Variable Automatic Gain Control Loop Gain Patents (Class 455/240.1)
  • Patent number: 7603098
    Abstract: The invention enables a compromise between DC offset rejection and image rejection through the use of a bandpass filter having a variable center frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Meng-An Pan
  • Patent number: 7599675
    Abstract: A frequency conversion receiver comprises a passive mixer, a Low-Noise Amplifier (LNA) and a balun. The low-noise amplifier generates an amplified single-ended signal responsive to a single-ended receiver input signal. The passive mixer generates a mixer output signal responsive to a differential mixer input signal and a four-phase local oscillator signal. The balun transforms the amplified singled-ended signal into the differential mixer input signal, the balun having a first winding coupled to an output of the low-noise amplifier and a second winding coupled to an input of the passive mixer, the second winding having more turns than the first winding. The turn ratio of the second winding to the first winding provides gain compensation to the low-noise amplifier, and in conjunction with the low-noise amplifier and the passive mixer, provides a desired gain to the receiver and linearity over a dynamic range of the receiver input signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
    Inventors: Fenghao Mu, Andreas T. Mårtensson, Magnus Nilsson
  • Publication number: 20090247106
    Abstract: A system and method is provided for reducing signal distortion and saturation within an RF receiver which may be operated in an environment under the presence of interfering signals such as in a WiMAX environment. In an embodiment, a first gain stage and a second gain stage are selectively lowered to predetermined lower levels, assuring that if there is a blocker present, it would not cause signal distortion and saturation in the receiver. The loss of the gain in the first gain stage and second gain stage is compensated by a third gain stage which selectively amplifies the signals of interest. If a blocker is not detected, the maximum allowable gain of the first gain stage and the second gain stage is set to a predetermined upper limit allowing for maximum receiver sensitivity. Accordingly, with this system and method a direct conversional receiver can operate in the presence of interfering signals without signal distortion and saturation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2008
    Publication date: October 1, 2009
    Inventors: Paul J. Da Graca, Alfred R. Mangino, Richard S. Camden
  • Patent number: 7587183
    Abstract: According to various exemplary embodiments, apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed for use with antenna systems operable for receiving first and second signals having respective first and second frequencies. In one exemplary embodiment, a controller selectively controls whether an amplifier is electrically powered via a first receiver associated with the first frequency or a second receiver associated with the second frequency depending on whether the first receiver, second receiver, or both are present and activated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2009
    Assignee: Laird Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Ayman Duzdar, Tan Dinh Quach, Keith J. Schrag
  • Patent number: 7587188
    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: September 8, 2009
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kaoru Someya
  • Patent number: 7583944
    Abstract: A method and circuit for amplifying and demodulating amplitude-modulated signals is disclosed that amplifies a primary signal into an amplified signal, bandpass filters the amplified signal into a filtered signal, compares the filtered signal with a regulation threshold and regulates the gain of the primary signal such that peak values of the filtered signal approach the regulation threshold, compares the filtered signal with a signal threshold, and demodulates the result of the comparison. Whereby a value of the signal threshold is smaller than a value of the regulation threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2009
    Assignee: ATMEL Germany GmbH
    Inventor: Alexander Kurz
  • 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
  • Patent number: 7570934
    Abstract: An automatic gain control circuit is disclosed. The automatic gain control circuit receives a radio frequency signal at an input. The input passes the radio frequency signal to a first gain loop having a changeable gain. A low pass filter filters the radio frequency signal. In a second gain loop, the gain of the filtered signal is adjusted. The automatic gain control circuit includes at least one signal detector for detecting a signal level in the first gain loop and a signal level in the second gain loop. The automatic gain control circuit also includes an adjustment module for adjusting the gain of the first and second gain loops based upon the detected signal levels wherein overall gain of the first and the second gain loops is increased no greater than a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2009
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventor: Ahmed F. Shalash
  • Patent number: 7565123
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided for improved temperature compensation of received RF signals. An RF receiver includes receiver circuitry which receives an RF signal and demodulates it to generate an output signal. Temperature compensation circuitry is coupled to the receiver circuitry and includes a diode having diode temperature characteristics. The temperature compensation circuitry adjusts the output signal of the receiver circuitry in response to the diode temperature characteristics to provide a tighter minimum trigger level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2009
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Delbert E. Brandley, Tuan N. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 7555274
    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: November 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2009
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Takehiko Toyoda, Hiroshi Yoshida, Takayuki Kato
  • Patent number: 7515929
    Abstract: A receiver for a multi-mode wireless device is provided. The receiver has multiple analog RF front end modules, with each module supporting a different mode of operation. The receiver has a single digital backend module for generating a digital baseband signal. A controller selects one of the available RF modules to use, and the selected RF module provides an analog communication signal to the digital backend. Each available mode has an associated set of factors. When a particular mode is selected, the set of factors associated with the selected mode is provided to the digital backend. The digital backend uses these factors to adjust the processing characteristics of its components, such as its analog to digital converter, filters, and gain controller. In this way, the single digital backend is adaptable to the requirements of each of the available radio modes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: Skyworks Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Balasubramanian Ramachandran, John E. Vasa, Tudor Lipan, Norman J Beamish
  • Patent number: 7515890
    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: November 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Takehiko Toyoda, Hiroshi Yoshida, Takayuki Kato
  • Publication number: 20090075614
    Abstract: A gain control method which includes setting a first initial gain value to a first variable gain amplifier; measuring a first power value corresponding to incoming signals; measuring a second power value corresponding to a target signal; and resetting the first initial gain value according to the first power value and the second power value. Another gain control method is also disclosed, which includes updating a gain value of a first variable gain amplifier by combining an adjustment value with the gain value according to a first tuning direction; obtaining a signal quality indicator; comparing the signal quality indicator with a reference signal quality indicator to generate a comparison result; and referring to the comparison result, further updating the gain value according to the first tuning direction or a second tuning direction opposite to the first tuning direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2007
    Publication date: March 19, 2009
    Inventors: Che-Li Lin, Hua-Shan Chou, Tsung-Han Wu
  • Patent number: 7499682
    Abstract: A supply voltage controlled power amplifier that comprises a power amplifier, a closed power control feedback loop configured to generate a power control signal, and a dual voltage regulator coupled to the power control feedback loop, the dual voltage regulator comprising a first regulator stage and a second regulator stage, wherein the closed power control loop minimizes noise generated by the first regulator stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Assignee: Skyworks Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Dmitriy Rozenblit, Tirdad Sowlati
  • Patent number: 7496339
    Abstract: An amplitude calibration element comprises a linear driver configured to receive the output of a modulator, the modulator output comprising a voltage signal having an amplitude modulated (AM) portion, a differential detector configured to receive an output of the linear driver and develop a differential signal corresponding to the AM portion, and a differential comparator configured to receive the output of the differential detector and a differential reference signal, the differential comparator configured to develop a gain control signal to control the gain of the linear driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignee: Skyworks Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Florinel G. Balteanu, Ionel Gheorghe, Rajasekhar Pullela, Tirdad Sowlati
  • Patent number: 7496338
    Abstract: Multi-segment gain control system. Apparatus is provided for a multi-segment gain control. The apparatus includes logic to convert a gain control signal to an exponential signal, and logic to map the exponential signal to multiple control signals that are used to control multiple gain stages to produce linear multi-segment gain control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignee: Sequoia Communications
    Inventors: John Groe, Naone Farias, Damian Costa, Babak Nejati
  • Patent number: 7463869
    Abstract: A novel apparatus for a low noise, high isolation, all digital transmit buffer gain control mechanism. The gain control scheme is presented in the context of an all digital direct digital-to-RF amplitude converter (DRAC), which efficiently combines the traditional transmit chain functions of upconversion, I and Q combining, D/A conversion, filtering, buffering and RF output amplitude control into a single circuit. The transmit buffer is constructed as an array of NMOS switches. The control logic for each NMOS switch comprises a pass-gate type AND gate whose inputs are the phase modulated output of an all digital PLL and the amplitude control word from a digital control block. Power control is accomplished by recognizing the impairments suffered by a pseudo class E pre-power amplifier (PPA) when implemented in a CMOS process. Firstly, the NMOS switches of the array have significant on resistance and thus can only draw a limited current from the an RF choke when the input waveform is high.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2008
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Chih-Ming Hung, Francis P. Cruise, Dirk Leipold, Robert B. Staszewski
  • Patent number: 7450533
    Abstract: A wireless transmitting device includes a first and a second antennas, a first and a second transmitters connected to the first and the second antenna, respectively, signal provide unit provide a short preamble sequence, a first and a second signal fields to the first transmitter, and provide an AGC preamble sequence, a data and a long-preamble sequence to estimate a channel response to the first and the second transmitters, and a controller to power on the transmitters at different timings, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2008
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Tsuguhide Aoki, Ichiro Seto, Kazumi Sato
  • Patent number: 7447490
    Abstract: An apparatus for calibrating gain of an radio frequency receiver (“Rx”) is disclosed to provide, among other things, a structure for performing in-situ gain calibration of an RF integrated circuit over time and/or over temperature without removing the RF integrated circuit from its operational configuration, especially when the gain of the RF integrated circuit is susceptible to variations in process, such as inherent with the CMOS process. In one embodiment, an exemplary apparatus includes a thermal noise generator configured to generate thermal noise as a calibrating signal into an input of an Rx path of an RF integrated circuit. The apparatus also includes a calibrator configured to first measure an output signal from an output of the Rx path, and then adjust a gain of the Rx path based on the thermal noise. In one embodiment, the thermal noise generator further includes a termination resistance and/or impedance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2008
    Assignee: Nvidia Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy C. Kuo, Mansour Keramat, Edward Wai Yeung Liu
  • Patent number: 7440738
    Abstract: A receiver (100) adjusts its overall gain based on the detected power level of an incoming signal. The receiver is built with two detectors (D1, D2) which operate with different detecting ranges within the dynamic range of the incoming signal. If the actual power level of the incoming signal falls within one of the resolving ranges, an automatic gain control adjusts the gain of the receiver to a corresponding gain value. If not, the resolving range of one of the two detectors is shifted and eventually reduced to cover the portion of the dynamic range in which the power level is comprised. The gain of the receiver is then temporarily adjusted and a new measurement is carried out by the detector using the new resolving range. The AGC then re-adjusts the gain of the receiver based on the measurement given by the modified detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Yifeng Zhang, Henk Visser
  • Patent number: 7430406
    Abstract: This disclosure is directed to techniques that can be executed by a wireless device to perform various signal processing tasks associated with wireless communication. The techniques involve gain state switching based on an output of an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter, rather than gain state switching techniques in which an estimation of signal strength at the antenna is mapped to gain states. Use of the A/D converter output for gain state selection can provide more accurate and dynamic switchpoints.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2008
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventor: Daniel F. Filipovic
  • Patent number: 7406300
    Abstract: A wireless communication system includes at least one repeater antenna assembly for providing adequate RF coverage within a building, such as a home. An example repeater antenna assembly has an automatically adjustable gain that is controlled responsive to a pathloss associated with a received signal to avoid base station transceiver desensitization and positive feedback. A disclosed assembly avoids base station desensitization and positive feedback. Another disclosed technique maintains a selected minimum link budget within the building.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2008
    Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc.
    Inventor: Victor Pan
  • Patent number: 7400869
    Abstract: A first direct current (DC) component of a first amplified representation of a received signal at an output of an amplifier set to a first gain setting is determined during a first expected idle period of a received signal. A second DC component of a second amplified representation of the received signal at the output of the amplifier set to the first gain setting is determined during a second expected idle period of the received signal. A first average DC component is determined based at least in part on the first and second DC components and a DC offset used by the amplifier when set to the first gain setting is adjusted based on a comparison of the first average DC component to one or more threshold values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: ViXS Systems Inc.
