Amplitude modulation utilizing a leaky wave antenna

• US 8,831,540 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2013
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• 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): Nguyen, Simon
• Application Number:
  US13/860,826
• Publication Number:
  US 20130237166A1
• Time in Patent Office: 516 Days
• Field of Search: 455/121, 455/129, 343/762, 343/781.P
• US Class Current: 455/91
• 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 amplitude modulation using a leaky wave antenna are disclosed and may include amplitude modulating an output of one or more power amplifiers in a wireless device by modulating a bias current in the power amplifiers that are coupled to one or more leaky wave antennas. The leaky wave antennas may include a balun that may be integrated on the chip, on a package to which the chip may be affixed, and/or integrated on a printed circuit board to which the chip may be affixed. An output power of the power amplifiers may be adjusted by configuring a bias voltage on the leaky wave antennas. The bias voltage may be configured utilizing a DC to DC voltage controller. The bias current may be modulated via one or more switched current sources. The switched current sources may be binary weighted and/or may be current mirrors.

Claims

1. A wireless communications device comprising:

a package having integrated therein a leaky wave antenna;

a chip affixed to said package;

a power amplifier in said chip, said power amplifier being coupled to said leaky wave antenna; and

a circuit in said chip being operable to modulate a bias current in said power amplifier, said circuit being further operable to amplitude modulate an output of said power amplifier by utilizing said modulated bias current, wherein

the leaky wave antenna is impedance matched to the power amplifier, thereby eliminating a need for matching circuitry.

2. The wireless communications device of claim 1, wherein a balun is integrated in said package.

3. The wireless communications device of claim 1, wherein said package comprises a ceramic package.

4. The wireless communications device of claim 1, wherein said package comprises a printed circuit board.

5. The wireless communications device of claim 1, further comprising:

a vibration transducer.

6. The wireless communications device of claim 1, further comprising:

a touchscreen.

7. The wireless communications device of claim 1, wherein said wireless communications device is configured to utilize a wireless standard selected from the group of standards consisting of GSM, CDMA, CDMA2000, WCDMA, GMS, GPRS, EDGE, WIMAX, WLAN, 3GPP, UMTS, BLUETOOTH, and ZigBee standards.

8. The wireless communications device of claim 1, wherein said circuit is further operable to adjust an output power of said power amplifier by configuring a bias voltage on said leaky wave antenna.

9. The wireless communications device of claim 8, wherein said circuit is operable to configure said bias voltage utilizing a DC to DC voltage controller.

10. The wireless communications device of claim 1, wherein said circuit is operable to modulate said bias current by a switched current source.

11. The wireless communications device of claim 10, wherein said switched current source is binary weighted.

12. The wireless communications device of claim 10, wherein said switched current source comprises a current mirror.

13. A wireless communications device comprising:

a package having integrated therein a leaky wave antenna;

a chip affixed to said package;

a power amplifier in said chip, said power amplifier being coupled to said leaky wave antenna; and

a circuit in said chip being operable to modulate a bias current in said power amplifier, said circuit being further operable to adjust an output power of said power amplifier by configuring a bias voltage on said leaky wave antenna, wherein

the leaky wave antenna is impedance matched to the power amplifier, thereby eliminating a need for matching circuitry.

14. The wireless communications device of claim 13, wherein a balun is integrated in said package.

15. The wireless communications device of claim 13, further comprising:

a vibration transducer.

16. The wireless communications device of claim 13, further comprising:

a touchscreen.

17. The wireless communications device of claim 13, wherein said wireless communications device is configured to utilize a wireless standard selected from the group of standards consisting of GSM, CDMA, CDMA2000, WCDMA, GMS, GPRS, EDGE, WIMAX, WLAN, 3GPP, UMTS, BLUETOOTH, and ZigBee standards.

18. The wireless communications device of claim 13, wherein said circuit is operable to configure said bias voltage utilizing a DC to DC voltage controller.

19. The wireless communications device of claim 13, wherein said package comprises a ceramic package.

20. The wireless communications device of claim 13, wherein said package comprises a printed circuit board.