Pseudo-dual bidirectional amplifier

Abstract

A radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) comprising: a power amplifier (PA) connected to an antenna (348) by a first electromagnetic (EM) element, the PA configured to receive a transmit signal from a second EM element; a low noise amplifier (LNA) connected to the first EM element and the second EM element, the power amplifier and the LNA comprising separate amplifier cores, and wherein the first EM element comprises a first plurality of interwound windings occupying a first common area, and the second EM element comprises a second plurality of interwound windings occupying a second common area.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates generally to electronic devices, and more specifically to amplifiers in transceivers. Background Technology

[0002] Wireless communication devices and technologies are becoming increasingly prevalent as communication systems operate at millimeter-wave (mmW) and near-mmW frequencies. This enables 5G mmW communication systems that typically use Time-Domain Duplex (TDD) communication methods. For TDD systems (such as those used in specific 5G-mmW implementations), the transmit (Tx) and receive (Rx) (Tx / Rx) chains do not operate simultaneously, creating opportunities for resource sharing between them. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The various embodiments of the systems, methods, and apparatuses within the scope of the appended claims each have several aspects, none of which individually fully encompasses the desired properties described herein. Certain prominent features are described herein without limiting the scope of the appended claims.

[0004] Details of one or more specific embodiments of the subject matter described in this specification are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the following description. Other features, aspects, and advantages will become apparent from the description, drawings, and claims. It should be noted that the relative dimensions in the following drawings may not be drawn to scale.

[0005] One aspect of this disclosure provides a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) comprising: a power amplifier (PA) having an output coupled to an antenna via a first electromagnetic (EM) element, the PA being configured to receive a transmitted signal from a second EM element at an input; and a low noise amplifier (LNA) having an input coupled to the first EM element and an output coupled to the second EM element, the power amplifier and the LNA comprising separate amplifier cores, wherein the first EM element includes a first plurality of windings occupying a first common region, and the second EM element includes a second plurality of windings occupying a second common region.

[0006] Another aspect of this disclosure provides a method for amplifying a signal, the method comprising: coupling the output of a power amplifier (PA) and the input of a low-noise amplifier (LNA) to an antenna via a first electromagnetic (EM) element; and coupling the input of the PA to a transmitted signal and the output of the LNA to a receiver via a second EM element, wherein the first EM element includes a first plurality of windings occupying a first common region, and the second EM element includes a second plurality of windings occupying a second common region.

[0007] Another aspect of this disclosure provides an apparatus for amplifying a signal, the apparatus comprising: means for coupling the output of a power amplifier (PA) and the input of a low-noise amplifier (LNA) to an antenna via a first electromagnetic (EM) element; and means for coupling the input of the PA to a transmitted signal and the output of the LNA to a receiver via a second EM element, wherein the first EM element includes a first plurality of windings occupying a first common region, and the second EM element includes a second plurality of windings occupying a second common region.

[0008] Another aspect of this disclosure provides a communication system comprising: a pseudo-bidirectional amplifier including a transmitter and a receiver; a power amplifier connected to an antenna via a first electromagnetic (EM) element, the PA being configured to receive a transmitted signal from a second EM element; and a low-noise amplifier (LNA) connected to the first EM element and the second EM element, the power amplifier and the LNA including separate amplifier cores, wherein the first EM element includes a first plurality of inter-wound windings having a first high-efficiency coupling factor and occupying a first common region, and the second EM element includes a second plurality of inter-wound windings having a second high-efficiency coupling factor and occupying a second common region.

[0009] Another aspect of this disclosure provides a communication system with a pseudo-bidirectional amplifier, the communication system comprising: a first electromagnetic (EM) element; a second EM element; and a power amplifier and a low-noise amplifier (LNA), each at least partially disposed between the first EM element and the second EM element. The PA is spaced apart from the LNA. The PA is coupled to an antenna via the first EM element and configured to receive a transmitted signal from the second EM element. The input of the LNA is coupled to the first EM element, and the output of the LNA is coupled to the second EM element. The first EM element includes a first plurality of at least partially overlapping windings, and the second EM element includes a second plurality of at least partially overlapping windings. Attached Figure Description

[0010] In the accompanying drawings, unless otherwise indicated, similar reference numerals are used throughout the various views to refer to similar parts. For reference numerals with letter characters, such as "102a" or "102b", the letter characters distinguish two similar parts or elements in the same drawing. When the aim is to have the reference numerals cover all parts with the same reference numerals in all drawings, the letter characters of the reference numerals may be omitted.

[0011] Figure 1 This is a diagram illustrating communication between a wireless device and a wireless communication system.

[0012] Figure 2A This is a block diagram illustrating a wireless device in which exemplary technologies of this disclosure may be implemented.

[0013] Figure 2B This is a block diagram illustrating a wireless device in which exemplary technologies of this disclosure may be implemented.

[0014] Figure 2C This is a block diagram illustrating a wireless device in which exemplary technologies of this disclosure may be implemented.

[0015] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a portion of a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) with transmit (Tx) and receive (Rx) (Tx / Rx) circuitry is shown.

[0016] Figure 4 It shows Figure 3 The schematic diagram of the RFIC shows an exemplary layout of the EM element, PA and LNA.

[0017] Figure 5 It is shown Figure 3 A schematic diagram of an exemplary implementation of the second EM.

[0018] Figure 6 It is shown Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the electromagnetic coupling of the windings of the first EM element and the second EM element.

[0019] Figure 7 Show Figure 3 A schematic diagram of an alternative exemplary embodiment of the first EM element and the second EM element.

[0020] Figure 8 yes Figure 3 A schematic diagram of an alternative exemplary implementation of an RFIC.

[0021] Figure 9 yes Figure 3 A schematic diagram of an alternative exemplary implementation of an RFIC.

[0022] Figure 10 yes Figure 3 A schematic diagram of an alternative exemplary implementation of an RFIC.

[0023] Figure 11 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of a method for signal amplification.

[0024] Figure 12 This is a functional block diagram of a device used for signal amplification. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The word “exemplary” is used in this document to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any aspect described as “exemplary” in this document is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or superior to other aspects.

[0026] According to an exemplary embodiment, the pseudo-bidirectional amplifier includes an electromagnetic (EM) element having a common region at the input of a power amplifier (PA) and at the output of a low-noise amplifier (LNA), and the pseudo-bidirectional amplifier includes an electromagnetic (EM) element having a common region at the output of the power amplifier (PA) and at the input of the low-noise amplifier (LNA).

