Rapidly adjustable local oscillation module and applications thereof

• US 8,249,533 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2005
• Issued: 08/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: VIXS Systems Incorporated (Pixelworks Incorporated), VIXS Incorporated
• Original Assignee: VIXS Systems Incorporated (Pixelworks Incorporated)
• Inventors: Rybicki, Mathew A., Subasic, Bojan
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Junpeng
• Application Number:
  US11/274,367
• Publication Number:
  US 20060068721A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,472 Days
• Field of Search: 455/73, 455/552.1, 455/260, 455/258, 455/188.1, 455/183.1, 455/166.2, 455/112, 455/553.1, 455/76, 455/78, 455/83, 455/88, 455/146, 455/147, 455/150.1, 455/165.1, 455/179.1, 455/196.1, 455/197.1, 455/255, 455/265, 455/277.1, 455/318, 375/376, 375/344, 375/307, 375/373, 375/375, 327/156, 327/105, 327/47, 327/57, 327/17, 327/18, 327/175, 327/177, 327/147, 327/117, 327/162, 331/158, 331/175, 331/25, 332/127, 332/2, 332/17, 332/25
• US Class Current: 455/147
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0071 using a common intermediate frequency for more than one band H04B1/0075 takes precedence

Abstract

A rapidly adjustable local oscillation (LO) module for use in a radio transmitter or a radio receiver includes an oscillation generating module and a high frequency switching module. The oscillation generating module is operably coupled to generate a plurality of local oscillations. The high frequency switching module is operably coupled to, for a first one of a plurality of transmission paths, provide one of the plurality of local oscillations when a first transmission path selection indication is in a first state and provide another one of the plurality of local oscillations when the first transmission path selection indication is in a second state and, for a second one of the plurality of transmission paths, provide the one of the plurality of local oscillations when a second transmission path selection indication is in a first state and provide the another one of the plurality of local oscillations when the second transmission path selection indication is in a second state.

Claims

1. A rapidly adjustable local oscillation (LO) module in a multiple transmission path radio frequency transmitter to communicate with a plurality of clients, the rapidly adjustable LO module comprises:

oscillation generating module operably coupled to contemporaneously generate a plurality of local oscillations, wherein each of the plurality of local oscillations has a frequency that causes a direct baseband to radio frequency conversion via heterodyne action to a corresponding plurality of carrier frequencies in common frequency band; and

a high frequency switching module to provide one of the plurality of local oscillations at a rate sufficient to accommodate a change in communication from one client to another client of the plurality of clients, the high frequency switching module operably coupled to;

for a first one of a plurality of transmission paths, provide one of the plurality of local oscillations when a first transmission path selection indication is in a first state and provide another one of the plurality of local oscillations when the first transmission path selection indication is in a second state; and

for a second one of the plurality of transmission paths, provide the one of the plurality of local oscillations when a second transmission path selection indication is in a first state and provide the another one of the plurality of local oscillations when the second transmission path selection indication is in a second state.

2. The rapidly adjustable LO module of claim 1, wherein the oscillation generating module comprises:

a first phase lock loop to produce the one of the plurality of local oscillations from a reference oscillation; and

a second phase lock loop to produce the another one of the plurality of local oscillations from the reference oscillation.

3. The rapidly adjustable LO module of claim 1, wherein the oscillation generating module comprises:

a phase lock loop to generate the one of the plurality of local oscillations from a reference oscillation; and

modulation module operably coupled to produce the another one of the plurality of location oscillations based on the one of the plurality of local oscillations and the reference oscillation.

4. The rapidly adjustable LO module of claim 3, wherein the modulation module comprises:

a first mixer operably coupled to mix to the one of the plurality of local oscillations with the reference oscillation to produce a first mixed oscillation;

a ninety degree phase shift module operably coupled to phase shift the one of the plurality of local oscillations by ninety degrees to produce a phase shifted local oscillation;

a second ninety degree phase shift module operably coupled to phase shift the reference oscillation by ninety degrees to produce a phase shifted reference oscillation;

a second mixer operably coupled to mix the phase shifted local oscillation with the phase shifted reference oscillation to produce a second mixed oscillation; and

a summing module operably coupled to sum the first and second mixed oscillations to produce the another one of the plurality of local oscillations.

