Image Frequency Suppression Patents (Class 455/302)
  • Patent number: 11923884
    Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods, and devices for wireless communication that support reconfiguring degeneration components in a converged RF transceiver supporting carrier aggregation across sub-6 GHz frequency bands and mmWave frequency bands. In a first aspect, an apparatus includes an input port configured to receive a mixer input signal; a first mixer forming at least a portion of an HRM mixer and coupled to the input port; a first configurable degeneration component of a first processing path coupled between the input port and the first mixer; and a controller coupled to the first degeneration component, wherein the controller is configured to control a first aspect of a first degeneration component. Other aspects and features are also claimed and described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Kyle David Holland, Jang Joon Lee, Prakash Thoppay Egambaram, Aleksandar Miodrag Tasic
  • Patent number: 11606230
    Abstract: Circuits, methods, and apparatus that provide improved data recovery for data transmitted through a channel of limited bandwidth. An example can provide circuits, methods, and apparatus that can equalize losses in a physical channel. This equalization can provide an overall channel response that is more consistent and uniform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: William P. Cornelius, Seungyong Baek
  • Patent number: 11543538
    Abstract: A receiver determines whether an outbound carrier frequency among a plurality of outbound carrier frequencies, as received, includes interference. Based at least in part on a result of the determining, a new outbound carrier frequency is selected for the receiver. Optionally, the receiver sends an interference report to a system controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: HUGHES NETWORK SYSTEMS, LLC
    Inventors: David Whitefield, Matthew Baer, George Choquette
  • Patent number: 11533200
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a channel estimation method of a wireless communication device. The channel estimation method includes descrambling a pilot signal having a unit symbol, dividing the descrambled pilot signal, and estimating a channel value of the wireless communication device. The descrambled pilot signal may be divided into a plurality of frequency resources with a first frequency resource and a second frequency resource and generating a first signal chunk with the first frequency resource and a second signal chunk with the second frequency resource. The channel value of the wireless communication device may be estimated based on the first signal chunk and the second signal chunk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hongsik Yoon, Jungmin Park, Jinho Kim, Youngseok Jung
  • Patent number: 11349520
    Abstract: Systems and methods for generating a microwave signal using two millimeter-wave frequencies. A first millimeter-wave up-conversion frequency, which is generated from a lower frequency source, is used to up-convert a baseband and/or intermediate signal into a first millimeter-wave signal, which is then down-converted into a microwave signal using a second millimeter-wave down-conversion frequency generated from the same lower frequency source. Each of the first and second millimeter-wave frequencies is associated with a phase noise that is higher than a phase noise associated with the lower frequency source, however, the frequency differential between the first millimeter-wave frequency and the second millimeter-wave frequency is free of the higher phase noise, as a result of the two millimeter-wave signal being generated from the single lower frequency source, thereby causing the resultant microwave signal to be free of the higher phase noise as well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Siklu Communication Ltd.
    Inventors: Elad Dayan, Yigal Leiba
  • Patent number: 11296741
    Abstract: A receiving device includes: a frequency mixer that converts a frequency of a reception signal to a baseband; an envelope demodulator; an upper sideband demodulator; and a lower sideband demodulator. Each of the envelope demodulator, the upper sideband demodulator and the lower sideband demodulator demodulates an output from the frequency mixer. The receiving device further includes: a first adder that adds an output from the envelope demodulator and an inverted output obtained by inverting an output from the upper sideband demodulator; a second adder that adds the output from the envelope demodulator and an inverted output obtained by inverting an output from the lower sideband demodulator; and a third adder that adds the output from the envelope demodulator, an inverted output obtained by inverting an output from the first adder, and an inverted output obtained by inverting an output from the second adder, to output a demodulation signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yohei Asada, Tomoyasu Fujishima, Wataru Miyashita
  • Patent number: 11212647
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques for reporting location information in wireless communications system. In some cases, an apparatus may provide an indication of a degree of accuracy in the reported values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventor: Amichai Sanderovich
  • Patent number: 11177771
