Current mode phase shifter, mixer and amplifier
First Claim
1. An integrated circuit radio transceiver, comprising:
- a baseband processor operable to process ingoing digital communication signals and to produce outgoing digital communication signals;
a transmitter front end operable to process and transmit outgoing RF signals based upon the outgoing digital communication signals;
a receiver front end operable to receive ingoing RF signals and to process the ingoing RF signals to produce the ingoing digital communication signals to the baseband processor, wherein the receiver front end further includes a current mixing and amplification stage for generating an amplified frequency shifted output signal to at least a portion of one of the transmitter and receiver front ends, the current mixing and amplification stage further including;
a current mixer operable to produce a frequency shifted output current signal based upon an oscillation and an input signal, the current mixer characterized by an output impedance; and
an amplifier block operably disposed to produce an amplified signal based upon the frequency shifted output current signal, the amplifier block consisting of an amplifier with at least one feedback resistor wherein gain of the amplifier block is based substantially upon a product of a gain characteristic of the current mixer and a resistance value of the at least one feedback resistor and further wherein the at least one feedback resistor is coupled directly to an input of the amplifier and to a mixer output of the current mixer.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An integrated circuit radio transceiver includes a phase shift block that is operable to produce a phase shifted current signal at an output of the phase shift block and a mixer with a low input impedance that is operable to produce a phase and frequency shifted output current signal based upon the phase shifted current signal. One aspect of the present invention is that the phase shift block produces an output as a current signal and the mixer block is operably disposed and formed to receive the current signal produced by the phase shift block. Similarly, an operational amplifier configured in a low input impedance mode is provided to receive and amplify a current signal mixer output, all to maximize signal processing head room reduce circuit noise and improve linearity
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An integrated circuit radio transceiver, comprising:
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a baseband processor operable to process ingoing digital communication signals and to produce outgoing digital communication signals;
a transmitter front end operable to process and transmit outgoing RF signals based upon the outgoing digital communication signals;
a receiver front end operable to receive ingoing RF signals and to process the ingoing RF signals to produce the ingoing digital communication signals to the baseband processor, wherein the receiver front end further includes a current mixing and amplification stage for generating an amplified frequency shifted output signal to at least a portion of one of the transmitter and receiver front ends, the current mixing and amplification stage further including;
a current mixer operable to produce a frequency shifted output current signal based upon an oscillation and an input signal, the current mixer characterized by an output impedance; and
an amplifier block operably disposed to produce an amplified signal based upon the frequency shifted output current signal, the amplifier block consisting of an amplifier with at least one feedback resistor wherein gain of the amplifier block is based substantially upon a product of a gain characteristic of the current mixer and a resistance value of the at least one feedback resistor and further wherein the at least one feedback resistor is coupled directly to an input of the amplifier and to a mixer output of the current mixer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. An integrated circuit radio receiver, comprising:
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a first block operably disposed to receive a signal, wherein the first amplification block produces an amplified current signal based upon the signal to a first block output;
a first high impedance load operably disposed to receive the amplified current signal from the first block output; and
a second block operably disposed to receive the amplified current signal from the first block output wherein the second block includes input circuitry operably disposed to provide a substantially low input impedance in relation to the first high impedance load to prompt the amplified current signal to flow into the input circuitry instead of the first high impedance load. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An integrated circuit radio transceiver, comprising:
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a baseband processor operable to process ingoing digital communication signals and to produce outgoing digital communication signals;
a transmitter front end operable to process and transmit outgoing RF signals based upon the outgoing digital communication signals;
a receiver front end operable to receive ingoing RF signals and to process the ingoing RF signals to produce the ingoing digital communication signals to the baseband processor, wherein the receiver front end further includes;
a first block that produces an amplified output current signal into a first high output impedance load;
a second block further including a current mixer that produces a frequency shifted output current signal into a second high output impedance load; and
a third block further including an amplifier for providing an amplified frequency shifted output signal to at least a portion of one of the transmitter and receiver front ends, the third block operably disposed to produce an amplified signal based upon the frequency shifted output current signal, the third block consisting of an amplifier with at least one feedback resistor wherein gain of the third block is based substantially upon a product of a gain characteristic of the current mixer and a resistance value of the at least one feedback resistor and further wherein the at least one feedback resistor is coupled directly to an input of the amplifier and to a mixer output of the second block. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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16. A method for processing an ingoing RF signal to produce an ingoing digital signal to a baseband processor, comprising:
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receiving an RF signal and amplifying the RF signal to produce an amplified RF signal;
mixing the amplified RF signal with a local oscillation and producing a frequency shifted current signal; and
prompting the frequency shifted current signal to flow into a low impedance input of an amplifier. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification