Method and system of generating a modulated chirp signal

A method of generating a modulated chirp signal comprising the steps of:

• generating a phase-locked loop output signal and sampled feedback signal from a voltage controlled oscillator;
• receiving the sampled feedback signal within a quadrature I/Q phase modulator;
• generating I/Q quadrature signals from an I/Q generator circuit to the quadrature I/Q phase modulator and producing a desired modulation of the sampled feedback signal as a string of +/−90 degree phase shifts to create a desired offset at the voltage controlled oscillator;
• and
• chirp modulating the I/Q quadrature signals and the resultant phase-locked loop output signal by a chirp signal comprising a sequence of chirps having a reference chirp followed by plurality of data chirps, wherein each data chirp encodes a plurality of n-bits as an offset to a starting frequency.

A system for generating a modulated chirp signal comprising:

• a phase-locked loop circuit comprising a voltage controlled oscillator, a phase detector, and a quadrature I/Q phase modulator in a feedback loop for generating a phase-locked loop output signal from the voltage controlled oscillator and a sampled feedback signal from the voltage controlled oscillator to the quadrature I/Q phase modulator;
• an I/Q generator circuit operatively connected to said quadrature I/Q phase modulator for generating I/Q quadrature signals to the quadrature I/Q phase modulator and producing a modulation as a string of +/−90 degree phase shifts to create a desired offset at the voltage controlled oscillator;
• and
• a chirp controller connected to said I/Q generator circuit for generating a chirp signal to said I/Q generator circuit comprising a sequence of chirps having a reference chirp followed by a plurality of data chirps.

A system for generating a modulated chirp signal comprising:

• a phase-locked loop circuit comprising a voltage controlled oscillator, a phase detector, and a quadrature I/Q phase modulator in a feedback loop for generating a phase-locked loop output signal from the voltage controlled oscillator and a sampled feedback signal from the voltage controlled oscillator to the quadrature I/Q phase modulator;
• an I/Q generator circuit operatively connected to said quadrature I/Q phase modulator for generating I/Q quadrature signals to the quadrature I/Q phase modulator and producing a modulation as a string of +/−90 degree phase shifts to create a desired offset at the voltage controlled oscillator;
• and
• a chirp controller connected to said I/Q generator circuit for generating a chirp signal to said I/Q generator circuit comprising a sequence of chirps having a reference chirp followed by a plurality of data chirps, wherein each data chirp encodes a plurality of n-bits as an offset to a starting frequency.