Device, system and method of wireless communication over a plurality of wireless communication frequency channels

• US 9,154,078 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2010
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Banin, Rotem, Degani, Ofir
• Primary Examiner(s): VO, NGUYEN THANH
• Application Number:
  US12/977,382
• Publication Number:
  US 20120163492A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,748 Days
• Field of Search: 455/76, 455/118, 455/255, 455/257, 455/258, 455/259, 455/260, 455/265, 455/314, 455/318, 331/1.R, 331/60
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H03C 1/60 with one sideband wholly or partially suppressed

Abstract

Some demonstrative embodiments include devices, systems and/or methods of wireless communication over a plurality of wireless communication frequency channels. For example, a wireless communication device may include a frequency source to generate a source frequency signal; a plurality of local-oscillator (LO) generators to generate a respective plurality of different carrier signal frequencies based on the source frequency signal; and a plurality of radio-frequency (RF) paths to simultaneously communicate over the plurality of carrier signal frequencies, respectively.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device comprising:

a frequency source to generate a source frequency signal;

a plurality of local-oscillator (LO) generators to generate a respective plurality of different carrier signal frequencies based on said source frequency signal, wherein the plurality of LO generators include a configurable LO generator to receive a plurality of configurable input values and generate a configurable carrier signal frequency of the plurality of different carrier signal frequencies based on the received plurality of configurable input values; and

a plurality of radio-frequency (RF) paths to simultaneously communicate over said plurality of carrier signal frequencies, respectively,

wherein the plurality of carrier signal frequencies include at least first and second non-contiguous frequencies of a common non-contiguous communication channel, wherein the common non-contiguous communication channel includes a non-contiguous communication channel within a five Gigahertz frequency band.

2. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein said plurality of carrier signal frequencies include a plurality of configurable carrier signal frequencies, and wherein said plurality of LO generators includes a plurality of configurable LO generators to generate said plurality of configurable carrier signal frequencies, respectively.

3. The wireless communication device of claim 2, wherein the configurable LO generators are to generate the configurable carrier signal frequencies by applying a plurality of configurable conversion ratios to the source frequency signal, wherein each of the plurality of configurable conversion ratios is based on a distinct combination of the plurality of configurable input values.

4. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the configurable LO generator comprises:

first and second frequency mixers;

a first programmable divider to generate a first divider output by dividing a first mixer output of the first mixer by a first of the plurality of configurable input values; and

a second programmable divider to generate a second divider output by dividing a second mixer output of the second mixer by a second of the plurality of configurable input values,

wherein the first frequency mixer is to generate the first mixer output based on the second divider output, and the second frequency mixer is to generate the second mixer output based on the first divider output.

5. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of RF paths includes at least a receive path and a transmit path.

6. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of carrier signal frequencies include frequencies within at least first and second different wireless communication frequency bands.

7. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein said frequency source comprises a single phase-locked-loop to generate the source frequency signal.

8. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the configurable LO generator comprises:

a programmable divider to generate a divider output by dividing a mixer output of a mixer by at least one of the configurable input values.

9. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of RF paths is associated with one of the plurality of LO generators such that that RF path is to communicate over only the carrier signal frequency generated by the one of the plurality of LO generators.

10. A wireless communication system comprising:

a wireless communication device comprising;

one or more antennas; and

a wireless communication unit to simultaneously communicate over a plurality of different configurable carrier signal frequencies,

wherein the plurality of carrier signal frequencies are configured based on a common source frequency signal by applying a plurality of configurable conversion ratios to the common source frequency signal, wherein at least one of the plurality of configurable conversion ratios is determined based on a plurality of configurable input values received at the wireless communication unit, and

wherein the plurality of carrier signal frequencies include at least first and second non-contiguous frequencies of a common non-contiguous communication channel, wherein the common non-contiguous communication channel includes a non-contiguous communication channel within a five Gigahertz frequency band.

11. The wireless communication system of claim 10, wherein said wireless communication device comprises a plurality of configurable LO generators to generate said plurality of configurable carrier signal frequencies, respectively, based on the common source frequency signal.

12. The wireless communication system of claim 11, wherein the configurable LO generators are to generate the configurable carrier signal frequencies by applying a plurality of configurable conversion ratios to the source frequency signal.

13. The wireless communication system of claim 10, wherein the wireless communication unit is to transmit a first transmission over a first carrier signal frequency of the plurality of first carrier signals, and to receive a second transmission over a first carrier signal frequency of the plurality of first carrier signals.

14. The wireless communication system of claim 10, wherein the plurality of carrier signal frequencies include frequencies within at least first and second different wireless communication frequency bands.

15. The wireless communication system of claim 10, wherein said wireless communication unit comprises a single frequency source to generate the common source frequency signal.

16. A device comprising:

a frequency source to generate a common source frequency signal; and

a plurality of configurable local-oscillator (LO) generators to generate a respective plurality of different configurable frequencies based on said common source frequency signal, wherein at least one of the plurality of configurable LO generators is to receive a plurality of configurable input values, which are used to convert the common source frequency signal into at least one of the plurality of different configurable frequencies,

wherein the plurality of different configurable frequencies include at least first and second non-contiguous frequencies of a common non-contiguous communication channel, wherein the common non-contiguous communication channel includes a non-contiguous communication channel within a five Gigahertz frequency band.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein a combination of the plurality of configurable input values includes a conversion ratio, which is applied to the common source frequency signal to generate the at least one of the plurality of different configurable frequencies.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the frequency source comprises a single Voltage Controlled Oscillator (VCO) controlled by a single Phase-locked-loop (PLL).

