A novel and useful apparatus and method for an image-interferer aware single quadrature RF downconversion (SQRD) low intermediate frequency (LIF) receiver and related power reduction techniques utilized therein. The invention applies zero-margin adaptive transceiver (ZMAT) design principles to considerably reduce the receiver's power consumption in an adaptive fashion in accordance with the instantaneous reception conditions. In a low IF dual-branch (i.e. quadrature) downconversion receiver, the radio monitors the image strength and shuts off the receiver's Q branch (or I branch) when image rejection is not needed (i.e. when the relative image strength is below a threshold), thus significantly reducing power consumption in the RF receiver. A zero IF receiver is switched to a SQRD low IF receiver of lower power consumption when the image interferer strength is low enough to allow for a given required level of performance.

A novel and useful apparatus and method for an image-interferer aware single quadrature RF downconversion (SQRD) low intermediate frequency (LIF) receiver and related power reduction techniques utilized therein. The invention applies zero-margin adaptive transceiver (ZMAT) design principles to considerably reduce the receiver's power consumption in an adaptive fashion in accordance with the instantaneous reception conditions. In a low IF dual-branch (i.e. quadrature) downconversion receiver, the radio monitors the image strength and shuts off the receiver's Q branch (or I branch) when image rejection is not needed (i.e. when the relative image strength is below a threshold), thus significantly reducing power consumption in the RF receiver. A zero IF receiver is switched to a SQRD low IF receiver of lower power consumption when the image interferer strength is low enough to allow for a given required level of performance.

A novel and useful apparatus and method for an image-interferer aware single quadrature RF downconversion (SQRD) low intermediate frequency (LIF) receiver and related power reduction techniques utilized therein. The invention applies zero-margin adaptive transceiver (ZMAT) design principles to considerably reduce the receiver's power consumption in an adaptive fashion in accordance with the instantaneous reception conditions. In a low IF dual-branch (i.e. quadrature) downconversion receiver, the radio monitors the image strength and shuts off the receiver's Q branch (or I branch) when image rejection is not needed (i.e. when the relative image strength is below a threshold), thus significantly reducing power consumption in the RF receiver. A zero IF receiver is switched to a SQRD low IF receiver of lower power consumption when the image interferer strength is low enough to allow for a given required level of performance.

The present invention discloses a low power supply voltage double-conversion radio frequency receiving front end, which can work at a lower power supply voltage in a passive frequency conversion mode; a first frequency conversion unit and a second frequency conversion unit of the front end are directly cascaded, and a second orthogonal passive frequency conversion shifts a low input impedance of a transimpedance amplifier to an intermediate frequency, so as to construct a band-pass filtering function for radio frequency current; and the radio frequency current which has undergone two frequency conversions is converted into an output intermediate frequency voltage via the transimpedance amplifier. Compared with the traditional active+active or active+passive double conversion mode, the present invention omits intermediate-stage active circuits and filtering circuits, thereby saving power consumption and layout area, and realizing sufficient rejection on an image signal while ensuring a high conversion gain.

The present invention discloses a low power supply voltage double-conversion radio frequency receiving front end, which can work at a lower power supply voltage in a passive frequency conversion mode; a first frequency conversion unit and a second frequency conversion unit of the front end are directly cascaded, and a second orthogonal passive frequency conversion shifts a low input impedance of a transimpedance amplifier to an intermediate frequency, so as to construct a band-pass filtering function for radio frequency current; and the radio frequency current which has undergone two frequency conversions is converted into an output intermediate frequency voltage via the transimpedance amplifier. Compared with the traditional active+active or active+passive double conversion mode, the present invention omits intermediate-stage active circuits and filtering circuits, thereby saving power consumption and layout area, and realizing sufficient rejection on an image signal while ensuring a high conversion gain.

The present technology relates to a signal processing apparatus and method capable of increasing a harmonic rejection ratio while suppressing an increase in power consumption.

In one aspect of the present technology, two local signals having a 1/3 duty ratio and phases mutually shifted by a 1/2 period are mixed with each signal of a differential signal, and a difference between results of the mixing of the two local signals is calculated. The present technology can be applied to, for example, a signal processing apparatus, a transmission apparatus, a reception apparatus, a communication apparatus, an electronic apparatus having a transmission function, a reception function, or a communication function, or a computer that controls those apparatuses.

A configurable passive mixer is described herein. According to one exemplary embodiment, a passive mixer for a wireless receiver comprises a plurality of passive mixer cores coupled in parallel with each mixer core configured to receive a same set of radio frequency input signals and a separately driven set of local oscillator input signals. Further, each mixer core is configured to be separately enabled or disabled so that the passive mixer can be selectively configured during operation to convert the same set of radio frequency input signals to a set of downconverted output signals that satisfy a certain performance requirement or performance parameter of the passive mixer.

A mixer includes a trans conductance unit, a gain boost unit, a mixing module and a buffer. The trans conductance unit, the gain boost unit and the mixing module cooperatively mix a differential input voltage signal pair with a differential oscillatory voltage signal pair to generate a differential mixed voltage signal pair. The buffer performs buffering on the differential mixed voltage signal pair, and has inductance that cooperates with parasitic capacitance at output terminals thereof to form an LC tank circuit that reaches resonance at a frequency of the differential mixed voltage signal pair to behave as an open circuit.

One embodiment described is an apparatus that includes an active device structured in a semiconductor body. The semiconductor body may include a gate terminal to receive a switched bias signal, and a bulk terminal to receive a forward body-bias signal. A first circuit portion may be coupled to the gate terminal to provide the switched bias signal, and a second circuit portion may be coupled to the bulk terminal to provide the forward body-bias signal.

A mixer includes a trans conductance unit, a gain boost unit, a mixing module and a buffer. The trans conductance unit, the gain boost unit and the mixing module cooperatively mix a differential input voltage signal pair with a differential oscillatory voltage signal pair to generate a differential mixed voltage signal pair. The buffer performs buffering on the differential mixed voltage signal pair, and has inductance that cooperates with parasitic capacitance at output terminals thereof to form an LC tank circuit that reaches resonance at a frequency of the differential mixed voltage signal pair to behave as an open circuit.