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US5095533A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Automatic gain control system for a direct conversion receiver

Assignee: Boeing North American Inc
•
Filing: 1990-03-23
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Granted: 1992-03-10
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Expires: 2010-03-23
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Abstract

Abstract A direct conversion receiver having a tri-phase architecture including three separate baseband signal channels. RF communications signals which are being tuned by the receiver are split into three equal and in-phase components which are mixed with three equal but substantially out-of phase injection signals on frequency with the communications signal. The resulting baseband component signals are independently filtered and amplified on the three signal channels. The baseband components are then directed to a signal processing unit which corrects the baseband components for gain or phase mismatch errors between the signal channels based on the information carried by the three components and thereafter demodulates the signals in order to acquire the information carried by the RF communications signal. An automatic gain control system and a signal filtering system adapted for use with direct conversion receivers are also disclosed.

Inventors

  • 👤 Roger K. Loper
  • 👤 Ernest J. Moes

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-30 13:30
CPC Classifications
H; H03; H03G; H03G3/00; H03G3/20; H03G3/30; H03G3/3052; H03G3/3068; H03D; H03D3/00; H03D3/02

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 5
Claim 1
Independent Claim 186 words
An automatic gain control system for use in a direct conversion receiver having a plurality of baseband signal channels for carrying separate baseband signal components, comprising: a polyphase rectifier for generating a rectified signal reflective of the voltage levels on all of said channels; control means coupled to said rectifier for generating a digital word control signal corresponding to the voltage level of said rectified signal and suitable for use in controlling a multiplying DAC; a plurality of multiplying DACs which are coupled to said control means and one of which is installed on each of said channels for uniformly attenuating said baseband signal components to varying degrees in response to said digital word control signal; and clock generator means for supplying clock signals at different frequencies to said control means in order to select the speed of operation of said gain control system and provide for rapidly increasing attenuation (fast attack) and slowly decreasing attenuation (slow release) when the receiver is processing amplitude modulated signals and provide for both very rapidly increasing and very rapidly decreasing attenuation when the receiver is processing angle modulated signals.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 186 words
An automatic gain control system for use in a direct conversion receiver having a plurality of baseband signal channels for carrying separate baseband signal components, comprising: a polyphase rectifier for generating a rectified signal reflective of the voltage levels on all of said channels; control means coupled to said rectifier for generating a digital word control signal corresponding to the voltage level of said rectified signal and suitable for use in controlling a multiplying DAC; a plurality of multiplying DACs which are coupled to said control means and one of which is installed on each of said channels for uniformly attenuating said baseband signal components to varying degrees in response to said digital word control signal; and clock generator means for supplying clock signals at different frequencies to said control means in order to select the speed of operation of said gain control system and provide for rapidly increasing attenuation (fast attack) and slowly decreasing attenuation (slow release) when the receiver is processing amplitude modulated signals and provide for both very rapidly increasing and very rapidly decreasing attenuation when the receiver is processing angle modulated signals.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 24 words
The gain control system of claim 1, wherein said receiver includes three signal channels and said rectifier comprises a three phase full wave rectifier.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 80 words
The gain control system of claim 1, wherein said control means includes: a window comparator for producing signals indicative of when said rectified signal is within, above or below a prescribed voltage window, a counter for generating a count signal constant, higher or lower in response to said signals from said clock generator means and said comparator, and a decoder for converting said count signal into a digital word control signal adapted for regulating the attenuation of said multiplying DACs.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 58 words
The gain control system of claim 1, wherein said clock signals supplied to said control means are at approximately 80 KHz for increasing attenuation and 15 Hz for decreasing attenuation when the receiver is processing amplitude modulated signals and are at approximately 160 KHz for both increasing and decreasing attenuation when the receiver is processing angle modulated signals.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

JPS5683146A Cited
US4691377A Cited
US4631738A Cited
US4829593A Cited
US4715047A Cited
US4910797A Cited
US4926443A Cited
JPH0294715A Cited
US4942591A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1995-03-10 1995-09-09 1996-03-10 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1999-03-10 1999-09-09 2000-03-10 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2003-03-10 2003-09-09 2004-03-10 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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