With Balanced Mixer Patents (Class 455/326)
  • Patent number: 7088982
    Abstract: A stacked Gilbert cell mixer performs two frequency conversions in at least one of a wireless transmitter and receiver and includes a first stage of the stacked Gilbert cell mixer that converts a voltage signal input to the stacked Gilbert cell mixer to a current signal. A second stage of the stacked Gilbert cell mixer communicates with said first stage of the stacked Gilbert cell mixer and performs a first frequency conversion. A third stage of the stacked Gilbert cell mixer communicates with the second stage of the stacked Gilbert cell mixer and performs a second frequency conversion. Said first stage includes first and second transistors, said second stage includes third, fourth, fifth and sixth transistors and said third stage includes seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth transistors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: Marvell International Ltd.
    Inventor: George Chien
  • Patent number: 7088981
    Abstract: A differential mixer includes DC currents that reduce flicker noise in the mixer circuit without increasing local oscillator drive requirements. The differential mixer circuit includes an RF transconductance circuit and a local oscillator (LO) switching circuit. The RF transconductance circuit converts a differential RF input signal to a differential RF current. The LO switching circuit commutates the differential RF input signal according to a local oscillator signal to frequency translate the RF input signal. The DC currents or bleeder currents are added directly to the field effect transistors in the RF transconductance circuit, which reduces the flicker noise produced by the mixer. The DC currents do not pass through the FETs in the LO switching circuit so there is no increase in the LO drive requirements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: James Y. C. Chang
  • Patent number: 7085548
    Abstract: The invention provides a harmonic direct conversion mixer having a multiplier circuit comprising first and second mixers and a generator for generating two first and two second control signals for controlling the first and second mixers. The control signals are balanced signals and are provided in four phases shifted by ?/2 in phase. The frequency of the control signals is different from the frequency of the mixer input signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Wolfram Kluge, Dietmar Eggert
  • Patent number: 7072636
    Abstract: A doubly balanced upconverter mixer includes a local oscillator balun circuit comprising juxtaposed foil elements on opposite sides of an insulated substrate with electrical interconnections between the foil elements. An IF balun circuit also comprises series tuned and parallel tuned foil elements on opposite sides of the substrate in juxtaposition to each other. A diode switching network interconnects the baluns. A local oscillator signal is connected to the foil elements of the local oscillator balun circuit, an RF signal is coupled to one foil element of the IF balun circuit and an IF signal is taken from the other foil element of the IF balun circuit. Another embodiment incorporates MESFET type switches, the gates of which are supplied directly with a symmetrical local oscillator signal. This arrangement eliminates the need for the local oscillator balun.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2006
    Assignee: Zenith Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Pierre Dobrovolny
  • Patent number: 7050778
    Abstract: A direct conversion tuner down-converts television signals, cable signals, or other signals directly from an RF frequency to an IF frequency and/or baseband, without an intermediate up-conversion step for image rejection. The direct conversion tuner includes a pre-select filter, an amplifier, an image reject mixer, and a poly-phase filter. The pre-select filter, amplifier, and the image reject mixer can be calibrated to provide sufficient image rejection to meet the NTSC requirements for TV signals. The entire direct conversion tuner can be fabricated on a single semiconductor substrate without requiring any off-chip components. The tuner configuration described herein is not limited to processing TV signals, and can be utilized to down-convert other RF signals to an IF frequency or baseband.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2006
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Erlend Olson
  • Patent number: 7049878
    Abstract: A down-converter and a testing device for the down-converter are provided. The down-converter implements a Class-AB single-end input, differential output double balanced mixer structure. By introducing an on-chip bias loop, it significantly improves the symmetry and linearity of the mixer. The down-converter on-chip implements an input impedance match circuit and an open-drain output stage. By optimizing the circuit structure and each device, it achieves the objectives of a high conversion gain, high linearity, and low noise coefficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2006
    Assignee: Winbond Electronics Corp.
