Method and circuit for down-converting a signal
First Claim
1. A method for down-converting an electromagnetic signal, comprising:
- periodically coupling an electromagnetic signal that includes a carrier signal to an energy storage device and a load, wherein the periodic couplings occur at a rate less than twice the frequency of the carrier signal;
providing, during the periodic couplings, energy from the electromagnetic signal to the energy storage device, thereby changing an amount of energy stored by the energy storage device;
providing, during the periodic couplings, energy from the electromagnetic signal to the load; and
providing, between the periodic couplings, energy from the energy storage device to the load, thereby changing the amount of energy stored by the energy storage device;
whereby the energy provided to the load forms a down-converted signal.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods, systems, and apparatuses for down-converting an electromagnetic (EM) signal by aliasing the EM signal are described herein. Briefly stated, such methods, systems, and apparatuses operate by receiving an EM signal and an aliasing signal having an aliasing rate. The EM signal is aliased according to the aliasing signal to down-convert the EM signal. The term aliasing, as used herein, refers to both down-converting an EM signal by under-sampling the EM signal at an aliasing rate, and down-converting an EM signal by transferring energy from the EM signal at the aliasing rate. In an embodiment, the EM signal is down-converted to an intermediate frequency (IF) signal. In another embodiment, the EM signal is down-converted to a demodulated baseband information signal. In another embodiment, the EM signal is a frequency modulated (FM) signal, which is down-converted to a non-FM signal, such as a phase modulated (PM) signal or an amplitude modulated (AM) signal.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method for down-converting an electromagnetic signal, comprising:
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periodically coupling an electromagnetic signal that includes a carrier signal to an energy storage device and a load, wherein the periodic couplings occur at a rate less than twice the frequency of the carrier signal;
providing, during the periodic couplings, energy from the electromagnetic signal to the energy storage device, thereby changing an amount of energy stored by the energy storage device;
providing, during the periodic couplings, energy from the electromagnetic signal to the load; and
providing, between the periodic couplings, energy from the energy storage device to the load, thereby changing the amount of energy stored by the energy storage device;
whereby the energy provided to the load forms a down-converted signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for down-converting an electromagnetic signal that includes a carrier signal using a circuit that includes an energy storage device, a switch, and a load, wherein the switch and the load are coupled in parallel between a port of the energy storage device and a circuit node, the method comprising:
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alternately closing and opening the switch at a frequency less than twice the frequency of the carrier signal;
providing, during each of the closings of the switch, energy from the electromagnetic signal to the energy storage device, thereby changing an amount of energy stored by the energy storage device; and
providing, during each of the openings of the switch, energy from the energy storage device to the load, thereby changing the amount of energy stored by the energy storage device;
whereby the energy provided to the load forms a down-converted signal. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification