Baluns with integrated matching networks

Abstract

This document provides a Balun converter with an integrated matching network. In some embodiments, a Balun structure includes a first pair of coupled lines, a second pair of coupled lines, and a transmission line. Additionally, a first port of the Balun is connected to a reference voltage via a first line of the first pair of coupled lines, the transmission line, and a first line of the second pair of coupled lines. Furthermore, a second port of the Balun is connected to the reference voltage via a second line of the first pair of coupled lines, and a third port of the Balun is connected to the reference voltage via a second line of the second pair of coupled lines. The first port acts as an unbalanced signal terminal, while the second and third ports act as positive and negative signal terminals, respectively.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The embodiments of the present invention relate to electronic systems, and more specifically, the embodiments of the present invention relate to radio frequency (RF) electronic devices. [Previous Technology]

[0002] A bangle can be used to convert a single-ended RF signal into a differential RF signal, or vice versa. Examples of RF communication systems having one or more bangles include (but are not limited to) mobile phones, tablets, base stations, network access points, client equipment (CPE), laptops, and wearable electronic devices.

[0003] Bélane can be incorporated into an RF communication system to provide conversion of RF signals over a wide frequency range. For example, beryl can handle RF signals in a frequency range of approximately 30 kHz to 300 GHz, such as for fifth-generation (5G) communication using frequency range 1 (FR1), in the range of approximately 410 MHz to approximately 7.125 GHz, or for 5G communication using frequency range 2 (FR2), in the range of approximately 24.25 GHz to approximately 52.6 GHz. [Summary of the Invention]

[0004] In some embodiments, the present invention relates to a baluster. The baluster includes: a first pair of coupling lines, each including a first conductor and a second conductor; a second pair of coupling lines, each including a third conductor and a fourth conductor; and a transmission line that connects the first conductor of the first pair of coupling lines to the third conductor of the second pair of coupling lines.

[0005] In several embodiments, the first pair of wires and the second pair of wires have different lengths.

[0006] In various embodiments, the first pair of wires and the second pair of wires have different odd-mode impedances.

[0007] In some embodiments, the first pair of wires and the second pair of wires have different even-mode impedances.

[0008] In several embodiments, the first pair of wires, the second pair of wires, and the transmission line are implemented to provide input matching.

[0009] In various embodiments, the first pair of wires, the second pair of wires, and the transmission line are implemented to provide output matching.

[0010] In several embodiments, the transmission line includes a coil.

[0011] In some embodiments, the baluster further includes a first port connected to one end of the first conductor opposite to the transmission line, a second port connected to the second conductor of the first pair of conductors, and a third port connected to the fourth conductor of the second pair of conductors.

[0012] According to several embodiments, the first port is an unbalanced terminal of a single-ended signal, the second port is a positive terminal of a differential signal, and the third port is a negative terminal of the differential signal.

[0013] According to several embodiments, one end of the third conductor opposite to the transmission line is connected to a reference voltage.

[0014] According to various embodiments, one end of the second wire opposite to the second port is connected to a reference voltage.

[0015] According to several embodiments, one end of the fourth wire opposite to the third port is connected to a reference voltage.

[0016] According to several embodiments, the first port is configured to receive a single-ended signal from an amplifier.

[0017] According to several embodiments, the first port is configured to output a single-ended signal to the amplifier.

[0018] According to various embodiments, the second port and the third port are configured to receive a differential signal from an amplifier.

[0019] According to several embodiments, the second port and the third port are configured to provide a differential signal to an amplifier.

[0020] In some embodiments, the present invention relates to a wireless device. The wireless device includes: a transceiver; and a front-end system coupled to the transceiver. The front-end system includes a baluster having one of the following: a first pair of coupling lines, each including a first conductor and a second conductor; a second pair of coupling lines, each including a third conductor and a fourth conductor; and a transmission line connecting the first conductor of the first pair of coupling lines to the third conductor of the second pair of coupling lines.

[0021] In various embodiments, the first pair of wires and the second pair of wires have different lengths.

[0022] In several embodiments, the first pair of wires and the second pair of wires have different odd-mode impedances.

[0023] In several embodiments, the first pair of wires and the second pair of wires have different even-mode impedances.

[0024] In some embodiments, the first pair of wires, the second pair of wires, and the transmission line are implemented to provide input matching.

[0025] In various embodiments, the first pair of wires, the second pair of wires, and the transmission line are implemented to provide output matching.

[0026] In several embodiments, the transmission line includes a coil.

[0027] In some embodiments, the baluster further includes a first port connected to one end of the first conductor opposite to the transmission line, a second port connected to the second conductor of the first pair of conductors, and a third port connected to the fourth conductor of the second pair of conductors.

[0028] According to several embodiments, the first port is used for an unbalanced terminal of a single-ended signal, the second port is used for a positive terminal of a differential signal, and the third port is used for a negative terminal of the differential signal.

[0029] According to several embodiments, one end of the third conductor opposite to the transmission line is connected to a reference voltage.

[0030] According to various embodiments, one end of the second wire opposite to the second port is connected to a reference voltage.

[0031] According to several embodiments, one end of the fourth wire opposite to the third port is connected to a reference voltage.

[0032] According to various embodiments, the front-end system further includes an amplifier configured to receive a single-ended signal from the first port.

[0033] According to several embodiments, the front-end system further includes an amplifier configured to provide a single-ended signal to one of the first ports.

[0034] According to several embodiments, the front-end system further includes an amplifier configured to receive a differential signal from the second port and the third port.

