SUPER REGENERATIVE (SR) APPARATUS HAVING PLURALITY OF PARALLEL SR AMPLIFIERS TUNED TO DISTINCT FREQUENCIES

• US 20090016548A1
• Filed: 07/10/2007
• Published: 01/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Gudem, Prasad S., Julian, David Jonathan, Monat, Pavel, Douglas, Robert Keith
• Granted Patent: US 8,326,246 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/111
• CPC Class Codes: H03D 11/00 Super-regenerative demodulator circuits applications in responders G01S
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/6908 using time hopping

Abstract

An apparatus, which may be configured as a receiver or transceiver, includes a plurality of super regenerative (SR) amplifiers coupled in parallel, wherein the SR amplifiers are tuned to distinct frequency bands, respectively. The apparatus may further include isolation amplifiers at the respective inputs and outputs of the SR amplifiers to prevent injection locking and reduce power leakage. The apparatus may include a circuit to reduce or substantially eliminate in-band jamming signals. The apparatus may form at least part of a wireless communications device adapted to receive signals from other wireless communications devices, adapted to transmit signal to other wireless communications devices, and adapted to both transmit and receive signals to and from other wireless communications devices.

Claims

1. An apparatus for wireless communication comprising a plurality of super regenerative amplifiers coupled in parallel, wherein the super regenerative amplifiers are tuned to respective distinct frequency bands.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the distinct frequency bands lie within a defined bandwidth.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the number N of super regenerative amplifiers, the respective quality factors (Q) of the super regenerative amplifiers, and the respective center frequencies (f_c) of the distinct frequency bands are configured to provide a defined minimum gain, a defined gain ripple, or a defined frequency response across a defined bandwidth.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one or more of the distinct frequency bands overlap with at least another of the one or more distinct frequency bands.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of isolation amplifiers coupled respectively to inputs of the super regenerative amplifiers.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of isolation amplifiers coupled respectively to outputs of the respective super regenerative amplifiers.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a filter coupled to inputs of the super regenerative amplifiers.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an antenna coupled to inputs of the super regenerative amplifiers.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a summing device coupled to outputs of the super regenerative amplifiers.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a circuit adapted to determine whether a jamming signal is present in any of the distinct frequency bands.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the circuit is further adapted to disable one or more super regenerative amplifiers pertaining respectively to one or more distinct frequency bands in which one or more jamming signals are present.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the circuit comprises a processor adapted to be controlled by executable codes.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the super regenerative amplifiers form at least a portion of a receiver.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the super regenerative amplifiers form at least a portion of a transceiver.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the super regenerative amplifiers form at least a portion of a non-coherent receiver.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the distinct frequency bands lie within a defined ultra-wide band channel that has a fractional bandwidth on the order of 20% or more, has a bandwidth on the order of 500 MHz or more, or has a fractional bandwidth on the order of 20% or more and has a bandwidth on the order of 500 MHz or more.

17. A method of wireless communication comprising:

coupling a plurality of super regenerative amplifiers in parallel; and

tuning the super regenerative amplifiers to respective distinct frequency bands.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the distinct frequency bands lie within a defined bandwidth.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

selecting the number N of super regenerative amplifiers;

selecting the respective quality factors (Q) of the super regenerative amplifiers; and

selecting the respective center frequencies (f_c) of the super regenerative amplifiers;

wherein N, and the respective Q and f_c are selected to provide a minimum gain, a defined gain ripple or a defined frequency response across a defined bandwidth.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein one or more of the distinct frequency bands overlap with at least another of the one or more distinct frequency bands.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising electrically isolating inputs of the respective super regenerative amplifiers from each other.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising electrically isolating outputs of the respective super regenerative amplifiers from each other.

23. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

amplifying a signal with the super regenerative amplifiers; and

filtering the signal prior to amplifying the signal with the super regenerative amplifiers.

24. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving a signal via an antenna; and

amplifying the signal with the super regenerative amplifiers.

