TRANSMITTER (Tx) HOPPING WITH A SWITCHING DEVICE

Abstract

Certain aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to apparatuses and techniques for transmitter (Tx) hopping. An example apparatus for wireless communication generally includes a first amplifier; a first switching device coupled to a first transmit chain, a second transmit chain, and a signal input of the first amplifier; a first power supply; a second power supply; and a second switching device coupled to an output of the first power source, an output of the second power source, and a power input of the first amplifier.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Certain aspects of this disclosure relate generally to electronic components, and more specifically to circuitry for transmitter (Tx) switching. Background Technology

[0002] Electronic devices include computing devices such as desktop computers, laptops, tablets, smartphones, wearable devices such as smartwatches, and internet servers. These diverse electronic devices provide human users with information, entertainment, social interaction, security, safety, productivity, transportation, manufacturing, and other services. Many functions of these diverse electronic devices rely on wireless communication. Wireless communication systems and devices are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, and broadcasting. These systems can support communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources (e.g., time, frequency, and power). Examples of such systems include Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) systems, Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) systems, Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) systems, and Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) systems (e.g., Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems or New Radio (NR) systems). Wireless devices may include transceivers for processing signals for receiving or transmitting. A transceiver may include one or more receive chains and one or more transmit chains. For example, one or more transmit chains may include one or more oscillators and one or more amplifiers. In some implementations, one or more oscillators may include a phase-locked loop (PLL) having a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) for generating an oscillating signal that can be used for signal processing during signal transmission and reception. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The systems, methods, and apparatus of this disclosure each have several aspects, none of which is solely responsible for their desired properties. Without limiting the scope of this disclosure as set forth by the following claims, some features will now be briefly discussed. Upon consideration of this discussion, and particularly after reading the section entitled “Detailed Description,” one will understand how the features of this disclosure provide the advantages described herein.

[0004] Some aspects of this disclosure relate to an apparatus for wireless communication. The apparatus generally includes: a first amplifier; a first switching device coupled to a first transmission chain, a second transmission chain, and a signal input terminal of the first amplifier; a first power supply; a second power supply; and a second switching device coupled to an output terminal of the first power supply, an output terminal of the second power supply, and a power input terminal of the first amplifier.

[0005] Certain aspects of this disclosure relate to a method for wireless communication. The method generally includes: selectively coupling a first transmission chain or a second transmission chain to a signal input of a first amplifier via a first switching device; selectively coupling an output of a first power supply or an output of a second power supply to a power input of the first amplifier via a second switching device; and amplifying a first transmitted signal from one of the first transmission chain and the second transmission chain via the first amplifier using power from either the first power supply or the second power supply.

[0006] Some aspects of this disclosure relate to an apparatus for wireless communication. The apparatus generally includes: amplification components; components for selectively coupling a first or second transmission chain to a signal input terminal of the amplification components; and components for selectively coupling an output terminal of a first or second power supply to a power input terminal of the amplification components, wherein the amplification components are configured to amplify transmitted signals from the first or second transmission chain using power from the first or second power supply.

[0007] To achieve the foregoing and related objectives, one or more aspects include the features fully described below and specifically pointed out in the claims. The following description and drawings illustrate certain exemplary features of these one or more aspects in detail. However, these features indicate only a few of the various ways in which the principles of the various aspects may be employed. Attached Figure Description

[0008] To gain a more detailed understanding of the foregoing features of this disclosure, a more specific description, some of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, may be obtained by referring to various aspects. However, it should be noted that the drawings illustrate only certain aspects of this disclosure and should therefore not be considered as limiting its scope, as the description may allow for other equivalent aspects.

[0009] Figure 1 This is a diagram of an example wireless communication network in which various aspects of the present disclosure can be practiced.

[0010] Figure 2 It is a block diagram of an example access point (AP) and an example user terminal in which various aspects of this disclosure can be practiced.

[0011] Figure 3 This is a block diagram of an example transceiver front end in which various aspects of this disclosure can be practiced.

[0012] Figure 4A An example wireless device is shown that is implemented without transmitter (Tx) transitions.

[0013] Figure 4B An example wireless device implemented using Tx transitions is shown.

[0014] Figure 5A and Figure 5B An example of a wireless device implemented using dual Tx transitions is shown.

[0015] Figure 6A and Figure 6B An example is shown of a wireless device with a power supply for an amplifier.

[0016] Figure 7A and Figure 7B An example is illustrated of a wireless device implemented using a single-pole double-throw (SPDT) switch with Tx switching according to certain aspects of this disclosure.

[0017] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating example operations for wireless communication according to certain aspects of this disclosure.

[0018] For ease of understanding, the same reference numerals have been used where possible to denote common elements in the figures. It is conceivable that elements disclosed in one aspect may be usefully applied to other aspects without specific description. Detailed Implementation

[0019] Certain aspects of this disclosure relate to a wireless device having a switch for implementing transmitter (Tx) switching for multiple bands. The device may include a power amplifier (PA) for transmitting in a first frequency band. The switching device may be used to selectively couple an input of the PA to one of a plurality of Tx chains, and the switching device may be used to selectively couple a power input of the PA to the output of one of a plurality of power supplies. The Tx chains may be shared by one or more other PAs for transmitting in a second frequency band. The switching device may facilitate Tx switching for the second band, as described in more detail herein.

