Universal tuner for mobile TV

• US RE44,551 E1
• Filed: 10/04/2012
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Newport Media Inc. (Nexstar Media Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Abdelgany, Mohy, Carr, Frank, Elwan, Hassan, Fahim, Amr, Youssoufian, Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Natnael, Paulos M
• Application Number:
  US13/645,471
• Time in Patent Office: 383 Days
• Field of Search: 348/731, 348/725, 348/726, 348/723, 348/552, 348/553, 375/347, 375/316, 455/91, 455/303, 455/307, 455/333, 455/213, 455/232.1
• US Class Current: 348/731
• CPC Class Codes: H03D 3/007 by converting the oscillations into two quadrature related signals H03D3/245 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 1/005 in a loop
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control

Abstract

A tuner for use in mobile television devices comprises at least one RF front end component comprising a LNA adapted to amplify mobile television signals; a PLL circuit to generate signals; and a pair of mixers to receive the signals from the LNA and the PLL circuit and downconvert the signals; an analog baseband component connected to the RF front end component, wherein the analog baseband component comprises I and Q channel signal paths each comprising a tunable high order impedance filter; at least one signal amplification stage; and a signal filter stage connected to the signal amplification stage, wherein the analog baseband component further comprises a plurality of switches operatively connected to the I and Q channel signal paths, and wherein the plurality of switches are selectively opened and closed in multiple configurations in order to allow the tuner to receive mobile TV signals for all mobile TV standards.

Claims

1. A tuner for use in mobile television communication devices, said tuner comprising:

at least one radio frequency (RF) front end component comprising;

a low noise amplifier (LNA) adapted to amplify mobile television communication signals;

a phase-locked loop (PLL) circuit adapted to generate signals; and

a pair of mixers adapted to receive the signals from said LNA and said PLL circuit and downconvert the received signals;

an analog baseband component operatively connected to said RF front end component, wherein said analog baseband component comprises an I channel signal path and a Q channel signal path, and wherein each of the I and Q channel signal paths comprise;

a tunable high order impedance filter;

at least one signal amplification stage; and

a signal filter stage operatively connected to said at least one signal amplification stage,

wherein said analog baseband component further comprises a plurality of switches operatively connected to said I and Q channel signal paths, and

wherein said plurality of switches are selectively opened and closed in multiple configurations in order to allow said tuner to receive mobile TV communication signals for all mobile TV standards.

2. The tuner of claim 1, further comprising a polyphase filter operatively connected to said I and Q channel signal paths.

3. The tuner of claim 2, wherein said plurality of switches comprises a switch configured between one of said at least one signal amplification stage of said I channel signal path and said polyphase filter.

4. The tuner of claim 3, wherein said switch is configured prior to said polyphase filter along said I channel signal path.

5. The tuner of claim 3, wherein said switch is configured after to said polyphase filter along said I channel signal path.

6. The tuner of claim 2, wherein said plurality of switches comprises a switch configured between one of said at least one signal amplifications stage of said Q channel signal path and said polyphase filter.

7. The tuner of claim 2, wherein said plurality of switches comprises a switch configured between two signal amplifications stages along each of said I and Q channel signal paths.

8. The tuner of claim 2, wherein said plurality of switches comprises a switch configured between one of said at least one signal amplification stage and said signal filter stage along each of said I and Q channel signal paths.

9. The tuner of claim 1, wherein said tunable high order impedance filter comprises a complex tunable high order impedance filter.

10. The tuner of claim 2, wherein said plurality of switches comprise:

a first switch configured between one of said at least one signal amplification stage of said I channel signal path and said polyphase filter, wherein said first switch is configured prior to said polyphase filter;

a second switch configured between one of said at least one signal amplification stage of said Q channel signal path and said polyphase filter, wherein said second switch is configured prior to said polyphase filter;

a third switch configured after said polyphase filter and prior to any of a second one of said at least one signal amplification stage of said I channel signal path and said signal filter stage of said I channel signal path;

a fourth switch configured between said one of said at least one signal amplification stage along said I channel signal path and any of a second one of said at least one signal amplification stage of said I channel signal path and said signal filter stage of said I channel signal path; and

a fifth switch configured between said one of said at least one signal amplification stage along said Q channel signal path and any of a second one of said at least one signal amplification stage of said I channel signal path and said signal filter stage of said Q channel signal path.

