Low power and high linearity receivers with reactively biased front ends

A radio frequency receiver, comprising:

• a circuit means for receiving a radio frequency input, the circuit means having a bias;
• a detector means for producing a bias control in response to the input signal;
• and
• a bias generator means for producing the bias in response to the bias control, wherein the bias generally increases as a level of the radio frequency input increases.

A method of amplifying a radio frequency signal comprising:

• amplifying, using a bias level, a radio frequency input signal into an output signal;
• detecting a signal strength corresponding to the input signal;
• and
• generating the bias level based on the the signal strength.

An apparatus for a radio frequency receiver, comprising:

• an buffer configured to buffer a signal, the buffer having a bias level and being adapted for use in a radio frequency receiver;
• a detector configured to receive a signal strength corresponding to an input signal of the receiver and to produce according thereto a bias control signal;
• and
• a bias generator configured to produce the bias level according to the bias control signal, such that the bias level generally increases as the signal strength increases.

An apparatus for a radio frequency receiver, comprising:

• an radio frequency to intermediate frequency converter adapted for use in a receiver, the converter having a bias level;
• a detector configured to receive a signal strength corresponding to an input signal of the receiver and to produce according thereto a bias control signal;
• and
• a bias generator configured to produce the bias level according to the bias control signal, such that the bias level generally increases as the signal strength increases.

A multi-stage receiver for a radio frequency signal:

• a first amplifier, having a first bias level, configured to receive a radio frequency input signal and amplify the same into a first internal signal;
• a second amplifier, having a second bias level, configured to receive the first internal signal and amplify the same into an output signal;
• a detector configured to receive a signal indicating a signal strength of the input signal and produce according thereto a bias control signal;
• a first bias generator configured to receive the bias control signal and generate according thereto the first bias level;
• and
• a second bias generator configured to receive the bias control signal and generate according thereto the second bias level.

A multi-stage receiver for receiving a radio frequency input signal and producing an intermediate frequency signal, comprising:

• an radio frequency amplifying means, using a first bias level, for amplifying a radio frequency input signal into an internal radio frequency signal;
• a converting means, using a second bias level, for converting the internal radio frequency signal to a n intermediate frequency signal;
• a detecting means for producing a bias control signal that indicates a signal level corresponding to the radio frequency input signal;
• and
• a bias generating means for generating the first bias level and the second bias level according to the bias control signal.

A multi-stage receiver, comprising:

• a first amplifier configured to receive a radio frequency input signal and to produces a first internal signal, the first amplifier using a first bias level;
• a first detector configured to receive a first signal indicating a signal strength within the first amplifier and produce according thereto a first bias control signal;
• a first bias generator configured to receive the first bias control signal and produce according thereto the first bias level;
• and
• a second amplifier configured to amplify the first internal signal into an output signal, the second amplifier using a second bias level;
• a second detector configured to receive a second signal indicating a signal strength within the second amplifier and produce according thereto a second bias control signal;
• a second bias generator configured to receive the second bias control signal and to produce according thereto the second bias level.