[0020] Example wireless communication Figure 1 An example is illustrated of a wireless communication system 100 having an access point 110 and a user terminal 120 in which various aspects of the present disclosure can be implemented. For simplicity, Figure 1Only one access point 110 is shown. An access point (AP) is typically a fixed station that communicates with a user terminal and may also be referred to as a base station (BS), evolved Node B (eNB), next-generation Node B (gNB), or some other term. A user terminal (UT) can be fixed or mobile and may also be referred to as a mobile station (MS), access terminal, user equipment (UE), station (STA), client, wireless device, or some other term. A user terminal can be a wireless device such as a cellular phone, personal digital assistant (PDA), handheld device, wireless modem, laptop computer, tablet computer, personal computer, etc.

[0021] Access point 110 can communicate with one or more user terminals 120 at any given time, on both the downlink and uplink. The downlink (i.e., the forward link) is the communication link from the access point to the user terminal, while the uplink (i.e., the reverse link) is the communication link from the user terminal to the access point. User terminals can also communicate peer-to-peer with other user terminals. System controller 130 can be coupled to the access point and provides coordination and control for the access point.

[0022] The wireless communication system 100 employs multiple transmitting antennas and multiple receiving antennas to transmit data on the downlink and uplink. The access point 110 may be equipped with multiple (…). N ap (Number) antennas to achieve transmit diversity for downlink transmissions and / or receive diversity for uplink transmissions. A set of ( N u The selected user terminal 120 can receive downlink transmissions and transmit uplink transmissions. Each selected user terminal transmits user-specific data to and / or receives user-specific data from the access point. Typically, each selected user terminal may be equipped with one or more antennas (i.e., N ut ≥1). N u Each selected user terminal may have the same number of antennas or a different number of antennas.

[0023] The wireless communication system 100 can be a time-division duplex (TDD) system or a frequency-division duplex (FDD) system. In a TDD system, the downlink and uplink share the same frequency band. In an FDD system, the downlink and uplink use different frequency bands. The wireless communication system 100 can also utilize a single carrier or multiple carriers for transmission. Each user terminal 120 can be equipped with a single antenna (e.g., to reduce cost) or multiple antennas (e.g., where additional costs can be supported). In some aspects, one or more of the access point 110 and user terminal 120 may include switches for implementing transmitter (Tx) switching, as described in more detail herein.

[0024] Figure 2 A block diagram of an access point 110 and two user terminals 120m and 120x in a wireless communication system 100 is shown. Access point 110 is equipped with... N ap Each antenna is 224a to 224ap. The user terminal is equipped with 120m. N ut,m Each antenna is 252 mA to 252 mA, while the user terminal 120x is equipped with N ut,x Each antenna ranges from 252xa to 252xu. Access point 110 is a transmitting entity for the downlink and a receiving entity for the uplink. Each user terminal 120 is a transmitting entity for the uplink and a receiving entity for the downlink. As used herein, a “transmitting entity” is an independently operating device or apparatus capable of transmitting data via a frequency channel, and a “receiving entity” is an independently operating device or apparatus capable of receiving data via a frequency channel. In the following description, the subscript “…” dn " indicates the downlink, subscript " up "Indicates uplink, N up One user terminal was selected to transmit simultaneously on the uplink. N dn One user terminal was selected to transmit simultaneously on the downlink. N up It is possible or it may not be equal to N dn ,and N up and N dn It can be a static value, or it can be changed for each scheduling interval. Beam control, beamforming, or some other spatial processing technique can be used at the access point and / or user terminal.

[0025] On the uplink, at each user terminal 120 selected for uplink transmission, the TX data processor 288 receives service data from the data source 286 and control data from the controller 280. The TX data processor 288 processes the service data for that user terminal based on a decoding and modulation scheme associated with the selected rate for that user terminal. d up} to perform processing (e.g., encoding, interleaving, and modulation), and for N ut,m One of the antennas provides the data symbol stream. s up The transceiver front-end (TX / RX) 254 (also referred to as the radio frequency front-end (RFFE)) receives and processes the corresponding symbol stream (e.g., converts to analog, amplifies, filters, and up-converts) to generate the uplink signal. For example, the transceiver front-end 254 can also route the uplink signal via an RF switch to a source for transmit diversity. N ut,m One of the antennas. Controller 280 controls the routing within transceiver front-end 254. Memory 282 stores data and program code for user terminal 120 and can interface with controller 280.

[0026] Multiple can be scheduled N up (120) user terminals simultaneously transmit on the uplink. Each of these user terminals transmits its processed set of symbol streams to the access point on the uplink.

