Homodyne (i.e., Zero Beat Or Synchrodyne Reception) Patents (Class 455/324)
  • Patent number: 5678223
    Abstract: A receiver circuit (10), and method for automatic frequency control of a receiver circuit (10) suitable for receiving a radio frequency (RF) signal, featuring determination of at least one parameter other than a frequency error of a signal which is mixed with the RF signal received by the receiver circuit; and adjusting the frequency of the signal which is mixed with the RF signal based on the frequency error if the at least one parameter satisfies a predetermined criterion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 14, 1997
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Edgar Herbert Callaway, Jr., Frederick Loring Kampe, Gary Lee Pace, James David Hughes
  • Patent number: 5630227
    Abstract: A satellite receiver is provided which downconverts an incoming band of signals received at a carrier frequency to a signal spectrum centered about an intermediate frequency (IF). The IF signal spectrum is filtered to provide a group of signals therefrom. The group comprises a subset of all the signals in the incoming band of signals. The group of signals from the IF signal spectrum is sampled at a high frequency which is greater than the highest frequency present in the group but lower than the intermediate frequency, in order to provide the group of signals at baseband directly from the IF signal spectrum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 13, 1997
    Assignee: Agence Spatiale Europeenne
    Inventors: Luigi Bella, Javier V.-T. Bosch, Irene Echaniz-Elgarresta, Gerhard Hoffmann
  • Patent number: 5614904
    Abstract: A balanced delta-modulation analog-to-digital conversion circuit is disclosed. A first principal integrator produces a first output signal which rises when a first control signal is generated and falls when a second control signal is generated. A second principal integrator produces a second output signal which fails when the first control signal is generated and rises when the second control signal is generated. The first and second control signals are then generated based upon the differences between the first and second output signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 25, 1997
    Assignee: Ericsson Inc.
    Inventor: Paul W. Dent
  • Patent number: 5613233
    Abstract: An apparatus having a distortion cancelling feedback signal that suppresses undesired signal components. One embodiment of the present invention is comprised of a balanced mixer coupled to a common-mode detector, a filter and having a resulting feedback signal that suppresses the common-mode component of the mixer output signal while allowing the differential component of the mixer output signal to pass on to additional processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 18, 1997
    Assignee: Rockwell International Corp.
    Inventor: Michael R. Vagher
  • Patent number: 5606731
    Abstract: A zero-intermediate frequency receiver circuit (11) for receiving a radio frequency signal detected by an antenna (14). The receiver circuit (10) comprises a second local oscillator circuit (25) and an oscillator circuit (60) of a phase locked loop demodulator (36) which are identical and track each other so as to provide a more accurate reference for processing a demodulated signal. A current reference (39) providing a current reference signal utilized by the second local oscillator circuit (25) and the oscillator circuit (60) of the phase locked loop demodulator (36).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 25, 1997
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary L. Pace, Vance H. Peterson, Edgar H. Callaway, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5604746
    Abstract: A digital data receiver having a converter for frequency conversion of the input high frequency digital orthogonal modulation signal in a fixed intermediate frequency band, a demodulator for orthogonally demodulating an intermediate frequency signal output from the conversion signal based on a fixed frequency, and a controller for matching a frequency of the oscillation signal to a central frequency of the intermediate frequency band based on a frequency control signal generated to perform an orthogonal detection process by the demodulator. The central frequency of the oscillation signal is offset to correspond to a carrier frequency of the digital data orthogonal modulation signal in the state that a plurality of digital orthogonal modulation signal is frequency division multiplexed in the intermediate frequency band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 18, 1997
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Hideki Oto
  • Patent number: 5584059
    Abstract: A zero-IF transmitter (200) has a DC offset, representative of a carrier feedthrough signal. A value to correct the DC offset is successively approximated (207). A summer (201) adds the value to a desired input to reduce the DC offset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 10, 1996
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: William J. Turney, Paul H. Gailus
  • Patent number: 5584068
    Abstract: A direct conversion receiver for FSK modulated digital signals has two quadrature signal paths (I, Q) and an a.f.c. loop for controlling a local frequency generator. A control signal for the a.f.c. loop is produced by an offset frequency detector, and is in the form of a unipolar series of pulses having an average value which is proportional to the offset of the local frequency with respect to the carrier frequency of the signal being received. The offset frequency detector derives such control signal based on the difference between phase-shifted cross-products of the signals in the I and Q paths. This achieves fast a.f.c. loop response, improving the performance of the receiver, and permits a simpler loop filter for achieving the requisite signal averaging. The receiver also includes an out-of-range detector for detecting when the local frequency is outside a predetermined window with respect to the carrier frequency of the received signal, in which case the a.f.c.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 10, 1996
