ELECTRONIC DEVICES HAVING INTERFERERS ALIGNED WITH RECEIVER FILTERS

• US 20110244821A1
• Filed: 03/31/2010
• Published: 10/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Dorsey, John G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,600,332 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/307
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 15/06 by local oscillators of receivers

Abstract

Electronic devices contain radio-frequency receivers such as direct conversion receivers. A receiver may receive radio-frequency antenna signals from an antenna in an electronic device. The receiver may include notch filters that attenuate signals in the center of the communications channel that is being received by the receiver. An electronic device may include a clock source. The clock source may be used to clock electrical components in the electronic device. During operation, the clock source may produce radio-frequency interference signals at an associated interferer frequency. The potential for the interference signals to disrupt operation of the receiver can be reduced by configuring the electronic device so that the interferer frequency is aligned with the center of the communications channel. The clock source may be adjusted dynamically to accommodate changes in the communications channel.

Claims

1. A method for reducing radio-frequency interference in an electronic device that has at least one radio-frequency receiver that receives radio-frequency antenna signals in a communications channel having a center frequency and that has at least one adjustable clock source that produces an interference signal at an interferer frequency, comprising:

with control circuitry in the electronic device, adjusting the clock source in real time to align the interferer frequency with the center frequency.

2. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising determining when the radio-frequency receiver is operating in a new channel with a new center frequency and, in response to determining that the radio-frequency receiver is operating in the new channel, adjusting the clock source with the control circuitry to align the interferer frequency with the new center frequency.

3. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the radio-frequency receiver comprises a direct conversion receiver having a direct-current (DC) notch filter, the method further comprising:

with the control circuitry, determining whether the interference signal has a bandwidth wider than the DC notch filter.

4. The method defined in claim 3 further comprising:

in response to determining that the interference signal has a bandwidth wider than the DC notch filter, adjusting the clock source with the control circuitry to move the interferer frequency out of the current channel.

5. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether the interferer frequency is located above the center frequency using the control circuitry; and

in response to determining that the interferer frequency is located above the center frequency, adjusting the clock source downwards in frequency to align the interferer frequency with the center frequency.

6. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising:

before adjusting the clock source, determining whether operating constraints for the electronic device permit the interferer frequency to be adjusted upwards.

7. The method defined in claim 6 wherein adjusting the clock source in real time to align the interferer frequency with the center frequency comprises adjusting the clock source downwards in frequency in response to determining that the operating constraints for the electronic device prevent the interferer frequency from being adjusted upwards.

8. The method defined in claim 6 wherein adjusting the clock source in real time to align the interferer frequency with the center frequency comprises adjusting the clock source downwards in frequency in response to determining that the operating constraints for the electronic device prevent the interferer frequency from being adjusted upwards and wherein the communications channel comprises a non-overlapping communications channel.

9. The method defined in claim 6 wherein adjusting the clock source in real time to align the interferer frequency with the center frequency comprises adjusting the clock source downwards in frequency in response to determining that the operating constraints for the electronic device prevent the interferer frequency from being adjusted upwards and wherein the communications channel comprises a non-overlapping communications channel in a communications band that contains both non-overlapping communications channels and overlapping communications channels.

10. An electronic device comprising:

wireless communications circuitry that operates in at least one communications channel having a center frequency;

at least one adjustable clock source that gives rise to an associated interference signal having an interferer frequency; and

circuitry that dynamically adjusts the clock source until the interferer frequency equals the center frequency.

11. The electronic device defined in claim 10 further comprising a receiver that receives radio-frequency signals in the communications channel.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 11 wherein the receiver comprises a notch filter that attenuates signals at the center frequency.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 11 further comprising an antenna, wherein the receiver comprises a direct conversion receiver that is coupled to the antenna and that has notch filter that attenuates signals at the center frequency.

14. The electronic device defined in claim 11 wherein the circuitry is configured to adjust the receiver to change the communications channel during operation of the electronic device and wherein the circuitry is configured to adjust the clock circuitry to move the interference frequency to the center frequency whenever the communications channel is changed during operation of the electronic device.

15. The electronic device defined in claim 14 wherein the receiver comprises a notch filter that attenuates signals at the center frequency.

16. A method of reducing radio-frequency interference in an electronic device that has a clock source that gives rise to an associated interference signal with an interferer frequency and that has a radio-frequency receiver that receives radio-frequency signals in a communications channel having a center frequency, wherein the radio-frequency receiver includes a notch filter that attenuates signals at the center frequency, the method comprising:

operating the electronic device in a configuration in which the interferer frequency is aligned with the center frequency and the notch filter attenuates the interference signal.

17. The method defined in claim 16 further comprising:

dynamically adjusting the clock source in the electronic device.

18. The method defined in claim 17 wherein dynamically adjusting the clock source in the electronic device comprises maintaining the interferer frequency in alignment with the center frequency as the communications channel in which the radio-frequency receiver receives the radio-frequency signals changes.

19. The method defined in claim 17 wherein dynamically adjusting the clock source comprises adjusting the clock source to reduce the interferer frequency in response to determining that adjustments to the clock source to increase the interferer frequency violate operating constraints for the electronic device.

20. The method defined in claim 17 wherein dynamically adjusting the clock source in the electronic device comprises moving the interferer frequency downwards to a center frequency in a non-overlapping communications channel.