Wireless radio modem with minimal interdevice RF interference

• US 5,619,531 A
• Filed: 11/14/1994
• Issued: 04/08/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Jarmuszewski, Perry, Lazaridis, Mihal, Zhu, Lizhong, Taylor, Bryan, Wandel, Matthias, Edmonson, Peter, Carkner, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Bocure, Tesfaldet
• Application Number:
  US08/337,841
• Time in Patent Office: 876 Days
• Field of Search: 375/219, 375/222, 375/295, 375/316, 375/261, 375/259, 379/93, 379/97, 455/73, 455/90, 455/88
• US Class Current: 375/222
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/40 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 7/046 using a dotting sequence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/028 switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A wireless radio modem for incorporation into a host system includes radio frequency modulation/demodulation circuitry employing electronic device elements that operate in a frequency range that minimize the RF interference between the radio modem and the host system. Radio modem power conservation is further maximized by 1) simplifying signal modulation processing by use of a single sideband suppressed carrier waveform transition table, thereby reducing processing requirements; and 2)incorporating a "sleep mode" feature in which all non-timer circuitry is powered-down when not in use.

Claims

1. A wireless radio modem comprising:

(a) transmission/reception means for transferring data at radio frequencies between a host data processing device and another device; and

(b) modulation/demodulation means for demodulating digital data received from the transmission/reception means and modulating data generated by said host data processing device, the modulation/demodulation means including frequency discrimination means responsive to a received radio signal for retrieving baseband information from the received radio signal, wherein the frequency discrimination means includes one or more electronically-coupled piezoelectric phase-shift devices.

2. The wireless radio modem of claim 1 wherein the modulation/demodulation means performs a single-step conversion of the received radio signal from its reception frequency to a data discrimination frequency.

3. The wireless radio modem of claim 2, wherein the data discrimination frequency is at or above 10.7 MHz.

4. The wireless radio modem of claim 1 wherein the modulation/demodulation means operates at frequencies outside the host data processing device internal circuitry operational frequency range.

5. The wireless radio modem of claim 1 wherein at least one of the electronically-coupled piezoelectric phase shift devices incorporates one or more electronically-coupled acoustic wave circuit devices.

6. The wireless radio modem of claim 5 wherein at least one of the one or more electronically-coupled acoustic wave circuit devices is a surface acoustic wave filter.

7. The wireless radio modem of claim 1 wherein at least one of the electronically-coupled piezoelectric phase shift devices is a crystal filter.

8. The wireless radio modem of claim 4 wherein said frequency discrimination means discriminates a frequency difference of at least 2 KHz in a 45 MHz to 90 MHz frequency range.

9. The wireless radio modem of claim 4 wherein the transmission/reception means and the modulation/demodulation means are enclosed within the physical housing of the host data processing device terminal.

10. A method for transferring data at radio frequencies via modem between a host data processing device and another device, the method resulting in minimal electronic interference with the host data processing device and comprising the steps of:

converting a received radio frequency signal to a high intermediate frequency; and

performing data discrimination at the high intermediate frequency, wherein the data discrimination is performed using one or more electronically-coupled piezoelectric phase shift devices.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein at least one of the one or more electronically-coupled piezoelectric phase shift devices consists of one or more acoustic wave circuit devices.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein at least one of the one or more surface acoustic wave filters is a surface acoustic wave device.

13. The FM discriminator of claim 12, wherein at least one of the electronically-coupled piezoelectric phase-shift devices is a crystal filter.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein at least one of the one or more electronically-coupled piezoelectric phase-shift devices is a crystal filter.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein the high intermediate frequency is above 10.7 Mhz.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the converting step is performed using a single-step conversion process.

17. A FM discriminator comprising:

(a) means for supplying a frequency modulated signal and

(b) frequency discrimination means responsive to the frequency modulated signal for retrieving baseband information from the frequency modulated signal, wherein the frequency discrimination means includes one or more electronically-coupled piezoelectric phase-shift devices.

18. The FM discriminator of claim 17, wherein at least one of the electronically-coupled piezoelectric phase-shift devices includes one or more acoustic wave devices.

19. The FM discriminator of claim 18, wherein at least one acoustic wave device is a surface acoustic wave device.

20. The FM discriminator of claim 17, wherein the frequency discrimination means includes a filter having an input connected to the frequency modulated signal and an output connected to at least one of the one or more electronically-coupled piezoelectric phase-shift devices.

21. The FM discriminator of claim 20, wherein the frequency discrimination means includes a mixer connected to the filter and at least one of the one or more electronically-coupled piezoelectric phase-shift devices.

22. A wireless radio modem comprising:

a receiver that receives a radio frequency data signal; and

an FM discriminator coupled to the receiver, the FM discriminator having one or more electronically-coupled piezoelectric phase-shift devices, wherein the FM discriminator retrieves baseband information from the received radio frequency data signal.

23. The wireless radio modem of claim 22, wherein the modem is used with a host data processing device to transfer data between the host data processing device and another device.

24. The wireless radio modem of claim 23, including a transmitter and a modulator, wherein the modulator modulates data generated by the host data processing device into a radio frequency data signal.

25. The wireless radio modem of claim 24, wherein the modulator performs direct digital quadrature modulation.

26. The wireless radio modem of claim 23, wherein the FM discriminator operates outside the frequency range of the host data processing device internal circuitry.

27. The wireless radio modem of claim 23, wherein the FM discriminator is enclosed within the physical housing of the host data processing device.

28. The wireless radio modem of claim 23, wherein each element of the radio modem is enclosed within the physical housing of the host data processing device.

29. The wireless radio modem of claim 22, including a single-step downconverter coupled to the FM discriminator, wherein the single-step downconverter converts the received radio frequency data signal to a data discrimination frequency.

30. The wireless radio modem of claim 29, wherein the data discrimination frequency is at or above 10.7 MHz.

31. The wireless radio modem of claim 22, wherein at least one of the electronically-coupled piezoelectric phase shift devices incorporates one or more electronically-coupled acoustic wave circuit devices.

32. The wireless radio modem of claim 31, wherein at least one of the one or more electronically-coupled acoustic wave circuit devices is a surface acoustic wave filter.

33. The wireless radio modem of claim 22, wherein at least one of the electronically-coupled piezoelectric phase shift devices is a crystal filter.

34. The wireless radio modem of claim 22, wherein the FM discriminator discriminates a frequency difference of at least 2 KHz in a 45 MHz to 90 MHz frequency range.