Tunable Or Variable Patents (Class 455/87)
  • Patent number: 11515901
    Abstract: A direct digital radio having a high-speed RF front end in communication with an antenna, and a radio subsystem that can be configured to form a programmable multi-standard transceiver system. The high-speed RF front including RF inputs configured to receive a plurality of radio frequencies (e.g., frequencies between 400 MHz to 7.2 GHz, millimeter wave frequency signals, etc.) and wideband low noise amplifiers provides amplified signals to RF data converters, analog interfaces, digital interfaces, component interfaces, etc. The programmable multi-standard transceiver is operable in frequencies compatible with multiple networks such as private LTE and 5G networks as well as other wireless IoT standards and WiFi in multi-standard network access equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: SiTune Corporation
    Inventors: Vahid M Toosi, Marzieh Veyseh
  • Patent number: 9031523
    Abstract: A method for measuring an impedance of an antenna includes generating, by a signal source coupled to the antenna, a radio frequency (RF) signal, applying the RF signal to a directional coupler, and mixing, by a first mixer, a first signal from the directional coupler with a signal, wherein the first signal corresponds to a reflected power from the antenna. The method further includes mixing, by a second mixer, a second signal with the signal, wherein the second signal is offset from the first signal by ninety degrees. The method further includes outputting, by a first lower pass filter (LPF) coupled to an output of the first mixer, a real part of a reflection coefficient of the antenna and outputting, by a second lower pass filter (LPF) coupled to an output of the second mixer, an imaginary part of the reflection coefficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: HTC Corporation
    Inventor: William David Anderson
  • Patent number: 9026062
    Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a communication device having a controller to provision a matching network that controls one or more operational characteristics of one of a receiver portion and a transmitter portion of the communication device according to a profile describing one or more characteristics of a communication system from which the communication device operates. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Keith R. Manssen, Matthew R. Greene, Carsten Hoirup
  • Patent number: 9020449
    Abstract: Mobile phone handsets include a CMOS front end configured for operating across multiple transmit and receive frequencies. The front end typically includes multiple receivers, each covering a different band allocated for cellular service, and requires large, expensive and power-intensive A/D converters and DSPs. Front-end circuits disclosed herein operate with a broadband software-defined radio (SDR), and include a receive Low Noise Amplifier (LNA), transmit Power Amplifier (PA), and an antenna matching network. The front-end provides broadband operation using relatively low power, and minimizes noise in the received signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Newlans, Inc.
    Inventor: Dev V. Gupta
  • Patent number: 9020447
    Abstract: A method of operating an electronic device includes providing a plurality of antenna elements, determining that a change is to be made to at least one of the plurality of antenna elements, and scheduling the change to the at least one of the plurality of antenna elements during a time interval that a transmission power amplifier has a power level below a threshold. The change to the at least one of the plurality of antenna elements may also be made responsive to a reduction to the power level of the transmission power amplifier below the threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Mobile Communications AB
    Inventors: Erik Lennart Bengtsson, Olof Zander, Scott LaDell Vance, Pär Håkansson, Daniel Lönblad
  • Patent number: 9002295
    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 mixing module, a mixed buffer section, and a frequency translated BPF (FTBPF) circuit module. The mixing module converts an inbound RF signal into an in-phase (I) mixed signal and a quadrature (Q) mixed signal. The mixed buffer section filters and buffers the I mixed signal and filter and buffer the Q mixed signal. The FTBPF circuit module frequency translates a baseband filter response to an IF filter response such that the FTBPF circuit module filters undesired signal components of the IF I signal and the IF Q signal to produce an inbound IF signal. The receiver IF to baseband section converts the inbound IF signal into one or more inbound symbol streams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Ahmad Mirzaei, Hooman Darabi
  • Patent number: 9002306
    Abstract: A method includes receiving a desired channel indication in a radio tuner, determining a band of operation in which the channel is located, and if the channel is within a first band coupling multiple inductors into a resonant tank, and if the desired channel is within a second band coupling a single inductor into the resonant tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Jing Li, Dan B. Kasha, Aslamali Rafi
  • Patent number: 8976762
    Abstract: Radio frequency (RF) architectures for spectrum access networks are provided. Embodiments of the invention generally provide a radio frequency (RF) architecture for customer premise equipment (CPE) for use in, for example, IEEE 802.22 wireless regional area networks (WRANs). In some embodiments, the CPE RF architecture includes two receive chains with a directional antenna and an omni-directional antenna, respectively. The CPE RF architecture facilitates opportunistic out-of-band spectrum sensing and WRAN signal receiving that are performed in parallel with data transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: George A. Vlantis, Wendong Hu
