Generator of phase-modulated uwb pulses

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016294440-A1
Application number	US-201415034384-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 17, 2014
Priority date	Dec 18, 2013
Publication date	Oct 6, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An ultra-wideband pulse generator for radio communication with phase modulation at frequencies of multiple gigahertz comprises an oscillator formed by a pair of intersecting differential branches that have two outputs connected to an LC resonant load. The transmission of a UWB pulse is caused by the application of a supply current to the differential pair over a few nanoseconds. Two current-injecting branches are respectively connected to the outputs S and S′. The control of phase modulation consists in applying an injection current to a single branch to unbalance the differential pair at the start of the generation of the UWB pulse. Depending on the side from which the injection current is applied, the oscillation at the carrier frequency will initiate with one phase or an opposite phase.

First claim

1 . A UWB pulse generator comprising: an oscillator formed by a pair of intersecting differential branches that have two outputs connected to an LC resonant load, the differential branches being supplied with power by a common current that is controlled by a current-switching circuit allowing a current to pass through only for a duration that is equal to a duration of a pulse to be transmitted; two current-injecting branches that are respectively connected to the two outputs; and a phase control circuit that imposes a different injection of current into the two outputs; wherein said phase control circuit is configured so as to impose said injection of current before the start and at least for a first part of the pulse duration.

2 . The UWB pulse generator of claim 1 , wherein the injection of current into the two outputs is zero after the end of the first part of the pulse duration.

3 . The UWB pulse generator of claim 1 , wherein the two injecting branches comprise an injection current source that is common to both branches and a respective phase selection transistor in each branch between the output of a differential branch and the current injection source.

4 . The UWB pulse generator of claim 3 , wherein the phase control circuit receives a timing signal that defines instants corresponding to the start and an end of the injection of current, with a period that is a transmission period of the UWB pulses, and a phase selection signal, and it provides control signals to the transistors of the injecting branches in order to turn one or the other of these transistors on for the first part of the duration of the pulse and to simultaneously block them after an end of this first part.

5 . The UWB pulse generator of claim 1 , wherein the current-switching circuit is a circuit comprising multiple current sources and associated switches and is arranged in order to successively set up multiple different current values from the start of the pulse and up to the end so as to give a chosen profile to the amplitude envelope of the signal that is present at the outputs of the differential pair for the duration of the pulse.

6 . The UWB pulse generator of claim 1 , wherein the LC resonant load comprises a primary of a transformer whose secondary is connected, potentially via a filter, to a transmission antenna.

7 . The UWB pulse generator of claim 1 , wherein the LC resonant load comprises a capacitor whose value is electronically controllable, according to a desired carrier frequency for the UWB pulse to be transmitted.

Assignees

• Commissariat Energie Atomique

Inventors

• Masson Gilles
• Hameau Frédéric
• Ouvry Laurent

Classifications

• H04B1/7172 Primary

  Pulse shape (in general H04L25/03834) · CPC title

• H03B5/1243

  the means comprising voltage variable capacitance diodes · CPC title

• H03B5/1228

  the amplifier comprising one or more field effect transistors · CPC title

• H03B5/1215

  the current source or degeneration circuit being in common to both transistors of the pair, e.g. a cross-coupled long-tailed pair · CPC title

• H04B1/7174

  Pulse generation (in general H04L25/03834) · CPC title