Apparatus, system, and method for down converting and up converting electromagnetic signals

• US 20070293182A1
• Filed: 10/12/2004
• Published: 12/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ParkerVision, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ParkerVision, Inc.
• Inventors: Cook, Robert, Sorrells, David, Bultman, Michael, Moses, Charley, Rawlins, Michael, Looke, Richard, Rawlins, Gregory
• Granted Patent: US 7,822,401 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/319
• CPC Class Codes: H03D 7/00 Transference of modulation from one carrier to another, e.g. frequency-changing H03D9/00, H03D11/00 take precedence; dielectric amplifiers, magnetic amplifiers, parametric amplifiers used as a frequency-changers H03F
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/16 Circuits

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatuses for down-converting and up-converting an electromagnetic signal. In embodiments, the invention operates by receiving an electromagnetic signal and recursively operating on approximate half cycles of a carrier signal. The recursive operations can be performed at a sub-harmonic rate of the carrier signal. The invention accumulates the results of the recursive operations and uses the accumulated results to form a down-converted signal. In embodiments, up-conversion is accomplished by controlling a switch with an oscillating signal, the frequency of the oscillating signal being selected as a sub-harmonic of the desired output frequency. When the invention is being used in the frequency modulation or phase modulation implementations, the oscillating signal is modulated by an information signal before it causes the switch to gate a bias signal. The output of the switch is filtered, and the desired harmonic is output.

Claims

1-83. -83. (canceled)

84. A method for down-converting an electromagnetic signal, comprising:

(1) electrically coupling a RF information signal to a capacitor;

(2) controlling a charging cycle and a discharging cycle of the capacitor with a switching device electrically coupled to the capacitor, wherein charge from the RF information signal is stored on the capacitor when the switching device is closed, and wherein the capacitor discharges between six percent to fifty percent of charge stored therein during a period of time that the switching device is open; and

(3) performing a plurality of charging and discharging cycles of the capacitor, thereby forming a down-converted information signal.

85. The method of claim 84, wherein the capacitor discharges between ten percent to twenty-five percent of charge stored therein during a period of time that the switching device is open.

86. The method of claim 84, wherein the capacitor discharges between fifteen percent to thirty percent of charge stored therein during a period of time that the switching device is open.

87. The method of claim 84, further comprising the step of amplifying the down-converted information signal.

88. The method of claim 84, further comprising the step of:

removing a carrier signal from the down-converted information signal.

89. The method of claim 88, wherein the carrier signal is removed by filtering the down-converted signal.

90. The method of claim 88, wherein the carrier signal is removed during amplification of the down-converted signal.

91. The method of claim 84, further comprising:

(4) amplifying the received RF information signal with a low noise amplifier.

92. The method of claim 84, further comprising:

(4) filtering the received RF information signal.

93. The method of claim 84, wherein step (2) comprises:

controlling the switching device with a control signal having a train of pulses.

94. The method of claim 93, wherein the pulses have apertures, wherein the step of controlling the switching device comprises:

closing the switching device during an aperture; and

opening the switching device between the aperture and a next aperture.

95. The method of claim 93, further comprising:

(4) generating the control signal.

96. A method for down-converting an electromagnetic signal, comprising:

(1) electrically coupling a RF signal to a capacitor;

(2) performing a charging cycle and a discharging cycle of the capacitor using a switching device electrically coupled to the capacitor, wherein the capacitor discharges between six percent to fifty percent of charge stored therein during the discharging cycle; and

(3) repeating step (2) a plurality of times, thereby forming a down-converted information signal.

97. The method of claim 96, wherein the capacitor discharges between ten percent to twenty-five percent of charge stored therein during the discharging cycle.

98. The method of claim 96, wherein the capacitor discharges between fifteen percent to thirty percent of charge stored therein during the discharging cycle.

99. The method of claim 96, further comprising:

(4) amplifying the down-converted information signal.

100. The method of claim 96, further comprising:

(4) removing a carrier signal from the down-converted information signal.

101. The method of claim 100, wherein the carrier signal is removed by filtering the down-converted signal.

102. The method of claim 100, wherein the carrier signal is removed during amplification of the down-converted signal.

103. The method of claim 96, further comprising:

(4) amplifying the received RF signal with a low noise amplifier.

104. The method of claim 96, further comprising:

(4) filtering the received RF signal.

105. The method of claim 96, wherein step (3) comprises:

controlling the switching device with a control signal having a train of pulses.

106. The method of claim 105, wherein the pulses have apertures, wherein the step of controlling the switching device comprises:

closing the switching device during an aperture; and

opening the switching device between the aperture and a next aperture.

107. The method of claim 96, further comprising:

(5) generating the control signal.

108. The method of claim 96, wherein step (3) comprises:

closing the switching device to perform the charging cycle; and

opening the switching device to perform the discharge cycle.

109. A method for down-converting an electromagnetic signal, comprising:

(1) electrically coupling a RF information signal to a capacitor;

(2) controlling a charging cycle and a discharging cycle of the capacitor with a switching device electrically coupled to the capacitor, including;

(a) during the charging cycle, controlling a charging of the capacitor from the RF information signal by closing the switching device, and

(b) during the discharging cycle, controlling a discharge of the capacitor by opening the switching device, wherein the capacitor discharges between six percent to fifty percent of charge stored therein during the discharging cycle; and

(3) performing step (2) a plurality of times, thereby forming a down-converted information signal.

110. The method of claim 109, wherein the capacitor discharges between ten percent to twenty-five percent of charge stored therein during the discharging cycle.

111. The method of claim 109, wherein the capacitor discharges between fifteen percent to thirty percent of charge stored therein during the discharging cycle.

112. The method of claim 109, further comprising:

(4) amplifying the down-converted information signal.

113. The method of claim 109, further comprising:

(4) removing a carrier signal from the down-converted information signal.

114. The method of claim 113, wherein the carrier signal is removed by filtering the down-converted signal.

115. The method of claim 113, wherein the carrier signal is removed during amplification of the down-converted signal.

116. The method of claim 109, further comprising:

(4) amplifying the received RF information signal with a low noise amplifier.

117. The method of claim 109, further comprising:

(4) filtering the received RF information signal.

118. The method of claim 109, wherein step (3) comprises:

controlling the switching device with a control signal having a train of pulses.

119. The method of claim 109, further comprising:

(4) generating the control signal.