    Inventor: Paul M. Astrachan
  • Patent number: 7389093
    Abstract: A call apparatus, a call method and a call system, are disclosed, in which the problem otherwise caused by fixed setting of the sound volume level of the BGM or the effect sound with respect to the call voice may be overcome. A decoded output of a decoder 17 (PCM data) is multiplied in a gain adjustment unit 18 with a gain coefficient k2, as the SE sound volume level as set by a user. A multiplication output of the gain adjustment unit 18 is sent to an adder 13. The decoded output of a decoder 20 is multiplied in a gain adjustment unit 21 with a gain coefficient k3, as the BGM sound volume level, as set by the user. A multiplication output of the gain adjustment unit 21 is sent to an adder 13. The adder 13 sums the multiplication outputs of the gain adjustment units 12, 18 and 21 and sends a sum output to an encoder 22.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2008
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Kunito, Satoshi Kawahata, Akihiro Hokimoto, Tadayuki Hattori
  • Patent number: 7386285
    Abstract: An AGC circuit controls LNA and VGA amplifiers such that a received signal is converted at a high speed with tracking errors prevented according to each modulation scheme. The AGC circuit generates LNA and VGA control signals controlling the LNA and VGA amplifiers, respectively. A digital signal, converted from the received signal, is calculated for a power value, on which scaling is performed by a scaling section to then be provided through an adder and a register to a control signal generator for generating the LNA and VGA control signals. The scaling section compares the power value with a target value to perform scaling with a scaling coefficient according to the sign of the comparison value so that an increase of the tracking error is avoided, thus preventing phenomena where the AGC control oscillates without convergence, thereby making it possible to attain the optimum automatic gain control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2008
    Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shigeki Yamauchi
  • Patent number: 7382764
    Abstract: A method of controlling a receiving operation includes, receiving a transmission frame into a wireless device, and decoding the transmission frame. A header information in the transmission frame is analyzed. Then, the receiving operation is suspended in response to the header information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2008
    Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Teruaki Uehara
  • Patent number: 7359690
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatically controlling the gain of a digital radio receiving circuit in which a single set of analogue amplifiers is used as the front end to feed two separate digital back-end, demodulating circuits, and in which, for optimal performance, each of the two digital demodulating circuits require the front end analogue amplifiers to operate over a significantly different dynamic range. An automatic-gain-control selector selects one of two automatic-gain control signals to set the gain of the analogue amplifier. In addition, the automatic-gain-control selector sets a compensatory gain of a digital automatic gain control in the back-end circuit not selected, so that the unselected demodulating circuit has substantially the same input signal as if it had been selected. In this way, both demodulating circuits can process the input signal as if they were in control of the analogue amplifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2008
    Assignee: Agere Systems Inc.
    Inventor: Yhean-Sen Lai
  • Patent number: 7356321
    Abstract: A radio frequency tuner is provided for selecting channels from a cable distribution network or other reception system. The tuner has one or more stages whose performance, such as signal to noise plus intermodulation, and gain are functions of the stage power consumption. A comparator compares the tuner performance, such as bit error rate, with a predetermined performance. When the tuner performance exceeds the predetermined performance, a power consumption control circuit reduces the power consumption of one or more of the stages so as to reduce the tuner power consumption while maintaining acceptable tuner performance. As an alternative, the control circuit may have an input which allows the power consumption to be preset in accordance with the tuner application. The control circuit also controls a variable gain arrangement to compensate for changes in gain resulting from changes in power consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2008
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Nicholas Paul Cowley, Lance Trodd
  • Patent number: 7340235
    Abstract: A system and method for limiting current in an output stage of power amplifier circuitry in a transmitter of a mobile terminal are provided. In general, the current in the output stage of the power amplifier circuitry is detected during each transmit burst from the power amplifier circuitry. For each transmit burst, an error correction value for a corresponding power level is determined based on the detected current and a predetermined threshold value. The error correction value is used to correct an adjustable power control signal that controls the power level of the power amplifier circuit for a subsequent transmit burst at the same power level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2008
    Assignee: RF Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Ulrik Riis Madsen, Darrell G. Epperson
  • Patent number: 7313376
