Multimode radio transceiver equipment

Abstract

A multi-mode radio transceiver device is provided. Some aspects of this disclosure relate to a multi-mode wireless communication integrated circuit IC with multiple optimization blocks that can be programmably reconfigured, interconnected, enabled, and disabled to support multiple protocols, modulations, and modes. These blocks can include low-noise amplifiers, power amplifiers, mixers, programmable local oscillators, programmable filters, programmable analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), programmable digital-to-analog converters (DACs), various types of modulators and demodulators, and additional digital circuitry including predefined blocks and FPGAs. Selective enabling and disabling, setting of operating parameters, programmable interconnection, and programming correspond to the selected operating mode among multiple operating modes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a multi-mode radio transceiver device. Background Technology

[0002] The continuous advancement of consumer and commercial wireless communication technologies has witnessed the introduction and development of various wireless radio frequency communication technologies. For example, Ultra Wideband (UWB) 802.15.4z, Bluetooth (a registered trademark of the Bluetooth SIG), and 802.15.4 systems are used in a variety of short-range wireless communication applications, such as Internet of Things (IoT) applications, home applications, automotive applications, commercial applications, and industrial applications. While these systems share some similarities, such as often operating in unlicensed radio frequency bands, each system has different operating characteristics that require specialized corresponding hardware to operate effectively. Summary of the Invention

[0003] One aspect of the present invention provides a multi-mode wireless communication integrated circuit (IC) device, comprising: an amplifier configured to be connected to a receiving antenna; a first mixer; a local oscillator having programmable operating parameters; a first programmable filter; a first programmable analog-to-digital converter (ADC); a first type demodulator; a second type demodulator; a digital circuit module configured to receive information from the first type demodulator and the second type demodulator; and reconfigurable interconnections, wherein the reconfigurable interconnections are configured to selectively connect among one or more of the amplifier, the mixer, the local oscillator, the first programmable filter, the first programmable ADC, the first type demodulator, and the second type demodulator according to an operating mode selected from a plurality of operating modes of the multi-mode wireless communication integrated circuit (IC) device, to form a signal path from the receiving antenna to the digital circuit module.

[0004] Another aspect of the present invention provides a multi-mode wireless communication integrated circuit (IC) device, comprising: a power amplifier (PA) configured to be connected to a transmitting antenna; a mixer; a local oscillator having programmable operating parameters; a first programmable filter; a first programmable digital-to-analog converter (DAC); a first type modulator; a second type modulator; a digital circuit module configured to provide information to the first type modulator and the second type modulator; and reconfigurable interconnects configured to selectively connect among one or more of the PA, the mixer, the local oscillator, the first programmable filter, the first programmable DAC, the first type modulator, and the second type modulator according to an operating mode selected from a plurality of operating modes of the multi-mode wireless communication integrated circuit (IC) device, to form a signal path from the digital circuit module to the transmitting antenna.

[0005] Another aspect of the present invention provides a method for a multi-mode wireless communication integrated circuit (IC) device, the method comprising: selectively enabling and disabling one or more of an amplifier, a mixer, a local oscillator, a first programmable filter, a first programmable analog-to-digital converter (ADC), a first type demodulator, and a second type demodulator by a controller; and, according to an operating mode selected from a plurality of operating modes of the device, using reconfigurable interconnects to configure interconnections among one or more of the amplifier, the mixer, the local oscillator, the first programmable filter, the first programmable ADC, the first type demodulator, and the second type demodulator to form a signal path from a receiving antenna to a digital circuit module. Attached Figure Description

[0006] The following are some examples of circuits, devices, and / or methods described by way of example only. In this context, reference will be made to the accompanying drawings.

[0007] Figure 1 A simplified schematic diagram of an example integrated circuit (IC) device according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown.

[0008] Figure 2 A simplified schematic diagram of an example implementation of an IC device according to an alternative embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0009] Figure 3 This demonstrates operation in Bluetooth receive mode. Figure 1 SoC.

[0010] Figure 4 This demonstrates operation in Bluetooth Low Power Receive mode. Figure 1 SoC.

[0011] Figure 5 This demonstrates operation in the 802.15.4 Zigbee receive mode. Figure 1 SoC.

[0012] Figure 6A This demonstrates operation in Bluetooth transmit mode. Figure 1 SoC.

[0013] Figure 6B This demonstrates operation in Bluetooth Low Power Transmit mode. Figure 1 SoC.

[0014] Figure 7 This demonstrates operation in the 802.15.4 Zigbee transmit mode. Figure 1 SoC.

[0015] Figure 8 A flowchart illustrating an example process for implementing the present disclosure is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0016] The present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same reference numerals are always used to refer to the same elements, and wherein the structures and devices shown are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0017] Short-range wireless communication offers numerous benefits for consumer and commercial applications. Consequently, the number of short-range wireless communication systems used for consumer and commercial applications has proliferated. While theoretically the entire radio frequency range can be used for such systems, transmissions in many radio frequency bands require government permission to avoid interference in those bands. However, there are several unlicensed radio frequency bands that can generally be used without a license. However, systems operating in those unlicensed bands may be subject to limitations on their transmit power to reduce interference with other systems. Various other techniques can also be employed to reduce interference between multiple adjacent systems operating in the same radio frequency band. For example, a system can check if a channel is free before using it, or it can skip multiple channels to reduce overall interference. The specific radio frequency bands that can be used for unlicensed use can vary by country. However, some bands are fairly universally available for unlicensed use, such as, for example, the 2.4 GHz Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) band.

[0018] Electronic device manufacturers have developed various standards for short-range wireless communication tailored to specific markets. Note that, as used in this article, "short-range" refers to wireless communication links typically not exceeding a few hundred meters. Also note that while individual nodes may be no more than a few hundred meters apart, multiple nodes can form mesh networks of virtually unlimited size. Among the more popular short-range wireless communication standards are Bluetooth, UWB 802.15.4z, and 802.15.4 Zigbee.