    Inventors: Bingxue Shi, Baoyong Chi
  • Patent number: 7043221
    Abstract: A mixer circuit with image frequency rejection comprising a quadrature phase divider (30, 30?) presenting an input connected to the input (Fi) of the mixer circuit and two outputs respectively delivering two signals in phase quadrature which are applied respectively to two simple mixers (31, 32; 31?, 32?), said mixer circuit comprising a quadrature phase and frequency divider (33, 33?) having a frequency division ratio and presenting two inputs respectively connected to the respective outputs of the two simple mixers (31, 32; 31?, 32?) and a first output delivering a first output signal (Fo) of the mixer circuit, which signal is applied to the inputs of the two simple mixers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Stepmind
    Inventors: Fabrice Jovenin, David Canard
  • Patent number: 7039382
    Abstract: A mixer for a radio transceiver includes a commutating mixer switch having a first differential input port coupled to a DC offset cancellation path. The first differential input port of the mixer switch includes a first terminal coupled to a first end of a first resistor and a second terminal coupled to a first end of a second resistor. Second ends of the first and second resistors are configured to receive a differential input signal. The DC offset cancellation path may provide a resistively coupled DC calibration signal for reducing the magnitude of DC offsets that may be present at the input of the mixer switch. The concept can be used for either image or non-image reject mixers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2006
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Tzi-Hsiung Shu
  • Patent number: 7035616
    Abstract: A demodulator which includes an active balun circuit and at least one mixer driven by the active balun circuit. The active balun circuit includes a negative shunt feedback arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Scott K. Reynolds
  • Patent number: 7035617
    Abstract: A system and method for high power block upconversion having a stand-alone and surface-mountable component is provided. The HP-BUC system of the invention provides a “drop-in” component capable of mixing a local oscillator signal with an IF signal to produce an RF signal in the millimeter-wave and higher bands. In addition, the HP-BUC provides filtering of unwanted spurious signals and requires no further signal amplification prior to transmission, for example in a satellite communications system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2006
    Assignee: U.S. Monolithics, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Kenneth V. Buer, Richard S. Torkington, Edwin Jack Stanfield
  • Patent number: 7031686
    Abstract: An image rejection mixer (IRM) for rejecting signals having image frequency and, more particularly, a mixer for rejecting signals of image frequency by using mismatch compensation is provided. The image rejection mixer comprises: first and second mixers; first and second converting means, each of which transforms each output of the first and second mixers to digital signal; third and fourth mixers, each of which mixes output of the first converting means with each of second local oscillation in-phase signal and quadrature-phase signal, respectively; fifth and sixth mixers, each of which mixes output of the second converting means with each of second local oscillation in-phase signal and quadrature-phase signal, respectively; means for subtracting; means for adding; and means for compensating gain-mismatch between the first and second mixers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2006
    Assignee: Integrant Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Youngjin Kim, Kwyro Lee
  • Patent number: 7027794
    Abstract: The cutoff frequency is set high in order to prevent suppression of low-frequency components so that high-quality reception control of a radio signal can be realized. A radio signal amplifier unit amplifies a received radio signal and results in an amplified signal. A frequency conversion unit mixes the amplified signal with a local oscillation signal to thereby convert the radio signal having a radio frequency signal into the radio signal having an intermediate frequency signal, resulting in an intermediate frequency signal. A frequency shift control unit shifts the intermediate frequency signal towards the upper part of the frequency band. A frequency inversion unit inverts a low-frequency side of the intermediate frequency signal towards the upper part of the frequency band and inverts a high-frequency side thereof towards a lower part thereof. An AC coupling unit is provided at an output side of the frequency control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2006
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Yasuhiro Yokota
  • Patent number: 7027795
    Abstract: A double balanced mixer with improved isolation between the LO and RF frequency signals. The mixer has a local oscillator balun, an intermediate frequency balun and an RF balun. The baluns are located on inner layers of a substrate comprised of low temperature co-fired ceramic. The baluns are formed from spiral lines that form windings. The windings are coupled between adjacent layers. The local oscillator balun is connected to the intermediate frequency balun. A diode ring is connected between the RF balun and the intermediate frequency balun. The diode ring is mounted to a top layer. Several vias extend through the substrate. The vias provide an electrical connection between the baluns and the diode ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2006
