Particular Frequency Conversion Structure Or Circuitry Patents (Class 455/323)
  • Patent number: 8787864
    Abstract: Techniques for performing analog calibration of a receiver to optimize a second-order input intercept point (IIP2). In an aspect, a signal generator modeling an interferer is coupled to an adjustable input of a receiver, e.g., a gate bias voltage of a mixer. For example, the signal generator output may be a single-tone on-off keying (OOK) modulated signal. The mixer mixes the signal down to baseband, wherein an analog correlator correlates the down-converted signal with the known sequence of bits used to perform the OOK modulation. The analog correlation output is then provided to drive the bias voltage in the mixer, e.g., one or more gate voltages of transistors in the differential mixer, to optimize the overall receiver IIP2. Further aspects of the disclosure provide for calibrating receivers having multiple LNA's, and also dual or diversity receivers having multiple receive paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Lai Kan Leung, Gary John Ballantyne, Chiewcharn Narathong
  • Patent number: 8774749
    Abstract: A virtual Weaver architecture filter is implemented using a sampling mixer that successively processes samples of the input signal in round-robin fashion and provides a sum of the samples as multiplied by coefficients emulating quadrature sinusoidal waveforms. A virtual rather than actual local oscillator is reliably implemented without mismatch. Filtering between the Weaver mixers is eliminated in favor of filtering at the sampling input and effective time division multiplexing is achieved by selecting between resistor combinations that implement different scaling coefficients, resulting in an efficient analog implementation of a virtual Weaver architecture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: ESS Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Mallinson, Dustin Forman
  • Patent number: 8774748
    Abstract: The high sensitivity FSK radiofrequency signal receiver includes an antenna for receiving FSK radiofrequency signals, a LNA amplifier receiving signals picked up by the antenna, a local oscillator for supplying oscillating signals, a mixer for mixing the incoming signals with the oscillating signals to produce intermediate signals. The receiver includes a broadband or poly-phase filter for filtering the intermediate signals, and a sampler for supplying sampled intermediate signals to a high sensitivity demodulation stage, which supplies data signals. The receiver includes a processing circuit for performing a discrete Fourier transform of sampled intermediate signals. The selector at the processing circuit output determines the difference between the signal amplitude peak frequency above a determined threshold and the expected frequency of the intermediate signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Arnaud Casagrande, Jean-Luc Arend
  • Patent number: 8774745
    Abstract: Receiver circuits that can be reconfigured to generate test signals in a wireless device are disclosed. In an exemplary design, an apparatus includes a mixer and an amplifier. The mixer downconverts an input radio frequency (RF) signal based on a local oscillator (LO) signal in a first mode. The amplifier, which is formed by at least a portion of the mixer, amplifies the LO signal and provides an amplified LO signal in a second mode. In another exemplary design, an apparatus includes an amplifier and an attenuator. The amplifier receives and amplifies an input RF signal in a first mode. The attenuator, which is formed by at least a portion of the amplifier, receives and passes an LO signal in a second mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Kan Lai Leung, Chiewcharn Narathong, Jianyun Hu, Yunfei Feng
  • Patent number: 8774750
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method for receiving a radio frequency (RF) signal and mixing the RF signal with a master clock to obtain a mixed signal, cyclically rotating the mixed signal to each of N gain stages for at least one cycle of the master clock, and summing the outputs of the N gain stages to provide an output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Aslamali A. Rafi, Alessandro Piovaccari
  • Patent number: 8774732
    Abstract: A wireless device selects another wireless device that is the relay destination of data and transmits data to a data collector that collects data. Then, the wireless device transmits data obtained by adding relay-destination-device identification information of identifying the another wireless device that is a relay destination to the same as data transmitted to the data collector to the selected wireless device that is the relay destination of data. Moreover, the wireless device transmits the received data to the data collector when data obtained by adding relay-destination-device identification information is received from another wireless device and the device itself corresponds to the relay-destination-device identification information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Shuji Kobayakawa
  • Patent number: 8768268
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a synthesizer. The synthesizer includes one or more tunable oscillators, a frequency-dividing circuit coupled to the tunable oscillators, and a multiplexer coupled to the frequency-dividing circuit. The frequency-dividing circuit includes a number of frequency dividers, and is configured to generate a number of frequency-dividing outputs. At least one frequency-dividing output has a different frequency division factor. The multiplexer is configured to select a frequency-dividing output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Aviacomm Inc.