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for compensating local oscillator leakage in a mixer. An example mixer includes a first double-balanced mixer core and a second double-balanced mixer. The first double-balanced mixer may comprise differential output nodes and may be configured to mix a first input signal with a first local oscillator signal. The second double-balanced mixer core may comprise second differential output nodes and may be configured to mix a second input signal with a second local oscillator signal. The second input signal may be approximately 180° out of phase with the first input signal. The second local oscillator signal may be approximately 180° out of phase with the first local oscillator signal. The differential output nodes may be electrically connected to the second differential output nodes, and the first double-balanced mixer core and the second double-balanced mixer core may be arranged to compensate for local oscillator leakage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Analog Devices International Unlimited Company
    Inventors: Amr Reda Saad Ezz, Ahmed Essam Eldin Mahmoud Amer
  • Patent number: 11099050
    Abstract: A waveguide coupling for a fill level radar including a waveguide and a high-frequency chip, which projects at least in part into the waveguide and includes a coupling element for coupling the transmission signal into the waveguide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: VEGA GRIESHABER KG
    Inventors: Daniel Schultheiss, Christoph Mueller, Roland Baur
  • Patent number: 10601618
    Abstract: An apparatus for modulating a signal is described. The apparatus comprises a first modulation unit, a second modulation unit and at least one local oscillator providing a local oscillator signal with an initial frequency. Each modulation unit has a main modulation member and an auxiliary modulation member. The local oscillator is connected with the first and second modulation units via a first local oscillator sub path and a first local oscillator path as well as a second local oscillator sub path and a second local oscillator path respectively. The local oscillator sub paths process down-converted local oscillator signals. The main modulation member of each modulation unit is connected with one of the local oscillator sub paths. The auxiliary modulation member of each modulation unit is connected with one of the local oscillator sub paths and one of the local oscillator paths. Further, a method for modulating a signal is described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Joerg Nagel
  • Patent number: 10578574
    Abstract: Provided is a technology for detecting a change in an inspection target containing moisture. A sensor circuit (1) for inspecting property of an inspection target includes an oscillator (20) having a resonance frequency of 30 to 200 GHz, and a detection circuit (3) that estimates an oscillation frequency of the oscillator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takeshi Mitsunaka, Akira Saito, Nobuyuki Ashida, Kunihiko Iizuka
  • Patent number: 10411348
    Abstract: Provided is a phase shifting device including a first balun outputting first and second differential input signals, an I/Q generator outputting first to fourth phase signals based on the first and second differential input signals, a control circuit outputting a first control signal, a second control signal, a plurality of in-phase select signals, and a plurality of quadrature select signals, a current source circuit including a first source transistor outputting an in-phase current according to the first control signal and a second source outputting a quadrature current according to the second control signal, a vector sum circuit outputting first and second differential output signals based on the first to fourth phase signals according to the plurality of in-phase select signals and the plurality of quadrature select signals and including a plurality of sub-vector sum circuits, and a second balun outputting an output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignees: LG ELECTRONICS INC., KOREA ADVANCED INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Jinseok Park, Song-Cheoll Hong, Seung Hoon Kang, Jaehoon Chung, Minki Ahn
  • Patent number: 10355904
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a transmitter and receivers for filterbank multicarrier (FBMC) communication. The transmitter comprises a processor adapted to calculate two auxiliary pilot symbols, and a precoder adapted to insert the two calculated auxiliary pilot symbols into a symbol structure of symbols, the symbols adjacently surrounding a main pilot symbol, wherein the precoder is adapted to insert the two auxiliary pilot symbols at two symbol positions of the symbol structure, which are symmetric to the main pilot symbol P in a time domain and/or in a frequency domain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Huawei Technologies Duesseldorf GmbH
    Inventors: Zhao Zhao, Nikola Vucic, Malte Schellmann
  • Patent number: 10171034
    Abstract: A harmonic-rejection mixer apparatus includes a mixing circuit and a combining circuit. The mixing circuit receives mixes an input signal and a first local oscillator (LO) signal to generate a first output signal, and mixes the same input signal and a second LO signal to generate a second output signal, wherein the first LO signal and the second LO signal have a same frequency but different phases. The combining circuit combines the first output signal and the second output signal, wherein harmonic rejection is at least achieved by combination of the first output signal and the second output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: MEDIATEK INC.
