Multimode transceiver for use with multiple antennas and method for use therewith

• US 8,090,044 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2009
• Issued: 01/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rofougaran, Ahmadreza Reza
• Primary Examiner(s): Payne, David C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FILE, ERIN M
• Application Number:
  US12/352,422
• Publication Number:
  US 20090130990A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,086 Days
• Field of Search: 375/267
• US Class Current: 375/267
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/6677 for antenna, e.g. antenna included within housing of semiconductor device antennas per se H01Q
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/66 High-frequency adaptations
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/0655 the devices being arranged next to each other
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/16 the devices being of types provided for in two or more different main groups of groups H01L27/00 - H01L33/00, or in a single subclass of H10K, H10N, e.g. forming hybrid circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19104 on the semiconductor or solid-state device, i.e. passive-on-chip
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3011 Impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2225 used in active tags, i.e. provided with its own power source or in passive tags, i.e. deriving power from RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2283 mounted in or on the surface of a semiconductor substrate as a chip-type antenna or integrated with other components into an IC package
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 23/00 Antennas with active circuits or circuit elements integrated within them or attached to them
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/065 Microstrip dipole antennas patch antenna H01Q9/0407

Abstract

A wireless transceiver includes a plurality of antennas. A plurality of signal recovery circuits generate a selected number of received signals from a first subset of the plurality of antennas, based on a control signal. A receiver section recovers an inbound data stream from the selected number of received signals. A transmitter module generates a transmit signal to a selected one of the plurality of antennas, based on the control signal. The intersection between the first subset of the plurality of antennas and the selected one of the plurality of antennas is the null set for each value of the control signal. The control signals can be generated in multiple different operational modes including, for instance, a cyclic modes and a fixed mode of operation.

Claims

1. A wireless transceiver comprising:

a plurality of antennas;

a plurality of signal recovery circuits, coupled to the plurality of antennas, that generate a selected number of received signals from a first subset of the plurality of antennas, based on a control signal;

a receiver section, coupled to the plurality of signal recovery modules, that recovers an inbound data stream from the selected number of received signals; and

a transmitter module, coupled to the plurality of antennas, that generates a transmit signal to a selected one of the plurality of antennas, based on the control signal;

a processing module, coupled to the plurality of signal recovery circuits and the transmitter module, that generates the control signal, wherein the control signal controls the transmitter module to a cyclic mode of operation wherein the selected one of the plurality of antennas is varied in a cyclic pattern and wherein the processing module is further operable to select a favored transmit antenna of the plurality of antennas based on operation in the cyclic mode of operation and to generate the control signal switch to a fixed mode of operation where the selected one of the plurality of antennas is fixed as the favored transmit antenna;

wherein the intersection between the first subset of the plurality of antennas and the selected one of the plurality of antennas is the null set for each value of the control signal.

2. The wireless transceiver of claim 1 wherein the transmitter module includes:

a transmitter section that generates the transmit signal;

a switching element, coupled to the transmitter section, that couples the transmit signal to the selected one of the plurality of antennas, based on the control signal;

a plurality of transmission lines for coupling the plurality of antennas to the plurality of signal recovery circuits and the plurality of transmitter sections.

3. The wireless transceiver of claim 1 wherein the processing module is further operable to generate the control signal to switch from the fixed mode of operation to the cyclic mode of operation.

4. The wireless transceiver of claim 1 wherein the receiver section further generates a combined signal based on the selected number of received signals and the wireless transceiver section further comprises:

a clock recovery circuit, coupled to the receiver section, that generates a recovered clock signal based on the combined signal, and wherein the processing module is clocked based on the recovered clock signal.

5. The wireless transceiver of claim 1 wherein the plurality of signal recovery circuits includes a plurality of rectifiers that generate a selected number of power supply signals, the wireless transceiver further comprising:

a power recovery circuit, coupled to the plurality of rectifiers, that generates a recovered power signal based on the selected number of power supply signals.

6. The wireless transceiver of claim 5 wherein the selected number of power supply signals includes a plurality of power supply signals and wherein the power recover circuit generates the recovered power signal based on a combination of the plurality of power supply signals.

7. The wireless transceiver of claim 1 wherein the selected number of received signals includes a plurality of received signals and wherein the receiver section generates the inbound data stream based on a combination of the plurality of received signals.

8. A method comprising:

generating a control signal, wherein, in a cyclic mode of operation, the control signal varies a selected one of the plurality of antennas in a cyclic pattern;

selecting a favored transmit antenna of the plurality of antennas based on operation in the cyclic mode of operation, wherein the control signal is generated to switch to a fixed mode of operation where the selected one of the plurality of antennas is fixed as the favored transmit antenna;

generating a selected number of received signals from a first subset of a plurality of antennas, based on the control signal;

recovering an inbound data stream from the selected number of received signals; and

generating a transmit signal to the selected one of the plurality of antennas, based on the control signal;

wherein the intersection between the first subset of the plurality of antennas and the selected one of the plurality of antennas is the null set for each value of the control signal.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the control signal is generated to switch from the fixed mode of operation to the cyclic mode of operation.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

generating a combined signal based on the selected number of received signals; and

generating a recovered clock signal based on the combined signal.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

generating a selected number of power supply signals; and

generating a recovered power signal based on the selected number of power supply signals.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the selected number of power supply signals includes a plurality of power supply signals and wherein generating the recovered power signal is based on a combination of the plurality of power supply signals.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the selected number of received signals includes a plurality of received signals and wherein generating the inbound data stream is based on a combination of the plurality of received signals.