  • Patent number: 8971826
    Abstract: A method and communications device for providing antenna tuning to compensate for antenna de-tuning caused by a presence of an object detected using an antenna element within a capacitive touch and proximity sensor (CTPS). The CTPS propagates object detection signals associated with a detected object to a detection IC. An object detection and antenna tuning (ODAT) logic uses object detection signal information to generate tuning control signals to trigger compensatory antenna tuning, based on pre-established mappings of object detection signal data and antenna tuning states. The tuning control signals indicate at least one of (a) a level of compensatory antenna impedance tuning and (b) an amount of compensatory antenna length adjustment. In response to generating the tuning control signals, the ODAT logic triggers the propagation of the tuning control signals to the antenna matching and control circuit to provide the corresponding antenna tuning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Google Technology Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Mohammed R. Abdul-Gaffoor, Brian Breunig, Qiuming Li, Akshat Mehrotra
  • Patent number: 8942657
    Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure can include, for example, an apparatus having a matching network adapted to reduce a magnitude of a signal reflection at a port of the matching network. The matching network can have one or more controllable variable reactive elements. A controller can be adapted to determine reflection coefficient information from incident and reflected waves sampled at the port of the matching network, and follow at least one cycle of a coarse tune process for generating one or more control signals to tune one or more reactances of the one or more controllable variable reactive elements. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: William E. McKinzie, III, Heinz Bachmann, Greg Mendolia
  • Patent number: 8862072
    Abstract: A tuning circuit disposed between an antenna and wireless network interface card selectively adjusts transmissions from the antenna to plural frequency bands, each band associated with wireless signals of a wireless network provider. A direct current bias selectively applies to tuning circuit analog components to adjust the frequency band as desired to support communication for a selected wireless provider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Sripathi Yarasi, Liam B. Quinn
  • Patent number: 8849347
    Abstract: Frequency conversion methods and systems are disclosed for a transceiver for personal area networks (PAN) and near field communication (NFC). NFC data may be received and/or transmitted via the NFC radio and PAN data may be received and/or transmitted via the PAN radio. With an integration of frequency conversion for PAN and NFC, both systems may operate from a single frequency source, thereby reducing part count and power consumption. Communication between PAN and NFC channels may be enabled via a single chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Ahmadreza Rofougaran
  • Patent number: 8843084
    Abstract: Apparatus for providing antenna diversity for a radio transmitter/receiver (TR) comprising measuring means for measuring relative received signal strengths in a plurality of antennas in a selectable frequency range, means for selecting the selectable frequency range according to a transmission frequency of the TR, and connecting means for connecting the antenna having the greatest received signal strength to the TR. The apparatus may be combined with a plurality of antennas to form a diversity antenna system, for example for use with a personal radio. The antennas may then be disposed spaced apart on the user's body e.g. by being incorporated into a garment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: BAE SYSTEMS plc
    Inventors: Christopher Ralph Pescod, James Christopher Gordon Matthews, Andrew James Smith
  • Patent number: 8818309
    Abstract: A method includes receiving a desired channel indication in a radio tuner, determining a band of operation in which the channel is located, and if the channel is within a first band coupling multiple inductors into a resonant tank, and if the desired channel is within a second band coupling a single inductor into the resonant tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Jing Li, Dan B. Kasha, Aslamali A. Rafi
  • Patent number: 8744386
    Abstract: A method of tuning a receiver includes: providing a tunable Low Noise Amplifier (LNA) having a plurality of LNAs and a plurality of LC loads coupled to the plurality of LNAs; selecting a desired LNA and a LC load corresponding to the desired LNA; isolating the desired LNA from the selected LC load; generating a local oscillation (LO) signal; routing the LO signal to the output of the tunable LNA to generate a filtered LO signal; determining a first signal power level of the filtered LO signal; changing the capacitance in the selected LC load and determining a second signal power level of the filtered LO signal; comparing the first filtered signal power level to the second filtered signal power level; and according to the comparison result, determining whether or not to adjust the capacitance in the selected LC load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: MediaTek Singapore Pte. Ltd.
