Method and system for sharing RF filters in systems supporting WCDMA and GSM

• US 8,233,935 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Issued: 07/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rofougaran, Ahmadreza
• Primary Examiner(s): SAMS, MATTHEW C
• Application Number:
  US11/536,669
• Publication Number:
  US 20080080453A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,132 Days
• Field of Search: 370/331, 370/310, 455/78, 455/83, 455/84, 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

Abstract

Aspects of a method and system for sharing RF filters in systems supporting WCDMA and GSM are provided. A receiver in a wireless device enables receiving WCDMA signals and GSM signals. The WCDMA signals may be received via at least one duplexer within the wireless device. A processing path for the received WCDMA signals or a processing path for the received GSM signals may be selected within the receiver. The processing paths may share bandpass filtering and signal amplification. A gain in the shared signal amplification may be adjusted after filtering the received signals. For received WCDMA signals, the gain adjustment may be based on a gain provided to the received WCDMA signals before applying the shared bandpass filtering. At least one signal may be generated for selecting the processing path and/or for adjusting the shared signal amplification gain.

Claims

1. A method for handling wireless signals, the method comprising:

receiving a first wireless protocol signals and a second wireless protocol signals via a receiver in a wireless device; and

selecting within said receiver one of;

a first processing path for said received first wireless protocol signals and a second processing path for said received second wireless protocol signals, wherein;

said first processing path comprises a duplexer downstream from an antenna, a first low noise amplifier downstream from said duplexer, a shared switch downstream from said first low noise amplifier and upstream from a first device that frequency converts said first wireless protocol signals, a shared bandpass filter downstream from said shared switch, and a shared low noise amplifier downstream from said shared bandpass filter; and

said second processing path comprising said shared switch downstream from said antenna and upstream from a first device that frequency converts said second wireless protocol signals, said shared bandpass filter downstream from said shared switch, and said shared low noise amplifier downstream from said shared bandpass filter, wherein said selection is performed utilizing said shared switch.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said first wireless protocol signals is one of:

HSDPA, HSUDPA, and WCDMA wireless protocol signals.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said second wireless protocol signals is one of:

GPRS, EDGE, and GSM wireless protocol signals.

4. The method according to claim 1, comprising filtering said received first wireless protocol signals via said shared bandpass filter for said received first wireless protocol signals.

5. The method according to claim 4, comprising adjusting a gain in said shared low noise amplifier after said filtering, wherein said adjusting is based on a gain provided to said received first wireless protocol signals before said filtering.

6. The method according to claim 1, comprising filtering said received second wireless protocol signals via said shared bandpass filter for said received second wireless protocol signals.

7. The method according to claim 6, comprising adjusting a gain in said shared low noise amplifier after said filtering.

8. The method according to claim 1, comprising generating at least one signal for said selecting one of:

said first processing path for said received first wireless protocol signals and said second processing path for said received second wireless protocol signals.

9. The method according to claim 1, comprising generating at least one signal for adjusting a gain in said selected processing path.

10. A non-transitory computer program product having stored thereon, a computer program having at least one code section for handling wireless signals, the at least one code section being executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform steps comprising:

receiving a first wireless protocol signals and a second wireless protocol signals via a receiver in a wireless device; and

selecting within said receiver one of;

a first processing path for said received first wireless protocol signals and a second processing path for said received second wireless protocol signals, wherein;

said first processing path comprises a duplexer downstream from an antenna, a first low noise amplifier downstream from said duplexer, a shared switch downstream from said first low noise amplifier and upstream from a first device that frequency converts said first wireless protocol signals, a shared bandpass filter downstream from said shared bandpass filter; and

said second processing path comprises said shared switch downstream from said antenna and upstream from a first device that frequency converts said second wireless protocol signals, said shared bandpass filter downstream from said shared switch, and said shared low noise amplifier downstream from said shared bandpass filter, wherein said selection is performed utilizing shared switch.

11. The non-transitory computer program product according to claim 10, wherein said first wireless protocol signals is one of:

HSDPA, HSUDPA, and WCDMA wireless protocol signals.

12. The non-transitory computer program product according to claim 10, wherein said second wireless protocol signals is one of:

GARS, EDGE, and GSM wireless protocol signals.

