Method of down converting high-frequency signals

• US 8,085,185 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2009
• Issued: 12/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Invention Planet, LLC
• Original Assignee: Invention Planet, LLC
• Inventors: Stewart, Christopher E., Moulton, Grant E., Goody, Steven H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): BYTHROW, PETER M
• Application Number:
  US12/590,117
• Publication Number:
  US 20110102240A1
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 342 89- 92, 342/104, 342/159, 342/175
• US Class Current: 342/92
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/56 for presence detection presence detection using near field arrangements G01V3/00, e.g. G01V3/08, G01V3/12; burglar, theft or intruder alarms with electrical actuation G08B13/22 - G08B13/26
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/58 Velocity or trajectory determination systems; Sense-of-movement determination systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/032 Constructional details for solid-state radar subsystems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/354 Extracting wanted echo-signals Doppler systems G01S13/50
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/22 Hybrid ring junctions
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/222 180° rat race hybrid rings
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/206 Microstrip transmission line antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/065 Patch antenna array

Abstract

A method of down-converting couples a first high-frequency signal to a first detector and to a second detector. An antenna receives a signal and the received signal is provided to at least the first detector. The high-frequency signal is detected to produce a first detected signal including a first detected high-frequency signal and a demodulated signal. The high-frequency signal is concurrently detected to produce a second detected high-frequency signal. The second detected signal is subtracted from the first detected signal so as to cancel amplitude-modulated noise on a detected signal output.

Claims

1. A method of down-converting comprising:

coupling a first high-frequency signal to a first detector and to a second detector;

receiving a received signal at an antenna;

providing the received signal to at least the first detector;

detecting the high-frequency signal and the received signal to produce a first detected signal including a first detected high-frequency signal and a demodulated signal;

concurrently detecting the high-frequency signal to produce a second detected high-frequency signal; and

subtracting the second detected signal from the first detected signal so as to cancel amplitude-modulated noise on a detected signal output, the detected signal output including the demodulated signal.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of coupling the first high-frequency signal to the first detector and to the second detector further comprises concurrently coupling the first high-frequency signal to the antenna, the received signal being a reflected signal of the first high-frequency signal from a target.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising calculating a speed between the antenna and the target according to the demodulated signal component.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of providing the received signal to the first detector further includes providing the received signal to the second detector, and wherein the step of concurrently detecting the high-frequency signal to produce a second detected signal further includes concurrently converting the received signal provided to the second detector to a second demodulated signal, a second detected signal including the second detected high-frequency signal and the second demodulated signal, and further comprising

adding the second demodulated signal to the demodulated signal.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the received signal is provided to the first detector at a first phase and is provided to the second detector at a second phase, the second phase being shifted one hundred and eighty degrees from the first phase.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the high-frequency signal is provided to the first detector at a phase and to the second detector at the phase.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of subtracting the second detected high-frequency signal from the first detected high-frequency signal and the step of adding the second demodulated signal to the demodulated signal includes amplifying a differential signal of the first detected signal and the second detected signal so as to cancel amplitude modulation (“

AM”

) noise of the high-frequency signal at the detected signal output.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein the first detector and the second detector form a differential detector, and the first detected signal and the second detected signal are coupled to a differential amplifier.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the high-frequency signal is transmitted from an antenna and the received signal is a reflected signal received by the antenna.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the high-frequency signal is coupled to the antenna from a high-frequency source through a transmission structure having a high-frequency signal output port and a reflected signal output port separated from the high-frequency signal port by a selected transmission length so as to cancel the high-frequency signal at the reflected signal output port.

11. The method of claim 4 further comprising

adjusting a gain setting of a second detected signal path so as to reduce amplitude-modulated (“

AM”

) noise at the detected signal output.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising, before transmitting the high-frequency signal from the antenna to the target:

shielding the antenna;

determining the gain setting for minimum AM noise;

saving the gain setting; and

applying the gain setting to the second detected signal path.

13. The method of claim 4 further comprising

amplitude modulating the high-frequency signal;

determining a gain setting for minimum detected AM signal;

saving the gain setting; and

applying the gain setting to the second detected signal path so as to reduce amplitude-modulated (“

AM”

) noise at the detected signal output.