INTEGRATED CIRCUIT FOR MOBILE RADIO TRANSCEIVERS

• US 20090075603A1
• Filed: 09/10/2008
• Published: 03/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: Getta, Klaus, Li Puma, Giuseppe
• Granted Patent: US 8,315,575 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/76
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/034 Portable transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/40 Circuits

Abstract

The invention relates to an integrated circuit in a mobile radio transceiver. This circuit includes a radio-frequency assembly for producing a mobile radio signal and a modulator for converting transmission data into an analogue, modulated transmission signal which is broadcast in a frequency band outside the mobile radio frequency range.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit for a mobile radio transceiver, comprising:

a radio-frequency assembly configured to produce a radio-frequency mobile radio signal in a mobile radio frequency range; and

a modulator configured to convert transmission data into an analogue modulated transmission signal in a frequency band outside the mobile radio frequency range.

2. The integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein the modulator comprises a frequency modulator.

3. The integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein the frequency band comprises the VHF band.

4. The integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein the frequency band comprises the frequency range from 315 MHz to 434 MHz.

5. The integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein the modulator comprises a PLL frequency synthesizer.

6. The integrated circuit according to claim 5, wherein the PLL frequency synthesizer is configured to clock components of the mobile radio transceiver during mobile radio operation of the mobile radio transceiver.

7. The integrated circuit according to claim 5, wherein the PLL frequency synthesizer is configured to produce phase-modulated mobile radio signals during mobile radio operation of the mobile radio transceiver.

8. The integrated circuit according to claim 5, wherein the transmission data to be converted and a channel word are fed into the PLL frequency synthesizer and a frequency range of the modulation is determined by the channel word.

9. The integrated circuit according to claim 5, wherein the PLL circuit comprises:

a voltage-controlled oscillator configured to output the analogue modulated transmission signal;

a phase detector configured to determine a phase difference between a feedback signal, derived from the analogue modulated transmission signal, and a reference signal, and take the determined phase difference as a basis for controlling the voltage-controlled oscillator; and

a feedback loop configured to provide the feedback signal, wherein the feedback loop comprises a frequency divider that is controlled by the transmission data.

10. The integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein the modulator comprises an IQ vector modulator.

11. The integrated circuit according to claim 10, wherein the IQ vector modulator comprises a mixing stage that is configured to operate as a mixing stage for the mobile radio signal during mobile radio operation of the mobile radio transceiver.

12. The integrated circuit according to claim 1, further comprising an amplifier connected between the modulator and the output of the mobile radio transceiver.

13. The integrated circuit according to claim 12, wherein the amplifier is configured to operate as an amplifier for the mobile radio signal during mobile radio operation of the mobile radio transceiver.

14. The integrated circuit according to claim 1, in combination with an antenna configured to transmit the analogue modulated transmission signal of the mobile radio transceiver.

15. The integrated circuit according to claim 14, wherein the antenna comprises a VHF antenna.

16. The integrated circuit according to claim 14, wherein the antenna comprises a mobile radio antenna.

17. The integrated circuit according to claim 1, further comprising a baseband assembly.

18. The integrated circuit according to claim 17, further comprising an interface between the radio-frequency assembly and the baseband assembly that is based on the DigRF standard.

19. The integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein the transmission data to be converted comprise stereo multiplex signals or information data for a keyless access protection system.

20. The integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein the mobile radio transceiver is based on the GSM/EDGE standard or the UMTS standard.

21. A method comprising:

producing a radio-frequency mobile radio signal lying in a mobile radio frequency range in an integrated circuit comprising a mobile radio transceiver;

converting transmission data into an analogue modulated transmission signal using a modulator implemented in the integrated circuit; and

broadcasting the analogue modulated transmission signal in a frequency band that is outside the mobile radio frequency range.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein converting the transmission data comprises frequency modulation.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein the frequency band comprises the VHF band.

24. The method according to claim 21, wherein the frequency band comprises the frequency range from 312 MHz to 433 MHz.

25. The method according to claim 21, wherein converting the transmission data is performed using a PLL frequency synthesizer.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the PLL frequency synthesizer produces a clock signal during mobile radio operation.

27. The method according to claim 25, wherein converting the digital audio data by the PLL frequency synthesizer comprises:

outputting the analogue modulated transmission signal at an output of a voltage-controlled oscillator;

determining a phase difference between a feedback signal, derived from the analogue modulated transmission signal and a reference signal;

controlling the voltage-controlled oscillator based on the determined phase difference;

providing the feedback signal by a feedback loop which comprises a frequency divider; and

controlling the frequency divider by the transmission data.

28. The method according to claim 21, wherein converting the transmission data is performed using an IQ vector modulator.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein the IQ vector modulator provides the radio-frequency mobile radio signal during mobile radio operation.

30. The method according to claim 21, further comprising:

broadcasting the analogue modulated transmission signal via a VHF antenna or a mobile radio antenna.

31. The method according to claim 21, wherein the transmission data to be converted comprises digital stereo multiplex signals or information data for a keyless access protection system.