MULTI-CHANNEL RECEIVER

• US 20110206162A1
• Filed: 08/18/2009
• Published: 08/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Lococo, Luca, Jamin, Olivier
• Granted Patent: US 8,385,471 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/316
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/1615 Switching on; Switching off, e.g. remotely battery saving circuits associated with selective call operation H04W52/00; details of power consumption reduction in a PLL, H03L7/0802, H03L7/14, H03L2207/08, H03L2207/18; muting amplifiers by gain control see H03G3/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/0292 Arrangements specific to the receiver end
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0274 by switching on or off the equipment or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

This invention relates to a method, a computer program product, a device, and a system, wherein a receiver unit (200,300,300′,500,500′,600,600′) is configured to operate in a single-channel mode and in a multi-channel mode, wherein in the single-channel mode the receiver unit (200,300,300′,500,500′,600,600′) is configured to output exactly one channel of a received signal, and in the multiple-channel mode the receiver unit (200,300,300′,500,500′,600,600′) is configured to output at least two channels of the received signal.

Claims

1. A device comprising a receiver unit configured to operate in a single-channel mode and in a multi-channel mode, wherein in the single-channel mode the receiver unit is configured to output exactly one channel of a received signal, and in the multiple-channel mode the receiver unit is configured to output at least two channels of the received signal.

2. The device according to claim 1, comprising an output, wherein this output is configured to output the exactly one channel in the single-channel mode, and wherein this output is configured to output the at least two channels in the multi-channel mode.

3. The device according to claim 1, comprising a first output and a second output, wherein the first output is configured to output the exactly one channel in the single-channel mode, and the second output is configured to output the at least two channels in the multi-channel mode.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the receiver unit is configured to output a block of channels at the second output in the multi-channel mode, and wherein this block of channels is associated with a frequency bandwidth and comprises the at least two channels.

5. The device according to claim 3, wherein the second output comprises at least two sub-outputs, and wherein each of the at least two sub-outputs is configured to output one of the at least two channels in the multi-channel mode.

6. The device according to claim 1, comprising a radio frequency entity configured to process the received signal, and comprising a frequency conversion entity configured to perform down-conversion of the received signal to an intermediate frequency.

7. The device according to claim 6, further comprising a reconfigurable intermediate frequency entity, wherein the intermediate frequency entity is configured to output the exactly one channel from the converted received signal at intermediate frequency in the single-channel mode, and wherein the intermediate frequency entity is configured to output the at least two channels at intermediate frequency in the multi-channel mode.

8. The device according to claim 1, comprising a first signal path configured to perform single-channel reception for the single-channel mode, and comprising a second signal path configured to perform multi-channel reception for the multi-channel mode.

9. The device according to claim 8, further comprising a shared radio frequency entity located in front of the first and second signal paths, wherein both the first signal path and the second signal path share this shared radio frequency entity.

10. The device according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the first and the second signal paths comprises a radio frequency entity.

11. The device according to claim 9, further comprising a shared frequency conversion entity between the shared radio frequency entity and the first and the second signal paths.

12. The device according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the first and the second signal paths comprises a frequency conversion entity.

13. The device according to claim 11, wherein each of the first and the second signal paths comprises an intermediate frequency entity, wherein the intermediate frequency entity in the first signal path is configured to output the exactly one channel from the converted received signal at intermediate frequency in the single-channel mode, and wherein the intermediate frequency entity in the second signal path is configured to output the at least two channels from the converted received signal at intermediate frequency in the multi-channel mode.

14. The device according to claim 8, wherein the second signal path is configured to be switched in a standby-mode for saving power, and wherein the second signal path is switched into the standby-mode when the device is in the single-channel mode.

15. The device according to claim 8, wherein the first signal path is configured to be switched in a standby-mode for saving power, and wherein the first signal path is switched into the standby-mode when the device is in the multi-channel mode.

16. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device represents an integrated circuit.

19. A system, comprising:

a device according to claim 1, and

a controller unit configured to switch the device into the single-channel mode and into the multi-channel mode.

17. A method, comprising:

determining whether a receiver unit is to be operated in a single-channel mode, wherein the receiver unit is configured to operate in the single-channel mode and in a multi-channel mode;

outputting exactly one channel of a received signal at the receiver unit when the receiver unit is operated in the single-channel mode; and

outputting at least two channels of the received signal at the receiver unit when the receiver unit is operated in the multi-channel mode.

18. A computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed by a computer, perform:

determining whether a receiver unit is to be operated in a single-channel mode, wherein the receiver unit is configured to operate in the single-channel mode and in a multi-channel mode;

outputting exactly one channel of a received signal at the receiver unit when the receiver unit is operated in the single-channel mode; and

outputting at least two channels of the received signal at the receiver unit when the receiver unit is operated in the multi-channel mode.