Shared RF bus structure

• US 20080183927A1
• Filed: 01/31/2007
• Published: 07/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rofougaran, Ahmadreza (Reza)
• Granted Patent: US 7,809,329 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/106
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4022 using switching circuits, e.g. switching matrix, connection or expansion network G06F13/4009 takes precedence

Abstract

A device includes a plurality of ICs and an RF bus structure. Each IC includes a plurality of circuit modules, a switching module, an RF bus transceiver, an antenna interface, and an antenna structure. The switching module provides controlled access to the RF bus transceiver, which communicates via the RF bus structure, among the plurality of circuit modules for external IC communications and provides connectivity among the circuit modules for internal IC communications.

Claims

1. A device comprises:

a plurality of integrated circuits (ICs), wherein each of the plurality of ICs includes;

a plurality of circuit modules;

a switching module coupled to the plurality of circuit modules, wherein the switching module;

receives an outbound bus communication from one of the plurality of circuit modules;

determines whether the outbound bus communication is an internal IC communication or an external IC communication;

provides the outbound bus communication to another one of the plurality of circuit modules when the outbound bus communication is an internal IC communication; and

outputs the outbound bus communication when the outbound bus communication is an external IC communication;

a radio frequency (RF) bus transceiver coupled to convert the outbound bus communication into an outbound RF bus signal;

an antenna interface; and

an antenna structure; and

an RF bus structure, wherein the antenna interface provides the outbound RF bus signal to the antenna structure, wherein the antenna structure transmits the outbound RF bus signal via the RF bus structure to another one of the plurality of ICs.

2. The device of claim 1 further comprises:

the antenna structure receiving an inbound RF bus signal from the RF bus structure;

the antenna structure providing the inbound RF bus signal to the antenna interface structure;

the antenna interface structure providing the inbound RF bus signal to the RF bus transceiver;

the RF bus transceiver converting the inbound RF bus signal into an inbound bus communication; and

the switching module providing the inbound bus communication to at least one of the plurality of circuit modules.

3. The device of claim 1 further comprises:

a supporting substrate that supports the plurality of ICs, wherein the supporting substrate includes a supporting substrate micro-electromechanical (MEM) area; and

each of the plurality of ICs including a die and a package substrate, wherein the package substrate supports the die, wherein the package substrate includes a package substrate MEM area, wherein the RF bus structure is within the supporting substrate MEM area.

4. The device of claim 3 further comprises at least one of:

the antenna interface and the antenna structure are within the package substrate MEM area; and

the antenna interface is within the package substrate MEM area and the antenna structure is within the supporting substrate MEM area.

5. The device of claim 3 further comprises:

the die including a die MEM area, wherein an impedance matching circuit of the antenna interface is within the die MEM area, a transmission line of the antenna interface is within the package substrate MEM area, and the antenna structure is within the package substrate MEM area or the supporting substrate MEM area.

6. The device of claim 3 further comprises:

the antenna structure of a first one of the plurality of ICs having a three-dimensional aperture antenna shape, a three-dimensional lens shape, or a three-dimensional dipole shape;

the antenna structure of a second one of the plurality of ICs having the three-dimensional aperture antenna shape, the three-dimensional lens shape, or the three-dimensional dipole shape; and

the RF bus structure having a three-dimensional waveguide construct, wherein the RF bus structure is proximally located between the antenna structures of the first and second ones of the plurality of ICs.

12. The device of claim 1 further comprises:

the external RF bus antenna structure of a first one of the plurality of ICs having a three-dimensional aperture antenna shape, a three-dimensional lens shape, or a three-dimensional dipole shape;

the external RF bus antenna structure of a second one of the plurality of ICs having the three-dimensional aperture antenna shape, the three-dimensional lens shape, or the three-dimensional dipole shape; and

the external RF bus structure having a three-dimensional waveguide construct, wherein the external RF bus structure is proximally located between the external RF bus antenna structures of the first and second ones of the plurality of ICs.

7. A device comprises:

a plurality of integrated circuits (ICs), wherein each of the plurality of ICs includes;

a plurality of circuit modules, wherein each of the plurality of circuit modules generates an outbound bus signal;

a plurality of switching modules coupled to the plurality of circuit modules, wherein a corresponding one of the plurality of switching modules;

receives the outbound bus signal from a corresponding one of the plurality of circuit modules;

determines whether the outbound bus signal is an internal IC communication or an external IC communication;

outputs the outbound bus signal via a first path when the outbound bus communication is an internal IC communication; and

outputs the outbound bus signal via a second path when the outbound bus communication is an external IC communication;

a plurality of radio frequency (RF) bus transceivers, wherein a RF bus transceiver of the plurality of RF bus transceivers is coupled to receive the outbound bus signal via the first path and to convert the outbound bus signal into an outbound RF bus signal;

a plurality of internal RF bus antenna interfaces associated with the plurality of RF bus transceivers;

a plurality of internal RF bus antenna structures associated with the plurality of internal RF bus antenna interfaces;

an external bus multiplexing module coupled to receive the plurality of outbound bus signals via the second paths, wherein the external bus multiplexing module outputs one of the plurality of outbound bus signals;

an external RF bus transceiver coupled to convert the one of the plurality of outbound bus signals into an outbound external RF bus signal;

an external RF bus antenna interface; and

an external RF bus antenna structure, wherein the external RF bus antenna interface provides the outbound external RF bus signal to the external RF bus antenna structure; and

an external RF bus structure, wherein the external RF bus antenna structure transmits the outbound external RF bus signal via the external RF bus structure to another one of the plurality of ICs.