    Assignee: Scientific Components Corporation
    Inventor: Daxiong Ji
  • Patent number: 7027792
    Abstract: The mixer circuit is a singled ended input to a double balanced high dynamic range mixer with only two base-emitter junctions across the supply. It provides for the use of bondwires to off chip ground as DC block and DC feed elements. The single ended input and differential output balanced mixer is well suited for the input stage of an integrated radio receiver—off chip circuitry is usually single ended, but on chip circuits are usually differential. No off chip differential RF circuits or baluns are required which reduces off chip component count and improves radio performance. The mixer circuit has lower LO drive requirements because of the DC coupled LO port. This results in better radio performance and a smaller die area because of the DC coupled IF port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2006
    Assignee: Micro Linear Corporation
    Inventors: Gwilym Francis Luff, Selcuk Sen
  • Patent number: 7026857
    Abstract: A multiplier circuit includes a multiplier core with two cross-coupled transistor pairs. First and second signal sources are respectively driven by first and second signals to be multiplied, and are connected to control inputs of the transistors of the multiplier core for diversion between the transistor pairs and between the transistors of the pairs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2006
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventor: Gunther Trankle
  • Patent number: 7020452
    Abstract: An apparatus comprising an amplifier circuit, a tuning circuit and a mixer circuit. The amplifier circuit may be configured to generate an output signal at a first node in response to an input signal received through a second node. A tuning circuit may be (i) coupled between said second node of the amplifier circuit and third node and (ii) configured to adjust an impedance presented to the third node in response to a tuning voltage. A mixer circuit may have a center tap coupled to the third node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: Sirenza Microdevices, Inc.
    Inventor: Kevin W. Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 7013122
    Abstract: A double balanced mixer for mixing an RF input signal with a local oscillator signal to provide at an output an intermediate frequency signal with high isolation over a wide frequency range. The mixer includes a local oscillator balun that is operable to receive a local oscillator signal. A RF balun that is operable to receive a RF signal. A first mixer has a first input port that is coupled to the local oscillator balun and a second input port that is coupled to the RF balun. The first mixer has an output port to provide an intermediate frequency signal. A second mixer is coupled in parallel with the first mixer. The second mixer has a first input port that is coupled to the local oscillator balun and a second input port that is coupled to the RF balun. The second mixer has an output port that provides an intermediate frequency signal. An intermediate frequency balun is coupled to the output ports of the first and second mixers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2006
    Assignee: Scientific Components Corporation
    Inventor: Doron Gamliel
  • Patent number: 6999745
    Abstract: A receiver comprising an input for receiving a first signal, said receiver further comprising a local oscillator for generating a periodical signal. The receiver further comprises a mixer for generating a third signal representative for a combination of a second signal and the periodical signal. The receiver is characterized in that it further comprises a voltage to current converter for receiving the first signal and generating the second signal as a current indicative for the first signal. The mixer comprises a plurality of controllable switches. The receiver further comprises a variable gain current to voltage converter (VGIV) coupled to the passive mixer, the VGIV receiving the third signal and generating a first voltage signal, said first voltage signal being in a linear relationship with the third signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventor: Dominicus Martinus Wilhelmus Leenaerts
  • Patent number: 6999746
    Abstract: An image rejection mixer of reduced power dissipation includes a signal distributor supplied with local signals having a phase difference to distribute the local signals, a first and a second signal mixer for mixing the distributed local signals and RF signals having a phase difference and outputting respective IF current signals, a phase shifter for shifting in phase the respective mixed IF current signals so as to provide them with a relative phase difference of 90 degrees, and a signal adder for adding the respective phase shifted intermediate frequency current signals. The shifter shifts the phases of the respective IF current signals outputted from the first and the second signal mixers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: NEC Compound Semiconductor Devices, Ltd.
