N-plexer systems and methods for use in a wireless communications device

• US 20040209590A1
• Filed: 04/16/2003
• Published: 10/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Wireless Corporation (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: Tran, Allen, Forrester, Tim
• Granted Patent: US 7,376,440 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/406 with more than one transmission mode, e.g. analog and digital modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/48 in circuits for connecting transmitter and receiver to a common transmission path, e.g. by energy of transmitter H04B1/46 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/52 Hybrid arrangements, i.e. arrangements for transition from single-path two-direction transmission to single-direction transmission on each of two paths or vice versa

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 N-plexer configured to communicate signals associated with a plurality of communication bands with an antenna, the N-plexer comprising a plurality of communication ports associated with the plurality of communication bands, each of the plurality of communication ports comprising a receive band pass filter configured to pass a receive signal of the associated communication band and reject receive signals associated with the other communication bands.

2. The N-plexer of claim 1, wherein at least some of the plurality of communication ports further comprise a transmit band pass filter configured to pass a transmit signal of the associated communication band, and wherein the receive band pass filter and the transmit band pass filter for a given communications port are configured to provide isolation between the associated receive and transmit signals.

3. The N-plexer of claim 2, wherein the receive band pass filter and the transmit band pass filter for a given communications port are further configured to reject signals associated with other communication bands.

4. The N-plexer of claim 1, wherein the N-plexer is an FBAR device.

5. The N-plexer of claim 1, wherein the N-plexer comprises SAW devices.

6. The N-plexer of claim 1, wherein the N-plexer comprises inductor-capacitor devices.

7. The N-plexer of claim 1, wherein one of the communication bands is the GPS band.

8. The N-plexer of claim 1, wherein one of the communication bands is a PCS band.

9. The N-plexer of claim 1, wherein one of the communication bands is the cellular communication band.

10. A N-plexer for use in a wireless communication device, the N-plexer comprising:

a first communication signal port, the first communication signal port comprising a receive signal path, and a transmit signal path;

a GPS signal port, the GPS signal port comprising a GPS receive signal path;

a second communication signal port, the second communication signal port comprising a receive signal path and a transmit signal path.

11. The N-plexer of claim 10, wherein each receive signal path comprises a filter configured to pass received signals within a receive bandwidth for the associated communication signal port and to reject receive signals associated with the other communication signal ports.

12. The N-plexer of claim 11, wherein each transmit signal path comprises a filter configured to pass transmit signals within a transmit bandwidth for the associated communication signal port and to provide isolation relative to receive signals of the associated communication signal port.

13. The N-plexer of claim 12, wherein the GPS receive signal path comprises a filter configured to pass received GPS signals and to reject receive signals associated with the other communication signal ports.

14. The N-plexer of claim 10, wherein the N-plexer is a FBAR device.

15. The N-plexer of claim 10, wherein the first communication signal port is a PCS signal port.

16. The N-plexer of claim 15, wherein the second communication signal port is a cellular signal port.

17. A wireless communication device, comprising:

an antenna; and

a N-plexer configured to communicate signals associated with a plurality of communication bands with the antenna, the N-plexer comprising a plurality of communication ports associated with the plurality of communication bands, each of the plurality of communication ports comprising a receive band pass filter configured to pass a receive signal of the associated communication band and reject receive signals associated with the other communication bands.

18. The wireless communication device of claim 17, wherein at least some of the plurality of communication ports further comprise a transmit band pass filter configured to pass a transmit signal of the associated communication band, and wherein the receive band pass filter and the transmit band pass filter for a given communications port are configured to provide isolation between the associated receive and transmit signals.

19. The wireless communication device of claim 17, wherein the receive band pass filter and the transmit band pass filter for a given communications port are, further configured to reject signals associated with other communication bands.

20. The wireless communication device of claim 17, wherein the N-plexer is a FBAR device.

21. The wireless communication device of claim 17, wherein the N-plexer comprises SAW devices.

22. The wireless communication device of claim 17, wherein the N-plexer comprises inductor-capacitor devices.

23. The wireless communication device of claim 17, wherein one of the communication bands is the GPS band.

24. The wireless communication device of claim 17, wherein one of the communication bands is a PCS band.

25. The wireless communication device of claim 17, wherein one of the communication bands is the cellular communication band.

26. A method of wireless communication, comprising:

receiving a plurality of receive signals;

coupling the plurality of receive signal with a N-plexer; and

band pass filtering the plurality of receive signals using the N-plexer.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising band pass filtering a plurality of transmit signals using the N-plexer and coupling the filtered transmit signals with the antenna.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising isolating the plurality of receive signals from the plurality of transmit signals using the N-plexer.

29. The method of claim 26, providing rejection of the plurality of receive signals as required using the N-plexer.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the N-plexer is a FBAR device.