Method and apparatus for tuning a communication device for multi band operation

• US 9,979,531 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2013
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Schwent, Dale G., Black, Gregory R., Mach, Richard E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elliott, IV, Benjamin H
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, KEVIN H
• Application Number:
  US13/733,297
• Publication Number:
  US 20140185498A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,965 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0057 using diplexing or multiplexing filters for selecting the desired band
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0064 with separate antennas for the more than one band H04B1/0053 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/02 Channels characterised by the type of signal

Abstract

In one example, a wireless communication device adapted for multi-band operation includes a first antenna, a first diplexer configured to pass signals within first and second sets of frequency bands, first and second signal paths, wherein each signal path includes a set of notch filters tunable to attenuate a different frequency. The wireless communication device includes a second antenna, a second diplexer configured to pass the first and second frequency bands, third and fourth signal paths, wherein each of the third and fourth signal paths includes one or more notch filters tunable to attenuate a different frequency, and a transceiver coupled to each signal path.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device adapted for multi-band operation, the wireless communication device comprising:

a first antenna configured to communicate signals within a first set of high frequency bands and a second set of low frequency bands;

a first diplexer coupled to the first antenna and configured to pass signals within the first set of high frequency bands and the second set of low frequency bands;

first and second signal paths coupled to the first diplexer and comprising first and second receive paths, respectively, each signal path including a respective set of two or more notch filters, individual ones of the two or more notch filters in the respective set being tunable to attenuate a different frequency, and each signal path configured to communicate signals within a different one of the first set of high frequency bands and the second set of low frequency bands, the first receive path configured to communicate signals within the first set of high frequency bands, the first receive path including at least first, second, and third notch filters each tunable to attenuate a first transmit frequency, a first half duplex blocker frequency, or a first image blocker frequency, respectively, the second receive path configured to communicate signals within the second set of low frequency bands, the second receive path including at least fourth, fifth, and sixth notch filters each tunable to attenuate a second transmit frequency, a second half duplex blocker frequency, or a second image blocker frequency, respectively;

a second antenna configured to communicate signals within the first set of high frequency bands and the second set of low frequency bands;

a second diplexer coupled to the second antenna and configured to pass signals within the first set of high frequency bands and the second set of low frequency bands;

third and fourth signal paths coupled to the second diplexer and comprising first and second transmit paths, respectively, each of the third and fourth signal paths including an additional respective set of two or more notch filters, individual ones of the two or more notch filters in the additional respective set being tunable to attenuate a different frequency, and each of the third and fourth signal paths configured to communicate signals within a different one of the first set of high frequency bands and second set of low frequency bands; and

a transceiver, coupled to each signal path, configured to simultaneously communicate signals over the first antenna and the second antenna.

2. The wireless communication device of claim 1, further comprising a first wideband filter configured to filter frequencies outside of the first set of high frequency bands and a second wideband filter configured to filter frequencies outside of the second set of low frequency bands, wherein each wideband filter is coupled to the first diplexer.

3. The wireless communication device of claim 2 further comprising:

a third antenna configured to communicate signals within the first set of high frequency bands and the second set of low frequency bands;

a third diplexer coupled to the third antenna and configured to pass signals, within the first set of high frequency bands and the second set of low frequency bands;

fifth and sixth signal paths coupled to the third diplexer and to the transceiver, wherein each of the fifth and sixth signal paths includes another set of two or more notch filters, and each of the fifth and sixth signal paths is configured to communicate signals within a different one of the first set of high frequency bands and the second set of low frequency bands;

a third wideband filter coupled to the third diplexer and included within the fifth signal path, wherein the third wideband filter is configured to filter frequencies outside of the first set of high frequency bands; and

a fourth wideband filter coupled to the third diplexer and included within the sixth signal path, wherein the fourth wideband filter is configured to filter frequencies outside of the second set of low frequency bands.

4. The wireless communication device of claim 3, wherein:

the fifth signal path comprises a third receive path that includes a seventh notch filter, an eighth notch filter, and a ninth notch filter each tunable to attenuate a different frequency; and

the sixth signal path comprises a fourth receive path that includes a tenth notch filter, an eleventh notch filter and a twelfth notch filter each tunable to attenuate a different frequency.

