Method and system for a voltage-controlled oscillator with a leaky wave antenna

• US 8,660,500 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2009
• Issued: 02/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rofougaran, Ahmadreza, Rofougaran, Maryam
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Simon
• Application Number:
  US12/650,224
• Publication Number:
  US 20100311379A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,518 Days
• Field of Search: 455 81- 82, 455121-123, 4551931-1933, 455269-274, 455/562.1, 455/575.7, 343/700.R
• US Class Current: 455/73
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/06 Systems determining position data of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10316 using at least one antenna particularly designed for interrogating the wireless record carriers antennas in general H01Q1/22
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/32225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73204 the bump connector being embedded into the layer connector
• 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 2924/13091 Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor [MOSFET]
• 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 13/20 Non-resonant leaky-waveguide or transmission-line antennas; Equivalent structures causing radiation along the transmission path of a guided wave
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/22 Longitudinal slot in boundary wall of waveguide or transmission line H01Q13/203 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/006 Selective devices having photonic band gap materials or materials of which the material properties are frequency dependent, e.g. perforated substrates, high-impedance surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/0066 said selective devices being reconfigurable, tunable or controllable, e.g. using switches
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/23 Combinations of reflecting surfaces with refracting or diffracting devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/06 using refracting or diffracting devices, e.g. lens radome H01Q1/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0458 Arrangements for matching and coupling between power amplifier and antenna or between amplifying stages matching circuits in general H03H
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/24 for communication between two or more posts wireless communication networks H04W

Abstract

Methods and systems for a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) with a leaky wave antenna are disclosed and may include transmitting wireless signals via one or more leaky wave antennas in one or more tank circuits coupled to one or more VCOs. The VCOs may be two-point modulated. Two modulating signals may be communicated to the one or more VCOs via varactors coupled to tank circuits on the one or more VCOs. The varactors may include CMOS transistors with source and drain terminals shorted together. The one or more leaky wave antennas may be integrated on the chip, on a package to which the chip is affixed, or on a printed circuit board to which the chip is affixed. The VCOs may be integrated in a phase-locked loop and an output of the one or more VCOs in the phase-locked loop may be fed back via a multi-modulus detector.

Claims

1. A method for communication, the method comprising:

performing using one or more circuits on a chip in a wireless device, said one or more circuits comprising one or more leaky wave antennas, and a voltage controlled-oscillator separate from and utilizing said one or more leaky wave antennas as inductors in a tank circuit;

configuring an impedance of said one or more leaky wave antennas disposed in said tank circuit by adjusting a placement of a feedpoint within each of said one or more leaky wave antennas;

transmitting wireless signals via said one or more leaky wave antennas.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising two-point modulating said voltage-controlled oscillator.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said one or more circuits comprise varactors coupled to said tank circuit in said voltage-controlled oscillator, said one or more circuits communicating two modulating signals to said voltage-controlled oscillator via said varactors.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said varactors comprise CMOS transistors.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein source and drain terminals of each of said CMOS transistors are shorted together.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said one or more leaky wave antennas are integrated on said chip.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said one or more leaky wave antennas are integrated on a package to which said chip is affixed.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said one or more leaky wave antennas are integrated on a printed circuit board to which said chip is affixed.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said voltage-controlled oscillator is integrated in a phase-locked loop.

10. The method according to claim 9, comprising feeding back an output of said voltage-controlled oscillator in said phase-locked loop via a multi-modulus detector.

11. A system for enabling communication, the system comprising:

one or more circuits on a chip in a wireless device, said one or more circuits comprising one or more leaky wave antennas, and a voltage controlled-oscillator separate from and utilizing said one or more leaky wave antennas as inductors in a tank circuit, said one or more circuits being configured to;

configure an impedance of said one or more leaky wave antennas disposed in said tank circuit by adjusting a placement of a feedpoint within each of said one or more leaky wave antennas;

transmit wireless signals via said one or more leaky wave antennas.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein said one or more circuits are operable to two-point modulate said voltage-controlled oscillator.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein said one or more circuits comprise varactors coupled to said tank circuit in said voltage-controlled oscillator, said one or more circuits being operable to communicate two modulating signals to said voltage-controlled oscillator via said varactors.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein said varactors comprise CMOS transistors.

15. The system according to claim 11, wherein source and drain terminals of each of said CMOS transistors are shorted together.

16. The system according to claim 11, wherein said one or more leaky wave antennas are integrated on said chip.

17. The system according to claim 11, wherein said one or more leaky wave antennas are integrated on a package to which said chip is affixed.

18. The system according to claim 11, wherein said one or more leaky wave antennas are integrated on a printed circuit board to which said chip is affixed.

19. The system according to claim 11, wherein said voltage-controlled oscillator is integrated in a phase-locked loop.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein said one or more circuits comprise a multi-modulus detector, and said one or more circuits are operable to feed back an output of said voltage-controlled oscillator in said phase-locked loop via said multi-modulus detector.