Tunable isolator

• US 20020149439A1
• Filed: 02/14/2002
• Published: 10/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Wireless Corporation (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: Toncich, Stanley S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,265,643 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 333/24.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 27/2694 Measuring dielectric loss, e.g. loss angle, loss factor or power factor
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 7/06 having a dielectric selected for the variation of its permittivity with applied voltage, i.e. ferroelectric capacitors electrets H01G7/02
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/0808 Varactor diodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 1/203 Strip line filters
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 1/20336 Comb or interdigital filters
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 1/20363 Linear resonators
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 1/20381 Special shape resonators
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 1/2039 Galvanic coupling between Input/Output
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 1/2056 Comb filters or interdigital filters with metallised resonator holes in a dielectric block
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 1/213 combining or separating two or more different frequencies H01P1/215 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/04 with variable factor of coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/04 Modifications of generator to compensate for variations in physical values, e.g. power supply, load, temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/124 the means comprising a voltage dependent capacitance
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/1262 the means comprising switched elements
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/1293 having means for achieving a desired tuning characteristic, e.g. linearising the frequency characteristic across the tuning voltage range
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/1841 the frequency-determining element being a strip line resonator H03B5/1805, H03B5/1817, H03B5/1864 and H03B5/1882 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/362 the amplifier being a single transistor H03B5/364 - H03B5/368 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/56 Modifications of input or output impedances, not otherwise provided for
• 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 2200/372 : Noise reduction and elimination in amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/191 : Tuned amplifiers H03F3/193, H03F3/195 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/0123 : comprising distributed impedance elements together with lumped impedance elements
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/12 : Bandpass or bandstop filters with adjustable bandwidth and fixed centre frequency H03H7/09 takes precedence; automatic control of bandwidth in amplifiers H03G5/16
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/20 : Two-port phase shifters providing an adjustable phase shift
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 5/246 : using electronic means H03J5/244 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 1/022 : by indirect stabilisation, i.e. by generating an electrical correction signal which is a function of the temperature H03L1/021 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/18 : using a frequency divider or counter in the loop H03L7/20, H03L7/22 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0053 : with common antenna for more than one band
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0458 : Arrangements for matching and coupling between power amplifier and antenna or between amplifying stages matching circuits in general H03H
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/30 : for homodyne or synchrodyne receivers demodulator circuits H03D1/22
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/40 : Circuits

Abstract

A tunable isolator is provided. At least one of the matching circuits for the isolator may be patterned or placed on a common substrate with the isolator. Additionally, at least one of the matching circuits includes a ferro-electric tunable component for tuning the impedance match of the matching circuit.

Claims

1. A tunable isolator comprising:

an isolator comprising an input port, an output port and an isolation port;

a ferro-electric tunable component coupled to the isolator;

a matching circuit coupled to the isolator and comprising the ferro-electric tunable component;

a control line operably coupled to the ferro-electric component;

a control source electrically coupled to the control line, the control source configured to transmit a control signal on the control line;

wherein the ferro-electric component, responsive to the control signal, adjusts the impedance of the matching circuit.

2. The tunable isolator of claim 1, wherein the ferro-electric tunable component comprises a ferro-electric tunable capacitor.

3. The tunable isolator of claim 2, further comprising a substrate wherein the capacitor is directly mechanically coupled to the substrate and the isolator is directly mechanically coupled to the substrate.

4. The tunable isolator of claim 1, wherein the matching circuit comprises:

an output matching circuit comprising a matching circuit chosen from a group consisting of an isolator-to-diplexer matching circuit and an isolator-to-multiplexer matching circuit, wherein the output matching circuit is coupled to the output port of the isolator and to an input port of a device chosen from a group consisting of a diplexer and a multiplexer.

5. The tunable isolator of claim 4, wherein the input matching circuit further comprises a second ferro-electric tunable component.

7. The tunable isolator of claim 4, further comprising an input matching circuit comprising a power amplifier-to-isolator matching circuit, wherein the input matching circuit is coupled to the output port of a power amplifier and to the input port of the isolator.

8. The tunable isolator of claim 1, wherein the matching circuit comprisies:

an input matching circuit comprising a power amplifier-to-isolator matching circuit, wherein the input matching circuit is coupled to the output port of a power amplifier and to the input port of the isolator.

9. The tunable isolator of claim 8, wherein the output matching circuit further comprises a second ferro-electric tunable component.

11. The tunable isolator of claim 1, further comprising an isolation port matching circuit coupled between an electrical ground and the isolation port wherein the isolation port matching circuit comprises a second ferro-electric tunable component.

12. The tunable isolator of claim 11, wherein the second tunable component comprises a ferro-electric tunable capacitor.

6. The tunable isolator of cliam 5, wherein the second component comprises a tunable ferro-electric capacitor.

10. The tunable isolator of cliam 10, wherein the second component comprises a tunable ferro-electric capacitor.