[0027] At access point 110, N ap Each antenna 224a to 224ap from all N up A user terminal receives uplink signals transmitted on the uplink. For receive diversity, transceiver front-end 222 can select signals received from one of antennas 224 for processing. Signals received from multiple antennas 224 can be combined to enhance receive diversity. The access point's transceiver front-end 222 also performs processing complementary to that performed by the user terminal's transceiver front-end 254 and provides a recovered uplink data symbol stream. The recovered uplink data symbol stream is a response to the data symbol stream transmitted by the user terminal. s upThe RX data processor 242 processes (e.g., demodulates, deinterleaves, and decodes) the uplink data symbol stream used for recovery based on its rate to obtain decoded data. The decoded data for each user terminal or access terminal can be provided to a data sink (e.g., data sink 244, data sink 272m, or data sink 272x) for storage and / or provided to the controller for further processing.

[0028] On the downlink, at access point 110, TX data processor 210 receives data from data source 208 that is scheduled for downlink transmission. N dn The data includes service data from individual user terminals, control data from controller 230, and other data that may come from scheduler 234. These various data types can be transmitted over different transport channels. TX data processor 210 processes the service data for each user terminal (e.g., encoding, interleaving, and modulation) based on a selected rate for that user terminal. TX data processor 210 can provide... N dn One or more user terminals among the user terminals need to be from N ap A downlink data symbol stream is transmitted by one of the antennas. Transceiver front-end 222 receives this symbol stream and processes it (e.g., converts it to analog, amplifies it, filters it, and up-converts it) to generate a downlink signal. For example, transceiver front-end 222 can also route this downlink signal via an RF switch to a signal used for transmit diversity. N ap One or more antennas from antenna 224. Controller 230 can control routing within transceiver front end 222. Memory 232 can store data and program code for access point 110 and can interface with controller 230.

[0029] At each user terminal, 120, N ut,m Antenna 252 receives downlink signals from access point 110. For receive diversity at user terminal 120, transceiver front-end 254 can selectively process signals received from one or more of the antennas 252. Signals received from multiple antennas 252 can be combined to enhance receive diversity. The transceiver front-end 254 of the user terminal also performs processing complementary to that performed by the transceiver front-end 222 of the access point and provides a recovered downlink data symbol stream. RX data processor 270 processes the recovered downlink data symbol stream (e.g., demodulation, deinterleaving, and decoding) to obtain decoded data for the user terminal. In some aspects, transceiver front-end 222 or 254 may include switches for implementing Tx transitions, as described in more detail herein.

[0030] Figure 3 This is an example transceiver front end 300 in which various aspects of this disclosure can be practiced (such as...). Figure 2 A block diagram of the transceiver front-end 300 (222, 254). The transceiver front-end 300 includes a transmit (TX) path 302 (also referred to as a "transmit chain") for transmitting signals via one or more antennas and a receive (RX) path 304 (also referred to as a "receive chain") for receiving signals via antennas. When the TX path 302 and RX path 304 share antenna 303, these paths can be connected to the antenna via interface 306, which may include any of a variety of suitable radio frequency (RF) devices, such as switches, duplexers, doubleters, multiplexers, etc.

[0031] Receiving in-phase (I) or quadrature (Q) baseband analog signals from a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) 308, the TX path 302 may include a baseband filter (BBF) 310, a mixer 312, a driver amplifier (DA) 314, and a power amplifier (PA) 316. The BBF 310, mixer 312, and DA 314 may be included in a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC). In some cases, the PA 316 may be external to the RFIC.

[0032] BBF 310 filters the baseband signal received from DAC 308, and mixer 312 mixes the filtered baseband signal with a transmit local oscillator (LO) signal to convert the baseband signal of interest to a different frequency (e.g., up-convert from baseband to RF). This frequency conversion process produces a sum and difference frequency of the LO frequency and the frequency of the signal of interest. This sum and difference frequency is referred to as the "beat frequency". The beat frequency is typically in the RF range, such that the signal output from mixer 312 is typically an RF signal, which may be amplified by DA 314 and / or PA 316 before being transmitted via antenna 303. Although one mixer 312 is illustrated, multiple mixers can be used to up-convert the filtered baseband signal to one or more intermediate frequencies and subsequently up-convert the intermediate frequency (IF) signal to the frequency used for transmission.

[0033] In some cases, the DA 314 and / or PA 316 can be selectively coupled to different transmit chains and power supplies, thereby facilitating Tx switching for different bands, as described in more detail herein.

[0034] The RX path 304 includes a low-noise amplifier (LNA) 322, a mixer 324, and a baseband filter (BBF) 326. The LNA 322, mixer 324, and BBF 326 may be included in a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC), which may or may not be the same RFIC including the TX path components. The RF signal received via antenna 303 is amplified by the LNA 322, and the mixer 324 mixes the amplified RF signal with the received local oscillator (LO) signal to convert the RF signal of interest to a different baseband frequency (i.e., down-conversion). The baseband signal output from the mixer 324 may be filtered by the BBF 326 before being converted to digital I and / or Q signals by the analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 328 for digital signal processing.