13. The non-transitory computer program product according to claim 10, wherein said at least one code section comprises code for filtering said received first wireless protocol signals via said shared bandpass filtering for said received first wireless protocol signals.

14. The non-transitory computer program product according to claim 13, wherein said at least one code section comprises code for adjusting a gain in said shared low noise amplifier after said filtering, wherein said adjusting is based on a gain provided to said received first wireless protocol signals before said filtering.

15. The non-transitory computer program product according to claim 10, wherein said at least one code section comprises code for filtering said received second wireless protocol signals via said shared bandpass filter for said received second wireless protocol signals.

16. The non-transitory computer program product according to claim 15, wherein said at least one code section comprises code for adjusting a gain in said shared low noise amplifier after said filtering.

17. The non-transitory computer program product according to claim 10, wherein said at least one code section comprises code for generating at least one signal for said selecting one of:

said first processing path for said received first wireless protocol signals and said second processing path for said received second wireless protocol signals.

18. The non-transitory computer program product according to claim 10, wherein said at least one code section comprises code for generating at least one signal for said adjusting a gain in said selected processing path.

19. A system for handling wireless signals, the system comprising:

a receiver in a wireless device that enables receiving a first wireless protocol signals and a second wireless protocol signals; and

said receiver enables selecting one of;

a first processing path within said receiver for said received first wireless protocol signals and a second processing path within said receiver for said received second wireless protocol signals;

wherein;

said first processing path comprises a duplexer downstream from an antenna, a first low noise amplifier downstream from said duplexer, a shared switch downstream from said first low noise amplifier and upstream from a first device that frequency converts said first wireless protocol signals, a shared bandpass filter downstream from said shared switch, and a shared low noise amplifier downstream from said shared bandpass filter; and

said second processing path comprises said shared switch downstream from said antenna and upstream from a first device that frequency converts said second wireless protocol signals, said shared bandpass filter downstream from said shared switch, and said shared low noise amplifier downstream from said shared bandpass filter, wherein said selection is performed utilizing said shared switch.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein said first wireless protocol signals is one of:

HSDPA, HSUDPA, and WCDMA wireless protocol signals.

21. The system according to claim 19, wherein said second wireless protocol signals is one of:

GPRS, EDGE, and GSM wireless protocol signals.

22. The system according to claim 19, wherein said receiver is operable to filter said received first wireless protocol signals via said shared bandpass filter for said received first wireless protocol signals.

23. The system according to claim 22, wherein said receiver is operable to adjust a gain in said shared low noise amplifier after said filtering, wherein said adjusting is based on a gain provided to said received first wireless protocol signals before said filtering.

24. The system according to claim 19, wherein said receiver is operable to filter said received second wireless protocol signals via said shared bandpass filter for said received second wireless protocol signals.

25. The system according to claim 24, wherein said receiver is operable to adjust a gain in said shared low noise amplifier after said filtering.

26. The system according to claim 19, wherein said receiver is operable to generate at least one signal for said selecting one of:

said first processing path for said received first wireless protocol signals and said second processing path for said received second wireless protocol signals.

27. The system according to claim 19, wherein said receiver is operable to generate at least one signal for said adjusting a gain in said selected processing path.

28. A method for handling multiple protocol signals in a wireless terminal, the method comprising:

processing received wideband signals and time division multiplexed signals via;

a first processing path that comprises a duplexer downstream from an antenna, a first low noise amplifier downstream from said duplexer, a shared switch downstream from said first low noise amplifier and upstream from a first device that frequency converts said wideband signals, a shared bandpass filter downstream from said shared switch, and a shared low noise amplifier downstream from said shared bandpass filter; and

a second processing path that comprises said shared switch downstream from said antenna and upstream from a first device that frequency converts said time division multiplexed signals, said shared bandpass filter downstream from said shared switch, and said shared low noise amplifier downstream from said shared bandpass filter, wherein said shared switch is utilized for selection of one of said first processing path and said second processing path.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein said wideband signal comprises WCDMA signals.

30. The method according to claim 28, wherein said time division multiplexed signals comprises at least one of:

GSM, GPRS and EDGE signals.