1. A double balanced image reject mixer (IRM) comprising:
a common radio frequency (RF) port;
four mixer devices, each comprising an intermediate frequency (IF) port, an RF port and an local oscillator (LO) port; and
a four-way, in-phase splittercombiner, wherein the four-way, in-phase splittercombiner is connected between the RF common port and the RF port of each of the four mixer devices.
2. The double balanced image reject mixer of claim 1, further comprising:
a four phase quadrature LO generator that is configured to receive an LO common signal and to provide an individual LO signal to each of the four mixer devices at their respective LO port, wherein each individual LO signal is based on the LO common signal, wherein each said individual LO signal is 90\xb0 out of phase with two of the other said individual LO signals, and wherein respective RF signals at each RF port of each of the four mixer devices are splitcombined in-phase to create a common RF signal at the RF common port.
3. The double balanced image reject mixer of claim 2, wherein the double balanced IRM further comprises a four phase IF quadrature generator configured to generate first through fourth IF signals from a common IF signal, and wherein the first through fourth IF signals are respectively provided to the four mixer devices at their respective IF ports.
4. The double balanced image reject mixer of claim 3, wherein the four phase IF quadrature generator further comprises an IF balun and a first and second IF quadrature, wherein the IF balun is configured to convert between the common IF signal and first and second balun signals that are 180\xb0 out of phase from each other, wherein the first and second IF quadrature are respectively configured to convert one of the first and second balun signals into two signals that are orthogonal from each other, wherein the first through fourth IF signals are the outputs of the first IF quadrature and second IF quadrature.
5. The double balanced image reject mixer of claim 2, wherein the four phase quadrature LO generator is a digital four phase quadrature LO generator, and wherein the individual LO signals are phase matched with respective IF signals, provided at the respective IF port of the respective one of the four mixer devices, such that the phases of all individual RF signals at each respective RF port, of the respective one of the four mixer devices, are substantially equal.
6. The double balanced image reject mixer of claim 3,
wherein the four phase IF quadrature generator is configured to generate four phase shifted IF signals (\u2296IF1, \u2296IF2, \u2296RF3, and \u2296IF4) and provide the four phase shifted IF signals, respectively, to one of the four mixer devices,
wherein the four phase quadrature LO generator is configured to generate four phase shifted LO signals (\u2296LO1, \u2296LO2, \u2296LO3 and \u2296LO4) and provide the four phase shifted LO signals, respectively, to one of the four mixer devices,
wherein \u2296 the four mixer devices respectively mix the respective signals according to the formulas: \u2296RF1=\u2296IF1\u2212\u2296LO1, \u2296RF2=\u2296IF2\u2212\u2296LO2, \u2296RF3=\u2296IF3\u2212\u2296LO3, and \u2296RF4=\u2296IF4, \u2296LO4, to generate four RF signals (\u2296RF1, \u2296RF2, \u2296RF3, and \u2296RF4);
wherein \u2296 represents the phase of the signal for the respective port of the respective mixer; and
wherein \u2296RF1=\u2296RF2=\u2296RF3=\u2296RF4.
7. The double balanced image reject mixer of claim 1, wherein the double balanced IRM is unlimited in bandwidth by any RF Baluns, RF switches, RF 90\xb0 hybrids, or RF filter banks that are located between the RF common port and the four mixer devices.
8. The double balanced image reject mixer of claim 3, wherein the four phase IF quadrature generator comprises an IF balun in series with two parallel 0\xb090\xb0 quadratures.