    Inventor: Chee-Lee Heng
  • Patent number: 8698581
    Abstract: A frequency tunable filter is disclosed. The disclosed filter comprises a filter unit having a sliding member so as to be capable of tuning a frequency band of a frequency signal being filtered; a communication module configured to receive a control signal for controlling the tuning of the frequency band; and a control unit configured to control the tuning of the frequency band by moving the sliding member based on the control signal. With the disclosed filter, the tuning of the filter may be performed automatically by way of control signals transmitted from a remote location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Ace Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Sang-Ho Han, Won-Jae Lee
  • Patent number: 8660604
    Abstract: Frequency conversion methods and systems for a transceiver for Bluetooth and near field communication. NFC data may be received and/or transmitted via the NFC radio and Bluetooth data may be received and/or transmitted via the Bluetooth radio. With an integration of frequency conversion for Bluetooth and NFC, both systems may operate from a single frequency source, thereby reducing part count and power consumption. Communication between Bluetooth and NFC channels may be enabled via a single chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Ahmadreza Rofougaran
  • Patent number: 8620246
    Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure can include, for example, determining at a port of a matching network reflection information from a signal sampled across at least one predetermined fixed-value reactance component, generating at least one control signal according to the reflection information, and tuning the matching network with the at least one control signal, where the matching network comprises one or more controllable variable reactive elements each with an independent control voltage. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Blackberry Limited
    Inventors: William E. McKinzie, Heinz Bachmann, Gregory Mendolia
  • Patent number: 8620247
    Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure can include, for example, determining from nodal voltages sampled at an input port of a matching network an impedance of a variable load coupled to an output port of the matching network, generating at least one control signal according to the nodal voltage, and tuning the matching network with the at least one control signal. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: William E. McKinzie, Heinz Bachmann, Gregory Mendolia
  • Patent number: 8571489
    Abstract: A radio front end includes a power amplifier, a tone injection module, a duplexer, a balancing network, and a processing module. The tone injection module is operable, in a first mode, to produce a tone having a carrier frequency that is substantially similar to a carrier frequency of an inbound wireless signal. The duplexer is operable, in the first mode, to provide electrical isolation between the outbound wireless signal and a combination signal of the tone and inbound wireless signal and is operable, in a second mode, to provide electrical isolation between the outbound wireless signal and the inbound wireless signal. The processing module is operable to determine an amplitude of a tone component of the combination signal; correlate the amplitude of the tone component to an inbound frequency band isolation; and adjust baseband processing of a down converted representation of the combination signal based on the inbound frequency band isolation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Mohyee Mikhemar, Hooman Darabi
  • Patent number: 8554156
    Abstract: A frequency generator includes a phase-locked loop (PLL) and a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO), where the VCO is arranged to receive low-pass data via a first input and high-pass data at a second input. The first input is coupled to a first set of varactors in the VCO. The second input is coupled to a second set of varactors in the VCO. A controller sets the input voltage at the first input and directs a charge pump to operate in a tri-state mode that opens the feedback loop of the PLL. The controller applies different voltages via the second input and measures the change in output frequency. A present gain of the VCO is determined from the ratio of the change in frequency and the change in voltage at the second input and is used to calibrate a portable transceiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Skyworks Solutions, Inc.
    Inventor: Shahrzad Tadjpour
  • Patent number: 8463218
    Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure can include, for example, an apparatus having a matching network adapted to reduce a magnitude of a signal reflection at a port of the matching network. The matching network can have one or more controllable variable reactive elements. A controller can be adapted to determine reflection coefficient information from incident and reflected waves sampled at the port of the matching network, and follow at least one cycle of a coarse tune process for generating one or more control signals to tune one or more reactances of the one or more controllable variable reactive elements. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Research In Motion RF, Inc.
