Multiple transmit system structure and mobile terminal having the same

• US 10,439,670 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2018
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kang, Younghee, Kim, Inkyung, Park, Jihyuk, Won, Dongsu, Lim, Kyungho, Jang, Jaehyuk, Cho, Eunbit
• Primary Examiner(s): Rachedine, Mohammed
• Application Number:
  US16/037,956
• Publication Number:
  US 20190229764A1
• Time in Patent Office: 448 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/111 the amplifier being a dual or triple band amplifier, e.g. 900 and 1800 MHz, e.g. switched or not switched, simultaneously or not
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/294 the amplifier being a low noise amplifier [LNA]
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/24 of transmitter output stages
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/72 Gated amplifiers, i.e. amplifiers which are rendered operative or inoperative by means of a control signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/006 using switches for selecting the desired band H04B1/0057 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/26 for superheterodyne receivers multiple frequency-changing H03D7/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/401 for selecting or indicating operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/406 with more than one transmission mode, e.g. analog and digital modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A mobile terminal according to the present invention includes a first power amplifier (PA) to amplify and output a first signal of a first transceiver, a power combiner to combine a second signal of the first transceiver with a third signal of the second transceiver, a second power amplifier to amplify and output a fourth signal combined by the power combiner, and a switch to select one of a first transmission signal that is an output signal of the first power amplifier and a second transmission signal that is an output signal of the second power amplifier, wherein the first transceiver operates in a first communication system and the second transceiver operates in a second communication system, whereby a mobile terminal having improved transmission output power characteristics can be provided using the first communication system and the second communication system.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

a first transceiver configured to operate according to a first communication system;

a second transceiver configured to operate according to a second communication system;

a first power amplifier configured to amplify and output a first signal output by the first transceiver;

a power combiner configured to combine a second signal output by the first transceiver with a third signal output by the second transceiver to output a fourth combined signal;

a second power amplifier configured to amplify and output the fourth combined signal output by the power combiner; and

a switch configured to selectively allow transmission of a first transmission signal of the amplified first signal output by the first power amplifier or a second transmission signal of the amplified fourth combined signal output by the second power amplifier.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the first communication system is a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) system, the second communication system is a Fifth Generation (5G) communication system, and a frequency band of the first communication system is the same as a frequency band of the second communication system.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising a single antenna operably coupled to the switch and configured to transmit a transmission signal as the first transmission signal or the second transmission signal to a base station or another mobile terminal based on operation of the switch.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 3, further comprising a duplexer disposed between the switch and the single antenna and configured to separate the transmission signal from a reception signal received from the base station or the another mobile terminal via the single antenna,

wherein the duplexer is operably coupled to the switch via a transmission path and operably coupled to a first low-noise amplifier via a reception path, and

wherein the first low-noise amplifier is configured to amplify a first reception signal of the first communication system and a second reception signal of the second communication system.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 4, further comprising:

a distributor operably coupled to the low-noise amplifier and configured to distribute the amplified first reception signal or second reception signal as an input to the first transceiver and an input of the second transceiver;

a second low-noise amplifier disposed along a first reception path between the distributor and the first transceiver to amplify a distributed first reception path signal; and

a third low-noise amplifier disposed along a second reception path between the distributor and the second transceiver to amplify a distributed second reception path signal.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein when the switch is connected to an output of the first power amplifier, the switch connection is synchronized such that the first signal of the first transceiver is selected, and

wherein when the switch is connected to an output of the second power amplifier, the switch connection is synchronized such that the second signal of the first transceiver is selected.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein:

the first signal is output by the first transceiver through a first port of the first transceiver; and

the second signal is output by the first transceiver through a second port of the first transceiver when the first transceiver and the second transceiver simultaneously output the second signal and the third signal;

the first transceiver further comprises a first modulator, a plurality of second modulators, and a switch, and

the first modulator operates to output the first signal through the first port and the plurality of second modulators operate to output the second signal through the second port, and the switch is configured to selectively allow signal output from the first port or the second port.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising a first modem operably coupled to the first transceiver and a second modem operably coupled to the second transceiver, wherein:

the first modem is configured to control power supply to the first power amplifier; and

the first modem and the second modem are configured to control power supply to the second power amplifier.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to control operation of the first transceiver and the second transceiver,

wherein the controller is configured to control both the first transceiver and the second transceiver to operate and control the switch to selectively allow transmission of the second transmission signal when a reference signal of the first communication system is less than a threshold value.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to control operation of the first transceiver and the second transceiver,

wherein the controller is configured to control the first transceiver to operate and the second transceiver not to operate and control the switch to selectively allow transmission of the first transmission signal when a first reference signal of the first communication system is more than a first threshold value and a second reference signal of the second communication system is less than a second threshold value.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to control operation of the first transceiver and the second transceiver,

wherein the controller is configured to control both the first transceiver and the second transceiver to operate and control the switch to selectively allow transmission of the second transmission signal when a reference signal received by the first transceiver through the second low-noise amplifier is more than a threshold value, and

wherein the controller is configured to control the first transceiver to operate and the second transceiver not to operate and control the switch to selectively allow transmission of the first transmission signal when a first reference signal received by the first transceiver through the second low-noise amplifier is more than a first threshold value and a second reference signal received by the second transceiver through the third low-noise amplifier is less than a second threshold value.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to control operation of the first transceiver and the second transceiver,

wherein the controller is configured to retransmit a first request using the first communication system and the second communication system when the first request is transmitted using the first communication system and a reception of a first response to the first request from a base station or another mobile terminal is unsuccessful, and

wherein the first transceiver and the second transceiver are configured to both operate during a time interval including a time duration and a time margin for the retransmission, and the controller is configured to control the switch to selectively allow transmission of a second transmission signal on a second path.

13. A mobile terminal, comprising:

one or more transceivers configured to output a first signal and a second signal of a first part of the one or more transceivers and a third signal of a second part of the one or more transceivers;

a power combiner configured to output a fourth signal by combining the second signal with the third signal;

a switch configured to selectively allow transmission of one of the first signal or the fourth signal; and

one power amplifier configured to amplify and output at least one of the first or fourth signal;

wherein the one or more transceivers is configured to operate in a first communication system and a second communication system.

14. The terminal of claim 13, wherein an output of the power combiner is provided to one of two switch ports of the switch.

15. The terminal of claim 13, wherein the one or more transceivers operating in the first communication system and the second communication system is configured as an integrated transceiver, and

wherein the integrated transceiver comprises a first transmission port, a second transmission port and a reception port of the first communication system, and a transmission port and a reception port of the second communication system.

16. The terminal of claim 13, wherein the one or more transceivers operating in the first communication system and the second communication system are configured as an integrated transceiver, and

wherein the switch is implemented within the integrated transceiver and the integrated transceiver is interfaced with the power amplifier through one port.

17. A mobile terminal, comprising:

one or more transceivers configured to output a first signal and a second signal of a first part of the one or more transceivers and a third signal of a second part of the one or more transceivers;

a switch configured to selectively allow transmission of the first signal or the second signal;

a power combiner configured to output a fourth signal by combining the first signal with the third signal or the second signal with the third signal based on operation of a switch; and

one power amplifier to amplify and output the fourth signal;

wherein the one or more transceivers is configured to operate in a first communication system and a second communication system.

18. The mobile terminal of claim 17, wherein an output of the switch is provided to the power combiner.

19. The mobile terminal of claim 17, wherein the one or more transceivers operating in the first communication system and the second communication system is configured as an integrated transceiver, and

wherein the integrated transceiver comprises a first transmission port, a second transmission port, and a reception port of the first communication system, and a transmission port and a reception port of the second communication system.