Switch assembly with a multi-pole switch for combining amplified RF signals to a single RF signal

• US 6,587,014 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2001
• Issued: 07/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Paradigm Wireless Communications LLC
• Inventors: Do, Thinh Dat, Tran, Thuan Nam, Gentzler, Charles R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pascal, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US09/769,709
• Publication Number:
  US 20010040485A1
• Time in Patent Office: 887 Days
• Field of Search: 333/101, 333/127, 333/125, 333/106
• US Class Current: 333/101
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 1/10 for switching or interrupting in systems using reflection or reradiation of radio, acoustic or other waves G01S7/034
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/12 Coupling devices having more than two ports H01P5/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/211 using a combination of several amplifiers H03F3/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/602 Combinations of several amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/72 Gated amplifiers, i.e. amplifiers which are rendered operative or inoperative by means of a control signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0483 Transmitters with multiple parallel paths

Abstract

A switch assembly has a housing and a plurality of controllable switches. The housing has a plurality of input ports and an output port and the plurality of individually controllable switches is arranged within the housing. Each switch has an open position and a closed position and is coupled to one of a plurality of input ports of the housing and a common summing junction within the housing. Each input port receives a coherent radio frequency (RF) signal. The output port is coupled to the common summing junction and outputs a sum signal that includes at least one of the RF signals received at the common summing junction when a switch is in the closed position. The switch assembly may further include impedance matching lines that transform a reference impedance value to a higher value prior to switching and an impedance transformation line that provides for the reference impedance value at a distal end of the impedance transformation line. The impedance transformation lines may be located outside the housing, inside the housing or inside and outside the housing. Further, the switch assembly may include at least one matching stub associated with the output port.

Claims

1. A switch assembly, comprising:

a housing having a plurality of input ports and an output port;

a plurality of controllable contacts arranged within the housing to form a multi-pole switch, each contact having an open position and a closed position and being coupled to one of a plurality of input ports of the housing and a common summing junction within the housing of the multi-pole switch, each input port configured to receive a radio frequency (RF) signal, wherein the output port is coupled to the common summing junction and configured to output a sum signal that includes at least one of the RE signals received at the common summing junction when a contact is in the closed position; and

an impedance transformation line coupled at a first end to the common summing junction and configured to provide for a predetermined impedance value at a second end.

2. The switch assembly of claim 1, further comprising at least one transmission line connected to at least one of the input ports, wherein an impedance of the input port matches an impedance of the transmission line.

3. The switch assembly of claim 1, wherein each contact is independently operable.

4. The switch assembly of claims 1, wherein the contacts are simultaneously operable.

5. The switch assembly of claim 1, wherein the RF signals are coherent RF signals.

6. A method of matching impedances of transmission lines using a switch assembly including a multi-pole switch, comprising:

receiving at a plurality of input ports radio frequency (RE) signals;

selectively operating contacts of the multi-pole switch between open positions and closed positions to selectively couple the RE signals to a common summing junction within the multi-pole switch;

outputting a sum signal at an output port that includes at least one of the RE signals; and

transforming a first impedance at the output port to a second impedance.

7. An amplifier section for amplification of a radio frequency (RF) signal, comprising:

amplifier modules, each amplifier module having an input port to receive the RE signal and an output port for an amplified RE signal, the input ports being connectable to a splitter; and

a combiner having input ports each being coupled to an output port of an amplifier module to receive the amplified RE signal and an output port for a single RE signal formed by a combination of the amplified RE signals at a summing junction, the combiner having a multi-pole switch with controllable contacts at the summing junction within the multi-pole switch, each contact assigned to one of the amplifier modules to selectively connect and disconnect the amplifier module.

8. The amplifier section of claim 7, further comprising an impedance transformation line connected to the output port of the combiner and configured to transform an output impedance value at the output port of the combiner to a reference impedance value of a reference line at a distal end of the impedance transformation line, wherein the output impedance value at the output port of the combiner is lower than the reference impedance value.

9. The amplifier section of claim 8, wherein the impedance transformation line has a length of about one-quarter wavelength.

10. The amplifier section of claim 7, wherein the amplifier module comprises four power amplifiers, and wherein the combiner comprises four contacts.

11. The amplifier section of claim 10, wherein the contacts, the output port and the input ports of the combiner are positioned in a circular arrangement so that the input ports are equidistant from the contacts.