RADIO FRONT END HAVING REDUCED DIVERSITY SWITCH LINEARITY REQUIREMENT

• US 20140024322A1
• Filed: 07/16/2013
• Published: 01/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc. (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: RF Micro Devices Incorporated (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Inventors: Khlat, Nadim
• Granted Patent: US 9,143,208 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/78
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/006 using switches for selecting the desired band H04B1/0057 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0404 the mobile station comprising multiple antennas, e.g. to provide uplink diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0602 using antenna switching H04B7/0686 takes precedence; antenna beam directivity switching H01Q3/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0802 using antenna selection H04B7/0868 takes precedence; antenna beam directivity switching H01Q3/24

Abstract

A radio front end that includes a diversity switch module adapted to route diversity receive (RX) signals to transceiver circuitry from diversity antenna switch circuitry coupled to at least one diversity antenna port is disclosed. The radio front end further includes ultrahigh band (UHB) switch circuitry adapted to route UHB transmit (TX) signals from power amplifier and switch circuitry to a UHB antenna port and/or to at least one diversity antenna port. The UHB switch circuitry is also adapted to route UHB RX signals from the UHB antenna port and/or to at least one antenna port to the transceiver circuitry, wherein the UHB RX signals include band 7 (B7) wherein linearity of the UHB switch circuitry is greater than linearity of the diversity switch module.

Claims

1. A radio front end comprising:

a diversity switch module adapted to selectively route diversity receive (RX) signals to transceiver circuitry from diversity antenna switch circuitry coupled to at least one diversity antenna port; and

ultrahigh band (UHB) switch circuitry adapted to;

selectively route UHB transmit (TX) signals from power amplifier and switch circuitry to either a UHB antenna port or to the at least one diversity antenna port; and

selectively route UHB RX signals from either the UHB antenna port or from the at least one diversity antenna port to the transceiver circuitry, wherein the UHB RX signals include band 7 (B7) wherein linearity of the UHB switch circuitry is greater than linearity of the diversity switch module.

2. The radio front end of claim 1 wherein the UHB switch circuitry is further adapted to:

selectively route UHB TX signals from power amplifier and switch circuitry to the UHB antenna port and to the at least one diversity antenna port; and

selectively route UHB RX signals from the UHB antenna port and from the at least one diversity antenna port to the transceiver circuitry.

3. The radio front end of claim 1 wherein a first antenna coupled to a first diversity antenna port is usable as a main antenna and a second antenna coupled to a second diversity antenna port is usable as a diversity RX antenna and vice versa.

4. The radio front end of claim 3 wherein the UHB switch circuitry is further adapted to route the UHB RX signals including B7 to the transceiver circuitry either from the first diversity antenna port or from the second diversity antenna port.

5. The radio front end of claim 3 wherein the diversity switch module is adapted to accept TX leakage signals between the first antenna and the second antenna of no more than around about +10 dBm.

6. The radio front end of claim 1 wherein B7 includes B7 frequency division duplex (FDD) signals to be routed through either the UHB antenna port or through the at least one diversity antenna port to the transceiver circuitry.

7. The radio front end of claim 1 wherein the diversity switch module has a linearity of no more than around about +57 dBm.

8. The radio front end of claim 1 wherein the diversity switch module is adapted to accept out-of-band blocker levels of no more than around about −

15 dBm.

9. The radio front end of claim 1 wherein the UHB switch circuitry accommodates TX and RX signals that range in frequency from around about 2300 MHz to around about 2700 MHz.

10. The radio front end of claim 1 further including a mixed filter module that includes a B7 filter coupled between the transceiver circuitry and the UHB switch circuitry.

11. A user equipment comprising:

a first antenna;

a second antenna;

a third antenna;

a radio front end comprising;

diversity antenna switch circuitry having a first diversity antenna port coupled to the first antenna and a second diversity antenna port coupled to the second antenna;

a diversity switch module adapted to route diversity RX signals to transceiver circuitry from the first antenna and the second antenna selectively coupled to the diversity switch module through the diversity antenna switch circuitry; and

ultrahigh band (UHB) switch circuitry adapted to;

selectively route UHB TX signals from power amplifier and switch circuitry to the first antenna, or the second antenna, or the third antenna coupled to a UHB antenna port; and

selectively route UHB RX signals to the transceiver circuitry from the first antenna, or the second antenna, or the third antenna, wherein the UHB RX signals include B7 wherein linearity of the UHB switch circuitry is greater than linearity of the diversity switch module, and

a control system adapted to control switching states for the diversity switch module, the diversity antenna switch circuitry, and the UHB switch circuitry.

12. The user equipment of claim 11 wherein the first antenna is usable as a main antenna and the second antenna is usable as a diversity RX antenna and vice versa.

13. The user equipment of claim 11 wherein the UHB switch circuitry is further adapted to:

selectively route UHB transmit (TX) signals from the power amplifier and switch circuitry to the UHB antenna port and to at least one of the first diversity antenna port and the second diversity antenna port; and

selectively route UHB RX signals to the transceiver circuitry from the UHB antenna port and from the at least one of the first diversity antenna port and the second diversity antenna port.

14. The user equipment of claim 11 wherein the diversity switch module is adapted to accept TX leakage signals between the first antenna coupled to the first diversity antenna port and the second antenna coupled to the second diversity antenna port of no more than around about +10 dBm.

15. The user equipment of claim 11 wherein B7 includes B7 frequency division duplex (FDD) signals to be routed through the UHB antenna port or the first diversity antenna port, or the second diversity antenna port to the transceiver circuitry.

16. The user equipment of claim 11 wherein B7 includes B7 frequency division duplex (FDD) signals to be routed through the UHB antenna port and the first diversity antenna port or the second diversity antenna port to the transceiver circuitry.

17. The user equipment of claim 11 wherein the diversity switch module has a linearity requirement of no more than around about +57 dBm.

18. The user equipment of claim 11 wherein the diversity switch module is adapted to accept out-of-band blocker levels of no more than around about −

15dBm.

19. The user equipment of claim 11 wherein the UHB switch circuitry accommodates TX and RX signals that range in frequency from around about 2300 MHz to around about 2700 MHz.

20. The user equipment of claim 11 further including a mixed filter module that includes a B7 filter coupled between the transceiver circuitry and the UHB switch circuitry.