Apparatus and methods for radio frequency signal boosters

• US 9,936,396 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2016
• Issued: 04/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellphone-Mate
• Original Assignee: Cellphone-Mate
• Inventors: Zhan, Hongtao
• Primary Examiner(s): HUYNH, KHOA B
• Application Number:
  US15/173,375
• Publication Number:
  US 20170041809A1
• Time in Patent Office: 669 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/40 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15542 Selecting at relay station its transmit and receive resources selection of wireless resources by user or terminal H04W72/02; arrangements affording multiple use of the transmission path by two-dimensional division of the resources H04L5/0003, or by allocating sub-channels H04L5/003
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/26 Cell enhancers or enhancement, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/18 TPC being performed according to specific parameters

Abstract

Provided herein are apparatus and methods for radio frequency (RF) signal boosters. In certain implementations, a multi-band signal booster is provided for boosting the uplink and downlink channels of at least a first frequency band and a second frequency band. In certain configurations, the downlink channels of the first and second channels are adjacent, and the signal booster includes a first amplification path for boosting the uplink channel of the first frequency band, a second amplification path for boosting the uplink channel of the second frequency band, and a third amplification path for boosting both downlink channels of the first and second frequency bands.

Claims

1. A radio frequency (RF) signal booster comprising:

a first antenna port;

a second antenna port; and

circuitry configured to receive a first RF input signal from the first antenna port and to generate a first amplified RF output signal for the second antenna port based on amplifying a plurality of downlink channels of the first RF input signal, wherein the circuitry is further configured to receive a second RF input signal from the second antenna port and to generate a second amplified RF output signal for the first antenna port based on amplifying a plurality of uplink channels of the second RF input signal, wherein the circuitry comprises;

a shared amplification path configured to provide amplification to at least a portion of a Band XII downlink channel of the first RF input signal and to provide amplification to at least a portion of a Band XIII downlink channel of the first RF input signal, wherein the shared amplification path comprises at least one amplifier configured to simultaneously boost both the at least a portion of the Band XII downlink channel and the at least a portion of the Band XIII downlink channel.

2. The radio frequency signal booster of claim 1, wherein the circuitry further comprises a first band-pass filter configured to pass both the at least a portion of the Band XII downlink channel and the at least a portion of the Band XIII downlink channel.

3. The radio frequency signal booster of claim 2, wherein the first band-pass filter is further configured to attenuate both a Band XII uplink channel and a Band XIII uplink channel.

4. The radio frequency signal booster of claim 2, wherein the first band-pass filter is further configured to pass a frequency range of about 728 MHz to about 757 MHz.

5. The radio frequency signal booster of claim 4, wherein the first band-pass filter is further configured to provide attenuation to a frequency range of about 698 MHz to about 716 MHz, and to provide attenuation to a frequency range of about 776 MHz to about 787 MHz.

6. The radio frequency signal booster of claim 2, wherein the first band-pass filter comprises one of a surface acoustic wave filter or a ceramic filter.

7. The radio frequency signal booster of claim 2, wherein the circuitry further comprises one or more additional band-pass filters each configured to pass both the at least a portion of the Band XII downlink channel and the at least a portion of the Band XIII downlink channel.

8. The radio frequency signal booster of claim 2, wherein the circuitry further comprises a multiplexer comprising the first band-pass filter.

9. The radio frequency signal booster of claim 1, further comprising:

a first antenna electrically coupled to the first antenna port; and

a second antenna electrically coupled to the second antenna port.

10. The radio frequency signal booster of claim 1, wherein the at least a portion of the Band XII downlink channel comprises at least one sub-band of the Band XII downlink channel, and wherein the Band XIII downlink channel comprises at least one sub-band of the Band XIII downlink channel.

11. The radio frequency signal booster of claim 1, wherein the at least one amplifier of the shared amplification path comprises a low noise amplifier (LNA).

