Patent ID: 6870414

Claim:
A system for applying a continuously tuned phase shift to a periodic signal, which periodic signal has a periodicity of 2 and is modulated arbitrarily, said system comprising: a first phase shifter shifting a phase of said periodic signal in accordance with a provided first control signal within a phase shifting range covering at least 2n, wherein n is a natural number greater than zero, said first control signal varying smoothly within a control signal range which corresponds to a phase shifting range covering 4n and jumping between a maximum and a minimum value whenever a border of said control signal range is reached; a second phase shifter shifting the phase of said periodic signal in accordance with a provided second control signal within said phase shifting range covering at least 2n, said second control signal being identical to said first control signal except that it is shifted in time compared to said first control signal such that maximum and minimum values of said second control signal occur in the middle between said maximum and said minimum values of said first control signal; and a switching component selecting an output of said first phase shifter whenever the value of said first control signal is closer to the middle of said control signal range and selecting an output of said second phase shifter whenever the value of said second control signal is closer to the middle of said control signal range.