Down-converting electromagnetic signals, including controlled discharge of capacitors

DC CAFC

US 7,496,342 B2
Filed: 10/25/2004
Issued: 02/24/2009
Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2000
Status: Expired due to Term

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1. An apparatus for down-converting an electromagnetic signal, comprising:

a first and second capacitor each having a first and second port;

a first and second switching device each having a first, second, and third port; and

a first and second impedance device each having a first and second port, whereinthe second port of the first capacitor is electrically coupled to the second port of the first switching device and the second port of the first impedance device,the second port of the second capacitor is electrically coupled to the second port of the second switching device and the second port of the second impedance device, andthe first port of the first switching device is electrically coupled to the first port of the second switching device and the first port of the first and second impedance devices, and whereina first switching signal is applied to the third port of the first switching device, anda second switching signal is applied to the third port of the second switching device.

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Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatuses, for down-converting and up-converting an electromagnetic signal. In embodiments the invention operates by receiving an EM signal and recursively operating on approximate half cycles of the carrier signal. The recursive operations can be performed at a sub-harmonic rate of the carrier signal. The invention accumulates the results of the recursive operations and uses the accumulated results to form a down-converted signal. In embodiments, up-conversion is accomplished by controlling a switch with an oscillating signal, the frequency of the oscillating signal being selected as a sub-harmonic of the desired output frequency. When the invention is being used in the frequency modulation or phase modulation implementations, the oscillating signal is modulated by an information signal before it causes the switch to gate the bias signal. The output of the switch is filtered, and the desired harmonic is output.

821 Citations

23 Claims

1. An apparatus for down-converting an electromagnetic signal, comprising:
- a first and second capacitor each having a first and second port;
  
  a first and second switching device each having a first, second, and third port; and
  
  a first and second impedance device each having a first and second port, whereinthe second port of the first capacitor is electrically coupled to the second port of the first switching device and the second port of the first impedance device,the second port of the second capacitor is electrically coupled to the second port of the second switching device and the second port of the second impedance device, andthe first port of the first switching device is electrically coupled to the first port of the second switching device and the first port of the first and second impedance devices, and whereina first switching signal is applied to the third port of the first switching device, anda second switching signal is applied to the third port of the second switching device.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
- - 2. The apparatus of claim 1, whereinthe first capacitor discharges between six percent to fifty percent of the total charge stored therein during a period of time that the first switching device is open, andthe second capacitor discharges between six percent to fifty percent of the total charge stored therein during a period of time that the second switching device is open.
  - 3. The apparatus of claim 1, whereinthe first capacitor discharges between six percent to twenty-five percent of the total charge stored therein during a period of time that the first switching device is open, andthe second capacitor discharges between six percent to twenty-five percent of the total charge stored therein during a period of time that the second switching device is open.
  - 4. The apparatus of claim 1, whereinthe first capacitor discharges between ten percent to twenty percent of the total charge stored therein during a period of time that the first switching device is open, andthe second capacitor discharges between ten percent to twenty percent of the total charge stored therein during a period of time that the second switching device is open.
  - 5. The apparatus of claim 1, whereinthe first capacitor discharges between fifteen percent to twenty-five percent of the total charge stored therein during a period of time that the first switching device is open, andthe second capacitor discharges between fifteen percent to twenty-five percent of the total charge stored therein during a period of time that the second switching device is open.
  - 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first impedance device is an input impedance of a first amplifier and the second impedance device is an input impedance of a second amplifier.
  - 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second switching devices are transistors.
  - 8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second switching devices are FETs.
  - 9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second switching devices are JFETs.
  - 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second switching devices are MOSFETs.
  - 11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first port of the first switching device, the first port of the second switching device, and the first port of the first and second impedance device are each coupled to an AC ground.
  - 12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
    - a first low-pass filter having an input coupled to the second port of the first capacitor, the second port of the first switching device, and the second port of the first impedance device; and
      