[0027] According to an exemplary embodiment, the windings of each EM element can be inter-wound, thus significantly reducing the amount of area consumed by the EM element on the integrated circuit.

[0028] According to an exemplary embodiment, the LNA and PA connected to the EM element can be located on an integrated circuit between the EM element, thus further reducing the amount of area consumed on the integrated circuit by the EM element and by the PA and LNA.

[0029] In an exemplary embodiment, the term "pseudo-bidirectional" refers to a transceiver architecture in which the transmit amplifier (PA) and receive amplifier (LNA) are located on the same integrated circuit but operate simultaneously. Conversely, EM elements with shared areas allow the transmit amplifier (PA) and receive amplifier (LNA) to be positioned adjacent to each other and share the same antenna and potential ground-conversion / down-conversion and / or phase-shifting circuitry.

[0030] For example, the portions of an EM element can overlap and define a region between them, in which a PA and LNA can be placed. Thus, signals may appear to enter and exit from a common or shared region (creating the appearance that the region is "bidirectional"), while the PA and LNA (e.g., their core or the signal path through them) remain separate. The corresponding amplifiers can be configured or optimized in different ways (and have different dimensions) to ensure good performance while reducing area.

[0031] Figure 1This diagram illustrates communication between wireless device 110 and wireless communication system 120. Wireless communication system 120 can be a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system, a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) system, a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) system, a 5G NR (New Radio) system, or some other wireless system. The CDMA system can implement Wideband CDMA (WCDMA), CDMA 1X, Evolved Data Optimized (EVDO), Time Division Synchronous CDMA (TD-SCDMA), or some other version of CDMA. For simplicity, Figure 1 A wireless communication system 120 is shown, comprising two base stations 130 and 132 and a system controller 140. Generally, a wireless communication system may include any number of base stations and any set of network entities.

[0032] Wireless device 110 may also be referred to as user equipment (UE), mobile station, terminal, access terminal, subscriber unit, station, etc. Wireless device 110 may be a cellular phone, smartphone, tablet device, wireless modem, personal digital assistant (PDA), handheld device, laptop computer, smartbook, netbook, tablet computer, cordless phone, medical device, automobile, device configured to connect to one or more other devices (e.g., via the Internet of Things), wireless local loop (WLL) station, Bluetooth device, etc. Wireless device 110 can communicate with wireless communication system 120. Wireless device 110 can also receive signals from broadcast stations (e.g., broadcast station 134) and / or can communicate with satellites (e.g., one or more satellites 150 in a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) or satellites capable of receiving signals from wireless device 110, etc.). Wireless device 110 may support one or more radio technologies for wireless communication, such as LTE, WCDMA, CDMA 1X, EVDO, TD-SCDMA, GSM, 802.11, 802.15, 5G, Sub6 5G, 6G, UWB, etc.

[0033] Wireless device 110 may support carrier aggregation, such as that described in one or more LTE or 5G standards. In some implementations, carrier aggregation is used to transmit a single data stream on multiple carriers, as opposed to separate carriers used for each data stream. Wireless device 110 is capable of operating in a variety of communication frequency bands, including those used by LTE, WiFi, 5G, or other communication frequency bands within a wide frequency range. Wireless device 110 is also capable of communicating directly with other wireless devices without communicating through a network.

[0034] Generally, carrier aggregation (CA) can be classified into two types: intra-band CA and inter-band CA. Intra-band CA refers to operation on multiple carriers within the same frequency band. Inter-band CA refers to operation on multiple carriers in different frequency bands.

[0035] Figure 2A This is a block diagram illustrating a wireless device 200 in which exemplary technologies of the present disclosure may be implemented. The wireless device 200 may be, for example, Figure 1 The illustrated implementation scheme of wireless device 110.

[0036] Figure 2A An example of a transceiver 220 with a transmitter 230 and a receiver 250 is shown. Generally, the conditioning of the signals in the transmitter 230 and receiver 250 can be performed by one or more stages such as amplifiers, filters, up-converters, down-converters, etc. These circuit blocks are based on... Figure 2A The configurations shown are arranged differently. Furthermore, Figure 2A Other circuit blocks, not shown, can also be used to regulate the signals in transmitter 230 and receiver 250. Unless otherwise indicated, Figure 2A Any signal in any of the other diagrams in the attached figures may be single-ended or differential. Figure 2A Some circuit blocks in the code can also be omitted.

[0037] exist Figure 2A In the example shown, wireless device 200 typically includes transceiver 220 and data processor 210. Data processor 210 may include processor 296 operatively coupled to memory 298. Memory 298 may be configured to store data and program code generally shown using reference numeral 299, and may typically include analog and / or digital processing components. Processor 296 and memory 298 may cooperate to control, configure, program, or otherwise fully or partially control some or all of the operation of embodiments of the pseudo-bidirectional amplifier described herein.

[0038] Transceiver 220 includes a transmitter 230 and a receiver 250 supporting bidirectional communication. Generally, wireless device 200 may include any number of transmitters and / or receivers for any number of communication systems and frequency bands. All or part of transceiver 220 may be implemented on one or more analog integrated circuits (ICs), RF ICs (RFICs), mixed-signal ICs, etc.

[0039] Transmitters or receivers can be implemented using either a superheterodyne architecture or a direct conversion architecture. In a superheterodyne architecture, the signal undergoes multiple stages of frequency conversion between radio frequency (RF) and baseband; for example, for a receiver, this might involve switching from RF to intermediate frequency (IF) in one stage and then from IF to baseband in another. In a direct conversion architecture, the signal is converted between RF and baseband in a single stage. Superheterodyne and direct conversion architectures can utilize different circuit blocks and / or have different requirements. Figure 2A In the example shown, transmitter 230 and receiver 250 are implemented using a direct conversion architecture.

[0040] In the transmission path, data processor 210 processes the data to be transmitted and provides in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) analog output signals to transmitter 230. In an exemplary embodiment, data processor 210 includes digital-to-analog converters (DACs) 214a and 214b for converting digital signals generated by data processor 210 into I analog output signals and Q analog output signals (e.g., I output current and Q output current) for further processing. In other embodiments, DACs 214a and 214b are included in transceiver 220, and data processor 210 provides data (e.g., for I and Q) digitally to transceiver 220.