    Inventors: Chien-Wei Tseng, Ian Tseng, Ming-Da Tsai, Yangjian Chen, Chien-Cheng Lin
  • Patent number: 10009050
    Abstract: A quadrature transmitter is described that comprises: a first transmitter path and a second transmitter path that are matched. Each transmitter path comprises: at least one input arranged to receive respective first or second sets of quadrature baseband signals; at least one local oscillator, LO, port configured to receive respective first and second sets of quadrature LO signals; at least one mixer stage coupled to the at least one input and configured to respectively multiply the sets of quadrature baseband signals with the respective first or second sets of quadrature LO signals to produce a respective output radio frequency, RF, signal; and a combiner configured to combine the output radio frequency signals of the first transmitter path and the second transmitter path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: MediaTek Singapore Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Yangjian Chen, Bernard Mark Tenbroek, Chien-Wei Tseng, Ian Tseng, Ming-Da Tsai, Chien-Cheng Lin
  • Patent number: 9692539
    Abstract: Incremental interference cancelation (IC) capability management and signaling is disclosed. A mobile device selects certain groups of its individual IC capabilities to deactivate in response to various operating conditions it is experiencing. The mobile device reports its currently active IC capability to a serving base station, which uses information to determine whether to modify any existing communication conditions with respect to the reporting mobile device. The base station detects and analyzes the current communication conditions with respect to the reporting mobile device in light of the mobile device's currently active IC capabilities. The base station may modify such conditions through actions such as signaling the mobile device to activate or deactivate certain other groups of IC capabilities. The base station can make other modifications such as changing the communication schedule for the mobile device, modifying the control loop for channel quality indicator (CQI) reporting, and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Tao Luo, Taesang Yoo, Yongbin Wei
  • Patent number: 9654983
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer readable media for a tunable filter employing feedforward cancellation are disclosed. According to one aspect, the subject matter described herein includes a tunable transmissive filter that includes a splitter for splitting an input signal into a first signal and a second signal, a first modifier circuit for modifying a characteristic of the first signal to produce a modified first signal, a second modifier circuit for using feedforward cancellation to modify a characteristic of the second signal to produce a modified second signal, the second modifier circuit including an N-path filter, N being an integer greater than 0; and a combiner for combining the modified first signal and the modified second signal to produce a filtered output signal having a bandpass response.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: North Carolina State University
    Inventors: Brian A. Floyd, Charley Theodore Wilson, III
  • Patent number: 9654169
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for multi-band RF signal routing are provided herein. In certain configurations, a mobile device includes an antenna switch module, a diversity module, and one or more diversity antennas. The diversity module is electrically coupled to the one or more diversity antennas, and processes diversity signals received on the one or more diversity antennas to generate a high band (HB) signal, a mid band (MB) signal, and a low band (LB) signal. Additionally, the diversity module generates a combined LB/HB signal based on combining the LB signal and the HB signal, and provides the MB signal and the combined LB/HB signal to the antenna switch module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: SKYWORKS SOLUTIONS, INC.
    Inventor: Stephane Richard Marie Wloczysiak
  • Patent number: 9455757
    Abstract: Circuits and methods for performing harmonic rejection mixing are provided. In some embodiments, the circuit comprises: a first amplifier that amplifies a received signal at a first gain; a second amplifier that amplifies the received signal at a fraction of the first gain; a mixer that receives a local oscillator signal having a first fundamental frequency and the first amplifier output, and outputs a first mixed signal; a second mixer that receives a second local oscillator signal having a fundamental frequency that is a multiple of the first fundamental frequency and the second amplifier output, and outputs a second mixed signal; and an output stage that receives the first and second mixed signals and outputs a sum of the first and second mixed signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York
    Inventors: Karthik Tripurari, Peter R. Kinget, Harish Krishnaswamy, Teng Yang
  • Patent number: 9432132
