Multi-band amplifier module with harmonic suppression

• US 7,925,227 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2007
• Issued: 04/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Micro Mobio Corporation
• Original Assignee: Micro Mobio Corporation
• Inventors: Ichitsubo, Ikuroh
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Thanh C
• Application Number:
  US11/858,106
• Publication Number:
  US 20090075608A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,301 Days
• Field of Search: 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 455/91, 455/114.1, 455/115.1, 455/126, 4551271-1274
• US Class Current: 455/114.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/44 Transmit/receive switching

Abstract

An amplifier circuit includes a first power amplifier that can produce a first amplified signal in response to a first input signal in a first frequency band, and a second power amplifier that can produce a second amplified signal in response to a second input signal in a second frequency band. A center frequency of the second frequency band is higher than the a center frequency of frequency band A control circuit can turn on or turn off the first power amplifier and configured to turn on or turn off the second power amplifier. A shunting circuit is coupled to an output of the second power amplifier. The shunting circuit can attenuate harmonic signals from the first frequency band under the control of the control circuit.

Claims

1. An amplifier circuit, comprising:

a first power amplifier configured to produce a first amplified signal in response to a first input signal in a first frequency band, wherein the output of the first power amplifier is not coupled to a trap circuit;

a second power amplifier configured to produce a second amplified signal in response to a second input signal in a second frequency band, wherein a center frequency of the second frequency band is higher than the center frequency of the first frequency band;

a control circuit configured to turn on or turn off the first power amplifier and configured to turn on or turn off the second power amplifier; and

a shunting circuit coupled to an output of the second power amplifier, wherein the shunting circuit comprises a shunting switch that is configured to bypass harmonic signals from the first frequency band to the ground under the control of the control circuit.

2. The amplifier circuit of claim 1, wherein the shunting circuit is configured to attenuate harmonic signals of the first frequency band when the first power amplifier is turned on by the control circuit.

3. The amplifier circuit of claim 1, further comprising a diplexer configured to receive the first amplified signal from the first power amplifier and the second amplified signal from the second power amplifier, wherein the diplexer is configured to send at least one of the first amplified signal and the second amplified signal to an antenna.

4. The amplifier circuit of claim 3, wherein the shunting switch in the shunting circuit is configured to bypass the output of the second power amplifier to the ground when the second power amplifier is turned off by the control circuit.

5. The amplifier circuit of claim 3, wherein the shunting switch in the shunting circuit is configured to pass the second amplified signal to the diplexer when the second power amplifier is turned on by the control circuit.

6. The amplifier circuit of claim 1, further comprising a trap circuit coupled between the shunting switch and the ground, wherein the trap circuit is configured to attenuate a harmonic signal from the first frequency band.

7. The amplifier circuit of claim 1, wherein the shunting switch comprises:

a first transistor coupled between an output of the second power amplifier and an output terminal; and

a second transistor coupled between the output of the second power amplifier and the ground, wherein the first transistor and the second transistor are controlled by the control circuit, wherein the first transistor and the second transistor are configured to attenuate harmonics from the first frequency band when the first power amplifier is turned on and to pass the second amplified signal to the output terminal when the second power amplifier is turned on by the control circuit.

8. The amplifier circuit of claim 7, further comprising a diplexer configured to receive the first amplified signal from the first power amplifier and coupled to the output terminal, wherein the diplexer is configured to send at least one of the first amplified signal and the second amplified signal to an antenna.

9. The amplifier circuit of claim 1, wherein the first power amplifier comprises a first power control terminal configured to receive a first control signal from the control circuit to turn on or turn off the first power amplifier and the second power amplifier comprises a second power control terminal configured to receive a second control signal from the control circuit to turn on or turn off the second power amplifier.

10. The amplifier circuit of claim 1, wherein the shunting switch comprises:

a first terminal coupled to an output of the second power amplifier;

a second terminal coupled to the output of the amplifier circuit; and

a third terminal coupled to the ground, wherein the switch is configured to connect the first terminal and the third terminal to bypass harmonic signals from the first frequency band to the ground under the control of the control circuit.

