Integrated frequency translation and selectivity with a variety of filter embodiments

• US 6,560,301 B1
• Filed: 04/16/1999
• Issued: 05/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ParkerVision, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ParkerVision, Inc.
• Inventors: Cook, Robert W., Bultman, Michael J., Sorrells, David F., Moses, Charley D. Jr., Looke, Richard C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHU, PHUONG M
• Application Number:
  US09/293,283
• Time in Patent Office: 1,481 Days
• Field of Search: 375/350, 375/316, 375/324, 375/328, 375/351, 455/313, 455/296, 455/323, 455/307, 329/304
• US Class Current: 375/350
• CPC Class Codes: H03D 7/00 Transference of modulation from one carrier to another, e.g. frequency-changing H03D9/00, H03D11/00 take precedence; dielectric amplifiers, magnetic amplifiers, parametric amplifiers used as a frequency-changers H03F
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/12 Frequency diversity

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for frequency selectivity and frequency translation, and applications for such methods and apparatuses, are described herein. The method includes steps of filtering an input signal, and down-converting the filtered input signal. The filtering and the down-conversion operations are performed in an integrated, unified manner. The apparatus described herein can be implemented as an integrated circuit (IC).

Claims

1. An apparatus for down-converting and filtering an input signal having a carrier frequency, comprising:

(a) sampling means for sampling and delaying the input signal at a sampling frequency of less than twice the carrier frequency to produce a delayed input sample of a down-converted image of the input signal;

(b) delaying means for generating one or more delayed instances of an output signal; and

(c) combining means for combining at least the delayed input sample with the one or more delayed instances of the output signal to generate an instance of the output signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the delayed input sample is an analog signal and the delayed instances are analog signals.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the delayed instances are delayed by an integral number of sampling periods of the sampling means.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the delaying means includes one or more sample-and-hold circuits.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the combining means includes a summer.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further including means for scaling at least one of the delayed input sample and the one or more delayed instances of the output signal.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the input signal is a radio frequency signal.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sampling means samples the input signal according to a control signal.

9. A method for down-converting and filtering an input signal having a carrier frequency, comprising the steps of:

(a) sampling and delaying the input signal at a sampling frequency of less than twice the carrier frequency to produce a delayed input sample of a down-converted image of the input signal;

(b) delaying an output signal to generate one or more delayed instances of the output signal; and

(c) combining at least the delayed input sample with the one or more delayed instances of the output signal to generate an instance of the output signal.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the delayed input sample is an analog signal, and wherein step (b) includes the step of storing the one or more delayed instances as analog signals.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein a sampling period is equal to the inverse of the sampling frequency, wherein the delayed instances are delayed by one or more integral numbers of the sampling period.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein step (c) includes the step of summing the delayed input sample with the one or more delayed instances of the output signal to generate an instance of the output signal.

13. The method of claim 9, further including the step of scaling at least one of the delayed input sample and the one or more delayed instances of the output signal.

14. The method of claim 9, further including the step of receiving the input signal, wherein the input signal is a radio frequency signal.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein step (a) includes the step of:

(1) sampling the input signal according to a control signal.

16. The method of claim 9, further including the step of:

(d) adjusting at least one frequency selectivity characteristic.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein step (d) includes the step of:

(1) tuning one of a filter center frequency, a filter bandwidth, and a filter passband.

18. An apparatus for down-converting and filtering an input signal having a carrier frequency, comprising:

(a) a plurality of sampling means for sampling and delaying the input signal to produce a plurality of delayed input samples of a down-converted image of the input signal, wherein each of the plurality of sampling means samples the input signal at a corresponding sampling frequency that is less than twice the carrier frequency;

(b) delaying means for generating one or more delayed instances of an output signal; and

(c) combining means for combining at least the plurality of delayed input samples with the one or more delayed instances of the output signal to generate an instance of the output signal.

19. A method for down-converting and filtering an input signal having a carrier frequency, comprising the steps of:

(a) sampling and delaying the input signal at a plurality of sampling frequencies of less than twice the carrier frequency to produce delayed input samples of a down-converted image of the input signal;

(b) delaying an output signal to generate one or more delayed instances of the output signal; and

(c) combining at least the delayed input samples with the one or more delayed instances of the output signal to generate an instance of the output signal.