    Inventors: Shih Hsiung Mo, Yan Cui, Chung-Hsing Chang
  • Patent number: 8766698
    Abstract: A return-type current-reuse mixer having a transconductance/amplification stage, a mixing stage, and a high-pass and a low-pass filter network. The transconductance/amplification stage has a current-reuse CMOS topology wherein an input frequency signal is converted into a frequency current, low-frequency components are removed from the frequency current by the high-pass filter network, the frequency current is fed into the mixing stage, modulation occurs in the mixing stage, and then an intermediate-frequency signal is generated and output. Once high-frequency components are removed from the intermediate-frequency signal by the low-pass filter network, the intermediate-frequency signal is sent again for input into the transconductance/amplification stage, then amplified in the transconductance/amplification stage and output. The mixer transconductance/amplification stage employs a current-reuse technique.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Southeast University
    Inventors: Jianhui Wu, Chao Chen, Hong Li, Longxing Shi, Zixuan Wang, Jie Sun, Zhiyi Ye, Meng Zhang
  • Patent number: 8768281
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method for receiving a radio frequency (RF) signal and mixing the RF signal with a master clock to obtain a mixed signal, cyclically rotating the mixed signal to each of N gain stages for at least one cycle of the master clock, and summing the outputs of the N gain stages to provide an output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Aslamali A. Rafi, Alessandro Piovaccari
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20140171008
    Abstract: Techniques are described for calibration of a frequency converter for reducing a leakage-based direct current component at an output of the frequency converter. In an apparatus comprising a frequency converter arranged to perform frequency conversion on an input signal, a variable load arranged to act on at least one of an input and an output of the frequency converter, and a detector arranged to detect a direct current component of an output signal of the frequency converter, a plurality of states of the variable load are sequentially set, a variation between the direct current components for each one of the plurality of states of the variable load is observed, and at least one parameter influencing the direct current component of the output signal of the frequency converter is adjusted such that the observed variation is reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2013
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Markus Rudiger NENTWIG, Jouni Kristian KAUKOVUORI
  • Patent number: 8744380
    Abstract: Method and system for direct conversion receiver (100), transmitter (200), or transceiver (300) device. The device includes a single frequency synthesizer (102) generating a frequency synthesizer output signal. At least one frequency divider (110n) is provided for generating a reduced frequency signal by selectively dividing the single frequency synthesizer output signal by an integer divisor value. Significantly, the device is configured to vary the reduced frequency signal so as to include every frequency the direct conversion communication device is designed to receive within a plurality of frequency bands by adjusting a frequency of the single synthesizer output signal and the divisor value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Harris Corporation
    Inventor: Brian C. Wenink
  • Patent number: 8744368
    Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed for providing test mode contact pad reconfigurations that expose individual internal functional modules or block groups in an integrated circuit for testing and for monitoring. A plurality of switches between each functional module switches between passing internal signals among the blocks and passing in/out signals external to the block when one or more contact pads are strapped to input a pre-determined value. Another set of switches between the functional modules and input/output contact pads switch between functional inputs to and from the functional modules and monitored signals or input/output test signals according to the selected mode of operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Love Kothari, James Bennett, Zhongmin Zhang
  • Patent number: 8737449
    Abstract: A frequency hopping receiver circuit has a frequency converter (12) and a hopping control circuit (14) coupled to the frequency converter (12), and configured to control frequency hopping of the received frequency, by controlling changes in frequency shift applied by the frequency converter (12). The frequency change is applied in combination with a temporary reduction in conversion gain of the frequency converter (12) during the change in frequency shift. The frequency converter may contain a mixer (122), a local oscillator circuit (120) and a controllable amplifier (124) coupled between the input of the frequency converter (12) and the mixer (122) or between the mixer (122) and the output of the frequency converter (12), or between the local oscillator circuit (120) and the local oscillator input of the mixer (122).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: NXP, B.V.