5. A radio frequency (RF) transceiver front-end comprises:

a transceiver section operably coupled to;

convert a plurality of inbound RF signals received via a plurality of transmission paths into a plurality of inbound baseband signals in accordance with a plurality of transceiver local oscillations; and

convert a plurality of outbound baseband signals for transmission via the plurality of transmission paths into a plurality of outbound RF signals in accordance with the plurality of transceiver local oscillations; and

oscillation generating module operably coupled to contemporaneously generate a plurality of local oscillations, wherein each of the plurality of transceiver local oscillations has a frequency that causes, via heterodyne action, one of;

direct radio frequency to intermediate frequency conversion; and

direct radio frequency to baseband conversion, from a corresponding plurality of carrier frequencies in common frequency band; and

a high frequency switching module to provide one of the plurality of local oscillations at a rate sufficient to accommodate a change in communication from one client to another client of a plurality of clients, the high frequency switching module operably coupled to;

for a first one of the plurality of transmission paths, derive one of the plurality of transceiver local oscillations from one of the plurality of local oscillations when a first transmission path selection indication is in a first state and derive another one of the plurality of transceiver local oscillations from another one of the plurality of local oscillations when the first transmission path selection indication is in a second state; and

for a second one of the plurality of transmission paths, derive the one of the plurality of transceiver local oscillations from the one of the plurality of local oscillations when a second transmission path selection indication is in the first state and derive the another one of the plurality of transceiver local oscillations from the another one of the plurality of local oscillations when the second transmission path selection indication is in the second state.

6. The RF transceiver front-end of claim 5, wherein the oscillation generating module comprises:

a first phase lock loop to produce the one of the plurality of local oscillations from a reference oscillation; and

a second phase lock loop to produce the another one of the plurality of local oscillations from the reference oscillation.

7. The RF transceiver front-end of claim 5, wherein the oscillation generating module comprises:

a phase lock loop to generate the one of the plurality of local oscillations from a reference oscillation; and

modulation module operably coupled to produce the another one of the plurality of location oscillations based on the one of the plurality of local oscillations and the reference oscillation.

8. The RF transceiver front-end of claim 7, wherein the modulation module comprises:

a first mixer operably coupled to mix to the one of the plurality of local oscillations with the reference oscillation to produce a first mixed oscillation;

a ninety degree phase shift module operably coupled to phase shift the one of the plurality of local oscillations by ninety degrees to produce a phase shifted local oscillation;

a second ninety degree phase shift module operably coupled to phase shift the reference oscillation by ninety degrees to produce a phase shifted reference oscillation;

a second mixer operably coupled to mix the phase shifted local oscillation with the phase shifted reference oscillation to produce a second mixed oscillation; and

a summing module operably coupled to sum the first and second mixed oscillations to produce the another one of the plurality of local oscillations.

9. The RF transceiver front-end of claim 5, wherein the transceiver section comprises:

a receiver section operably coupled to sequentially convert the plurality of inbound RF signals received via the plurality of transmission paths into the plurality of inbound baseband signals in accordance with the plurality of transceiver local oscillations; and

a transmitter section operably coupled to sequentially convert the plurality of outbound baseband signals for transmission via the plurality of transmission paths into the plurality of outbound RF signals in accordance with the plurality of transceiver local oscillations.

10. The RF transceiver front-end of claim 5, wherein the transceiver section comprises:

a plurality of receiver sections operably coupled to convert the plurality of inbound RF signals received via the plurality of transmission paths into the plurality of inbound baseband signals in accordance with the plurality of transceiver local oscillations; and

a plurality of transmitter sections operably coupled to convert the plurality of outbound baseband signals for transmission via the plurality of transmission paths into the plurality of outbound RF signals in accordance with the plurality of transceiver local oscillations.

11. A radio frequency (RF) receiver front-end comprises:

a receiver section operably coupled to convert a plurality of inbound RF signals received via a plurality of transmission paths into a plurality of inbound baseband signals in accordance with a plurality of receiver local oscillations;

oscillation generating module operably coupled to contemporaneously generate a plurality of local oscillations, wherein each of the plurality of local oscillations has a frequency that causes via heterodyne action, one of;

direct radio frequency to intermediate frequency conversion; and

direct radio frequency to baseband conversion from a corresponding plurality of carrier frequencies in common frequency band; and

a high frequency switching module to provide one of the plurality of local oscillations at a rate sufficient to accommodate a change in communication from one client to another client of a plurality of clients, the high frequency switching module operably coupled to;

for a first one of the plurality of transmission paths, derive one of the plurality of receiver local oscillations from one of the plurality of local oscillations when a first transmission path selection indication is in a first state and derive another one of the plurality of receiver local oscillations from another one of the plurality of local oscillations when the first transmission path selection indication is in a second state; and

for a second one of the plurality of transmission paths, derive the one of the plurality of receiver local oscillations from the one of the plurality of local oscillations when a second transmission path selection indication is in the first state and derive the another one of the plurality of receiver local oscillations from the another one of the plurality of local oscillations when the second transmission path selection indication is in the second state.

12. The RF receiver front-end of claim 11, wherein the oscillation generating module comprises:

a first phase lock loop to produce the one of the plurality of local oscillations from a reference oscillation; and

a second phase lock loop to produce the another one of the plurality of local oscillations from the reference oscillation.