[0041] Within transmitter 230, baseband (e.g., low-pass) filters 232a and 232b filter the I and Q analog transmit signals, respectively, to remove unwanted image frequencies caused by the preceding digital-to-analog conversion. Amplifiers (Amps) 234a and 234b amplify the signals from baseband filters 232a and 232b, respectively, and provide the I and Q baseband signals. Upconverter 240, with upconverters 241a and 241b, uses the I TX LO and Q TX LO signals from transmit (TX) local oscillator (LO) signal generator 290 to upconvert the I and Q baseband signals, and provide the upconverted signals. Filter 242 filters the upconverted signals to remove unwanted image frequencies caused by frequency upconversion and noise in the receive band. Power amplifier (PA) 244 amplifies the signal from filter 242 to obtain the desired output power level and provide the transmit RF signal. The transmitted RF signal can be routed through a duplexer or switch 246 and transmitted via antenna 248. Although the examples discussed herein utilize I and Q signals, those skilled in the art will understand that components of the transceiver can be configured to utilize polarity modulation.

[0042] In the receiving path, antenna 248 receives communication signals and provides the received RF signal, which can be routed through duplexer or switch 246 and provided to low-noise amplifier (LNA) 252. Duplexer 246 is designed to operate with specific RX and TX duplexer frequencies, thus isolating the RX and TX signals. The received RF signal is amplified by LNA 252 and filtered by filter 254 to obtain the desired RF input signal.

[0043] Downconverter mixers 261a and 261b in downconverter 260 mix the output of filter 254 with the I RX LO signal and Q RX LO signal (i.e., LO_I and LO_Q) from receive (RX) LO signal generator 280 to generate I baseband and Q baseband signals. The I baseband and Q baseband signals are amplified by amplifiers 262a and 262b and further filtered by baseband (e.g., low-pass) filters 264a and 264b to obtain I analog input signals and Q analog input signals, which are provided to data processor 210. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, data processor 210 includes analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) 216a and 216b for converting the analog input signals into digital signals to be further processed by data processor 210. In some embodiments, ADCs 216a and 216b are included in transceiver 220 and provide data digitally to data processor 210.

[0044] exist Figure 2A In this configuration, TX LO signal generator 290 generates I TX LO and Q TX LO signals for up-conversion, while RX LO signal generator 280 generates I RX LO and Q RX LO signals for down-conversion. Each LO signal is a periodic signal with a specific base frequency. Phase-locked loop (PLL) 292 receives timing information from data processor 210 and generates control signals for adjusting the frequency and / or phase of the TX LO signals from LO signal generator 290. Similarly, PLL 282 receives timing information from data processor 210 and generates control signals for adjusting the frequency and / or phase of the RX LO signals from LO signal generator 280.

[0045] The wireless device 200 may support carrier aggregation (CA) and may (i) receive multiple downlink signals transmitted by one or more cells on multiple downlink carriers at different frequencies, and / or (ii) transmit multiple uplink signals to one or more cells on multiple uplink carriers. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the aspects described herein may be implemented in systems, devices, and / or architectures that do not support carrier aggregation.

[0046] Figure 2AThe transceiver 220 is functionally illustrated in the text, and the illustrated configuration may or may not represent the physical device configuration in certain specific implementations. For example, as described above, the transceiver 220 may be implemented in various integrated circuits (ICs), RF ICs (RFICs), mixed-signal ICs, etc. In some embodiments, the transceiver 220 is implemented on a substrate or board (such as a printed circuit board (PCB)) having various modules, chips, and / or components. For example, the power amplifier 244, filter 242, and duplexer 246 may be implemented in separate modules or as discrete components, while the remaining components illustrated in the transceiver 220 may be implemented in a single transceiver chip.

[0047] Power amplifier 244 may include one or more stages, such as driver stages, power amplifier stages, or other components that may be configured to amplify communication signals at one or more frequencies, in one or more frequency bands, and at one or more power levels. Depending on various factors, power amplifier 244 may be configured to operate using one or more driver stages, one or more power amplifier stages, one or more impedance matching networks, and may be configured to provide good linearity, efficiency, or a combination of good linearity and efficiency.

[0048] In exemplary implementations of the superheterodyne architecture, PA 244 and LNA 252 (and in some examples, filters 242 and 254) may be implemented separately from other components in transmitter 230 and receiver 250 (e.g., on a millimeter-wave integrated circuit). Figure 2B The example superheterodyne architecture is illustrated in the figure.

[0049] Figure 2B This is a block diagram illustrating a wireless device in which exemplary technologies of this disclosure may be implemented. Figure 2B Certain components of the wireless device 200a (e.g., those indicated by the same reference numerals) may be similar to... Figure 2A The components in the wireless device 200 shown are configured, and there will be no duplicate configuration. Figure 2B Descriptions of items with the same number in the table.

[0050] Wireless device 200a is an example of a heterodyne (or superheterodyne) architecture, in which upconverter 240 and downconverter 260 are configured to process communication signals between baseband and intermediate frequency (IF). The IF signal can be a low IF (LIF) signal or a zero (or near-zero) IF (ZIF) signal. For example, upconverter 240 may include a summing function 278 and may be configured to provide the IF signal to upconverter 275. In an exemplary embodiment, upconverter 275 may include an upconverter mixer 276. The summing function 278 combines the I and Q outputs of upconverter 240 and provides a non-quadrature signal to upconverter mixer 276. The non-quadrature signal can be single-ended or differential. Upconverter mixer 276 is configured to receive the IF signal from upconverter 240 and the TX RF LO signal from TX RF LO signal generator 277, and provide the upconverted RF signal to phase shift circuit 281. Although PLL 292 is in Figure 2B The PLL is exemplified as being shared by signal generators 290 and 277, but a corresponding PLL can be implemented for each signal generator.

[0051] In an exemplary embodiment, the components in the phase shift circuit 281 may include one or more adjustable or variable phased array elements, and may receive one or more control signals from the data processor 210 via connection 294, and operate the adjustable or variable phased array elements based on the received control signals.

[0052] In an exemplary embodiment, phase shift circuit 281 includes phase shifters 283 and phased array elements 287. Although three phase shifters 283 and three phased array elements 287 are shown for illustrative purposes, phase shift circuit 281 may include more or fewer phase shifters 283 and phased array elements 287. For example, one or two arrays of four or five antennas and corresponding phase shifters / phased array elements may be implemented.