    Inventors: Jozef Reinerus Maria Bergervoet, Harish Kundur Subramaniyan, Remco Cornelis Herman Van De Beek
  • Patent number: 8731507
    Abstract: A frequency conversion device for transforming a frequency of an input signal, the device comprising: a signal generator for providing a plurality N of first signals at a first frequency, where N?1, from an input signal having an in-phase component I and a quadrature signal component Q; an oscillator for generating N parallel oscillation signals, wherein the N oscillation signals are stepped in phase with respect to one another; a mixer comprising N mixing components, each mixing component being coupled to receive a respective one of the plurality of first signals and coupled to receive a respective oscillation signal for mixing the respective first signal with the corresponding oscillation signal to provide an output signal; and a common amplifier for receiving the N output signals from the N mixing components in N sequential phases for transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: ST-Ericsson SA
    Inventors: Frederic Duez, Luc Garcia, Benoit Butaye, Jerome Lajoinie, Thierry Lapergue, Mathilde Sie
  • Patent number: 8731506
    Abstract: Systems and methods for providing single-ended to differential signal conversion are described. A single-ended voltage signal may be received from an input of a low noise amplifier. The single-ended voltage signal may be coupled to a first input stage to match a source impedance of the single-ended voltage signal to a predetermined output impedance. The single-ended voltage signal with the predetermined output impedance may be output as a first voltage signal to a first converting stage. An input bias voltage may be provided to the first converting stage to bias the first voltage signal. The biased first voltage signal may be output as a first differential-ended current signal to an output of the low noise amplifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Marvell World Trade Ltd.
    Inventor: Paolo Rossi
  • Patent number: 8725099
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention includes a mixer circuit to receive and generate a mixed signal from a radio frequency (RF) signal and a master clock signal, a switch stage coupled to an output of the mixer circuit to rotatingly switch the mixed signal to multiple gain stages coupled to the switch stage, and a combiner to combine an output of the gain stages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Aslamali A. Rafi, Alessandro Piovaccari
  • Patent number: 8725104
    Abstract: One or more circuits may comprise at least one first-type analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and at least one second-type ADC. The circuit(s) may be operable to receive a plurality of signals, each of which may comprise a plurality of channels. The circuit(s) may be operable to digitize a selected one or more of the channels. Which, if any, of the selected channels are digitized via the at least one first-type ADC and which, if any, of the selected channels are digitized via the at least one second-type ADC, may be based on which of the plurality of channels are the selected channels and/or based on power consumption of the circuit(s). A bandwidth of each first-type ADC may be on the order of the bandwidth of one of the received signals. A bandwidth of each second-type ADC may be on the order of the bandwidth of one of the plurality of channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: MaxLinear, Inc.
    Inventor: Curtis Ling
  • Publication number: 20140128016
    Abstract: Various embodiments provide for systems and methods for signal conversion of one modulated signal to another modulated signal using demodulation and then re-modulation. According to some embodiments, a signal receiving system may comprise an I/Q demodulator that demodulates a first modulated signal to an in-phase (“I?) signal and a quadrature (“Q?) signal, an I/Q signal adjustor that adaptively adjusts the Q signal to increase the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of a transitory signal that is based on a second modulated signal, and an I/Q modulator that modulates the I signal and the adjusted Q signal to the second modulated signal. To increase the SNR, the Q signal may be adjusted based on a calculated error determined for the transitory signal during demodulation by a demodulator downstream from the I/Q modulator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2014
    Publication date: May 8, 2014
    Applicant: AVIAT U.S., INC.