    Abstract: A system and method for performing DC offset correction in a wireless communication receiver during “dead time” are provided. The receiver includes amplifier circuitry that amplifies a received radio frequency (RF) signal, downconversion circuitry that downconverts the received RF signal to provide a downconverted signal, digitization circuitry that digitizes the downconverted signal to provide a digital signal, and digital DC offset correction circuitry enabled during the dead time when there should be no DC content in the downconverted signal. In operation, the digital DC offset correction circuitry detects a DC offset of the digital signal and subtracts the DC offset from the digital signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: RF Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventor: Alexander Wayne Hietala
  • Patent number: 7302022
    Abstract: Disclosed is an AGC (automatic gain control) device and method of an OFDM system with a DC offset compensation function, and a recording medium storing a program including the method. The AGC device calculates an energy of input signals with DC offsets as the summation of the square of the input signals, and calculates an energy of the DC offsets in the input signals as the summation of the square of the DC offsets. Pure signal energy without DC offsets is produced by subtracting the energy of the DC offsets from the energy of the calculated input signal. The energy and an AGC reference value are then compared, and feedback of a comparison result is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Jun-Woo Kim, Young-Ha Lee, Chang-Wahn Yu, Dae-Ho Kim, Youn-Ok Park
  • Patent number: 7302245
    Abstract: In a time-division duplex (TDD) system, a reliable initialization scheme that is applicable to an automatic gain controller (AGC) at a base station is implemented in various forms depending on the availability of certain information such as signal-to-interference ratio (SIR), spreading factors and other parameters. A more accurate estimation of the initial control word of a gain-adjustable amplifier for one or more time slots is implemented. The scheme is applicable to AGC initialization for each time slot of the TDD system, but is also applicable to other systems of transmission, without limitation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Assignee: InterDigital Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Rui Yang, Donald M. Grieco, Leonid Kazakevich
  • Patent number: 7277685
    Abstract: A method includes amplifying the plurality of received signals, generating a plurality of time domain samples of the amplified signals with at least an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), determining at least a candidate power according to root-mean-square (RMS) powers of a first group of symbols received at the receiver antennas, and setting the gain of the amplifier according to a selected candidate power with the processor. The received RMS power for one antenna is determined as the square root of the averaged product of each received symbol and its complex conjugate for all symbols of the first group. The candidate power can be determined considering a subgroup of antennas using an RMS value, an arithmetical mean value, or a geometric mean value of this subgroup.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
    Inventors: Der-Zheng Liu, Shan-An Yang, Kuang-Yu Yen
  • Patent number: 7271852
    Abstract: An automatic gain controller (AGC) and method for use in a digital TV receiver having an IF amplifier, an RF amplifier, an analog to digital converter (ADC) connected to the IF amplifier, and a demodulator connected to the ADC, the AGC comprising: an input selector for selecting as feedback signal one of a digitized IF signal output of the ADC and a demodulated signal output of the demodulator; a signal detection unit for detecting the conditions of the feedback signal and outputting status signals; and a traffic controller for receiving the status signals and outputting control signals based on the status signals to an IF gain controller and an RF gain controller for independent gain control of the RF amplifier and the IF amplifier. The AGC and method further including hysteresis-curve-based switching for alternatively halting adjustments to IF gain while adjusting RF gain or halting adjustments to RF gain while adjusting IF gain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Won-Kyu Paik, Do-Han Kim
  • Patent number: 7266353
    Abstract: The invention improves the control behavior of a control circuit for digital signals which is used in AGCs (automatic gain control), using a simple supplementary circuit. In a first example of an embodiment, the output signal of an integrator member is looped back to the input of said integrator member in the loop-back branch of the control circuit. In a second example, a counter is provided. Said counter monitors the overflow of the integrator member and weights the input signal accordingly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2007
    Assignee: Micronas GmbH
    Inventor: Andreas Menkhoff
  • Patent number: 7260374
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for controlling power level of received signal in an ultra wide band transmission system which uses multi frequency bands, and includes a pre-gain controller (PGC) and a voltage gain amplifier (VGA). The method for controlling a power level of a received signal includes the steps of: a) at the PGCs, detecting which multi frequency band is used in a transmitter of the transmission system; b) at the PGCs, obtaining the voltage gain owing to the discrepancy in the power levels of the received signals; and c) at the PGCs, compensating for the power loss based on the voltage gain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2007
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Hyung-Soo Lee, Sang-In Cho, Kyu-Min Kang, Chang-Joo Kim
