Precision large phase modulation phase measurement system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10091039-B2
Application number	US-201715458233-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2017
Priority date	Mar 14, 2016
Publication date	Oct 2, 2018
Grant date	Oct 2, 2018

Abstract

A phase detection system includes first and second phase mixing circuits in signal communication with a signal phase adjuster module. The first mixing circuit generates a first digital modulated frequency signal based on an input signal and a first reference phase signal. The second mixing circuit generates a second digital modulated frequency signal based on the input signal and a second reference phase signal, which phase shifted with respect to the first reference phase signal. The phase detection system further includes a phase identification (ID) module in signal communication with the first mixing circuit and the second mixing circuit. The phase ID module generates a phase signal based on the first digital modulated frequency signal and the second digital modulated frequency signal. The phase signal indicates a phase of the input signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A phase detection system comprising:
a signal phase adjuster module configured to generate a first reference phase signal having a first phase and a second reference phase signal having a second phase that is offset with respect to the first phase;
a first mixing circuit in signal communication with the signal phase adjuster module, the first mixing circuit configured to receive an input signal, and to generate a first digital modulated frequency signal based on the first reference phase signal and the input signal;
a second mixing circuit in signal communication with the signal phase adjuster module, the second mixing circuit configured to receive the input signal, and to generate a second digital modulated frequency signal based on the second reference phase signal and the input signal;
a phase identification (ID) module in signal communication with the first mixing circuit and the second mixing circuit, the phase ID module configured to generate a phase signal based on the first digital modulated frequency signal and the second digital modulated frequency signal; and
a low pass filter in signal communication with the phase ID module, the low pass filter configured to output a filtered low frequency signal based on the phase signal,
wherein the low frequency phase signal includes the phase indicated by the phase signal, and wherein the input signal is mixed with the phase-modulated reference signal to generate a modulated frequency signal including high frequency components.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second phase is offset 90 degrees with respect to the first phase.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the signal phase adjuster module comprises:
a first phase shifter circuit in signal communication with a reference signal generator that generates a reference signal, the first phase shifter circuit configured to generate the first reference phase signal based on the reference signal; and
a second phase shifter circuit in signal communication with the reference signal generator, the second phase shifter circuit configured to generate the second reference phase signal based on the reference signal.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein:
the first mixing circuit mixes the input signal with the first reference phase signal to generate a first modulated analog signal, and digitizes the first modulated analog signal to generate the first digital modulated frequency signal, and
the second mixing circuit mixes the input signal with the second reference phase signal to generate a second modulated analog signal, and digitizes the second modulated analog signal to generate the second digital modulated frequency signal.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein:
the first mixing circuit comprises:
a first mixer module that multiplies the input signal with the first reference phase signal; and
a first analog-to-digital converter (ADC) module in signal communication with the first mixer module, the ADC module configured to generate the first digital modulated frequency signal based on the first modulated analog signal; and

the second mixing circuit comprises:
a second mixer module that multiplies the input signal with the second reference phase signal; and
a second ADC module in signal communication with the second mixer module, the second ADC module configured to generate the second digital modulated frequency signal based on the second modulated analog signal.

6. A multi-stage phase detection system comprising:
a first circuit stage, comprising:
a signal phase adjuster module configured to generate a first reference phase signal having a first phase and a second reference phase signal having a second phase that is offset with respect to the first phase; and
a phase identification (ID) module configured to generate a first modulated analog signal based on an input signal and a first reference signal, to generate a second modulated analog signal based on a second reference signal and the input signal, and to generate an output phase signal based on a phase differential (φ) between a first phase angle of the first modulated analog signal and a second phase angle of the second modulated analog signal; and

a second circuit stage, comprising:
a low pass filter in signal communication with the phase ID module, the low pass filter configured to output a filtered low frequency signal based on the output phase signal;
a low-frequency phase shifter module in signal communication with the low pass filter, the low-frequency phase shifter module configured to generate a phase-modulated reference signal based on the filtered low frequency signal and a phase-offset reference signal; and
a second stage mixer module in signal communication with the low-frequency phase shifter module, the second stage mixer module configured to generate a modulated frequency signal based on the phase-modulated reference signal and the input signal.

7. The multi-stage phase detection system of 6 , wherein the first circuit stage comprises:
a signal phase adjuster module configured to generate a first reference phase signal having a first phase and a second reference phase signal having a second phase that is offset with respect to the first phase;
a first mixing circuit in signal communication with the signal phase adjuster module, the first mixing circuit configured to receive an input signal, and to generate a first digital modulated frequency signal based on the first reference phase signal and the input signal;
a second mixing circuit in signal communication with the signal phase adjuster module, the second mixing circuit configured to receive the input signal, and to generate a second digital modulated frequency signal based on the second reference phase signal and the input signal; and
a phase identification (ID) module in signal communication with the first mixing circuit and the second mixing circuit, the phase ID module configured to generate the output phase signal based on the first digital modulated frequency signal and the second digital modulated frequency signal.

8. The multi-stage phase detection system of claim 7 , wherein the second phase is offset 90 degrees with respect to the first phase.

9. The multi-stage phase detection system of claim 8 , wherein:
the first mixing circuit mixes the input signal with the first reference phase signal to generate a first modulated analog signal, and digitizes the first modulated analog signal to generate the first digital modulated frequency signal, and
the second mixing circuit mixes the input signal with the second reference phase signal to generate a second modulated analog signal, and digitizes the second modulated analog signal to generate the second digital modulated frequency signal.

10. The multi-stage phase detection system of claim 9 , wherein:
the first mixing circuit comprises:
a first mixer module that multiplies the input signal with the first reference phase signal; and
a first analog-to-digital converter (ADC) module in signal communication with the first mixer module, the ADC module configured to generate the first digital modulated frequency signal based on the first modulated analog signal; and

the second mixing circuit comprises:
a second mixer module that multiplies the input signal with the second reference phase signal; and
a second ADC module in signal communication with the second mixer module, the second ADC module configured to generate the second digital modulated frequency signal based on the second modulated analog signal.

11. The multi-stage phase detection system of claim 7 , wherein the signal phase adjuster module comprises:
a first phase shifter circuit in signal communication wit

Assignees

• Raytheon Co

Inventors

• Dolgin Benjamin
• Graceffo Gary M
• Kowalevicz Andrew

Classifications

• H04L27/20 Primary

  Modulator circuits; Transmitter circuits · CPC title

• H04L27/16

  Frequency regulation arrangements · CPC title

• H04L5/0048

  Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver (allocation of control signalling H04L5/0053; use of control signalling H04L5/0091) · CPC title