[0053] Each phase shifter 283 can be configured to receive an RF transmission signal from the up-converter 275, change its phase by a certain amount, and provide an RF signal to a corresponding phased array element 287. Each phased array element 287 may include transmitting and receiving circuitry, including one or more filters, amplifiers, drive amplifiers, and / or power amplifiers. In some embodiments, the corresponding phase shifter 283 may be incorporated into the corresponding phased array element 287, wherein each phased array element 287 will include the corresponding phase shifter 283.

[0054] Phase shift circuit 281 is coupled to antenna array 248. In an exemplary embodiment, antenna array 248 includes a plurality of antennas, typically corresponding to the number of phase shifters 283 and phased array elements 287, such that each antenna element is coupled to a corresponding phased array element 287. In an exemplary embodiment, phase shift circuit 281 and antenna array 248 may be referred to as a phased array.

[0055] In the receiving direction, the output of phase shift circuit 281 is provided to downconverter 285. In an exemplary embodiment, downconverter 285 may include downconverter mixer 286. In an exemplary embodiment, mixer 286 downconverts the received RF signal provided by phase shift circuit 281 to an IF signal based on the RX RF LO signal provided by RX RF LO signal generator 279. Downconverter 260 includes I / Q generation function 291. I / Q generation function 291 receives the IF signal from mixer 286 and generates I and Q signals for downconverter 260, which downconverts the IF signal to baseband, as described above. Although PLL 282 is in Figure 2B The PLL is exemplified as being shared by signal generators 280 and 279, but a corresponding PLL can be implemented for each signal generator.

[0056] In some embodiments, the upconverter 275, downconverter 285, and phase shift circuit 281 are implemented on a common IC. In some embodiments, although the summation function 278 and the I / Q generation function 291 are implemented separately from mixers 276 and 286, such that mixers 276, 286, and phase shift circuit 281 are implemented on a common IC, the summation function 278 and the I / Q generation function 291 are not implemented on the common IC (e.g., the summation function 278 and the I / Q generation function 291 are implemented in another IC coupled to the IC having mixers 276, 286). In some embodiments, LO signal generators 277, 279 are included in a common IC. In some embodiments where the phase shift circuit is implemented on a common IC having 276, 286, 277, 278, 279, and / or 291, the common IC and antenna array 248 are included in a module that can be coupled to other components of transceiver 220 via connectors. In some implementations, the phase shift circuit 281 (e.g., a chip on which the phase shift circuit 281 is implemented) is coupled to the antenna array 248 via interconnects, or both are mounted on the substrate. For example, components of the antenna array 248 may be implemented on the substrate and coupled to the integrated circuit implementing the phase shift circuit 281 via flexible printed circuitry, or the integrated circuit may be mounted on the other side of the substrate.

[0057] In some implementation schemes, Figure 2A The illustrated architecture and Figure 2BThe illustrated architecture is implemented within the same device. For example, wireless devices 110 or 200 can be configured to use... Figure 2A The illustrated architecture communicates with signals having frequencies below approximately 20 GHz and uses... Figure 2B The illustrated architecture communicates with signals at frequencies higher than approximately 20 GHz. In devices implementing these two architectures, Figure 2A and Figure 2B One or more components with the same number can be shared between the two architectures. For example, a signal that has been directly down-converted from RF to baseband and a signal that has been down-converted from RF to baseband by an IF stage can both be filtered by the same baseband filter 264. In other embodiments, a first version of filter 264 is included in the device implementation. Figure 2A In the architecture section, and the second version of filter 264 is included in the device implementation. Figure 2B The architecture is described in this document. While certain example frequencies are described herein, other specific implementations are possible. For example, a direct conversion architecture can be used to transmit and / or receive signals with frequencies higher than approximately 20 GHz (e.g., with mmW frequencies). In such implementations, for example, a phased array can be implemented within the direct conversion architecture.

[0058] Figure 2C This is a block diagram illustrating a wireless device in which exemplary technologies of this disclosure may be implemented. Figure 2C Certain components of the wireless device 200b (e.g., indicated by the same reference numerals) can be configured with... Figure 2A The wireless device 200 and / or shown Figure 2B The components in the wireless device 200a shown are similar, and Figure 2C Component items with the same number will not be described again.

[0059] Figure 2C The wireless device 200b incorporates a phase shift circuit 281 in its direct conversion architecture. Figure 2B As shown in the diagram, the mmW transmitted signal undergoes up-conversion and down-conversion between baseband and RF without the need for intermediate frequency (IF) signal conversion. For example, Figure 2C The LO signal in the architecture can include signals with frequencies of tens of GHz.

[0060] In some embodiments, the upconverter 240, downconverter 260, and phase shift circuit 281 are implemented on a common IC. In some embodiments, LO signal generators 280 and 290 are included in the common IC. In some embodiments, the common IC and antenna array 248 are included in a module that can be coupled to other components of transceiver 220 via connectors. In some embodiments, phase shift circuit 281 (e.g., a chip on which phase shift circuit 281 is implemented) is coupled to antenna array 248 via interconnects, or both are mounted on a substrate. For example, components of antenna array 248 may be implemented on the substrate and coupled to the integrated circuit implementing phase shift circuit 281 via flexible printed circuitry, or the integrated circuit may be mounted on the other side of the substrate.

[0061] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a portion of a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) having a transmit (Tx) receive (Rx) (Tx / Rx) circuit 300 is shown. The Tx / Rx circuit 300 includes a power amplifier 310, a low-noise amplifier 312, a first electromagnetic (EM) element 320, and a second EM element 330. In an exemplary embodiment, the input of the LNA 312 and the output of the PA 310 may be connected to the first EM element 320. In an exemplary embodiment, the input of the PA 310 and the output of the LNA 312 may be connected to the second EM element 330. The Tx / Rx circuit 300 may be located on an RFIC 340. In an exemplary embodiment, the Tx / Rx circuit 300 may be included in... Figure 2B or Figure 2C In the phase shift circuit 281, for example in one or more phased array elements 287 that may be implemented on the RFIC 340.

[0062] In an exemplary embodiment, the first EM element 320 may include windings 322, 324, and 326. The second EM element 330 may include windings 332, 334, 336, and 338. In an exemplary embodiment, one terminal of winding 322 and one terminal of winding 326 are connected to ground, and the center tap of winding 324 is connected to the supply voltage. Similarly, one terminal of winding 332 may be connected to the supply voltage. However, such connections may have intermediate components. For example, the connection from winding 326 to ground and / or the connection from winding 322 to ground may include a DC blocking capacitor (not shown).