    Abstract: The invention relates to a system and method for testing radio-frequency tags (18). The system comprises a reading zone (17) for a radio-frequency tag and at least two electrodes (11A,11B) for capacitively coupling to the tag placed in the reading zone. According to the invention, the system further comprises a communication terminal (14) connected to each of the at least two electrodes for feeding signals to the electrodes and for reading tag response signals from the electrodes, and a hybrid coupler (13) for causing a phase difference between the excitation signals fed to the at least two electrodes from the communication terminal and for combining the response signals from the at least two electrodes at the communication terminal (14). The invention allows for efficient coupling to tags in near field and relieves the tag positioning requirements during testing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: Voyantic Oy
    Inventor: Jesse Tuominen
  • Patent number: 9413315
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a WCDMA FDD system includes an embedded filter that provides a complex load to transistors in a low noise amplifier. The complex load can be constructed using passive and/or active devices and creates an arbitrary transfer function that supports selective Q-enhancement of poles or zeros. One particular implementation of the embedded filter is in the form of an LC tank circuit. The LC tank circuit is operably coupled to the output of the low noise amplifier and creates a transfer function whose poles and zeros can be selected to reject transmitter leakage in the WCDMA system, while maintain a desirable gain at the frequency of operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Sher Jiun Fang, Khurram Muhammad
  • Patent number: 9306607
    Abstract: Embodiments of a wideband interference mitigation (IM) system with negative group delay (NGD) compensation and method for wideband interference cancellation are generally described herein. In some embodiments, the wideband IM system may include first frequency-selective circuitry to capture interfering signals within a bandwidth of interest from a primary signal path after removal of a desired signal, cancellation circuitry to implement a negative group delay (NGD) on output signals from the first frequency-selective circuitry to generate negative group-delayed signals, and second frequency-selective circuitry to generate interference cancellation signals from the negative group-delayed signals for combining with signals from the primary signal path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Raytheon BBN Technologies Corp.
    Inventors: Robert Gyorgy Egri, Jonathan P. Comeau
  • Patent number: 9209845
    Abstract: Technique for calibration of a frequency converter for reducing a leakage-based non-direct-current component at an output of the frequency converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: BROADCOM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Markus Rudiger Nentwig, Jouni Kristian Kaukovuori
  • Patent number: 9078149
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method and an apparatus for improving call quality for a user, which relate to the field of communication technologies and are invented for improving call quality for a user while improving frequency spectrum utilization. The method for improving call quality for a user includes: obtaining an interference suppression parameter and frequency band interference information of a target carrier; determining an interference suppression coefficient according to the interference suppression parameter and the frequency band interference information; and suppressing interference on the target carrier by using an interference suppression apparatus having the interference suppression coefficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuojun Yu, Nian Peng, Gengshi Wu
  • Patent number: 9065542
    Abstract: A Radio Frequency (RF) front end system and method are disclosed. The RF front end system comprises an antenna, a matching network coupled to the antenna, a power amplifier (PA) coupled to the matching network via a port on a transmit path, a low noise amplifier (LNA) coupled to the matching network via the port on a receive path and at least one transmit/receive switch (T/R SW) coupled between the port and at least one of the PA and LNA.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: RALINK TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuen Hui Chee, Albert Chia-Wen Jerng
  • Patent number: 9042487
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods disclosed herein perform gain, clipping, and phase compensation in the presence of I/Q mismatch in quadrature RF receivers. Gain and phase mismatch are exacerbated by differences in clipping between I & Q signals in low resolution ADCs. Signals in the stronger channel arm are clipped differentially more than weaker signals in the other channel arm. Embodiments herein perform clipping operations during iterations of gain mismatch calculations in order to balance clipping between the I and Q channel arms. Gain compensation coefficients are iteratively converged, clipping levels are established, and data flowing through the network is gain and clipping compensated. A compensation phase angle and phase compensation coefficients are then determined from gain and clipping compensated sample data. The resulting phase compensation coefficients are applied to the gain and clipping corrected receiver data to yield a gain, clipping, and phase compensated data stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Ganesan Raghu, Bijoy Bhukania, Jaiganesh Balakrishnan
  • Patent number: 9036390
