Directional coupler

• US 8,629,736 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2013
• Issued: 01/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co Limited
• Original Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co Limited
• Inventors: Tamaru, Ikuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Takaoka, Dean O
• Application Number:
  US13/947,375
• Publication Number:
  US 20130300518A1
• Time in Patent Office: 176 Days
• Field of Search: 333/109, 333/110, 333/111, 333/112, 333/116
• US Class Current: 333/109
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/18 consisting of two coupled guides, e.g. directional couplers
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/187 Broadside coupled lines

Abstract

In a directional coupler, a first low pass filter includes a first coil that is connected between a first outer electrode and a main line and has a characteristic in which attenuation increases with increasing frequency in a certain frequency band. A second low pass filter includes a second coil that is connected between a second outer electrode and the main line and has a characteristic in which attenuation increases with increasing frequency in the certain frequency band. A high pass filter is connected, in parallel to the main line, between a point between the first coil and the first outer electrode and a point between the second coil and the second outer electrode and has a characteristic in which attenuation decreases with increasing frequency in the certain frequency band.

Claims

1. A directional coupler that is used in a certain frequency band, the directional coupler comprising:

a first terminal;

a second terminal;

a third terminal;

a fourth terminal;

a main line that is connected between the first terminal and the second terminal;

a sub line that is connected between the third terminal and the fourth terminal and that is electromagnetically coupled to the main line;

a first low pass filter that includes a first coil which is connected between the first terminal and the main line and that has a characteristic in which attenuation increases with increasing frequency in the certain frequency band;

a second low pass filter that includes a second coil which is connected between the second terminal and the main line and that has a characteristic in which attenuation increases with increasing frequency in the certain frequency band; and

a high pass filter that is connected, in parallel to the main line, between a point between the first coil and the first terminal and a point between the second coil and the second terminal and that has a characteristic in which attenuation decreases with increasing frequency in the certain frequency band.

2. The directional coupler according to claim 1, wherein

the first terminal is an input terminal to which a signal is input;

the second terminal is a first output terminal from which the signal is output;

the third terminal is a second output terminal from which a signal having power proportional to power of the signal is output; and

the fourth terminal is a termination terminal that is terminated.

3. The directional coupler according to claim 1, wherein the first low pass filter and the second low pass filter have the same characteristic.

4. The directional coupler according to claim 1, further comprising:

a multilayer body that includes a plurality of insulator layers stacked on top of one another;

wherein

the main line, the sub line, the first low pass filter, the second low pass filter, and the high pass filter are constituted by conductor layers provided on the insulator layers.

5. The directional coupler according to claim 4, wherein a conductor layer provided between the first coil and the second coil, and the main line and the sub line, is a first ground conductor layer that is maintained at a ground potential.

6. The directional coupler according to claim 4, wherein, among the conductor layers provided on the insulator layers, a conductor layer provided on a lowest side in a stacking direction is a second ground conductor layer that is maintained at a ground potential.

7. The directional coupler according to claim 4, wherein the first low pass filter and the second low pass filter have structures that are line-symmetric to each other.

8. The directional coupler according to claim 1, wherein the certain frequency band is 824 MHz to 2690 MHz.

9. The directional coupler according to claim 1, wherein the first low pass filter is one of a π

-type low pass filter, a coil T-type low pass filter, and a L-type low pass filter.

10. The directional coupler according to claim 1, wherein the second low pass filter is one of a π

-type low pass filter, a coil T-type low pass filter, and a L-type low pass filter.

11. The directional coupler according to claim 1, wherein the high pass filter includes a capacitor.

12. The directional coupler according to claim 1, wherein a degree-of-coupling characteristic of the directional coupler is approximately uniform.

13. The directional coupler according to claim 4, wherein the multilayer body has a rectangular or substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the insulator layers are made of a dielectric ceramic and each have a rectangular or substantially rectangular shape.

14. The directional coupler according to claim 1, wherein the sub line includes a via hole conductor and linear conductor layers connected by the via hole conductor so as to define a spiral shape.

15. The directional coupler according to claim 1, wherein the main line includes via hole conductors and linear conductor layers connected by the via hole conductors so as to define a spiral shape.

16. The directional coupler according to claim 1, wherein the first low pass filter includes via hole conductors and linear conductor layers connected by the via hole conductors so as to define a spiral shape.

17. The directional coupler according to claim 1, wherein the second low pass filter includes via hole conductors and linear conductor layers connected by the via hole conductors so as to define a spiral shape.

18. The directional coupler according to claim 4, wherein the first lower pass filter and the second low pass filter are structurally symmetric to each other with respect to a perpendicular bisector of longer sides of each of the insulator layers when viewed in plan.