[0063] The transmit signal input to PA 310 can be provided to winding 336 via nodes 316a and 316b. In an exemplary embodiment, the transmit signal can be provided by... Figure 2BThe upconversion mixer 276 is provided, for example, via a phase shifter in phase shifter 283, and may include a differential signal. Winding 336 can be efficiently electromagnetically coupled to winding 334, which is connected to the input of PA 310.

[0064] In an exemplary embodiment, the input to LNA 312 may be provided by winding 326. The received signal received at antenna 348 may be provided to winding 322 via connection 314 and may be efficiently electromagnetically coupled from winding 322 to winding 326 for input to LNA 312. In an exemplary embodiment, the input to LNA 312 may be a single-ended signal, and the input to PA 310 may be a differential signal. In an exemplary embodiment, the output of LNA 312 may be a single-ended signal or a differential signal; and the output of PA 314 may be a differential signal. In some embodiments, the input to LNA 312 may be a differential signal. Antenna 348 may be an example of an antenna in antenna array 248.

[0065] The output of PA 310 can be provided to winding 324. Winding 324 can be electromagnetically coupled to winding 322 with a first coupling factor to provide a transmitted signal to node 314, which can be connected to radio frequency (RF) antenna 348.

[0066] In an exemplary embodiment, the output of LNA 312 can be provided to winding 332. Winding 332 can be efficiently electromagnetically coupled to winding 338 with a first coupling factor, and the received signal is provided to nodes 318a and 318b via winding 338. In an exemplary embodiment, the received signals at nodes 318a and 318b can be provided, for example, via a phase shifter in phase shifter 283. Figure 2B downconverter mixer 286 or Figure 2C 260. In the illustrated example, the second EM element 330 may be coupled to a corresponding phase shifter for Tx and Rx ( Figure 3 (Not illustrated in the text), this phase shifter is configured to adjust the phase of the (mmW) Tx or Rx signal accordingly for beamforming. Other examples described below can be coupled to a common phase shifter for both Tx and Rx.

[0067] In an exemplary embodiment, the first EM element 320 may be designed such that winding 322 is efficiently coupled to winding 326, and winding 322 is efficiently coupled to winding 324. In such an architecture, because winding 322 is efficiently coupled to winding 326, and winding 322 is efficiently coupled to winding 324, winding 324 is not efficiently coupled to winding 326.

[0068] Similarly, the second EM element 330 can be designed to efficiently couple winding 332 to winding 338, and to efficiently couple winding 334 to winding 336. In this architecture, winding 332 and winding 334 are not efficiently coupled because winding 332 and winding 338 are efficiently coupled, and winding 334 and winding 336 are not efficiently coupled because winding 334 and winding 338 are not efficiently coupled.

[0069] In an exemplary embodiment, PA 310 and LNA 312 have separate and independent operating cores. Dashed line 317 indicates that the output of LNA 312 is separate from PA 310. In an exemplary embodiment, the operating cores of PA 310 and LNA 312 may be located on an integrated circuit between the first EM element 320 and the second EM element 330 to reduce the total area consumed by PA 310, LNA 312, the first EM element 320, and the second EM element 330. In some examples, the core may refer to a transistor configured to amplify a signal. Therefore, PA 310 and 312 may use different transistors to amplify the signal.

[0070] Although shown as generally rectangular in shape, the windings 322, 324, and 326 in the first EM element 320 and the windings 332, 334, 336, and 338 in the second EM element 330 may have other shapes and configurations. Furthermore, Figure 3 The illustrations may not represent the layout of PA 310, LNA 312, first EM element 320, and / or second EM element 330 relative to each other. For example, LNA 312 may not necessarily be positioned between the outputs of PA 310, and the coupling from the output of LNA 312 to the second EM element 330 may not necessarily overlap with PA 310. The following are examples including potential layout details.

[0071] Figure 4 It shows Figure 3 A schematic diagram 400 of RFIC 340 shows an exemplary layout of EM elements 320 and 330, PA 310, and LNA 312. For example, windings 322, 324, and 326 of EM element 320 may be interwound and / or occupy a common area on RFIC 340 as shown in dashed box 420, or at least partially overlap when viewed from a direction orthogonal to one or more layers of RFIC 340. Similarly, windings 332, 334, 336, and 338 of EM element 330 may be interwound and / or occupy a common area on RFIC 340 as shown in dashed box 430, or at least partially overlap when viewed from a direction orthogonal to one or more layers of RFIC 340. Figure 4 As can be seen, certain portions of each of windings 322 to 326 may overlap and / or surround each other, and certain portions of windings 332 to 338 may overlap and / or surround each other. The shape and amount of overlap or surrounding of each winding may vary. Each of windings 322 to 326 may be disposed on a corresponding layer of RFIC 340, or portions of two or more windings may be implemented on a common layer. Similarly, each of windings 332 to 338 may be disposed on a corresponding layer of RFIC 340, or portions of two or more windings may be implemented on a common layer. The windings may be generally square or rectangular, or may have more than four sides (e.g., have an octagonal shape, such as winding 332), or may be curved.

[0072] PA 310 and LNA 312 may be located on RFIC 340 between the first EM element 320 and the second EM element 330. For example, a large portion of PA 310 and / or LNA 312 may be situated within a theoretical line drawn between the outermost portions of EM elements 320 and 330. In some examples, components of PA 310 and / or LNA 312 may overlap with theoretical lines drawn between any portions of EM elements 320 and 330. Figure 4 As can be seen, PA 310 and LNA 312 can be implemented using separate components and can be laterally spaced apart from each other, for example, such that the elements of PA 310 and LNA 312 do not overlap when viewed from a direction orthogonal to one or more layers of RFIC 340. As an example, the “cores” of PA 310 and LNA 312 (e.g., transistors configured to amplify signals) can be separate or otherwise distinct and spaced apart. Therefore, in some examples, the first EM element 320, the second EM element 330, the core of PA 310, and the core of LNA 312 can all be located within the region of RFIC 340 defined by the theoretical line connecting the outermost portions of common regions 420, 430.