[0035] Some transceivers may employ a frequency synthesizer with a variable frequency oscillator (e.g., a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) or a digitally controlled oscillator (DCO)) to generate a stable, tunable LO with a specific tuning range. Therefore, the transmit LO frequency may be generated by the TX frequency synthesizer 318, which may be buffered or amplified by the amplifier 320 before being mixed with the baseband signal in the mixer 312. Similarly, the receive LO frequency may be generated by the RX frequency synthesizer 330, which may be buffered or amplified by the amplifier 332 before being mixed with the RF signal in the mixer 324. In some cases, a single frequency synthesizer may be used for both the TX path 302 and the RX path 304.

[0036] Example techniques for transmitter transitions Tx hopping typically refers to the switching (e.g., hopping) between different transmitters (e.g., transmit chains) for signal communication, as described in more detail herein. Transmitter (Tx) hopping reduces insertion path loss when a wireless device switches from one transmit antenna to another. Tx hopping can be implemented for any suitable communication technology, such as standalone (SA) technology, uplink carrier aggregation (ULCA) technology, uplink (UL) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology, dual connectivity (DC) technology, or dual subscriber identity module (SIM) dual-activity (DSDA) technology, which may include one or two active Tx chains (e.g., transmit path 302).

[0037] Figure 4A An example wireless device 400 is shown that is implemented without Tx transitions. Figure 4AA first configuration of the wireless device 400 before antenna switching (without Tx transitions) and a second configuration of the wireless device 400 after antenna switching (without Tx transitions) are shown. The wireless device 400 may include a transceiver 412 (e.g., a transceiver integrated circuit (IC)) having a Tx chain (Tx0) for standalone (SA) bands. The Tx0 may be coupled to the transmit section of a low-noise amplifier (LNA) and power amplifier (PA) module, which includes a duplexer (LPAMID) 402 for signal transmission via a switching device 404. The LPAMID may include the LNA (e.g., Figure 3 LNA 322), PA (e.g., Figure 3 The LPAMID 402 may include a first PA (labeled "PA1"). As shown, the switching device 404 may selectively couple one of antennas 0 (ANT0), 1 (ANT1), 2 (ANT2), and 3 (ANT3) to one of the LPAMID 402, diversity receiver (DRx) module 1 (labeled "DRx module #1"), DRx module 2 (labeled "DRx module #2"), and DRx module 3 (labeled "DRx module #3"). The LPAMID 402 can be used for signal transmission and primary reception (PRx), DRx module 1 can be used for diversity reception (DRx), DRx module 2 can be used for primary reception of MIMO, and DRx module 3 can be used for diversity reception of MIMO. As shown, the PA of the LPAMID 402 can be used to transmit signals via ANT0. In some aspects, the switching device 404 can be reconfigured to transmit signals via ANT2. Without a Tx transition, switching transmission from ANT0 to ANT2 may result in increased path loss due to increased routing distance and losses associated with switch 404.

[0038] Figure 4B An example wireless device 450 is shown that utilizes the Tx transition. Figure 4BA first configuration of wireless device 400 before a Tx transition and a second configuration of wireless device 400 after a Tx transition are shown. As shown, wireless device 450 may also include LPAMID 406. Transceiver 412 may include another Tx chain (Tx1). Tx0 may be coupled to LPAMID 402, and Tx1 may be coupled to LPAMID 406. LPAMID 406 may include a second PA (labeled "Second PA"). As shown, the PA of LPAMID 402 can be used for signal transmission via ANT0 through switching device 408. Tx1 can be used for transmission via ANT2. For example, Tx1 can be used to transmit signals via LPAMID 406, via another switching device 410, and via ANT2. Utilizing the Tx transition, 1dB to 2dB (e.g., for mid-high band (MHB)) or 2dB to 3dB (e.g., for ultra-high band (UHB)) of path loss can be saved (e.g., by means of...). Figure 4B The description uses Tx1 to send on ANT2, compared to, for example, regarding Figure 4A Compared to transmitting on ANT2 using Tx0 as described. Furthermore, by using Tx hopping, increased throughput (e.g., up to 50% throughput improvement) can be achieved based on a 2dB to 3dB gain on the new Tx path (e.g., for weak network coverage). As shown, MIMO PRx is implemented using LPAMID 406, and MIMO DRx is implemented using DRx module #2 (e.g., instead of...). Figure 4A It is implemented in the DRx module (#3).

[0039] Figure 5A and Figure 5B An example of a wireless device 500 implemented using dual Tx transitions is shown. Tx transitions can be implemented using two Tx chains. Two active Tx chains (e.g., Tx0 and Tx1) can be used concurrently in various smartphone and other wireless device designs. Figure 5A The first configuration of wireless device 500 prior to the Tx transition is shown, and Figure 5B The second configuration of the wireless device 500 after the Tx transition is shown.

