Multi-mode, multi-band communication system
DC CAFCFirst Claim
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1. A method of communicating, comprising the steps of:
- (1) selecting an information signal from one or more information signals as a selected information signal;
(2) determining a desired frequency for an oscillating signal;
(3) modulating said oscillating with said selected information signal according to a desired modulation scheme to create a modulated oscillating signal;
(4) gating a bias signal at a rate that is a function of said modulated oscillating signal to create an angle modulated harmonically rich signal;
(5) enabling a filter circuit to process said angle modulated harmonically rich signal; and
(6) filtering, in said filter circuit, said angle modulated harmonically rich signal to isolate one or more desired harmonics, each of said one or more desired harmonics being a desired output signal having a desired output frequency, wherein said gating step is performed by a frequency translation module having a square wave generator that accepts said modulated oscillating signal and generates a square wave, a pulse shaper that accepts said square wave and generates a string of pulses, and a switch being controlled by said string of pulses and being connected to said bias signal and generating said harmonically rich signal, said switch having a first port, a second port, and a control port, wherein said string of pulses is connected to said control port, said bias signal is connected to said first port, and said harmonically rich signal is connected to said second port.
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Abstract
The present invention is directed toward the transmission subsystem of a multi-mode, multi-band communication system that can transmit and/or receive one or more information signals on one or more transmission frequencies using one or more modulation schemes. According to embodiments of the invention, the up-conversion section is implemented using a universal frequency translator (UFT).
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Citations
104 Claims
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1. A method of communicating, comprising the steps of:
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(1) selecting an information signal from one or more information signals as a selected information signal;
(2) determining a desired frequency for an oscillating signal;
(3) modulating said oscillating with said selected information signal according to a desired modulation scheme to create a modulated oscillating signal;
(4) gating a bias signal at a rate that is a function of said modulated oscillating signal to create an angle modulated harmonically rich signal;
(5) enabling a filter circuit to process said angle modulated harmonically rich signal; and
(6) filtering, in said filter circuit, said angle modulated harmonically rich signal to isolate one or more desired harmonics, each of said one or more desired harmonics being a desired output signal having a desired output frequency, wherein said gating step is performed by a frequency translation module having a square wave generator that accepts said modulated oscillating signal and generates a square wave, a pulse shaper that accepts said square wave and generates a string of pulses, and a switch being controlled by said string of pulses and being connected to said bias signal and generating said harmonically rich signal, said switch having a first port, a second port, and a control port, wherein said string of pulses is connected to said control port, said bias signal is connected to said first port, and said harmonically rich signal is connected to said second port. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 79, 80)
(7) repeating steps (2)-(6) for another of said one or more information signals.
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3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (1) comprises:
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(a) accepting said one or more information signals, wherein said one or more information signals are unconditioned information signals, (b) conditioning each of said unconditioned information signals to generate conditioned information signals, and (c) selecting one of said conditioned information signals as a selected information signal.
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4. The method claim 3, wherein step (1)(b) comprises:
formatting said unconditioned information signals to create conditioned information signals.
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5. The method of claim 3, wherein step (1)(b) comprises:
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(i) formatting said unconditioned information signals to create a properly formatted information signals, and (ii) buffering said properly formatted information signals to create conditioned information signals.
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6. The method of claim 5, wherein said buffering is a pass-through.
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7. The method of claim 3, wherein step (1)(b) comprises:
buffering said unconditioned information signals to create conditioned information signals.
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8. The method of claim 1, wherein step (3) comprises:
frequency modulating said oscillating signal with said selected information signal according to a desired modulation scheme to create a modulated oscillating signal.
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9. The method of claim 1, wherein step (3) comprises:
phase modulating said oscillating signal with said selected information signal according to a desired modulation scheme to create a modulated oscillating signal.
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10. The method of claim 1, wherein said desired frequency for said oscillating signal is a subharmonic of said desired output frequency.
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11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:
(7) conditioning said desired output signal to generate a conditioned output signal.
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12. The method of claim 11, wherein step (7) comprises:
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(a) routing said desired output signal through a driver to generate a driven output signal, and (b) routing said driven output signal through-a power amplifier to generate an amplified output signal, said amplified output signal being said conditioned output signal.
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13. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of:
(8) transmitting said conditioned output signal.
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14. The method of claim 13, wherein step (8) comprises:
transmitting said conditioned output signal from an antenna.
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15. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of:
(8) selecting another of said one or more information signals as said selected information signal, and repeating steps (2) through (7).
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16. The method of claim 1, wherein step (4) comprises:
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(a) shaping said modulated oscillating signal to create a shaped modulated oscillating signal, and (b) gating a bias signal at a rate that is a function of said shaped modulated oscillating signal to create a modulated harmonically rich signal.
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79. The system of claim 11, wherein said modulation selector comprises a switch, said switch having an input contact, said input contact to accept said selected information signal, said switch further having at least one output contact.
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80. The system of claim 79, wherein said switch comprises a first output contact connected to said amplitude modulation path, a second output contact connected to said phase modulation path, and a third output contact connected to said frequency modulation path.