[0035] According to several embodiments, the front-end system further includes an amplifier configured to provide a differential signal to one of the second port and the third port.

[0036] In some embodiments, the present invention relates to a method for signal conversion in a bain. The method includes: providing coupling between a first conductor and a second conductor of a first pair of coupled lines, providing coupling between a third conductor and a fourth conductor of a second pair of coupled lines, and providing a signal path from the first conductor of the first pair of coupled lines to the third conductor of the second pair of coupled lines using a transmission line.

[0037] In various embodiments, the first pair of wires and the second pair of wires have different lengths.

[0038] In several embodiments, the first pair of wires and the second pair of wires have different odd-mode impedances.

[0039] In several embodiments, the first pair of wires and the second pair of wires have different even-mode impedances.

[0040] In some embodiments, the method further includes using the first pair of wires, the second pair of wires and the transmission line to provide input matching.

[0041] In various embodiments, the method further includes using the first pair of wires, the second pair of wires and the transmission line to provide output matching.

[0042] In some embodiments, the method further includes providing a first port on one end of the first conductor opposite to the transmission line, providing a second port on one end of the second conductor of the first pair of conductors, and providing a third port on one end of the fourth conductor of the second pair of conductors.

[0043] According to several embodiments, the method further includes using the first port as an unbalanced terminal of a single-ended signal, using the second port as a positive terminal of a differential signal, and using the third port as a negative terminal of the differential signal.

[0044] According to several embodiments, the method further includes using the first port to receive a single-ended signal from an amplifier.

[0045] According to various embodiments, the method further includes using the first port to provide a single-ended signal to an amplifier.

[0046] According to several embodiments, the method further includes using the second port and the third port to receive a differential signal from an amplifier.

[0047] According to several embodiments, the method further includes using the second port and the third port to provide a differential signal to an amplifier.

Implementation Method

[0063] The following detailed description of certain embodiments presents various descriptions of particular embodiments. However, the innovations described herein can be embodied in many different ways, for example, as defined and covered by the claims. In this specification, reference is made to the drawings, wherein the same element symbols may indicate the same or functionally similar elements. It should be understood that the elements drawn in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Furthermore, it should be understood that some embodiments may include more elements than are drawn in one drawing and / or a subset of the elements drawn in one drawing. In addition, some embodiments may incorporate any suitable combination of features from two or more drawings.

[0064] The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) responsible for global issues concerning information and communication technologies (including the shared global use of the radio spectrum).

[0065] The Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is a collaboration among a group of global telecommunications standards organizations, such as the Radio Industry and Commerce Association (ARIB), the Telecommunication Technology Committee (TTC), the China Communications Standards Association (CCSA), the Telecommunication Industry Solutions Alliance (ATIS), the Telecommunication Technology Association (TTA), the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), and the Telecommunication Standards Development Institute of India (TSDSI).

[0066] Within the ITU framework, 3GPP develops and maintains technical specifications for various mobile communication technologies, including (for example) second-generation (2G) technologies (such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) and Enhanced Data Rate GSM Evolution (EDGE)), third-generation (3G) technologies (such as Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) and High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA)) and fourth-generation (4G) technologies (such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) and LTE-Advanced).

[0067] Technical specifications controlled by 3GPP can be expanded and revised through a wide range of specification releases that can span multiple years and specify new features and evolutions.

[0068] In one instance, 3GPP introduced carrier aggregation (CA) for LTE in Release 10. Although initially two downlink carriers were introduced, 3GPP expanded carrier aggregation in Release 14 to include up to five downlink carriers and up to three uplink carriers. Other examples of new features and evolutions provided by 3GPP releases include (but are not limited to) Licensed Assisted Access (LAA), Enhanced LAA (eLAA), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), Vehicle-to-Person and Service Connectivity (V2X), and High Power User Equipment (HPUE).

[0069] 3GPP introduced Phase 1 of 5G technology in Release 15 and Phase 2 of 5G technology in Release 16. Subsequent 3GPP releases will further evolve and expand 5G technology. 5G technology is also referred to herein as 5G New Radio (NR).

[0070] 5G NR supports or is planned to support a variety of features, such as millimeter-wave spectrum communication, beamforming capabilities, high spectral efficiency waveforms, low-latency communication, multiple radio physics, and / or non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA). While these RF functionalities provide flexibility to the network and increase user data rates, supporting these features can present several technical challenges.

[0071] The teachings herein may be applied to a variety of communication systems, including (but not limited to) communication systems using advanced cellular technology, such as LTE-Advanced, LTE-Advanced Pro and / or 5G NR.

[0072] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of one example of a communication network 10. The communication network 10 includes a macro unit base station 1, a small unit base station 3, and various examples of user equipment (UE), including a first mobile device 2a, a wirelessly connected car 2b, a laptop computer 2c, a fixed wireless device 2d, a wirelessly connected train 2e, a second mobile device 2f, and a third mobile device 2g.

[0073] Although Figure 1 illustrates specific examples of base stations and user equipment, a communication network may include various types and / or numbers of base stations and user equipment.

[0074] For example, in the example shown in the figure, the communication network 10 includes a macrocell base station 1 and a small cell base station 3. Compared to the macrocell base station 1, the small cell base station 3 may have relatively lower power, shorter range, and / or fewer simultaneous user operations. The small cell base station 3 may also refer to a femtocell, picocell, or microcell. Although the communication network 10 is illustrated as including two base stations, the communication network 10 may be implemented to include more or fewer base stations and / or other types of base stations.