    Inventors: William E. McKinzie, III, Heinz Bachmann, Greg Mendolia
  • Patent number: 8437314
    Abstract: Radio frequency (RF) architectures for spectrum access networks are provided. Embodiments of the invention generally provide a radio frequency (RF) architecture for customer premise equipment (CPE) for use in, for example, IEEE 802.22 wireless regional area networks (WRANs). In some embodiments, the CPE RF architecture includes two receive chains with a directional antenna and an omni-directional antenna, respectively. The CPE RF architecture facilitates opportunistic out-of-band spectrum sensing and WRAN signal receiving that are performed in parallel with data transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: George A. Vlantis, Wendong Hu
  • Patent number: 8433256
    Abstract: A communication device includes an integrated circuit having an on-chip thermal sensing circuit that generates a temperature signal based on a temperature of the integrated circuit. A processing module processes the temperature signal to generate temperature information that can be transmitted to a remote device or processes the temperature signal to generate control for adjusting transmit and/or receive characteristics of an RF transceiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Ahmadreza (Reza) Rofougaran
  • Patent number: 8417195
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of data transmission. The invention has application to amplifiers, the transmission of data modulated signals, filters and/or matching circuits connected between an amplifier and a load, radio transmitters, the transmission of data modulated radio signals, filters and/or matching circuits used between a transmitter's power amplifier and an antenna and the field of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), such as in the transmission of data between a tag and an interrogator. The present invention enables the transmission of phase modulated signals, by adjusting a device's tuning to substantially match the instantaneous frequency of the phase modulated signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Magellan Technology PTY Limited
    Inventor: Graham Alexander Munro Murdoch
  • Patent number: 8412122
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for antenna matching according to a position and an angle of a portable terminal is provided. Operations of the portable terminal include, when at least one of a position and an angle of the portable terminal is changed, determining an optimal Tunable Matching Network (TMN) set value corresponding to the position and the angle, and performing antenna matching according to the optimal TMN set value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ki-Soo Kim, Yong-Joo Shin, Ki-Jeong Kwon, Yong-Jin Kim, Austin Kim, Jae-Ho Lee
  • Patent number: 8396431
    Abstract: Wireless communication device antenna matching circuit tuning responsive to power control signals, and, optionally, responsive to received signal quality indicators in a traffic channel. Systems and methods are provided that increase the antenna efficiency in either the transmit frequency or the receive frequency as needed, based on fading and environmental conditions, non-ideal antenna efficiency balance, mobile station forward versus reverse link usage and system forward versus reverse link usage. The antenna efficiency may be changed incrementally or may be optimized completely for the transmit frequency or the receive frequency. The re-balancing is accomplished by tuning the antenna matching circuit. One way to tune the antenna matching circuit is to apply a voltage to a ferro-electric capacitor in the matching circuit, thereby changing the capacitance of the ferro-electric capacitor, thereby changing the impedance of the antenna system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: KYOCERA Corporation
    Inventors: Henry Chang, Jorge Fabrega-Sanchez, Gregory Poilasne
  • Patent number: 8369817
    Abstract: An analog finite impulse response (AFIR) filter including at least one variable transconductance block having an input for receiving an input voltage and being adapted to sequentially apply each of a plurality of transconductance levels to the input voltage during at least one of a plurality of successive time periods to generate an output current at an output of the variable transconductance block, the at least one variable transconductance block including a plurality of fixed transconductance blocks each receiving the input voltage and capable of being independently activated to supply the output current; and a capacitor coupled to the output of the variable transconductance block to receive the output current and provide an output voltage of the filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.A.