8. The device of claim 7 further comprises:

an internal RF bus structure, wherein the corresponding one of the plurality of internal RF bus antenna interfaces provides the outbound RF bus signal to a corresponding one of the plurality of internal RF bus antenna structures, and wherein the corresponding one of the plurality of internal RF bus antenna structures transmits the outbound RF bus signal via the internal RF bus structure to another one of the plurality of internal RF bus antenna structures.

9. The device of claim 8 further comprises:

a supporting substrate that supports the plurality of ICs, wherein the supporting substrate includes a supporting substrate micro-electromechanical (MEM) area; and

each of the plurality of ICs including a die and a package substrate, wherein the package substrate supports the die, wherein the package substrate includes a package substrate MEM area, wherein the external RF bus structure is within the supporting substrate MEM area and wherein the internal RF bus structure is within the package substrate MEM area.

10. The device of claim 9 further comprises at least one of:

the external RF bus antenna interface and the external RF bus antenna structure are within the package substrate MEM area; and

the external RF bus antenna interface is within the package substrate MEM area and the external RF bus antenna structure is within the supporting substrate MEM area.

11. The device of claim 8 further comprises:

the die including a die MEM area, wherein an impedance matching circuit of one of the plurality of internal RB bus antenna interfaces is within the die MEM area, a transmission line of one of the plurality of internal RB bus antenna interfaces is within the package substrate MEM area, the corresponding one of the plurality of internal RF bus antenna structures is within the package substrate MEM area, and the internal RF bus structure is within the package substrate MEM area.

13. An integrated circuit (IC) comprises:

a plurality of circuit modules on a die;

a package substrate supporting, the die, wherein the package substrate includes a micro-electromechanical (MEM) area;

a radio frequency (RF) bus transceiver module on the die and associated with at least one of the plurality of circuit modules, wherein the RF bus transceiver module includes;

a baseband processing module coupled to convert outbound bus data into an outbound bus symbol stream and to convert an inbound bus symbol stream into inbound bus data;

a transmitter section coupled to convert the outbound bus symbol stream into an outbound RF bus signal;

a receiver section coupled to convert an inbound RF bus signal into an inbound bus symbol stream;

a transformer having a differential winding and a single-ended winding, wherein the differential winding is coupled to at least one of the transmitter section and the receiver section;

an impedance matching circuit coupled to the single-ended winding; and

a transmission line coupled to the impedance matching circuit, wherein at least one of the transformer, the impedance matching circuit, and the transmission line is within the MEM area.

14. The IC of claim 13, wherein the impedance matching circuit comprises at least one of:

an inductor; and

a capacitor.

15. The IC of claim 14 further comprises:

at least one of the transformer, the inductor, the capacitor, and the transmission line having a three-dimensional shape within the MEM area.

16. The IC of claim 15 further comprises:

the transmission line having a three dimensional shape approximating a coaxial cable.

17. The IC of claim 14, wherein the transformer comprises at least one of:

an air core; and

a magnetic core.

18. The IC of claim 14 further comprises at least one of:

the transmitter section including at least one of an RF transmit filter and a transmit oscillator;

the receiver section including at least one of an RF receive filter and a receive oscillator; and

the package substrate including a second MEM area, wherein at least one of the RF transmit filter, the transmit oscillator, the RF receive filter, and the receive oscillator is located within the second MEM area.

19. An integrated circuit (IC) comprises:

a plurality of circuit modules on a die, wherein the die includes a micro-electromechanical (MEM) area;

a radio frequency (RF) bus transceiver module on the die and associated with at least one of the plurality of circuit modules, wherein the RF bus transceiver module includes;

a baseband processing module coupled to convert outbound bus data into an outbound bus symbol stream and to convert an inbound bus symbol stream into inbound bus data;

a transmitter section coupled to convert the outbound bus symbol stream into an outbound RF bus signal;

a receiver section coupled to convert an inbound RF bus signal into an inbound bus symbol stream;

a transformer having a differential winding and a single-ended winding, wherein the differential winding is coupled to at least one of the transmitter section and the receiver section;

an impedance matching circuit coupled to the single-ended winding; and

a transmission line coupled to the impedance matching circuit, wherein at least one of the transformer, the impedance matching circuit, and the transmission line is within the MEM area.

20. The IC of claim 19, wherein the impedance matching circuit comprises at least one of:

an inductor; and

a capacitor.

21. The IC of claim 19 further comprises:

at least one of the transformer, the inductor, the capacitor, and the transmission line having a three-dimensional shape within the MEM area.

22. The IC of claim 21 further comprises:

the transmission line having a three dimensional shape approximating a coaxial cable.

23. The IC of claim 19, wherein the transformer comprises at least one of:

an air core; and

a magnetic core.

24. The IC of claim 19 further comprises at least one of:

the transmitter section including at least one of an RF transmit filter and a transmit oscillator;

the receiver section including at least one of an RF receive filter and a receive oscillator; and

the die including a second MEM area, wherein at least one of the RF transmit filter, the transmit oscillator, the RF receive filter, and the receive oscillator is located within the second MEM area.