[0075] Although the figures illustrate various examples of user devices, the teachings herein are applicable to a wide range of user devices, including (but not limited to) mobile phones, tablets, laptops, IoT devices, wearable electronics, customer premises equipment (CPE), wirelessly connected vehicles, wireless repeaters, and / or various other communication devices. Furthermore, user devices include not only currently available communication devices operating in a cellular network, but also subsequently developed communication devices that can be easily implemented using the systems, procedures, methods, and apparatus of the present invention as described and claimed herein.

[0076] The communication network 10 illustrated in Figure 1 supports communication using various cellular technologies, including (for example) 4G LTE and 5G NR. In some embodiments, the communication network 10 is further adapted to provide a wireless local area network (WLAN), such as WiFi. Although various examples of communication technologies have been provided, the communication network 10 can be adapted to support a variety of communication technologies.

[0077] Figure 1 depicts various communication links of the communication network 10. Communication links can be duplexed in various ways, including (for example) using Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) and / or Time Division Duplex (TDD). FDD is a type of radio frequency communication that uses different frequencies to transmit and receive signals. FDD offers several advantages, such as high data rates and low latency. In contrast, Time Division Duplex (TDD) is a type of radio frequency communication that uses approximately the same frequency to transmit and receive signals, wherein the transmission and reception communications are switched in time. TDD offers many advantages, such as efficient use of the spectrum and variable allocation of processing power between the transmission and reception directions.

[0078] In some embodiments, the user equipment may use one or more of 4G LTE, 5G NR, and WiFi technologies to communicate with a base station. In some embodiments, enhanced licensed assisted access (eLAA) is used to aggregate one or more licensed frequency carriers (e.g., licensed 4G LTE and / or 5G NR frequencies) with one or more unlicensed carriers (e.g., unlicensed WiFi frequencies).

[0079] As shown in Figure 1, the communication link includes not only the communication link between the UE and the base station, but also the communication between UEs and between base stations. For example, the communication network 10 may be implemented to support self-forwarding and / or self-backwarding (e.g., between mobile device 2g and mobile device 2f).

[0080] The communication link can operate on multiple frequencies. In some implementations, 5G NR technology is used to support communication on one or more frequency bands less than 6 GHz and / or on one or more frequency bands greater than 6 GHz. For example, the communication link may serve frequency range 1 (FR1), frequency range 2 (FR2), or a combination thereof. In one embodiment, one or more mobile devices support an HPUE power level specification.

[0081] In some embodiments, a base station and / or user equipment uses beamforming for communication. For example, beamforming can be used to focus signal strength to overcome path loss, such as the high loss associated with communication at high signal frequencies. In some embodiments, user equipment (such as one or more mobile phones) uses beamforming at millimeter wave frequencies in the range of 30 GHz to 300 GHz and / or centimeter wave frequencies in the range of 6 GHz to 30 GHz (or more specifically, 24 GHz to 30 GHz) for communication.

[0082] Different users of the communication network 10 can share available network resources, such as available spectrum, in various ways.

[0083] In one example, Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) is used to divide a frequency band into multiple frequency carriers. Additionally, one or more carriers are assigned to a specific user. Examples of FDMA include (but are not limited to) Single-Carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA) and Orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA). OFDMA is a multi-carrier technique that subdivides available bandwidth into multiple mutually orthogonal narrowband subcarriers that can be assigned to different users.

[0084] Other examples of shared access include (but are not limited to) time-division multiple access (TDMA) in which one user is allocated a specific time slot of a frequency resource; code-division multiple access (CDMA) in which a frequency resource is shared among different users by assigning each user a unique code; spatial-division multiple access (SDMA) in which beamforming is used to provide shared access through spatial division of labor; and non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) in which the power domain is used for multiple access. For example, NOMA can be used to serve multiple users with the same frequency, time and / or code, but with different power levels.

[0085] Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) refers to technologies used to increase the system capacity of LTE networks. For example, eMBB can refer to communication with a peak data rate of at least 10 Gbps and a minimum data rate of 100 Mbps for each user. Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communication (uRLLC) refers to communication technologies with very low latency (e.g., less than 2 milliseconds). uRLLC can be used for mission-critical communications, such as autonomous driving and / or remote surgery applications. Massive Machine-Type Communication (mMTC) refers to low-cost and low-data-rate communication associated with wireless connectivity to everyday objects, such as communications associated with Internet of Things (IoT) applications.

[0086] The communication network 10 in Figure 1 can be used to support a variety of advanced communication features, including (but not limited to) eMBB, uRLLC and / or mMTC.

[0087] Figure 2A is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a communication system 110 operating with beamforming. The communication system 110 includes a transceiver 105, signal conditioning circuits 104a1, 104a2 … 104an, 104b1, 104b2 … 104bn, 104m1, 104m2 … 104mn, and an antenna array 102 including antenna elements 103a1, 103a2 … 103an, 103b1, 103b2 … 103bn, 103m1, 103m2 … 103mn.

[0088] Communication systems using millimeter-wave carriers, centimeter-wave carriers and / or other frequency carriers may employ an antenna array (such as antenna array 102) to provide beamforming and directivity for signal transmission and / or reception.

[0089] For example, in the embodiment illustrated in the figures, the communication system 110 includes an array 102 of m × n antenna elements, each of which is coupled to a separate signal conditioning circuit. As indicated by the ellipse, the communication system 110 can be implemented using any suitable number of antenna elements and signal conditioning circuits.

