Mobile communications device including an RF transmitter providing impedance fluctuation dampening and related methods

• US 9,264,077 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2012
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Shaw, Dennis Keith, Madabusi Srinivasan, Prasad Venkatesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hai V
• Application Number:
  US13/484,668
• Publication Number:
  US 20130324060A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,356 Days
• Field of Search: 455/107, 455/115.1, 455/117, 455/127.1, 455/127.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0458 Arrangements for matching and coupling between power amplifier and antenna or between amplifying stages matching circuits in general H03H
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/18 Input circuits, e.g. for coupling to an antenna or a transmission line coupling networks between antennas or lines and receivers independent of the nature of the receiver H03H
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

A mobile communications device may include an RF signal source configured to generate RF signals over an RF frequency band(s), and an RF transmitter coupled to the RF signal source. The RF transmitter may include an RF amplifier configured to operate over a plurality of different power control levels. The RF amplifier may have an input configured to receive the RF signals from the RF signal source and an output having an impedance which changes based upon changes between the different power control levels. The RF transmitter may further include a shunt resistor(s) coupling the output of the amplifier to a voltage reference, and the shunt resistor(s) may be configured to decrease a highest impedance change of the RF amplifier output to below a threshold impedance level. An antenna(s) may be coupled to the output of the RF amplifier to operate over the at least one RF frequency band.

Claims

1. A mobile communications device comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) signal source configured to generate RF signals over at least one RF frequency band;

an RF transmitter coupled to the RF signal source and comprising

an RF amplifier configured to operate over a plurality of different power control levels, the RF amplifier having an input configured to receive the RF signals from the signal source and an output having an impedance which changes based upon changes between the different power control levels,

a pass-band filter having an input coupled to the output of the RF amplifier and an output, and

a shunt resistance network having a first terminal coupled to the output of the RF amplifier and the input of the pass-band filter, and a second terminal coupled to a voltage reference, wherein the shunt resistance network is configured to decrease a highest impedance change of the RF amplifier output to below a threshold impedance level, wherein the shunt resistance network is configured to maintain the RF amplifier output between a maximum power threshold and a minimum power threshold; and

at least one antenna coupled to the output of the pass-band filter and configured to operate over the at least one RF frequency band.

2. The mobile communications device of claim 1 wherein the pass-band filter comprises a surface acoustic wave (SAW) filter.

3. The mobile communications device of claim 1 wherein the shunt resistance network comprises a Pi configuration having only resistors.

4. The mobile communications device of claim 1 wherein the shunt resistance network comprises a Pi configuration having a resistor and an inductor with a capacitor therebetween.

5. The mobile communications device of claim 1 wherein the shunt resistance network comprises a T configuration having a resistor and capacitors.

6. The mobile communications device of claim 1 wherein the maximum power threshold and the minimum power threshold are selected according to an inner loop power control specification.

7. The mobile communications device of claim 1 further comprising an LC network having an input coupled with an output of the pass-band filter.

8. The mobile communications device of claim 1 wherein the at least one RF frequency band comprises at least one Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) frequency band.

9. The mobile communications device of claim 1 wherein the threshold impedance level is based upon an inner loop power control (ILPC) output level.

10. The mobile communications device of claim 1 wherein the voltage reference comprises ground.

11. A mobile communications device comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) signal source configured to generate RF signals over at least one RF frequency band;

an RF transmitter coupled to the RF signal source and comprising

an RF pre-amplifier configured to operate over a plurality of different power control levels, the RF pre-amplifier having an input configured to receive the RF signals from the RF signal source and an output having an impedance which changes based upon changes between the different power control levels,

a surface acoustic wave (SAW) filter having an input coupled to the output of the RF pre-amplifier and an output, and

at least one shunt resistor having a first terminal coupled to the output of the RF pre-amplifier and the input of the SAW filter, and a second terminal coupled to ground, the at least one shunt resistor configured to decrease a highest impedance change of the RF preamplifier output to below a threshold impedance level, the at least one shunt resistor configured to maintain output power between a maximum power threshold and a minimum power threshold;

an RF power amplifier having an input coupled to the output of the SAW filter and an output; and

at least one antenna coupled to the output of the RF power amplifier and configured to operate over the at least one RF frequency band.

12. The mobile communications device of claim 11 wherein the at least one shunt resistor comprises a plurality of parallel-connected resistors.

13. The mobile communications device of claim 11 wherein the at least one RF frequency band comprises at least one Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) frequency band.

14. A method for making a mobile communications device comprising:

coupling an input of a radio frequency (RF) amplifier to an RF signal source, the RF signal source being configured to generate RF signals over at least one RF frequency band, and the RF amplifier being configured to operate over a plurality of different power control levels and having an output with an impedance which changes based upon changes between the different power control levels;

determining a highest impedance change of the RF amplifier output based upon the changes between the different power control levels;

coupling an input of a pass-band filter to the output of the RF amplifier, and coupling a first terminal of at least one shunt resistor to the output of the amplifier and the input of the pass-band filter, and coupling a second terminal of the at least one shunt resistor to a voltage reference, the at least one shunt resistor being configured to decrease the highest impedance change of the RF amplifier output to below a threshold impedance level, the at least one shunt resistor being configured to maintain the RF amplifier output between a maximum power threshold and a minimum power threshold.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the pass-band filter comprises a surface acoustic wave (SAW } filter.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the at least one shunt resistor comprises a plurality of parallel-connected resistors.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising coupling at least one of a capacitor and an inductor in series with the at least one shunt resistor.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the at least one RF frequency band comprises at least one Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) frequency band.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein the voltage reference comprises ground.