Radio frequency front-end system, signal transmission control method, and mobile terminal

• US 9,948,328 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2014
• Issued: 04/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Device Company Limited (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Device, Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Wang, Hongyu, Che, Xiang, Xu, Qiuliang, Yang, Liping, Xu, Jia, Liu, Zhigang, Liu, Zhenyu
• Primary Examiner(s): Malek, Leila
• Application Number:
  US15/129,352
• Publication Number:
  US 20170126257A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,483 Days
• Field of Search: 375295
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/521 reducing the coupling between adjacent antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/00 Arrangements for simultaneous operation of antennas on two or more different wavebands, e.g. dual-band or multi-band arrangements combinations of separate active antenna units operating in different wavebands and connected to a common feeder system H01Q21/30
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/314 using frequency dependent circuits or components, e.g. trap circuits or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0057 using diplexing or multiplexing filters for selecting the desired band
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/006 using switches for selecting the desired band H04B1/0057 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0064 with separate antennas for the more than one band H04B1/0053 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 15/02 Reducing interference from electric apparatus by means located at or near the interfering apparatus

Abstract

Embodiments disclose a radio frequency front-end system and a signal transmission control method. The system includes a first antenna, a second antenna, a first radio frequency circuit, a second radio frequency circuit, and a controller. The controller is configured to acquire a transmission frequency band selected by the first radio frequency circuit, and when a frequency in the transmission frequency band selected by the first radio frequency circuit is less than a preset frequency, to control the first radio frequency circuit to connect to the second antenna. The controller is further configured to disconnect a connection between the second radio frequency circuit and the second antenna, or to maintain an open circuit state between the second radio frequency circuit and the second antenna.

Claims

1. A radio frequency front-end system, comprising:

a first antenna;

a second antenna;

a first switch coupled to the first antenna;

a first radio frequency circuit;

a first gating circuit coupled between the first radio frequency circuit and the first switch;

a second switch coupled to the second antenna and to the first switch;

a second radio frequency circuit;

a second gating circuit coupled between the second radio frequency circuit and the second switch, the second switch coupled between the second gating circuit and the second antenna; and

a controller coupled to the first switch, to the second switch, to the first radio frequency circuit, to the first gating circuit, to the second gating circuit, and to the second radio frequency circuit, the controller configured to;

acquire a transmission frequency band selected by the first radio frequency circuit; and

control the first switch and the second switch to connect the first radio frequency circuit to the second antenna, and to control the first switch and the second switch to cause the second radio frequency circuit to be disconnected from the second antenna, in response to determining that a frequency in the transmission frequency band is less than a preset frequency.

2. The radio frequency front-end system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

control the first switch and the second switch to connect the first radio frequency circuit to the first antenna, in response to determining that the frequency in the transmission frequency band is greater than or equal to the preset frequency.

3. The radio frequency front-end system according to claim 2:

wherein the first gating circuit is configured to form a connection between a first working circuit of the first radio frequency circuit and the controller;

wherein the second gating circuit is configured to form a connection between a second working circuit of the second radio frequency circuit and the controller;

wherein the first working circuit of the first radio frequency circuit corresponds to one of a plurality of frequency bands that are supported by the first radio frequency circuit;

wherein the second working circuit of the second radio frequency circuit corresponds to one of a plurality of frequency bands that are supported by the second radio frequency circuit; and

wherein the controller is further configured to;

acquire a frequency band corresponding to the first working circuit of the first radio frequency circuit; and

when a frequency in the frequency band corresponding to the first working circuit of the first radio frequency circuit is less than the preset frequency, control the first gating circuit to connect the first working circuit of the first radio frequency circuit to the second antenna, and to control the first gating circuit to cause the first working circuit of the second radio frequency circuit to be disconnected from the second antenna.

4. The radio frequency front-end system according to claim 3, wherein the first gating circuit is a first single-pole multi-throw switch, a movable end of the first single-pole multi-throw switch is connected to the controller, k non-movable ends of the first single-pole multi-throw switch are respectively connected to k working circuits of the first radio frequency circuit, and the k working circuits are working circuits corresponding to i frequency bands that are supported by the first radio frequency circuit, wherein i and k are both positive integers, and i is greater than or equal to k, and wherein when i is greater than k, at least two frequency bands that are supported by the first radio frequency circuit correspond to a same working circuit;

and

wherein the second gating circuit is a second single-pole multi-throw switch, a movable end of the second single-pole multi-throw switch is connected to the controller, m non-movable ends of the second single-pole multi-throw switch are respectively connected to m working circuits of the second radio frequency circuit, and the m working circuits are working circuits corresponding to n frequency bands that are supported by the second radio frequency circuit, wherein m and n are both positive integers, n is greater than or equal to m, and wherein when n is greater than m, at least two frequency bands that are supported by the second radio frequency circuit correspond to a same working circuit.