[0090] Regarding signal transmission, the signal conditioning circuits 104a1, 104a2 … 104an, 104b1, 104b2 … 104bn, 104m1, 104m2 … 104mn can provide the transmission signal to the antenna array 102 so that the signal radiated from the antenna element is combined with constructive interference and destructive interference to produce a set transmission signal with beam-like quality that has more signal strength propagating in a given direction away from the antenna array 102.

[0091] In the context of signal reception, signal conditioning circuits 104a1, 104a2 … 104an, 104b1, 104b2 … 104bn, 104m1, 104m2 … 104mn process the received signal (e.g., by individually controlling the phase of the received signal) so that more signal energy is received when the signal arrives at the antenna array 102 from a specific direction. Therefore, the communication system 110 also provides directionality for signal reception.

[0092] The signal energy can be relatively concentrated in a transmit beam or a receive beam by increasing the size of the array. For example, as more signal energy is focused in a transmit beam, the signal can propagate over a longer range while providing a sufficient signal level for RF communication. For example, a signal with most of its signal energy focused in the transmit beam can exhibit high effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP).

[0093] In the embodiment illustrated in the figure, transceiver 105 provides transmission signals to signal conditioning circuits 104a1, 104a2 … 104an, 104b1, 104b2 … 104bn, 104m1, 104m2 … 104mn, and processes signals received from the signal conditioning circuits.

[0094] As shown in Figure 2A, transceiver 105 generates control signals for signal conditioning circuits 104a1, 104a2…104an, 104b1, 104b2…104bn, 104m1, 104m2…104mn. The control signals can be used for various functions, such as controlling the gain and phase of transmitted and / or received signals to control beamforming. For example, each of the signal conditioning circuits 104a1, 104a2…104an, 104b1, 104b2…104bn, 104m1, 104m2…104mn may include a phase shifter implemented according to the teachings herein.

[0095] Figure 2B is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of beamforming of a transmit beam. Figure 2 illustrates a portion of a communication system including a first signal conditioning circuit 114a, a second signal conditioning circuit 114b, a first antenna element 113a, and a second antenna element 113b.

[0096] Although the figures are illustrated to include two antenna elements and two signal conditioning circuits, a communication system may include additional antenna elements and / or signal conditioning circuits. For example, Figure 2B illustrates one embodiment of a portion of the communication system 110 of Figure 2A.

[0097] The first signal conditioning circuit 114a includes a first phase shifter 130a, a first power amplifier 131a, a first low-noise amplifier (LNA) 132a, and a switch for controlling the selection of the power amplifier 131a or the LNA 132a. Additionally, the second signal conditioning circuit 114b includes a second phase shifter 130b, a second power amplifier 131b, a second LNA 132b, and a switch for controlling the selection of the power amplifier 131b or the LNA 132b. The first phase shifter 130a and the second phase shifter 130b may be implemented according to any of the embodiments described herein.

[0098] Although the figures show one embodiment of the signal conditioning circuit, other embodiments of the signal conditioning circuit are possible. For example, in one instance, a signal conditioning circuit includes one or more bandpass filters, duplexers, double-ended converters, and / or other components.

[0099] In the embodiment illustrated in the figure, the first antenna element 113a and the second antenna element 113b are separated by a distance d. Additionally, Figure 2B uses an angle θ, which in this example has a value of approximately 90° when the direction of the transmitted beam is substantially perpendicular to a plane of the antenna array and a value of approximately 0° when the direction of the transmitted beam is substantially parallel to the plane of the antenna array.

[0100] By controlling the relative phase of the transmission signals supplied to antenna elements 113a and 113b, a desired transmit beam angle θ can be achieved. For example, when the first phase shifter 130a has a reference value of 0, the second phase shifter 130b can be controlled to provide a phase shift of approximately -2πf(d / ν)cosθ radians, where f is the fundamental frequency of the transmission signal, d is the distance between the antenna elements, ν is the velocity of the radiated wave, and π is a mathematical constant pi.

[0101] In some embodiments, the distance d is implemented as approximately ½λ, where λ is the wavelength of the fundamental component of the transmitted signal. In these embodiments, the second phase shifter 130b can be controlled to provide a phase shift of approximately -πcosθ radians to achieve a transmit beam angle θ.

[0102] Therefore, the relative phase of phase shifters 130a and 130b can be controlled to provide transmit beamforming. In some embodiments, a transceiver (e.g., transceiver 105 of FIG. 2A) controls the phase values ​​of one or more phase shifters to control beamforming.

[0103] FIG2C is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of beamforming of a receiving beam. FIG2C is similar to FIG2B except that the beamforming in the context of a receiving beam rather than a transmitting beam is illustrated in FIG2C.

[0104] As shown in Figure 2C, a relative phase difference between the first phase shifter 130a and the second phase shifter 130b can be selected to be approximately equal to -2πf(d / ν)cosθ radians to achieve a desired receiving beam angle θ. In an embodiment where the distance d corresponds to approximately ½λ, the phase difference can be selected to be approximately equal to -πcosθ radians to achieve a receiving beam angle θ.

[0105] Although various equations for providing beamforming phase values ​​have been provided, other phase selection values ​​are also possible, such as phase values ​​based on antenna array implementations, signal conditioning circuit implementations, and / or a radio environment selection.

[0106] Belen-Belen with integrated matching network is used in radio frequency (RF) systems to convert an unbalanced RF signal (also known as a single-ended RF signal) into a balanced RF signal (also known as a differential RF signal), or vice versa.

