Method for receiving a radio frequency (RF) signal and RF receiver

• US 6,963,736 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2002
• Issued: 11/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Tähtinen, Iikka
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Pablo N.
• Application Number:
  US10/120,184
• Publication Number:
  US 20020159541A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,307 Days
• Field of Search: 455/180.3, 455/343, 455/425, 455/817, 455/38.3, 455/127, 455/872, 455/90, 455/579, 455/556, 455/557, 455571-574, 455/866, 455/403, 455/290.1, 455/299.1, 455/247.1, 455/250.1, 455/32.1, 455/343.1, 455/303.2, 455/343.5, 455/343.6, 455/13.4, 455/20.23, 455/822, 455/67.11, 455/127.1, 455131-138, 455/182.1, 455/183.1, 455/190.1, 455/182.2, 455/192.1, 455/192.2, 455/198.1, 455/216.1, 455/260, 455/298, 455311-313, 370/311, 370/310
• US Class Current: 455/343.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/42 Arrangements for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/18 Arrangements characterised by circuits or components specially adapted for receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4436 Power management, e.g. shutting down unused components of the receiver power management in computer systems G06F1/3203; hibernate or awake process in computer systems G06F9/4418
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/4446 IF amplifier circuits specially adapted for B&W TV RF amplifiers in general H03F3/189
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0283 with sequential power up or power down of successive circuit blocks, e.g. switching on the local oscillator before RF or mixer stages
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The invention relates generally to a method and an arrangement for receiving a radio frequency (RF) signal and an RF receiver. Particularly the invention relates to controlling and reducing power consumption in a radio receiver. The invention can advantageously be applied in receiving arrangements of radio systems, wherein information is transferred in bursts, such as a receiver of Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) system. According to the invention, during the time between two bursts the power supply is maintained in at least in some parts of the phase locked loop PLL (240), while one or several other parts (202, 204, 224, 225, 230, 262, 270) of the receiver are turned off for a certain time period between the two bursts. The present invention enables fast tuner lock-in time and still offers a considerable saving in total power consumption of the receiver.

Claims

1. A method for receiving radio frequency signals that appear as bursts, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a local frequency signal with an oscillator,

controlling a frequency of the oscillator with a phase locked loop,

mixing an input signal with the local frequency signal for producing an intermediate frequency signal,

demodulating the intermediate frequency signal for producing a data stream of information,

turning off a power supply, for a predetermined period of time in accordance with the bursts, to a component performing the step of demodulation,

wherein a low voltage power is received from a battery whose voltage is converted to a higher voltage value using at least one step up converter,

wherein the power having the higher voltage value is used to give power to the component performing the step of demodulation, and

wherein said converter is turned off for the predetermined period of time.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the voltage of said battery is converted to a second higher value with a step up converter and the supply power having said second higher voltage value is used for producing an output voltage of the phase locked loop, and said conversion to the second higher value is turned off for the predetermined period of time.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of applying a power down pin of an IC for turning down at least one of the phase locked loop, a step up converter and the demodulator.

4. A method for receiving radio frequency signals that appear as bursts, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a local frequency signal with an oscillator,

controlling a frequency of the oscillator with a phase locked loop,

mixing an input signal with the local frequency signal for producing an intermediate frequency signal,

demodulating the intermediate frequency signal for producing a data stream of information,

supplying power for a component performing the step of demodulation by turning off a power supply to the component for a predetermined period of time in accordance with the bursts,

wherein a threshold value is determined for a voltage of supply power for the component, the voltage of the supply power is sensed in the component, and the operation of said component is internally turned off when the value of said supply voltage is lower than said determined threshold value for the supply voltage.

5. A receiver for receiving radio frequency signals which appear as bursts, the receiver comprising:

an oscillator for producing a local frequency signal,

a phase locked loop for controlling a frequency of the local frequency signal,

a mixer for mixing an input signal with the local frequency signal for producing an intermediate frequency signal,

a demodulator for producing a data stream of information, and

a power supply supplying power for the receiver by keeping at least a part of the phase locked loop powered during a predetermined period between two consecutive received bursts, and turning off supply power from the demodulator for the predetermined period, said power supply comprising;

a battery for providing low voltage power, and

a first step up converter for providing power of a higher voltage from the low voltage power of the battery, and wherein the first step up converter is arranged to provide power for at least one of an input amplifier, the mixer, and the oscillator; and

wherein the receiver turns off the first step-up converter for the predetermined period.

6. A receiver according to claim 5, wherein the battery is arranged to supply power directly to the phase locked loop.

7. A receiver according to claim 5, wherein the battery is arranged to supply power directly to the demodulator.

8. A receiver according to claim 5, wherein a second step up converter is arranged to provide power for the phase locked loop for producing the control signal for the oscillator.

9. A receiver according to claim 8, wherein the receiver comprises means for turning off said second step-up converter for the predetermined period.

10. A receiver according to claim 5, wherein the oscillator is a voltage controlled oscillator.

11. A receiver according to claim 5, wherein the receiver comprises means for turning off the demodulator for the predetermined period.

12. A receiver according to claim 5, wherein the receiver further comprises a power down pin of an IC for turning down at least one of the phase locked loop, a step up converter and the demodulator.

13. A receiver for receiving radio frequency signals which appear as bursts, the receiver comprising:

an oscillator for producing a local frequency signal,

a phase locked loop for controlling a frequency of the local frequency signal,

a mixer for mixing an input signal with the local frequency signal for producing an intermediate frequency signal,

a demodulator for producing a data stream of information, and

a power supply supplying power for a receiver by keeping at least a part of the phase locked loop powered during a predetermined period between two consecutive received bursts, and turning off supply power from the demodulator for the predetermined period, said power supply comprising;

a battery for providing low voltage power, and

at least one step up converter for providing power of a higher voltage from the low voltage power of the battery;

wherein the receiver senses a voltage of supply power, and turns off the demodulator when a value of the supply voltage is lower than a determined threshold value for the supply voltage.