    Abstract: The present invention is applied to a frequency converter used for a receiver. The frequency converter according to the present invention includes an LO signal generator (11) that generates an LO signal and outputs the LO signal; and a mixer (10) that multiplies a received signal that has been band-limited to a usable bandwidth of said receiver by the LO signal so as to convert the frequency of the received signal and outputs the resultant signal. Said LO signal generator is capable of varying a phase resolution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masaki Kitsunezuka
  • Patent number: 9031525
    Abstract: A passive implementation of an image reject mixer (IRM), capable of operating at very high frequency, is manufactured in a variety of silicon processes. The IRM comprises a quad MOS multiplier and a lumped-element hybrid, resulting in a passive IRM, operative at radio frequencies (RF) of tens of GHz with an intermediate frequency (IF) of several GHz. The RF+ and RF? signals are provided to two quad MOS multipliers. A local oscillator signal (LO) is used to provide LO+ and LO? signals to one of the multipliers and by providing the LO to a phase shifter, generated are a ninety degree shifted LO+ and LO? signals provided to the other multiplier. Providing the hybrids with the outputs of both multipliers and selecting an appropriate IF signal from each of the hybrids ensures the proper operation of the passive IRM.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Theta Microlelectronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Ioannis Papananos
  • Patent number: 8963750
    Abstract: There is described a time-to-digital conversion scheme using an arrangement of delay elements based Time-to-Digital Converter, TDC (20), wherein dithering is built in the digital domain and introduced in the analog domain as a modulation of a supply voltage (TDC-supply) supplying delay elements of the TDC, each having a propagation delay which exhibits a dependency to their supply voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Asahi Kasei Microdevices Corporation
    Inventors: David Canard, Julien Delorme
  • Publication number: 20140378077
    Abstract: A down-conversion circuit for a receiver circuit is disclosed, the down-conversion circuit comprises a first passive switching mixer arranged to down-convert a received radio frequency, RF, signal with a first local oscillator, LO, signal (LO1) having a first duty cycle for generating a first down-converted signal at an output port of the first passive switching mixer. The down-conversion circuit further comprises a second passive switching mixer arranged to down-convert the received RF signal with a second LO signal (LO2) having the same LO frequency as the first LO signal (LO1) and a second duty cycle, different from the first duty cycle, for generating a second down-converted signal at an output port of the second passive switching mixer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2013
    Publication date: December 25, 2014
    Inventors: Imad ud Din, Stefan Andersson, Henrik Sjoland, Johan Wernehag
  • Patent number: 8913702
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a type of LNB frequency down conversion integrated circuit. The present invention frequency-down-converts the RF signal with the Quadrature local oscillation signal (LO) and Quadrature Mixer. Then the 90 degree phase-shifting of the quadrature intermediate frequency (IF) signal after mixed is done by the use of passive Polyphase filter. The present invention further discloses a LNB frequency down conversion chip, a LNB frequency down circuit adopting the LNB frequency down conversion chip circuit and a method of LBN frequency down. The invention ensures the elimination of the minor image signal and the realization of the minor image suppression function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: RDA Technologies Limited
    Inventors: Shunran Wei, Xunsong Yin
  • Patent number: 8903347
    Abstract: A disclosed method tunes a signal from a channelized spectrum having a predetermined channel spacing. A signal of interest having a predetermined maximum bandwidth is mixed with a local oscillator signal, which has a frequency that is an integer multiple of the channel spacing or one-half of a channel spacing displaced from an integer multiple of the channel spacing. The local oscillator signal is selected to frequency translate the signal of interest to within a near-baseband passband whose lower edge is spaced from DC by at least about the maximum bandwidth of the signal of interest. Problems associated with 1/f noise, DC offsets, and self-mixing products are avoided or substantially diminished. Other methods and systems are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: University of Washington
    Inventor: Edwin A. Suominen
  • Publication number: 20140342684
    Abstract: A passive implementation of an image reject mixer (IRM), capable of operating at very high frequency, is manufactured in a variety of silicon processes. The IRM comprises a quad MOS multiplier and a lumped-element hybrid, resulting in a passive IRM, operative at radio frequencies (RF) of tens of GHz with an intermediate frequency (IF) of several GHz. The RF+ and RF? signals are provided to two quad MOS multipliers. A local oscillator signal (LO) is used to provide LO+ and LO? signals to one of the multipliers and by providing the LO to a phase shifter, generated are a ninety degree shifted LO+ and LO? signals provided to the other multiplier. Providing the hybrids with the outputs of both multipliers and selecting an appropriate IF signal from each of the hybrids ensures the proper operation of the passive IRM.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2014