    Inventor: Jianqin Wang
  • Patent number: 6996164
    Abstract: Self-interference cancellation in two-way relayed communications is improved by creating models of upconverter and downconverter imperfections and then compensating for those imperfections before self interference cancellation processing. The model includes compensation for phase offset, for amplitude imbalance and for leakage in the mixers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: ViaSat, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard N. Blount, Donald W. Becker, John H. O'Neill
  • Patent number: 6993312
    Abstract: A double balanced mixer consisting of an RF balun, a local oscillator balun and a diode “quad” bridge circuit connected between the two baluns and where the IF output is taken at the center tap of the RF balun secondary transformer. A second harmonic termination consisting of an RLC resonant circuit is coupled across the diode bridge at the RF side. Each arm of the diode bridge, moreover, includes three series connected diodes. The mixer is in the form of a microminiature integrated circuit (MMIC) using HBT emitter-based junction diodes fabricated on a gallium arsenide (GaAs) substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2006
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
    Inventor: Mike L. Salib
  • Patent number: 6989705
    Abstract: An RF communications system includes a transmit node for transmitting an RF information signal and a receive node for receiving the transmitted RF information signal. The receive node includes a passive mixer coupled to an amplifier for producing an IF or baseband differential mixer output signal as a function of a LO drive signal. The passive mixer having a first plurality of transistors of a first polarity type arranged in a ring configuration and a second plurality of transistors of a second polarity type, wherein each of second plurality of transistors is coupled to one of the first plurality of transistors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2006
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Arya Reza Behzad
  • Patent number: 6983135
    Abstract: A gain calibration circuit for a radio frequency mixer in a wireless transceiver includes a reference signal generator that generates a reference signal. A comparator receives the reference signal and a second signal that is proportional to current flowing through the transmitter mixer and generates a difference signal. An adjustment circuit adjusts a transconductance gain of the mixer based on the difference signal. The adjustment circuit includes a plurality of binary weighted transconductance cells. The transconductance gain is calibrated during idle time between data packets or after power on, hardware reset, or software reset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2006
    Assignee: Marvell International, Ltd.
    Inventors: King Chun Tsai, Lawrence Tse, George Chien
  • Patent number: 6972610
    Abstract: An RF communications system includes a transmit node for transmitting an RF information signal and a receive node for receiving the transmitted RF information signal. The receive node includes a passive mixer coupled to an amplifier for producing an IF or baseband differential mixer output signal as a function of a LO drive signal. The passive mixer having a first plurality of transistors of a first polarity type arranged in a ring configuration and a second plurality of transistors of a second polarity type, wherein each of second plurality of transistors is coupled to one of the first plurality of transistors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2005
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Arya Reza Behzad
  • Patent number: 6970689
    Abstract: A state of a programmable mixer is set during a calibration phase to minimize local oscillator feedthrough. During a calibration phase, inputs to the programmable mixer are set to zero, or to a known state and the local oscillator is set to a calibration frequency. Then, one of a plurality of known calibration states of the programmable mixer is entered and the local oscillator feedthrough is measured. For each of a plurality of operating states an amplified output of the programmable mixer is measured. In one operation, the state of the programmable mixer in which the programmable mixer operates during a next operation phase is the state that produces minimal local oscillator feedthrough. In another operation, operation continues until a state is found that produces a local oscillation feedthrough that meets an operating criteria and that state is used during the next operation phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2005
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Shahla Khorram
  • Patent number: 6970687
    Abstract: The invention provides a mixer comprising a multiplier circuit having a first and a second mixer, a generator for generating two first and two second control signals for controlling the first and second mixers, wherein the first and second control signals are in each case balanced signals and the first control signals have a frequency f1 and the second control signals have a different frequency f2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2005
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Wolfram Kluge, Dietmar Eggert
  • Patent number: 6968168
    Abstract: A variable frequency oscillator comprising: an oscillatory circuit for generating a periodic output dependent on the capacitance between a first node and a second node of the circuit, and having a capacitative element connected between the first node and the second node; the capacitative element comprising: a variable capacitance unit, the capacitance of which is variable for varying the frequency of the output and a plurality of finite capacitances each being selectively connectable in parallel with the variable capacitance unit between the first node and the second node to trim the frequency of the output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2005
    Assignee: Cambridge Silicon Radio Ltd.
