Variable resonator, variable bandwidth filter, and electric circuit device

• US 8,581,677 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2012
• Issued: 11/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Okazaki, Hiroshi, Narahashi, Shoichi, Kawai, Kunihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benny
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stevens, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US13/612,928
• Publication Number:
  US 20130002374A1
• Time in Patent Office: 425 Days
• Field of Search: 333/205, 333/235
• US Class Current: 333/205
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 1/203 Strip line filters
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 1/20363 Linear resonators
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 1/20381 Special shape resonators
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 7/088 Tunable resonators

Abstract

A variable resonator includes a ring-shaped conductor line (2) which is provided on a dielectric substrate (5) and has a circumferential length of a wavelength at a resonance frequency or an integral multiple of the wavelength, and at least two circuit switches (3₁, 3₂), wherein the circuit switches (3₁, 3₂) have one ends (31) electrically connected to the ring-shaped conductor line (2) and the other ends (32) electrically connected to a ground conductor (4) formed on the dielectric substrate (5), electrical connection/disconnection between the ground conductor (4) and ring-shaped conductor line (2) can be switched, and the one ends (31) of the circuit switches (3₁, 3₂) are connected to the ring-shaped conductor line (2) on different portions.

Claims

1. A variable resonator, comprising:

a ring-shaped conductor line provided on a dielectric substrate and having a circumferential length of a wavelength or an integral multiple of the wavelength at a resonance frequency of the variable resonator; and

at least two first circuit switches, wherein

each of said at least two first circuit switches has one end electrically connected to said ring-shaped conductor line and an other end electrically connected to a corresponding adjustment transmission line formed on the dielectric substrate, and each of said at least two first circuit switches is configured to select interchangeably electrical connection or electrical disconnection between said corresponding adjustment transmission line and said ring-shaped conductor line;

positions on said ring-shaped conductor line, each of which is electrically connected to said one end of a corresponding one of said at least two first circuit switches, are different from one another;

only one of said at least two first circuit switches is selected to turn to an on-state; and

a bandwidth at the resonance frequency changes in response to a change of said selection of said only one of said at least two first circuit switches with said resonance frequency being constant.

2. The variable resonator according to claim 1, wherein

the positions are located on said ring-shaped conductor line except at a connecting portion to be connected to an input/output line and a position of a half wavelength or an integral multiple of the half wavelength from the connecting portion at the resonance frequency.

3. The variable resonator according to claim 1, wherein said ring-shaped conductor line is a closed path formed with a plurality of conductor lines having different line widths.

4. The variable resonator according to claim 1, comprising:

a first conductor line adapted to be a part of the ring-shaped conductor line;

at least two second conductor lines, each being adapted to be a part of the ring-shaped conductor line and lengths of said at least two second conductor lines are different from each other; and

pairs of circuit switch parts, each of said pairs being configured to select interchangeably electrical connection or electrical disconnection between both ends of said first conductor line and both ends of a selected one of said at least two second conductor lines, wherein

the ring-shaped conductor line is a closed path formed with an electrical combination of said first conductor line and the selected one of said at least two second conductor lines by a corresponding one of said pairs of circuit switch parts, so that the resonance frequency changes in response to a change of circumferential lengths of the ring-shaped conductor line that depends on the lengths of said at least two second conductor lines.

5. A variable resonator comprising:

first and second variable resonators that each have features according to the variable resonator of claim 1; and

circuit switch parts, each for electrically connecting said first variable resonator and said second variable resonator to each other, wherein

said second variable resonator is disposed inside said ring-shaped conductor line of said first variable resonator.

6. The variable resonator according to claim 5, wherein

a number of said circuit switch parts is two;

one position at which one of said circuit switch parts electrically connects said first variable resonator and said second variable resonator is different from an other position at which an other one of said circuit switch parts electrically connects said first variable resonator and said second variable resonator; and

said one position is located away from the other position with an interval of a half wavelength or an integral multiple of the half wavelength at a resonance frequency of said first variable resonator on said ring-shaped conductor line of said first variable resonator and with an interval of a half wavelength or an integral multiple of the half wavelength at a resonance frequency of said second variable resonator on said ring-shaped conductor line of said second variable resonator.

7. A variable bandwidth filter, comprising:

the variable resonator according to claim 1; and

an input/output line, wherein

said variable resonator and the input/output line are electrically connected to each other.

8. The variable bandwidth filter according to claim 7, wherein said variable resonator is connected in parallel with the input/output line at one connecting portion.