[0073] In an exemplary embodiment, certain windings of the first EM element 320, LNA 312, and second EM element 330 may form a portion of the receive path 402. The windings of the first EM element 320 (i.e., windings 322 and 326), LNA 312, and second EM element 330 (i.e., windings 332 and 338) forming a portion of the receive path 402 may be designed to have a higher efficient coupling factor than the inefficient coupling factor of windings that do not form a portion of the receive path 402. Similarly, certain windings of the second EM element 330 (i.e., windings 336 and 334), PA 310, and first EM element 320 (i.e., windings 324 and 322) may form a portion of the transmit path 404. Certain windings in the first EM element 320 that form part of the receiving path 404 and certain windings in the second EM element 330 may be designed to have a higher efficient coupling factor than the inefficient coupling factor of the windings that do not form part of the transmitting path 404.

[0074] In an exemplary embodiment, for receiving path 402, the high-efficiency coupling factors of windings 322 and 326 may be substantially the same as or different from those of windings 332 and 338. That is, the high-efficiency coupling factors of windings 322 and 326 may be substantially the same as or different from those of windings 332 and 338.

[0075] In an exemplary embodiment, for transmit path 404, the high-efficiency coupling factors of windings 336 and 334 may be substantially the same as or different from the high-efficiency coupling factors of windings 324 and 322. That is, the high-efficiency coupling factors of windings 336 and 334 may be substantially the same as or different from the high-efficiency coupling factors of windings 324 and 322. Furthermore, the high-efficiency coupling factor of a selected winding in transmit path 404 may be substantially the same as or different from the high-efficiency coupling factor of a selected winding in receive path 402. In an exemplary embodiment, the high-efficiency coupling factor may include one or more high-efficiency coupling factors.

[0076] In an exemplary embodiment, the inefficient coupling factors of windings 324 and 326 in the first EM element 320 may be substantially the same as or different from the inefficient coupling factors of windings 332 and 334, 332 and 336, 334 and 338, and 336 and 338 in the second EM element 330. In an exemplary embodiment, the inefficient coupling factor may include one or more inefficient coupling factors.

[0077] like Figure 4 As can be seen, the terminals of winding 322 can be coupled to an antenna (e.g., antenna 248 or 348). Both terminals can be coupled to an antenna (e.g., to an antenna configured as a dipole), or one terminal can be coupled to an antenna and the other terminal can be coupled to ground, as shown. Figure 3As illustrated in the illustration. Terminals of winding 324 can be coupled to the output of PA 310. Both terminals can be coupled to PA 310, as illustrated, or one terminal can be grounded when the PA output is single-ended. Terminals of winding 326 can be coupled to the input of LNA 312. Both terminals can be coupled to LNA 312 (e.g., when the LNA input is differential, not illustrated), or one terminal can be coupled to LNA 312 and the other terminal can be coupled to ground, as illustrated in the illustration. Figure 3 exemplified in .

[0078] As from Figure 4 As can be seen, the terminals of winding 332 can be coupled to the output of LNA 312. Both terminals can be coupled to LNA 312 (e.g., when the LNA output is differential, not shown), or one terminal can be coupled to LNA 312 and the other terminal can be coupled to the power supply, such as... Figure 3 As illustrated in the diagram. Terminals of winding 334 may be coupled to the input of PA 310. Both terminals may be coupled to PA 310, as illustrated, or, when the output of PA is single-ended, one terminal may be grounded or coupled to a power supply or bias. Terminals of winding 336 may be coupled to the Tx input. Both terminals may be coupled to a differential input (e.g., from Tx phase shifter 283), as illustrated, or only one terminal may be coupled to a single-ended input. Although such inputs are illustrated to the edge of RFIC 340, the inputs may be entirely within RFIC 340 and received from other components implemented in RFIC 340. Terminals of winding 338 may be coupled to the Rx output. Both terminals may be coupled to a differential output (e.g., to Rx phase shifter 283), as illustrated, or only one terminal may be coupled to a single-ended output. Although such outputs are illustrated as leading to the edge of RFIC 340, the outputs can be entirely within RFIC 340 and configured to provide signals to other components implemented within RFIC 340. The center tap connects to... Figure 4 The following are not shown for simplification. Additionally, degraded elements (e.g., another inductor / winding) for one or both of PA 310 and LNA 312 may be implemented, but are not shown.

[0079] Figure 5 It is shown Figure 3A schematic diagram 500 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the second EM element 330. The second EM element 330 may include windings 332, 334, 336, and 338, wherein windings 332 and 338 include portions of a receive (Rx) path 502, and windings 336 and 334 may include portions of a transmit (Tx) path 504. In an exemplary embodiment, windings 332 and 338 including the RX path 502 may be designed to have a high coupling factor, and windings 336 and 334 including the Tx path 504 may be designed to have a high coupling factor. The high coupling factor between windings 332 and 338 may be substantially the same as or different from the high coupling factor between windings 336 and 334. Windings 332 and 334, 332 and 336, 334 and 338, and 336 and 338 may be designed to have an inefficient coupling factor. The inefficient coupling factors between windings 332 and 334, between windings 332 and 336, between windings 334 and 338, and between windings 336 and 338 can be substantially the same or different. In an exemplary embodiment, the efficient coupling factor can be higher than the inefficient coupling factor, such that the signal in Rx path 502 does not affect the signal in Tx path 504, and the signal in Tx path 504 does not affect the signal in Rx path 502. Figure 5 In the example illustrated, each of windings 332 to 338 is generally quadrilateral, but each has a different size and shape. Furthermore, the terminals of each winding protrude in different directions, for example, to maximize the angle between each one (so that the terminals of each one are spaced approximately 90 degrees apart).

[0080] Figure 6 It is shown Figure 3 A schematic diagram 600 illustrates exemplary electromagnetic coupling of the windings of the first EM element 320 and the second EM element 330. In an exemplary embodiment, the first EM element 320 includes windings 322 and 324, which can be configured for a high (or high) coupling factor in a transmit mode; and includes windings 322 and 326, which can be configured for a high (or high) coupling factor in a receive mode. For example, windings 322 and 324 can be configured to have a high coupling factor of k1_Tx, and windings 322 and 326 can be configured to have a high coupling factor of k1_Rx. In an exemplary embodiment, the coupling factor k1_Tx may be substantially the same as or different from the coupling factor k1_Rx. Due to the efficient coupling factor (k1_Tx) between windings 322 and 324 and the efficient coupling factor (k1_Rx) between windings 322 and 326, windings 324 and 326 may have an inefficient coupling factor k2 in both the transmit mode and the receive mode, where k2 is less than k1_Tx and where k2 is less than k1_Rx.