    Inventors: James Digby Yarlet Collier, Ian Michael Sabberton
  • Patent number: 6963734
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatuses for down-converting an electromagnetic (EM) signal by aliasing the EM signal, and applications thereof are described herein. Reducing or eliminating DC offset voltages and re-radiation generated when down-converting an electromagnetic (EM) signal is also described herein. Down-converting a signal and improving receiver dynamic range is also described herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2005
    Assignee: Parkervision, Inc.
    Inventors: David F Sorrells, Michael J Bultman, Robert W Cook, Richard C Looke, Charley D Moses, Jr., Gregory S Rawlins, Michael W Rawlins
  • Patent number: 6959180
    Abstract: A wide bandwidth mixer has a low temperature co-fired ceramic substrate. The substrate has a top layer, a bottom layer and inner layers. Vias extend through the substrate. A local oscillator balun and an RF balun are located on the inner layers and connected to the vias. An intermediate frequency balun is mounted to the top layer and connected to the vias. Field effect transistors are mounted on the top layer and connected to the local oscillator balun, the RF balun and the intermediate frequency balun through the vias. A matching network is mounted to the top layer and is connected to the vias. The matching network matches the impedance of the field effect transistors to that at the LO port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2005
    Inventor: Daxiong Ji
  • Patent number: 6957055
    Abstract: A double balanced FET mixer that has a high third order intercept point and an intermediate frequency response that goes to direct current levels. The mixer includes a local oscillator terminal, a RF terminal and an intermediate frequency terminal. The mixer has a pair of field effect transistors. Each field effect transistor has a gate, a drain and a source electrode. The source electrodes of the first and second transistors are connected together. A first balun transformer is connected between the local oscillator terminal and the gates. A second balun transformer is connected between the drains and the RF terminal and the intermediate frequency terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2005
    Inventor: Doron Gamliel
  • Patent number: 6947720
    Abstract: A mixer circuit of the present invention includes a gain stage configured to receive a first signal and a modulated bias current, and in accordance therewith, produce an output signal, the gain stage generating a first current and receiving the modulated bias current from a bias circuit on a common node. The bias circuit includes an input configured to receive a second signal, and in accordance therewith, generate the modulated bias current. The mixer circuit also includes a current shunt circuit for generating a second current. The first current, the second current, and the modulated bias current are coupled to the common node. In one embodiment, the first signal is approximately a square wave, and the frequency of the first signal is one-third the frequency of the second signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Assignee: RF Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Behzad Razavi, Pengfei Zhang
  • Patent number: 6944431
    Abstract: An electronic tuner has an input terminal, a mixer receiving the signal fed into the input terminal, a matching circuit connected to an output of the mixer, a band-pass filter connected to an output of this matching circuit, an intermediate-frequency (IF) amplifier connected to an output of the band-pass filter, and an output terminal receiving output of the IF amplifier. These circuits are composed of balanced circuits and connected by balanced lines. The mixer has a high output impedance. For the matching circuit, the impedance of the matching circuit at the band-pass filter side is equal to the impedance of the band-pass filter at the matching circuit side. This structure can realize an electronic tuner having low power consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2005
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masanori Suzuki, Atsuhito Terao, Sanae Asayama
  • Patent number: 6931246
    Abstract: A line coupling structure for coupling a dielectric waveguide to a suspended line has the dielectric waveguide including dielectric strips and two conductor plates that are approximately parallel to each other, the dielectric strips and a circuit board being sandwiched between the conductor plates. The line coupling structure also has the suspended line including the conductor plates and a conductor pattern on the circuit board. The conductor pattern is arranged in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the dielectric strips. A protruding conductor pattern that extends in the extending direction of the dielectric strips is provided at a crossing position of the conductor pattern and the dielectric strips.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2005