[0107] When designing a bangle on a chip, an electromagnetic simulator (EM) can be used to simulate the bangle design and iteratively adjust it until performance specifications are met. Although this trial-and-error method can sometimes achieve a working bangle, this design process can be lengthy, cumbersome, and the results may not be optimal in terms of area, loss, bandwidth, and / or balance. Furthermore, input and output matching considerations can complicate the design process. For example, a bangle design typically includes an explicit input matching network and / or an explicit output matching network.

[0108] This document provides a balun with an integrated matching network. In some embodiments, a balun structure includes a first pair of coupled lines, a second pair of coupled lines, and a transmission line. Additionally, a first port of the balun is connected to a reference voltage (e.g., ground) via a series connection of a first line of the first pair of coupled lines, the transmission line, and a first line of the second pair of coupled lines. Furthermore, a second port of the balun is connected to the reference voltage via a second line of the first pair of coupled lines, and a third port of the balun is connected to the reference voltage via a second line of the second pair of coupled lines. The first port acts as an unbalanced terminal of an unbalanced RF signal, while the second and third ports act as positive and negative terminals of a balanced RF signal, respectively.

[0109] During the design phase, the even-mode impedance, odd-mode impedance, and length of the first pair of coupling lines can be adjusted separately from the even-mode impedance, odd-mode impedance, and length of the second pair of coupling lines. Furthermore, the impedance and length of the transmission lines can also be adjusted individually during the design phase. These parameters can be fine-tuned to provide a method for on-chip bangle designs with lower loss, smaller area, wider bandwidth, and / or improved balance. Due to the smaller number of design parameters, bangle can be easily molded and designed very quickly.

[0110] Furthermore, this parameter fine-tuning can be used to achieve the desired input and output matching. Therefore, the bainoid described herein can operate in conjunction with integrated input matching networks and / or integrated output matching networks. This integration reduces losses and / or provides a more compact chip layout.

[0111] One or more additional components may be used to further fine-tune the berth, such as a capacitor in parallel across one of the second and third ports, a capacitor in series for one of the first ports, and / or a capacitor in parallel for one of the first ports.

[0112] The balun described herein can be used in a variety of applications, including providing single-ended to differential signal conversion (or vice versa) at the input and / or output of an amplifier, such as a power amplifier (PA), a low-noise amplifier (LNA), and / or a variable gain amplifier (VGA). Furthermore, balun can be fabricated on a wafer using various wafer fabrication processes, including (but not limited to) silicon-on-insulator (SOI) processes.

[0113] In some embodiments herein, a balun is configured to handle one of the RF signals in the 5G frequency range 2 (FR2) (e.g., 24.25 GHz to 52.6 GHz). However, the balun herein can handle other RF signal frequencies.

[0114] Figure 3A is a schematic diagram of a ballast 230 having an integrated matching network according to one embodiment. The ballast 230 includes a first pair of coupling lines 211, a second pair of coupling lines 212, a transmission line 213 (also referred to as a transmission line segment), a first port 221, a second port 222, and a third port 223. The first port 221 acts as an unbalanced terminal of an unbalanced RF signal, the second port 222 acts as a positive terminal of a balanced RF signal, and the third port 223 acts as a negative terminal of a balanced RF signal.

[0115] As shown in Figure 3A, the first pair of coupling lines 211 includes a first line 215 and a second line 216 that are electromagnetically coupled to each other (e.g., through inductive coupling by close placement of the wires). The second pair of coupling lines 212 includes a first line 217 and a second line 218 that are electromagnetically coupled to each other. A first port 221 is connected to a first end of the first line 215, and a second end of the first line 215 is connected to a first end of the transmission line 213. A first end of the second line 216 is connected to a reference voltage (grounded in this example), and a second end of the second line 216 is connected to a second port 222. Furthermore, a first end of the first coupling line 217 is connected to a second end of the transmission line 213, and a second end of the first line 217 is connected to the reference voltage. A first end of the second coupling line 218 is connected to a third port 223, and a second end of the second line 218 is connected to the reference voltage.

[0116] Therefore, the first port 221 is connected to the reference voltage via a series combination of the first line 215 of the first pair of coupling lines 211, the transmission line 213, and the first line 217 of the second pair of coupling lines 212. Furthermore, the second port 222 is connected to the reference voltage via the second line 216 of the first pair of coupling lines 211, and the third port 223 is connected to the reference voltage via the second line 218 of the second pair of coupling lines 212.

[0117] The even-mode impedance, odd-mode impedance, and length (Ze1, Zo1, length-1) of the first pair of coupling lines 211 can be adjusted separately from the even-mode impedance, odd-mode impedance, and length (Ze2, Zo2, length-2) of the second pair of coupling lines 212 during the design period. In addition, the impedance and length (ZO-c, length-c) of transmission line 213 can also be adjusted independently during the design period.

[0118] Therefore, a Bellar 230 with a desired differential impedance at a specific frequency and bandwidth can be designed very quickly.

[0119] The baluster 230 can be designed in various ways. In one embodiment, the baluster is initially designed to have identical pairs of coupling wires. If an EM simulation indicates an imbalance between the positive and negative terminals, the balance can be improved by changing one of the coupling wire parameters (Ze, Zo, length). For example, if |S31| < |S21|, the balance is improved by increasing the coupling on the second pair of coupling wires 212. In another example, if phase(S31)-phase(S21) is less than 180 degrees, the balance can be improved by increasing the length of the second pair of coupling wires 212 by 2.

[0120] Figure 3B is a schematic diagram of a ballast 240 having an integrated matching network according to another embodiment.

[0121] Except that the ballast 240 further includes a series capacitor 231 connected between the first port 221 and the first line 215 of the first pair of coupling lines 211, the ballast 240 of FIG3B is similar to the ballast 230 of FIG3A.

