Digitally controlled radio back-end

• US 6,810,266 B1
• Filed: 11/16/1999
• Issued: 10/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hisilicon Technologies Company Limited (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Ecklund, Lawrence Marvin, Tremmell, Stephen C., Buchwald, Gregory J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): IQBAL, KHAWAR
• Application Number:
  US09/441,330
• Time in Patent Office: 1,806 Days
• Field of Search: 455/200.1, 455/314, 455/323, 455/276.1, 455/278.1, 455/280, 455/312, 455/309, 455/63, 455/218, 455/220, 455/211, 455/228, 455/552, 455/296, 455/313, 455/558, 455/553.1, 455/132, 455/130, 455/146, 375/216, 375/316, 375/351, 375/321, 348/731
• US Class Current: 455/553.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/406 with more than one transmission mode, e.g. analog and digital modes

Abstract

A radio circuit that includes a radio front-end for receiving a radio signal and converting the radio signal to a first intermediate frequency signal and a second intermediate frequency signal. The radio circuit also includes an analog back-end having a plurality of inputs for receiving the first intermediate frequency signal and for processing the first intermediate frequency signal in response to digital signals. Also included is a digital back-end having a plurality of inputs for receiving the second intermediate frequency signal and for processing the second intermediate frequency signal in response to the digital signals.

Claims

1. A radio circuit comprising:

a radio front-end for converting radio signals to intermediate signals, receiving a first radio signal and a second radio signal, and providing a first intermediate frequency signal as converted from a selected one of the first radio signal and the second radio signal and a second intermediate frequency signal as converted from the one of the first and second radio signals not selected for the first intermediate frequency signal;

an analog back-end having a plurality of inputs for receiving said first intermediate frequency signal and for processing the first intermediate frequency signal in response to digital signals; and

a digital back-end having a plurality of inputs for receiving said second intermediate frequency signal and for processing the second intermediate frequency signal in response to the digital signals.

2. The radio circuit of claim 1 wherein the analog back-end comprises a blanking circuit responsive to the digital control signals.

3. The radio circuit of claim 2, wherein the analog back-end comprises a noise reduction circuit responsive to the digital control signals.

4. The radio circuit of claim 3, wherein the analog back-end and the digital back-end provide digital feedback signals representative of operating parameters in common between the analog and digital back-ends.

5. A radio circuit comprising

a front end circuit that provides a first intermediate signal responsive to a selected one of

a first radio signal and a second radio signal and a second intermediate signal responsive to the one of the first radio signal and the second radio signal not selected for the first intermediate signal;

an analog radio back-end, comprising;

a signal processing unit which receives the first intermediate frequency signal, processes the intermediate signal in an analog manner, and provides an output; and

a first modification circuit, coupled to the signal processing unit, which provides first modification information to the signal processing unit responsive to digital control information provided external to the radio back-end to cause a first type of modification, wherein the digital control information is characterized as being also able to control the first type of modification of a digital radio back-end.

6. The analog radio back-end of claim 5, wherein the first modification circuit is a noise control circuit and the first type of modification is noise control.

7. The analog radio back-end of claim 5, wherein the first modification circuit is a blanking circuit and the first type of modification is blanking.

8. The analog radio back-end of claim 5, further comprising a second modification circuit, coupled to the signal processing unit, which provides second modification information to the signal processing unit responsive to the digital control information to cause a second type of modification, wherein the digital control information is characterized as being also able to control the second type of modification of the digital radio back-end.

9. The analog radio back-end of claim 8, wherein the first modification circuit is a blanking circuit and the first type of modification is blanking and the second modification circuit is a noise control circuit, and the second type of modification is noise control.

10. The radio circuit of claim 5, further comprising a digital radio back-end for receiving the second intermediate frequency signal, wherein the processing unit provides feedback information of a first type external to the analog radio back-end, wherein the first type of information is present in the digital radio back-end.