    Inventors: Emerick Vann, Yen-Fang Chao, Youming Qin, Roland Matian
  • Patent number: 8718563
    Abstract: A method for processing a signal with a corresponding noise profile includes analyzing spectral content of the noise profile, filtering at least one noise harmonic within the signal based on the analyzed spectral content, and limiting the filtered signal. The noise profile may include a phase noise profile. The signal may include a sinusoidal signal and/or a noise signal. At least one filter coefficient that is used to filter the at least one noise harmonic may be determined. The filtering may include low pass filtering. The limiting may include hard-limiting of the filtered signal. A phase difference between the limited signal and a reference signal may be detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Shervin Moloudi
  • Patent number: 8704582
    Abstract: A mixer circuit is disclosed. The mixer circuit comprises a plurality of mixer elements, wherein there are non-overlapping clock signals provided to the plurality of mixer elements which have a duty cycle of 33? percent. Outputs signals of the mixer elements do not contain third order harmonic content of the non-overlapping clock signals. The third-order harmonic of the mixer is eliminated by using mixer which uses voltage sampling on non-overlapping clocks and thereby achieves high linearity. The mixer circuit is further expanded to remove the I-Q image and even order harmonics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Mediatek Singapore Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Ankush Goel, Neric Fong
  • Patent number: 8693972
    Abstract: A method and system is disclosed for designing a radio for down-converting RF signals to IF signals by sampling the signals in a round-robin sampling circuit and multiplying the samples by coefficients that are changed at a fixed rate equal to the rate of operation of each of the sampling circuits. The circuit is able to down-convert multiple channels simultaneously to adjacent positions in the IF band, while rejecting unwanted image signals. The method and system avoids the difficulty and cost of directly digitizing the RF signal, allowing each component to operate at a greatly reduced speed. The coefficients are selected to provide the desired transfer function while keeping the output signal centered at a desired frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: ESS Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Dustin Dale Forman, A. Martin Mallinson, Robert Lynn Blair
  • Patent number: 8688045
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments include a frequency modulation (FM) transmitter and a non-FM receiver, which may be implemented on the same IC chip. The FM transmitter may include a digital FM modulator, a lowpass filter, an amplifier, and an LC tank circuit. The digital FM modulator may receive a digital input signal, perform FM modulation with the digital input signal, and provide a digital FM signal. The lowpass filter may filter the digital FM signal and provide a filtered FM signal. The amplifier may amplify the filtered FM signal and provide an output FM signal. The LC tank circuit may filter the output FM signal. The digital FM modulator may perform FM modulation by changing a variable divider ratio of a multi-modulus divider within a PLL. A delta-sigma modulator may receive the digital input signal and generate a modulator output signal used to obtain the variable divider ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: I-Hsiang Lin, Tzu-wang Pan, Yi Zeng
  • Patent number: 8676147
    Abstract: A detection system includes a receiver configured to generate a receiver signal representative of detected electromagnetic energy, and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) configured to generate a plurality of signal samples based on the receiver signal. The detection system also includes a detection module configured to identify a plurality of sample offsets for the signal samples, and execute a plurality of autocorrelation functions on the signal samples to provide an output of each of the autocorrelation functions, wherein each autocorrelation function is executed on at least a portion of the signal samples identified by a sample offset of the plurality of sample offsets. The detection module is also configured to compute a sum of the autocorrelation function outputs, normalize the sum of the autocorrelation function outputs, and determine whether a signal of interest is present within the electromagnetic energy based on the normalized sum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: The Aerospace Corporation
    Inventors: Samuel J. Curry, Masahiro Sayano, David M. Schwartz, Kristine Y. Tsai
  • Patent number: 8676145
    Abstract: A balanced mixer circuit (300, 400, 500, 600, 700 and 800) in a baseband receiver (202) includes an oscillator circuit (212), a mixer (214 and 215), a digital-to-analog converter (258 and 259) and a digital signal processor (250). The mixer includes CMOS devices (301, 302, 303 and 304). In response to differential outputs from the mixer, the digital signal processor controls the digital-to-analog converter to output bias voltages for the gate of at least one of the CMOS devices of the mixer to compensate for imbalance in the differential output of the mixer that may be caused by mismatch among two or more CMOS devices of the mixer or caused by other reasons, in order to increase second order intercept point of the mixer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel L. Kaczman, Lawrence E. Connell, Joseph P. Golat, Manish N. Shah
  • Patent number: 8670741
    Abstract: Embodiments of apparatuses, systems and methods relating to a mixer having high second- and third-order intercept points are disclosed. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: TriQuint Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Yan Guo, Patrick T. Clancy, Peter J. Mares