5. The wireless communication device of claim 3, wherein:

the third antenna and the first antenna are tuned to receive duplicate signals from a same channel of a same frequency band, the duplicate signals representing multiple copies of a transmitted signal; and

the transceiver is configured to communicate the duplicate signals to a baseband processor to correct transmission errors and recreate an original form of the transmitted signal.

6. The wireless communication device of claim 3, wherein the first antenna and the third antenna are tuned to receive transmitted signals from same channels of same frequency bands effective to provide duplicate received signals, the transceiver configured to communicate the duplicate received signals to a baseband processor configured to recreate the received transmitted signals according to an original form of the received transmitted signals.

7. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein:

the first transmit path includes a first transmit notch filter of the additional respective set in the third signal path, the first transmit notch filter being tunable to attenuate transmit frequencies in the first set of high frequency bands; and

the second transmit path includes a second transmit notch filter of the additional respective set in the fourth signal path, the second transmit notch filter being tunable to attenuate transmit frequencies in the second set of low frequency bands.

8. The wireless communication device of claim 1 further comprising a controller coupled to the two or more notch filters in each of the first, second, third, and fourth signal paths, wherein the controller is configured to tune the two or more notch filters in each of the first, second, third, and fourth signal paths depending on a set of frequency bands of operation within at least one of the first set of high frequency bands or the second set of low frequency bands.

9. The wireless communication device of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to tune the two or more notch filters in each of the first, second, third, and fourth signal paths depending on a set of allocated carrier frequencies of operation within at least one of the first set of high frequency bands or the second set of low frequency bands.

10. The wireless communication device of claim 1, further comprising a controller coupled to the two or more notch filters in each of the first, second, third, and fourth signal paths, the controller configured to:

adjust a first antenna match network associated with the first antenna based on a first frequency of operation within the first set of high frequency bands to match a first impedance at the first antenna with a second impedance at the transceiver; and

adjust a second antenna match network associated with the second antenna based on a second frequency of operation within the second set of low frequency bands to match a third impedance at the second antenna with a fourth impedance at the transceiver.

11. A method, performed by a controller, for tuning a wireless communication device for multi-band operation, the method comprising:

receiving an indication of a first carrier frequency allocated from a first frequency band of a first plurality of high frequency bands, and tuning at least one filter within a first set of filters in a first signal path based on the first frequency band, the first signal path being coupled to a first antenna that is configured to communicate signals within high frequency bands and low frequency bands;

receiving via the first antenna a first signal transmitted over the first carrier frequency, and filtering the first signal using the first set of filters, the first set of filters including at least first, second, and third notch filters each tunable to attenuate a first transmit frequency, a first half duplex blocker frequency, or a first image blocker frequency, respectively;

receiving an indication of a second carrier frequency allocated from a second frequency band of a second plurality of low frequency bands, and tuning at least one filter within a second set of filters in a second signal path based on the second frequency band, the second signal paths being coupled to the first antenna;

receiving via the first antenna a second signal transmitted over the second carrier frequency, and filtering the second signal using the second set of filters, the second set of filters including at least fourth, fifth, and sixth notch filters each tunable to attenuate a second transmit frequency, a second half duplex blocker frequency, or a second image blocker frequency, respectively;

receiving an indication of a third carrier frequency allocated from a third frequency band of the first plurality of high frequency bands, and tuning at least one filter within a third set of filters in a third signal path based on the third frequency band;

receiving an indication of a fourth carrier frequency allocated from a fourth frequency band of the second plurality of low frequency bands, and tuning at least one filter within a fourth set of filters in a fourth signal path based on the fourth frequency band, the third and fourth signal paths being coupled to a second antenna; and

simultaneously communicating signals over the first antenna and the second antenna.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the at least one filter within the first set of filters is further tuned based on the first carrier frequency;

the at least one filter within the second set of filters is further tuned based on the second carrier frequency;

the at least one filter within the third set of filters is further tuned based on the third carrier frequency;

the at least one filter within the fourth set of filters is further tuned based on the fourth carrier frequency.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising;

filtering a third signal using the third set of filters, and transmitting the third signal over the third carrier frequency using the second antenna; and

filtering a fourth signal using the fourth set of filters, and transmitting the fourth signal over the fourth carrier frequency using the second antenna.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising tuning at least one filter within a fifth set of filters in a fifth signal path coupled to a third antenna and tuning at least one filter within a sixth set of filters in a sixth signal path coupled to the third antenna, wherein the tuning is based on a different one of the first, second, third, or fourth carrier frequencies.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the first signal path is coupled to a low band receive port of a transceiver and the second signal path is coupled to a high band receive port of the transceiver.

