Multi-phase signal generation scheme and method thereof

1 . A signal generator comprising:

a plurality of layers, each layer of the plurality of layers comprising a plurality of interpolators,

wherein each interpolator of a first layer of the plurality of layers is adaptable to:

receive a first reference signal having a first phase, and a second reference signal having a second phase;

generate a plurality of interpolated signals based on a plurality of interpolations of the first reference signal with the second reference signal,

wherein each interpolated signal has a respective phase based on the respective interpolation of the first phase with the second phase; and

combine the plurality of interpolated signals with one another to provide an output signal, and

wherein each interpolator of other layers of the plurality of layers is adaptable to receive respective output signals from two different interpolators of the preceding layer of the plurality of layers.

2 . The signal generator according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of interpolators of each layer of the plurality of layers is adaptable such that respective output signals have a phase that is a multiple of a predefined phase.

3 . The signal generator according to claim 2 , wherein adjacent interpolators of a plurality of interpolators of the first layer are adaptable such that their respective output signals have phases that are consecutive integer multiples of the predefined phase.

4 . The signal generator according to claim 2 ,

wherein the first layer comprises a number of interpolators, and

wherein the predefined phase is inversely proportional to the number of interpolators.

5 . The signal generator according to claim 4 , wherein the plurality of interpolators of the first layer is adaptable such that the respective output signals have a phase that is an integer multiple of 90°/the number of interpolators +1.

6 . The signal generator according to claim 4 , wherein the plurality of interpolators of the first layer is adaptable such that a phase difference between the phases of the output signals of adjacent interpolators of the first layer is inversely proportional to the number of interpolators.

7 . The signal generator according to claim 6 , wherein the plurality of interpolators of the first layer is adaptable such that a phase difference between the phases of the output signals of adjacent interpolators of the first layer is 90°/the number of interpolators +1.

8 . The signal generator according to claim 2 ,

wherein at least one interpolator of the other layers is adaptable to receive output signals of interpolators of the first layer that are consecutive integer multiples of the predefined phase.

9 . The signal generator according to claim 1 ,

wherein the interpolators of each layer of the plurality of layers are adaptable such that each output signal has a phase different from the phase of each other output signal of the interpolators of each layer of the plurality of layers.

10 . The signal generator according to claim 1 ,

wherein, for at least one of the plurality of interpolators of each layer of the plurality of layers, the output signal has a phase in a range having as lower limit one of the first phase or the second phase, and as upper limit the other one of the first phase or the second phase.

11 . The signal generator according to claim 1 ,

wherein for each interpolator of the first layer, the first reference signal is an in-phase signal and the second reference signal is a quadrature signal.

12 . The signal generator according to claim 1 ,

wherein each interpolator of the plurality of interpolators comprises a plurality of interpolator instances,

wherein each interpolator instance of the plurality of interpolator instances has a plurality of possible phase states, and

wherein each interpolator instance of the plurality of interpolator instances is adaptable to:

receive the first reference signal and the second reference signal; and

generate an interpolated signal as an interpolation of the first reference signal and the second reference signal based on a selected phase state of the plurality of possible phase states.

13 . The signal generator according to claim 12 ,

wherein each phase state is associated with respective interpolation coefficients for the first reference signal and the second reference signal.

14 . The signal generator according to claim 12 ,

wherein the interpolator instances of the plurality of interpolators instances are coupled in parallel with one another.

15 . A system comprising:

a signal generator and an oscillator circuit coupled with the signal generator, wherein the signal generator comprises:

a plurality of layers

wherein each layer of the plurality of layers comprises a plurality of interpolators,

wherein each interpolator of a first layer of the plurality of layers is adaptable to:

receive a first reference signal having a first phase, and a second reference signal having a second phase;

generate a plurality of interpolated signals based on a plurality of interpolations of the first reference signal with the second reference signal, each interpolated signal having a respective phase based on the respective interpolation of the first phase with the second phase; and

combine the plurality of interpolated signals with one another to provide an output signal,

wherein interpolators of other layers of the plurality of layers are adaptable to receive respective output signals,

wherein the signal generator is adaptable to deliver output signals of the last layer of the plurality of layers as a plurality of driving signals to the oscillator circuit, and

wherein the first reference signal and the second reference signal have a frequency that is a sub-harmonic of an oscillator frequency of the oscillator circuit.

16 . The system according to claim 15 ,

wherein the oscillator circuit comprises:

a plurality of injection amplifiers adaptable to receive the plurality of driving signals for inducing a generation of an oscillator signal of the oscillator circuit;

a tank circuit adaptable to generate the oscillator signal based on the plurality of driving signals; and

an amplifier circuit coupled with the tank circuit and adaptable to compensate for an energy loss of the tank circuit,

wherein the amplifier circuit is interposed between output nodes of the plurality of injection amplifiers and input nodes of the tank circuit such that the plurality of injection amplifiers is indirectly coupled with the tank circuit.

17 . The system according to claim 16 ,

wherein the amplifier circuit comprises a plurality of transistors each having a respective gate node, drain node, and source node; and

wherein transistors of the plurality of transistors are coupled pairwise at the respective gate nodes.

18 . The system according to claim 17 ,

wherein the input nodes of the tank circuit are coupled with the gate nodes of the transistors of the plurality of transistors.

19 . The system according to claim 16 ,

wherein the output nodes of the plurality of injection amplifiers are coupled with the amplifier circuit via respective capacitive voltage dividers.