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidetoshi Iwatani, Sadao Yamashita
  • Patent number: 6917796
    Abstract: A triple balanced mixer has a compact size and is readily assembled. The triple balanced mixer has a planar substrate that is formed from several layers of low temperature co-fired ceramic. The substrate has a top layer, a bottom layer and inner layers. Vias extend through the substrate. A local oscillator balun and RF balun are located on the inner layers. An intermediate frequency balun is mounted to the top layer. Diode rings are mounted on the top layer. The diode rings are electrically connected to the local oscillator balun, the RF balun and the intermediate frequency balun through the vias.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2005
    Assignee: Scientific Components
    Inventors: Radha Setty, Daxiong Ji
  • Patent number: 6892061
    Abstract: A circuit configuration for mixing a differential desired signal with a differential local oscillator signal includes two difference amplifiers which are controllable on the input side by the desired signal and cross-coupled on the output side. Currents flowing through the difference amplifiers are switched by the components of the local oscillator signal in alternation. The circuit makes a lower supply voltage possible, given the presence of only two transistor levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2005
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventor: Michael Asam
  • Patent number: 6892062
    Abstract: A current-reusing bleeding mixer capable of providing a higher conversion gain, linearity and lower noise figure employing a field-effect transistor includes a first to a fourth transistor and a first and a second load element. The first transistor amplifies a radio frequency (RF) signal. The second and the third transistor, each connected to the first transistor, receive a balanced local oscillator (LO) signal to mix it with the RF signal. The first and the second load element are connected between a supply voltage source and the second transistor and between the supply voltage source and the third transistor, respectively. The fourth transistor, connected between the supply voltage source and the first transistor, amplifies the RF signal and bleeds a current from the supply voltage source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2005
    Assignee: Information and Communications University Educational Foundation
    Inventors: Sang Gug Lee, Jung-Ki Choi, Nam-Soo Kim
  • Patent number: 6889037
    Abstract: A mixer is disclosed that includes first and second transconductance modules that, in one embodiment, includes MOSFETs configured to receive a plurality of signals that are to be mixed and a selectively coupled auxiliary current source to inject an auxiliary current into the second transconductance module approximately at or near a zero-crossing point in order to reduce flicker noise and other noise introduced into an output signal during switching. Accordingly, as a first transconductance module approaches a zero-crossing, auxiliary current is injected to reduce the current produced therefrom thereby reducing flicker noise. In a differential mixer, the amount of current produced from a transistor pair to which the signal cycle is being switched is also reduced thereby reducing noise from the transistor pair that is turning on for the next portion of a signal cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2005
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Hooman Darabl
  • Patent number: 6879192
    Abstract: A surface mount, even harmonic mixer is preferably used in point-to-multipoint millimeter wave transceivers. The mixer includes an anti-parallel series arrangement of diodes in one or more ring quads to increase the input 1 dB compression point and third-order input intercept point (IP3), while maintaining the benefits inherent with even harmonic mixing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignee: L-3 Communications Corporation
    Inventor: Joseph L. Merenda
  • Patent number: 6879220
    Abstract: The invention is a combiner and a method for selectively combining modulated signals. The combiner includes a first modulator (12) with a selective input which receives at least one input signal and a first carrier signal and which outputs a first output modulated with the first carrier signal; a second modulator (14) with a selective input which receives at least one input signal and a second carrier signal and which outputs a second output modulated with the second carrier signal; means for combining (24?) the first and second amplified output signals to provide a combined output; and wherein the first and second carrier signals are selectably coherent or incoherent with the selection of first and second coherent carrier signals causing the combined output to comprise a single carrier of higher power and the selection of incoherent carrier signals causing the combined output to comprise two distinguishable carriers of lower power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignee: Nokia Corporation
