Patent ID: 7146149

Claim:
A receiver comprising: a mixer to down convert a received RF signal; and a local oscillator (LO) circuit coupled to said mixer, wherein said LO circuit comprises: a first LO source to generate a first periodic signal cycling at a first frequency; a second LO source to generate a second periodic signal cycling at a second frequency different than said first frequency; an amplifier having an input, an output coupled to the mixer, and a gain variable with the amplitude of a signal applied to the amplifier; a first switching element to selectively couple said first periodic signal to said amplifier input when said first switching element is turned on; and a second switching element to selectively couple said second periodic signal to said amplifier input when said second switching element is turned on; said first and second switching elements allowing leakage of said first and second periodic signals, respectively, to said amplifier input when said first and second switching elements are off, respectively; the amplifier responding to a signal comprising said first periodic signal and leakage of said second periodic signal by providing a greater gain to said first periodic signal than to said leakage of said second periodic signal, and responding to a signal comprising said second periodic signal and leakage of said first periodic signal by providing a greater gain to said second periodic signal than to said leakage of said first periodic signal.