    Inventors: Eoin Ohannaidh, Stéphane Le Tual, Loïc Joet
  • Patent number: 8364093
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a wireless transmitting/receiving method for achieving both a high-speed data transfer and a power-saving operation by using wireless transmitting/receiving apparatus adaptable to a ubiquitous system, whereby a wireless transmitting/receiving method which performs wireless transmission/reception using no less than two carrier waves which belong to a different frequency band is used to transmit/receive a control signal for controlling the transmission/reception operation of the wireless transmitting/receiving apparatus by using a carrier wave which belongs to a lower frequency band (400 MHz band), and to transfer data by using a carrier wave which belongs to a higher frequency band (2.4 GHz band).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Tohru Kimura
  • Patent number: 8358728
    Abstract: Arbitrary phase variations of a shared frequency synthesizer can be calibrated using a reference harmonic each time the shared frequency synthesizer is allocated to a network device to enable one frequency synthesizer to be shared between multiple network devices. On determining that the shared frequency synthesizer has been allocated to the network device, an output frequency of the shared frequency synthesizer can be aligned with a predetermined reference frequency that is associated with an operating frequency band of the network device. A phase correction factor associated with the shared frequency synthesizer can be calculated from a signal calculated based, at least in part, on the output frequency of the shared frequency synthesizer and the predetermined reference frequency. The phase correction factor is applied to a signal received at the network device to correct a phase error associated with the shared frequency synthesizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventor: Paul J. Husted
  • Patent number: 8301102
    Abstract: An apparatus, a method and a system for correcting a phase imbalance are described. Embodiments may measure the phase imbalance inherent in a tuner and use the imbalance measure to correct the output of the tuner. Embodiments may include a tone generator to produce a single frequency tone and a tuner to receive the single frequency tone and output an intermediate frequency. The intermediate frequency may be corrected by a correction loop. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Isaac Ali, Nicholas P. Cowley
  • Patent number: 8260215
    Abstract: A communications system includes a radio frequency (RF) element (104) for transforming an input RF signal into at least one of a first conditioned RF input signal associated with a first frequency range and a second conditioned RF input signal associated with a second frequency range higher than the first frequency range. The system also includes a local oscillator (LO) circuit (106) for generating at least a first LO signal, the LO circuit having an operating frequency range spanning at least a portion of a first inclusive frequency range defined by a lowest frequency of the first frequency range and a highest frequency of the second frequency range. The system further includes a mixer (108) for generating a first intermediate frequency (IF) signal based on one of the first and the second RF input signals and the first LO signal, and an IF element (110) for conditioning the first IF signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Harris Corporation
    Inventors: Brian C. Wenink, Timothy J. Giles
  • Patent number: 8260213
    Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a method involving a step to tune a plurality of tunable reactive elements by measuring a drift in reactance of at least one of the plurality of tunable reactive elements away from a desired reactance. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Research In Motion RF, Inc
    Inventors: Shamsuddin H. Chasmawala, Matthew R. Greene
  • Patent number: 8254849
    Abstract: An FM radio with a wide frequency range operates in a cell phone without interfering with the VCO of the RF transceiver. The FM transceiver generates a VCO signal whose frequency varies by less than ±7% from the midpoint of a narrow first range. A synthesizer signal is generated by dividing the VCO frequency by a first divisor such that the synthesizer frequency varies over a lower frequency second range. The VCO frequency is also divided by a second divisor such that the synthesizer frequency varies over a third range. The upper limit of the second range falls at the lower limit of the third range. The lower limit of the second range is 85.5 MHz and the upper limit of the third range is 108.0 MHz. By also using a third divisor, a synthesizer signal with a range of 76-108 MHz is generated from the narrow first frequency range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Tzu-wang Pan, Yi Zeng, I-Hsiang Lin, Pushp K. Trikha, Jeremy D. Dunworth, Rahul Apte
  • Patent number: 8244198
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods disclosed herein operate to determine a base oscillator frequency and a frequency conversion factor associated with a radio receiver local oscillator (LO). Base oscillator frequency and frequency conversion parameters are selected such that spurious harmonics created within the LO lie outside of communication bands associated with other active radio receivers substantially collocated with the LO. An LO chain including the appropriate base oscillator and frequency conversion components is selected from a switched set of base oscillator/frequency converter pairs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Yariv Shlivinski, Eran Nussbaum
