Method and system for down-converting an electromagnetic signal, and transforms for same

• US 8,223,898 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2010
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ParkerVision, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ParkerVision, Inc.
• Inventors: Sorrells, David F., Bultman, Michael J., Cook, Robert W., Looke, Richard C., Moses, Charley D. Jr., Rawlins, Gregory S., Rawlins, Michael W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Odom, Curtis
• Application Number:
  US12/776,173
• Publication Number:
  US 20100303178A1
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 375/142, 375/143, 375150-152, 375/324, 375/343
• US Class Current: 375/343
• 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

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatuses, and combinations and sub-combinations thereof, for down-converting an electromagnetic (EM) signal are described herein. Briefly stated, in embodiments the invention operates by receiving an EM signal and recursively operating on approximate half cycles (½, 1½, 2½, etc.) of the carrier signal. The recursive operations can be performed at a sub-harmonic rate of the carrier signal. The invention accumulates the results of the recursive operations and uses the accumulated results to form a down-converted signal. 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 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 method for down-converting an electromagnetic signal, comprising the steps of:

(1) performing a matched filtering/correlating operation on a portion of a carrier signal with a representation thereof;

(2) accumulating the result of the matched filtering/correlating operation of step (1); and

(3) repeating steps (1) and (2) for additional portions of the carrier signal, whereby the accumulation results form a down-converted signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (1) comprises the step of operating on an approximate half cycle of the carrier signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (1) comprises convolving an approximate half cycle of the carrier signal with a representation of itself.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step (2) comprises the step of transferring a portion of the energy contained in an approximate half cycle of the carrier signal to an energy storage device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein step (2) comprises the step of transferring a portion of the energy contained in an approximate half cycle of the carrier signal to a capacitive storage device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

(4) passing on the accumulation result of step (2) to a reconstruction filter.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

(4) passing on the accumulation result of step (2) to an interpolation filter.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein step (3) comprises the step of repeating steps (1) and (2) at a sub-harmonic rate of the carrier signal.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein step (3) comprises the step of repeating steps (1) and (2) at an off-set of a sub-harmonic rate of the carrier signal.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

(4) performing steps (1), (2), and (3) for positive approximate half cycles of the carrier signal and for inverted negative approximate half cycles of the carrier signal.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein step (1) is performed using a system having an impulse response identical to the carrier signal.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein step (1) comprises a step of convolving an aperture signal with a portion of the carrier signal.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the aperture signal has a width that is two (2) percent or greater of a period of the carrier signal.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the aperture signal has a width that is ten (10) percent or greater of a period of the carrier signal.