  • Patent number: 7257383
    Abstract: The receiver is provided which comprises a mixer, a low pass filter coupled to the mixer and a plurality of gain controllers serially coupled to an output of the low pass filter (LPF). A plurality of analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) is coupled so that an input of a first of the ADCs is coupled to the output of the LPF. An input of each of a remaining portion of the ADCs is individually coupled to a corresponding output of each of the serially coupled gain blocks. An output path traced from the output of the LPF to an output of each of the analog-to-digital converters may be referred to as a processing path. Each processing path may comprise a gain controller and an ADC, except for the first processing path, which may have an ADC coupled directly to the output of the LPF.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2007
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher Young, Tushar Moorti
  • 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: 7239678
    Abstract: A control word generator comprised of circuitry to generate a control word to control an attenuator. The control word generator includes a counter that increments at a clock rate much higher than the refresh rate at which the error signal is recalculated. The counter is controlled by a comparator which compares the error signal to a reference value, which, starting from a programmable upper limited is decremented in the counter's incrementation rate by a programmable step size. When the reference value equals the error signal, the comparator changes state and the counter stops incrementing. The count at that time is the control word, which if everything operated instantaneously, would be the control word that would alter the attenuation sufficiently to achieve nominal power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2007
    Assignee: Terayon Communications Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Syed Habib Rahman
  • Patent number: 7218905
    Abstract: A receiver front end is provided with a low-noise amplifier (LNA), a linearity on demand (LOD) circuit, and a gain calibration device. The LOD circuit provides current to the LNA depending on linearity requirements. The gain calibration device monitors the amount of current provided by the LOD circuit to the LNA and provides signals to help compensate for variations in the LNA's gain due to the variations in the current supplied to the LNA by the LOD circuit. The compensation signals may be used to adjust the gain of a variable-gain amplifier, or may comprise compensation parameters usable by a digital signal processor, to compensate for the gain variations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Skyworks Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Alyosha C. Molnar, Rahul Magoon, Keith J. Rampmeier
  • Patent number: 7212587
    Abstract: Apparatus for reducing DC offset in a signal path of a conversion system comprising a front end circuit for providing an input signal having an a DC offset; an amplifier system coupled to the front end circuit to receive and amplify the input signal; a multi-bit sigma delta modulator for receiving the input signal from the amplifier system and providing a first bit quantizer; a DC adapt circuit coupled to the sigma delta modulator for receiving the first bit quantizer from the sigma delta modulator and for providing an operation to reduce DC offset; a digital to analog converter (DAC) coupled to the digital DC adapt circuit to provide an analog signal representative of the DC offset correction to the input of the amplifier system, wherein the digital DC adapt circuit and the DAC form a feedback path originating at the first bit of the multi bit sigma delta modulator to the input of the amplifier system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Nadim Khlat, Francois Dorel
  • Patent number: 7194049
    Abstract: A digital automatic level control system employs delay elements, which enable information about a signal parameter from the past, present and future to be processed to provide an optimal gain that can be used to level rapidly varying signals, such as bursty signals. As digital time samples of a signal are passed through first and second buffers, first and second accumulators maintain running sums that are related to the sum of the samples presently in the first and second buffers, respectively. The sums in the first and second accumulators represent information about the signal parameter for the future and the past, respectively. By choosing the maximum of these two values, the system can anticipate the beginning of a signal burst, and still have enough delay to compensate the end of a signal burst. In one embodiment of the invention, multiple channel signals can be leveled, either individually or in groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corp.
    Inventors: Cyrus A. Dhalla, Michael S. Munoz
  • Patent number: 7184728
    Abstract: A wireless distribution system includes a number of remote units distributed in a coverage area to receive wireless signals and to provide the signals through the distribution system to input ports of a node where the signals are combined, a number of input power monitors operatively connected to one or more of the input ports to determine power levels of signals received at the input ports, variable gain controllers to control signals received at some or all of the input ports, a node to combine a plurality of signals from the plurality of input ports, and a controller to provide control signals to control one or more of the variable gain controllers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignee: ADC Telecommunications, Inc.
