CIRCUIT AND METHOD

• US 20080274703A1
• Filed: 05/03/2007
• Published: 11/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Boos, Zdravko
• Granted Patent: US 7,848,715 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/75
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/156 with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators

Abstract

Implementations related to circuits including an oscillator and a switch-mode DC/DC converter are presented herein.

Claims

1. A circuit, comprising:

an oscillator configured to provide a first signal having a first frequency;

a frequency converter coupled to the oscillator, and configured to convert the first signal to a second signal having a second frequency; and

a switch-mode DC/DC converter coupled to the frequency converter, and configured to convert a first voltage to a second voltage, wherein the DC/DC converter is controlled by the second signal.

2. The circuit of claim 1, wherein a switching frequency of the DC/DC converter is controlled by the second signal.

3. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the second frequency is locked to the first frequency.

4. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the oscillator comprises a voltage-controlled or digitally controlled oscillator.

5. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the oscillator and the DC/DC converter are integrated in the same integrated circuit.

6. A transmitter circuit, comprising:

a frequency synthesizer configured to provide a first signal having a first frequency;

an up-conversion mixer coupled to the frequency synthesizer, and configured to mix a signal to be transmitted with the first signal;

a frequency converter coupled to the frequency synthesizer, and configured to convert the first signal to a second signal having a second frequency; and

a switch-mode DC/DC converter coupled to the frequency converter, and configured to convert a first voltage to a second voltage, wherein the DC/DC converter is controlled by the second signal.

7. The transmitter circuit of claim 6, wherein the second frequency is locked to the first frequency.

8. The transmitter circuit of claim 6, wherein the frequency synthesizer and the DC/DC converter are integrated in the same integrated circuit.

9. The transmitter circuit of claim 6, wherein the second frequency is M/N times the first frequency, M and N are integers, and M≠

N.

10. The transmitter circuit of claim 6, wherein the second frequency is the first frequency adjusted by an offset frequency.

11. The transmitter circuit of claim 6, wherein the frequency synthesizer comprises a voltage-controlled oscillator or a digitally controlled oscillator.

12. The transmitter circuit of claim 6, wherein the first signal has a first frequency bandwidth and the second signal has a second frequency bandwidth, and wherein the first and second frequency bandwidths do not overlap.

13. The transmitter circuit of claim 6, wherein the DC/DC converter is self-oscillating and stops self-oscillating when the second frequency is fed into the DC/DC converter.

14. A receiver circuit, comprising:

a frequency synthesizer to provide a first signal having a first frequency;

a down-conversion mixer coupled to the frequency synthesizer, and configured to mix a received signal with the first signal;

a frequency converter coupled to the frequency synthesizer, and configured to convert the first signal to a second signal having a second frequency; and

a switch-mode DC/DC converter coupled to the frequency converter, and configured to convert a first voltage to a second voltage, wherein the DC/DC converter is controlled by the second signal.

15. The receiver circuit of claim 14, wherein the second frequency is locked to the first frequency.

16. The receiver circuit of claim 14, wherein the frequency synthesizer and the DC/DC converter are integrated in the same integrated circuit.

17. The receiver circuit of claim 14, wherein the second frequency is M/N times the first frequency, M and N are integers, and wherein M≠

N.

18. The receiver circuit of claim 14, wherein the frequency synthesizer comprises a voltage-controlled oscillator or a digitally controlled oscillator.

19. The receiver circuit of claim 14, wherein the first signal has a first frequency bandwidth and the second signal has a second frequency bandwidth, and wherein the first and second frequency bandwidths do not overlap.

20. The receiver circuit of claim 14, wherein the DC/DC converter is self-oscillating.

21. A transceiver circuit, comprising:

a first frequency synthesizer configured to provide a first signal having a first frequency;

an up-conversion mixer coupled to the first frequency synthesizer, and configured to mix a signal to be transmitted with the first signal;

a second frequency synthesizer configured to provide a second signal having a second frequency;

a down-conversion mixer coupled to the second frequency synthesizer, and configured to mix a received signal with the second signal;

a first frequency converter coupled to the first frequency synthesizer, and configured to convert the first signal to a third signal having a third frequency; and

a first switch-mode DC/DC converter coupled to the first frequency converter, and configured to convert a first voltage to a second voltage, wherein the first DC/DC converter is controlled by the third signal.

22. The transceiver of claim 21, further comprising:

a second frequency converter coupled to the second frequency synthesizer, and configured to convert the second signal to a fourth signal having a fourth frequency; and

a second switch-mode DC/DC converter coupled to the second frequency converter, and configured to convert a third voltage to a fourth voltage, wherein the second DC/DC converter is controlled by the fourth signal.

23. The transceiver circuit of claim 21, wherein the first and second frequency synthesizers and the first and second DC/DC converters are integrated in the same integrated circuit.

24. A method, comprising:

providing a first signal having a first frequency;

up-converting a signal to be transmitted by mixing it with the first signal;

converting the first signal to a second signal having a second frequency; and

converting a first DC voltage to a second DC voltage, wherein the voltage conversion is controlled by the second signal.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the second frequency is locked to the first frequency.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the second frequency is M/N times the first frequency, M and N are integers, and wherein M≠

N.

27. A method comprising:

providing a first signal having a first frequency;

down-converting a received signal by mixing it with the first signal;

converting the first signal to a second signal having a second frequency; and

converting a first DC voltage to a second DC voltage, wherein the voltage conversion is controlled by the second signal.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the second frequency is locked to the first frequency.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the second frequency is M/N times the first frequency, M and N are integers, and wherein M≠

N.