[0081] In an exemplary embodiment, the second EM element 330 includes windings 332 and 338 configured for a high coupling factor in receive mode; and includes windings 334 and 336 configured for a high coupling factor in transmit mode. For example, windings 332 and 338 may be configured to have a high coupling factor of k3_Rx, and windings 334 and 336 may be configured to have a high coupling factor of k4_Tx. In an exemplary embodiment, the coupling factor k4_Tx may be substantially the same as or different from the coupling factor k3_Rx. Windings 332 and 334, windings 332 and 336, windings 334 and 338, and windings 336 and 338 may be configured to have an inefficient coupling factor k5 in both transmit and receive modes, wherein k5 is less than k4_Tx and wherein k5 is less than k3_Rx. In some implementations, the inefficient coupling factor k5 may be substantially the same for one or more of winding pairs 332 and 334, 332 and 336, 334 and 338, and 336 and 338; or it may be different for one or more winding pairs. In some examples, the efficient coupling factor is in the range of 0.2 to 0.9, and the inefficient coupling factor is 0.1 or less. Therefore, in some examples, the value of the efficient coupling factor may be two or more times the value of the inefficient coupling factor (e.g., 3 times, 4 times, an order of magnitude, etc.).

[0082] Figure 7 yes Figure 3 A schematic diagram 700 shows an alternative exemplary embodiment of the first EM element 320 and the second EM element 330. Figure 7 In the first EM element 720, windings 722, 724, and 726 are included (e.g., corresponding to windings 322, 324, and 326, respectively); and the second EM element 730 includes windings 732, 734, 736, and 738 (e.g., corresponding to windings 332, 334, 336, and 338, respectively). In an exemplary embodiment, one terminal (or both terminals) of winding 726 may be connected to an LNA (312, Figure 3 The input terminal may include a switch 752 coupled to ground. In an exemplary embodiment, switch 752 (S1) may be non-conductive in receive mode and conductive in transmit mode.

[0083] In an exemplary embodiment, the winding 734 in the second EM element 730 may include a first winding 762 and a second winding 764, or a first winding portion 762 and a second winding portion 764. One terminal of the first winding (portion) 762 may be connected to PA (310, Figure 3One input terminal of the first winding (part) 762 can be connected to switch 763 (S2), and the other terminal of the second winding (part) 764 can be connected to PA (310, Figure 3 The other input terminal of the second winding (part) 764 can be connected to switch 765 (S3). When switches 763 (S2) and 765 (S3) are on, the center tap 766 of winding 734 can be connected to the bias voltage Vbias.

[0084] In an exemplary embodiment, switches 763 (S2) and 765 (S3) may be non-conducting in receive mode and may be conducting in transmit mode. In an exemplary embodiment, when conducting in transmit mode, switch 752 (S1) helps protect the gate of the transistor device forming LNA 312 from excessive voltage from large Tx signals, while minimizing the Tx signal leakage back to the second EM element 730 through the turn-off capacitor of LNA 312. This helps improve the stability of power amplifier 310. When non-conducting in receive mode, switches 763 (S2) and 765 (S3) help minimize the received signal leakage from the second EM element 730 back to the first EM element 720 via the turn-off capacitor of power amplifier 310, which could otherwise potentially cause instability to LNA 312 in receive mode.

[0085] Figure 8 yes Figure 3 A schematic diagram 800 illustrates an alternative exemplary embodiment of the RFIC 340. In an exemplary embodiment, the RFIC 840 may include a first EM element 320, an LNA 312, a PA 310, and a second EM element 830. The second EM element 830 may include windings 832, 834, and 836. In an exemplary embodiment, winding 836 may be used for both transmitting and receiving signals, wherein [the remaining text is omitted]. Figure 3 Winding 338. In this exemplary embodiment, windings 832, 834, and 836 may be designed such that in receive mode, there is a high-efficiency coupling factor between windings 832 and 836, and in transmit mode, there is a high-efficiency coupling factor between windings 836 and 834. In this exemplary embodiment, there is an inefficient coupling factor between windings 832 and 834. In such examples, terminals 816a and 816b may be coupled to a differential phase shifter (e.g., phase shifter 283) shared or common to Tx and Rx, such as a bidirectional phase shifter. Conversely, single-ended Tx and Rx signals may be used.

[0086] Figure 9 yes Figure 3A schematic diagram 900 illustrates an alternative exemplary embodiment of the RFIC 940. In an exemplary embodiment, the RFIC 940 may include a first EM element 320, an LNA 312, a PA 310, and a second EM element 930. The second EM element 930 may include windings 934, 936, and 938.

[0087] In this exemplary embodiment, windings 934, 936, and 938 are designed such that, in receive mode, there is a high-efficiency coupling factor between windings 934 and 938, and in transmit mode, there is a high-efficiency coupling factor between windings 936 and 934. In this exemplary embodiment, there is an inefficient coupling factor between windings 936 and 938. In this exemplary embodiment, [the following is omitted] Figure 3 The winding is 332.

[0088] In an exemplary implementation, LNA 312 may be configured to receive a single-ended input from winding 326, such as Figure 9 As shown. In other embodiments, LNA 312 may receive a differential input from winding 326. In an exemplary embodiment, LNA 312 may be configured to provide a differential output, and winding 934 may have a center tap connected to switches 952 and 954. For example, in receive mode, switch 952 may be on to connect the center tap of winding 934 to the system voltage VDD, and switch 954 may be off. In transmit mode, switch 954 may be on to connect the center tap of winding 934 to the bias voltage Vbias, and switch 952 may be off. In other examples, one of windings 936 and 938 is omitted, and a common Tx and Rx interface (e.g., similar to...) is used. Figure 8 ).

[0089] Figure 10 yes Figure 3 A schematic diagram 1000 illustrates an alternative exemplary embodiment of the RFIC 340. In an exemplary embodiment, the RFIC 1040 may include a first EM element 320, an LNA 312, a PA 310, and a second EM element 1030. The second EM element 1030 may include windings 1032, 1034, and 1036.

[0090] In this exemplary embodiment, windings 1032, 1034, and 1036 are designed such that, in receive mode, the received signal is provided directly from winding 1032 to receiver node 1055 via capacitor 1052. In transmit mode, there is a high-efficiency coupling factor between winding 1036 and winding 1034. In this exemplary embodiment, there is an inefficient coupling factor between winding 1032 and winding 1034, and an inefficient coupling factor between winding 1032 and winding 1036. In this exemplary embodiment, [the following is omitted] Figure 3 The winding is 338.