      a second low-pass filter having an input coupled to the second port of the second capacitor, the second port of the second switching device, and the second port of the second impedance device;
      
      wherein the first and second low-pass filters remove a carrier signal from first and second down-converted signals, respectively.
  - 13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first and second low-pass filters are incorporated into first and second amplifiers, respectively.
  - 14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
    - a first aperture generator having an input coupled to a first clock signal; and
      
      a second aperture generator having an input coupled to a second clock signal;
      
      wherein the first and second aperture generators generate the first and second switching signals, respectively.
  - 15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the second clock signal is approximately one hundred eighty degrees out of phase with respect to the first clock signal.
  - 16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a period of the first switching signal includes at least one of a third or a fifth harmonic of an information signal, and wherein a period of the second switching signal includes at least one of a third or a fifth harmonic of an inverted information signal.
  - 17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first switching device is closed for approximately one-half of a cycle of an information signal per a period of the first switching signal, and wherein the second switching device is closed for approximately one-half of a cycle of an inverted information signal per a period of the second switching signal.

18. A method for down-converting an electromagnetic signal, comprising the steps of:
- (1) receiving an information signal;
  
  (2) inverting the information signal to generate an inverted information signal;
  
  (3) electrically coupling the information signal to a first capacitor and the inverted information signal to a second capacitor;
  
  (4) controlling a charging and discharging cycle of the first and second capacitors with first and second switching devices electrically coupled to the first and second capacitors, respectively; and
  
  (5) performing a plurality of charging and discharging cycles of the first and second capacitors to generate first and second down-converted information signals across first and second impedance devices, respectively;
  
  wherein the information signal is used to store a charge on the first capacitor when the first switching device is closed and the inverted information signal is used to store a charge on the second capacitor when the second switching device is closed.
- View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
- - 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the first capacitor discharges between six percent to fifty percent of the total charge stored therein during a period of time that the first switching device is open, and wherein the second capacitor discharges between six percent to fifty percent of the total charge stored therein during a period of time that the second switching device is open.
  - 20. The method of claim 18, wherein the first capacitor discharges between ten percent to twenty-five percent of the total charge stored therein during a period of time that the first switching device is open, and wherein the second capacitor discharges between ten percent to twenty-five percent of the total charge stored therein during a period of time that the second switching device is open.
  - 21. The method of claim 18, wherein the first capacitor discharges between fifteen percent to thirty percent of the total charge stored therein during a period of time that the first switching device is open, and wherein the second capacitor discharges between fifteen percent to thirty percent of the total charge stored therein during a period of time that the second switching device is open.
  - 22. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of:
    - amplifying the first and second down-converted information signals.
  - 23. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of:
    - removing a carrier signal from the first and second down-converted information signals.

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Litigation Data

Current Assignee
ParkerVision, Inc.
Original Assignee
ParkerVision, Inc.
Inventors
Cook, Robert W., Rawlins, Gregory S., Bultman, Michael J., Sorrells, David F., Moses, Charley D. Jr., Looke, Richard C., Rawlins, Michael W.
Primary Examiner(s)
Phu; Sanh D

Application Number

US10/972,133
Publication Number

US 20050085208A1
Time in Patent Office

1,583 Days
Field of Search

455/313, 455/323, 455/334, 455/318, 327/356, 327/357, 327/358, 327/359, 327/360
US Class Current

455/313
CPC Class Codes

H03D 7/00 Transference of modulation ...

H04B 1/16 Circuits

Down-converting electromagnetic signals, including controlled discharge of capacitors

First Claim

1 Assignment

Litigations

1 Petition

Accused Products

Abstract

821 Citations

23 Claims

Specification

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Down-converting electromagnetic signals, including controlled discharge of capacitors

First Claim

1 Assignment

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Litigations

1 Petition

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Accused Products

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Abstract

821 Citations

23 Claims

Specification

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Solutions

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