Phase-arrayed transceiver

• US 9,473,195 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2015
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MediaTek, Inc.
• Original Assignee: MediaTek, Inc.
• Inventors: Zhan, Jing-Hong Conan, Liang, Chuan-Kang, Yu, Ti-Ku, Deng, Zhiming
• Primary Examiner(s): TALUKDER, MD K
• Application Number:
  US14/741,473
• Publication Number:
  US 20150288411A1
• Time in Patent Office: 489 Days
• Field of Search: 375/219, 375/222, 375/296, 455/73, 455/78, 455/80, 455/276.1, 455/277.1, 455/562.1, 455/101
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0025 Modular arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/30 varying the relative phase between the radiating elements of an array H01Q3/2605, H01Q3/2658, H01Q3/2682, H01Q3/44 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/294 the amplifier being a low noise amplifier [LNA]
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/451 the amplifier being a radio frequency amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/19 with semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/21 with semiconductor devices only H03F3/245 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/40 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/44 Transmit/receive switching

Abstract

A phased-array transceiver includes: a plurality of antennas; a plurality of transceiving elements respectively coupled to the plurality of antennas; a signal processing block; and a first distributed network, coupled between the signal processing block and the transceiving elements, wherein the transceiving elements, the signal processing block, and the first distributed network are configured as a single chip, and a first transceiving path between one of the plurality of transceiving elements and the signal processing block and a second transceiving path between another of the plurality of transceiving elements and the signal processing block share at least partial signal traces of the first distributed network.

Claims

1. A phase-arrayed transceiver, comprising:

a plurality of antennas;

a plurality of transceiving elements, respectively coupled to the plurality of antennas, respectively;

a signal processing block; and

a first distributed network, coupled between the signal processing block and the transceiving elements, wherein the first distributed network comprises a first coupler connecting to the signal processing block, and for transferring signals between the signal processing block and at least two of the transceiving elements;

wherein the plurality of transceiving elements, the signal processing block, and the first distributed network are configured as a single chip, and a first transceiving path between one of the plurality of transceiving elements and the signal processing block and a second transceiving path between another of the plurality of transceiving elements and the signal processing block share at least partial signal traces of the first distributed network, wherein each of the first transceiving path and the second transceiving path is a bidirectional communication path.

2. The phase-arrayed transceiver of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of transceiving elements comprising a first transmitting circuit and a first receiving circuit, and a first receiving path from one of the plurality of antennas through corresponding first receiving circuit to the signal processing block and a second transmitting path from the signal processing block through corresponding first transmitting circuit to the one of the plurality of antennas share at least partial signal traces of the first distributed network.

3. The phase-arrayed transceiver of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of transceiving element further comprises:

a first switching device, arranged to selectively couple one of the first transmitting circuit and the first receiving circuit to the corresponding antenna.

4. The phase-arrayed transceiver of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of transceiving element further comprises a phase shifter and a second switching device, and the first transmitting circuit comprises:

a power amplifier, arranged to amplify an output of the phase shifter; and

the first receiving circuit comprises;

a low-noise amplifier, arranged to generate an output to the phase shifter;

wherein the second switching device is arranged to selectively couple one of the power amplifier and the low-noise amplifier to the phase shifter.

5. The phase-arrayed transceiver of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of transceiving element further comprises:

a third switching device, arranged to selectively couple one of the first transmitting circuit and the first receiving circuit to a connection port of the first distributed network.

6. The phase-arrayed transceiver of claim 5, wherein the first transmitting circuit comprises:

a first phase shifter; and

a power amplifier, arranged to amplify an output of the first phase shifter; and

the first receiving circuit comprises;

a second phase shifter; and

a low-noise amplifier, arranged to generate an output to the second phase shifter;

wherein the third switching device is arranged to selectively couple one of the first phase shifter and the second phase shifter to the connection port of the first distributed network.

7. The phased-array transceiver of claim 5, wherein the first transmitting circuit comprises:

a first mixer, arranged to generate a first mixer output by up-converting an output of the third switching device; and

a power amplifier, arranged to amplify the first mixer output;

the first receiving circuit comprises;

a low-noise amplifier; and

a second mixer, arranged to generate a second mixer output to the third switching device by down-converting an output of the low-noise amplifier; and

the phased-array transceiver further comprises;

an oscillator, arranged to generate a reference oscillating signal;

a second distributed network, arranged to transmit the reference oscillating signal; and

a phase shifter, arranged to receive the reference oscillating signal through the second distributed network and generate a phase-shifted reference oscillating signal according to the reference oscillating signal;

wherein both of the first mixer and the second mixer receive the phase-shifted reference oscillating signal to generate the first mixer output and the second mixer output, and the third switching device is arranged to selectively couple one of the first mixer and the second mixer to the connection port of the first distributed network.

8. The phase-arrayed transceiver of claim 5, wherein the first transmitting circuit comprises:

a first phase shifter;

a first mixer, arranged to generate a first mixer output by up-converting an output of the first phase shifter; and

a power amplifier, arranged to amplify the first mixer output; and

the first receiving circuit comprises;

a low-noise amplifier;

a second phase shifter; and

a second mixer, arranged to generate a second mixer output to the second phase shifter by down-converting an output of the low-noise amplifier;

wherein the third switching device is arranged to selectively couple one of the first phase shifter and the second phase shifter to the connection port of the first distributed network.

9. The phase-arrayed transceiver of claim 8, further comprising:

an oscillator, arranged to generate a reference oscillating signal; and

a second distributed network, arranged to transmit the reference oscillating signal;

wherein both the first mixer and the second mixer receive the reference oscillating signal through the second distributed network.

10. The phase-arrayed transceiver of claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of transceiving elements further includes a second transceiving element, the second transceiving element comprises a second transmitting circuit and a second receiving circuit, and a second receiving path from the antenna through the second receiving circuit to the signal processing block and a second transmitting path from the signal processing block through the second transmitting circuit to the antenna share at least partial signal traces of the phase-arrayed transceiver.

11. The phase-arrayed transceiver of claim 10, wherein the first distributed network comprises a coupler having a first connection port, a second connection port, and a third connection port;

the third connection port is coupled to the first connection port and the second connection port, and arranged to receive signals from or transmit signals to the signal processing block; and

the at least one transceiving circuit further comprises;

the third switching device, arranged to selectively couple the first transmitting circuit or the first receiving circuit to the first connection port; and

the second transceiving circuit further comprises;

a fourth switching device, arranged to selectively couple the second transmitting circuit or the second receiving circuit to the second connection port.

12. The phase-arrayed transceiver of claim 1, wherein the first distributed network further comprises a second coupler for transferring signals between the first coupler and at least two of the transceving elements.