Frequency translating repeater with low cost high performance local oscillator architecture

• US 8,095,067 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2006
• Issued: 01/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Gainey, Kenneth M., Negus, Kevin, Otto, James C., Proctor, James A. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sobutka, Philip
• Application Number:
  US11/546,241
• Publication Number:
  US 20070032192A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,916 Days
• Field of Search: 455 7- 25
• US Class Current: 455/22
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/12 Frequency diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15528 Control of operation parameters of a relay station to exploit the physical medium

Abstract

A frequency translating repeater (120) for use in a time division duplex (TDD) radio protocol communications system includes local oscillator (LO) circuits (210, 310, and 410) to facilitate repeating by providing isolation, reduced phase noise, reduced pulling, and the like. Tunable LOs (441, 442) can be directly coupled to down-converters (413, 414) and up-converters (426, 427) for increased isolation, reduced phase noise, less stringent frequency accuracy, and a reduced potential for pulling.

Claims

1. A local oscillator (LO) circuit for facilitating repeating of a signal transmitted from a first station on a first frequency channel to a second station on a second frequency channel comprising the LO circuit:

a first tunable LO associated with the first frequency channel, the first tunable LO tunable in a first frequency range lower than a frequency of the first frequency channel;

a second tunable LO associated with the second frequency channel, the second tunable LO tunable in a second frequency range higher than a frequency of the second frequency channel, the second frequency range different from the first frequency range; and

a first converter circuit for down-converting the signal on the first frequency channel to a first intermediate signal having a first intermediate frequency, and for down-converting the signal on the second frequency channel to a second intermediate signal having a second intermediate frequency.

2. A repeater circuit for facilitating repeating of a signal transmitted from a first station on a first frequency channel to a second station on a second frequency channel the repeater circuit comprising:

an RF circuit configured to receive the signal on one of the first frequency channel and the second frequency channel, and to transmit a repeated version of the signal on an other of the first frequency channel and the second frequency channel; and

a local oscillator (LO) circuit coupled to the RF circuit, the LO circuit including;

a first tunable LO associated with the first frequency channel, the first tunable LO tunable in a first frequency range higher than a one of a frequency of the first frequency channel and a frequency of the second frequency channel; and

a second tunable LO associated with the second frequency channel, the second tunable LO tunable in a second frequency range lower than an other of the frequency of the first frequency channel and the frequency of the second frequency channel; and

a first converter circuit having a first high side mixer and a first low side mixer, the high side mixer associated with the one of the first frequency channel and the second frequency channel, and the first low side mixer associated with the other of the first frequency channel and the second frequency channel, the first converter generating a first intermediate signal from the one and generating a second intermediate signal from the other.

3. A non regenerative repeater for facilitating repeating of a first signal transmitted from a first station on a first frequency channel to a second station on a second frequency channel and for repeating of a second signal from the second station on the second frequency channel to the first station on the first frequency channel in a Time Division Duplex (TDD) manner, in a frequency translating repeater operating according to a wireless protocol, the frequency translating repeater comprising:

a local oscillator (LO) circuit having a first tunable LO and a second tunable LO, the first tunable LO associated with the first frequency channel and the second tunable LO associated with the second frequency channel;

a down-converter circuit coupled to the first tunable LO and the second tunable LO, the first tunable LO coupled to a first mixer associated with the down-converter circuit and the second tunable LO coupled to a second mixer associated with the down-converter circuit, the down-converter circuit for generating a first intermediate signal and a second intermediate signal;

an up-converter circuit having a third mixer associated with a first up-converted intermediate signal generated from the first intermediate signal, and a fourth mixer associated with a second up-converted intermediate signal generated from the second intermediate signal.

4. A frequency translating repeater for facilitating repeating of a first signal transmitted from a first station on a first frequency channel to a second station on a second frequency channel and for repeating of a second signal from the second station on the second frequency channel to the first station on the first frequency channel in a Time Division Duplex (TDD) manner, in a frequency translating repeater operating according to a wireless protocol, the frequency translating repeater comprising:

a local oscillator (LO) circuit having a first tunable LO and a second tunable LO, the first tunable LO associated with the first frequency channel and the second tunable LO associated with the second frequency channel;

a down-converter circuit coupled to the first tunable LO and the second tunable LO, the first tunable LO coupled to a first mixer associated with the down-converter circuit and the second tunable LO coupled to a second mixer associated with the down-converter circuit, the down-converter circuit for generating a first intermediate signal and a second intermediate signal;

an up-converter circuit having a third mixer associated with a first up-converted intermediate signal generated from the first intermediate signal, and a fourth mixer associated with a second up-converted intermediate signal generated from the second intermediate signal.

5. A repeater for facilitating repeating of a signal transmitted from a first station on a first channel to a second station on a second channel according to a wireless protocol, comprising:

a local oscillator (LO) circuit having a first tunable LO and a second tunable LO, the first tunable LO associated with the first frequency channel and the second tunable LO associated with the second frequency channel;

a down-converter circuit coupled to the first tunable LO and the second tunable LO, the first tunable LO coupled to a first mixer associated with the down-converter circuit and the second tunable LO coupled to a second mixer associated with the down-converter circuit, the down-converter circuit for generating a first intermediate signal and a second intermediate signal;

an up-converter circuit having a third mixer associated with a first up-converted intermediate signal generated from the first intermediate signal, and a fourth mixer associated with a second up-converted intermediate signal generated from the second intermediate signal; and

an intermediate converter circuit having a fifth mixer and a sixth mixer, the fifth mixer associated with the first up-converted intermediate signal and the sixth mixer associated with the second up-converted intermediate signal.

6. A repeater configured to repeat a signal transmitted from a first station on a first frequency channel to a second station on a second frequency channel, the repeater comprising:

means for receiving the signal on one of the first frequency channel and the second frequency channel, and for transmitting a repeated version of the signal on an other of the first frequency channel and the second frequency channel;

oscillating means coupled to the means for receiving the signal and transmitting the repeated version of the signal, the oscillating means including;

a first tunable oscillating means associated with the first frequency channel, the first tunable oscillating means for tuning in a first frequency range higher than a one of a frequency of the first frequency channel and a frequency of the second frequency channel; and

a second tunable oscillating means associated with the second frequency channel, the second tunable oscillating means for tuning in a second frequency range lower than an other of the frequency of the first frequency channel and the frequency of the second frequency channel; and

a first converting means having a first mixing means and a second mixing means, the first mixing means associated with the one of the first frequency channel and the second frequency channel, and the second mixing means associated with the other of the first frequency channel and the second frequency channel, the first converting means for generating a first intermediate signal from the one and generating a second intermediate signal from the other.

7. The repeater of claim 6, further comprising:

second converting means including third mixing means associated with a first up-converted intermediate signal generated from the first intermediate signal, and a fourth mixing means associated with a second up-converted intermediate signal generated from the second intermediate signal.