Wireless communication device with a low noise receiver

Abstract

A wireless communication device includes a radio frequency antenna and a transceiver. The transceiver includes a receiver having a switching architecture configured to generate a plurality of output phases within a local oscillator period based on the filtered RF signal and a respective plurality of local oscillator signals. The plurality of output phases can be organized into at least K groups where K is an integer of four or greater, and each nth group of the K groups includes nth and (n+K)th output phases of the plurality of output phases. The receiver can difference the nth and (n+K)th output phases of each respective group of the K groups, resulting in gain-added output phases.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A wireless communication device comprising:
 a radio frequency antenna; and   a transceiver including a baseband subsystem and a receiver, the receiver between the antenna and the baseband subsystem, the receiver including a downconverter configured to generate a plurality of output phases within a local oscillator period based on (i) a radio frequency signal and (ii) a respective plurality of local oscillator signals, the plurality of output phases organized into at least K groups where K is an integer of four or greater, each nth group of the K groups including nth and (n+K)th output phases of the plurality of output phases, n being an integer between 0 and K−1, and the receiver further including a differencing stage configured to difference the nth and (n+K)th output phases of each respective group of the K groups, resulting in gain-added output phases.   
     
     
         3 . The wireless communication device of  claim 2 , wherein the transceiver further includes a filter between the antenna and the downconverter, the filter configured to low pass filter the radio frequency signal and output the filtered radio frequency signal for communication to the downconverter. 
     
     
         4 . The wireless communication device of  claim 2  wherein the filter is configured to provide impedance matching at an input of the downconverter. 
     
     
         5 . The wireless communication device of  claim 4  wherein the receiver does not include a surface acoustic wave filter for filtering the radio frequency signal. 
     
     
         6 . The wireless communication device of  claim 5  wherein the receiver does not include a low noise amplifier for amplifying the radio frequency signal. 
     
     
         7 . The wireless communication device of  claim 2  wherein the downconverter provides a gain of at least approximately 6 decibels. 
     
     
         8 . A radio frequency module comprising:
 a downconverter configured to generate a plurality of output phases within a local oscillator period based on a radio frequency signal, the plurality of output phases organized into at least K groups where K is an integer of four or greater, where each nth group of the K groups includes nth and (n+K)th output phases of the plurality of output phases, and where n is an integer between 0 and K−1; and   a differencing stage configured to difference the nth and (n+K)th output phases of each respective group of the K groups, resulting in gain-added output phases.   
     
     
         9 . The radio frequency module of  claim 8  further comprising a filter configured to low pass filter the radio frequency signal and provide the filtered radio frequency signal to the downconverter. 
     
     
         10 . The radio frequency module of  claim 9  wherein the filter is further configured to provide impedance matching at an input of the downconverter. 
     
     
         11 . The radio frequency module of  claim 10  wherein a radio frequency receiver including the downconverter and filter does not include a surface acoustic wave filter for filtering the radio frequency signal. 
     
     
         12 . The radio frequency module of  claim 11  wherein the radio frequency receiver does not include a low noise amplifier for amplifying the radio frequency signal. 
     
     
         13 . The radio frequency module of  claim 8  wherein K is a power of 2. 
     
     
         14 . The radio frequency module of  claim 8  wherein K is 4, 8, or 16. 
     
     
         15 . The radio frequency module of  claim 8  wherein K is a multiple of four. 
     
     
         16 . The radio frequency module of  claim 8  wherein the plurality of output phases includes 8 or 16 output phases. 
     
     
         17 . The radio frequency module of  claim 8  wherein the downconverter provides a gain of at least approximately 6 decibels. 
     
     
         18 . A wireless communication device comprising:
 an antenna configured to wirelessly transmit and receive radio frequency signals; and   a receiver in communication with the antenna, the receiver including a downconverter configured to generate a plurality of output phases within a local oscillator period based on a radio frequency signal received by the antenna, the plurality of output phases organized into at least K groups where K is an integer of four or greater, each nth group of the K groups includes nth and (n+K)th output phases of the plurality of output phases, where n is an integer between 0 and K−1, and the receiver being further configured to difference the nth and (n+K)th output phases of each respective group of the K groups, resulting in gain-added output phases.   
     
     
         19 . The wireless communication device of  claim 18  further comprising a filter configured to low pass filter the radio frequency signal. 
     
     
         20 . The wireless communication device of  claim 19  wherein the filter is further configured to provide impedance matching at an input of the downconverter of the receiver. 
     
     
         21 . The wireless communication device of  claim 19  wherein the receiver does not include a low noise amplifier for amplifying the radio frequency signal or a surface acoustic wave filter for filtering the radio frequency signal. 
     
     
         22 . The wireless communication device of  claim 16  wherein K is a power of 2. 
     
     
         23 . The wireless communication device of  claim 16  wherein K is 4, 8, or 16. 
     
     
         24 . The wireless communication device of  claim 16  wherein the plurality of output phases includes 8 or 16 output phases.