13. The RF receiver front-end of claim 11, wherein the oscillation generating module comprises:

a phase lock loop to generate the one of the plurality of local oscillations from a reference oscillation; and

modulation module operably coupled to produce the another one of the plurality of location oscillations based on the one of the plurality of local oscillations and the reference oscillation.

14. The RF receiver front-end of claim 13, wherein the modulation module comprises:

a first mixer operably coupled to mix to the one of the plurality of local oscillations with the reference oscillation to produce a first mixed oscillation;

a ninety degree phase shift module operably coupled to phase shift the one of the plurality of local oscillations by ninety degrees to produce a phase shifted local oscillation;

a second ninety degree phase shift module operably coupled to phase shift the reference oscillation by ninety degrees to produce a phase shifted reference oscillation;

a second mixer operably coupled to mix the phase shifted local oscillation with the phase shifted reference oscillation to produce a second mixed oscillation; and

a summing module operably coupled to sum the first and second mixed oscillations to produce the another one of the plurality of local oscillations.

15. The RF receiver front-end of claim 11, wherein the receiver section functions to:

sequentially convert the plurality of inbound RF signals received via the plurality of transmission paths into the plurality of inbound baseband signals in accordance with the plurality of transceiver local oscillations.

16. The RF receiver front-end of claim 11, wherein the receiver section comprises:

a plurality of receiver sections operably coupled to convert the plurality of inbound RF signals received via the plurality of transmission paths into the plurality of inbound baseband signals in accordance with the plurality of transceiver local oscillations.

17. A radio frequency (RF) transmitter front-end comprises:

a transmitter section operably coupled to convert a plurality of outbound baseband signals for transmission via a plurality of transmission paths into a plurality of outbound RF signals in accordance with a plurality of transmitter local oscillations;

oscillation generating module operably coupled to contemporaneously

generate a plurality of local oscillations, wherein each of the plurality of local oscillations has a frequency that causes direct baseband to radio frequency conversion via heterodyne action to a corresponding plurality of carrier frequencies in common frequency band; and

a high frequency switching module to provide one of the plurality of local oscillations at a rate sufficient to accommodate a change in communication from one client to another client of a plurality of clients, the high frequency switching module operably coupled to;

for a first one of the plurality of transmission paths, derive one of the plurality of transmitter local oscillations from one of the plurality of local oscillations when a first transmission path selection indication is in a first state and derive another one of the plurality of transmitter local oscillations from another one of the plurality of local oscillations when the first transmission path selection indication is in a second state; and

for a second one of the plurality of transmission paths, derive the one of the plurality of transmitter local oscillations from the one of the plurality of local oscillations when a second transmission path selection indication is in the first state and derive the another one of the plurality of transmitter local oscillations from the another one of the plurality of local oscillations when the second transmission path selection indication is in the second state.

18. The RF transmitter front-end of claim 17, wherein the oscillation generating module comprises:

a first phase lock loop to produce the one of the plurality of local oscillations from a reference oscillation; and

a second phase lock loop to produce the another one of the plurality of local oscillations from the reference oscillation.

19. The RF transmitter front-end of claim 17, wherein the oscillation generating module comprises:

a phase lock loop to generate the one of the plurality of local oscillations from a reference oscillation; and

modulation module operably coupled to produce the another one of the plurality of location oscillations based on the one of the plurality of local oscillations and the reference oscillation.

20. The RF transmitter front-end of claim 19, wherein the modulation module comprises:

a first mixer operably coupled to mix to the one of the plurality of local oscillations with the reference oscillation to produce a first mixed oscillation;

a ninety degree phase shift module operably coupled to phase shift the one of the plurality of local oscillations by ninety degrees to produce a phase shifted local oscillation;

a second ninety degree phase shift module operably coupled to phase shift the reference oscillation by ninety degrees to produce a phase shifted reference oscillation;

a second mixer operably coupled to mix the phase shifted local oscillation with the phase shifted reference oscillation to produce a second mixed oscillation; and

a summing module operably coupled to sum the first and second mixed oscillations to produce the another one of the plurality of local oscillations.

21. The RF transmitter front-end of claim 17, wherein the transmitter section functions to:

sequentially convert the plurality of outbound baseband signals for transmission via the plurality of transmission paths into the plurality of outbound RF signals in accordance with the plurality of transceiver local oscillations.

22. The RF transmitter front-end of claim 17, wherein the transmitter section comprises:

a plurality of transmitter sections operably coupled to convert the plurality of outbound baseband signals for transmission via the plurality of transmission paths into the plurality of outbound RF signals in accordance with the plurality of transceiver local oscillations.