    Inventor: Darrell William Barabash
  • Patent number: 6871056
    Abstract: Disclosed is a NRD waveguide mixer adopting a ring hybrid coupler applicable to a small-sized and high functional millimeter wave receiving/transmitting device. The NRD waveguide has a housing including two parallel conductive plates. The ring hybrid coupler is installed in the housing and has an annular ring formed with first to fourth ports which are radially extended about the annular ring. An oscillating device is connected to the first port so as to generate a local oscillating signal. A rod antenna is connected to the second port so as to receive/transmit a radio frequency signal. A first balanced mixer mount is connected to the third port and is provided with a first Schottky diode. A second balanced mixer mount is connected to the fourth port and is provided with a second Schottky diode. The radio frequency signal and the oscillating signal inputted from the first and second ports are mixed in the ring hybrid coupler to be transformed into an addition signal and a subtraction signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2005
    Assignee: NRD Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Dong Jin Cho, Young Geun Yoo
  • Patent number: 6871059
    Abstract: A FET mixer uses a balun having a primary and secondary, with the primary coupled to an radio frequency signal input. The mixer also includes a pair of field effect transistors (FETs), wherein the gates are coupled to one another and to a local oscillator input. One of the source and the drain of the second of the two transistors is coupled at a node to one of the source and the drain of the other of the two transistors, and the node is coupled to ground. The other of the source and the drain of the first of the two transistors is coupled to one side of the secondary of the balun and the other of the source and the drain of the second of the two transistors is coupled to the other side of the secondary of the balun. An intermediate frequency signal output is coupled to a point in the circuit path between the first and second transistors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2005
    Assignee: Skyworks Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Philip Piro, Kevin Cornman
  • Patent number: 6871058
    Abstract: The present invention provides a frequency conversion circuit capable of reducing current without impairing high frequency characteristics. A local oscillator amplifier is formed of a first field effect transistor. A source thereof is grounded by a first capacitor in terms of high frequency, and a gate thereof is connected to one end of each of first and second resistors. The other end of the first resistor is grounded, and the other end of the second resistor is connected to a voltage supply terminal. An intermediate frequency amplifier is formed of a second field effect transistor. A source thereof is grounded through a third resistor and a second capacitor that are connected in parallel with each other. A drain thereof is connected to an intermediate frequency signal output terminal through a third capacitor and an intermediate frequency output matching circuit. The source of the first field effect transistor and the drain of the second field effect transistor are connected through an AC blocking circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2005
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Haruhiko Koizumi, Katsushi Tara
  • Patent number: 6856796
    Abstract: Circuits and methods that improve linearity with use of cancellation of at least a portion, and preferably, substantially all of, at least one significant harmonic from the output of a primary circuit, e.g., the 3rd harmonic, using the output of a substantially functionally identical auxiliary circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignee: Regents of the University of Minnesota
    Inventors: Yongwang Ding, Ramesh Harjani
  • Patent number: 6850753
    Abstract: A radio frequency front-end receiver includes a single stage low noise amplifier connected with a resistor array and a capacitor array, and a Gilbert-type mixer connected with a PMOS transconductance stage, an inductor and a serially connected current source. The resistor array enables the adjustment of the power gain of the low noise amplifier. The capacitor array tunes the low noise amplifier so that the maximum power gain is at the desired operating frequency. The PMOS transconductance stage reduces the power consumption of the mixer. The inductor increases the impedance and the current source improves the common-mode rejection of the mixer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2005
    Assignee: MuChip Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Zhao-Feng Zhang, David Jan-Chia Chen, Zhen-Chuan Liu, Meng-Hsiang Lai
  • Patent number: 6850746