[0122] Figure 3C is a schematic diagram of a ballast 250 having an integrated matching network according to another embodiment.

[0123] Except that the baluster 250 further includes a parallel capacitor 232 connected between the second port 222 and the third port 223, the baluster 250 of FIG3C is similar to the baluster 230 of FIG3A.

[0124] Figure 3D is a schematic diagram of a ballast 260 having an integrated matching network according to another embodiment.

[0125] Except that the balun 260 further includes a parallel capacitor 233 connected between the first port 221 and the reference voltage, the balun 260 of FIG3D is similar to the balun 230 of FIG3A.

[0126] Figure 3E is a schematic diagram of a ballast 270 having an integrated matching network according to another embodiment.

[0127] Except that the ballast 270 further includes a series capacitor 231 connected between the first port 221 and the first line 215 of the first pair of coupling lines 211 and a parallel capacitor 232 connected between the second port 222 and the third port 223, the ballast 270 of FIG3E is similar to the ballast 230 of FIG3A.

[0128] Referring to Figures 3B to 3E, one or more additional components may be added to a baluster structure to enhance performance, such as improved matching and / or wider bandwidth.

[0129] Although various instances of components or combinations of components have been depicted, multiple components can be added to the balusters herein to provide performance modifications and / or enhancements. Therefore, although four instances of additional components are depicted in Figures 3B to 3E, other instances are also possible.

[0130] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a metallization layout of a baluster 550 having an integrated matching network according to another embodiment. The metallization layout may be implemented on a semiconductor die including a first metal layer 501, a second metal layer 502, a third metal layer 503 and a fourth metal layer 504.

[0131] Bell 550 includes a first pair of coupling lines 511, a second pair of coupling lines 512, a transmission line 513, a first port 521, a second port 522, a third port 523 and a grounding network 515.

[0132] In the embodiment illustrated in the figure, the coupling lines are vertically coupled, for example, by using vertical metal lines on adjacent metal layers or omitting one or more intermediate metal layers. In other embodiments, horizontal coupling is used (e.g., using spaced-apart metal conductors on a common metal layer).

[0133] In this embodiment, the transmission line segment 513 includes a helix or coil 514. By implementing the transmission line segment 513 in this manner, a more compact layout is achieved.

[0134] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a radio frequency (RF) amplification system 510 according to one embodiment. The RF amplification system 510 includes a cascaded input balun 601 and an RF amplifier 604.

[0135] In the embodiment illustrated in the figure, the input balun 601 converts a single-ended RF input signal RFIN (or an unbalanced signal U) into a differential RF input signal. Additionally, the RF amplifier 604 amplifies the differential RF input signal to generate an RF output signal RFOUT, which can be either single-ended or differential as shown in the figure.

[0136] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of an RF amplification system 620 according to another embodiment. The RF amplification system 620 includes a cascaded RF amplifier 614 and an output balun 611.

[0137] In the embodiment illustrated in the figure, RF amplifier 614 amplifies an RF input signal RFIN, which may be single-ended or differential as shown in the figure. RF amplifier 614 provides a single-ended RF output signal to output baffle 611, which converts the single-ended RF output signal into a differential RF output signal RFOUT.

[0138] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of an RF amplification system 630 according to another embodiment. The RF amplification system 630 includes a cascaded input balun 621, an RF amplifier 624, and an output balun 622.

[0139] In the embodiment illustrated in the figure, input balun 621 converts a single-ended RF input signal RFIN into a differential RF input signal. Additionally, RF amplifier 624 amplifies the differential RF input signal to generate a differential RF output signal. Furthermore, output balun 622 converts the differential RF output signal into a single-ended RF output signal RFOUT.

[0140] Any of the balusters described herein can be implemented in the usage scenarios shown in Figures 5 to 7. Although example usage scenarios of balusters have been depicted, the balusters described herein can be used in other configurations of electronic systems.

[0141] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a mobile device 800. The mobile device 800 includes a baseband system 801, a transceiver 802, a front-end system 803, an antenna 804, a power management system 805, a memory 806, a user interface 807, and a battery 808.

[0142] The mobile device 800 can be used to communicate using a variety of communication technologies, including (but not limited to) 2G, 3G, 4G (including LTE, LTE-Advanced and LTE-Advanced Pro), 5G NR, WLAN (e.g. Wi-Fi), WPAN (e.g. Bluetooth and ZigBee), WMAN (e.g. WiMax) and / or GPS technology.

[0143] Transceiver 802 generates RF signals for transmission and processes input RF signals received from antenna 804. It should be understood that various functionalities associated with the transmission and reception of RF signals can be achieved by one or more components collectively represented in FIG8 as transceiver 802. In one instance, a separate component (e.g., a separate circuit or die) may be provided to handle a particular type of RF signal.

[0144] The front-end system 803 helps to regulate signals transmitted to and / or received from the antenna 804. In the embodiment illustrated in the figure, the front-end system 803 includes one or more phase shifters 810, power amplifiers (PA) 811, low-noise amplifiers (LNA) 812, filters 813, switches 814, and ballasts 815.

[0145] Furthermore, one or more baluns 815 may be used in combination with any of the components to provide single-ended to differential signal conversion, or vice versa. Such baluns may be implemented according to any of the embodiments herein.

[0146] The front-end system 803 may provide several functionalities, including (but not limited to) amplifying the signal for transmission, amplifying the received signal, filtering the signal, switching between different frequency bands, switching between different power modes, switching between transmission and reception modes, signal duplexing, signal multiplexing (e.g., dual-channel or triple-channel), or some combination thereof.