[0040] As shown in the figure, wireless device 500 may include LPAMID 502 (e.g., including a third PA, labeled "3rd PA") coupled to Tx1 and LPAMID 504 (e.g., including a fourth PA, labeled "4th PA") coupled to Tx0. Transmitted signals from Tx1 may be amplified via the PA of LPAMID 502 for transmission via antenna 4 (ANT4) or antenna 5 (ANT5) through switch 506, as shown. Transmitted signals from Tx0 may be amplified via the PA of LPAMID 504 for transmission via antenna 6 (ANT6) or antenna 7 (ANT7) through switching device 508, as shown. ANT0, ANT1, ANT2, and ANT3 may be used for transmission using a first frequency band (e.g., MHB), and ANT4, ANT5, ANT6, and ANT7 may be used for transmission using a second frequency band (e.g., UHB). Figure 5A As shown, Tx0 coupled to LPAMID 402 can share the same PLL 530 in transceiver 412 with Tx0 coupled to LPAMID 504. Similarly, Tx1 coupled to LPAMID 406 can share the same PLL 532 in transceiver 412 with Tx1 coupled to LPAMID 502. As shown, when Tx transitions from Tx0 to Tx1 for MHB (e.g., from a transmission via ANT0 to a transmission via ANT2), Tx transitions should also occur from Tx1 to Tx0 for UHB (e.g., from a transmission via ANT4 to a transmission via ANT6), because in this case, Tx0 coupled to LPAMID 402 and LPAMID 504 has only a single PLL 530, and Tx1 coupled to LPAMID 406 and LPAMID 502 has only a single PLL. Therefore, transmissions on MHB and UHB cannot occur simultaneously using the same Tx chain.

[0041] Figure 6A and Figure 6B An example is a wireless device 600 with power for LPAMID. Figure 6A The first configuration of the wireless device 600 prior to the Tx transition is shown, and Figure 6BA second configuration of the wireless device 600 after a Tx transition is shown. As illustrated, ANT0 or ANT1 can be used for transmission on the low-band (LB). Transmission circuitry for some bands (e.g., LB) can be implemented using only a single PA without a Tx transition. For example, the wireless device 600 can use only LPAMID 402 (e.g., coupled to Tx0) for LB transmission. Any other band combined with LB (e.g., MHB) may also not support a Tx transition. For example, when Tx0 is used for LB transmission, MHB transmission should be performed using Tx1 and should not switch to Tx0 because the PLL of Tx0 is used for LB transmission. Furthermore, power conflicts may exist. As illustrated, power supply 602 can be used to power the PAs of LPAMID 402 and 504 coupled to Tx0, and power supply 604 can be used to power the PA of LPAMID 502. Each power supply may only be able to power one LPAMID at a time. Therefore, LPAMID 504 should not be used when power supply 602 supplies power to LPAMID 402 for signal transmission. Consequently, Tx chain and power supply conflicts exist (e.g., indicated by "X" in Figure 6 and labeled "Tx chain conflict"), which prevent Tx transitions for MHB during LB transmission.

[0042] Figure 7A and Figure 7B An example is illustrated of a wireless device 700 implemented using a single-pole double-throw (SPDT) switch with Tx switching according to certain aspects of this disclosure. Figure 7A The first configuration of the wireless device 700 prior to the Tx transition is shown, and Figure 7B A second configuration of the wireless device 700 after a Tx transition is shown. As shown, an SPDT switch 702 may be coupled to LPAMID 402, Tx0, and Tx1. The SPDT switch 702 may have a knife terminal coupled to the input of LPAMID 402, a first throw terminal coupled to Tx0, and a second throw terminal coupled to Tx1. Therefore, the SPDT switch 702 selectively couples one of Tx0 and Tx1 to the input of LPAMID 402. The wireless device 700 may also include an SPDT switch 704. The SPDT switch 704 may include a knife terminal coupled to the power input of LPAMID 402, a first throw terminal coupled to the output of power supply 602, and a second throw terminal coupled to the output of power supply 604. The SPDT switch 704 selectively couples the output of one of the outputs of power supplies 602 and 604 to the power input of LPAMID 402. Using SPDT switches 702 and 704, Tx switching can be implemented for multiple bands (e.g., LB and MHB), saving hardware costs even if the circuitry used for one of these bands (e.g., LB) has only one PA and shares a PLL.

[0043] like Figure 7A As shown, before the Tx transition, SPDT switch 702 can be configured to couple Tx0 to the input of LPAMID 402, and SPDT switch 704 can be configured to couple the output of power supply 602 to the power input of LPAMID 402. Therefore, the PA of LPAMID 402 can use power from power supply 602 to amplify the transmit signal from Tx0 for transmission via ANT0. Furthermore, the PA of LPAMID 502 can use power from power supply 604 to amplify the transmit signal from Tx1 for transmission via ANT4.

[0044] like Figure 7B As shown, after a Tx transition, SPDT switch 702 can be configured to couple Tx1 to the input of LPAMID 402, and SPDT switch 704 can be configured to couple the output of power supply 604 to the power input of LPAMID 402. Therefore, the PA of LPAMID 402 can use power from power supply 604 to amplify the transmit signal from Tx1 for transmission via ANT0. Furthermore, the PA of LPAMID 504 can use power from power supply 602 to amplify the transmit signal from Tx0 for transmission via ANT6. In this way, a Tx transition can occur for both LB and MHB, where only a single PA is used for LB transmission and shares the PLL, as described herein. Therefore, hardware costs can be saved by using a single LB PA (e.g., LPAMID).

