Systems and methods for reusing a low noise amplifyer in a wireless communications device

• US 20040209583A1
• Filed: 04/17/2003
• Published: 10/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Wireless Corporation (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: Tran, Allen, Forrester, Tim
• Granted Patent: US 7,356,314 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/143
• 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 3/211 using a combination of several amplifiers H03F3/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3805 with built-in auxiliary receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/406 with more than one transmission mode, e.g. analog and digital modes

Abstract

A wireless communication device comprises a plurality of receive signal paths, each of the receive signal paths is configured to receive signals in a certain frequency bandwidth. The communication device also comprises an amplifier coupled with each of the plurality of receive signal paths. The amplifier is configured to amplify the receive signals associated with each of the plurality of receive signal paths.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device, comprising:

a plurality of receive signal paths, each of the receive signal paths configured to receive signals in a certain frequency bandwidth; and

an amplifier coupled with each of the plurality of receive signal paths, the amplifier configured to amplify the received signals associated with each of the plurality of receive signal paths.

2. The wireless communication device of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of discrete image rejection filters coupled with the amplifier, each of the plurality of discrete image rejection filters configured to filter one of the amplified received signals generated by the amplifier.

3. The wireless communication device of claim 2, further comprising a single image rejection filter coupled with the amplifier, the single image rejection filter configured to filter each of the amplified received signals generated by the amplifier.

4. The wireless communication device of claim 3, wherein the single image rejection filter is a FBAR device.

5. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the amplifier is a low noise amplifier.

6. A wireless communication device, comprising:

an antenna configured to transmit and receive communication signals in a plurality of communication bands;

a plurality of receive signal paths coupled with the antenna, each of the receive signal paths configured to receive a communication signal in one of the plurality of communication bands; and

an amplifier coupled with the plurality of receive signal paths, the amplifier configured to amplify the received communication signals associated with each of the plurality of receive signal paths.

7. The wireless communication device of claim 6, wherein the antenna is configured to receive GPS signals in the GPS band.

8. The wireless communication device of claim 6, wherein the antenna is configured to receive PCS signals in the PCS band.

9. The wireless communication device of claim 6, wherein the antenna is configured to receive cellular signals in the cellular band.

10. The wireless communication device of claim 6, further comprising a plurality of discrete image rejection filters coupled with the amplifier, each of the plurality of discrete image rejection filters configured to filter one of the amplified receive signals generated by the amplifier.

13. The wireless communication device of claim 6, wherein the amplifier is a low noise amplifier.

11. The wireless communication device of claim 11, further comprising a single image rejection filters coupled with the amplifier, the single discrete image rejection filters configured to filter each of the amplified receive signals generated by the amplifier.

12. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the single image rejection filter is a FBAR device.

14. A method of receiving a plurality of receive signals, comprising:

receiving a plurality of receive signals via an antenna;

coupling the plurality of receive signal with an amplifier; and

amplifying each of the plurality of receive signal using the amplifier.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising coupling each of the plurality of amplified signals generated by the amplifier with a discrete image rejection filter and filtering each of the plurality of amplified signals using the discrete image rejection filters.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising coupling each of the plurality of amplified signals generated by the amplifier with a single image rejection filter and filtering each of the plurality of amplified signal using the single image rejection filter.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein one of the plurality of receive signals is a PCS signal.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein one of the plurality of receive signals is a GPS signal.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein one of the plurality of receive signals is a cellular signal.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the amplifier is a low noise amplifier.

21. A method of configuring a wireless communication device to receive a plurality of receive signals, comprising:

determining a required gain for each of the plurality of receive signals;

determining a required noise figure for each of the plurality of receive signals;

determining an impedance for each of the plurality of receive signal paths as seen by an amplifier that will approximately result in the required gain and noise figure for each of the plurality of receive signals when amplified by the amplifier;

configuring receive signal paths associated with each of the plurality of receive signal so that the determined impedances are presented to the amplifier.

26. The method of claim 21, further comprising determining an optimum pass band center frequency for the amplifier and configuring the amplifier accordingly.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein configuring the amplifier comprises shifting the pass band center frequency down so that receive signals received at lower frequencies receive greater amplification.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein configuring the amplifier comprises shifting the pass band center frequency up so that receive signals received at higher frequencies receive greater amplification.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the wireless communication device is configured to receive a high frequency receive signal, a mid frequency receive signal, and a low frequency receive signal, and wherein configuring the amplifier comprises configuring the amplifier to have a pass band center frequency near a frequency band associated with the low frequency receive signal.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the wireless communication device is configured to receive a high frequency receive signal, a mid frequency receive signal, and a low frequency receive signal, and wherein configuring the amplifier comprises configuring the amplifier to have a pass band center frequency near a frequency band associated with the high frequency receive signal.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein the wireless communication device is configured to receive a high frequency receive signal, a mid frequency receive signal, and a low frequency receive signal, and wherein configuring the amplifier comprises configuring the amplifier to have a pass band center frequency near a frequency band associated with the mid frequency receive signal.

22. The method of claim 22, further comprising offsetting any reduction in noise figure for each of the receive signal paths by reducing the insertion loss for each of the receive signal paths.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein reducing the insertion loss comprises configuring the wireless communication device to use a single image rejection filter.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein reducing the insertion loss comprises configuring the wireless communication device to use a N-plexer.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein reducing the insertion loss comprises configuring the wireless communication device to use a triplexer.