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventor: Rishi Mohindra
  • Patent number: 5579347
    Abstract: A digitally compensated direct-conversion receiver includes devices for generating digital samples of a base-band in-phase signal and a base-band quadrature signal and for detecting the presence of a second-order product signal produced by an amplitude-modulated interfering signal. Also, the apparatus comprises a device for digitally compensating the digital samples by removing the second-order product signal, thereby producing compensated digital samples. In one method of digitally compensating samples of an information signal quadrature-modulating a carrier signal, estimated samples of a second-order product from a switched carrier signal are formed by averaging the digital samples during two time periods and by determining a time of ramps in the in-phase and quadrature signals that occur between the time periods due to the interfering signal. The digital samples may be differentiated and the results smoothed in determining the time of the ramps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 26, 1996
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
    Inventors: Bjorn Lindquist, Martin Isberg, Heino Wendelrup, Martin Sallenhag, Kjell Gustafsson
  • Patent number: 5568520
    Abstract: A method for processing a signal modulated with information symbols to account for an additive offset and slope is disclosed. First, an initial estimate of offset and slope is made and hypotheses of all possible values of a sequence of one or more information symbols are then made. For each of said hypotheses, the associated data symbol sequence is used to make an improved estimate of offset and slope and the improved estimate of offset and slope are stored against each of the hypotheses. For each hypothesis, the improved estimate of offset and slope is used in calculating an expected signal value and a mismatch between a sample of the modulated signal and the expected value is computed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 22, 1996
    Assignee: Ericsson Inc.
    Inventors: Bjorn Lindquist, Paul W. Dent
  • Patent number: 5561716
    Abstract: In a demodulator for a stereo signal transmitted by amplitude and phase modulation of a carrier, a phase signal and a quantity signal are formed. By multiplication of the quantity signal with the tangent of the phase signal reduced by a value to be preset, a difference signal is formed. The value to be preset is generated in such a way as to minimize the direct portion of the difference signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 1, 1996
    Assignee: Blaupunkt-Werke GmbH
    Inventors: Jurgen Kasser, Stefan Bartels
  • Patent number: 5530929
    Abstract: A method and a device in a homodyne receiver including a local oscillator generating an oscillator signal at a frequency of f.sub.LO, a mixer, and a reception device for receiving an input signal having a frequency of f.sub.RF, the oscillator signal and the input signal being supplied to the mixer. The oscillator signal is supplied to a first processing unit to produce a first output signal having a frequency of M*f.sub.LO, where M is an integer value. The first output signal is supplied to a second processing unit to produce a second output signal having a frequency of M*f.sub.LO /N=f.sub.LO, where N is an integer number and M.noteq.N, and the mixer and the second processing unit are integrated to minimize leakage of signals being supplied to the mixer from the second processing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 25, 1996
    Assignee: Ericsson GE Mobile Communications Inc.
    Inventors: Bjorn Lindqvist, Martin Isberg
  • Patent number: 5530723
    Abstract: An automatic frequency control (AFC) arrangement for use in a symmetrically modulated, homodyne FSK receiver or transceiver forms a value representing the baseband frequency for each of demodulated data states "1" and "0" by measuring the frequency (54, 56; 80, 82) during the appropriate data state, stores it (58, 60; 84, 86) during the opposite data state, and subjects the two stored values to a subtraction process in a difference-forming means (64, 88), the output of which is then used to effect control of the frequency of the local oscillator (32). The AFC arrangement may be realized by analogue techniques, using one or more frequency-to-voltage converters and sample-and-hold units, or by digital techniques, using one or more counters and latches, or by software techniques.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 25, 1996
    Assignee: Plessey Semiconductors Limited
    Inventor: David B. Maplestone
  • Patent number: 5524282
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method utilized in the field of time division multiplex digital communications or the like for detecting the place of burst signals. A transmitter transmits a carrier wave modulated by message data signals having a reference signal inserted between them, and a receiver receives the transmitted modulated carrier wave. In the receiver, the received modulated carrier wave is demodulated by both a sine wave and a cosine wave each having an angular frequency deviation .DELTA..omega. relative to the received carrier waved, the phase difference between the demodulated message data signals and the modulated reference signal is detected, the time-based change of the detected phase difference is approximated by a function of low order, the error between the phase of the received reference signal and that computed on the basis of the approximation function is computed, and a burst place detection signal is generated when the computed error is smaller than a predetermined threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 4, 1996
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kouichi Honma, Mitsuru Uesugi, Kazuhisa Tsubaki
  • Patent number: 5511236
    Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) transceiver for modulating and demodulating RF signals with a direct modulation transmitter and a dual intermediate frequency (IF) receiver, respectively, includes a local oscillator, three frequency converters, a demodulator, a carrier generator, a modulator, a controller and two signal switches. The local oscillator (e.g. phase lock loop PLL!) provides a first local oscillator (LO) signal. One frequency converter (e.g. mixer) frequency converts an incoming modulated RF signal with the first LO signal to provide a first modulated IF signal. A second frequency converter frequency converts the first modulated IF signal with a second LO signal to provide a second modulated IF signal. The demodulator also receives the second LO signal and demodulates therewith the second modulated IF signal. The carrier generator (e.g. voltage-controlled oscillator VCO!) receives a transmitter control signal and in accordance therewith generates a transmitter carrier signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 23, 1996
    Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Ruth Umstattd, Benny Madsen
  • Patent number: 5507036
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method for cancelling distortion in a direct conversion receiver, such distortion created by the mixing of the desired signal with the output signal of an local oscillator. Subsequent to filtering the mixer output signal, the even mode distortion component is extracted, phase shifted, amplified and recombined with the mixed signal in such manner as to suppress even order distortion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 9, 1996
    Assignee: Rockwell International
    Inventor: Michael R. Vagher
  • Patent number: 5438692
    Abstract: A direct conversion receiver, such as a paging receiver includes a local oscillator for mixing down to baseband a received radio frequency signal having a carrier frequency which is digitally modulated (FSK). To provide automatic frequency control, instead of using a control loop, the present invention includes means which at intervals evaluates the recovered digital signal to determine whether a predetermined quality thereof is within a selected D/A conversion range. A microcontroller including a D/A converter generates a control signal for the local oscillator to maintain the oscillator at a frequency such that the signal quality remains within the selected conversion range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 1, 1995
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventor: Rishi Mohindra
  • Patent number: 5422889
    Abstract: The direct conversion receiver DCR receives analog modulating signals with a reference average value and modulated within assigned time slots of a TDMA-structure on a carrier with a carrier frequency FC which changes from time slot to time slot. DCR includes a demodulator circuit DC-coupled to a baseband circuit, the demodulator circuit including a local oscillator LO and a mixer MIX and the baseband circuit including an offset correction circuit OCC/OCC' for updating different variable parameter offset correction values for different FC stored in a memory MEM and compensating offset introduced in DCR. OCC/OCC' determines, upon occurrence of an assigned time slot, an updated offset correction value as a function of an old offset correction value in a corresponding storage location of MEM and the difference between an average value of the analog signal and the reference average value, and thereupon stores the result in the corresponding storage place.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 6, 1995
    Assignee: Alcatel N.V.
    Inventors: Joannes M. J. Sevenhans, Daniel Sallaerts, Arnoul O. G. Vanwelsenaers, Jacques Wenin
  • Patent number: 5418489
    Abstract: An apparatus and method is provided of recovering a frequency modulated signal having a first component of the frequency modulated signal at a zero-RF spectral location and a second component of the frequency modulated signal at a zero-RF spectral location in quadrature relationship to the first component. The method includes the steps of: upconverting and summing the first and second components to produce a reference signal (100), time delaying the first and second components, upconverting and summing the delayed, upconverted first and second components to produce a delayed reference signal (101) in quadrature relationship to the reference signal; limiting the reference and delayed signal (102); and exclusive or-ing (103) the limited reference and limited delayed signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 23, 1995
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventor: Kevin B. Traylor
  • Patent number: 5361408
    Abstract: A direct conversion receiver for providing a direct conversion of a radio frequency signal having a carrier frequency comprises a local oscillator for substantially equal frequency to the carrier, and a semiconductor integrated circuit mounting mixers and amplifiers for amplifying inputs to the mixer. The amplifiers amplify the local oscillation signals and/or radio frequency signal inputted from the outside of the semiconductor integrated circuit and supply the amplified signals to the mixers. The mixers mix these inputted signals and output the mixed signals to the outside of the semiconductor integrated circuit. By thus forming the receiver, radiation of the local oscillation signals to outside of the receiver and leakage inside thereof can be suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 1, 1994
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazunori Watanabe, Yasumi Imagawa, Makoto Hasegawa, Kazuaki Takahashi
  • Patent number: 5303417
    Abstract: A mixer system for a direct conversion receiver, the receiver including an RF input path which is divided into I and Q paths for demodulating from the RF signals I and Q signals in phase quadrature with one another, the mixer system including first and second serially coupled mixer means in the I path, third and fourth serially coupled mixer means in the Q path, and a local oscillator providing a plurality of local oscillator signals in phase quadrature with one another to the mixer means, such that the first mixer means receives a local oscillator signal in phase quadrature to the local oscillator signal applied to the second mixer means, and the third mixer means receives a local oscillator in phase quadrature to that applied to the fourth mixer means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 12, 1994
    Assignee: Plessey Semiconductors Ltd.
