Tuner IC Local Oscillator Sharing for Lower Diversity Receiver Power
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional semiconductor devices with voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) and phase-locked loop (PLL) circuits continuously consume power, leading to unnecessary energy expenditure and challenges in maintaining uniform operating characteristics across multiple ICs in diversity receivers, which increases development costs.
Innovation Solution
The semiconductor device incorporates a power control mechanism that allows for external local oscillation signal input, reducing power consumption by selectively activating or deactivating the VCO and PLL circuits based on the availability of an external signal, and enables the use of a single type of IC for uniform operating characteristics across diversity receivers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the VCO circuit and PLL circuit continuously operate to generate local oscillation signals, then the tuner can maintain continuous reception capability, but power consumption increases unnecessarily
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic action by enabling the VCO and PLL circuits to operate only when needed. The semiconductor device can switch between generating local oscillation signals internally and receiving them externally, allowing the circuits to remain inactive during periods when external signals are available, thus reducing power consumption while maintaining reception capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies universality by designing the semiconductor device with dual functionality: it can both generate local oscillation signals internally through the VCO and PLL circuits and receive them externally from other devices. This multi-functionality allows the device to adapt to different operational modes, selecting the most energy-efficient approach based on availability of external signals.
2Reliability
If multiple types of ICs are used in diversity receivers to achieve optimal reception, then receiving performance improves, but development costs and manufacturing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing a single type of semiconductor device that can function in multiple roles within a diversity receiver system. One device can generate local oscillation signals while others can receive them, or any device can switch between these modes. This eliminates the need for different IC types, reducing development costs and manufacturing complexity while maintaining optimal reception performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the functions of local oscillation signal generation and reception into a single semiconductor device type. By combining these previously separate functions into one universal device, the system achieves diversity reception capabilities without requiring multiple specialized IC types, thereby reducing development costs and simplifying manufacturing.
3Productivity
If the VCO circuit operates continuously to provide local oscillation signals, then frequency conversion can be performed without interruption, but unnecessary power is consumed when external signals are available
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic action by allowing the VCO circuit to operate intermittently rather than continuously. When external local oscillation signals are available, the VCO can remain inactive, consuming no power. The circuit activates periodically only when external signals are unavailable, ensuring continuous frequency conversion capability while eliminating unnecessary power consumption during periods when external signals suffice.
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor device for a tuner generates a local oscillation signal inside or selects a local oscillation signal introduced from the outside, and controls the power consumption of the circuit used for generating the local oscillation signal. The diversity receiver constituted using the semiconductor device has semiconductor device 1 selected to generate a local oscillation signal inside and semiconductor device 2 selected to introduce a local oscillation signal from the outside. The local oscillation signal of the semiconductor device 2 is driven by the local oscillation signal of the semiconductor device 1. Consequently, any unnecessary power consumption of the circuit generating the local oscillation signal of semiconductor device 2 can be reduced. In addition, since they are the same type of semiconductor device, the uniformity of the operating characteristics of the diversity receiver can be improved.