Communication unit

• US 10,454,434 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2018
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co Limited
• Original Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co Limited
• Inventors: Sato, Tsuyoshi, Matsumoto, Hidetoshi, Takenaka, Kiichiro, Ito, Masahiro, Tanaka, Satoshi, Katamata, Takahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Lana N
• Application Number:
  US16/038,770
• Publication Number:
  US 20190028074A1
• Time in Patent Office: 461 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/294 the amplifier being a low noise amplifier [LNA]
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/195 in integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/211 using a combination of several amplifiers H03F3/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/245 with semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/4508 using bipolar transistors as the active amplifying circuit H03F3/45278 takes precedence

Abstract

A communication unit includes a first input terminal to which a first transmission signal based on a first communication standard is input, a second input terminal to which a second transmission signal based on a second communication standard is input, a first transmission signal amplifier circuit outputting a first amplified transmission signal, or outputting a second amplified transmission signal, a first input-output terminal outputting the first amplified transmission signal or the second amplified transmission signal, and at least one of a first reception signal and a second reception signal inputted to the first input-output terminal, a first reception signal amplifier circuit performing at least one of operation of outputting a first amplified reception signal and operation of outputting a second amplified reception signal, a first output terminal outputting the first amplified reception signal, and a second output terminal outputting the second amplified reception signal.

Claims

1. A communication unit comprising:

a first communication module comprising;

a first input terminal to which a first transmission signal based on a first communication standard is input;

a first transmission signal amplifier circuit configured to amplify the first transmission signal and output a first amplified transmission signal;

a second input terminal to which a second transmission signal based on a second communication standard is input, the second communication standard being different from the first communication standard;

a second transmission signal amplifier circuit configured to amplify the second transmission signal and output a second amplified transmission signal;

a first input-output terminal configured to output the first amplified transmission signal or the second amplified transmission signal, and receive at least one of a first reception signal based on the first communication standard and a second reception signal based on the second communication standard;

a first reception signal amplifier circuit configured to amplify the first reception signal and output a first amplified reception signal, or amplify the second reception signal and output a second amplified reception signal obtained;

a first output terminal configured to output the first amplified reception signal; and

a second output terminal configured to output the second amplified reception signal a second communication module comprising;

a third input terminal to which a third transmission signal based on the second communication standard is input;

a second transmission signal amplifier circuit configured to amplify the third transmission signal and output a third amplified transmission signal;

a second input-output terminal configured to output the third amplified transmission signal, and receive at least one of a third reception signal based on the first communication standard and a fourth reception signal based on the second communication standard;

a second reception signal amplifier circuit configured to amplify the third reception signal and output a third amplified reception signal, or amplify the fourth reception signal and output a fourth amplified reception signal;

a third output terminal configured to output the third amplified reception signal; and

a fourth output terminal configured to output the fourth amplified reception signal.

2. The communication unit according to claim 1,

wherein the first communication module further comprises an output terminal configured to output the first amplified transmission signal.

3. The communication unit according to claim 1, wherein the communication unit supports multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) operation.