US 12,323,102 B2
Apparatus comprising a local oscillator for driving a mixer
Maryam Dodangeh, Hengelo (NL); Mark Oude Alink, Delden (NL); and Bram Nauta, Borne (NL)
Assigned to Renesas Design Netherlands B.V., 's-Hertogenbosch (NL)
Filed by Dialog Semiconductor B.V., 's-Hertogenbosch (NL)
Filed on Nov. 4, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/980,847.
Claims priority of application No. 2116291 (GB), filed on Nov. 12, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0155552 A1, May 18, 2023
Int. Cl. H03D 7/16 (2006.01); H03D 7/14 (2006.01); H03K 3/03 (2006.01); H03K 5/00 (2006.01); H03K 5/133 (2014.01); H04B 1/403 (2015.01)
CPC H03D 7/168 (2013.01) [H03D 7/1475 (2013.01); H03D 7/165 (2013.01); H03K 3/0315 (2013.01); H03K 3/0322 (2013.01); H03K 5/00006 (2013.01); H03K 5/133 (2013.01); H04B 1/403 (2013.01)] 22 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus comprising a local oscillator (LO) for driving a mixer, the LO being configured to:
oscillate at an oscillation frequency; and
generate a first set of LO signals; wherein:
each of the first set of LO signals has a LO signal frequency equal to a first multiplication factor m multiplied by the oscillation frequency, the first multiplication factor m, being an integer greater than or equal to two; and
each of the first set of LO signals is separated by adjacent LO signals by a phase difference equal to 360° divided by a first variable n, the first variable n being an integer that is greater than or equal to two; and wherein
the LO comprises a plurality of frequency multiplication circuits for generating the first set of LO signals,
whereby the apparatus further comprises a buffer circuit, the mixer configured to receive the first set of LO signals via the buffer circuit.