5. The radio frequency front-end system according to claim 4, wherein the first switch is a first single-pole double-throw switch and the second switch is a second single-pole double-throw switch;

wherein a movable end of the first single-pole double-throw switch is connected to the movable end of the first single-pole multi-throw switch, the k non-movable ends of the first single-pole multi-throw switch are respectively connected to the k working circuits of the first radio frequency circuit, and the k working circuits correspond to the i frequency bands that are supported by the first radio frequency circuit, wherein i and k are both positive integers, and i is greater than or equal to k, and wherein when i is greater than k, the at least two frequency bands that are supported by the first radio frequency circuit correspond to the same working circuit;

wherein a first non-movable end of the first single-pole double-throw switch is connected to the first antenna, and a second non-movable end of the first single-pole double-throw switch is connected to a first non-movable end of the second single-pole double-throw switch;

wherein a movable end of the second single-pole double-throw switch is connected to the second antenna, a second non-movable end of the second single-pole double-throw switch is connected to the movable end of the second single-pole multi-throw switch, the m non-movable ends of the second single-pole multi-throw switch are respectively connected to the m working circuits of the second radio frequency circuit, and the m working circuits are working circuits corresponding to the n frequency bands that are supported by the second radio frequency circuit, wherein m and n are both positive integers, and n is greater than or equal to m, and wherein when n is greater than m, the at least two frequency bands that are supported by the second radio frequency circuit correspond to the same working circuit; and

the controller is configured to acquire the transmission frequency band selected by the first radio frequency circuit, and when the frequency in the transmission frequency band is less than the preset frequency, to connect the movable end and the second non-movable end of the first single-pole double-throw switch, and to connect the movable end and the first non-movable end of the second single-pole double-throw switch.

6. The radio frequency front-end system according to claim 5, wherein the controller is further configured to:

when the frequency in the transmission frequency band is greater than or equal to the preset frequency, connect the movable end and the first non-movable end of the first single-pole double-throw switch.

7. A method in a radio frequency front-end system, wherein the radio frequency front-end system comprises a first antenna, a second antenna, a first radio frequency circuit, a second radio frequency circuit, a first gating circuit, a second gating circuit, and a controller, wherein the controller is coupled to a first switch, to a second switch, to the first radio frequency circuit, to the first gating circuit, to the second gating circuit, and to a second radio frequency circuit, wherein the first switch is coupled to a first antenna, wherein the first gating circuit is coupled between the first switch and the first radio frequency circuit, wherein the second switch is coupled to the second antenna and to the first switch, and wherein the second gating circuit is coupled between the second switch and the second radio frequency circuit, and wherein the method comprises:

acquiring, by the controller, a transmission frequency band selected by a first radio frequency circuit;

determining, by the controller, whether a frequency in the transmission frequency band is less than a preset frequency; and

controlling the first switch and the second switch to connect the first radio frequency circuit to the second antenna, and to control the first switch and the second switch to cause the second radio frequency circuit to be disconnected from the second antenna, in response to determining that the frequency in the transmission frequency band is less than a preset frequency.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

controlling the first switch and the second switch to connect the first radio frequency circuit to the first antenna.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

controlling the first gating circuit to form a connection between a first working circuit of the first radio frequency circuit and the first switch; and

controlling the second gating circuit to form a connection between a second working circuit of the second radio frequency circuit and the second switch, wherein the first working circuit of the first radio frequency circuit corresponds to one of a plurality of frequency bands that are supported by the first radio frequency circuit, and the second working circuit of the second radio frequency circuit corresponds to one of a plurality of frequency bands that are supported by the second radio frequency circuit.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the first gating circuit is a first single-pole multi-throw switch, a movable end of the first single-pole multi-throw switch is connected to the controller, k non-movable ends of the first single-pole multi-throw switch are respectively connected to k working circuits of the first radio frequency circuit, and the k working circuits correspond to i frequency bands that are supported by the first radio frequency circuit, wherein i and k are both positive integers, and i is greater than or equal to k, and wherein when i is greater than k, at least two frequency bands that are supported by the first radio frequency circuit correspond to a same working circuit;

and

wherein the second gating circuit is a second single-pole multi-throw switch, a movable end of the second single-pole multi-throw switch is connected to the controller, m non-movable ends of the second single-pole multi-throw switch are respectively connected to m working circuits of the second radio frequency circuit, and the m working circuits correspond to n frequency bands that are supported by the second radio frequency circuit, wherein m and n are both positive integers, and n is greater than or equal to m, and wherein when n is greater than m, at least two frequency bands that are supported by the second radio frequency circuit correspond to a same working circuit.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the first switch is a first single-pole double-throw switch, the second switch is a second single-pole double-throw switch;

wherein a movable end of the first single-pole double-throw switch is connected to the movable end of the first single-pole multi-throw switch, the k non-movable ends of the first single-pole multi-throw switch are respectively connected to the k working circuits of the first radio frequency circuit, and the k working circuits correspond to the i frequency bands that are supported by the first radio frequency circuit, wherein i and k are both positive integers, and i is greater than or equal to k, and wherein when i is greater than k, the at least two frequency bands that are supported by the first radio frequency circuit correspond to the same working circuit;

wherein a first non-movable end of the first single-pole double-throw switch is connected to the first antenna, and a second non-movable end of the first single-pole double-throw switch is connected to a first non-movable end of the second single-pole double-throw switch;

wherein a movable end of the second single-pole double-throw switch is connected to the second antenna, a second non-movable end of the second single-pole double-throw switch is connected to the movable end of the second single-pole multi-throw switch, the m non-movable ends of the second single-pole multi-throw switch are respectively connected to the m working circuits of the second radio frequency circuit, and the m working circuits correspond to the n frequency bands that are supported by the second radio frequency circuit, wherein m and n are both positive integers, and n is greater than or equal to m, and wherein when n is greater than m, the at least two frequency bands that are supported by the second radio frequency circuit correspond to the same working circuit; and

when the frequency in the transmission frequency band is less than the preset frequency, connecting, by the controller, the movable end and the second non-movable end of the first single-pole double-throw switch, and connecting the movable end and the first non-movable end of the second single-pole double-throw switch.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

when the frequency in the transmission frequency band is less than the preset frequency, connecting, by the controller, the movable end and the first non-movable end of the first single-pole double-throw switch.

13. A mobile terminal, comprising the radio frequency front-end system according to claim 7.