    Publication date: November 20, 2014
    Applicant: Theta Microelectronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Ioannis Papananos
  • Patent number: 8867671
    Abstract: A conversion circuit (20) for converting a complex analog input signal having an in-phase, I, component and a quadrature-phase, Q, component resulting from frequency down conversion of a radio-frequency, RF, signal (XRF) to a frequency band covering 0 Hz into a digital representation is disclosed. It comprises a channel-selection filter unit (40) arranged to filter the complex analog input signal, thereby generating a channel-filtered I and Q components, and one or more processing units (53, 53a-b). Each processing unit comprises four mixers (60-75) for generating a first and a second frequency-translated I component and a first and a second channel-filtered Q component based on two LO signals with equal LO frequency and a 90° mutual phase shift. Furthermore, each processing unit comprises a combiner unit (85, 120) for generating a first, a second, a third, and a fourth combined signal proportional to sums and differences between said frequency translated I and Q components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (publ)
    Inventors: Lars Sunström, Roland Strandberg
  • Patent number: 8855592
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for mitigating narrowband interference within a system for wideband communications. The method can include separating a wideband signal into a plurality of sub bands, detecting energy levels in the sub-bands, and activating a control signal if the energy levels of the sub-bands differ by a predetermined amount. Such a difference in energy levels can indicate that narrowband interference is present and interference mitigation features can be activated. In another embodiment, a system is disclosed that has a band splitter and a plurality of energy level detectors to detect energy differences in the sub bands. Other embodiments are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Andrey V Belogolovy, Mikhail Lyakh, Alan E. Waltho, Anu Hannele Huttunen, Risto Kaunisto
  • Patent number: 8842787
    Abstract: A receiver is set forth that includes a tuner circuit and a converter circuit. The tuner circuit provides an analog signal corresponding to a modulated signal that is received on a selected channel. The converter circuit includes a sample clock that is used to convert the analog signal to a digital signal at a conversion rate corresponding to the frequency of the sample clock. The sample clock is selectable between at least two different clock frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Marvell International Ltd.
    Inventors: King Chun Tsai, Patrick Clement, David Cousinard
  • Publication number: 20140270019
    Abstract: A method of operating a receiver in a communications system is disclosed. The receiver receives a radio-frequency (RF) data signal and converts the RF data signal to an intermediate frequency. The receiver then determines whether a blocker image interferes with the received data signal, and selectively adjusts the intermediate frequency to which the data signal is converted based on the determination. The receiver may lower the intermediate frequency if the blocker image interferes with the received data signal. The receiver may also deactivate a quadrature chain of the receiver if the blocker image interferes with the received data signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Inventors: Yann Ly-Gagnon, Paul Husted
  • Patent number: 8838057
    Abstract: A harmonic rejection mixer includes a first scaling circuit for scaling an RF signal to generate a plurality of scaled RF signals, a first switching stage for sampling the scaled RF signals using a first plurality of switching signals, and a second mixing stage for mixing the sampled RF signals with a second plurality of switching signals to generate a plurality of frequency translated signals having different phases. A combiner adds the frequency translated signals together to generate a first plurality of baseband versions of the RF signal. A first amplifier stage processes the first plurality of baseband versions to generate a second plurality of baseband versions. The mixer further includes a second scaling circuit for scaling the second plurality of baseband versions and a second amplifier stage to generate an in-phase baseband signal and a quadrature baseband signal from the scaled second plurality of baseband versions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: MaxLinear, Inc.
    Inventors: Raja Pullela, Vamsi Paidi, Rahul Bhatia
  • Patent number: 8831549
    Abstract: A receiver circuit, e.g., a low-IF receiver, including two mixing paths. The two mixing paths scale an input signal respectively by two mixing gains and shift phase of the input signal respectively by two mixing phase offsets to provide two mixed signals. The two mixing gains and the two mixing phase offsets are arranged to produce an amplitude adjustment between amplitudes of the two mixed signals and a phase difference of 90 degrees plus a phase adjustment between phases of the two mixed signals. With the amplitude adjustment and/or the phase adjustment properly tuned to nonzero value(s) in association with band-pass response of the receiver circuit, image rejection can be achieved and optimized. Associated method is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Mediatek Inc.