    Abstract: An apparatus for modifying a radio frequency signal includes a mixer core, an input circuit and an interface circuit. The mixer core receives a first signal having a first frequency and a second signal having a second frequency, and outputs a third signal which is a function of the first and second signals. The input circuit sets a predetermined bias current, receives a radio frequency (RF) signal and inputs the RF signal into the mixer core. The interface circuit is interposed between the mixer core and the input circuit. The interface circuit receives the bias current and input it to the mixer core. In one embodiment, the input circuit includes a transistor and the interface circuit includes a transformer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2005
    Assignee: Skyworks Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen L. Lloyd, Keith J. Rampmeier
  • Patent number: 6845233
    Abstract: A mobile wireless communication device (10) having a direct conversion receiver (20) reduces spurious mixer response by predicting blockers on the received RF signal. The chopping frequency of the mixer is changed (305) dynamically in response to the prediction of blockers on the input signal to avoid the mixing the blocker with chopper spurs, thereby improving the response of the receiver. In some embodiments, the mixer is disabled momentarily (402) to verify that poor signal quality results from mixing chopper spurs with blockers. In hopping mode applications, the chopper frequency is changed only on channels having a low confidence factor (512).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2005
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Lazaar J. Louis, Minh H. Duong, Charles P. Binzel
  • Patent number: 6842489
    Abstract: A receiver is adaptively calibrated by using a coherent reference signal. The reference signal is selected to be offset from a center frequency of the calibration signal such that the resultant product is offset from baseband by some small amount. The resultant product is used to determine a next value of the calibration parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2005
    Assignee: Ditrans IP, Inc.
    Inventor: Wesley K. Masenten
  • Patent number: 6839551
    Abstract: There is disclosed a radio frequency (RF) demodulation circuit comprising: 1) a first RF mixer having a first input port for receiving an in-phase RF signal having a frequency of RF and a second input port for receiving an in-phase local oscillator (LO) signal having a frequency of LO, wherein LO is approximately equal to one-half of RF, and wherein the first RF mixer generates a first intermediate frequency (IF) signal having a frequency of LO; 2) a second RF mixer having a first input port for receiving an out-of-phase RF signal having a frequency of RF and a second input port for receiving an out-of-phase local oscillator (LO) signal having a frequency of LO, and wherein the second RF mixer generates a second intermediate frequency (IF) signal having a frequency of LO; and 3) a first signal combiner for combining the first and second IF signals to generate a composite IF signal, wherein the first signal combiner combines a first leakage signal from the first RF mixer and a second leakage signal from the se
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2005
    Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventor: Hee Wong
  • Publication number: 20040259519
    Abstract: A passive harmonic switch mixer is shown that is immune to self mixing of the local oscillator greatly reducing leakage noise, pulling noise, and flicker noise when used in a direct conversion receiver or direct conversion transmitter circuit. The passive harmonic switch mixermixes an input signal received on an input port with an in-phase oscillator signal and a quadrature-phase oscillator signal and outputs an output signal on an output port. Because the quadrature-phase oscillator signal is the in-phase oscillator signal phase shifted by 90 Å°, the passive harmonic switch mixer operates with a local oscillator running at half the frequency of the carrier frequency of an RF signal. Additionally, because the passive harmonic switch mixer has no active components, the DC current passing through each switch device is reduced and the associated flicker noise of the mixer is also greatly reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2003
    Publication date: December 23, 2004
    Inventor: Tung-Ming Su
  • Patent number: 6828844
    Abstract: A mixer has a first transistor and a second transistor which constitute a balanced oscillation circuit with their respective emitters connected with each other; a third transistor whose emitter is connected with the emitter of the first transistor; and a fourth transistor whose emitter is connected with the emitter of the second transistor. A first signal is inputted between a base of the third transistor and a base of the fourth transistor in a balanced way; and the third transistor and the fourth transistor mix an oscillation signal with the first signal and a second signal is outputted from the third transistor and the fourth transistor in a balanced way.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2004
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeo Suzuki, Osamu Tatsumi