Method for integrating a plurality of radio systems in a unified transceiver structure and the device of the same

• US 20050159180A1
• Filed: 02/23/2005
• Published: 07/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: MediaTek, Inc.
• Original Assignee: MediaTek, Inc.
• Inventors: Cheng, Jui-Hsi, Lin, Tsung-Liang
• Application Number:
  US11/063,760
• Publication Number:
  US 20050159180A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/552.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0003 Software-defined radio [SDR] systems, i.e. systems wherein components typically implemented in hardware, e.g. filters or modulators/demodulators, are implented using software, e.g. by involving an AD or DA conversion stage such that at least part of the signal processing is performed in the digital domain digital baseband systems H04L25/00; digital modulation/demodulation H04L27/00; CDMA H04B1/707; TDMA H04B7/2643; image transmission H04N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0007 wherein the AD/DA conversion occurs at radiofrequency or intermediate frequency stage
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/406 with more than one transmission mode, e.g. analog and digital modes

Abstract

A preferred embodiment of the invention advantageously provides a method for integrating a plurality of radio systems in a unified transceiver structure and the device of the same. According to this general embodiment of the invention, all components for the necessary communication protocols of a device are determined by selecting the operation ranges of the components and designing a mechanism to adjust the operation parameters of the shared components for conforming to the utilized communications system. Therefore, only one radio frequency (RF) module is required for a communications device having a plurality of communication systems. An end user can advantageously carry a single and compact wireless device for various communications systems.

Claims

1. -50. (canceled)

51. A communications device for integrating a plurality of radio systems in a unified transceiver structure wherein the radio systems are respectively conformed to a plurality of communications modes with corresponding communications standards, the communications device comprising:

a baseband system for signal processing;

an interface connected to said baseband system;

an antenna;

a bandpass filter (BPF) connected to said antenna;

a switch transmitting and receiving radio frequency (RF) signals from said antenna wherein said transmitted RF signals pass through said switch if said baseband system is in a transmitting mode, and said received RF signals pass through said switch if said baseband system is in a receiving mode;

a radio frequency (RF) transceiver located between said switch and said interface wherein said RF transceiver further comprises;

a receiver comprising a first-stage amplifier and filter, down-converters, a second-stage amplifier and filter respectively operable in response to an operative radio system selected from said radio systems;

a transmitter comprising a first-stage amplifier and filter, up-converters, a combiner, a second-stage amplifier and filter respectively operable in response to said selected operative radio system.

52. The communications device of claim 51 wherein said bandpass filter (BPF) rejects out-of-band signals from said received RF signals in said receiving mode, and said BPF rejects out-of-channel signals from said transmitted signals in said transmitting mode.

53. The communications device of claim 51 wherein said receiver further comprises a low noise amplifier for low-noise amplifying said received signals.

54. The communications device of claim 53 further comprising a plurality of gain modes determined in accordance with one selected from said communications modes wherein said gain modes are stored in said baseband system, and said low noise amplifier is respectively operable in response to said gain modes, each of said gain modes defining a gain value for said low noise amplifier and a threshold respectively responsive to a signal level of said received signals.

55. The communications device of claim 54 further comprising an automatic gain control for determining said threshold and setting said gain value for designating a locally oscillating (LO) settling time.

56. The communications device of claim 51 wherein said receiver further comprises a mixer for down-converting said received signals into baseband signals.

57. The communications device of claim 51 wherein said receiver further comprises an in-phase mixer and a quadrature mixer connected in parallel thereto for down-converting said received signals into baseband signals.

58. The communications device of claim 51 wherein said receiver further comprises:

a variable low pass filter (VLPF); and

a variable gain amplifier (VGA) whose channel bandwidths are selected among said communications standards for preventing in-band gain reduction wherein said in-band gain is controlled by said baseband system.

59. The communications device of claim 58 further comprising an in-phase variable bandwidth low pass filter and a quadrature phase variable bandwidth low pass filter.

