Combined front-end circuit for wireless transmission systems

• US 7,142,884 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2001
• Issued: 11/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Epcos AG (TDK Corporation)
• Inventors: Hagn, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jamal, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US10/029,323
• Publication Number:
  US 20020090974A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,860 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550.1, 455/55.1, 455/552.1, 455/553.1
• US Class Current: 455/552.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/005 adapting radio receivers, transmitters andtransceivers for operation on two or more bands, i.e. frequency ranges
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/006 using switches for selecting the desired band H04B1/0057 takes precedence
• 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

Abstract

A front-end circuit is provided for a communication terminal device that is designed for a multi-band and/or multi-mode operation. Various embodiments are provided that are suitable for mobile radiotelephone devices of the third generation and, in particular, for transmission systems according to the UMTS standard upon involvement of a multi-band GSM system.

Claims

1. A front-end circuit for a multi-mode communication terminal device, comprising:

at least one switch element selected from the group consisting of RF switches, duplexers and diplexers;

a common antenna;

a first transmission system being a pure mode transmission system configured to operate in a pure TDD mode;

a second transmission system being a pure mode transmission system configured to operate in a pure FDD mode;

filters provided for said first and second transmission systems;

a connecting circuit via which individual filters of said filters are connected to said common antenna, said connecting circuit comprising said at least one switch element;

said filters comprising a first filter, a second filter, and a third filter, said first filter being a transmit filter of said FDD system, said second filter being a common receive filter for said TDD system and said FDD system, and said third filter being a transmit filter for said TDD system;

a duplexer formed by said first filter and said second filter; and

a switch element comprising an RE switch to connect said common antenna with one of said duplexer and said third filter.

2. The circuit according to claim 1, further comprising:

a diplexer;

wherein a transmission band and a reception band of a transmission system form a band pair, a frequency difference between band pairs of a first and of a second transmission system amounts to approximately one octave, said diplexer being arranged between said common antenna and said filters for distinguishing between said band pairs.

3. The circuit according to claim 1, further comprising a low pass filter as a transmission filter.

4. The circuit according to claim 1, further comprising:

an RF switch between a common transmission path for said pure FDD mode transmission system and said pure TDD mode transmission system and two transmission filters; and

an RE multiple switch at said antenna for switching between a duplexer for said FDD mode, a transmission filter and a reception filter for said TDD mode;

frequency bands of said mixed mode transmission system being clearly spaced from one another.

5. The circuit according to claim 1, wherein said switches are fashioned as GaAs FET transistors.

6. The circuit according to claim 1, wherein said switches are realized with PIN diodes having additional phase shifters.

7. The circuit according to claim 1, wherein individual components of the circuit are arranged in a discrete manner on a common printed circuit board.

8. The circuit according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of discrete components of said circuit is integrated in a common substrate.

9. The circuit according to claim 8, wherein all individual components together with a DC drive are integrated in a common substrate that is realized in a multi-layer technique with partially planar structures.

10. The circuit according to claim 1, further comprising a directional coupler for regulating power of a power amplifier as part of a detector of at least one transmission input.

11. The circuit according to claim 1, further comprising a protective element that protects a transmission amplifier against fedback or reflected power and is selected from a group consisting of an insulator and a circulator, and is arranged between a transmission amplifier and a transmission filter.

12. The circuit according to claim 1, further comprising an RF switch between a common transmission path for said pure FDD mode transmission system and said pure TDD mode transmission system and two transmission filters.

13. The circuit of claim 1, wherein frequency bands of said first and second transmission systems are overlapping or adjacent to each other.

14. The circuit according to claim 1, wherein said switch is a duplexer, wherein said duplexer is realized as an independent component and comprises at least one filter selected from the group consisting of a SAW filter, an MWK filter, an FBAR filter, a strip-line filter, and an LC-filter.

15. The circuit according to claim 1, further comprising:

a common transmit path for said TDD system and said FDD system; and

a further RF switch to connect said common transmit path with one of said second filter and said third filter.