Frequency synthesis device and method

16:

• The frequency synthesis device according to claim 15, wherein the periodical signals SLO_CH1 to SLO_CHm are substantially sinusoidal signals each having a substantially constant envelope.

17:

• The frequency synthesis device according to claim 15, wherein the second generator includes:
• at least one voltage-controlled oscillator with a free oscillation range that includes the frequency N·f1, the value of N being a function of a value of a first control voltage for being applied at an input of the voltage-controlled oscillator, and
• at least one switch connected to a power supply input of the oscillator and configured to be controlled by the periodical signal with a frequency f1 such that it generates a non-null supply voltage to the oscillator only during part of each period T1, or at least one switch connected to an output of the oscillator and configured to be controlled by the periodical signal with a frequency f1 such that it breaks an electrical connection between the output of the oscillator and an input of the third generator during part of each period T1.

18:

• The frequency synthesis device according to claim 15, wherein the frequencies fLO_CHi are equal to frequencies (N+i−1)·f1.

19:

• The frequency synthesis device according to claim 15, wherein the second generator includes:
• m voltage-controlled oscillators configured to generate m signals SG1 to SGm each corresponding to a train of oscillations with a frequency substantially equal to Ni·f1, with a duration lower than T1=1/f1 and periodically repeated at the frequency f1, with Ni integer numbers higher than 1, free oscillation ranges of which include the frequencies Ni·f1, values of N1 being a function of values of the first control voltages for being applied at inputs of the voltage-controlled oscillators, and
• one or more switches each connected to a power supply input of one of the oscillators and configured to be controlled by the periodical signal with a frequency f1 such that it generates a non-null supply voltage of one of the oscillators only during part of each period T1 and/or one or more switches each connected to an output of one of the oscillators and configured to be controlled by the periodical signal with a frequency f1 such that it breaks an electrical connection between the output of one of the oscillators and an input of the third generator during part of each period T1, the switches being included in the second generator, and the third generator being configured to generate the m periodical signals SLO_CH1 to SLO_CHm from the signals SG1 to SGm.

20:

• The frequency synthesis device according to claim 19, wherein the frequencies fLO_CH1 are equal to the frequencies Ni·f1 and/or wherein the frequencies Ni·f1 are consecutive integer multiples of the frequency f1.

21:

• The frequency synthesis device according to claim 15, wherein the third generator include plural frequency recovering circuits each outputting one of the m periodical signals SLO_CH1 to SLO_CHm, each frequency recovering circuit including at least one injection-locked oscillator for receiving at an input the signal SG or one of the signals SG1 to SGm and being at least periodically locked at the frequency fLO_CHi, a value of which is a function of a value of a second control voltage for being applied at an input of the injection-locked oscillator and/or each frequency recovering circuit including at least one band-pass filter with a center frequency substantially equal to fLO_CHi.

22:

• The frequency synthesis device according to claim 21, wherein each frequency recovering circuit includes at least first and second injection-locked oscillators, the first of which is configured to output one of the m periodical signals SLO_CH1 to SLO_CHm and the second of which is configured to output another periodical signal in phase quadrature with the first of the m periodical signals SLO_CH1 to SLO_CHm via a coupling made between both injection-locked oscillators or via a phase shifter element arranged between the second generator and the injection-locked oscillators.

23:

• The frequency synthesis device according to claim 15, wherein a value of the frequency f1 is higher than about 500 MHz, and/or values of the frequencies fLO_CHi are higher than about 10 GHz, and/or oscillations of the signal SG or of the signals SG1 to SGm are sinusoidal.

24:

• The frequency synthesis device according to claim 15, wherein the first generator includes at least one resonator device and a phase-locked loop configured to regulate phase of the periodical signal with a frequency f1 outputted by the voltage-controlled oscillator of the phase-locked loop to a phase of a periodical signal outputted by the resonator device.

25:

• The frequency synthesis device according to claim 15, wherein the first generator include a resonator device configured to generate the periodical signal with a frequency f1.

26:

• A device for transmitting and/or receiving signals, comprising at least one frequency synthesis device according to claim 15, whose outputs on which are outputted the periodical signals SLO_CH1 to SLO_CHm are connected to inputs of mixers of the transmitting and/or receiving device configured to carry out a frequency translation of the signals to be transmitted and/or received.