[0019] These standards not only differ from one another, but any particular standard can also have multiple different versions as each standard evolves. Conventional devices using a specific short-range wireless communication standard use hardware optimized for that standard, which is not only incompatible with other standards but may also be incompatible with future iterations of the evolving standard. Software-defined radio implements some radio communication functions, such as filtering, modulation, and demodulation, in software, and therefore provides some flexibility in implementing multiple standards, enabling the standard to evolve through software updates. However, a drawback of using software to implement these radio communication functions is reduced speed and operational efficiency. Modular radio hardware systems can provide the flexibility to implement multiple communication standards while maintaining speed and operational efficiency. Relatedly, modular radio hardware systems can use shared hardware components in a single device to support both narrowband (e.g., FM) and broadband (e.g., UWB) communication systems.

[0020] As described above, Bluetooth, UWB 802.15.4z, Zigbee 802.15.4, and other short-range wireless communication systems share some common components. On the receive path, these systems use antennas, low-noise amplifiers (LNAs), one or more mixers, frequency filters, analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), corresponding demodulators, and additional digital circuitry (e.g., additional baseband modem circuitry). On the transmit path, these systems use additional digital circuitry, corresponding modulators, one or more digital-to-analog converters (DACs), frequency filters and mixers, power amplifiers (PAs), and antennas. Some of these components (e.g., components of the baseband modem) may be shared by both the transmit and receive paths.

[0021] In some embodiments of this disclosure, a programmable system-on-chip (SoC) device implements a multi-mode wireless communication system. The device includes multiple controllable and connectable component blocks, such as, for example, a low-noise amplifier, a power amplifier, a mixer, a programmable local oscillator, a programmable filter, a programmable analog-to-digital converter (ADC), a programmable digital-to-analog converter (DAC), various types of modulators and demodulators, additional baseband modem digital circuitry, and a mode controller. The mode controller is configured to selectively interconnect, enable and disable one or more of the mixer, local oscillator, programmable filter, programmable ADC, programmable DAC, modulator, and demodulator, set operating parameters for the local oscillator, program the programmable filter, and program the ADC, wherein the selective enabling and disabling, setting and programming of operating parameters correspond to the selected operating mode among multiple operating modes.

[0022] For example, Bluetooth systems use frequency hopping in the 2.4 GHz ISM band to transmit at relatively low power to connect peripheral devices, provide point-to-point connectivity, and for other purposes. Ultra-wideband pulse radio (IR-UWB) is a low-power near-field wireless communication technology that uses multiple very short and narrow radio frequency electromagnetic pulses transmitted over a wide frequency band. Typically, the transmitted pulses are shorter than 2 ns, and the corresponding bandwidth is close to 500 MHz or greater. Besides being useful for communication, the short and narrow transmission pulses also allow for precise calculation of the distance between transceivers, for example, using bidirectional ranging. Zigbee 802.15.4 is a wireless communication protocol designed for low-power and low-data-rate mesh networks, such as home automation systems.

[0023] Figure 1 A simplified schematic diagram of an example integrated circuit (IC) device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The IC device 100 may be implemented as a programmable system-on-chip (SoC) device. The SoC 100 includes microcontroller (MCU) circuitry 105, memory 106, media access control (MAC) controller 108, digital module 104, analog front-end 103, and antennas 125 and 126. The MCU circuitry, which may include one or more processor cores (e.g., CPUs) (not shown), includes a mode controller 107.

[0024] Memory 106 is at least a random access memory (RAM) accessible by MCU circuitry 105. Memory 106 may include one or more of, for example, static RAM (SRAM), resistive RAM (RRAM), and non-volatile RAM (NVRAM). MCU circuitry 105 may also access external RAM (not shown), such as, for example, dynamic RAM (DRAM).

[0025] MAC controller 108 manages digital data framing, media access, and communication protocols for SoC 100. MAC controller 108 provides digital data for transmission to digital module 104, and receives processed (e.g., frequency-limited and digitized) digital data from digital module 104. Digital module 104 includes multiple demodulators 120, modulators 130, and additional baseband modem circuitry 110. Digital module 104 converts demodulated digital data for / from MAC controller 108 between modulated digital versions of data from / for analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) 140 and DACs 141. It can also be said that digital module 104 converts packetized data between streaming or serial data.

[0026] Digital module 104 includes various types of hardware modulators and corresponding demodulators, each of which can be configured for a specific type of data modulation. Modulation types can include any of the following schemes: frequency modulation (FM), frequency shift keying (FSK), phase shift keying (PSK), binary PSK (BPSK), differential PSK (DPSK), quadrature PSK (QPSK), offset QPSK (OQPSK), orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), ultra-wideband pulse radio (IR-UWB), and quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM). Figure 1 The digital module 104 includes an FM demodulator 120 (1), a PSK demodulator 120 (2), an FSK demodulator 120 (3), a QAM demodulator 120 (4), a UWB demodulator 120 (5), an FM modulator 130 (1), a PSK modulator 130 (2), an FSK modulator 130 (3), a QAM modulator 130 (4), and a UWB modulator 130 (5). It should be noted that in some implementations, the PSK modulator 130 (2) and the PSK demodulator 120 (2) can implement one or more of PSK, BPSK, DPSK, QPSK, OQPSK, and other PSK modulation schemes.

[0027] Each modulator 130 can be configured to connect to one or more components of the analog front-end 103, such as, for example, a programmable DAC 141, a local oscillator (LO) module 109, or a power amplifier (PA) 112. Each demodulator 120 can similarly be configured to connect to one or more components of the analog front-end 103, such as, for example, a programmable ADC 140. The demodulators 120 and 130 can be controllably connected to selected components of the analog front-end 103 using interconnect 150. Interconnect 150 reconfigurably interconnects components of the analog front-end 103 and the digital module 104, and can include, for example, cross switches, switch matrices, interconnect structures, or any other suitable selectively controllable or programmable interconnect technology. Note that interconnect 150 can include a combination of reconfigurable and static connections. For example, modulator 130 can be connected to analog front-end components via configurable connections while simultaneously being statically connected to additional baseband modem circuitry 110.

