System and method for receiving I and Q RF signals without a phase shifter
View Patent ↗Methods and systems for receiving in-phase and quadrature (I and Q) radio frequency (RF) signals without a phase shifter utilizing a leaky wave antenna are disclosed and may include generating in-phase and quadrature signals using a leaky wave antenna coupled to one or more low-noise amplifiers (LNAs) on a chip and without a phase shifter. The RF I and Q signals may be communicated from the single leaky wave antenna using coplanar feed points and/or feed points on a top surface and a bottom surface of the single leaky wave antenna. The leaky wave antennas may be integrated on the chip, on a package to which the chip is affixed, and/or on a printed circuit board to which the chip is affixed. The RF I and Q signals may be amplified by the one or more LNAs and may down-convert the RF I and Q signals to baseband signals.
1. A communications system comprising:
a circuit coupled to a leaky wave antenna, wherein said circuit is operable to receive a radio frequency (RF) signal from said leaky wave antenna, and
said circuit is operable to generate, from said RF signal, using said leaky wave antenna including at least two feed points, and without using a phase shifter, an in-phase RF signal and a quadrature RF signal.
2. The communications system of claim 1 , wherein said circuit comprises a low-noise amplifier.
3. The communications system of claim 2 , wherein said circuit is operable to amplify said in-phase RF signal and said quadrature RF signal with said low-noise amplifier.
4. The communications system of claim 1 , wherein said circuit comprises a low-noise amplifier and is integrated in a chip in said system.
5. The communications system of claim 4 , wherein said leaky wave antenna is integrated on said chip.
6. The communications system of claim 4 , wherein said leaky wave antenna is integrated on a package to which said chip is affixed.
7. The communications system of claim 4 , wherein said leaky wave antenna is integrated on a printed circuit board to which said chip is affixed.
8. The communications system of claim 4 , wherein said circuit is operable to amplify said in-phase RF signal and said quadrature RF signal with said low-noise amplifier.
9. The communications system of claim 1 , wherein said circuit is operable to communicate said in-phase RF signal and said quadrature RF signal from said leaky wave antenna using coplanar feed points.
10. The communications system of claim 1 , wherein said circuit is operable to communicate said in-phase RF signal and said quadrature RF signal using feed points on a top surface and a bottom surface of said single leaky wave antenna.
11. The communications system of claim 1 , wherein said circuit is operable to down-convert said in-phase RF signal and said quadrature RF signal to baseband signals.
12. The communications system of claim 11 , wherein said circuit is operable to filter said baseband signals.
13. The communications system of claim 1 , wherein said circuit is operable to down-convert said in-phase RF signal and said quadrature RF signal to intermediate frequency (IF) signals.
14. The communications system of claim 13 , wherein said circuit is operable to filter said IF signals.
15. The communications system of claim 1 , wherein said communications system is configured to interface with a wireless standard selected from the group consisting of GSM, CDMA, CDMA2000, WCDMA, GPRS, EDGE, WIMAX, BLUETOOTH, and ZIGBEE.
16. The communications system of claim 1 , wherein the at least two feed points are positioned at a predetermined distance from each other, the predetermined distance corresponding to a 90 degree phase shift between the in-phase RF signal and the quadrature RF signal.
17. A method for communication, said method comprising:
receiving a radio frequency (RF) signal from a leaky wave antenna; and
generating, from said RF signal, using said leaky wave antenna including at least two feed points, and without using a phase shifter, an in-phase RF signal and a quadrature RF signal.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein said wireless device comprises a low-noise amplifier.
19. The method of claim 17 , wherein said wireless device is operable to communicate said in-phase RF signal and said quadrature RF signal from said leaky wave antenna using coplanar feed points.
20. The method of claim 17 , wherein said wireless device is operable to communicate said in-phase RF signal and said quadrature RF signal using feed points on a top surface and a bottom surface of said single leaky wave antenna.
21. The method of claim 17 , wherein said leaky wave antenna is integrated within said wireless device.