9. The variable bandwidth filter according to claim 7, further comprising another input/output line, wherein

said variable resonator is connected with an end of the input/output line and an end of said another input/output line at two connecting portions on said ring-shaped conductor line of said variable resonator;

the two connecting portions are separated from each other by a half wavelength or an integral multiple of the half wavelength at the resonance frequency of said variable resonator; and

said positions on said ring-shaped conductor line of said variable resonator are different from said two connecting portions.

10. The variable bandwidth filter according to claim 7, further comprising a circuit adjustment element connected to at least one of said input/output line and said ring-shaped conductor line of said variable resonator.

11. The variable bandwidth filter according to claim 10, wherein said circuit adjustment element is inserted between said ring-shaped conductor line and a ground conductor.

12. The variable bandwidth filter according to claim 11, wherein said circuit adjustment element is at a position apart from a connecting position between said input/output line and said ring-shaped conductor line by an electric length Nπ

where N represents an integer equal to or greater than zero.

13. The variable bandwidth filter according to claim 10, wherein said circuit adjustment element is inserted between said input/output line and said ring-shaped conductor line.

14. The variable bandwidth filter according to claim 10, wherein said circuit adjustment element is connected in series with said input/output line.

15. A variable bandwidth filter, comprising:

at least two variable resonators, each having features according to the variable resonator of claim 1; and

an input/output line, wherein

each of said at least two variable resonators is connected in parallel with the input/output line at one connecting portion via a second circuit switch configured to select interchangeably electrical connection to or disconnection from the input/output line; and

any one or more of said at least two variable resonators are connected electrically to the input/output line, each said second circuit switch being selected to turn to an on-state or an off-state.

16. An electric circuit device, comprising:

the variable resonator according to claim 1; and

an input/output line comprising a first line and a second line, wherein

one end of said second line is connected to a connecting portion between one end of said first line and the ring-shaped conductor line of said variable resonator, so that said first line, said second line, and said ring-shaped conductor line are electrically connected to one another; and

on the connecting portion, said one end of said first line and said one end of said second line are disposed on different planes.

17. An electric circuit device, comprising:

the variable resonator according to claim 1; and

an input/output line having a bent portion, wherein

said bent portion of said input/output line and said ring-shaped conductor line of said variable resonator are electrically connected to each other.

18. The electric circuit device according to claim 17, wherein in the vicinity of a portion where said bent portion of said input/output line and said ring-shaped conductor line of said variable resonator are electrically connected to each other, the ring-shaped conductor line of the variable resonator forms an angle with respect to the input/output line.

19. The electric circuit device according to any one of claims 16 to 18, further comprising a circuit adjustment element connected to at least one of said input/output line and said ring-shaped conductor line of said variable resonator.

20. The electric circuit device according to claim 19, wherein said circuit adjustment element is inserted between said ring-shaped conductor line and a ground conductor.

21. The electric circuit device according to claim 20, wherein said circuit adjustment element is at a position apart from a connecting position between said input/output line and said ring-shaped conductor line by an electric length Nπ

where N represents an integer equal to or greater than zero.

22. The electric circuit device according to claim 19, wherein said circuit adjustment element is inserted between said input/output line and said ring-shaped conductor line.

23. The electric circuit device according to claim 19, wherein said circuit adjustment element is connected in series with said input/output line.

24. A variable resonator, comprising:

a ring-shaped conductor line provided on a dielectric substrate and having a circumferential length of a wavelength or an integral multiple of the wavelength at a resonance frequency of the variable resonator;

at least two first circuit switches, each of the at least two first circuit switches including a first part and a second part different from the first part; and

at least one adjustment transmission line formed on the dielectric substrate, wherein

each first part of said at least two first circuit switches has one end electrically connected to said ring-shaped conductor line and an other end electrically connected to a ground conductor formed on the dielectric substrate, and each first part of said at least two first circuit switches is configured to select interchangeably electrical connection or electrical disconnection between said ground conductor and said ring-shaped conductor line;

each second part of said at least two first circuit switches has one end electrically connected to said ring-shaped conductor line and an other end electrically connected to a corresponding one of said at least one adjustment transmission line, and each second part of said at least two first circuit switches is configured to select interchangeably electrical connection or electrical disconnection between the corresponding one of said at least one adjustment transmission line and the ring-shaped conductor line;

positions on said ring-shaped conductor line, each of which is electrically connected to said one end of a corresponding one of said at least two first circuit switches, are different from one another;

only one of said at least two first circuit switches is selected to turn to an on-state; and

a bandwidth at the resonance frequency changes in response to a change of said selection of said only one of said at least two first circuit switches with said resonance frequency being constant.

25. A variable bandwidth filter, comprising:

at least one variable resonator that each has features according to the variable resonator of claim 24; and

an input/output line,

wherein said at least one variable resonator and the input/output line are electrically connected to each other.