    Inventor: Peter G. Laws
  • Patent number: 5263194
    Abstract: A radio receiver for use with a time slot paging system which receives intermittent data includes a direct coupled zero IF receiver circuit with at least one automatic gain control (AGC) amplifier stage. DC offset errors are removed from the AGC amplifier stages by a timed zero adjustment circuit that is switched into the AGC circuit just prior to the receipt of data. The resulting zero IF circuit may be miniaturized in monolithic form making it ideal for use in a wristwatch sized pager.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1993
    Assignees: Seiko Corp., Seiko Epson Corp.
    Inventor: Lawrence H. Ragan
  • Patent number: 5263197
    Abstract: A two-stage direct conversion receiver. A first mixer (13) converts the incoming signal to an intermediate frequency (IF) signal. A second mixer (16) converts the IF signal to a baseband signal. A detector (17), receiver logic circuit (18), and alerting device circuit (19) act upon the baseband output signal. A two port oscillator (14) provides a fundamental frequency output (FO) and a tripled output frequency (3 FO). The tripled output frequency is again tripled (9 FO) by a frequency multiplier (15) and is provided as a mixing signal to the first mixer (13). The fundamental frequency output is provided to a phase locked loop (20, 21, 22). The output frequency (FV) of the phase locked loop is doubled (2 FV) by a frequency multiplier (23) and provided to a phase shift circuit (24). The output of the phase shift circuit (24) is provided as the second mixing signal to the second mixer (16).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1993
    Assignee: Matsushita Communication Industrial Corporation of America
    Inventors: Yoshiharu Manjo, Charles R. McMurray, Tadashi Ohga
  • Patent number: 5263196
    Abstract: To compensate the audio distortion resulting from amplitude and phase imbalance in the quadrature oscillator (103) and mixers (105, 115) in zero-IF downconverters (203), a balancing action is required. An apparatus for distortion compensation compensates for the amplitude and phase imbalance to reduce audio distortion. This is accomplished by determining (309) two gain values, which are combined (217, 227, 229) with the in-phase and quadrature components of the zero-IF downconverter (203) to compensate for the imbalance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1993
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventor: Steven C. Jasper
  • Patent number: 5251218
    Abstract: A digital radio frequency (RF) or intermediate frequency (IF) receiver for frequency division multiplexed (FDM) signals contained in a predetermined FDM band including an RF amplifier, an RF bandpass anti-alias filter, and an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter. The sample frequency F.sub.s of the A/D converter is lower than the lowest frequency in the predetermined FDM band and is selected to meet certain specified conditions based on the passband and stop band edges of the anti-alias filter so that the output of the A/D converter contains a non-distorted aliased frequency down converted digital version of the predetermined FDM band which is located between 0 Hz and one-half the sampling frequency. A digital complex mixer responsive to the digital output of the A/D converter translates the spectrum of the sampled digital received signal to center the desired FDM channel at zero frequency (DC).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 1991
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1993
    Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company
    Inventors: Wade J. Stone, Kikuo Ichiroku, Edwin A. Kelley, Don C. Devendorf
  • Patent number: 5249203
    Abstract: A system for controlling for gain and phase errors due to mismatches between signal channels in direct conversion receiver having a pair of signal channels carrying I and Q baseband component signals which are in quadrature. In accordance with the system new I' and Q' signals are generated which may be viewed as analogs of the I and Q baseband components but which are related to twice the phase angle defined by the original I and Q baseboard components signal components. Phase angles are determined based on the original I and Q baseband components signals and the new I' and Q' signals. An error signal is then formed from these signals which can be analyzed to determine the gain and phase errors affecting the I and Q baseband components. These components can then be adjusted to correct for gain and phase errors in order to compensate for hardware mismatches between the signal channels in the receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1993
    Assignee: Rockwell International Corporation
    Inventor: Roger K. Loper
  • Patent number: 5230011
    Abstract: Receiver having an A/D converter for digitally sampling an analog signal modulated on a carrier frequency at a first sampling frequency, consecutively coupled to a digital quadrature mixer stage for a carrier frequency shift of the digitized modulated signal from the A/D converter, a digital filter device for selecting the phase quadrature signals of the quadrature mixer stage and for decimating the sampling frequency from the first sampling frequency to a second sampling frequency, and a digital demodulation device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 1991
    Date of Patent: July 20, 1993
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventors: Gerardus C. M. Gielis, Rudy J. van der Plassche