  • Patent number: 8238839
    Abstract: Variable operating currents are generated in relation to input signal power and output signal power and achieving both low noise and low power consumption. Emitter follower circuits are attached to output terminals of a frequency divider for generating a local signal. By adjusting the currents flowing through the emitter follower circuits, the amounts of currents flowing into mixers is adjusted. When the amounts of currents of local signals flowing into the mixers increases, the effect of noise suppression is expected. The amounts of the currents flowing through the emitter follower circuits is changed depending on the amplification factor of variable amplifiers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Norio Hayashi, Satoshi Arayashiki, Takeshi Uchitomi, Tomomitsu Kitamura
  • Patent number: 8238859
    Abstract: There is provided a method of configuring a radio receiver, the radio receiver comprising signal receiving means, and at least one adjustable component coupled to the signal receiving means; the method comprising setting the at least one component to a first value selected from a plurality of values; measuring the quality of a signal received via the signal receiving means and the at least one adjustable component; repeating the steps of setting and measuring for at least a second value selected from the plurality of values; and determining the value of the at least one adjustable component that provides the highest measured signal quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Egelbertus C. J. Egelmeers, Ralph H. A. D. De Graaff, Dirk N. Van Kalsbeek
  • Patent number: 8224260
    Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) signal transmission/reception apparatus and an RF signal transmission/reception method are disclosed. The RF signal transmission/reception apparatus is adapted to perform a transmission/reception duplex function using a bi-directional mixer at the IF band or baseband, not at the RF band. When a reception signal of the RF band is passed through the bi-directional mixer, it is converted into a signal in any one of the IF band and the baseband. Also, when a transmission signal in any one of the IF band and the baseband is passed through the bi-directional mixer, it is converted into a signal of the RF band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Hong Teuk Kim, Kwy Ro Lee, Sergey Sergeyev, Sergey Khvorov, Alexander Belonozhkin
  • Patent number: 8219145
    Abstract: A multi-band wireless system includes a wireless device and a detachable radio card. The wireless device includes an application processor, an electric interface, and an antenna. The detachable radio card can be mounted onto the electric interface. The detachable radio card includes a base band processor, a radio-frequency transceiver, a multi-band power amplifier module, and a radio controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Micro Mobio Corporation
    Inventors: Zlatko Aurelio Filipovic, Adam James Wang, Brian Michael Wang
  • Patent number: 8150348
    Abstract: A TV tuner includes an Ultra High Frequency (UHF)/Very High Frequency (VHF) tracking filter, an UHF/VHF matching circuit and a single conversion Tuner IC. The UHF/VHF tracking filter includes a first Low-Temperature Co-fired Ceramics (LTCC) inductor, a first varactor diode and a fine-tune capacitor electrically connected to determine the maximum gain frequency of the UHF/VHF tracking filter. The UHF/VHF matching circuit includes a second LTCC inductance, a second varactor diodes and a fine-tune capacitor electrically connected to determine the maximum gain frequency of the UHF/VHF matching circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Himax Technologies Limited
    Inventor: Wen-Po Ho
  • Patent number: 8145141
    Abstract: A multi-band handheld communications device includes a transceiver including a transmitter having a transmit filter and a receiver having a receive filter, each of the transmit and receive filters having a bandpass region tunable across multiple bands, and a processor configured to select one of the multiple bands to operate the handheld communications device, and tune each of the transmit and receive filters based on the selected one of the multiple bands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: QUALCOMM, Incorporated
    Inventors: Stanley Slavko Toncich, Harris Smith Simon, Aracely Williams
  • Patent number: 8121558
    Abstract: A local oscillator (LO) generator architecture using a wide tuning range oscillator is disclosed. In one embodiment, a wide tuning oscillator based LO generator system includes a wide tuning range oscillator for generating a signal with a first initial frequency or a second initial frequency in response to a control voltage, a first frequency controlling circuit for converting the first initial frequency of the signal into a final frequency, and a second frequency controlling circuit for converting the second initial frequency of the signal into the final frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Gireesh Rajendran, Nir Tal, Ashish Lachhwani
  • Patent number: 8116706
    Abstract: To calibrate a bandpass filter, a received signal strength corresponding to a received communication channel is determined. A variable element of the bandpass filter is adjusted based on the received signal strength of the received communication channel to calibrate the bandpass filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Marvell International Ltd.