25. The method of claim 17, further comprising summing outputs of the super regenerative amplifiers.

26. The method of claim 17, further comprising determining whether a jamming signal is present in any of the distinct frequency bands.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising disabling one or more super regenerative amplifiers pertaining respectively to one or more distinct frequency bands in which one or more jamming signals are present.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the steps of determining whether a jamming signal is present and disabling one or more super regenerative amplifiers are performed by a processor.

29. The method of claim 17, further comprising receiving a signal via one or more of the super regenerative amplifiers.

30. The method of claim 17, further comprising transceiving signals using one or more super regenerative amplifiers.

31. The method of claim 17, further comprising receiving a signal in a non-coherent manner using one or more the super regenerative amplifiers.

32. The method of claim 17, wherein the distinct frequency bands lie within a defined ultra-wide band channel that has a fractional bandwidth on the order of 20% or more, has a bandwidth on the order of 500 MHz or more, or has a fractional bandwidth on the order of 20% or more and has a bandwidth on the order of 500 MHz or more.

33. An apparatus for wireless communication comprising:

means for coupling a plurality of super regenerative amplifiers in parallel; and

means for tuning the super regenerative amplifiers to respective distinct frequency bands.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the distinct frequency bands lie within a defined bandwidth.

35. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the number N of super regenerative amplifiers, the respective quality factors (Q) of the super regenerative amplifiers, and the center frequencies (f_c) of the distinct frequency bands are configured to provide a defined minimum gain, a defined gain ripple, or a defined frequency response across a defined bandwidth.

36. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein one or more of the distinct frequency bands overlap with at least another of the one or more distinct frequency bands.

37. The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising means for electrically isolating inputs of the respective super regenerative amplifiers from each other.

38. The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising means for electrically isolating outputs of the respective super regenerative amplifiers from each other.

39. The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising means for filtering the signal.

40. The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising means for receiving the signal.

41. The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising means for summing outputs of the super regenerative amplifiers.

42. The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising means for determining whether a jamming signal is present in any of the distinct frequency bands.

43. The apparatus of claim 42, further comprising means for disabling one or more super regenerative amplifiers pertaining respectively to one or more distinct frequency bands in which one or more jamming signals are present.

44. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the means for determining whether a jamming signal is present and means for disabling one or more super regenerative amplifiers comprise a processor.

45. The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising means for receiving a signal using one or more of the super regenerative amplifiers.

46. The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising means for transceiving signals, wherein the means for transceiving signals comprises one or more super regenerative amplifiers.

47. The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising means for receiving a signal in a non-coherent manner using one or more of the super regenerative amplifiers.

48. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the distinct frequency bands lie within a defined ultra-wide band channel that has a fractional bandwidth on the order of 20% or more, has a bandwidth on the order of 500 MHz or more, or has a fractional bandwidth on the order of 20% or more and has a bandwidth on the order of 500 MHz or more.

49. A computer program product for amplifying a signal comprising a computer readable medium including codes executable by at least one computer to tune a plurality of super regenerative amplifiers coupled in parallel to respective distinct frequency bands.

50. A headset for wireless communications, comprising:

an antenna;

a receiver adapted to receive data via the antenna, wherein the receiver comprises a set of super regenerative amplifiers coupled in parallel, and further wherein the super regenerative amplifiers are tuned to respective distinct frequency bands; and

a transducer adapted to generate an audio output based on the received data.

51. A watch for wireless communications, comprising:

an antenna;

a receiver adapted to receive data via the antenna, wherein the receiver comprises a plurality of super regenerative amplifiers coupled in parallel, and further wherein the super regenerative amplifiers are tuned to respective distinct frequency bands; and

a display adapted to produce a visual output based on the received data.

52. A sensed device for wireless communications, comprising:

a sensor adapted to generate sensed data; and

a transceiver adapted to transmit the sensed data, wherein the transceiver comprises a plurality of super regenerative amplifiers coupled in parallel, and further wherein the super regenerative amplifiers are tuned to respective distinct frequency bands.