11. The tuner of claim 10, wherein when the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth switches are opened, said tuner is adapted to (i) receive Frequency Modulation (FM) radio signals, and (ii) receive mobile television signals for Digital Video Broadcast—

Terrestrial (DVB-T), Digital Video Broadcast—

Handheld (DVB-H), Terrestrial—

Digital Multimedia Broadcast (T-DMB), Integrated Services Digital Broadcast—

Terrestrial (ISDB-T);

Media Forward Link Only (MediaFLO™

), and Digital Audio Broadcast (DAB) wireless television standards receive communication signals.

12. The tuner of claim 10, wherein when the first, second, and third switches are opened and the fourth and fifth switches are closed, said tuner is adapted to (i) receive Frequency Modulation (FM) radio signals, and (ii) receive mobile television signals for Digital Video Broadcast—

Terrestrial (DVB-T), Digital Video Broadcast—

Handheld (DVB-H), and Media Forward Link Only (MediaFLO™

) wireless television standards receive communication signals.

13. The tuner of claim 10, wherein when the first, second, and third switches are closed and the fourth and fifth switches are opened, said tuner is adapted to receive mobile television signals for Terrestrial—

Digital Multimedia Broadcast (T-DMB), Integrated Services Digital Broadcast—

Terrestrial (ISDB-T), and Digital Audio Broadcast (DAB) wireless television standards communication signals.

14. The tuner of claim 11, wherein the opened switches enable said timer to operate in a direct conversion mode.

15. The tuner of claim 12, wherein the opened switches enable said tuner to operate in a direct conversion mode.

16. The tuner of claim 13, wherein the opened switches enable said tuner to operate in a low-IF heterodyne mode.

17. The tuner of claim 1, wherein said plurality of switches that are selectively opened cause circuit elements operatively connected to said opened switches and after the opened switches along said I and Q channel signal paths to refrain from consuming power.

18. The tuner of claim 1, further comprising at least one AC coupling capacitor configured along said I and Q channel signal paths.

21. The tuner of claim 1, wherein said communication signals comprise mobile television communication signals.

19. A wireless receiver for use in mobile television communication devices, said wireless receiver comprising:

at least one radio frequency (RF) front end component comprising;

a low noise amplifier (LNA) adapted to amplify mobile television communication signals;

a phase-locked loop (PLL) circuit adapted to generate signals; and

a pair of mixers adapted to receive the signals from said LNA and said PLL circuit and downconvert the received signals;

an analog baseband component operatively connected to said RF front end component, wherein said analog baseband component comprises;

an I channel signal path;

a Q channel signal path;

a polyphase filter operatively connected to the I and Q channel signal paths; and

at least five switches operatively connected to said I and Q channel signal paths,

wherein said at least five switches are selectively opened and closed in multiple configurations in order to allow said wireless receiver to receive mobile TV communication signals for all mobile TV standards, and

wherein said at least five switches that are selectively opened cause circuit elements operatively connected to said opened switches and after the opened switches along said I and Q channel signal paths to refrain from consuming power.

22. The receiver of claim 19, wherein said communication signals comprise mobile television communication signals.

20. A method of receiving a television signal in a mobile television communication device, said method comprising:

amplifying a mobile television communication signal using a low noise amplifier (LNA) in at least one radio frequency (RF) front end component of said device;

generating signals using a phase-locked loop (PLL) circuit in said at least one RF front end component of said device;

downconverting the amplified mobile television communication signal from said LNA and said signals from said PLL in a pair of mixers in said at least one RF front end component of said device;

transmitting the converted signal along at least one of an I and Q channel signal path in an analog baseband component of said device, wherein each of the I and Q channel signal paths comprise;

a tunable high order impedance filter;

at least one signal amplification stage; and

a signal filter stage operatively connected to said at least one signal amplification stage,

filtering said converted signal along the I and Q channel signal paths;

amplifying said converted signal along said I and Q channel signal path; and

selectively diverting said converted signal along said I and Q channel signal path by selectively opening and closing a plurality of switches in said analog baseband component to selectively allow said device to receive radio signals and mobile television signals for all mobile television standards.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein said communication signals comprise mobile television communication signals.