[0028] In addition to the interconnect 150 described above, the analog front end 103 includes a programmable ADC 140 and DAC 141, a local oscillator (LO) module 109 and a power amplifier (PA) 112, an in-phase mixer (I-mixer) 113, a quadrature mixer (Q-mixer) 114, a programmable filter 115, and a low-noise amplifier (LNA) 111. The LNA is connected to antenna 125, while the PA is connected to antenna 126. The interconnect 150 and other components of the device 100 may include a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) for configuring desired capabilities and characteristics.

[0029] Some components of SoC 100 can be configured as part of receive (RX) path 101, some components can be configured as part of transmit (TX) path 102, and some components can be configured to be shared by both receive path 101 and transmit path 102. Note that a module configured as part of the receive path in the first configuration can be reconfigured as part of the transmit path in the second configuration. On receive path 101, antenna 125 receives radio signals and converts them into electrical signals provided to LNA 111. LNA 111 amplifies the signal and outputs the corresponding output signal 111a to I mixer 113r and Q mixer 114r. I mixer 113r and Q mixer 114r receive suitable oscillation signals from LO module 109 to mix with signal 111a to generate corresponding baseband frequency signals for provision to corresponding programmable filters 115. The suitable oscillation signal can be at the carrier frequency of the radio signal. The oscillation signal used by Q mixer 114r is 90 degrees out of phase (or) with the oscillation signal used by I mixer 113r. (in radians). In some implementations, the Q mixer 114r includes circuitry for phase-shifting the oscillation signal from the LO module 109 by 90 degrees. In some implementations, the LO module 109 provides two oscillation signals that are 90 degrees out of phase, one to the I mixer 113r and the other to the Q mixer 114r. The signal provided by the LO module 109 may be referred to as the local oscillator signal.

[0030] I-mixer 113r provides its mixed output signal to programmable filter 115(1), and Q-mixer 114r provides its mixed output signal to programmable filter 115(2). Programmable filter 115 can be configured as a low-pass or band-pass filter to filter out unwanted frequencies in the mixed output of the mixers (e.g., I-mixer 113r and Q-mixer 114r) and provide the output signal of the desired frequency range (e.g., baseband frequency) to the corresponding programmable ADC 140 (e.g., ADC 140(1) and 140(2)). Filter 115(1) provides its filtered output signal to ADC 140(1), and filter 115(2) provides its filtered output signal to ADC 140(2). Each ADC 140 converts its received input analog signal into a corresponding modulated digital signal. Each ADC 140 can be configured to selectively connect to each demodulator 120 and any demodulator 120, and to provide its modulated digital signal output to each demodulator 120 and any demodulator 120. For example, ADC 140 (1) can be configured to selectively connect to any one of the following demodulators: FM demodulator 120 (1), PSK demodulator 120 (2), FSK demodulator 120 (3), QAM demodulator 120 (4), and UWB demodulator 120 (5). It should be noted that some configurations can bypass ADC 140 and / or other receiver path 101 components. For example, in some configurations, UWB demodulator 120 (5) can be connected to receive the output of programmable filter 115, I mixer 113, Q mixer 114, or LNA 111. Demodulator 120 is configured to demodulate its received modulated input and to provide corresponding demodulated data to MAC controller 108 via additional baseband modem circuitry 110. Typically, in any given operating mode, only one type of demodulator 120 or modulator 130 will be enabled.

[0031] Transmit path 102 is, in some respects, the reverse of receive path 101 described above. Any of the demodulators in the modulators 130 (i.e., FM modulator 130(1), PSK modulator 130(2), FSK modulator 130(3), QAM modulator 130(4), and UWB modulator 130(5)) can be configured to receive demodulated data from MAC controller 108 via additional baseband modem circuitry 110. Each modulator 130 is configured to modulate the received demodulated data into a modulated digital signal at the baseband frequency according to the modulation scheme of the particular modulator 130. The output of any particular modulator 130 can be provided to, for example, one of the programmable DACs 141 (e.g., DAC 141(1) and DAC 141(2)), LO module 109, I mixer 113, Q mixer 114, or PA 112. For example, any one of the modulators FM modulator 130(1), PSK modulator 130(2), FSK modulator 130(3), and QAM modulator 130(4) can be configured to connect to LO module 109 to directly control its output frequency. As another example, any one of the modulators QAM modulator 130(4) and UWB modulator 130(5) can be configured to connect to mixer 113, mixer 114, or PA 112 to directly control the output signal. Any other suitable configuration using interconnect 150 is also available.

[0032] Each DAC 141 is configured to convert the received modulated digital signal into a corresponding analog output signal, which is then provided to the corresponding transmit mixer (e.g., I-mixer 113t or Q-mixer 114t) via a corresponding filter 115. DAC 141(1) provides its output to I-mixer 113t via filter 115(3), while DAC 141(2) provides its output to Q-mixer 114t via filter 115(4). As described above, filter 115 removes portions of its input signal at unwanted frequencies to provide an output signal within the desired frequency range (e.g., at the baseband frequency).

[0033] Transmit I mixer 113t and Q mixer 114t are configured to receive a suitable oscillation signal from LO module 109 and mix it with its input signal to generate a corresponding carrier frequency signal for supplying to power amplifier 112. The suitable oscillation signal can be at the carrier frequency of the intended radio signal. The oscillation signal used by Q mixer 114t is 90 degrees out of phase with the oscillation signal used by I mixer 113t. In some implementations, Q mixer 114t includes circuitry for phase-shifting the oscillation signal from LO module 109 by 90 degrees. In some implementations, LO module 109 provides two oscillation signals 90 degrees out of phase, one to I mixer 113t and the other to Q mixer 114t. Note that the generally configurable mixer module can be configured to function as any one of mixers 113r, 114r, 113t, and 114t.