[0045] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating an example operation 800 for wireless communication. Operation 800 may be performed, for example, by a wireless device (such as wireless device 700).

[0046] At block 802, the wireless device selectively couples either a first transmit chain (e.g., Tx0) or a second transmit chain (e.g., Tx1) to the signal input of a first amplifier (e.g., the PA of LPAMID 402) via a first switching device (e.g., switch 702). At block 804, the wireless device selectively couples either the output of a first power supply (e.g., power supply 602) or the output of a second power supply (e.g., power supply 604) to the power input of the first amplifier via a second switching device (e.g., switch 704). At block 806, the wireless device amplifies a first transmit signal from either the first or second transmit chain using power from either the first or second power supply via the first amplifier.

[0047] In some aspects, the wireless device amplifies a second transmitted signal from the first and second transmission chains (e.g., a different transmission chain and a different power supply than those used in block 806) using power from the other of the first and second power supplies via a second amplifier (e.g., the PA of LPAMID 504). In some aspects, the power input of the second amplifier may be coupled to the output of the first power supply. In some cases, the power input of a third amplifier (e.g., the PA of LPAMID 502) may be coupled to the output of the second power supply.

[0048] In some aspects, a first transmitted signal is amplified by a first amplifier for transmission for a first band (e.g., LB). A second transmitted signal may be amplified by a second amplifier for transmission for a second band (e.g., MHB). The first amplifier may be the only amplifier used to amplify the signal for transmission for the first band. In some aspects, the wireless device may selectively couple the output of the first amplifier to a first antenna (e.g., ANT0) or a second antenna (e.g., ANT1) via a third switching device (e.g., switching device 408).

[0049] Certain aspects of this disclosure provide a low-cost LB design for implementing Tx switching. When used in conjunction with an LB (e.g., implemented using only a single PA), Tx switching can be enabled for either MHB or UHB. MHB / UHB Tx switching from Tx1 to Tx0 can be enabled simultaneously while performing an LB Tx switching from Tx0 to Tx1. As described, the Tx chain and power supply used for LB transmission are interchangeable. Therefore, certain aspects utilize two SPDT switches and one LB PA to achieve Tx switching when used with another band, thus saving hardware costs. The designs described herein can be used in LB applications with only a single LB PA (e.g., PAs including any integrated RFFE module, such as power amplifier front-end (PAF), LNA and PA front-end (LPAF), PA modules including duplexers (PAMID), or LPAMID), although the techniques described herein can be applied to any suitable application and / or band combination. For example, the techniques described herein can support Tx switching for MHB / UHB transmission using a single PA, combined with transmission on another band using two SPDT switches, to provide a low-cost design and improve Tx performance (e.g., to achieve Tx switching). Example

[0050] In addition to the various aspects described above, specific combinations of these aspects are also within the scope of this disclosure, some of which are detailed below.

[0051] Aspect 1: An apparatus for wireless communication, the apparatus comprising: a first amplifier; a first switching device coupled to a first transmission chain, a second transmission chain and a signal input terminal of the first amplifier; a first power supply; a second power supply; and a second switching device coupled to an output terminal of the first power supply, an output terminal of the second power supply and a power input terminal of the first amplifier.

[0052] Aspect 2: The apparatus according to aspect 1 further includes: a second amplifier having an input coupled to the first transmission chain; and a third amplifier having an input coupled to the second transmission chain.

[0053] Aspect 3: The apparatus according to aspect 2, wherein: the power input terminal of the second amplifier is coupled to the output terminal of the first power supply; and the power input terminal of the third amplifier is coupled to the output terminal of the second power supply.

[0054] Aspect 4: The apparatus according to aspect 2 or 3 further includes: a third switching device coupled to the output of the second amplifier, the first antenna and the second antenna; and a fourth switching device coupled to the output of the third amplifier, the third antenna and the fourth antenna.

[0055] Aspect 5: The apparatus according to any one of Aspects 2 to 4, wherein: the first amplifier is configured to amplify a signal for transmission for a first band; and the second amplifier and the third amplifier are configured to amplify a signal for transmission for a second band.

[0056] Aspect 6: The apparatus according to aspect 5, wherein the first amplifier is the only amplifier of the apparatus configured to amplify the signal for transmission for the first band.

[0057] Aspect 7: The apparatus according to any one of Aspects 1 to 6, wherein the first switching device comprises a single-pole double-throw (SPDT) switch having a knife terminal coupled to the signal input terminal of the first amplifier, a first throw terminal coupled to the first transmit chain, and a second throw terminal coupled to the second transmit chain.