  • Patent number: 5230097
    Abstract: An offset frequency converter for the intermediate frequency (IF) stages of a multi-channel radio frequency (RF) phase/amplitude measurement receiver, particularly useful for measuring the performance characteristics of antennas. The converter allows use of noncoherent transmitter and receiver local oscillator sources which utilize digital frequency synthesizers and enables harmonic mixing to be employed when the tuning resolution of the receiver local oscillator is incremental. The converter samples an incoming first intermediate frequency signal IF.sub.1 in a reference channel, which typically is obtained by mixing an LO source in the receiver with an incoming signal from a reference antenna. The IF.sub.1 sample is then upconverted with an upconversion signal to a higher frequency, filtered, and the downconverted with a downconversion signal to an IF.sub.1 +IF.sub.2 signal offset from the IF.sub.1 sample by a lower second intermediate frequency IF.sub.2. The added frequency offset IF.sub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 20, 1993
    Assignee: Scientific-Atlanta, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles H. Currie, Owen M. Caldwell
  • Patent number: 5212827
    Abstract: An essentially zero intermediate frequency receiver (100) for recovering an information signal from a received signal (110), which includes means for blanking noise signals which may otherwise deteriorate performance, comprises a receiver (10) for recovering the information signal and a noise blanker (28). The receiver (28) comprises at least one conversion mixer (32B) for operating on the received signal (110) to provide an essentially baseband signal (125B), at least one delay filter (40B) coupled to the conversion mixer (32B) for producing a delayed essentially baseband signal, and at least one blanker switch (S1-S4) for operating on the delayed essentially baseband signal to temporarily prevent recovery of the information signal in response to a control signal (58). To provide the control signal (58), the noise blanker (28) is coupled to the receiver (10) for operating on either the essentially baseband signal (125B) or the received signal (110) as a noise blanker input signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 18, 1993
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: William R. Meszko, Joseph P. Heck
  • Patent number: 5210484
    Abstract: A heterodyning lock-in amplifier in which the reference signal is shifted up in frequency (as in prior art designs), but then shifted back down in frequency prior to mixing with the input signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 11, 1993
    Assignees: Louis R. Fantozzi, Lawrence Kessler
    Inventors: Paul A. Remillard, Michael C. Amorelli
  • Patent number: 5187809
    Abstract: A gain control system for controlling signal levels of the signal received by a receiver. The gain control system is operable to control the signal levels of the signal when the signal is comprised of either a conventional, constant envelope signal, such as an FM signal, or a non-constant envelope signal, such as a TDMA composite modulated signal. The gain control system may be advantageously embodied in a dual-mode radiotelephone operable to receive both conventional, FM signals and TDMA, composite modulated signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 1992
    Date of Patent: February 16, 1993
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Randall W. Rich, Rashid M. Osmani, Thomas J. Walczak, Stephen V. Cahill
  • Patent number: 5179730
    Abstract: A direct conversion receiver having a tri-phase architecture including three separate baseband signal channels. RF communications signals which are being tuned by the receiver are split into three equal and in-phase components which are mixed with three equal but substantially out-of-phase injection signals on frequency with the communications signal. The resulting baseband component signals are independently filtered and amplified on the three signal channels. The baseband components are then directed to a signal processing unit which corrects the baseband components for gain or phase mismatch errors between the signal channels based on the information carried by the three components and thereafter demodulates the signals in order to acquire the information carried by the RF communications signal. An automatic gain control system and a signal filtering system adapted for use with direct conversion receivers are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1993
    Assignee: Rockwell International Corporation
    Inventor: Roger K. Loper
  • Patent number: 5179731
    Abstract: A circuit array for frequency translation by means of quadrature heterodyne signals has very low quadrature errors even at very high frequencies and is monolithically integratable with little external circuitry. The circuit array includes a first mixer which receives a first portion of an input signal, a second mixer which receives a second portion of the input signal, and a heterodyne signal generator which receives a local oscillator signal and supplies quadrature heterodyne signals to the mixers. The heterodyne signal generator includes a control loop to ensure a 90.degree. phase shift between the quadrature heterodyne signals. The circuit array can be used in a modulator for a transmitter or in a demodulator for a receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1993