11. The amplifier circuit of claim 1, wherein the second frequency band overlaps with at least a portion of a harmonic band from the first frequency band.

12. An amplifier circuit, comprising:

a first power amplifier having a first power control terminal, wherein the first power amplifier is configured to produce a first amplified signal in response to a first input signal in a first frequency band, wherein the output of the first power amplifier is not coupled to a trap circuit;

a second power amplifier having a second power control terminal, wherein the second power amplifier is configured to produce a second amplified signal in response to a second input signal in a second frequency band, wherein a center frequency of the second frequency band is higher than the center frequency of the first frequency band;

a control circuit configured to send a first control signal to the first power control terminal of the first power amplifier to turn on or turn off the first power amplifier and to send a second control signal to the second power control terminal of the second power amplifier to turn on or turn off the second power amplifier; and

a shunting circuit coupled to an output of the second power amplifier, wherein the shunting circuit comprises a shunting switch that is configured to be activated by the first control signal to bypass harmonic signals from the first power amplifier to the ground.

13. The amplifier circuit of claim 12, wherein the shunting circuit is activated to attenuate harmonic signals from the first power amplifier when the first control signal turns on the first power amplifier.

14. The amplifier circuit of claim 12, further comprising a diplexer configured to receive the first amplified signal from the first power amplifier and the second amplified signal from the second power amplifier, wherein the diplexer is configured to send at least one of the first amplified signal and the second amplified signal to an antenna.

15. The amplifier circuit of claim 14, wherein the shunting switch in the shunting circuit is configured to bypass the output of the second power amplifier to the ground when the second power amplifier is turned off by the control circuit.

16. The amplifier circuit of claim 12, wherein the shunting switch is configured to pass the second amplified signal to the diplexer when the second power amplifier is turned on by the control circuit.

17. The amplifier circuit of claim 12, wherein the shunting switch comprises:

a first terminal coupled to an output of the second power amplifier;

a second terminal coupled to the output of the amplifier circuit; and

a third terminal coupled to the ground, wherein the switch is configured to connect the first terminal and the third terminal to bypass harmonic signals from the first frequency band to the ground under the control of the control circuit, wherein the switch is configured to connect the first terminal and the second terminal to allow the second amplified signal to output when the second power amplifier is turned on.

18. An integrated power amplifier module, comprising:

a first power amplifier configured to produce a first amplified signal in response to a first input signal in a first frequency band, wherein the output of the first power amplifier is not coupled to a trap circuit;

a second power amplifier configured to produce a second amplified signal in response to a second input signal in a second frequency band, wherein a center frequency of the second frequency band is higher than the center frequency of the first frequency band;

a control circuit configured to turn on or turn off the first power amplifier and configured to turn on or turn off the second power amplifier; and

a shunting circuit coupled to an output of the second power amplifier, wherein the shunting circuit comprises a shunting switch that is configured to bypass harmonic signals of the first frequency band to the ground under the control of the control circuit, wherein the first power amplifier, the second power amplifier, the control circuit, and the shunting circuit are constructed on a single semiconductor die.

19. The integrated linear power amplifier module of claim 18, further comprising a power sensing circuit coupled to the control circuit, wherein the power sensing circuit is configured to produce a power sensing signal in response to the power of at least one of the first amplified signal or the second amplifier signal.

20. The integrated linear power amplifier module of claim 18, further comprising a biasing circuit configured to control the bias of the first power amplifier and the second power amplifier, wherein a biasing circuit is coupled to the control circuit and is configured to control the bias of the first power amplifier and the second power amplifier in response to the power sensing signal.

21. The integrated linear power amplifier module of claim 18, further comprising:

a power control circuit configured to control the power supplied to the amplifier circuit in response to a first external signal; and

a Vmode control circuit configured to control the biasing mode of the biasing circuit in the amplifier circuit in response to a second external signal.