[0147] The mobile device 800 operates using beamforming. For example, the front-end system 803 includes a phase shifter 810 having a variable phase controlled by a transceiver 802. In some embodiments, the transceiver 802 controls the phase of the phase shifter 810 based on data received from the processor 801.

[0148] The phase shifter 810 is controlled to provide beamforming and directivity for transmitting and / or receiving signals using the antenna 804. For example, in the context of signal transmission, controlling the phase of the transmitted signal provided to an antenna array for transmission causes the radiated signal to combine constructive and destructive interference to produce a set of transmitted signals exhibiting beamforming quality with greater signal strength propagating in a given direction. In the context of signal reception, controlling the phase causes more signal energy to be received when the signal arrives at the antenna array from a specific direction.

[0149] In some embodiments, the mobile device 800 supports carrier aggregation, thereby providing flexibility to increase peak data rates. Carrier aggregation can be used for both frequency division duplex (FDD) and time division duplex (TDD), and can be used to aggregate multiple carriers or channels. Carrier aggregation includes contiguous aggregation, in which consecutive carriers within the same operating frequency band are aggregated. Carrier aggregation can also be discontinuous and can include carriers with separated frequencies within a common frequency band or in different frequency bands.

[0150] Antenna 804 may include antennas for various types of communication. For example, antenna 804 may include antennas for transmitting and / or receiving signals associated with various frequencies and communication standards.

[0151] In some embodiments, antenna 804 supports MIMO communication and / or switching diversity communication. For example, MIMO communication uses multiple antennas to transmit multiple data streams on a single radio frequency channel. Due to the spatial multiplexing differences in the radio environment, MIMO communication benefits from a higher signal-to-noise ratio, improved coding, and / or reduced signal interference. Switching diversity refers to communication in which a specific antenna is selected to operate at a specific time. For example, a switch can be used to select a specific antenna from a set of antennas based on a variety of factors, such as an observed bit error rate and / or a signal strength indicator.

[0152] In some embodiments, antenna 804 includes one or more antenna element arrays to enhance beamforming.

[0153] The baseband system 801 is coupled to the user interface 807 to facilitate the processing of various user inputs and outputs (I / O), such as voice and data. The baseband system 801 provides a digital representation of the signals transmitted by the transceiver 802, which processes the digital representation to generate RF signals for transmission. The baseband system 801 also processes a digital representation of the received signals provided by the transceiver 802. As shown in FIG8, the baseband system 801 is coupled to the memory 806 to facilitate the operation of the mobile device 800.

[0154] The memory 806 can be used for various purposes, such as storing data and / or instructions to facilitate the operation of the mobile device 800 and / or providing storage of user information.

[0155] The power management system 805 provides several power management functions for the mobile device 800. In some embodiments, the power management system 805 includes PA supply control circuitry that controls one of the supply voltages to the power amplifier 811. For example, the power management system 805 can be configured to change the supply voltage(s) supplied to one or more of the power amplifiers 811 to change efficiency, such as power-added efficiency (PAE).

[0156] As shown in Figure 8, the power management system 805 receives a battery voltage from the battery 808. The battery 808 can be any suitable battery used in the mobile device 800, including, for example, a lithium-ion battery.

[0157] The principles and advantages of the embodiments described herein can be applied to a variety of applications.

[0158] For example, bainoids can be included in various electronic devices, including (but not limited to) consumer electronics products, components of consumer electronics products, electronic testing equipment, etc. Example electronic devices include (but are not limited to) a base station, a wireless network access point, a mobile phone (e.g., a smartphone), a tablet computer, a television, a computer monitor, a computer, a handheld computer, a digital assistant (PDA), a microwave oven, a refrigerator, a car, a stereo system, a CD player, a digital camera, a portable insulated chip, a washing machine, a dryer, a photocopier, a fax machine, a scanner, a multi-functional peripheral device, a wristwatch, a clock, etc. Furthermore, electronic devices can include unfinished products.

[0159] Conclusion Unless the context explicitly requires otherwise, throughout the specification and scope of the application, the terms "comprising," "including," and similar terms shall be interpreted as inclusive, not exclusive or exhaustive; that is, in the sense of "including (but not limited to)." The term "coupled" as commonly used herein refers to two or more elements that can be directly connected or connected by one or more intermediate elements. Similarly, the term "connected" as commonly used herein refers to two or more elements that can be directly connected or connected by one or more intermediate elements. Furthermore, when used in this application, the terms "this," "above," "below," and similar terms shall refer to the entirety of this application and not any particular part of it. Where the context permits, the use of singular or plural terms in the above [implementations] may also include both singular and plural terms respectively. When referring to a list of two or more items, the term "or" encompasses all of the following interpretations: any of the items in the list, all of the items in the list, and any combination of the items in the list.

[0160] Furthermore, unless otherwise specifically stated or understood in the context in which it is used, the conditional language used herein (such as (in particular) "may," "will," "may," "can," "for example," "like," and the like) is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments include certain features, elements, and / or states, while other embodiments do not include certain features, elements, and / or states. Therefore, this conditional language is generally not intended to imply that one or more embodiments require features, elements, and / or states in any way, or that one or more embodiments must include logic for determining whether such features, elements, and / or states are included or will be performed in any particular embodiment, with or without author input or prompts.