    Assignee: Licentia-Patent-Verwaltungs-GmbH
    Inventors: Gunther Trankle, Gottfried Deckenbach
  • Patent number: 5175880
    Abstract: To analyse its spectrum, a radio signal is beat with an intermediate signal in a heterodyne circuit having a local oscillator sweeping a range of intermediate frequencies. The oscillator signal also beats with the output from a comb generator to produce signals marking intervals in its frequency sweep. The magnitude of the filtered intermediate frequency signal is measured between intervals marked by the frequency interval signals to output a frequency spectrum of the input signal. Preferably, the intermediate frequency signal is filtered in a homodyne demodulating unit employing a further local oscillator tuned to the intermediate frequency. A spectrum data display employs a memory storing the signal magnitudes at successive frequency steps at respective addresses associated with individual frequency steps. The magnitude values are assigned to their addresses by the spectrum frequency interval signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 1992
    Date of Patent: December 29, 1992
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce plc
    Inventor: Ian D. Brown
  • Patent number: 5159710
    Abstract: A zero IF receiver which is capable of detecting short duration or CW signals and of operating over a large dynamic range includes an input terminal for receiving an input signal, a quadrature down-converter coupled to the input terminal for producing quadrature related, frequency down-converted signals in a pair of signal paths. These signal paths each include an amplifier having a substantially sinh.sup.-1 transfer characteristic so that the pair of signal paths produce substantially logarithmic quadrature related output signals which are coupled to a demodulator. The demodulator converts the quadrature related output signals into amplitude and frequency descriptions of the input signal relative to a center frequency of the receiver. The amplitude description is determined by selecting the one of the quadrature related output signals having the larger absolute value and applying an amplitude correction thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 1991
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1992
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corp.
    Inventor: Anthony R. Cusdin
  • Patent number: 5140703
    Abstract: There is disclosed a method and apparatus for demodulating an R.F. modulated signal having a known carrier frequency Fo. A first reference signal of a frequency matching approximately the carrier frequency Fo, is mixed with the input R.F. modulated signal to produce the demodulated signal. The first reference signal is generated by a reference oscillator which provides a second reference signal of a second distinct reference frequency, a voltage control oscillator for generating the first reference signal dependent upon the amplitude of an error signal applied thereto, a selectively variable divider circuit for receiving and dividing the first frequency by a selected number to provide a third divided signal, and a comparator for comparing the phase of the second reference signal with that of the third divided signal to generate and apply the error signal to the voltage control oscillator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 18, 1992
    Inventor: Christopher P. Payne
  • Patent number: 5122879
    Abstract: A television receiver includes a baseband 90.degree. phase shifter, an adder, and a phase equalizer. The baseband 90.degree. phase shifter obtains in-phase video signals from the video signals of the I and Q signal blocks. The adder voltage-adds the in-phase video signals together. The phase equalizer corrects phase distortion of an output signal from the adder. The 90.degree. phase shifter has an operating frequency band including at least a received channel and a lower adjacent channel. A video signal is extracted from the phase equalizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1992
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Katsu Ito
  • Patent number: 5095536
    Abstract: A direct conversion receiver having a tri-phase architecture including three separate baseband signal channels. RF communications signals which are being tuned by the receiver are split into three equal and in-phase components which are mixed with three equal but substantially out-of-phase injection signals on frequency with the communications signal. The resulting baseband component signals are independently filtered and amplified on the three signal channels. The baseband components are then directed to a signal processing unit which corrects the baseband components for gain or phase mismatch errors between the signal channels based on the information carried by the three components and thereafter demodulates the signals in order to acquire the information carried by the RF communications signal. An automatic gain control system and a signal filtering system adapted for use with direct conversion receivers are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 10, 1992
    Assignee: Rockwell International Corporation
    Inventor: Roger K. Loper
  • Patent number: 5095533
