System and method for receiving I and Q RF signals without a phase shifter

• US 8,958,768 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2013
• Issued: 02/17/2015
• 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): LE, NHAN T
• Application Number:
  US13/907,715
• Publication Number:
  US 20130259143A1
• Time in Patent Office: 627 Days
• Field of Search: 455/269, 455/323, 455/333, 455/334, 343/702, 343/770
• US Class Current: 455/269
• 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 receiving in-phase and quadrature (I and Q) radio frequency (RF) signals without a phase shifter utilizing a leaky wave antenna are disclosed and may include generating in-phase and quadrature signals using a leaky wave antenna coupled to one or more low-noise amplifiers (LNAs) on a chip and without a phase shifter. The RF I and Q signals may be communicated from the single leaky wave antenna using coplanar feed points and/or feed points on a top surface and a bottom surface of the single leaky wave antenna. The leaky wave antennas may be integrated on the chip, on a package to which the chip is affixed, and/or on a printed circuit board to which the chip is affixed. The RF I and Q signals may be amplified by the one or more LNAs and may down-convert the RF I and Q signals to baseband signals.

Claims

1. A communications system comprising:

a circuit coupled to a leaky wave antenna, wherein said circuit is operable to receive a radio frequency (RF) signal from said leaky wave antenna, and

said circuit is operable to generate, from said RF signal, using said leaky wave antenna including at least two feed points, and without using a phase shifter, an in-phase RF signal and a quadrature RF signal.

2. The communications system of claim 1, wherein said circuit comprises a low-noise amplifier.

3. The communications system of claim 2, wherein said circuit is operable to amplify said in-phase RF signal and said quadrature RF signal with said low-noise amplifier.

4. The communications system of claim 1, wherein said circuit comprises a low-noise amplifier and is integrated in a chip in said system.

5. The communications system of claim 4, wherein said leaky wave antenna is integrated on said chip.

6. The communications system of claim 4, wherein said leaky wave antenna is integrated on a package to which said chip is affixed.

7. The communications system of claim 4, wherein said leaky wave antenna is integrated on a printed circuit board to which said chip is affixed.

8. The communications system of claim 4, wherein said circuit is operable to amplify said in-phase RF signal and said quadrature RF signal with said low-noise amplifier.

9. The communications system of claim 1, wherein said circuit is operable to communicate said in-phase RF signal and said quadrature RF signal from said leaky wave antenna using coplanar feed points.

10. The communications system of claim 1, wherein said circuit is operable to communicate said in-phase RF signal and said quadrature RF signal using feed points on a top surface and a bottom surface of said single leaky wave antenna.

11. The communications system of claim 1, wherein said circuit is operable to down-convert said in-phase RF signal and said quadrature RF signal to baseband signals.

12. The communications system of claim 11, wherein said circuit is operable to filter said baseband signals.

13. The communications system of claim 1, wherein said circuit is operable to down-convert said in-phase RF signal and said quadrature RF signal to intermediate frequency (IF) signals.

14. The communications system of claim 13, wherein said circuit is operable to filter said IF signals.

15. The communications system of claim 1, wherein said communications system is configured to interface with a wireless standard selected from the group consisting of GSM, CDMA, CDMA2000, WCDMA, GPRS, EDGE, WIMAX, BLUETOOTH, and ZIGBEE.

16. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the at least two feed points are positioned at a predetermined distance from each other, the predetermined distance corresponding to a 90 degree phase shift between the in-phase RF signal and the quadrature RF signal.

17. A method for communication, said method comprising:

receiving a radio frequency (RF) signal from a leaky wave antenna; and

generating, from said RF signal, using said leaky wave antenna including at least two feed points, and without using a phase shifter, an in-phase RF signal and a quadrature RF signal.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said wireless device comprises a low-noise amplifier.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said wireless device is operable to communicate said in-phase RF signal and said quadrature RF signal from said leaky wave antenna using coplanar feed points.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein said wireless device is operable to communicate said in-phase RF signal and said quadrature RF signal using feed points on a top surface and a bottom surface of said single leaky wave antenna.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein said leaky wave antenna is integrated within said wireless device.