9. A double balanced image reject mixer comprising:
a first mixer device, a second mixer device, a third mixer device, and a fourth mixer device,
wherein each of the first through fourth mixer devices comprises a mixer radio frequency (RF) port, a mixer local oscillator (LO) port, and a mixer intermediate frequency (IF) port;
wherein each of the first through fourth mixer devices is configured to connect the respective mixer IF port to one of first through fourth IF signals, wherein each of the first through fourth IF signals is from a common IF signal and is 90\xb0 out of phase with two of the other first through fourth IF signals;
a four phase quadrature local oscillator (LO) generator configured to receive an LO input signal, wherein the four phase quadrature LO generator is configured to generate first through fourth LO signals based on the LO input signal, and to provide said first through fourth LO signals to respective mixer LO ports of the first through fourth mixer devices; and
an RF common port, wherein the RF common port is directly connected to each of the mixer RF ports of the first through fourth mixer devices; and
wherein RF signals are in-phase combinedsplit between the RF common port and the mixer RF ports of the first through fourth mixer devices.
10. The double balanced image reject mixer of claim 9, further comprising:
wherein each of said first through fourth LO signals is 90\xb0 out of phase with two of the other said first through fourth LO signals.
11. The double balanced image reject mixer of claim 9, wherein the double balanced IRM further comprises a four phase IF quadrature generator configured to generate said first through fourth IF signals from the common IF signal.
12. The double balanced image reject mixer of claim 11, wherein the four phase IF quadrature generator further comprises an IF balun and a first and second IF quadrature, wherein the IF balun is configured to convert between the common IF signal and first and second balun signals that are 180\xb0 out of phase from each other, wherein the first and second IF quadrature are respectively configured to convert one of the first and second balun signals into two signals that are orthogonal from each other, wherein the first through fourth IF signals are the outputs of the first IF quadrature and second IF quadrature.
13. The double balanced image reject mixer of claim 9, wherein the four phase quadrature LO generator is a digital four phase quadrature LO generator.
14. The double balanced image reject mixer of claim 9, wherein the double balanced IRM is unlimited in bandwidth by any RF Baluns, RF switches, RF 90\xb0 hybrids, or RF filter banks that are located between the RF common port and the first through fourth mixer devices.
15. The double balanced image reject mixer of claim 9, wherein the four phase IF quadrature generator comprises an IF balun in series with two parallel 0\xb090\xb0 quadratures.
16. A method of performing spurious suppression and image reject mixing in a double balanced image reject mixer (IRM), comprising:
directly in-phase combining radio frequency (RF) output signals of four mixer devices located in the double balanced IRM; and
phase pairing local oscillator (LO) signals and intermediate frequency (IF) signals, wherein each phase paired pair of LO and IF signals are mixed at a respective mixer device of the four mixer devices, and wherein the phase pairing is configured such that the combination of the phases of the respective IF and LO signals results in substantially equal phase RF signals at the RF ports of all four mixer devices.
17. The method of performing spurious suppression and image reject mixing of claim 16, wherein the IF signals are from a four phase IF quadrature generator.
18. The method of performing spurious suppression and image reject mixing of claim 16, wherein the LO signals are from a four phase quadrature LO generator.
19. The method of performing spurious suppression and image reject mixing of claim 18, wherein the four phase quadrature LO generator is a digital four phase quadrature LO generator.
20. The method of performing spurious suppression and image reject mixing of claim 16, wherein the double balanced IRM is unlimited in bandwidth by any RF Baluns, RF switches, RF 90\xb0 hybrids, or RF filter banks that are located between a RF common port and the four mixer devices.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A device for storing and dispensing product packages, the device comprising:
a housing containing a plurality of chambers, wherein each chamber is configured to store product packages;
a tracking system supported by the housing and configured to track a number of product packages in each chamber as product packages are dispensed from the chambers, wherein the tracking system comprises at least two pairs of light emitting elements and at least two pairs of light detection elements, where light detection elements in a particular pair of light detection elements are positioned on opposing sides of an interior of a particular chamber of the plurality of chambers; and
an electronic system in communication with the tracking system and configured to enable dispensing of the product packages from the chambers, wherein the electronic system is further configured to:
determine, based on detection by at least one of the light detection elements in the particular pair of light detection elements, a collimated beam of light emitted from a corresponding light emitting element in the particular pair of light emitting elements, that a product package has been dispensed from the particular chamber of the plurality of chambers;
generate a data entry in response to the determination that the product package has been dispensed, the data entry comprising a product package identifier associated with the particular chamber, an operator identifier, and time information; and
store the data entry in a data log.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein the particular pair of light emitting elements comprise light-emitting diodes.
