Methods and systems for down-converting a signal using a complementary transistor structure

• US 7,194,246 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2004
• Issued: 03/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ParkerVision, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ParkerVision, Inc.
• Inventors: Cook, Robert W., Bultman, Michael J., Sorrells, David F., Moses, Charley D., Looke, Richard C.
• Primary Examiner(s): APPIAH, CHARLES NANA
• Application Number:
  US11/020,547
• Publication Number:
  US 20050202797A1
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• Field of Search: 455/313, 455/76, 455/113, 455/323, 455/260, 455/264, 455/131, 455/139, 455/142, 455/183.1, 455/255, 455/319, 455/317, 455/318, 455/324, 455/333, 455/337, 455/118, 455/182.1, 455/205, 455/206, 327101-103, 327/105, 327/9, 327/91, 327/113, 327/355, 327/356, 327/361, 331/34, 331/111, 331/143, 702/66, 702/70, 375/324, 375/328, 375/340, 375/349, 375/351, 329/345, 329/347
• US Class Current: 455/319
• CPC Class Codes: H03C 1/62 Modulators in which amplitude of carrier component in output is dependent upon strength of modulating signal, e.g. no carrier output when no modulating signal is present H03C1/28 - H03C1/34, H03C1/46, H03C1/48 take precedence
• 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: H03D 7/1441 using field-effect transistors H03D7/145 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03D 7/1475 Subharmonic mixer arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0025 using a sampling rate lower than twice the highest frequency component of the sampled signal for demodulation of angle-modulated signals H03D3/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/16 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/28 the receiver comprising at least one semiconductor device having three or more electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/12 Frequency diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/08 Modifications for reducing interference; Modifications for reducing effects due to line faults ; Receiver end arrangements for detecting or overcoming line faults
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/00 Modulated-carrier systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/06 Demodulator circuits; Receiver circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/12 Modulator circuits; Transmitter circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/14 Demodulator circuits; Receiver circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/148 using filters, including PLL-type filters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/156 with demodulation using temporal properties of the received signal, e.g. detecting pulse width
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2672 Frequency domain
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/3881 using sampling and digital processing, not including digital systems which imitate heterodyne or homodyne demodulation

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatuses for down-converting an electromagnetic (EM) signal by aliasing the EM signal are described herein. Briefly stated, such methods, systems, and apparatuses operate by receiving an EM signal and an aliasing signal having an aliasing rate. The EM signal is aliased according to the aliasing signal to down-convert the EM signal. The term aliasing, as used herein, refers to both down-converting an EM signal by under-sampling the EM signal at an aliasing rate, and down-converting an EM signal by transferring energy from the EM signal at the aliasing rate. In an embodiment, the EM signal is down-converted to an intermediate frequency (IF) signal. In another embodiment, the EM signal is down-converted to a demodulated baseband information signal. In another embodiment, the EM signal is a frequency modulated (FM) signal, which is down-converted to a non-FM signal, such as a phase modulated (PM) signal or an amplitude modulated (AM) signal.

Claims

1. A circuit for down-converting an electromagnetic signal, comprising:

an energy transfer module and an energy storage module, said energy transfer module sampling the electromagnetic signal at an energy transfer rate to obtain sampled energy, said sampled energy being stored by said energy storage module, a down-converted signal being generated from said sampled energy, wherein

said energy transfer module comprises;

transistors coupled together, said transistors having a common first port, a common second port, and a common control port, wherein the electromagnetic signal is accepted at said common first port and said sampled energy is present at said common second port, and further wherein said common control port accepts a control signal, said control signal having a control frequency that is substantially equal to said energy transfer rate.

2. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the transistors are MOSFETs.

3. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the transistors are JFETs.

4. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the transistors are GaAsFETs.

5. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the transistors include a first transistor having a first size and a second transistor having a second size that is different from the first size.

6. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the transistors have a common size.

7. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the transistors have a complementary configuration.

8. The circuit of claim 1, further comprising:

a pulse generator to generate the control signal.

9. The circuit of claim 1, wherein said energy transfer module substantially distorts the electromagnetic signal.

10. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic signal is a frequency modulated signal, and wherein the down-converted signal is a phase modulated signal.

11. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic signal is a frequency modulated signal, and wherein the down-converted signal is an amplitude modulated signal.

12. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the down-converted signal is an intermediate signal.

13. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the down-converted signal is a baseband signal.

14. The circuit of claim 1, wherein said control signal includes a plurality of pulses, each pulse of said plurality of pulses having an aperture.

15. The circuit of claim 14, wherein respective apertures of said plurality of pulses are approximately one-half of a period of the electromagnetic signal.

16. The circuit of claim 14, wherein respective apertures t_p of said plurality of pulses are related to a period T of the electromagnetic signal according to the equation t_p=Y*T, and wherein Y is a fraction.

17. The circuit of claim 14, wherein respective apertures t_p of said plurality of pulses are related to a period T of the electromagnetic signal according to the equation t_p=(N+Y)*T, and wherein N is an integer and Y is a fraction.