[0034] Some components of the LO module 109, as well as the additional baseband modem circuitry 110 and the MAC controller 108, are shared by both the receive path 101 and the transmit path 102. Other components may also be shared, as described elsewhere herein. For example, in some implementations, components of the mixer, filter, ADC, DAC, modulator, and demodulator may also be shared by both the receive path 101 and the transmit path 102.

[0035] Figure 2 A simplified schematic diagram of an example implementation of an IC device 200 according to an alternative embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The IC device 200 is substantially similar to Figure 1 The IC device 100 uses a single shared antenna 202 instead of the two antennas found in IC device 100. Antenna 202 is configured to be selectively connected to LNA 111 and PA 112 via a TX / RX switch 201 controlled by MCU circuitry 105. The MCU circuitry controls the TX / RX switch 201 to switch antenna 202 between transmit and receive as needed. Therefore, in IC device 200, antenna 202 and TX / RX switch 201 are also shared between receive path 101 and transmit path 102. It should be noted that devices 100 and 200 can be implemented on the same device; that is, a single device can have multiple antennas and TX / RX switches, wherein the device can be configured to use dedicated transmit and receive antennas, or alternatively, use a shared transceiver antenna.

[0036] It should be noted that IC devices (such as, for example) according to embodiments of this disclosure Figure 1 SoC 100 and Figure 2The SoC 200 can be configured to use various additional components along its receive path 101 and / or transmit path 102. For example, various additional filters can be used between the components to ensure that the corresponding signals remain within the desired frequency band and to suppress signal components in unwanted frequency bands. It should be further noted that embodiments of this disclosure may include additional reconfigurable transmit and receive components (not shown) to implement additional features or technologies.

[0037] Local oscillator module 109 may include one or more reconfigurable voltage-controlled oscillators (VCOs) configured to provide oscillation signals in different frequency ranges. LO module 109 may include additional reconfigurable circuitry, such as frequency dividers or phase-locked loop (PLL) circuitry, to modify and control the frequencies generated by any of the constituent oscillators. Local oscillator module 109 may also include multiple oscillators that differ in their power usage. In other words, LO module 109 may include low-power oscillators, high-power oscillators, and any number of intermediate-power oscillators. For example, in a low-power mode, LO module 109 may have selectively enabled injected-locked loop oscillators. Mode controller 107 may select the specific LO module circuitry activated in any given operating mode based on the selected operating mode. Components of LO module 109 may be interconnected using interconnect 150 or similar reconfigurable interconnect technologies.

[0038] The mode controller 107 controls various operational aspects of the SoC 100, particularly the operational aspects of the components of the analog front-end 103 and the digital module 104. The mode controller 107 selectively enables and disables one or more components, sets operating parameters for one or more components, and selectively enables and disables connections between two or more components.

[0039] Specifically, mode controller 107 selectively enables and disables one or more of the in-phase and quadrature mixers, local oscillator modules, programmable filters, programmable ADCs, programmable DACs, modulators, and demodulators. Mode controller 107 also programs the operating parameters of one or more of the in-phase and quadrature mixers, local oscillator modules, programmable filters, programmable ADCs, programmable DACs, modulators, and demodulators. Furthermore, mode controller 107 is configured to configure interconnects 150, for example, to selectively enable and disable connections between two or more of the in-phase and quadrature mixers, local oscillators, programmable filters, programmable ADCs, programmable DACs, modulators, and demodulators. Typically, interconnects 150 are configured to selectively connect components of device 100 to form a signal path from the antenna to MAC controller 108.

[0040] The mode controller 107 can selectively enable or disable specific components by, for example, controlling switches (e.g., transistors, logic gates, or demultiplexers) (not shown) that provide power or clock signals to the components. The mode controller 107 can selectively enable and disable connections using at least one of multiplexers, demultiplexers, cross switches, switch matrices, and controllable interconnect structures. The mode controller 107 can program the operating parameters of components based on the programmability of specific components. For example, various components can have selectable power levels enabling low-power or normal operation. The programmable filter 115 can have digitally selectable capacitor banks to set characteristics such as pass and suppress frequency ranges, corner frequencies, etc. Additional filters (not shown) that can be used can be similarly programmed. The programmable ADC 140 and DAC 141 can have programmable sampling rates, which affect power usage and accuracy. The local oscillator 109 can have a digitally controlled output frequency and selectively enable or disable specific sub-components.

[0041] The mode controller 107 can select from multiple operating modes, including two or more of Bluetooth (BT), Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Ultra Wideband (UWB), Zigbee 802.15.4, and Low Power. The mode controller 107 can use a lookup table (not shown) to store and manage programming parameters corresponding to each operating mode, wherein table entries correspond to the selected operating mode and indicate the enable status and programming parameters of the corresponding component, as well as the enable status of the corresponding interconnect. The lookup table or a copy may be stored in memory 106 and may be updated intermittently by, for example, adding, deleting, or modifying operating modes via updates to SoC 100 or SoC 200 (e.g., via over-the-air (OTA) updates). The mode controller 107 can be configured to dynamically switch between operating modes among the multiple operating modes, for example, in response to a received external request or in response to an internal determination by MCU circuitry 105. It should be noted that in some alternative implementations, the SoC lacks a mode controller, and the operating modes and components may be configured by an external controller temporarily connected to the SoC device.