    Inventor: Jeff Solum
  • Patent number: 7184730
    Abstract: An automatic gain control system (100) and methods thereof for a receiver for providing a wide range of continuous gain control has been discussed. The AGC includes an input stage (120) for providing an indication of a strength of a received signal; an attenuator stage (107) operable to switch a fixed amount of attenuation for the received signal; a variable attenuator (109) to provide a variable amount of attenuation for said received signal, and a controller (135) responsive to said indication for providing a variable control signal (145) to the variable attenuator; wherein the controller concurrently changes the variable control signal to change in the opposite direction the variable amount of attenuation by approximately the fixed amount of attenuation whenever the attenuator stage is switched, thereby extending the range of continuous gain control beyond the range of the variable attenuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: James David Hughes, Lynn R. Freytag, John Richard Oakley
  • Patent number: 7184729
    Abstract: An automatic gain controller for transceiver elements uses a digital topology to achieve an efficient and rapid gain settling so that an output signal of the variable gain section is within a predefined range. In one embodiment, an input signal is periodically sampled and latched so as represent the gain excess of a variable gain section. An accumulator, including an adder having saturation characteristics and a latch as a feedback element, creates a number for a new gain setting so that the variable gain section may adapt to the new gain setting within one clock period. In one example, a gain range of 84 dB is controllable and settling is achieved within 3 clock periods at most.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Wolfram Kluge, Lutz Dathe, Dietmar Eggert
  • Patent number: 7173987
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an analog front end circuit which is preferably used for taking out an image signal from a charge coupled device, that is used as image pickup means in an electronic camera such as an electronic still camera, a video camera and the like. In the present invention, an image analog signal which is produced by, for example, the charge coupled device (CCD: not shown) is supplied to a correlated double sampling circuit (CDS) 2 through an input terminal 1. The image analog signal is taken out through the CDS2, and the signal taken out from the CDS2 is supplied to an analog type programmable gain control amplifier (PGA) 4 through a changeover switch 3. Either the gain controlled signal by the analog PGA 4 or the signal sent from the changeover switch 3 is selected by a changeover switch 5. The selected signal is further supplied to, for example, a 12-bit analog digital converter (ADC) 6.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Kenichi Nishio
  • Patent number: 7171185
    Abstract: A determining section (18) and gain variation amount detecting section (9) detect a period having a possibility of a DC-component offset in an internal circuit of a direct conversion receiver increasing beyond an allowable value due to AGC operation, and during the period, a cut-off frequency of each of high-pass filters (12a to 12d) is set at a frequency higher than that in general operation, thereby rapidly converging transient responses of signals passed through the high-pass filters, while controlling precisely operation timings of reception power measuring section (16), gain calculating section (22), gain control section (23) and circuit power supply control section (24) composing an AGC loop, whereby the DC offset is prevented from increasing and stable circuit operation is assured. It is thereby possible to achieve further reductions in size and power consumption of a CDMA receiver using the direct conversion receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidenori Matsumoto, Toshio Obara
  • Patent number: 7130602
    Abstract: Disclosed is a novel and improved dynamically programmable linear receiver which provides the required level of system performance with reduced power consumption. In one embodiment, disclosed is a programmable receiver coupled to a jammer detector for detecting the presence of jamming in an RF signal, the jammer detector coupled to a state machine, and the state machine having means for controlling the receiver based on the results of the jammer detector detecting the presence of jamming in the RF signal. The disclosed receiver is capable of detecting the presence of jammers, with a means to adjust the bias current downward if no jammers are present, which improves the receiver's standby time and prolongs battery life.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: Qualcomm Incorporated
    Inventor: Steven C. Ciccarelli
  • Patent number: 7127224
    Abstract: A base band circuit forms a part of an automatic gain controller incorporated in a direct conversion receiver, and includes a series of variable gain amplifiers controlled by a gain controller and a feedback loop connected between the output node and the input node of the series of variable gain amplifiers, wherein the feedback loop has an attenuation circuit connected between the output node of the series of variable gain amplifiers and an inverted integrating circuit which, in turn, is connected through an adder and a low pass filter to the input node of the series of variable gain amplifiers so that direct current offset voltage is eliminated from the output signal of the series of variable gain amplifiers without change of cut-off frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Masaki Ichihara
  • Patent number: 7120410
    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. By altering the gain of the LNA by one step and measuring the difference between a prior RSSI_B reading and a subsequent RSSI_B? reading will indicate whether intermodulation interference is present.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2006
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Hong Shi