[0058] Aspect 8: The apparatus according to any one of Aspects 1 to 7, wherein the second switching device comprises a single-pole double-throw (SPDT) switch having a knife terminal coupled to the power input terminal of the first amplifier, a first throw terminal coupled to the output terminal of the first power supply, and a second throw terminal coupled to the output terminal of the second power supply.

[0059] Aspect 9: The apparatus according to any one of Aspects 1 to 8, wherein the first amplifier is configured to amplify the transmitted signal from the first transmission chain or the second transmission chain for transmission via an antenna.

[0060] Aspect 10: The apparatus according to aspect 9, wherein the first amplifier is configured to amplify the transmitted signal using power from the first power source or the second power source.

[0061] Aspect 11: The apparatus according to any one of Aspects 1 to 10, the apparatus further comprising a third switching device coupled to the output of the first amplifier, the first antenna, and the second antenna.

[0062] Aspect 12: The apparatus according to any one of Aspects 1 to 11, wherein: the first transmitting chain includes a first phase-locked loop (PLL); and the second transmitting chain includes a second PLL.

[0063] Aspect 13: The apparatus according to any one of Aspects 1 to 12, the apparatus further comprising a transceiver integrated circuit (IC), the transceiver IC including the first transmission chain and the second transmission chain.

[0064] Aspect 14: A method for wireless communication, the method comprising: selectively coupling a first transmission chain or a second transmission chain to a signal input of a first amplifier via a first switching device; selectively coupling an output of a first power supply or an output of a second power supply to a power input of the first amplifier via a second switching device; and amplifying a first transmitted signal from one of the first transmission chain and the second transmission chain via the first amplifier using power from one of the first power supply and the second power supply.

[0065] Aspect 15: According to the method of aspect 14, the method further includes amplifying a second transmitted signal from the other of the first and second transmitted chains via a second amplifier using power from the other of the first and second power supplies.

[0066] Aspect 16: According to the method of aspect 15, wherein: the power input terminal of the second amplifier is coupled to the output terminal of the first power supply; and the power input terminal of the third amplifier is coupled to the output terminal of the second power supply.

[0067] Aspect 17: The method according to aspect 15 or 16, wherein: the first transmission signal is amplified by the first amplifier for transmission for a first band; and the second transmission signal is amplified by the second amplifier for transmission for a second band.

[0068] Aspect 18: According to the method of aspect 17, wherein the first amplifier is a single amplifier for amplifying the signal for transmission for the first band.

[0069] Aspect 19: The method according to any one of aspects 14 to 18, the method further comprising selectively coupling the output of the first amplifier to a first antenna or a second antenna via a third switching device.

[0070] Aspect 20: An apparatus for wireless communication, the apparatus comprising: amplification components; components for selectively coupling a first transmission chain or a second transmission chain to a signal input terminal of the amplification components; and components for selectively coupling an output terminal of a first power supply or an output terminal of a second power supply to a power input terminal of the amplification components, wherein the amplification components are configured to amplify a transmitted signal from the first transmission chain or the second transmission chain using power from the first power supply or the second power supply. Additional considerations

[0071] Within this disclosure, the term "exemplary" is used to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any specific implementation or aspect described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as superior to or better than other aspects of this disclosure. Similarly, the term "aspect" does not require that all aspects of this disclosure include the features, advantages, or modes of operation discussed. The term "coupling" is used herein to refer to direct or indirect coupling between two objects. For example, if object A physically contacts object B, and object B contacts object C, objects A and C can still be considered coupled to each other, even if objects A and C are not in direct physical contact. For example, a first object can be coupled to a second object, even if the first object never has direct physical contact with the second object. The term "circuit" is used broadly and is intended to include hardware implementations of electronic devices and conductors that, when connected and configured, enable the performance of the functions described in this disclosure, without limitation on the type of electronic circuit.

[0072] As used herein, the term "determine" encompasses a wide variety of actions. For example, "determine" can include calculation, operation, processing, deduction, investigation, lookup (e.g., searching in a table, database, or other data structure), assertion, etc. Furthermore, "determine" can include receiving (e.g., receiving information), accessing (e.g., accessing data in memory), etc. Additionally, "determine" can include parsing, selecting, picking, building, etc.

[0073] The apparatuses and methods described in the detailed description are illustrated in the accompanying drawings by various blocks, modules, components, circuits, steps, processes, algorithms, etc. (collectively, "elements"). The various operations or methods described above can be performed by any suitable component capable of performing the corresponding function. This component may include various hardware and / or software components and / or modules, including but not limited to circuits, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or processors. Generally, where operations illustrated in the accompanying drawings are present, those operations may have corresponding components with similar numbering, plus functional components.

[0074] One or more of the components, steps, features, and / or functions illustrated herein may be rearranged and / or combined into a single component, step, feature, or function, or embodied in several components, steps, or functions. Additional elements, components, steps, and / or functions may also be added without departing from the features disclosed herein. The apparatus, devices, and / or components illustrated herein may be configured to perform one or more of the methods, features, or steps described herein.

