Direct conversion receiver with tri-phase architecture
First Claim
1. A direct conversion radio receiver, comprising:
- RF coupler means for splitting an RF communications signal into first, second and third RF components provided on separate first, second and third signal channels;
synthesizer and splitter means for generating an injection signal.on-frequency of said RF communications signal and splitting the same into first, second and third injection signal components which are out-of-phase with each other by approximately 120°
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first, second and third mixer means installed on said first, second and third signal channels for mixing said first, second and third RF components with said first, second and third injection signal components in order to produce first, second and third baseband signal components;
first, second and third low-pass filter means installed on said first, second and third signal channels for filtering said baseband signal components from said first, second and third mixer means in order to reject interference and spurious signals accompanying said baseband components;
first, second and third amplification means installed on said first, second and third signal channels for amplifying said baseband signal components; and
signal processing means for processing the baseband components from said signal channels and using the information carried by these components to correct for gain or phase errors between the signal channels and demodulate these components so as to acquire the information carried by the RF communications signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A direct conversion receiver having a tri-phase architecture including three separate baseband signal channels. RF communications signals which are being tuned by the receiver are split into three equal and in-phase components which are mixed with three equal but substantially out-of-phase injection signals on frequency with the communications signal. The resulting baseband component signals are independently filtered and amplified on the three signal channels. The baseband components are then directed to a signal processing unit which corrects the baseband components for gain or phase mismatch errors between the signal channels based on the information carried by the three components and thereafter demodulates the signals in order to acquire the information carried by the RF communications signal. An automatic gain control system and a signal filtering system adapted for use with direct conversion receivers are also disclosed.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. A direct conversion radio receiver, comprising:
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RF coupler means for splitting an RF communications signal into first, second and third RF components provided on separate first, second and third signal channels; synthesizer and splitter means for generating an injection signal.on-frequency of said RF communications signal and splitting the same into first, second and third injection signal components which are out-of-phase with each other by approximately 120°
;first, second and third mixer means installed on said first, second and third signal channels for mixing said first, second and third RF components with said first, second and third injection signal components in order to produce first, second and third baseband signal components; first, second and third low-pass filter means installed on said first, second and third signal channels for filtering said baseband signal components from said first, second and third mixer means in order to reject interference and spurious signals accompanying said baseband components; first, second and third amplification means installed on said first, second and third signal channels for amplifying said baseband signal components; and signal processing means for processing the baseband components from said signal channels and using the information carried by these components to correct for gain or phase errors between the signal channels and demodulate these components so as to acquire the information carried by the RF communications signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. In a direct conversion receiver including a RF coupler for splitting a RF communication signal into RF components, first and second baseband signal channels having separate mixers, filters and amplifier units which are operative for processing said components, synthesizer means for generating an injection signal for supply to the mxiers associated with the signal channels and a signal processing unit for demodulating said communications signal based on its baseband components, the improvement comprising:
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a third baseband signal channel having separate mixer, filter and amplifier units which are adapted for handling a signal component out-of-phase with the signal components on said first and second signal channels; and signal processing means for correcting for phase or gain errors between said baseband signal channels based on the additional gain or phase information contributed by said third baseband signal channel. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A process for acquiring the information carried by an RF communications signal, comprising the steps of:
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splitting said RF signal communications into three equal-amplitude and substantially in-phase RF components; separately mixing said RF components with identical frequency equal-amplitude but substantially out-of-phase injection signals in order to form out-of-phase baseband components; correcting for phase errors between said baseband components based on the phase information carried by three of said baseband components; and demodulating said baseband components to acquire the information carried by the RF communications signals. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. A radio receiver characterized by a triangular architecture, said receiver comprising:
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means for converting a RF communications signal into three out-of-phase baseband components; means for separately filtering and amplifying each of said baseband components; and means for correcting for phase or gain errors between said baseband components based on the phase or gain information carried by all three of said baseband components and demodulating said components to acquire the information carried by said RF communications signal. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A direct conversion receiver comprising:
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means for splitting an RF communications signal into three RF components and converting these components into three out-of-phase baseband components; three baseband signal channels adapted for separately amplifying and filtering said baseband signal components; and signal processing means adapted for using the baseband signal components to correct for hardware induced phase errors between all three of said components. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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Specification