    Inventors: Ang-Sheng Lin, Wei-Hao Chiu
  • Patent number: 8824988
    Abstract: A method for reciprocal-mixing noise cancellation may include receiving a baseband signal down-converted to baseband using a local oscillator (LO). The baseband signal may comprise a wanted signal and a reciprocal mixing noise, which at least partially overlaps the wanted signal and is due to mixing of a blocker signal with a phase noise of the LO. Blocker recovery may be performed on the baseband signal and a blocker estimate signal may be generated from the baseband signal. The phase noise of the LO may be measured and used in generating a phase noise measurement signal. The blocker estimate signal and the phase noise measurement signal may be processed to generate a reconstructed noise signal that may comprise the overlapping reciprocal mixing noise. The reconstructed noise signal may be subtracted from the baseband signal to provide the wanted signal free from to the reciprocal mixing noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Mohyee Mikhemar, David Murphy, Hooman Darabi
  • Publication number: 20140242935
    Abstract: A signal canceller includes a dual-drive electro-optic modulator having separate first and second electrical inputs. The first electrical input is coupled to a first portion of a first signal and the second electrical input is coupled to a second signal and to a second portion of the first signal. A laser generates an optical beam that propagates from the optical input to an optical output of the electro-optic modulator. The dual-drive electro-optic modulator modulates the optical beam with the first and second portions of the first signal and with the second signal. The modulation cancels at least some the first signal and generates a modulation signal with reduced first signal modulation component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2014
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Applicant: PHOTONIC SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Charles H. Cox, Kevin M. Cuomo
  • Patent number: 8805316
    Abstract: A passive implementation of an image reject mixer (IRM), capable of operating at very high frequency, is manufactured in a variety of silicon processes. The IRM comprises a quad MOS multiplier and a lumped-element hybrid, resulting in a passive IRM, operative at radio frequencies (RF) of tens of GHz with an intermediate frequency (IF) of several GHz. The RF+ and RF? signals are provided to two quad MOS multipliers. A local oscillator signal (LO) is used to provide LO+ and LO? signals to one of the multipliers and by providing the LO to a phase shifter, generated are a ninety degree shifted LO+ and LO? signals provided to the other multiplier. Providing the hybrids with the outputs of both multipliers and selecting an appropriate IF signal from each of the hybrids ensures the proper operation of the passive IRM.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Theta Microelectronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Ioannis Papananos
  • Patent number: 8798654
    Abstract: It is provided a method, including deciding, based on a previously estimated interference value, whether a user equipment or a sounding reference signal or a channel of a received uplink signal is affected by a colored interference more than a first predefined threshold, wherein colored interference is an interference having a spatial and/or spectral predominance; and suppressing interference rejection combining on the uplink signal if none of the user equipment, the sounding reference signal, and the channel of the received uplink signal is affected more than the first predefined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Nokia Siemens Networks Oy
    Inventors: Sabine Rössel, Esa Tapani Tiirola, Olli Juhani Piirainen, Ji Jun Luo, Ingo Viering, Mikko Kalevi Taskinen, Timothy Paul, Josef Forster, Markku Juha Vainikka, Carsten Ritterhoff
  • Patent number: 8798216
    Abstract: A circuit for down-converting an RF signal to a baseband signal includes a trans-admittance amplifier adapted to receive the RF signal and generate in response a pair of differential current signals. The circuit further includes a trans-impedance amplifier having at least four mixers and at least four linear amplifiers. The four mixers frequency down-convert the pair of differential current signals to generate four pairs of differential baseband current signals, wherein each pair of the differential baseband current signals has a different phase and is associated with each of the linear amplifiers. Additionally, the circuit includes a summing block that generates an in-phase signal using a first weighted sum of the four different baseband current signals and a quadrature signal using a second weighted sum of the four different baseband current signals. The circuit further includes an analog-to-digital converter for converting the in-phase and quadrature signals to respective digital representations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: MaxLinear, Inc.
