Diplexed coupler for carrier aggregation

• US 10,182,403 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2016
• Issued: 01/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Skyworks Solutions Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Skyworks Solutions Incorporated
• Inventors: Ripley, David Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Sam, Phirin
• Application Number:
  US15/280,702
• Publication Number:
  US 20170094607A1
• Time in Patent Office: 838 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/101 for measurement of specific parameters of the transmitter or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/102 Power radiated at antenna
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/103 Reflected power, e.g. return loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/04 TPC
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/346 distributing total power among users or channels

Abstract

A wireless device is disclosed that can support carrier aggregation uplink (“CAUL”) communication using a single wideband coupler. A single wideband coupler that can operate or support some or all of the communication bands of the wireless device can be used in conjunction with one or more diplexers and/or filters to measure the power of individual communication bands involved in the transmission process. Further, the use of a wideband coupler and switching network to measure the transmit power from the one or more transmit paths or main paths of a wireless device can reduce the size of a transceiver and reduce the insertion loss attributed to the power measurement components compared to systems that use separate measurement systems for each transmit path. The power measurement system may occur in a separate path in electrical connection with the wideband coupler, which may therefore be termed a coupler path.

Claims

1. A radio frequency device comprising:

a transmit switch in communication with a plurality of transmit paths, at least one of the transmit paths supporting carrier aggregation transmission of a first radio frequency band and a second radio frequency band;

a coupler including a first port and a second port, the first port in communication with the transmit switch and the second port in communication with an antenna, the coupler configured to provide a transmit signal from the transmit switch to the antenna; and

a power measurement module in communication with the coupler, the power measurement module part of a coupled path that is separate from the plurality of transmit paths, the power measurement module including a first diplexer in communication with one of a plurality of switches, the first diplexer configured to multiplex a first signal corresponding to the first radio frequency band and a second signal corresponding to the second radio frequency band, a second diplexer in communication with a first power amplifier and a second power amplifier from a plurality of power amplifiers, the first power amplifier corresponding to the first radio frequency band and the second power amplifier corresponding to the second radio frequency band.

2. The radio frequency device of claim 1 wherein the power measurement module does not contribute to an insertion loss within the plurality of transmit paths.

3. The radio frequency device of claim 1 wherein the power measurement module includes the plurality of switches and the plurality of switches includes a first switch and a second switch, the first switch configured to switch between connecting a third port of the coupler to a third switch and a fourth port of the coupler to the third switch, and the second switch configured to switch between connecting the third port of the coupler to a termination resistor and the fourth port of the coupler to the termination resistor.

4. The radio frequency device of claim 3 wherein the third port of the coupler is connected to the third switch when the fourth port of the coupler is connected to the termination resistor, and the third port of the coupler is connected to the termination resistor when the fourth port of the coupler is connected to the third switch.

5. The radio frequency device of claim 3 wherein the first diplexer is in communication with the third switch, the third switch configured to switch between connecting one of the third port of the coupler or the fourth port of the coupler to one of the first diplexer or a common coupler output.

6. The radio frequency device of claim 5 wherein the common coupler output corresponds to a power measurement for a third radio frequency band, the third radio frequency band not used for carrier aggregation transmission.

7. The radio frequency device of claim 5 wherein the first diplexer is configured to output a first power measurement corresponding to the first radio frequency band and a second power measurement corresponding to the second radio frequency band.

8. The radio frequency device of claim 3 wherein the power measurement module further includes a low pass filter, a high pass filter, and the third switch, the third switch being a single pole three throw switch, the first throw configured to connect the first switch to the low pass filter, the second throw configured to connect the first switch to the high pass filter, and the third throw configured to connect the first switch to a common coupler output without a filter.

9. The radio frequency device of claim 1 wherein the power measurement module includes the coupler.

10. A transceiver comprising:

a power amplifier module including a plurality of power amplifiers, each power amplifier from the plurality of power amplifiers corresponding to a different radio frequency band;

an antenna switch module in communication with the power amplifier module, the antenna switch module including a band selection switch, a coupler, and a power measurement module, the band selection switch in communication with a plurality of band paths, at least one of the band paths supporting carrier aggregation transmission of a first radio frequency band and a second radio frequency band, the coupler including a first port and a second port, the first port in communication with the band selection switch and the second port in communication with an antenna, the coupler configured to provide a transmit signal from the band selection switch to the antenna, and the power measurement module in communication with the coupler, the power measurement module part of a coupled path that is separate from the plurality of band paths, and the power measurement module including a first diplexer in communication with one of a plurality of switches, the first diplexer configured to multiplex a first signal corresponding to the first radio frequency band and a second signal corresponding to the second radio frequency band; and

a second diplexer in communication with a first power amplifier and a second power amplifier from the plurality of power amplifiers, the first power amplifier corresponding to the first radio frequency band and the second power amplifier corresponding to the second radio frequency band.

11. The transceiver of claim 10 wherein the power measurement module includes the plurality of switches configured to regulate providing a power measurement from the coupler to at least one of the plurality of power amplifiers.

12. The transceiver of claim 11 wherein the power measurement corresponds to one of an output power at the antenna or a reflected power from the antenna.

13. The transceiver of claim 10 wherein the second diplexer is configured to multiplex a third signal corresponding to the first radio frequency band and a fourth signal corresponding to the second radio frequency band.

14. The transceiver of claim 13 wherein the first signal and the third signal are the same frequency and the first signal has a different power level than the third signal, and the second signal and the fourth signal are the same frequency and the second signal has a different power level than the fourth signal.

15. The transceiver of claim 10 wherein the second diplexer generates a 1-2dB insertion loss and the first diplexer generates a 2-5dB insertion loss.

16. The transceiver of claim 10 wherein the power amplifier module is configured to modify the input power to at least one power amplifier from the plurality of power amplifiers based at least in part on a power measurement signal from the power measurement module.

17. A wireless device comprising:

an antenna configured to receive and transmit a wireless signal, the antenna capable of transmitting a carrier aggregation signal; and

a transceiver in communication with the antenna, the transceiver including a power amplifier module, an antenna switch module in communication with the antenna and the power amplifier module, and a first diplexer, the antenna switch module including a band selection switch, a coupler, and a power measurement module, the band selection switch in communication with a plurality of band paths, at least one of the band paths supporting transmission of a carrier aggregation signal including at least a first signal of a first radio frequency band and a second signal of a second radio frequency band, the coupler configured to provide a transmit signal from the band selection switch to the antenna, and the power measurement module part of a coupled path that is separate from the plurality of band paths, the power measurement module including a second diplexer in communication with one of a plurality of switches, the second diplexer configured to multiplex a first signal corresponding to the first radio frequency band and a second signal corresponding to the second radio frequency band, and the first diplexer in communication with a first power amplifier and a second power amplifier from a plurality of power amplifiers of the power amplifier module, the first power amplifier corresponding to the first radio frequency band and the second power amplifier corresponding to the second radio frequency band.