RF Front-End Circuitry with Reduced DC Offset
AssigneeInfineon Technologies AG
InventorJohann Peter Forstner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An RF front-end circuit includes a directional coupler, a mixer, and a reflection circuit. The directional coupler is adapted to receive an antenna signal and an oscillator signal. The mixer is coupled to the directional coupler to receive the antenna signal and is further adapted to receive a mixer signal and to generate an output signal related to the antenna signal and the mixer signal. The reflection circuit is coupled to the directional coupler to receive the oscillator signal and is adapted to reflect at least a portion of the oscillator signal to the mixer via the directional coupler to counteract a parasitic portion of the oscillator signal received at the mixer.
Claims36
An RF front-end circuit comprising:
- a directional coupler adapted to receive an antenna signal and an oscillator signal;
- a mixer coupled to the directional coupler to receive the antenna signal, the mixer further adapted to receive a mixer signal and to generate an output signal related to the antenna signal and the mixer signal;
- and
- a reflection circuit coupled to the directional coupler to receive the oscillator signal, the reflection circuit adapted to reflect at least a portion of the oscillator signal to the mixer via the directional coupler to counteract a parasitic portion of the oscillator signal received at the mixer.
An RF front-end circuit comprising:
- a directional coupler adapted to receive an antenna signal and an oscillator signal;
- a mixer coupled to the directional coupler to receive the antenna signal, the mixer further adapted to receive a mixer signal and to output a baseband signal related to the antenna signal and the mixer signal;
- and
- an adjustable compensation circuit coupled to the directional coupler to receive the oscillator signal, the compensation circuit adapted to provide a compensation signal related to the oscillator signal to the mixer via the directional coupler to counteract a parasitic portion of the oscillator signal in the circuit.
An RF front-end circuit comprising:
- a mixer comprising:
- a first input adapted to receive an antenna signal;
- a second input adapted to receive a mixer signal;
- and
- an output adapted to provide an intermediate frequency signal;
- a directional coupler comprising:
- a first RF port adapted to be coupled to an antenna;
- a second RF port coupled to the first input of the mixer and adapted to receive the antenna signal;
- a first oscillator port adapted to receive an oscillator signal;
- a second oscillator port coupled to the first oscillator port and adapted to receive the oscillator signal;
- and
- a reflection circuit comprising an input coupled to the second oscillator port, the reflection circuit comprising a complex input impedance having a value such that a portion of the oscillator signal is reflected at the reflection circuit input to the second oscillator port of the directional coupler to superimpose with a parasitic portion of the oscillator signal between the first oscillator port and the second RF port and reduce a DC offset signal at the output of the mixer.
A radar system comprising:
- RF front-end circuitry comprising:
- a directional coupler adapted to receive an antenna signal and an oscillator signal;
- a mixer coupled to the directional coupler to receive the antenna signal, the mixer further adapted to receive a mixer signal and to output a baseband signal related to the antenna signal and the mixer signal;
- a reflection circuit coupled to the directional coupler to receive the oscillator signal, the reflection circuit adapted to reflect at least a portion of the oscillator signal to the mixer via the directional coupler to counteract a parasitic portion of the oscillator signal received at the mixer and reduce a DC signal offset at an output of the mixer;
- and
- an antenna integrated with the RF front-end circuitry on a single chip.
A method for compensating for a parasitic signal in a radar system, the method comprising:
- receiving an antenna signal by the radar system;
- receiving an oscillator signal by the radar system;
- receiving a mixer signal by the radar system;
- mixing the antenna signal and the mixer signal at a mixer of the radar system to create a mixer output signal;
- generating a compensation signal based on a reflected portion of the oscillator signal in the radar system;
- and
- superimposing the compensation signal at an input to the mixer to compensate for a parasitic portion of the oscillator signal present at the input to the mixer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.