Low-resolution, low-power, radio frequency receiver

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, a non-linear energy detector that obtains baseband information from a mixed signal that corresponds to an information component of a received radio frequency (RF) signal, wherein the mixed signal comprises a local oscillator signal combined, without multiplication, with the received RF signal, wherein the received RF signal comprises a carrier wave component operating at a carrier frequency within a millimeter wave spectrum, wherein the non-linear energy detector is associated with a non-linear current-voltage (I-V) characteristic curve, and wherein the baseband information is obtained by applying the mixed signal to the non-linear I-V characteristic curve. Other embodiments are disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A radio receiver, comprising a non-linear energy detector that obtains baseband information from a mixed signal that comprises an information component of a received radio frequency (RF) signal, wherein the non-linear energy detector is associated with a non-linear current-voltage (I-V) characteristic curve, and wherein the baseband information is obtained by applying the mixed signal to the non-linear I-V characteristic curve. 
     
     
         2 . The radio receiver of  claim 1 , wherein the mixed signal comprises a local oscillator signal combined, without multiplication, with the received RF signal. 
     
     
         3 . The radio receiver of  claim 1 , wherein the received RF signal comprises a carrier wave component operating at a carrier frequency within a millimeter wave spectrum. 
     
     
         4 . The radio receiver of  claim 1 , wherein the applying of the mixed signal to the non-linear I-V characteristics curve generates a detected baseband signal. 
     
     
         5 . The radio receiver of  claim 4 , wherein the baseband information is obtained from the detected baseband signal. 
     
     
         6 . The radio receiver of  claim 4 , wherein the detected baseband signal is generated based on amplitude of the mixed signal. 
     
     
         7 . The radio receiver of  claim 4 , wherein the detected baseband signal is determined according to the non-linear I-V characteristic curve. 
     
     
         8 . The radio receiver of  claim 4 , comprising an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) communicatively coupled to the non-linear energy detector, wherein the ADC is adapted to generate a digital signal according to the detected baseband signal. 
     
     
         9 . The radio receiver of  claim 8 , wherein the ADC comprises a comparator adapted to compare the detected baseband signal to a reference value to obtain a comparison result, and wherein the digital signal is obtained according to the comparison result. 
     
     
         10 . The radio receiver of  claim 9 , wherein the reference value comprises a threshold voltage. 
     
     
         11 . The radio receiver of  claim 3 , wherein the received RF signal is obtained via an antenna responsive to illumination of the antenna by a spatially diverse RF signal transmitted from a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) transmitter. 
     
     
         12 . The radio receiver of  claim 11 , wherein phase modulation of the carrier wave component is impressed upon the spatially diverse RF signal by the MIMO transmitter. 
     
     
         13 . The radio receiver of  claim 1 , comprising a low noise amplifier (LNA) communicatively coupled between an antenna adapted to receive the received RF signal. 
     
     
         14 . The radio receiver of  claim 1 , wherein the non-linear energy detector comprises a diode. 
     
     
         15 . A multiple input multiple output (MIMO) radio, comprising a non-linear energy detector that obtains baseband information from a mixed signal that comprises an information component of a received radio frequency (RF) signal, wherein the non-linear energy detector is associated with a non-linear current-voltage (I-V) characteristic curve, wherein the baseband information is obtained by applying the mixed signal to the non-linear I-V characteristic curve, wherein the received RF signal is obtained via an antenna responsive to illumination of the antenna by a spatially diverse RF signal transmitted from a MIMO transmitter. 
     
     
         16 . The MIMO radio of  claim 15 , wherein the applying of the mixed signal to the non-linear I-V characteristics curve generates a detected baseband signal, wherein the baseband information is obtained from the detected baseband signal. 
     
     
         17 . The MIMO radio of  claim 16 , wherein the detected baseband signal is generated based on amplitude of the mixed signal. 
     
     
         18 . The MIMO radio of  claim 16 , wherein the detected baseband signal is determined according to the non-linear I-V characteristic curve. 
     
     
         19 . The MIMO radio of  claim 15 , wherein phase modulation of a carrier wave component of the received RF signal is impressed upon the spatially diverse RF signal by the MIMO transmitter. 
     
     
         20 . A method, comprising obtaining, by a non-linear energy detector, baseband information from a mixed signal that comprises an information component of a received radio frequency (RF) signal, wherein the non-linear energy detector is associated with a non-linear current-voltage (I-V) characteristic curve, and wherein the baseband information is obtained by applying the mixed signal to the non-linear I-V characteristic curve.