Tunable inductor arrangement, transceiver, method and computer program

• US 9,934,898 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2014
• Issued: 04/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Mattsson, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tu X
• Application Number:
  US15/029,329
• Publication Number:
  US 20160225509A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,271 Days
• Field of Search: 4555621, 4555757, 455121, 4551931, 4551932, 455274
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2021/125 Printed variable inductor with taps, e.g. for VCO
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 21/12 discontinuously variable, e.g. tapped
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/004 Arrangements for interchanging inductances, transformers or coils thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/2804 Printed windings
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/5227 Inductive arrangements or effects of, or between, wiring layers other inductive arrangements H01L23/645
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 28/10 Inductors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/16 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/40 Circuits

Abstract

A tunable inductor arrangement arrangable on a chip or substrate is disclosed. The tunable inductor comprises a first winding part connected at one end to a first input of the tunable inductor arrangement, a second winding part connected at one end to the other end of the first winding part, a third winding part connected at one end to a second input of the tunable inductor arrangement, a fourth winding part connected at one end to the other end of the third winding part, and a switch arrangement arranged to tune the tunable inductor arrangement. Tuning is performed by selectively provide any of a circuit comprising the first and third winding parts in series between the first and second inputs, or a circuit comprising the first, second, fourth and third winding parts in series between the first and second inputs. The first and third winding parts are arranged on the chip or substrate such that magnetic fields of the first and third windings are essentially common, and the second and fourth winding parts are arranged to cancel electro-magnetic coupling with the first and third winding parts. A receiver, transceiver, communication device, method and computer program are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A tunable inductor arrangement arrangeable on a chip or substrate, the tunable inductor arrangement comprising:

a tunable inductor comprising;

a first winding part connected at a first end to a first input of the tunable inductor arrangement;

a second winding part connected at a first end to a second end of the first winding part;

a third winding part connected at a first end to a second input of the tunable inductor arrangement;

a fourth winding part connected at a first end to a second end of the third winding part and at a second end connected towards a second end of the second winding part; and

a switch arrangement arranged to tune the tunable inductor arrangement by selectively providing at least;

a circuit comprising the first and third winding parts in series between the first and second inputs; and

a circuit comprising the first, second, fourth and third winding parts in series between the first and second inputs;

wherein the first and third winding parts are arranged on the chip or substrate such that magnetic fields of the first and third winding parts are essentially common; and

the second and fourth winding parts form a pattern on the chip or substrate having a first part directing the magnetic field in a first direction and a second part directing the magnetic field in a second direction, wherein the second direction is opposite to the first direction.

2. The tunable inductor arrangement of claim 1, wherein the fourth winding part is connected at the second end to the second end of the second winding part.

3. The tunable inductor arrangement of claim 1, comprising further winding parts connected between the second end of the fourth winding part and the second end of the second winding part.

4. The tunable inductor arrangement of claim 1, wherein the switch arrangement comprises a first switch connected between the second end of the first winding part and the second end of the third winding part.

5. The tunable inductor arrangement of claim 1, wherein the switch arrangement comprises

a first switch connected between the second end of the first winding part and a virtual ground connected to the second end of the second winding part;

and

a second switch connected between the second end of the third winding part and the virtual ground.

6. The tunable inductor arrangement of claim 1, wherein the pattern of the second and fourth winding parts and the pattern of the first and third winding parts are symmetrically arranged on the chip or substrate.

7. The tunable inductor arrangement of claim 6, wherein the pattern of the second and fourth winding parts is eight-shaped, four-clover-shaped, or 2n-clover-shaped, where n is a positive integer.

8. The tunable inductor arrangement of claim 1, wherein the first and third winding parts form a pattern encircling the second and fourth winding parts in a plane of the chip or substrate.

9. The tunable inductor arrangement of claim 1, wherein two or more of the winding parts are arranged in a plurality of conductive layers on the chip or substrate.

10. A radio frequency transceiver comprising a resonator, wherein the resonator comprises the tunable inductor arrangement of claim 1, wherein the tunable inductor arrangement is tunable to enable the resonator to selectably work at one of a plurality of resonating frequencies.

11. A communication device comprising the radio frequency transceiver of claim 10, and a processor arranged to interact with the radio frequency transceiver, wherein the processor is arranged to control to the switch arrangement to select a tuning mode of the tunable inductor arrangement.

12. A multiband radio frequency receiver comprising:

a first receiver path arranged to receive a radio signal in a first frequency band; and

a second receiver path arranged to receive a radio signal in a second frequency band;

wherein the first frequency band operates at a higher frequency than the second frequency band; and

wherein each of the first and second receiver paths is arranged to selectively operate at a selected frequency band among a plurality of frequency bands and comprises a resonator comprising the tunable inductor arrangement of claim 1, which resonator is arranged to be tuned for the selected frequency band.

13. A communication device comprising the multiband radio frequency receiver of claim 12, and a processor arranged to interact with the multiband radio frequency receiver, wherein the processor is arranged to control to the switch arrangement to select a tuning mode of the tunable inductor arrangement.