Interchangeable receive inputs for band and system swappability in communication systems and related methods

• US 20060178122A1
• Filed: 09/20/2005
• Published: 08/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics International N.V. (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: ST Wireless SA
• Inventors: Tuttle, G. Tyson, Kerth, Donald A., Srinivasan, Vishnu S., Garlepp, Eric R., Mitchelson, Brett O., Levy, Gary B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,333,831 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/168.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/006 using switches for selecting the desired band H04B1/0057 takes precedence

Abstract

Interchangeable high band low-noise-amplifiers (LNAs) and low band low-noise-amplifiers (LNAs) and related methods are disclosed that greatly enhance the efficiency of designing handsets for different combinations of frequency bands. The input signals to particular pins on a receiver or transceiver integrated circuit (IC) are swappable such that multiple frequency bands can be input to the same input pins thereby allowing for simplified system design. Efficient programmable techniques are also disclosed for controlling a swap mode within communication ICs. These interchangeable or band swappable input paths, for example, can be utilized to allow interchangeability between high band (PCS, DCS) and low band (GSM, E-GSM) inputs for cellular communications. In this way, for example, handset manufacturers can build a single printed circuit board (PCB) that can be utilized for cellular communications in the United States of America, where 850 MHz (GSM) and 1900 MHz (PCS) bands are utilized, and in Europe, wherein 900 MHz (E-GSM) and 1800 MHz (DCS) bands are utilized.

Claims

1. A communication system having band swappable receive inputs, comprising:

receive path circuitry within an integrated circuit, comprising;

one or more low noise amplifiers (LNAs) each being configured to operate in multiple frequency bands;

control circuitry coupled to provide one or more control signals to select frequency bands of operation for the LNAs; and

one or more input pins associated with each LNA;

external circuitry coupled to the input pins for the LNAs and configured for a desired set of frequency bands of operation for the communication system.

2. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the frequency bands comprise cellular telephone frequency bands.

3. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the frequency bands comprise at least one cellular telephone frequency band and at least one other frequency band from another type of communication system.

4. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the frequency bands comprise a 850 MHz (GSM) band, a 900 MHz (E-GSM) band, a 1800 (DCS) band, or a 1900 MHz (PCS) band.

5. The communication system of claim 1, further comprising a printed circuitry board (PCB) upon which the integrated circuit and the external circuitry are coupled, the PCB having connections from the external circuitry to the input pins for integrated circuit.

6. The communication system of claim 5, wherein the receive path circuitry comprises four LNAs with each LNA configured to be swappable between at least two frequency bands.

7. The communication system of claim 6, wherein two LNAs are swappable between the 850 MHz (GSM) and the 900 MHz (E-GSM) bands and two LNAs are swappable between the 1800 MHz (DCS) and 1900 MHz (PCS) bands.

8. The communication system of claim 7, wherein the integrated circuit comprises two input pins associated with each LNA.

9. The communication system of claim 7, wherein the communication system is configured for operation in a dual-band or a triple-band cellular telephone handset such that one or two of the input pin pairs are not used to receive frequency band input signals.

10. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the external circuitry comprises a SAW filter and a matching network for each selected frequency band of operation.

11. An integrated circuit having band swappable receive inputs, comprising:

one or more low noise amplifiers (LNAs) each being configured to operate in multiple frequency bands;

control circuitry coupled to provide one or more control signals to select frequency bands of operation for the LNAs; and

one or more input pins associated with each LNA.

12. The integrated circuit of claim 11, wherein the frequency bands comprise cellular telephone frequency bands including a 850 MHz (GSM) band, a 900 MHz (E-GSM) band, a 1800 (DCS) band, or a 1900 MHz (PCS) band.

13. The integrated circuit of claim 11, wherein the frequency bands comprise at least one cellular telephone frequency band and at least one other frequency band from another type of communication system.

14. The integrated circuit of claim 11, wherein the receive path circuitry comprises four LNAs with each LNA being configured to be swappable between at least two frequency bands.

15. The integrated circuit of claim 14, wherein two LNAs are swappable between the 850 MHz (GSM) and the 900 MHz (E-GSM) bands and two LNAs are swappable between the 1800 MHz (DCS) and 1900 MHz (PCS) bands.

16. The integrated circuit of claim 15, wherein the integrated circuit comprises two input pins for each LNA.

17. The integrated circuit of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry comprises a software programmable configuration register including one or more bits configured to allow selection of frequency bands of operation for the LNAs.

18. The integrated circuit of claim 17, wherein the programmable register comprises a single swap bit that selects a first set of frequency bands in a default setting and a second set of frequency bands in a non-default setting.

19. The integrated circuit of claim 18, wherein the frequency bands comprise cellular telephone frequency bands and wherein the receive path circuitry comprises a first LNA having a default mode of operation in a 850 MHz (GSM) band and a non-default mode of operation in a 900 MHz (E-GSM) band, a second LNA having a default mode of operation in the 900 MHz (E-GSM) band and a non-default mode of operation in the 850 MHz (GSM) band, a third LNA having a default mode of operation in a 1800 MHz (DCS) band and a non-default mode of operation in a 1900 MHz (PCS) band, and a fourth LNA having a default mode of operation in the 1900 MHz (PCS) band and a non-default mode of operation in the 1800 MHz (DCS) band.

20. A method for receiving communications with swappable receive inputs, comprising:

providing an integrated circuit with receive path circuitry having one or more low noise amplifiers (LNAs) configured to operate in multiple frequency bands, each LNA being associated with one or more input pins for the integrated circuit;

selecting the frequency bands of operation for the LNAs; and

receiving one or more input signals within the selected frequency bands at input pins to the integrated circuit.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the frequency bands comprise cellular telephone frequency bands.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the frequency bands comprise at least one cellular telephone frequency band and at least one other frequency band from another type of communication system.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the frequency bands include a 850 MHz (GSM) band, a 900 MHz (E-GSM) band, a 1800 (DCS) band, or a 1900 MHz (PCS) band.

24. The method of claim 20, further comprising selecting one or more selected frequency bands of operation for a communication system, configuring external circuitry for operation in the selected frequency bands, coupling the external circuitry to the input pins associated with one of more of the LNAs depending upon the selected frequency bands for the communication system, and leaving unused input pins associated with unused LNAs.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising coupling the integrated circuit and the external circuitry to a printed circuitry board (PCB).

26. The method of claim 20, wherein the providing step comprises providing four or more LNAs with each LNA configured to be swappable between at least two frequency bands.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein the selecting step comprises programming one or more bits of a configuration register within the integrated circuit to select frequency bands of operation for the LNAs.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the selecting step comprises selecting a first set of frequency bands in a default setting and a second set of frequency bands in a non-default setting.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the frequency bands comprise cellular telephone frequency bands and wherein selecting the default setting selects a 850 MHz (GSM) band for a first LNA, selects a 900 MHz (E-GSM) band for a second LNA, a 1800 MHz (DCS) band for a third LNA, and a 1900 MHz (PCS) band for a fourth LNA;

and selecting the non-default settings selects the 900 MHz (E-GSM) band for the first LNA, selects the 850 MHz (GSM) band for the second LNA, selects the 1900 MHz (PCS) band for the third LNA, and selects the 1800 MHz (DCS) band for the fourth LNA.

30. The method of claim 20, wherein two or more LNAs are provided and the selecting step comprises selecting a default frequency band of operation for at least one of the LNAs and selecting a non-default frequency band of operation for at least one of the LNAs.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the selecting step further comprises receiving command signals from a baseband processor to select the frequency bands of operation.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the receive path circuitry and the baseband processor are integrated within the same integrated circuit.