  • Patent number: 8666353
    Abstract: A wireless device includes processing circuitry, a receiver section, a transmitter section, and an antenna. The processing circuitry determines a set of information signals of a RF Multiple Frequency Bands Multiple Standards (MFBMS) signal. The receiver section down-converts a portion of the RF MFBMS signal by one or more respective shift frequencies to produce a corresponding baseband/low Intermediate Frequency (BB/IF) information signal from which the processing circuitry extracts data. The transmitter section converts a respective BB/IF information signal received from the processing circuitry by a respective shift frequency to produce a corresponding RF information signal and a combiner that combines the RF information signals to form a RF MFBMS signal. The receiver section and the transmitter section include ADCs and/or DACs, respectively, that are adjustable based upon characteristics of the RF MFBMS signal, the BB/IF MFBMS signal, and/or based upon signals carried therein, e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: John Walley, David Rosmann, Arya Reza Behzad, Jeyhan Karaoguz, Vinko Erceg, Brima B. Ibrahim
  • Patent number: 8666351
    Abstract: A SAW-less receiver includes an FEM interface module, an RF to IF receiver section, and a receiver IF to baseband section. The RF to IF receiver section includes a frequency translated bandpass filter (FTBPF), an LNA, and a mixing section. The FTBPF includes a switching network and baseband impedances. The switching network is operable to frequency translate a baseband filter response to a first RF band frequency response and/or to a second RF frequency band response. The FTBPF filters the inbound RF signal to pass, substantially unattenuated, the first and/or second RF band signal components. The LNA amplifies the first and/or second filtered inbound RF signals and the mixing section mixes the first and/or second amplified inbound RF signals with a corresponding first and/or second local oscillation. The IF to baseband section converts the first and/or second inbound IF signals into first inbound symbol stream(s) and/or second inbound symbol stream(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Ahmad Mirzaei, Hooman Darabi
  • Patent number: 8666352
    Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) receiver, such as a television tuner, includes a harmonic cancellation circuit. The harmonic cancellation circuit includes a primary signal path to generate a first intermediate frequency (IF) signal by mixing an RF signal with a reference signal and a harmonic feedforward signal path to generate a second IF signal representing signal content of the RF signal near an nth-order harmonic of a frequency fLO of the first reference signal, n comprising a positive integer. The harmonic cancellation circuit further includes a summation stage to generate a third IF signal based on a difference between the first IF signal and the second IF signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Inventors: Stephen A. Jantzi, Amr M. Fahim
  • Patent number: 8666354
    Abstract: A distributed, diode mixer circuit includes a plurality of passive diode mixer cores including at least first and second passive diode mixer cores including doubly-balanced diodes in symmetrical balanced configuration forms, each mixer core having a pair of differential reference nodes driven by the reference signal and a pair of differential nodes driven by the data signal and a reactive impedance network including one or multiple reactive elements or transmission lines connected between the like nodes of each the first and second mixer cores.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Hittite Microwave Corporation
    Inventor: Xin Jiang
  • Publication number: 20140057585
    Abstract: A frequency converter includes: a plurality of mixers each including a magnetoresistance effect device including a fixed magnetic layer, a free magnetic layer, and a nonmagnetic spacer layer sandwiched between the fixed magnetic layer and the free magnetic layer, when receiving a first high-frequency signal and a local second high-frequency signal, the magnetoresistance effect device multiplying the first high-frequency signal and the local second high-frequency signal by a magnetoresistance effect to generate a multiplication signal, and a magnetic field applying unit that applies a magnetic field to the free magnetic layer. A plurality of multiplication signals generated when the first high-frequency signal and the local second high-frequency signals that differ from one mixer to another are input to the mixers, are added together and are output.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Publication date: February 27, 2014
    Applicant: TDK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuji Kakinuma, Masato Takahashi
  • Patent number: 8659456
    Abstract: An embodiment of the invention provides an electronic device. The electronic device includes a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), a transmitter front-end (TX FE), an amplifier, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), and a swap circuitry. The TX FE has a first and a second input end coupled to a first and a second output end of the DAC, respectively. The ADC has a first and a second input end coupled to a first and a second output end of the amplifier, respectively. The swap circuitry is configured to couple the first and second output ends of the DAC to a first and a second input end of the amplifier in a normal state, respectively, and couple the first and second output ends of the DAC to the second and first input ends of the amplifier in a swapped state, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Mediatek Inc.