    Inventors: Raja Pullela, Yu Su, Wenjian Chen
  • Patent number: 8787860
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes apparatus, systems, and techniques relating to receiver image cancellation. A described technique includes receiving a downconverted signal in a digital domain, the downconverted signal including an in-phase signal and a quadrature signal; generating a first signal of a signal channel based on the downconverted signal; generating a second signal of an image channel based on the downconverted signal; filtering the second signal using first weights to produce a pilot training signal; filtering the second signal using second weights to produce an image cancellation signal; generating an output signal by subtracting the image cancellation signal from the first signal to resolve the desired signal; updating the first weights based on the first weights, the second signal, the pilot training signal, and a pilot signal; and updating the second weights based on the second weights, the output signal, and the pilot training signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Marvell World Trade Ltd.
    Inventors: Shaoan Dai, Runsheng He
  • Patent number: 8768283
    Abstract: The invention relates to a complex intermediate frequency (CIF) mixer stage, methods of operation thereof, and methods of calibration thereof. The CIF mixer stage comprises numerous individual mixers driven by IF clock signals to down-convert received IF signals into a set of signals at baseband frequency which are further combined to form a lower side band signal and an upper side band signal. The IF clock signals used have a predefined phase relationship among them, which involves tuneable phase skews. By calibration of the conversion gains and the phases of the IF clock signals the gain and phase imbalance introduced in a preceding radio frequency mixer stage and/or the CIF mixer stage can be cancelled. Further, in-channel IQ leakage control can be applied to the lower side band signal and/or the upper side band signal. The CIF mixer stage can thus effectively suppress image interference and IQ leakage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (publ)
    Inventors: Fenghao Mu, Lars Sundström, Leif Wilhelmsson
  • Patent number: 8767594
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a mixer for signals at different frequencies comprising a network of diodes formed by a pair of diodes mounted in an anti-parallel manner, the first linking point of the diodes being connected to the ground, the second linking point being connected to the ports of transmission/reception signal paths and to the port of a local oscillator path at different frequencies. An impedance matching network for dual-mode use is connected in series in the diode network between the first linking point connected to the ground and the anode of one of the diodes of the diode network. A filtering network is connected between the second linking point and each of the ports of the transmission/reception paths and of the local oscillator path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing
    Inventors: Dominique Lo Hine Tong, Jean-Philippe Coupez, François Le Pennec
  • Patent number: 8761710
    Abstract: A portable computing device includes an FEM, a SAW-less receiver, a SAW-less transmitter, and a baseband processing unit. The FEM isolates one or more outbound RF signals from one or more inbound RF signals. The SAW-less receiver converts the one or more inbound RF signals into one or more inbound intermediate frequency (IF) signals by frequency translating a baseband filter response to an IF filter response and/or an RF filter response. The SAW-less receiver filters the inbound RF signal(s) in accordance with the RF filter response and/or filters the inbound IF signal(s) in accordance with the IF filter response. The SAW-less receiver then converts the inbound IF signal(s) into inbound symbol stream(s). The SAW-less transmitter converts outbound symbol stream(s) into the outbound RF signal(s). The baseband processing unit converts outbound data into the outbound symbol stream(s) and convert the inbound symbol stream(s) into inbound data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Ahmadreza (Reza) Rofougaran, Hooman Darabi
  • Patent number: 8755762
    Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) receiver includes an amplifier stage, a blocking module, and a down conversion module. The amplifier stage amplifies an inbound RF signal (includes a desired component and a blocking component) to produce an amplified inbound RF signal. The blocking module generates an oscillation corresponding to a frequency of the blocking component and filters the amplified inbound RF signal based on the oscillation to substantially attenuate the blocking component and to pass, substantially unattenuated, the desired component. The down conversion module converts the desired RF signal component into a baseband or near baseband inbound signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Mohyee Mikhemar, Hooman Darabi
  • Patent number: 8725103
    Abstract: A receiver includes a low noise amplifier having an input for receiving a radio frequency signal, and an output. The receiver further includes a tracking filter having an input coupled to the output of the low noise amplifier. The tracking filter including a bandpass filter configured to pass the radio frequency signals. The bandpass filter includes a variable capacitor having a first electrode coupled to the input of the tracking filter for receiving the radio frequency signals, and a second electrode coupled to a power supply terminal. The bandpass filter further includes a transformer having a primary winding including a first terminal coupled to the first electrode of the variable capacitor and a second terminal coupled to a second power supply terminal. The transformer further includes a secondary winding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Mustafa H. Koroglu, Yu Su