[0042] Figure 3 This demonstrates operation in Bluetooth receive mode. Figure 1The SoC 100. Enabled components along receive path 101 are shown in bold outline and dotted fill. Enabled interconnects are shown in bold. Specifically, antenna 125, LNA 111, LO module 109, I mixer 113r, Q mixer 114r, programmable filters 115(1) and 115(2), programmable ADCs 140(1) and 140(2), FM demodulator 120(1), additional baseband circuitry 110, and MAC controller 108 are enabled, as are the corresponding signal interconnects from antenna 125 to MAC controller 108. Other components along receive path 101 and those along transmit path 102 can be disabled or in low-power mode.

[0043] Figure 4 This demonstrates operation in Bluetooth Low Power Receive mode. Figure 1 The SoC 100. Enabled components along receive path 101 are shown in bold outline and dotted fill. Enabled interconnects are shown in bold. Specifically, antenna 125, LNA 111, LO module 109, I mixer 113r, programmable filter 115 (1), programmable ADC 140 (1), FM demodulator 120 (1), additional baseband circuitry 110, and MAC controller 108 are enabled, as are the corresponding signal interconnects from antenna 125 to MAC controller 108. Other components of receive path 101 and components of transmit path 102 can be disabled or in low-power mode. LO module 109 can also be programmed to operate in low-power mode. This operating mode can be used, for example, to implement low-power wake-up features. Note that in some alternative implementations, alternative components (not shown) can be used to implement low-power wake-up features, such as, for example, a 1-bit ADC instead of programmable ADC 140 configured to connect between antenna 125 and the corresponding demodulator 120.

[0044] Figure 5 This demonstrates operation in Zigbee 802.15.4 receive mode. Figure 1 The SoC 100. Enabled components along receive path 101 are shown in bold outline and dotted fill. Enabled interconnects are shown in bold. Specifically, antenna 125, LNA 111, LO module 109, I mixer 113r, Q mixer 114r, programmable filters 115(1) and 115(2), programmable ADCs 140(1) and 140(2), PSK demodulator 120(2), additional baseband circuitry 110, and MAC controller 108 are enabled, as are the corresponding signal interconnects from antenna 125 to MAC controller 108. Other components of receive path 101 and components of transmit path 102 can be disabled or in low-power mode.

[0045] Figure 6AThis demonstrates operation in Bluetooth transmit mode. Figure 1 The SoC 100. Enabled components along transmit path 102 are shown in bold outline and dotted fill. Enabled interconnects are shown in bold. Specifically, MAC controller 108, additional baseband circuitry 110, FM modulator 130(1), programmable DACs 141(1) and 141(2), programmable filters 115(3) and 115(4), I mixer 113t, Q mixer 114t, PA 112, and antenna 126 are enabled, as are the corresponding signal interconnects from MAC controller 108 to antenna 126. Other components along transmit path 102 and those along receive path 101 can be disabled or in low-power mode.

[0046] Figure 6B This demonstrates operation in Bluetooth Low Power Transmit mode. Figure 1 The SoC 100. Enabled components along transmit path 102 are shown in bold outline and dotted fill. Enabled interconnects are shown in bold. Specifically, MAC controller 108, additional baseband circuitry 110, FM modulator 130(1), LO module 109, PA 112, and antenna 126 are enabled, as are the corresponding signal interconnects from MAC controller 108 to antenna 126. Other components of transmit path 102 and components of receive path 101 can be disabled or used in low-power mode. LO module 109 can also be programmed to operate in low-power mode.

[0047] Figure 7 This demonstrates operation in Zigbee 802.15.4 transmit mode. Figure 1 The SoC 100. Enabled components along transmit path 102 are shown in bold outline and dotted fill. Enabled interconnects are shown in bold. Specifically, MAC controller 108, additional baseband circuitry 110, PSK modulator 130(2), programmable DACs 141(1) and 141(2), programmable filters 115(3) and 115(4), I mixer 113t, Q mixer 114t, PA 112, and antenna 126 are enabled, as are the corresponding signal interconnects from MAC controller 108 to antenna 126. Other components along transmit path 102 and those along receive path 101 are disabled or in low-power mode. It should be noted that... Figure 2 The SoC 200 will operate essentially the same in the example operating mode described above, with appropriate changes, namely enabling, programming, and using the TX / RX switch 201 and antenna 202 and their corresponding interconnects, instead of antennas 125 or 126.

[0048] Figure 8A flowchart of an example process 800 for an implementation of this disclosure (such as, for example, SoC devices 100 and 200) is shown. Process 800 begins with the controller selectively enabling and disabling one or more of an amplifier, mixer, local oscillator, first programmable filter, first programmable analog-to-digital converter (ADC), first type demodulator, and second type demodulator (step 801), and the controller then sets up the interconnects between the amplifier, mixer, local oscillator, first programmable filter, first programmable ADC, first type demodulator, and second type demodulator using reconfigurable interconnects according to an operating mode selected from a plurality of operating modes of the device, to form a signal path from the receiving antenna to the digital circuit module (step 802). Example process 800 may also include the controller programming the first programmable filter (step 803), setting the operating parameters of the local oscillator (step 804), and programming the first programmable ADC, wherein the selective enabling and disabling, setting and programming of the operating parameters correspond to the selected operating mode (step 805). Next, the signal from the receiving antenna is received at the amplifier (step 806), and the signal from the amplifier is received at the mixer (step 807). Next, the local oscillator provides the local oscillator signal to the mixer (step 808). Next, the signal from the mixer is received at the first programmable filter (step 809). Next, the first programmable ADC generates a digital signal based on the output of the first programmable filter (step 810), and the first type demodulator generates information based on the output of the first programmable filter (step 811). Then, process 800 continues to receive information from the first type demodulator by the digital circuit module (step 812).

[0049] It should be noted that the steps do not necessarily have to be performed in the order described, and some steps may be performed in parallel, out of order, or in different iterations. For example, typically only one type of demodulator is used in a particular mode, and therefore, the second type of demodulator described (e.g., step 802) will be used in different executions of process 800 using different operating modes. Additionally, systems according to this disclosure may skip certain steps in some cases.

