Up / down conversion circuitry for radio transceiver

• US 7,212,581 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2006
• Issued: 05/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Zarbana Digital Fund LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Zarbana Digital Fund LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Wight, James Stuart, Birkett, Alexander Neil
• Primary Examiner(s): Ha; Dac V.
• Application Number:
  US11/406,730
• Publication Number:
  US 20060262838A1
• Time in Patent Office: 378 Days
• Field of Search: 375/259, 375/261, 375/268, 375/271, 375295-298, 375/219, 332/103, 332/107, 332/117, 332123-126, 332/149, 332/159, 332/160, 455/91, 455/114, 455/118, 455/119
• US Class Current: 375/295
• CPC Class Codes: H03D 7/163 the local oscillations of at least two of the frequency changers being derived from a single oscillator
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/26 for superheterodyne receivers multiple frequency-changing H03D7/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/30 for homodyne or synchrodyne receivers demodulator circuits H03D1/22

Abstract

A multi-channel RF receiver uses an image rejection mixer (e.g. double quadrature mixer) in the IF down conversion stage for image side band rejection (whereby use of an IF narrow band filter for image rejection may be omitted if desired) and comprises a simplified frequency synthesizer which generates both a “wandering” IF oscillator frequency and an RF oscillator frequency for the up/down conversion stages (being, for down conversion, from RF to IF and from IF to base band. The IF used for a particular RF carrier (channel) is selected so as to be both an integer (N) sub-harmonic of that RF carrier and within the operating frequency band of the image rejection mixer. Advantageously, the synthesizer comprises only one loop and one VCO, wherein the IF oscillator signal is produced from the RF oscillator signal by means of a frequency divider.

Claims

1. Up conversion circuitry for use in a radio transceiver for up converting, in two stages, a base-band information signal to an RF information signal for transmission, wherein a first said stage converts said base band information signal to an IF information signal and a second said stage converts said IF information signal to said RF information signal, said up conversion circuitry comprising:

(a) an image rejection mixer component configured for up converting said base band information signal to said IF information signal using an IF oscillator signal and achieving substantial image signal rejection;

(b) a mixer component configured for up converting said IF information signal to said RF information signal using an RF oscillator signal; and

,

(c) a frequency synthesizer configured for generating each of said RF and IF oscillator signals wherein said IF oscillator signal is an integer (N) sub-harmonic of said RF oscillator signal and the frequency value of said IF oscillator signal is selected to be within the operating frequency band of said image rejection mixer component.

2. Up conversion circuitry according to claim 1 for use in a multiple channel radio transceiver wherein said frequency synthesizer generates RF and IF oscillator signals for each channel of said multiple channels and each said IF oscillator signal is of a different frequency from one said channel to another.

3. Up conversion circuitry according to claim 2 wherein said frequency synthesizer comprises a first frequency divider configured for dividing each said RF oscillator signal frequency for each said channel by an integer value N to produce said IF oscillator signal for said channel.

4. A method for use in a radio transceiver for up converting, in two stages, a base band information signal to an RF information signal wherein a first said stage converts said base band information signal to an IF information signal and a second said stage converts said IF information signal to said RF information signal, said method comprising:

(a) up converting said base band information signal to said IF information signal using image rejection up conversion means configured for achieving substantial image signal rejection and an IF oscillator signal;

(b) up converting said IF information signal to said RF information signal using an RF oscillator signal; and

,

(c) generating each of said RF and IF oscillator signals wherein said IF oscillator signal is an integer (N) sub-harmonic of said RF oscillator signal, including selecting the frequency value of said IF oscillator signal to be within the operating frequency band of said image rejection up conversion means.

5. A method according to claim 4 for use in a multiple channel radio transceiver wherein said RF and IF oscillator signals are generated for each channel of said multiple channels and each said IF oscillator signal has a different frequency from one said channel to another.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein said generating comprises dividing each said RF oscillator signal frequency for each said channel by an integer value N to produce said IF oscillator signal for said channel.

