Ultra wideband radio frequency transmission system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9800441-B2
Application number	US-201615094323-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 8, 2016
Priority date	Apr 9, 2015
Publication date	Oct 24, 2017
Grant date	Oct 24, 2017

Abstract

An ultra-wideband radio frequency transmission system capable of receiving a first signal with discrete levels, and including: a voltage-controlled oscillator capable of supplying a first oscillating signal including an oscillating circuit powered by a power supply circuit comprising at least one first current source controlled by the first signal with discrete levels or a second signal with discrete levels obtained from the first signal with discrete levels; a mixer capable of receiving the first oscillating signal and of supplying a second oscillating signal equal to the first oscillating signal multiplied by a gain which depends on the first signal with discrete levels or on a third signal with discrete levels obtained from the first signal with discrete levels; and an antenna or an electromagnetic coupling device capable of transmitting a radio frequency signal based on the second oscillating signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ultra-wideband radio frequency transmission system capable of receiving a first signal with discrete levels, and comprising:
a voltage-controlled oscillator capable of supplying a first oscillating signal comprising an oscillating circuit powered by a supply circuit comprising at least one first current source controlled by the first signal with discrete levels or a second signal with discrete levels obtained from the first signal with discrete levels;
a mixer capable of receiving the first oscillating signal and of supplying a second oscillating signal equal to the first oscillating signal multiplied by a gain which depends on the first signal with discrete levels or on a third signal with discrete levels obtained from the first signal with discrete levels; and
an antenna or an electromagnetic coupling device capable of transmitting a radio frequency signal based on the second oscillating signal.

2. The radio frequency transmission system of claim 1 , wherein the voltage-controlled oscillator is capable of supplying the first oscillating signal at a first oscillation frequency when the first signal with discrete levels or the second signal with discrete levels is in a first binary state and of supplying the first oscillating signal at a second oscillation frequency, different from the first oscillation frequency, when the first signal with discrete levels or the second signal with discrete levels is in a second binary state.

3. The radio frequency transmission system of claim 2 , wherein the first current source is activated when the first signal with discrete levels or the second signal with discrete levels is in the first binary state and is deactivated when the first signal with discrete levels or the second signal with discrete levels is in the second binary state.

4. The radio frequency transmission system of claim 1 , wherein the supply circuit comprises a second permanently activated current source in parallel with the first current source.

5. The radio frequency transmission system of claim 1 , comprising a series-to-parallel conversion unit capable of receiving the first signal with discrete levels at a first frequency and capable of supplying at least fourth and fifth signals with discrete levels at a second frequency lower than the first frequency and comprising a combinational logic unit capable of receiving the fourth and fifth signals with discrete levels and of supplying the second signal with discrete levels and the third signal with discrete levels.

6. The radio frequency transmission system of claim 1 , wherein the mixer comprises a transconductance amplifier capable of receiving the first oscillating signal and comprising an output connected to a node, capable of supplying the second oscillating signal, by at least one first switch controlled by the first signal with discrete levels or the third signal with discrete levels.

7. The radio frequency transmission system of claim 6 , wherein, when the at least one first switch is controlled by the first signal with discrete levels, the mixer comprises at least one second switch assembled in parallel with the first switch and controlled by a sixth signal with discrete levels obtained from the first signal with discrete levels.

8. The radio frequency transmission system of claim 6 , wherein when the at least one first switch is controlled by the third signal with discrete levels, the mixer comprises at least one third switch assembled in parallel with the first switch and controlled by a constant analog control signal.

9. An ultra-wideband radio frequency transmission method comprising the steps of:
receiving a first signal with discrete levels;
supplying a first oscillating signal by means of a voltage-controlled oscillator comprising an oscillating circuit powered by a supply circuit comprising at least one first current source controlled by the first signal with discrete levels or a second signal with discrete levels obtained from the first signal with discrete levels;
supplying a second oscillating signal, by means of a mixer, equal to the first oscillating signal multiplied by a gain which depends on the first signal with discrete levels or on a third signal with discrete levels obtained from the first signal with discrete levels; and
transmitting a radio frequency signal based on the second oscillating signal by means of an antenna or an electromagnetic coupling device.

10. The radio frequency transmission method of claim 9 , wherein the voltage-controlled oscillator supplies the first oscillating signal at a first oscillation frequency when the first signal with discrete levels or the second signal with discrete levels is in a first binary state and supplies the first oscillating signal at a second oscillation frequency, different from the first oscillation frequency, when the first signal with discrete levels or the second signal with discrete levels is in a second binary state.

Assignees

• Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives
• Commissariat Energie Atomique

Inventors

• Siligaris Alexandre
• Dehos Cédric

Classifications

• H03B5/1228

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

• H03B5/124

  the means comprising a voltage dependent capacitance · CPC title

• H04L27/125

  using a controlled oscillator in an open loop · CPC title

• H04L27/04 Primary

  Modulator circuits; Transmitter circuits · CPC title

• H04B1/0007

  wherein the AD/DA conversion occurs at radiofrequency or intermediate frequency stage · CPC title