12. The radio frequency signal booster of claim 1, wherein the at least one amplifier of the shared amplification path comprises a power amplifier (PA).

13. The radio frequency signal booster of claim 1, wherein the at least one amplifier of the shared amplification path comprises a gain block.

14. The radio frequency signal booster of claim 1, wherein the shared amplification path further comprises at least one digital attenuator.

15. The radio frequency signal booster of claim 1, wherein the shared amplification path further comprises at least one analog attenuator.

16. The radio frequency signal booster of claim 1, wherein the plurality of uplink channels comprises a Band II uplink channel, a Band IV uplink channel, a Band V uplink channel, a Band XII uplink channel, and a Band XIII uplink channel, wherein the plurality of downlink channels comprises a Band II downlink channel, a Band IV downlink channel, a Band V downlink channel, the Band XII downlink channel, and the Band XIII downlink channel.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a first antenna port;

a second antenna port; and

a printed circuit board comprising circuitry configured to receive a first RF input signal from the first antenna port and to generate a first amplified RF output signal for the second antenna port based on amplifying a plurality of downlink channels of the first RF input signal, wherein the circuitry is further configured to receive a second RF input signal from the second antenna port and to generate a second amplified RF output signal for the first antenna port based on amplifying a plurality of uplink channels of the second RF input signal, wherein the circuitry comprises;

a shared amplification path configured to provide amplification to a Band XII downlink channel of the first RF input signal and to provide amplification to a Band XIII downlink channel of the first RF input signal, wherein the shared amplification path comprises at least one amplifier configured to simultaneously boost both the Band XII downlink channel and the Band XIII downlink channel.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the circuitry further comprises a first band-pass filter configured to pass both the Band XII downlink channel and the Band XIII downlink channel.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the first band-pass filter is further configured to attenuate both a Band XII uplink channel and a Band XIII uplink channel.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the first band-pass filter passes a frequency range of about 728 MHz to about 757 MHz, wherein the first band-pass filter attenuates a frequency range of about 698 MHz to about 716 MHz, and wherein the first band-pass filter attenuates a frequency range of about 776 MHz to about 787 MHz.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the first band-pass filter comprises one of a surface acoustic wave filter or a ceramic filter.

22. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the circuitry further comprises one or more additional band-pass filters each configured to pass both the Band XII downlink channel and the Band XIII downlink channel.

23. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the circuitry further comprises a multiplexer comprising the first band-pass filter.

24. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

a first antenna electrically coupled to the first antenna port; and

a second antenna electrically coupled to the second antenna port.

25. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one amplifier of the shared amplification path comprises a low noise amplifier (LNA).

26. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one amplifier of the shared amplification path comprises a power amplifier (PA).

27. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one amplifier of the shared amplification path comprises a gain block.

28. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the shared amplification path further comprises at least one attenuator.

29. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the plurality of uplink channels comprises a Band II uplink channel, a Band IV uplink channel, a Band V uplink channel, a Band XII uplink channel, and a Band XIII uplink channel, wherein the plurality of downlink channels comprises a Band II downlink channel, a Band IV downlink channel, a Band V downlink channel, the Band XII downlink channel, and the Band XIII downlink channel.

30. A method of boosting radio frequency signals in a signal booster, the method comprising:

receiving a first RF input signal on a first antenna port of the signal booster;

generating a first amplified RF output signal based on amplifying a plurality of downlink channels of the first RF input signal using circuitry of the signal booster;

providing the first amplified RF output signal to a second antenna port of the signal booster;

receiving a second RF input signal on the second antenna port;

generating a second amplified RF output signal based on amplifying a plurality of uplink channels of the second RF input signal using the circuitry; and

providing the second amplified RF output signal to the first antenna port,

wherein generating the first amplified RF output signal comprises simultaneously boosting both a Band XII downlink channel and a Band XIII downlink channel using at least one amplifier of a shared amplification path of the circuitry.