Pre-amplifier and mixer circuitry for a locator antenna
US7969151B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 6, 2009 |
| Grant date | Jun 28, 2011 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 8, 2030 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01V3/101
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A pre-amplifier circuit for connection to an antenna of a human-portable locator includes a differential amplifier/mixer pair and means for allowing a common-mode “phantom” signal to modulate a transfer function of the differential amplifier/mixer pair. The common-mode phantom signal modulates the transfer function of the differential pre-amplifier “onboard” the antenna without the usual requirement for onboard power supply and signal oscillator. This technique uses the same electronic components to provide both pre-amplification and mixing functions, thereby improving circuit performance-to-cost ratio, reducing mixer power consumption, situating the necessary signal oscillator remotely from the mixer, and greatly improving the available system bandwidth by limiting spectral transmission demands to the mixed signal bandwidth alone.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.