Devices for switching an antenna

• US 8,824,976 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2012
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: See, Puay H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao, Minh D
• Application Number:
  US13/444,369
• Publication Number:
  US 20130273861A1
• Time in Patent Office: 874 Days
• Field of Search: 455/78, 455/83, 455/63.3, 455/13.3, 455/552.1, 455/285, 455/302, 330/51, 330/124, 330/103, 330/32
• US Class Current: 455/78
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/50 Feeding or matching arrangements for broad-band or multi-band operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/44 Transmit/receive switching

Abstract

A switchplexer is described. The switchplexer includes switches that are coupled to an antenna. The switchplexer also includes ports. Each of the switches is separately coupled to one of the ports. The switchplexer also includes controlling circuitry coupled to the switches. The controlling circuitry concurrently closes at least two of the switches when indicated by a control signal.

Claims

1. A switchplexer, comprising:

switches that are coupled to an antenna;

ports, wherein each of the switches is separately coupled to one of the ports; and

controlling circuitry coupled to the switches, wherein the controlling circuitry concurrently closes at least two of the switches when indicated by a control signal.

2. The switchplexer of claim 1, wherein the switches are only coupled to a single antenna.

3. The switchplexer of claim 1, wherein at least one of the ports is coupled to a phase shifter.

4. The switchplexer of claim 1, further comprising a separate set of switches coupled to another antenna and to the controlling circuitry.

5. The switchplexer of claim 1, wherein each of the ports is coupled to one of a plurality of filters.

6. The switchplexer of claim 1, wherein a transmit filter is coupled to one of the ports and a receive filter coupled to another of the ports, wherein the transmit filter and the receive filter are independently linkable to the antenna.

7. The switchplexer of claim 6, wherein the receive filter is a multiple mode receive filter.

8. The switchplexer of claim 1, wherein the ports are not coupled to a duplexer.

9. The switchplexer of claim 1, wherein a first port of the ports is coupled to a receive filter and a second port of the ports is coupled to a transmit filter and switches corresponding to the ports are closed to enable concurrent transmission and reception.

10. The switchplexer of claim 1, wherein the controlling circuitry concurrently closes at least two of the switches corresponding to at least two of the ports that support codirectional signals when indicated by the control signal.

11. The switchplexer of claim 10, wherein the ports are not coupled to a diplexer.

12. The switchplexer of claim 10, wherein the codirectional signals are receive signals in different bands to enable carrier aggregation.

13. The switchplexer of claim 1, wherein each of the ports supports signals in one or more bands corresponding to at least one of the group consisting of:

Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Time Division Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA), wireless personal area network (PAN) and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 specifications.

14. The switchplexer of claim 1, wherein the ports support concurrent wireless communication with two or more different wireless systems.

15. A method for switching an antenna, comprising:

obtaining a control signal;

generating switch signals based on the control signal; and

controlling switches that are coupled to an antenna based on the switch signals, wherein each of the switches is separately coupled to one of multiple ports, and wherein the switch signals concurrently close at least two of the switches when indicated by the control signal.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the switches are only coupled to a single antenna.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one of the ports is coupled to a phase shifter.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising controlling a separate set of switches that is coupled to another antenna.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein each of the ports is coupled to one of a plurality of filters.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein a transmit filter is coupled to one of the ports and a receive filter coupled to another of the ports, wherein the transmit filter and the receive filter are independently linkable to the antenna.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the receive filter is a multiple mode receive filter.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein the ports are not coupled to a duplexer.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein a first port of the ports is coupled to a receive filter and a second port of the ports is coupled to a transmit filter and switches corresponding to the ports are closed to enable concurrent transmission and reception.

24. The method of claim 15, wherein the switch signals concurrently close at least two of the switches corresponding to at least two of the ports that support codirectional signals when indicated by the control signal.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the ports are not coupled to a diplexer.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the codirectional signals are receive signals in different bands to enable carrier aggregation.

27. The method of claim 15, wherein each of the ports supports signals in one or more bands corresponding to at least one of the group consisting of:

Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS)), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Time Division Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA), wireless personal area network (PAN) and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 specifications.

28. The method of claim 15, wherein the ports support concurrent wireless communication with two or more different wireless systems.

29. An apparatus for switching an antenna, comprising:

means for obtaining a control signal;

means for generating switch signals based on the control signal; and

means for controlling switches that are coupled to an antenna based on the switch signals, wherein each of the switches is separately coupled to one of multiple ports, and wherein the means for controlling switches concurrently closes at least two of the switches when indicated by the control signal.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, further comprising means for controlling a separate set of switches that is coupled to another antenna.

31. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein a transmit filter is coupled to one of the ports and a receive filter coupled to another of the ports, wherein the transmit filter and the receive filter are independently linkable to the antenna.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the receive filter is a multiple mode receive filter.

33. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the ports are not coupled to a duplexer.

34. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the means for controlling switches concurrently close at least two of the switches corresponding to at least two of the ports that support codirectional signals when indicated by the control signal.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the ports are not coupled to a diplexer.

36. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the codirectional signals are receive signals in different bands to enable carrier aggregation.

37. A computer-program product for switching an antenna, comprising a non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium having instructions thereon, the instructions comprising:

code for causing a switchplexer to obtain a control signal;

code for causing the switchplexer to generate switch signals based on the control signal; and

code for causing the switchplexer to control switches that are coupled to an antenna based on the switch signals, wherein each of the switches is separately coupled to one of multiple ports, and wherein the switch signals concurrently close at least two of the switches when indicated by the control signal.

38. The computer-program product of claim 37, the instructions further comprising code for causing the switchplexer to control a separate set of switches that is coupled to another antenna.

39. The computer-program product of claim 37, wherein a transmit filter is coupled to one of the ports and a receive filter coupled to another of the ports, wherein the transmit filter and the receive filter are independently linkable to the antenna.

40. The computer-program product of claim 39, wherein the receive filter is a multiple mode receive filter.

41. The computer-program product of claim 37, wherein the ports are not coupled to a duplexer.

42. The computer-program product of claim 37, wherein the switch signals concurrently close at least two of the switches corresponding to at least two of the ports that support codirectional signals when indicated by the control signal.

43. The computer-program product of claim 42, wherein the ports are not coupled to a diplexer.

44. The computer-program product of claim 42, wherein the codirectional signals are receive signals in different bands to enable carrier aggregation.