[0050] While embodiments have been shown and described with respect to one or more implementations, changes and / or modifications may be made to the illustrated examples without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims. In particular, with respect to the various functions performed by the aforementioned components or structures (components, devices, circuits, circuit systems, systems, etc.), unless otherwise stated, the terminology used to describe such components is intended to correspond to any component or structure that performs the specified function of the described component (e.g., functionally equivalent), even if it is not structurally equivalent to the disclosed structure that performs the function in the exemplary embodiments shown herein.

[0051] Examples may include subjects such as methods, means for performing the methods or blocks, and at least one machine-readable medium including instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform the actions of a method, means, or system for detecting non-launching targets according to the embodiments and examples described herein.

[0052] Example 1 is a multi-mode wireless communication integrated circuit (IC) device, comprising: an amplifier configured to be connected to a receiving antenna; a mixer; a local oscillator having programmable operating parameters; a first programmable filter; a first programmable analog-to-digital converter (ADC); a first type demodulator; a second type demodulator; a digital circuit module configured to receive information from the first type demodulator and the second type demodulator; and reconfigurable interconnects. The reconfigurable interconnects are configured to selectively connect one or more of the amplifier, mixer, local oscillator, first programmable filter, first programmable ADC, first type demodulator, and second type demodulator according to an operating mode selected from a plurality of operating modes of the device, to form a signal path from the receiving antenna to the digital circuit module.

[0053] Example 2 includes the subject matter of Example 1, including or omitting optional elements, wherein: the reconfigurable interconnect is configured to connect the amplifier to the first type of demodulator, bypassing any mixer, programmable filter, and programmable ADC.

[0054] Example 3 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 1 to 2, including or omitting optional elements, wherein the reconfigurable interconnects are configured to: connect a mixer to receive the output of an amplifier, connect a first programmable filter to receive the output of the mixer, connect a first programmable ADC to receive the output of the first programmable filter, and connect a first type demodulator to receive the output of the first programmable ADC.

[0055] Example 4 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 1 to 3, including or omitting optional elements, wherein the amplifier is a low-noise amplifier (LNA), the mixer includes an in-phase mixer and a quadrature mixer, and the local oscillator is configured to provide corresponding local oscillator signals to the in-phase mixer and the quadrature mixer.

[0056] Example 5 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 1 to 4, including or omitting optional elements, wherein multiple operating modes include two or more of Bluetooth (BT), Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Ultra Wideband (UWB), 802.15.4, and Low Power.

[0057] Example 6 includes the subject of any one of Examples 1 to 5, including or omitting optional elements, wherein the device includes a lookup table and parameters for multiple operating modes are stored in the lookup table.

[0058] Example 7 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 1 to 6, including or omitting optional elements, wherein the device includes a controller configured to control reconfigurable interconnections, and the controller is configured to modify multiple operating modes.

[0059] Example 8 includes the subject of any one of Examples 1 to 7, including or omitting optional elements, wherein the reconfigurable interconnect is configured to dynamically switch between operating modes in multiple operating modes.

[0060] Example 9 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 1 to 8, including or omitting optional elements, wherein each demodulator in the first type demodulator and the second type demodulator employs one of the following: frequency modulation (FM), frequency shift keying (FSK), phase shift keying (PSK), binary PSK (BPSK), differential PSK (DPSK), quadrature PSK (QPSK), offset QPSK (OQPSK), orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), and quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM).

[0061] Example 10 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 1 to 9, including or omitting optional elements, and further includes: a power amplifier (PA), a second mixer, a second programmable filter, a first programmable digital-to-analog converter (DAC), a first type modulator, and a second type modulator configured to be connected to a transmit antenna. The digital circuit module is configured to provide information to the first type modulator and the second type modulator. Reconfigurable interconnects are configured to selectively connect one or more of the PA, the second mixer, the local oscillator, the second programmable filter, the first programmable DAC, the first type modulator, and the second type modulator to form a signal path from the digital circuit module to the transmit antenna, depending on the selected operating mode among a plurality of operating modes of the device.

[0062] Example 11 includes the subject matter of Example 10, with or without optional components, wherein the transmitting antenna is also the receiving antenna, and the amplifier and PA are connected to the receiving antenna via a transmit / receive switch.

[0063] Example 12 is a multi-mode wireless communication integrated circuit (IC) device, comprising: a power amplifier (PA) configured to be connected to a transmit antenna, a mixer, a transmit quadrature mixer configured to be connected to the PA, a local oscillator having programmable operating parameters, a first programmable filter, a first programmable digital-to-analog converter (DAC), a first type modulator, a second type modulator, a digital circuit module configured to provide information to the first type modulator and the second type modulator, and reconfigurable interconnects configured to selectively connect among one or more of the PA, mixer, local oscillator, first programmable filter, first programmable DAC, first type modulator and second type modulator to form a signal path from the digital circuit module to the transmit antenna, depending on the selected operating mode among a plurality of operating modes of the device.

[0064] Example 13 is a method for a multi-mode wireless communication integrated circuit (IC) device, the method comprising: selectively enabling and disabling one or more of an amplifier, mixer, local oscillator, first programmable filter, first programmable analog-to-digital converter (ADC), first type demodulator and second type demodulator by a controller; and configuring an interconnection between the amplifier, mixer, local oscillator, first programmable filter, first programmable ADC, first type demodulator and second type demodulator by the controller using a reconfigurable interconnection according to an operating mode selected from a plurality of operating modes of the device, to form a signal path from a receiving antenna to a digital circuit module.