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17. A method of communicating, comprising the steps of:
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(1) selecting an information signal from one or more information signals as a selected information signal;
(2) determining a desired frequency for an oscillating signal;
(3) combining said selected information signal with a bias signal to create a bias/reference signal;
(4) gating said bias/reference signal at a rate that is a function of said oscillating signal to create an amplitude modulated harmonically rich signal;
(5) enabling a filter circuit to process said amplitude modulated harmonically rich signal; and
(6) filtering, in said filter circuit, said amplitude modulated harmonically rich signal to isolate one or more desired harmonics, each of said one or more desired harmonics being a desired output signal having a desired output frequency, wherein said gating step is performed by a frequency translation module having a square wave generator that accepts said modulated oscillating signal and generates a square wave, a pulse shaper that accepts said square wave and generates a string of pulses, and a switch being controlled by said string of pulses and being connected to said bias signal and generating said harmonically rich signal, said switch having a first port, a second port, and a control port, wherein said string of pulses is connected to said control port, said bias signal is connected to said first port, said harmonically rich signal is connected to said first port, and a ground is connected to said second port. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
(7) selecting another of said one or more information signals, and repeating steps (2) through (6).
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19. The method of claim 17, wherein step (1) comprises:
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(a) accepting one or more information signals, wherein said one or more information signals are unconditioned information signals, (b) conditioning each of said unconditioned information signals to generate conditioned information signals, and (c) selecting one of said conditioned information signals as a selected information signal.
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20. The method of claim 19, wherein step (1)(b) comprises:
formatting said unconditioned information signals to create conditioned information signals.
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21. The method of claim 19, wherein step (1)(b) comprises:
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(i) formatting said unconditioned information signals to create properly formatted information signals, and (ii) buffering said properly formatted information signals to create conditioned information signals.
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22. The method of claim 21, wherein said buffering is a pass-through.
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23. The method of claim 19, wherein step (1)(b) comprises:
buffering said unconditioned information signals to create conditioned information signals.
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24. The method of claim 17, wherein said desired frequency for said oscillating signal is a-subharmonic of said desired output frequency.
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25. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of:
(7) conditioning said desired output signal to generate a conditioned output signal.
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26. The method of claim 25, wherein step (7) comprises:
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(a) routing said desired output signal through a driver to generate a driven output signal, and (b) routing said driven output signal through a power amplifier to generate an amplified output signal, said amplified output signal being said conditioned output signal.
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27. The method of claim 25, further comprising the step of:
(8) transmitting said conditioned output signal.
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28. The method of claim 27, wherein step (8) comprises:
transmitting said amplified output signal from an antenna.
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29. The method of claim 25, further comprising the step of:
(8) selecting another of said one or more information signals as said selected information signal, and repeating steps (2) through (7).
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30. The method of claim 17, wherein step (4) comprises:
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(a) shaping said oscillating signal to create a shaped oscillating signal, and (b) gating a bias/reference signal at a rate that is a function of said shaped oscillating signal to create an amplitude modulated harmonically rich signal.
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31. A system for communicating, comprising:
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an information signal conditioning module to accept one or more information signals and to output one or more conditioned information signals, a signal selection module to accept said one or more conditioned information signals and to output a selected information signal, a modulation and frequency selection module to accept said selected information signal and to output an oscillating signal, a frequency translation module to accept said oscillating signal and a bias/reference signal, and to output a harmonically rich signal, and a frequency band selection module to accept said harmonically rich signal and to output one or more desired output signals, wherein said frequency translation module comprises a square wave generator that accepts said oscillating signal and generates a square wave, a pulse shaper that accepts said square wave and generates a string of pulses, and a switch being controlled by said string of pulses and being connected to said bias/reference signal and generating said harmonically rich signal, and wherein said switch has a first port, a second port, and a control port, wherein said string of pulses is connected to said control port, said bias/reference signal is connected to said first port, and said harmonically rich signal is connected to said second port. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67)
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68. A system for communicating, comprising:
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an information signal conditioning module to accept one or more information signals and to output one or more conditioned information signals, a signal selection module to accept said one or more conditioned information signals and to output a selected information signal, a modulation and frequency selection module to accept said selected information signal and to output an oscillating signal, a frequency translation module to accept said oscillating signal and a bias/reference signal, and to output a harmonically rich signal, and a frequency band selection module to accept said harmonically rich signal and to output one or more desired output signals, wherein said frequency translation module comprises a square wave generator that accepts said oscillating signal and generates a square wave, a pulse shaper that accepts said square wave and generates a string of pulses, and a switch being controlled by said string of pulses and being connected to said bias/reference signal and generating said harmonically rich signal, and wherein said switch has a first port, a second port, and a control port, wherein said string of pulses is connected to said control port, said bias/reference signal is connected to said first port, said harmonically rich signal is connected to said first port, and a ground is connected to said second port. - View Dependent Claims (69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104)
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Specification