    Inventors: Hsiang-Hui Chang, Hsin-Hung Chen, Chi-Yun Wang, Chih-Jung Chen
  • Patent number: 8649818
    Abstract: A software-defined radio (SDR) capability may be provided in a general purpose, many core processing system by sequestering one or more partitions running on one or more cores and instantiating a communications capability by having discrete SDR functions performed by the sequestered partitions. Each SDR module embodied in a sequestered partition may be independently upgraded without modifying the hardware of the underlying processing system. By executing SDR modules in cores not accessible by application programs and/or an operating system (OS), a better Quality of Service (QoS) may be provided for wireless communications on the general purpose, multi-core processing system. An embodiment comprises isolating a core of a many core processing system as a sequestered partition, loading a software-defined radio module onto the core, and executing the software-defined module to implement wireless communications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Vincent J. Zimmer, Michael A. Rothman, Palsamy Sakthikumar, Mallik Bulusu, Robert C. Swanson
  • Patent number: 8649753
    Abstract: Aspects of a method and system for using a microstrip to switch circuits in CMOS applications may include generating a second signal from a first signal by frequency-translating the first signal by switching a first current associated with the first signal between a first signal path and a second signal path. The switched first current may be filtered via a microstrip filter that may be tuned to a desired frequency component of the frequency-translated first signal, and the second signal may be generated from the difference between the voltage of the first signal path and the second signal path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Ahmadreza Rofougaran, Maryam Rofougaran
  • Patent number: 8644787
    Abstract: A method of separating individual channels from a composite or broadband RF signal that carries the channels on respective frequencies. An RF signal is received from an antenna at a high impedance input port of a plurality of mixers. A local oscillator (LO) signal is received at a high impedance port of the plurality of mixers. The plurality of mixers separately mix the RF signal to produce a plurality of common intermediate frequency (IF) signals. The plurality of common IF signals are output to filters corresponding to the individual isolated channels then processed to derive their information content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: Russell D. Wyse, Mark A. Willi
  • Patent number: 8644786
    Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed to effectively frequency translate a filter characterized as a low quality factor (Q) filter, corresponding to a baseband frequency of approximately zero Hertz or to an intermediate frequency (IF), to a filter characterized as a high Q filter at frequencies greater than the baseband frequency or the IF. A downconversion mixer frequency translates a communication signal to the baseband frequency or the IF using a first local oscillator signal to provide a downconverted communication signal. A filter corresponding to the baseband frequency or the IF filters the downconverted communication signal to provide a filtered communication signal. An upconversion mixer frequency translates a communication signal using a second local oscillator signal. The frequency translation by the upconversion mixer, in effect, translates the filter characterization from the low Q filter to the high Q filter at frequencies greater than the baseband frequency or the IF.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Ahmad Mirzaei, Mohyee Mikhemar, Hooman Darabi
  • Patent number: 8638249
    Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a method includes determining an amplitude of an input signal provided by a capacitive signal source, compressing the input signal in an analog domain to form a compressed analog signal based on the determined amplitude, converting the compressed analog signal to a compressed digital signal, and decompressing the digital signal in a digital domain to form a decompressed digital signal. In an embodiment, compressing the analog signal includes adjusting a first gain of an amplifier coupled to the capacitive signal source, and decompressing the digital signal comprises adjusting a second gain of a digital processing block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Michael Kropfitsch, Jose Luis Ceballos