[0161] The above detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed above. Although specific embodiments and examples of the invention have been described above for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the invention, as will be recognized by those skilled in the art. For example, although programs or blocks are presented in a given order, alternative embodiments may execute routines with steps in a different order, or employ a system with blocks, and some programs or blocks may be deleted, moved, added, subdivided, combined, and / or modified. Such programs or blocks may be implemented in a variety of different ways. Furthermore, although programs or blocks are sometimes presented as being executed in sequence, such programs or blocks may alternatively be executed in parallel, or may be executed at different times.

[0162] The teachings of the present invention provided herein can be applied to other systems, not necessarily the systems described above. The elements and actions of the various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments.

[0163] Although certain embodiments of the invention have been described, these embodiments are presented by way of example only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. In fact, the novel methods and systems described herein can be embodied in many other forms; furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, and changes can be made to the forms of the methods and systems described herein without departing from the spirit of the invention. The appended claims and their equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications falling within the scope and spirit of the invention. [Simplified Explanation of the Diagram]

[0048] Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of non-limiting examples with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0049] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of one example of a communication network.

[0050] Figure 2A is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a communication system that operates with beamforming.

[0051] Figure 2B is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of beamforming of a transmitted beam.

[0052] Figure 2C is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of beamforming of a receiving beam.

[0053] Figure 3A is a schematic diagram of a ballast having an integrated matching network according to one embodiment.

[0054] Figure 3B is a schematic diagram of a ballast having an integrated matching network according to another embodiment.

[0055] Figure 3C is a schematic diagram of a ballast having an integrated matching network according to another embodiment.

[0056] Figure 3D is a schematic diagram of a ballast having an integrated matching network according to another embodiment.

[0057] Figure 3E is a schematic diagram of a ballast having an integrated matching network according to another embodiment.

[0058] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a metallized layout of a ballast having an integrated matching network according to another embodiment.

[0059] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a radio frequency (RF) amplification system according to one embodiment.

[0060] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of one of the RF amplification systems according to another embodiment.

[0061] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of one of the RF amplification systems according to another embodiment.

[0062] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a mobile device.

Claims

1. A baluster comprising: A first pair of coupling lines, comprising a first conductor and a second conductor; A second pair of coupling lines, comprising a third conductor and a fourth conductor, wherein the first pair of coupling lines and the second pair of coupling lines have different lengths, different odd-mode impedances, and different even-mode impedances; and a transmission line that connects the first conductor of the first pair of coupling lines to the third conductor of the second pair of coupling lines.

2. The babel as claimed in claim 1 further includes a first port connected to one end of the first conductor opposite to the transmission line, a second port connected to the second conductor of the first pair of coupling lines, and a third port connected to the fourth conductor of the second pair of coupling lines.

3. The baluster of claim 2, wherein the first port is an unbalanced terminal of a single-ended signal, the second port is a positive terminal of a differential signal, and the third port is a negative terminal of the differential signal.

4. As in claim 2, wherein one end of the third conductor opposite to the transmission line is connected to a reference voltage.

5. As in claim 2, wherein one end of the second conductor opposite to the second port is connected to a reference voltage.

6. As in claim 2, wherein one end of the fourth conductor opposite the third port is connected to a reference voltage.

7. The bainette of claim 1, wherein the transmission line includes a coil.

8. A wireless device comprising: One transceiver; and a front-end system coupled to the transceiver, the front-end system comprising a baluster having one of the following: a first pair of coupling lines comprising a first conductor and a second conductor; a second pair of coupling lines comprising a third conductor and a fourth conductor; and a transmission line connecting the first conductor of the first pair of coupling lines to the third conductor of the second pair of coupling lines, the first pair of coupling lines and the second pair of coupling lines having different lengths, different odd-mode impedances, and different even-mode impedances.

9. The wireless device of claim 8, wherein the ballast further includes a first port connected to one end of the first conductor opposite to the transmission line, a second port connected to the second conductor of the first pair of coupling lines, and a third port connected to the fourth conductor of the second pair of coupling lines.

10. The wireless device of claim 9, wherein the front-end system further includes an amplifier configured to provide a single-ended signal to one of the first ports.

11. The wireless device of claim 9, wherein the front-end system further includes an amplifier configured to provide a differential signal to one of the second port and the third port.

12. The wireless device of claim 8, further comprising an amplifier, wherein the first pair of coupling lines, the second pair of coupling lines and the transmission line are operable to provide input matching to the amplifier.

13. The wireless device of claim 8, further comprising an amplifier, wherein the first pair of coupling lines, the second pair of coupling lines and the transmission line are operable to provide output matching to the amplifier.

14. The wireless device of claim 8, wherein the transmission line includes a coil.

15. A method for signal conversion in a Béla configuration, the method comprising: Coupling is provided between a first conductor and a second conductor in a first pair of coupling lines; Coupling is provided between a third conductor and a fourth conductor in a second pair of coupling lines, the first pair of coupling lines and the second pair of coupling lines having different lengths, different odd-mode impedances, and different even-mode impedances; and a signal path is provided through a transmission line from the first conductor of the first pair of coupling lines to the third conductor of the second pair of coupling lines.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising using the first pair of coupling lines, the second pair of coupling lines and the transmission line to provide input matching.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising using the first pair of coupling lines, the second pair of coupling lines and the transmission line to provide output matching.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the ballast further includes a first port connected to one end of the first conductor opposite to the transmission line, a second port connected to the second conductor of the first pair of coupling lines, and a third port connected to the fourth conductor of the second pair of coupling lines.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising using an amplifier to provide a single-ended signal to the first port.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising using an amplifier to provide a differential signal to the second port and the third port.

Images