    Abstract: A direct conversion receiver having a tri-phase architecture including three separate baseband signal channels. RF communications signals which are being tuned by the receiver are split into three equal and in-phase components which are mixed with three equal but substantially out-of phase injection signals on frequency with the communications signal. The resulting baseband component signals are independently filtered and amplified on the three signal channels. The baseband components are then directed to a signal processing unit which corrects the baseband components for gain or phase mismatch errors between the signal channels based on the information carried by the three components and thereafter demodulates the signals in order to acquire the information carried by the RF communications signal. An automatic gain control system and a signal filtering system adapted for use with direct conversion receivers are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 10, 1992
    Assignee: Rockwell International Corporation
    Inventors: Roger K. Loper, Ernest J. Moes
  • Patent number: 5058107
    Abstract: A digital intermediate frequency (IF) receiver for frequency division multiplexed (FDM) signals including analog circuitry for receiving FDM signals and an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter for converting the received signals to a sampled digital received signal. A digital complex mixer responsive to the digital output of the A/D converter translates the spectrum of the sampled digital received signal to center the desired FDM channel at zero frequency (DC). Digital low pass filtering isolates the desired channel centered at DC, and a digital complex mixer can be used to translate the isolated selected channel to a predetermined IF frequency. The in-phase portion of the digital IF centered selected channel or the DC centered complex envelope selected channel can then be provided to appropriate demodulation or decoder networks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 1989
    Date of Patent: October 15, 1991
    Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company
    Inventors: Wade J. Stone, Kikuo Ichiroku, Edwin A. Kelley, Don C. Devendorf
  • Patent number: 5052050
    Abstract: A direct conversion receiver for demodulating an FM signal converted frequency down converts the signal to quadrature related baseband signals (I,Q). These signals are applied by way of respective d.c. blocking capacitors (16, 18) and differentiating circuits (26, 28) to a differential arctan demodulator (20). The action of the differentiating circuits (26, 28) is to remove any d.c. component in the I and Q signals and to perform a frequency shaping which enables the demodulator (20) to recover correctly the modulating information. Measures are disclosed to overcome the effects of 180 degree phase jumps which will occur when the direction of rotation of the phasor reverses and of frequency dependent amplitude scaling introduced into the differentiated signals (I', Q').
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 1989
    Date of Patent: September 24, 1991
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corp.
    Inventors: Christopher J. Collier, Robert A. Brown, Monique G. M. Sommer
  • Patent number: 5003621
    Abstract: A direct conversion FM receiver that comprises a quadrature mixer, an A to D converter, a digital demodulator, a digital phase lock loop, and frequency offset setting means is disclosed. The quadrature mixer receives FM signals and mixes them with a local oscillator signal to produce an analog in-phase baseband signal and an analog quadrature baseband signal. The analog in-phase baseband signal and the analog quadrature baseband signal are converted into digital signals by the A to D converter. The digitally converted baseband and quadrature signals are digitally demodulated and filtered by the digital demodulator such that modulation information is produced. The modulation information is used, at least in part, to control the phase lock loop means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 1989
    Date of Patent: March 26, 1991
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventor: Paul H. Gailus
  • Patent number: 4979230
    Abstract: A carrier is received containing a plurality of signals within a first frequency band, for example television signals within the cable television band. The signals are upconverted to a second frequency band above the first band wherein a selected one of the upconverted signals will reside at an intermediate frequency within the second band. The selected upconverted signal is input to a homodyne detector operating at or near intermediate frequency. In-phase and quadrature signals output from the homodyne detector are digitally processed to recover a baseband signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 18, 1990
    Assignee: General Instrument Corporation
    Inventor: Daniel Marz
  • Patent number: 4955039
    Abstract: A quadrature receiver is disclosed which contains two mixers (M1, M3) in an in-phase receiving path and two mixers (M2, M4) in a quadrature receiving path for converting a received signal to a low IF. Each of the mixers is fed with an oscillator signal (O1 through O4), with the oscillator signal fed to one mixer of the respective receiving path having alternately the same or opposite phase from that of the oscillator signal fed to the other mixer of the same receiving path. In each receiving path, the mixers are followed by a circuit (P', P") which delivers an in-phase signal and a quadrature signal, respectively. These circuits compensate for the DC offset caused by the mixers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 1989
    Date of Patent: September 4, 1990
    Assignee: Alcatel N.V.