  • Patent number: 8639205
    Abstract: An exemplary embodiment disclosed comprises a mixer having a plurality of input leads; a first degenerative impedance element coupled to a first input lead of the mixer; a second degenerative impedance element coupled to a second input lead of the mixer; and a local oscillator (LO) system comprising a plurality of duty cycle modes to generate a LO signal for the mixer, the local oscillator system operates in a first duty cycle based on a first gain state of the mixer, and in a second duty cycle based on a second gain state of the mixer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Junxiong Deng, Aristotele Hadjichristos, Aleksandar Tasic, Frederic Bossu
  • Patent number: 8629708
    Abstract: A frequency quadrupler comprises a balanced topology which increases broadband odd harmonic suppression. The frequency quadrupler is constructed in a cascode configuration which is a two-stage amplifier composed of a transconductance amplifier followed by a current buffer. The cascode is constructed with common emitter (CE) and common base (CB) stages which further improves the multiplier frequency response. The cascode configuration enables a notch filter to be placed between the common emitter and common base stages to reduce 2nd harmonic generation and thereby increase 4th harmonic output power, generation efficiency and conversion gain. To cancel 4th harmonic components at the input that may destructively interfere with the output signal, capacitors are placed at the input of the common emitter stage, which in conjunction with the parasitic base wire inductance, form a notch filter to short the 4th harmonic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Roee Ben-Yishay, Roi Carmon, Danny Elad, Oded Katz, Benny Sheinman
  • Patent number: 8624658
    Abstract: A frequency mixer having parallel mixer cores is described that is configured to heterodyne a signal. In an implementation, the frequency mixer includes a first mixer core and a second mixer core. A first balun is connected to the first mixer core and configured to furnish a LO signal occurring in a first range of frequencies to the first mixer core. The mixer includes a second balun coupled to the second mixer core, and the second balun is configured to furnish a LO signal occurring in a second range of frequencies during a second time interval. The mixer includes a first biasing voltage source that is center tapped to the first balun and a second biasing voltage source is center tapped to the second balun to further prevent operation of the at least substantially non-operational mixer core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: Maxim Integrated Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Theron L. Jones, Richard D. Davis, James Imbornone, Xuejin Wang
  • Patent number: 8624979
    Abstract: A monitoring apparatus includes a detection circuit, a filter circuit, an amplifying circuit, a regulation circuit, a delay and charging circuit, and a driving circuit. The detection circuit receives a video signal, and performs an operation to obtain an image signal from the video signal. The filter circuit obtains an average intensity of a luminance signal corresponding to the image signal. The delay and charging circuit charges an input capacitor when receiving a low level regulated signal from the amplifying circuit. The driving circuit activates an alarm when a charging voltage of the chargeable capacitor exceeds a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignees: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (ShenZhen) Co., Ltd., Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jia Li
  • Patent number: 8626105
    Abstract: A mixer-amplifier of an RF signal including at least an amplifier circuit and a mixing circuit controlled at a local oscillator frequency, for amplifying a signal applied on at least one input terminal and converting a first frequency of this signal into a second, lower, frequency, and including a reverse feedback loop switched at the local oscillator frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.A.
