Combined switch and receive tuner for enhanced LTE-TDD system

• US 8,787,215 B1
• Filed: 10/07/2010
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc. (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: RF Micro Devices Incorporated (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Inventors: Khlat, Nadim, Granger-Jones, Marcus
• Primary Examiner(s): Kizou, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TOAN D
• Application Number:
  US12/900,056
• Time in Patent Office: 1,384 Days
• Field of Search: 455/75
• US Class Current: 370/280
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/006 using switches for selecting the desired band H04B1/0057 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/102 Power radiated at antenna
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13098 Mobile subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/06 Airborne or Satellite Networks space-based or airborne stations H04B7/185

Abstract

An antenna tuner unit (ATU) that includes a T/R switch integrated with a receive only tuner circuit that is made up of a relatively tiny tuner circuitry is provided. The integration of the T/R switch with the receive only tuner circuit uses a microelectronics fabrication technology like silicon-on-insulator (SOI) with minimum cascading stages. As a result, the ATU of the present invention avoids a relatively complicated and expensive technology like Micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS). The ATU of the present disclosure is applicable to fourth generation (4G) standards like long term evolution time division duplex (LTE-TDD) or for a receiver diversity system such as a multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) system. The control of the receive only tuner circuit is accomplished via a relatively simple one-wire general input output (GPIO) thus allowing interface with most existing or future 4G transceiver products.

Claims

1. An antenna tuner unit (ATU) comprising:

a transmit/receive (T/R) switch having a receive (RX) throw; and

a receive only antenna tuner circuit having at least one tuning element integrated with the T/R switch on a die, wherein the receive only antenna tuner circuit is directly coupled to the RX throw of the T/R switch.

2. The ATU of claim 1, wherein the receive only antenna tuner circuit is adapted to operate in a half-duplex communications system.

3. The ATU of claim 1, wherein the receive only antenna tuner circuit is adapted to receive signals from a time division duplex (TDD) communications system.

4. The ATU of claim 1, wherein the receive only antenna tuner circuit is adapted to receive signals transmitted from a long term evolution time division duplex (LTE-TDD) communications system.

5. The ATU of claim 1, wherein the receive only antenna tuner circuit is adapted to share a controller with the T/R switch.

6. The ATU of claim 1, wherein the at least one tuning element of the receive only antenna tuner circuit includes a switchable capacitor-array for tuning an antenna that is communicatively coupled to the receive only antenna tuner circuit.

7. The ATU of claim 6, wherein the switchable capacitor-array is a binary segmented capacitor-array.

8. The ATU of claim 6, wherein the switchable capacitor-array is controllable via a general purpose input output (GPIO) that is communicatively coupled to an external controller.

9. The ATU of claim 8, wherein the GPIO is adapted to send commands to the switchable capacitor-array via one-wire.

10. The ATU of claim 1, wherein the receive only antenna tuner circuit and the T/R switch are integrated using a silicon-on-insulator fabrication process.

11. A mobile terminal comprising:

at least one antenna;

an antenna tuner unit (ATU) comprising;

a transmit/receive (T/R) switch having a receive (RX) throw communicatively coupled to the at least one antenna;

a receive only antenna tuner circuit having at least one tuning element integrated with the T/R switch on a die, the receive only antenna tuner circuit being directly coupled to the RX throw of the T/R switch, wherein the at least one tuning element is programmable tuning element; and

a controller adapted to program the at least one tuning element.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein the receive only antenna tuner circuit is adapted to operate in a half-duplex communications system.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein the receive only antenna tuner circuit is adapted to receive signals from a TDD communications system.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein the receive only antenna tuner circuit is adapted to receive signals transmitted from a LTE-TDD communications system.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein the receive only antenna tuner circuit is adapted to share the controller with the T/R switch.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein the at least one tuning element is a switchable capacitor-array for tuning the at least one antenna that is communicatively coupled to the receive only antenna tuner circuit.