    Inventors: Dietrich Rother, Bernd Ripka, Rainer Berger
  • Patent number: 4953182
    Abstract: A dual branch receiver consists of first and second branches (12, 14) respectively comprising first and third mixers (16, 20) and second and fourth mixers (17, 21). An input terminal (10) for a signal having a carrier frequency (.omega..sub.c) is connected to the first and second paths. A first local oscillator frequency (.omega..sub.o) is supplied in quadrature to the first and second mixers (16, 17), where .omega..sub.c -.omega..sub.o =.DELTA..omega. and .DELTA..omega. is of the order of 2.pi..times.100 radians/sec. A second local oscillator (30) frequency is supplied in quadrature to the third and fourth mixers (20, 21). An output signal is derived by connecting a sum circuit (22) and a difference circuit (24) to the first and second branches. The outputs of the sum and difference circuits (22, 24) are also used to provide gain and phase correction signals. It has been found that if the correction signals are based on signals centered on 2.DELTA..omega. then they are substantially free of ripple.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 28, 1990
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventor: Kah-Seng Chung
  • Patent number: 4893316
    Abstract: A digital radio receiver is described. The digital receiver of the present invention contemplates a digital radio receiver which operates on a received analog signal which has been converted to a digital form after preselection at the output of the antenna. The digital receiver of the present invention comprises a preselector, a high-speed analog-to-digital (A/D) converter, a digitally implemented intermediate-frequency (IF) selectivity section having an output signal at substantially baseband frequencies, and digital signal processor (DSP) circuit performing demodulation and audio filtering. The radio architecture of the present invention is programmably adaptable to virtually every known modulation scheme and is particularly suitable for implementation on integrated circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 1986
    Date of Patent: January 9, 1990
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert V. Janc, Steven C. Jasper, Lester A. Longley, Katherine L. Zebrose, William J. Turney, Ross J. Lillie
  • Patent number: 4864638
    Abstract: Novel FM receivers are disclosed, which are very compact and simple yet possess high sensitivity. The receivers use novel three-terminal and two-terminal negative admittance networks. In one embodiment, one three-terminal negative admittance network forms a complete FM homodyne receiver. In another embodiment, two three-terminal negative admittance networks are used as the frequency converter and the demodulator and other functions of a super-heterodyne receiver. In still another embodiment, a two-terminal negative admittance network is employed together with a three-terminal negative admittance network to form a complete super-heterodyne FM receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 1988
    Date of Patent: September 5, 1989
    Assignee: Canadian Patents & Development Ltd.
    Inventor: Cornelis M. G. Zwarts
  • Patent number: 4852123
    Abstract: A receiver which converts the RF carrier to a very low frequency and incorporates a PLL demodulator which allows the IF to be AC coupled. This PLL demodulator does not include the IF filters. The bandwidth of the PLL demodulator is wide enough to demodulate FM. Also, components of the receiver can be switched to a transmission mode capable of FM or PSK modulation with a simple circuit. Finally, the receiver includes an AM or PSK coherent amplitude detector which is modified into an imageless spectrum analyzer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 25, 1989
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert H. Bickley, Christopher D. Broughton, Michael N. Pickett
  • Patent number: 4817167
    Abstract: A method and a circuit arrangement for receiving frequency-modulated stereo multiplex signals is disclosed in which the channel to be received is converted to the zero IF using negative feedback for reducing the frequency deviation in the IF band. The conversion takes place in a quadrature converter stage, and adjacent-channel selectivity is provided by low-pass filtering the two outputs of the quadrature converter stage, with the slopes of the selectivity characteristics of the two low-pass filters being relatively slight and lying partly in the zero IF band. The amount of the average attenuation of the frequency-modulated stereo subcarrier signal is equal to the amount of the reduction of the frequency deviation of the frequency-modulated main-channel signal. The negative-feedback signal is the demodulated main-channel signal, the amount of negative feedback being determined by an amplifier in the negative-feedback path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 1987
    Date of Patent: March 28, 1989
    Assignee: Deutsche ITT Industries GmbH
    Inventor: Gerhard-Guenter Gassmann
  • Patent number: 4811425
    Abstract: Apparatus for reducing the effects of mixer leakage in a zero IF transmission system includes first and second mixers having relatively equal leakage amounts from an oscillator port to an input port, with the input port of said first mixer adapted to receive a zero IF receiver input signal and with the output port of said first mixer capacitively coupled to the input port of the second mixer. The oscillator ports of the first and second mixers are coupled to a local oscillator output, with the output ports of said first and second mixers coupled respectively to an adder and subtractor circuit to provide respectively a DC signal indicative of the leakage and an output signal indicative of the magnitude of said input signal as effected by leakage to thereby enable the determination of said input signal after mixing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 1987
    Date of Patent: March 7, 1989
    Assignee: ITT Avionics, a division of ITT Corporation
    Inventor: Irwin Feerst