[0065] Example 14 includes the subject matter of Example 13, including or omitting optional elements, and further includes programming a first programmable filter by a controller, setting operating parameters of a local oscillator by a controller, programming a first programmable ADC by a controller, wherein selective enabling and disabling, setting and programming of operating parameters correspond to selected operating modes, receiving signals from a receiving antenna at an amplifier, receiving signals from an amplifier at a mixer, providing a local oscillator signal to the mixer by a local oscillator, receiving signals from the mixer at a first programmable filter, generating digital signals by the first programmable ADC based on the output of the first programmable filter, generating information by a first type demodulator based on the output of the first programmable filter, and receiving information from the first type demodulator by a digital circuit module.

[0066] Example 15 includes the subject matter of any of Examples 13 to 14, including or omitting optional elements, wherein setting up interconnects includes connecting the amplifier to a first-type demodulator, bypassing any mixer, programmable filter, and programmable ADC.

[0067] Example 16 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 13 to 15, including or omitting optional elements, wherein setting up the interconnect includes: connecting a mixer to receive the output of an amplifier, connecting a first programmable filter to receive the output of the mixer, connecting a first programmable ADC to receive the output of the first programmable filter, and connecting a first type demodulator to receive the output of the first programmable ADC.

[0068] Example 17 includes the subject of any of Examples 13 to 16, includes or omits optional elements, and also includes storing parameters for multiple operating modes in a lookup table.

[0069] Example 18 includes the subject of any of Examples 13 to 17, including or omitting optional elements, and also includes multiple operating modes updated by the controller.

[0070] Example 19 includes the subject of any of Examples 13 to 18, including or omitting optional elements, and also includes dynamic switching of operating modes by the controller among multiple operating modes.

[0071] Example 20 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 13 to 19, including or omitting optional elements, wherein each demodulator in the first type demodulator and the second type demodulator employs one of the following: frequency modulation (FM), frequency shift keying (FSK), phase shift keying (PSK), binary PSK (BPSK), differential PSK (DPSK), quadrature PSK (QPSK), offset QPSK (OQPSK), orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), and quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM).

[0072] The foregoing description of one or more implementations provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the scope of the exemplary embodiments to the precise forms disclosed. Modifications and variations based on the foregoing teachings are possible, or may be obtained from practice of various implementations of the exemplary embodiments.

[0073] The above description of the embodiments shown in this disclosure, including the content described in the abstract, is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosed embodiments to their precise forms. While specific embodiments and examples have been described herein for illustrative purposes, various modifications can be made, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, and these modifications are considered to be within the scope of such embodiments and examples.

[0074] In this regard, while the disclosed subject matter has been described in conjunction with various embodiments and corresponding drawings, it should be understood that other similar embodiments may be used where applicable, or modifications and additions may be made to the described embodiments to perform the same, similar, alternative, or substitute functions of the disclosed subject matter without departing from the disclosed subject matter. Therefore, the disclosed subject matter should not be limited to any single embodiment described herein, but should be interpreted within the breadth and scope of the appended claims.

[0075] Throughout this disclosure, the same reference numerals are used to refer to the same elements, and the structures and devices shown are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0076] As used herein, the terms “module,” “component,” “system,” “circuit,” “circuit system,” “element,” etc., are intended to refer to computer-related entities, hardware, software (e.g., in execution), and / or firmware. For example, a circuit or similar term can be a processor, a process running on a processor, a controller, an object, an executable program, a storage device, and / or a computer having processing capabilities. For illustration, an application running on a server and a server can also be a circuit. One or more circuits may reside within a process, and circuits may be located on one computer and / or distributed among two or more computers. This document may describe a group of elements or a group of other circuits, wherein the term “group” can be interpreted as “one or more.”

[0077] As another example, a circuit or similar term can be a device having specific functions provided by mechanical components operated by electrical or electronic circuitry, wherein the electrical or electronic circuitry can be operated by a software application or firmware application executed by one or more processors. The one or more processors can be internal or external to the device and can execute at least a portion of the software or firmware application. As another example, a circuit can be a device that provides specific functions through electronic components without mechanical components; the electronic components can include field gates, logic components, hardware-coded logic, register transfer logic, wherein one or more processors execute software and / or firmware that at least partially endow the electronic components with the functions.

[0078] It should be understood that when a component is referred to as being “electrically connected” or “electrically coupled” to another component, it can be physically connected or coupled to the other component such that current and / or electromagnetic radiation can flow along the conductive path formed by the component. When components are described as being electrically coupled or connected to each other, an intermediate conductive, inductive, or capacitive element may be present between the component and the other component. Furthermore, when components are electrically coupled or connected to each other, one component can be able to induce voltage or current flow or electromagnetic wave propagation in the other component without physical contact or intermediate components. Additionally, when voltage, current, or signal is referred to as being “applied” to a component, the voltage, current, or signal can be conducted to the component through a physical connection or through capacitive, electromagnetic, or inductive coupling that does not involve a physical connection.

[0079] The use of the term “exemplary” is intended to present the concept in a specific manner. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing a particular example only and is not intended to limit the examples. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “described” are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” and / or “including,” when used herein, specify the presence of the stated feature, integer, step, operation, element, and / or component, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

Claims

1. A multi-mode wireless communication integrated circuit device, comprising: An amplifier configured to be connected to a receiving antenna; First mixer; A local oscillator with programmable operating parameters; First programmable filter; First programmable analog-to-digital converter (ADC); Type 1 demodulator; Type II demodulator; A digital circuit module configured to receive information from the first type of demodulator and the second type of demodulator; as well as Reconfigurable interconnects, wherein: The reconfigurable interconnect is configured to selectively connect among one or more of the amplifier, the first mixer, the local oscillator, the first programmable filter, the first programmable ADC, the first type demodulator, and the second type demodulator according to an operating mode selected from a plurality of operating modes of the multi-mode wireless communication integrated circuit device, to form a signal path from the receiving antenna to the digital circuit module.