60. The communications device of claim 51 wherein said receiver further comprises

a mixer rejecting alias signals from said received signals outside a channel bandwidth for one selected from said communications modes;

and

a variable low pass filter (VLPF) receiving input signals from said mixer and outputting filtered baseband signals to said baseband system wherein said VLPF is variable at a cut-off frequency for compliance with different channel bandwidths selected for preventing in-band gain reduction;

wherein said in-band gain is controlled by said baseband system.

61. The communications device of claim 51 wherein said transmitter further comprises a variable bandwidth low-pass filter (VLPF) receiving analog baseband signals from said baseband system for rejecting out-of-channel signals from said baseband signals wherein said VLPF is variable at a cut-off frequency for compliance with different channel bandwidths in said baseband system that generates a voltage to said VLPF for controlling said channel bandwidths.

62. The communications device of claim 61 further comprising an in-phase variable bandwidth low pass filter and a quadrature phase variable bandwidth low pass filter.

63. The communications device of claim 51 further comprising:

a variable low pass filter; and

a baseband amplifier having a bandwidth selected among said communications standards for preventing in-band gain reduction.

64. The communications device of claim 51 further comprising an in-phase baseband amplifier and a quadrature phase baseband amplifier.

65. The communications device of claim 51 wherein said transmitter further comprises a mixer for up-converting said transmitted signals into RF signals.

66. The communications device of claim 51 wherein said transmitter further comprises an in-phase mixer corresponding to an in-phase baseband amplifier, and a quadrature phase mixer corresponding to a quadrature phase baseband amplifier.

67. The communications device of claim 51 further comprising a variable gain amplifier (VGA) and a power amplifier (PA).

68. The communications device of claim 67 wherein said variable gain amplifier (VGA) provides a variable gain for output power control, and said baseband system generates a signal to said VGA for controlling an amplifier gain thereof.

69. The communications device of claim 66 further comprising a variable gain amplifier (VGA) wherein said bandpass filter (BPF) is a harmonic-suppressing BPF suppressing harmonics generated from said VGA, said in-phase mixer and said quadrature phase mixer.

70. The communications device of claim 66 further comprising a phase shifter and a frequency synthesizer for respectively providing a frequency to said in-phase mixer and said quadrature phase mixer through said phase shifter.

71. The communications device of claim 70 further comprising an input divider counter and a reference divider counter in said frequency synthesizer for respectively adjusting said frequency provided to said in-phase mixer and said quadrature phase mixer by dividing ratios stored in a table in said baseband system.

72. The communications device of claim 51 further comprising a local oscillator for respectively generating a locally oscillating (LO) signal for down-converting said received signals and up-converting said transmitted signals, and for selecting a locally oscillating (LO) settling time in response to a hopping rate of one selected from said communications modes.

73. The communications device of claim 51 further comprising a mixer for converting said received signals into baseband signals in an I channel and a Q channel.

74. The communications device of claim 73 further comprising a frequency synthesizer for controlling frequencies of said baseband signals.

75. The communications device of claim 73 further comprising an automatic gain control for controlling a variable gain of said baseband signals in said I channel and said Q channel.

76. The communications device of claim 73 further comprising a local oscillator for designating a locally oscillating (LO) settling time for said baseband signals in said I channel and said Q channel in response to a hopping rate of one selected from said communications modes.

77. The communications device of claim 51 further comprising an additional mixer for converting said transmitted signals into baseband signals in an I channel and a Q channel.

78. The communications device of claim 77 further comprising an additional phase shifter separating said baseband signals into in-phase signals and quadrature phase signals.

79. The communications device of claim 78 further comprising a radio frequency (RF) combiner combining said in-phase signals and said quadrature phase signals.

80. The communications device of claim 77 further comprising an additional variable gain amplifier (VGA) controlling a variable gain of said baseband signals in said I channel and said Q channel.