[0075] It should be understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the disclosed methods is an example of an exemplary process. It should be understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps in these methods may be rearranged based on design preferences. The appended method claims present the elements of various steps in an exemplary order, but are not intended to limit them to the specific order or hierarchy presented, unless specifically stated herein.

[0076] The foregoing description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the various aspects described herein. Various modifications to these aspects will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other aspects. Therefore, the claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but are to be accorded the full scope consistent with the text of the claims, wherein references to elements in the singular form are not intended to mean “one and only one,” but rather “one or more.” Unless otherwise specifically stated, the term “some” refers to one or more. The phrase “at least one of” referring to a list of items means any combination of those items, including individual members. As an example, “ a , b or c "At least one of" is intended to cover at least: a , b , c , ab , ac , bc and abc and any combination having multiple identical elements (e.g., a - a ,a - a - a , a - a - b , a - a - c , a - b - b , a - c - c , b - b , b - b - b , b - b - c , c - c and c - c - c or a , b and c (Any other ordering). All structural and functional equivalents of the elements throughout the various aspects described herein that are known to a person of ordinary skill in the art or will later be known are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be covered by the claims. Furthermore, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be offered to the public, whether or not such disclosure is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element should be construed in accordance with 35 USC § 112(f) unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “component for…” or, in the case of a method claim, using the phrase “step for…”. For example, a component for selective coupling may include a switching device, such as switching device 702 or switching device 704. A component for amplification may include an amplifier, such as the PA of LPAMID 402.

[0077] It should be understood that the claims are not limited to the precise configurations and components illustrated above. Various modifications, alterations, and variations may be made to the arrangement, operation, and details of the methods and apparatus described above without departing from the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An apparatus for wireless communication, the apparatus comprising: First amplifier; A first switching device, the first switching device being coupled to the signal input terminal of a first transmitting chain, a second transmitting chain and the first amplifier; First power source; Second power source; and A second switching device is coupled to the output terminal of the first power supply, the output terminal of the second power supply, and the power input terminal of the first amplifier.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: A second amplifier having an input coupled to the first transmitting chain; and A third amplifier having an input coupled to the second transmitting chain.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein: The power input terminal of the second amplifier is coupled to the output terminal of the first power supply; and The power input terminal of the third amplifier is coupled to the output terminal of the second power supply.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: A third switching device is coupled to the output of the second amplifier, the first antenna, and the second antenna; and A fourth switching device, which is coupled to the output of the third amplifier, the third antenna, and the fourth antenna.

5. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein: The first amplifier is configured to amplify the signal for transmission for the first band; and The second amplifier and the third amplifier are configured to amplify the signal for transmission for the second band.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first amplifier is the only amplifier of the apparatus configured to amplify the signal for transmission for the first band.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first switching device comprises a single-pole double-throw (SPDT) switch having a knife terminal coupled to the signal input terminal of the first amplifier, a first throw terminal coupled to the first transmit chain, and a second throw terminal coupled to the second transmit chain.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second switching device comprises a single-pole double-throw (SPDT) switch having a knife terminal coupled to the power input terminal of the first amplifier, a first throw terminal coupled to the output terminal of the first power supply, and a second throw terminal coupled to the output terminal of the second power supply.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first amplifier is configured to amplify a transmitted signal from the first or the second transmission chain for transmission via an antenna.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first amplifier is configured to amplify the transmitted signal using power from the first power source or the second power source.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a third switching device coupled to the output of the first amplifier, the first antenna, and the second antenna.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The first transmission chain includes a first phase-locked loop (PLL); and The second transmission chain includes a second PLL.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a transceiver integrated circuit (IC) including the first transmission chain and the second transmission chain.

14. A method for wireless communication, the method comprising: The first transmitting chain or the second transmitting chain is selectively coupled to the signal input terminal of the first amplifier via the first switching device; The output terminal of the first power supply or the output terminal of the second power supply can be selectively coupled to the power input terminal of the first amplifier via a second switching device; as well as The first transmitted signal from one of the first and second transmitted chains is amplified by the first amplifier using power from either the first or the second power source.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising amplifying a second transmitted signal from the other of the first and second transmitted chains via a second amplifier using power from the other of the first and second transmitted chains.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein: The power input terminal of the second amplifier is coupled to the output terminal of the first power supply; and The power input terminal of the third amplifier is coupled to the output terminal of the second power supply.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein: The first transmitted signal is amplified by the first amplifier for transmission of the first band; and The second transmitted signal is amplified by the second amplifier for transmission of the second band.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first amplifier is a single amplifier for amplifying the signal for transmission for the first band.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising selectively coupling the output of the first amplifier to a first antenna or a second antenna via a third switching device.

20. An apparatus for wireless communication, the apparatus comprising: Components used for magnification; A component for selectively coupling a first or second transmission chain to a signal input terminal of the component for amplification; and A component for selectively coupling the output of a first power supply or the output of a second power supply to the power input of the component for amplification, wherein the component for amplification is configured to amplify a transmitted signal from the first transmit chain or the second transmit chain using power from the first power supply or the second power supply.

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