7. An apparatus, comprising:

means for up converting a base band information signal to an IF information signal, said up converting means comprising means for image rejection of the up converted IF information signal up converted by said means for up converting a base band information signal to an IF information signal;

means for up converting the IF information signal to an RF information signal; and

means for synthesizing an oscillator frequency, said means for synthesizing an oscillator frequency being capable of generating an RF oscillator signal for said means for up converting the IF information signal to an RF information signal, or being capable of generating an IF oscillator signal for said means for up converting a base band information signal to an IF information signal, or combinations thereof, wherein the wherein the IF oscillator signal comprises a frequency being an integer sub-harmonic of an RF carrier within an operating frequency band of said means for up converting a base band information signal to an IF information signal.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7, further comprising means for dividing the RF oscillator signal for a given channel by the integer value of the integer sub-harmonic to produce the IF oscillator signal for the channel.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the IF oscillator signal has a different frequency from one channel to another channel.

10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the RF oscillator signal is approximately 18 MHz apart from channel to channel and the integer value of the integer sub-harmonic is 9 to result in the IF oscillator signal being approximately 2 MHz apart from channel to channel.

11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said means for synthesizing an oscillator frequency is capable of generating the RF oscillator signal having values in compliance with an IEEE 802.11 type standard or the like.

12. A transceiver, comprising:

a receiver; and

a transmitter, said transmitter comprising;

an IF up converter circuit capable of up converting a base band information signal to an IF information signal, said IF up converter circuit comprising an image rejection circuit capable of rejecting an image of the up converted IF information signal up converted by said IF up converter circuit;

an RF up converter circuit capable of up converting the IF information signal to an RF information signal; and

a frequency synthesizer capable of synthesizing an oscillator frequency, said frequency synthesizer being capable of generating an RF oscillator signal for said RF up converter circuit, or being capable of generating an IF oscillator signal for said IF up converter circuit or combinations thereof, wherein the wherein the IF oscillator signal comprises a frequency being an integer sub-harmonic of an RF carrier within an operating frequency band of said IF up converter circuit.

13. A transceiver as claimed in claim 12, further comprising a divide by N circuit capable of dividing the RF oscillator signal for a given channel by the integer value of the integer sub-harmonic to produce the IF oscillator signal for the channel.

14. A transceiver as claimed in claim 12, wherein the IF oscillator signal has a different frequency from one channel to another channel.

15. A transceiver as claimed in claim 12, wherein the RF oscillator signal is approximately 18 MHz apart from channel to channel and the integer value of the integer sub-harmonic is 9 to result in the IF oscillator signal being approximately 2 MHz apart from channel to channel.

16. A transceiver as claimed in claim 12, wherein said frequency synthesizer circuit is capable of generating the RF oscillator signal having values in compliance with an IEEE 802.11 type standard or the like.

17. An apparatus, comprising:

an IF up converter circuit capable of up converting a base band information signal to an IF information signal, said IF up converter circuit comprising an image rejection circuit capable of rejecting an image of the up converted IF information signal up converted by said IF up converter circuit;

an RF up converter circuit capable of up converting the IF information signal to an RF information signal; and

a frequency synthesizer capable of synthesizing an oscillator frequency, said frequency synthesizer being capable of generating an RF oscillator signal for said RF up converter circuit, or being capable of generating an IF oscillator signal for said IF up converter circuit, or combinations thereof, wherein the wherein the IF oscillator signal comprises a frequency being an integer sub-harmonic of an RF carrier within an operating frequency band of said IF up converter circuit.

18. An apparatus as claimed in claim 17, further comprising a divide by N circuit capable of dividing the RF oscillator signal for a given channel by the integer value of the integer sub-harmonic to produce the IF oscillator signal for the channel.

19. An apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the IF oscillator signal has a different frequency from one channel to another channel.

20. An apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the RF oscillator signal is approximately 18 MHz apart from channel to channel and the integer value of the integer sub-harmonic is 9 to result in the IF oscillator signal being approximately 2 MHz apart from channel to channel.

21. An apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein said frequency synthesizer circuit is capable of generating the RF oscillator signal having values in compliance with an IEEE 802.11 type standard or the like.