19. A method of wireless communication, the method comprising:

generating a source frequency signal;

receiving a plurality of configurable input values;

converting said source frequency signal into a plurality of different configurable carrier signal frequencies by applying to the source frequency signal a plurality of respective conversion ratios, wherein at least one of the plurality of configurable conversion ratios is determined based on the plurality of configurable input values, and wherein the plurality of different configurable carrier signal frequencies include at least first and second non-contiguous frequencies of a common non-contiguous communication channel, wherein the common non-contiguous communication channel includes a non-contiguous communication channel within a five Gigahertz frequency band; and

simultaneously communicating over said plurality of carrier signal frequencies.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein communicating over said plurality of carrier signal frequencies comprises transmitting a first transmission over a first carrier signal frequency of the plurality of first carrier signals, and receiving a second transmission over a first carrier signal frequency of the plurality of first carrier signals.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the plurality of carrier signal frequencies include frequencies within at least first and second different wireless communication frequency bands.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions that, if executed, enable wireless communication by:

generating a source frequency signal;

receiving a plurality of configurable input values;

converting said source frequency signal into a plurality of different configurable carrier signal frequencies by applying to the source frequency signal a plurality of respective conversion ratios, wherein at least one of the plurality of configurable conversion ratios is determined based on the plurality of configurable input values, and wherein the plurality of different configurable carrier signal frequencies include at least first and second non-contiguous frequencies of a common non-contiguous communication channel, wherein the common non-contiguous communication channel includes a non-contiguous communication channel within a five Gigahertz frequency band; and

simultaneously communicating over said plurality of carrier signal frequencies.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein communicating over said plurality of carrier signal frequencies comprises:

transmitting a first transmission over a first carrier signal frequency of the plurality of first carrier signals, and

receiving a second transmission over a first carrier signal frequency of the plurality of first carrier signals.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the plurality of carrier signal frequencies include frequencies within at least first and second different wireless communication frequency bands.

25. A wireless communication device comprising:

a frequency source to generate a source frequency signal;

a plurality of configurable local-oscillator (LO) generators to generate a respective plurality of configurable carrier signal frequencies based on said source frequency signal, wherein the plurality of carrier signal frequencies include at least first and second non-contiguous channels of a non-contiguous communication channel within a five Gigahertz frequency band, at least one of the first and second non-contiguous channels having a bandwidth of 80 MHz, and at least one of the first and second non-contiguous channels having a plurality of contiguous 20 MHz sub-channels; and

a plurality of radio-frequency (RF) paths to simultaneously communicate over said plurality of configurable carrier signal frequencies, respectively.

26. The wireless communication device of claim 25, wherein the configurable LO generators are to generate the configurable carrier signal frequencies by applying a plurality of configurable conversion ratios to the source frequency signal.

27. The device of claim 26, wherein a configurable LO generator of said configurable LO generators comprises:

first and second frequency mixers;

a first programmable divider to generate a first divider output by dividing a first mixer output of the first mixer by a first configurable input value; and

a second programmable divider to generate a second divider output by dividing a second mixer output of the second mixer by a second configurable input value,

wherein the first frequency mixer is to generate the first mixer output based on the second divider output, and the second frequency mixer is to generate the second mixer output based on the first divider output.

28. The wireless communication device of claim 25, wherein each of the plurality of RF paths is associated with one of the plurality of LO generators such that that RF path is to communicate over only the carrier signal frequency generated by the one of the plurality of LO generators.

29. A wireless communication system comprising:

a processor;

a memory unit

an input unit;

an output unit;

one or more antennas; and

a wireless communication device including;

a frequency source to generate a source frequency signal;

a plurality of local-oscillator (LO) generators to generate a respective plurality of different carrier signal frequencies based on said source frequency signal, wherein the plurality of LO generators include a configurable LO generator to receive a plurality of configurable input values and generate a configurable carrier signal frequency of the plurality of different carrier signal frequencies based on a combination of the received plurality of configurable input values; and

a plurality of radio-frequency (RF) paths to simultaneously communicate over said plurality of carrier signal frequencies, respectively,

wherein the plurality of carrier signal frequencies include at least first and second non-contiguous frequencies of a common non-contiguous communication channel, wherein the common non-contiguous communication channel includes a non-contiguous communication channel within a five Gigahertz frequency band.

30. The wireless communication system of claim 29, wherein said plurality of carrier signal frequencies include a plurality of configurable carrier signal frequencies, and wherein said plurality of LO generators includes a plurality of configurable LO generators to generate said plurality of configurable carrier signal frequencies, respectively.

31. The wireless communication system of claim 30, wherein the configurable LO generators are to generate the configurable carrier signal frequencies by applying a plurality of configurable conversion ratios to the source frequency signal, wherein each of the plurality of configurable conversion ratios is based on a distinct combination of the plurality of configurable input values.

32. The wireless communication system of claim 29, wherein each of the plurality of RF paths is associated with one of the plurality of LO generators such that that RF path is to communicate over only the carrier signal frequency generated by the one of the plurality of LO generators.