16. A wireless communication device adapted for multi-band operation, the wireless communication device comprising:

a first antenna configured to communicate signals within a first set of high frequency bands and a second set of low frequency bands;

a first diplexer coupled to the first antenna and configured to pass signals within the first set of high frequency bands and the second set of low frequency bands;

first and second signal paths coupled to the first diplexer, the first signal path including a first receive path, the second signal path including a first transmit path, each signal path including a respective set of two or more notch filters, individual ones of the two or more notch filters in the respective set being tunable to attenuate a different frequency, and each signal path configured to communicate signals within a different one of the first set of high frequency bands and the second set of low frequency bands, the first receive path configured to communicate signals within the first set of high frequency bands, the first receive path including a first notch filter, a second notch filter, and a third notch filter each tunable to attenuate a different frequency;

a first wideband filter coupled to the first diplexer and included within the first receive path, the first wideband filter configured to filter frequencies outside the first set of high frequency bands;

a second antenna configured to communicate signals within the first set of high frequency bands and the second set of low frequency bands;

a second diplexer coupled to the second antenna and configured to pass signals within the first set of high frequency bands and the second set of low frequency bands;

third and fourth signal paths coupled to the second diplexer, the third signal path including a second receive path, the fourth signal path including a second transmit path, each of the third and fourth signal paths including an additional respective set of two or more notch filters, individual ones of the two or more notch filters in the additional respective set being tunable to attenuate a different frequency, and each of the third and fourth signal paths configured to communicate signals within a different one of the first set of high frequency bands and second set of low frequency bands, the second receive path configured to communicate signals within the second set of low frequency bands, the second receive path including a fourth notch filter, a fifth notch filter, and a sixth notch filter each tunable to attenuate a different frequency;

a second wideband filter coupled to the second diplexer and included within the second receive path, the second wideband filter configured to filter frequencies outside the second set of low frequency bands; and

a transceiver, coupled to each signal path, configured to simultaneously communicate signals over the first antenna and the second antenna.

17. The wireless communication device of claim 16, wherein:

the first notch filter is tunable to attenuate a first transmit frequency;

the second notch filter is tunable to attenuate a first half duplex blocker frequency;

the third notch filter tunable to attenuate a first image blocker frequency;

the fourth notch filter is tunable to attenuate a second transmit frequency;

the fifth notch filter is tunable to attenuate a second half duplex blocker frequency; and

the sixth notch filter is tunable to attenuate a second image blocker frequency.

18. The wireless communication device of claim 16, wherein:

the first transmit path includes a first transmit notch filter tunable to attenuate transmit frequencies in the second set of low frequency bands; and

the second transmit path includes a second transmit notch filter tunable to attenuate transmit frequencies in the first set of high frequency bands.

19. The wireless communication device of claim 16, further comprising:

a third antenna configured to communicate signals within the first set of high frequency bands and the second set of low frequency bands;

a third diplexer coupled to the third antenna and configured to pass signals within the first set of high frequency bands and the second set of low frequency bands;

fifth and sixth signal paths coupled to the third diplexer and to the transceiver, wherein each of the fifth and sixth signal paths includes another set of two or more notch filters, and each of the fifth and sixth signal paths is configured to communicate signals within a different one of the first set of high frequency bands and the second set of low frequency bands;

a third wideband filter coupled to the third diplexer and included within the fifth signal path, wherein the third wideband filter is configured to filter frequencies outside of the first set of high frequency bands; and

a fourth wideband filter coupled to the third diplexer and included within the sixth signal path, wherein the fourth wideband filter is configured to filter frequencies outside of the second set of low frequency bands.

20. The wireless communication device of claim 16, wherein:

the fifth signal path comprises a third receive path that includes a seventh notch filter, an eighth notch, filter and a ninth notch filter each tunable to attenuate a different frequency; and

the sixth signal path comprises a fourth receive path that includes a tenth notch filter, an eleventh notch filter, and a twelfth notch filter each tunable to attenuate a different frequency.