17. The mobile terminal of claim 16, wherein the switchable capacitor-array is a binary segmented capacitor-array.

18. The mobile terminal of claim 16, wherein the switchable capacitor-array is controllable via a GPIO that is communicatively coupled to the controller.

19. The mobile terminal of claim 18, wherein the GPIO is adapted to send commands to the switchable capacitor-array via one-wire.

20. The mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein the receive only antenna tuner circuit and the T/R switch are integrated using a silicon-on-insulator fabrication process.

21. A diversity antenna system comprising:

a diversity receive antenna;

a transmit and receive (T/R) antenna; and

an antenna tuner unit (ATU) comprising;

a receive only switch having a receive (RX) throw; and

a receive only antenna tuner circuit having at least one tuning element integrated with the receive only switch on a die, the receive only switch being directly coupled to the RX throw, wherein the receive only antenna tuner circuit is communicatively coupled to the diversity receive antenna through the receive only switch.

22. The diversity antenna system of claim 21, wherein the diversity receive antenna is adapted to receive signals from a multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) system.

23. The diversity antenna system of claim 21, wherein the receive only antenna tuner circuit is adapted to operate in a half-duplex communications system.

24. The diversity antenna system of claim 21, wherein the receive only antenna tuner circuit is adapted to receive signals from a time division duplex (TDD) communications system.

25. The diversity antenna system of claim 21, wherein the receive only antenna tuner circuit is adapted to receive signals transmitted from a long term evolution time division duplex (LTE-TDD) communications system.

26. The diversity antenna system of claim 21, wherein the receive only antenna tuner circuit is adapted to share a controller with the receive only switch.

27. The diversity antenna system of claim 21, wherein the at least one tuning element of the receive only antenna tuner circuit includes a switchable capacitor-array for tuning an antenna that is communicatively coupled to the receive only antenna tuner circuit.

28. The diversity antenna system of claim 27, wherein the switchable capacitor-array is a binary segmented capacitor-array.

29. The diversity antenna system of claim 27, wherein the switchable capacitor-array is controllable via a general purpose input output (GPIO) that is communicatively coupled to an external controller.

30. The diversity antenna system of claim 29, wherein the GPIO is adapted to send commands to the switchable capacitor-array via one-wire.

31. The diversity antenna system of claim 21, wherein the receive only antenna tuner circuit and the receive only switch are integrated using a silicon-on-insulator fabrication process.

32. A transceiver interface comprising:

an antenna; and

an antenna tuner unit (ATU) comprising;

a transmit and receive (T/R) switch having a receive (RX) throw; and

a receive only antenna tuner circuit having at least one tuning element integrated with the T/R switch on a die, the receive only antenna tuner circuit being directly coupled to the RX throw, wherein the receive only antenna tuner circuit is communicatively coupled to the antenna through the T/R switch.

33. The transceiver interface of claim 32, wherein the receive only antenna tuner circuit is adapted to operate in a half-duplex communications system.

34. The transceiver interface of claim 32, wherein the receive only antenna tuner circuit is adapted to receive signals from a time division duplex (TDD) communications system.

35. The transceiver interface of claim 32, wherein the receive only antenna tuner circuit is adapted to receive signals transmitted from a long term evolution time division duplex (LTE-TDD) communications system.

36. The transceiver interface of claim 32, wherein the receive only antenna tuner circuit is adapted to share a controller with the T/R switch.

37. The transceiver interface of claim 32, wherein at least one tuning element of the receive only antenna tuner circuit includes a switchable capacitor-array for tuning an antenna that is communicatively coupled to the receive only antenna tuner circuit.

38. The transceiver interface of claim 37, wherein the switchable capacitor-array is a binary segmented capacitor-array.

39. The transceiver interface of claim 37, wherein the switchable capacitor-array is controllable via a general purpose input output (GPIO) that is communicatively coupled to an external controller.

40. The transceiver interface of claim 39, wherein the GPIO is adapted to send commands to the switchable capacitor-array via one-wire.

41. The transceiver interface of claim 32, wherein the receive only antenna tuner circuit and the T/R switch are integrated using a silicon-on-insulator fabrication process.