitalo
  • Patent number: 7177610
    Abstract: A low-noise current reference circuitry includes a voltage source, a current source, and a controller. The voltage source generates a reference voltage. The current source provides a low-noise output current in response to a control signal. The controller provides the control signal based at least in part on the relative magnitudes of the reference voltage and a voltage derived from the output current. A low-noise voltage reference circuitry includes a reference voltage source, a voltage source, and a controller. The reference voltage source generates a reference voltage. The voltage source provides a low-noise output voltage in response to a control signal. The controller provides the control signal based at least in part on the relative magnitudes of the output voltage and the reference voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey W. Scott, G. Diwakar Vishakhadatta, Donald A. Kerth, Richard T. Behrens, G. Tyson Tuttle, Vishnu S. Srinivasan
  • Patent number: 7174190
    Abstract: A direct downconversion receiver architecture having a DC loop to remove DC offset from the signal components, a digital variable gain amplifier (DVGA) to provide a range of gains, an automatic gain control (AGC) loop to provide gain control for the DVGA and RF/analog circuitry, and a serial bus interface (SBI) unit to provide controls for the RF/analog circuitry via a serial bus. The DVGA may be advantageously designed and located as described herein. The operating mode of the VGA loop may be selected based on the operating mode of the DC loop, since these two loops interact with one another. The duration of time the DC loop is operated in an acquisition mode may be selected to be inversely proportional to the DC loop bandwidth in the acquisition mode. The controls for some or all of the RF/analog circuitry may be provided via the serial bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Qualcomm Inc.
    Inventors: Brett C. Walker, Paul E. Peterzell, Tao Li, Matthew L. Severson
  • Patent number: 7162218
    Abstract: A radio communications device such as a receiver, transmitter or transceiver provides direct conversion of quadrature signals between a radio frequency signal and a plurality of resolved channels. The device provides block processing of multiple RF carriers in a wireless communication system using a direct conversion transmitter/receiver and baseband signal processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: InterDigital Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy A. Axness, Leonid Kazakevich