3. The device of claim 1, wherein a number of the at least two pairs of light detection elements are disposed in each chamber, the number of pairs of light detection elements being equal to a maximum number of product packages that may be stored in each chamber.
4. The device of claim 1, wherein the data entry further comprises a chamber identifier and the number of product packages in each of the plurality of chambers.
5. The device of claim 1, wherein the device further comprises an output device configured to output the data entry.
6. The device of claim 1, wherein the device further comprises an input device configured to receive an indication from an operator to dispense the product packages from the chambers.
7. The device of claim 6, wherein the indication from the operator is an operator code associated with the device and the operator.
8. The device of claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises a portion configured to display advertising information related to the product packages.
9. The device of claim 1, further comprising a pusher-foot, wherein one or more light emitting elements of the at least two pairs of light emitting elements are connected to the pusher-foot.
10. The device of claim 9, wherein a first pair of the at least two pairs of light detection elements are disposed at a substantially identical height on a first vertical surface of the particular chamber of the plurality of chambers, and a first pair of the at least two pairs of light emitting elements are disposed on the pusher-foot.
11. A method of storing and dispensing product packages comprising:
storing product packages in a plurality of chambers of a housing;
receiving, from an operator, an indication to dispense a product package;
dispensing the product package in response to the received indication;
detecting at least one collimated beam of light, emitted from at least one light emitting element of a pair of light emitting elements disposed in a chamber of the plurality of chambers, at an associated light detection element of a pair of light detection elements positioned on opposite sides of the chamber;
determining, based on the detection of light, that a product package has been dispensed;
determining, based on the detection of the collimated beam of light, a number of product packages remaining in the chamber;
generating a data entry in response to the determination that the product package has been dispensed, the data entry comprising a product package identifier associated with the chamber, an operator identifier, and time information; and
storing the data entry in a data log.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one light emitting element comprises a light-emitting diode.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein a number of pairs of light detection elements are disposed in each chamber, the number of pairs of light detection elements being equal to the maximum number of product packages that may be stored in each chamber.
14. The method of claim 11, wherein the data entry further comprises a chamber identifier and the number of product packages in each of the plurality of chambers.
15. The method of claim 11, further comprising outputting the data entry.
16. The method of claim 11, wherein the indication to dispense one or more of the of product packages is an operator code associated with the device and the operator.
17. The method of claim 11, wherein storing the product packages in the plurality of chambers of the housing comprises storing a different brand of the product packages in each of the plurality of chambers of the housing.
18. The method of claim 11, further comprising displaying advertising information related to the product packages.
19. The method of claim 11, wherein detecting light comprises detecting light emitted from the pair of light emitting elements disposed on a pusher-foot, at the pair of light detection elements disposed at a substantially identical height on a first vertical surface of the chamber.
20. A device for storing and dispensing product packages, the device comprising:
a housing containing one or more chambers, each chamber configured to store product packages;
a tracking system supported by the housing and configured to track a number of product packages remaining in each chamber as product packages are dispensed from the chambers, at least one light emitting element and at least one pair of light detection elements disposed in a chamber of the plurality of chambers, the light detection elements in a particular pair of light detection elements positioned on opposing sides of an interior of the chamber; and
an electronic system in communication with the tracking system and configured to enable dispensing of the product packages from the chambers, the electronic system further configured to:
determine, based on detection by at least one of the light detection elements in the particular pair of light detection elements, a beam of light emitted from a corresponding light emitting element in the at least one light emitting element, that a product package has been dispensed from the particular chamber of the plurality of chambers;
generate a data entry in response to the determination that the product package has been dispensed, the data entry comprising a product package identifier associated with the chamber and time information; and
store the data entry in a data log.