    Inventors: Patrick Clement, King Chu Tsai, Heinz Maeder
  • Patent number: 8073982
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for setting an operating parameter in a peripheral IC. In this method, the operating parameter is transmitted from a central IC via a bus connection to the peripheral IC. The method is characterized in that the operating parameter is initially buffered in a preregister in the peripheral IC, and in that the buffered operating parameter is transferred into a working register only if a transfer signal is sent from the central IC via the bus connection. This method has the advantage that, for example in the case of rapidly changing receive conditions in a send/receive unit, adjustment of the send or receive gain setting is very flexible, and it is easy to avoid an incorrect setting due to a detected signal fluctuation. The invention also relates to a device for carrying out said method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing
    Inventors: Friedrich Heizmann, Thomas Schwanenberger, Patrick Lopez
  • Patent number: 8068791
    Abstract: A Time Division Duplex (TDD) switch of a TDD wireless communication system is provided. By its unique arrangement, the TDD switch protects a receiver of the wireless system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Seong-Hun Kim
  • Patent number: 8064949
    Abstract: Frequency conversion methods and systems for Bluetooth and FM radio communication are provided. FM data may be received and/or transmitted via the FM radio and Bluetooth data may be received and/or transmitted via the Bluetooth radio. With an integration of frequency conversion for Bluetooth and FM, both systems can operate from a single frequency source, thereby reducing part count and power consumption. Communication between Bluetooth and FM channels may be enabled via a single chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Inventor: Ahmadreza Rofougaran
  • Patent number: 8018914
    Abstract: A demodulation section 13 receives a TDMA-TDD based phase-modulated burst signal of mobile communications and demodulates the burst signal by a synchronous detection system (or a quasi-synchronous detection system). The demodulation section 13 includes a frequency deviation compensation section and a carrier recovery section each having a loop filter 14 with three or more stages of time constants. The time constants are switched by a selector switch 15 based on a control signal from a demodulation control section 16. This achieves quick pull-in and jitter after convergence is minimized, thereby allowing highly efficient performance of frequency deviation compensation, etc. that is required for synchronous detection (or quasi-synchronous detection) without increasing the size of circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Taisei Suemitsu
  • Patent number: 8000668
    Abstract: Structurally simple transmit/receive circuits for hearing devices are to be able to be deployed for higher frequencies as well. It is therefore proposed according to the invention that at least two PIN diodes should be connected in an anti-parallel manner between the receive oscillating circuit and the amplifier connected thereto to protect the amplifier. A capacitance diode can optionally be expanded so that larger component tolerances can be permitted for the circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH
    Inventors: Mihail Boguslavskij, Peter Nikles, Jürgen Reithinger, Ulrich Schätzle
  • Patent number: 7995973
    Abstract: Circuits and methods are disclosed for reducing interference from transmitter leakage in a radio transceiver. An exemplary method for reducing interference from transmitter leakage in a radio transceiver comprises downconverting, filtering, and sampling a radio frequency signal comprising a desired signal and a transmitter leakage signal to obtain a sampled signal of interest. The method further comprises generating a sampled distortion signal estimate that estimates one or more distortion products of the transmitter leakage signal, such as a squared amplitude obtained from a square-law device or corresponding digital function. Further, the method comprises dividing the sampled distortion signal estimate and the sampled signal of interest into a plurality of frequency channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
    Inventors: Paul Wilkinson Dent, Sven Mattisson
  • Patent number: 7933553
    Abstract: A radio-frequency identification (RFID) system is provided that includes an RFID reader that is provided with a capacitor apparatus or circuit that may be used to tune the transmitter to a different frequency to improve communication with an RFID tag. The frequency may be changed by the capacitor circuit automatically providing a different capacitance output to the RFID reader. A tape drive reader and magnetic tape cartridge may be provided in combination with such an RFID system. A method is disclosed for reading a data packet stored on an RFID tag by a reader that can be adjusted by changing the capacitance provided to the RFID reader.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Oracle America, Inc.
    Inventor: Steven M. Kientz