Electronic device having adaptive filter circuitry for blocking interference between wireless transceivers

• US 9,236,663 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2013
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Akhi, Fraidun, Liu, Ge
• Primary Examiner(s): VO, NGUYEN THANH
• Application Number:
  US13/849,428
• Publication Number:
  US 20140287794A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,026 Days
• Field of Search: 455/78, 455/82, 455/114.1, 455/114.2, 455/296, 455/307, 455/311
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0006 Particular feeding systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/525 with means for reducing leakage of transmitter signal into the receiver

Abstract

An electronic device may include radio-frequency transceiver circuitry and antenna structures. The radio-frequency transceiver circuitry may transmit signals for the antenna structures that pass through electrical components such as switches. Harmonics of the transmitted signals may be generated as the signals pass through the electrical components. To reduce interference that might otherwise adversely affect sensitive receiver circuitry in the electronic device, adjustable filter circuitry may be interposed between the electrical components and the antenna structures. Control signals may adjust the adjustable circuitry in real time during operation of an electronic device to ensure that transmitted signals can pass through the adjustable filter circuitry while blocking the harmonic signals.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

control circuitry;

antenna structures comprising first and second antennas;

an electrical component comprising a switch having first, second, third, and fourth ports;

radio-frequency transceiver circuitry that is coupled to the antenna structures through the electrical component, wherein the radio-frequency transceiver circuitry includes a transmitter that transmits radio-frequency signals and a receiver; and

adjustable filter circuitry interposed between the electrical component and the antenna structures, wherein the first and second ports are coupled to the radio-frequency transceiver circuitry, the third port is coupled to the first antenna through a first portion of the adjustable filter circuitry, the fourth port is coupled to the second antenna through a second portion of the adjustable filter circuitry, and the adjustable filter circuitry is configured by the control circuitry to allow the radio-frequency signals from the transmitter to pass to the antenna structures while blocking interference from harmonics that are produced while the radio-frequency signals from the transmitter circuitry pass through the electrical component.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 adjusted by additional control signals from the control circuitry.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the radio-frequency transceiver circuitry includes a cellular telephone transceiver in which the transmitter is formed and includes a wireless local area network receiver, wherein the adjustable filter circuitry is configured to allow radio-frequency signals from the transmitter in the cellular telephone transceiver to pass and is configured to prevent the harmonics from reaching the wireless local area network receiver.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 3 wherein the first antenna is configured to transmit the radio-frequency signals from the transmitter in the cellular telephone transceiver.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 4 wherein the second antenna is configured to receive wireless local area network signals for the wireless local area network receiver.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the radio-frequency signals at a frequency of 817 MHz to 823 MHz, the receiver is configured to receive radio-frequency signals in a 2.4 GHz communications band, and the control circuitry configures the adjustable filter circuitry to prevent a third harmonic of the signals at the frequency of 817 MHz to 823 MHz from interfering with reception of the radio-frequency signals in the 2.4 GHz communications band by the receiver.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the radio-frequency signals at a frequency of 1900 MHz, the receiver is configured to receive radio-frequency signals in a 5 GHz communications band, and the control circuitry configures the adjustable filter circuitry to prevent a third harmonic of the signals at the frequency of 1900 MHz from interfering with reception of the radio-frequency signals in the 5 GHz communications band by the receiver.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the radio-frequency signals at a frequency of 782 MHz, the receiver is configured to receive radio-frequency signals in a Global Positioning System communications band at 1574 MHz, and the control circuitry configures the adjustable filter circuitry to prevent a second harmonic of the signals at the frequency of 782 MHz from interfering with reception of the radio-frequency signals in the Global Positioning System communications band by the receiver.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the radio-frequency signals at a frequency of 2.6 to 2.7 GHz, the receiver is configured to receive radio-frequency signals in a 5 GHz communications band, and the control circuitry configures the adjustable filter circuitry to prevent a second harmonic of the signals at the frequency of 2.6 to 2.7 GHz from interfering with reception of the radio-frequency signals in the 5 GHz communications band by the receiver.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the adjustable filter circuitry has fifth and sixth ports, a plurality of inductors coupled in series between the first and second ports, and a plurality of adjustable capacitors controlled by control signals from the control circuitry.

11. The electronic device defined in claim 10 wherein the plurality of adjustable capacitors each has an input that receives the control signals from the control circuitry.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 10 wherein the inductors and capacitors are configured to form a pi network.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the switch comprises a cross bar switch.

14. An electronic device, comprising:

a cellular telephone transmitter that transmits signals;

a receiver;

antenna structures comprising first and second antennas that are coupled to the cellular telephone transmitter and the receiver, wherein the cellular telephone transmitter and the receiver are formed within a radio-frequency transceiver;

a switch through which the transmitted signals pass, wherein harmonics of the transmitted signals are generated when the transmitted signals pass through the switch; and

adjustable low pass filter circuitry between the switch and the antenna structures, wherein the adjustable low pass filter circuitry is configured to allow the transmitted signals to pass from the switch to the antenna structures and is configured to block the harmonics to prevent the harmonics from interfering with the receiver, the switch has first, second, third, and fourth ports, the first and second ports are coupled to the radio-frequency transceiver, the third port is coupled to the first antenna through a first portion of the adjustable low pass filter circuitry, and the fourth port is coupled to the second antenna through a second portion of the adjustable low pass filter circuitry.

15. The electronic device defined in claim 14 wherein the adjustable low pass filter circuitry and the switch form portions of a switch module, the electronic device further comprising control circuitry that supplies control signals to the switch and to the adjustable low pass filter circuitry.

16. The electronic device defined in claim 14 wherein the adjustable low pass filter circuitry includes a plurality of inductors and a plurality of adjustable capacitors.

17. The electronic device defined in claim 14 wherein the receiver comprises a wireless local area network receiver and wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit signals at 2.6 to 2.7 GHz while the adjustable low pass filter circuitry is configured to block the harmonics of the signals at 2.6 to 2.7 GHz.

18. The electronic device defined in claim 14, wherein the switch comprises a cross bar switch.

19. The electronic device defined in claim 18, further comprising control circuitry, wherein the control circuitry is configured to place the cross bar switch in a first configuration in which the first port is coupled to the third port and the second port is coupled to the fourth port, and the control circuitry is configured to place the cross bar switch in a second configuration in which the first port is coupled to the fourth port and the second port is coupled to the third port.

20. An electronic device, comprising:

control circuitry;

antenna structures;

an electrical component;

radio-frequency transceiver circuitry that is coupled to the antenna structures through the electrical component, wherein the radio-frequency transceiver circuitry includes a transmitter that transmits radio-frequency signals and a receiver; and

adjustable filter circuitry interposed between the electrical component and the antenna structures, wherein the adjustable filter circuitry comprises at least one adjustable capacitor circuit, the electrical component comprises a switch having a plurality of ports coupled to the radio-frequency transceiver circuitry, the antenna structures comprise first and second antennas, and the switch comprises a first port coupled to the first antenna through a first portion of the adjustable filter circuitry and a second port coupled to the second antenna through a second portion of the adjustable filter circuitry.