    Inventors: Valérie Danelon, Patrice Garcia
  • Patent number: 8624660
    Abstract: In one aspect, the present invention exploits the termination conductances of a time-discrete harmonic mixer as another degree of freedom in configuring the mixer to meet given harmonic rejection performance requirements while using reduced number of unit cells. The values of these termination conductances are purposefully configured to introduce a desired non-linearity in quantization of the mixer transconductance by the unit cells. The non-uniform quantization produces a non-linear fitting of the transconductance levels to the transconductance points defining the target sinusoidal waveform. As a consequence of its termination conductance configuration, the contemplated mixer achieves levels of harmonic rejection with that would not be met if the reduced number of unit cells operated with uniform quantization. As a further advantage, the manipulated conductance values generally are lower than those used in conventional designs, e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (Publ)
    Inventors: Lars Sundström, Martin Anderson
  • Patent number: 8619997
    Abstract: A receiving apparatus includes: a local oscillator to output first- and second-local-oscillator signals whose phases are orthogonal to each other; a mixer to output first- and second-intermediate-frequency signals; a first filter to allow a component from a desired signal to pass therethrough, and eliminate a component from an image signal having a frequency symmetrical with that of the desired signal, in the first- and second-intermediate-frequency signals; a second filter to allow a component from the image signal to pass therethrough, and eliminate a component from the desired signal, in the first- and second-intermediate-frequency signals; a comparator to compare levels between output signals of the first and second filters; and a control unit to switch a frequency of the first- and second-local-oscillator signals to a difference frequency between a frequency of the desired signal and the intermediate frequency or a sum frequency thereof, according to a comparison result of the comparator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignees: Sanyo Semiconductor Co., Ltd., Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC
    Inventors: Kazunari Kurokawa, Satoru Sekiguchi
  • Patent number: 8620252
    Abstract: Presented herein are systems, methods, and apparatus for ultra-low power, low noise switched capacitor radio frequency mixer. In one embodiment, there is described a method for mixing a signal. The method comprises mixing with a mixer, a received signal with a mixing signal to generate a mixed signal. The mixing signal comprises an in-phase component and an out-of-phase component and a desired frequency. The mixed signal comprises a mixed in-phase component and a mixed out-of-phase component. The method also comprises mixing one of the mixed in-phase component and the mixed out-of-phase component based on the mixing signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Eric Rodal
  • Patent number: 8611842
    Abstract: A communications device is disclosed that adjusts a target signal to allow a reference phase locked loop (PLL) to lock onto a reference signal that is related to a desired operating frequency in a first mode of operation. The reference PLL locks onto the reference signal when the target signal is calibrated to be proportional to the reference signal. As the communications device transitions between the first mode of operation and a second mode of operation, the communications device performs a shorten calibration cycle on the reference PLL. The reference phase locked loop (PLL) locks onto the reference signal in response to the shorten calibration cycle in the second mode of operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Nikoloas Haralabidis
  • Patent number: 8611820
    Abstract: Techniques for designing a communications unit including a signal separation module for energy harvesting. In an exemplary aspect, the signal separation module includes first and second quadrature hybrids coupled by band-pass filters (BPF's). Incoming signals within the pass-band of the BPF's are directed through the quadrature hybrids and through the BPF's, and emerge as a desired pass-band signal to be processed by an RX processing module. Incoming signals lying outside the pass-band of the BPF's are reflected from the BPF's back to the first quadrature hybrid, and output as a non-pass-band signal to be processed by an energy harvesting module. In a further exemplary aspect, the signal separation module resides in a detachable module coupleable to a wireless communications device, and a signal transmitted by the wireless communications device is coupled to the signal separation module for energy harvesting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventor: Robert P. Gilmore
  • Patent number: 8606211
    Abstract: A preselect circuit maintains the dynamic range of a received RF input signal during bandpass filtering of the received RF input signal. The preselect circuit includes a Q-deficient passive bandpass filter for coupling to an antenna to receive a received RF input signal. The preselect circuit further includes a Q-enhancement circuit coupled to the Q-deficient passive bandpass filter, wherein the Q-enhancement circuit increases a Q-value of the Q-deficient passive bandpass filter by compensating for resistive inductive losses in the bandpass filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Bruce A. Judson, Cong T. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 8606209
    Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods for the efficient implementation of tuners are generally described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Nicholas Cowley, Isaac Ali, Bernard Arambepola
  • Patent number: 8606208
    Abstract: There is provided a filter circuit including a passive mixer circuit, and a passive switched capacitor circuit that is connected to a rear stage of the passive mixer and includes a flying capacitor. The passive mixer circuit generates a baseband signal by multiplying an input signal supplied from a predetermined signal source impedance by each local oscillation signal and outputs the baseband signal to the passive switched capacitor circuit, the passive switched capacitor circuit performs predetermined filtering on the baseband signal supplied from the passive mixer circuit and outputs the processed baseband signal, and a capacitance of the flying capacitor of the passive switched capacitor circuit is a capacitance by which input impedance of the passive mixer circuit is matched to the signal source impedance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Sachio Iida