2. The multi-mode wireless communication integrated circuit device according to claim 1, wherein, The reconfigurable interconnect is configured to connect the amplifier to the first type of demodulator, bypassing any of the first mixer, the first programmable filter, and the first programmable ADC.

3. The multi-mode wireless communication integrated circuit device according to claim 1, wherein, The reconfigurable interconnect is configured to: Connect the first mixer to receive the output of the amplifier; Connect the first programmable filter to receive the output of the first mixer; Connect the first programmable ADC to receive the output of the first programmable filter; as well as Connect the first type of demodulator to receive the output of the first programmable ADC.

4. The multi-mode wireless communication integrated circuit device according to claim 1, wherein: The amplifier is a low-noise amplifier (LNA). The first mixer includes an in-phase mixer and a quadrature mixer; and The local oscillator is configured to provide corresponding local oscillator signals to the in-phase mixer and the quadrature mixer.

5. The multi-mode wireless communication integrated circuit device according to claim 1, wherein, The multiple operating modes include two or more of Bluetooth BT, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Ultra Wideband (UWB), Zigbee, and Low Power.

6. The multi-mode wireless communication integrated circuit device according to claim 1, wherein: The multi-mode wireless communication integrated circuit device includes a lookup table; and The parameters for the multiple operating modes are stored in the lookup table.

7. The multi-mode wireless communication integrated circuit device according to claim 1, wherein: The multi-mode wireless communication integrated circuit device includes a controller configured to control the reconfigurable interconnect; and The controller is configured to modify the plurality of operating modes.

8. The multi-mode wireless communication integrated circuit device according to claim 1, wherein, The reconfigurable interconnect is configured to dynamically switch between operating modes among the plurality of operating modes.

9. The multi-mode wireless communication integrated circuit device according to claim 1, wherein, Each of the first type of demodulator and the second type of demodulator employs one of the following: frequency modulation (FM), frequency shift keying (FSK), phase shift keying (PSK), binary PSK (BPSK), differential PSK (DPSK), quadrature PSK (QPSK), offset QPSK (OQPSK), orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), and quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM).

10. The multi-mode wireless communication integrated circuit device according to claim 1, further comprising: A power amplifier PA configured to be connected to a transmitting antenna; Second mixer; Second programmable filter; First programmable digital-to-analog converter (DAC); Type 1 modulator; as well as The second type of modulator, wherein: The digital circuit module is configured to provide information to the first type of modulator and the second type of modulator; as well as The reconfigurable interconnect is configured to selectively connect among one or more of the PA, the second mixer, the local oscillator, the second programmable filter, the first programmable DAC, the first type modulator, and the second type modulator according to an operating mode selected from the plurality of operating modes of the multi-mode wireless communication integrated circuit device, to form a signal path from the digital circuit module to the transmit antenna.

11. The multi-mode wireless communication integrated circuit device according to claim 10, wherein: The transmitting antenna is also the receiving antenna; and The amplifier and the PA are connected to the receiving antenna via a transmit / receive switch.

12. A multi-mode wireless communication integrated circuit device, comprising: A power amplifier PA configured to be connected to a transmitting antenna; Mixer; A local oscillator with programmable operating parameters; First programmable filter; First programmable digital-to-analog converter (DAC); Type 1 modulator; Type II modulator; A digital circuit module configured to provide information to the first type of modulator and the second type of modulator; as well as A reconfigurable interconnect, configured to selectively connect among one or more of the PA, the mixer, the local oscillator, the first programmable filter, the first programmable DAC, the first type modulator, and the second type modulator according to an operating mode selected from a plurality of operating modes of the multi-mode wireless communication integrated circuit device, to form a signal path from the digital circuit module to the transmit antenna.

13. A method for a multi-mode wireless communication integrated circuit device, the method comprising: The controller can selectively enable and disable one or more of the following: an amplifier, a mixer, a local oscillator, a first programmable filter, a first programmable analog-to-digital converter (ADC), a first type of demodulator, and a second type of demodulator; and The controller uses reconfigurable interconnects to configure the interconnections between one or more of the amplifier, the mixer, the local oscillator, the first programmable filter, the first programmable ADC, the first type demodulator, and the second type demodulator, based on the selected operating mode from among multiple operating modes of the multi-mode wireless communication integrated circuit device, to form a signal path from the receiving antenna to the digital circuit module.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising: The first programmable filter is programmed by the controller; The controller sets the operating parameters of the local oscillator; The controller programs the first programmable ADC, wherein the selective enabling and disabling, the setting of the operating parameters, and the programming correspond to the selected operating mode; The amplifier receives a signal from the receiving antenna. The signal from the amplifier is received at the mixer; The local oscillator provides a local oscillator signal to the mixer; The signal from the mixer is received at the first programmable filter; The first programmable ADC generates a digital signal based on the output of the first programmable filter. Information is generated by the first type of demodulator based on the output of the first programmable filter; and The information is received by the digital circuit module from the first type of demodulator.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein, Setting up the interconnect includes connecting the amplifier to the first type of demodulator, bypassing any of the mixer, the first programmable filter, and the first programmable ADC.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein, Setting the interconnection includes: Connect the mixer to receive the output of the amplifier; Connect the first programmable filter to receive the output of the mixer; Connect the first programmable ADC to receive the output of the first programmable filter; and Connect the first type of demodulator to receive the output of the first programmable ADC.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising storing parameters for the plurality of operating modes in a lookup table.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising updating the plurality of operating modes by the controller.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising the controller dynamically switching between operating modes among the plurality of operating modes.

20. The method according to claim 13, wherein, Each of the first type of demodulator and the second type of demodulator employs one of the following: frequency modulation (FM), frequency shift keying (FSK), phase shift keying (PSK), binary PSK (BPSK), differential PSK (DPSK), quadrature PSK (QPSK), offset QPSK (OQPSK), orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), and quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM).

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