[0091] Figure 11 This is a flowchart 1100 illustrating an example of the operation of a method for signal amplification. The blocks in method 1100 may be executed in the order shown or not, and in some embodiments, they may be executed at least partially in parallel.

[0092] In block 1102, the output of the power amplifier (PA) and the input of the low-noise amplifier (LNA) are coupled to the antenna via a first electromagnetic (EM) element. For example, both the output of PA 310 and the input of LNA 312 are coupled to the antenna 348 via the first EM element 320. This system may include a TDD system, and therefore the operation may not be concurrent.

[0093] In block 1104, the transmit signal is coupled to the input of the power amplifier (PA) and the output of the low-noise amplifier (LNA) is coupled to the receiver via a second electromagnetic (EM) element. For example, both the transmit signal input to PA 310 and the output of LNA 312 are coupled to the second EM element 330. The system may include a TDD system, and therefore the operation may not be concurrent.

[0094] The first EM element is implemented using a first plurality of windings occupying a first common region, and the second EM element is implemented using a second plurality of windings occupying a second common region. For example, the first EM element 320 is implemented using windings 322, 324, and 326 in common region 420, and the second EM element 330 is implemented using windings 332, 334, 336, and 338 in common region 430. One or more windings in the first EM element 320 and / or one or more windings in the second EM element 330 may be shared between Tx and Rx operations.

[0095] Figure 12This is a functional block diagram of a device 1200 for signal amplification. Device 1200 includes a component 1202 for electromagnetically coupling the output of a power amplifier (PA) and the input of a low-noise amplifier (LNA) to an antenna. In some embodiments, the component 1202 for electromagnetically coupling the output of the power amplifier (PA) and the input of the low-noise amplifier (LNA) to the antenna may be configured to perform one or more functions described in operation block 1102 of method 1100. Figure 11 In an exemplary embodiment, the component 1202 for electromagnetically coupling the output of a power amplifier (PA) and the input of a low-noise amplifier (LNA) to an antenna may include a first EM element 320.

[0096] The apparatus 1200 also includes a component 1204 for electromagnetically coupling a transmitted signal to the input of a power amplifier (PA) and electromagnetically coupling the output of a low-noise amplifier (LNA) to a receiver. In some embodiments, the component 1204 for electromagnetically coupling a transmitted signal to the input of the power amplifier (PA) and electromagnetically coupling the output of the low-noise amplifier (LNA) to the receiver may be configured to perform one or more functions described in operation block 1104 of method 1100. Figure 11 In an exemplary embodiment, component 1204 for electromagnetically coupling the transmitted signal to the input of a power amplifier (PA) and the output of a low-noise amplifier (LNA) to a receiver may include a second EM element 330.

[0097] Component 1202 can be implemented using a first plurality of windings in a first common region, and component 1204 can be implemented using a second plurality of windings in a second common region. One or more windings in component 1202 and / or one or more windings in component 1204 can be shared between Tx and Rx operations.

[0098] Specific implementation examples are described in the following numbered clauses: 1. A radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) comprising: a power amplifier (PA) having an output coupled to an antenna via a first electromagnetic (EM) element, the PA being configured to receive a transmitted signal from a second EM element at an input; a low noise amplifier (LNA) having an input coupled to the first EM element and an output coupled to the second EM element, the power amplifier and the LNA comprising separate amplifier cores; and wherein the first EM element comprises a first plurality of windings occupying a first common region, and the second EM element comprises a second plurality of windings occupying a second common region.

[0099] 2. The RFIC according to Clause 1, wherein at least one winding of the first EM element and the second EM element is shared between the PA and the LNA.

[0100] 3. The RFIC according to any one of Clauses 1 to 2, wherein a first portion of the first plurality of windings in the first EM element has a high-efficiency coupling factor, and a second portion of the first plurality of windings in the first EM element has a low-efficiency coupling factor, wherein the high-efficiency coupling factor is greater than the low-efficiency coupling factor.

[0101] 4. The RFIC according to Clause 3, wherein the first portion of the first plurality of windings in the first EM element having a high-efficiency coupling factor includes a first winding having a first receive coupling factor (k1_Rx) and includes a second winding having a first transmit coupling factor (k1_Tx).

[0102] 5. The RFIC as described in Clause 4, wherein the first receive coupling factor (k1_Rx) is substantially the same as the first transmit coupling factor (k1_Tx).

[0103] 6. The RFIC as described in Clause 4, wherein the first receive coupling factor (k1_Rx) is different from the first transmit coupling factor (k1_Tx).

[0104] 7. The RFIC according to any one of Clauses 1 to 6, wherein a first portion of the second plurality of windings in the second EM element has a high-efficiency coupling factor, and a second portion of the second plurality of windings in the second EM element has a low-efficiency coupling factor, wherein the high-efficiency coupling factor is greater than the low-efficiency coupling factor.

[0105] 8. The RFIC according to any one of Clauses 1 to 7, wherein the first portion of the second plurality of windings in the second EM element having the high-efficiency coupling factor includes a first winding having a second receive coupling factor (k3_Rx) and a second winding having a second transmit coupling factor (k4_Tx).

[0106] 9. The RFIC as described in Clause 8, wherein the second receive coupling factor (k3_Rx) is substantially the same as the second transmit coupling factor (k4_Tx).

[0107] 10. The RFIC as described in Clause 8, wherein the second receive coupling factor (k3_Rx) is different from the second transmit coupling factor (k4_Tx).

[0108] 11. The RFIC according to any one of Clauses 1 to 10, wherein the output of the LNA is a single-ended signal.

[0109] 12. The RFIC according to any one of Clauses 1 to 11, wherein the second EM element is coupled to the signal upconverter and the signal downconverter.

[0110] 13. The RFIC according to any one of Clauses 1 to 12, wherein the second EM element includes a first winding connected to the power amplifier, the first winding including a first winding portion and a first switch, a second winding portion and a second switch, the first switch and the second switch being connected to a bias voltage source.

[0111] 14. A method for amplifying a signal, the method comprising: coupling the output of a power amplifier (PA) and the input of a low-noise amplifier (LNA) to an antenna via a first electromagnetic (EM) element; and coupling the input of the PA to a transmitted signal and the output of the LNA to a receiver via a second EM element. The first EM element includes a first plurality of windings occupying a first common region, and the second EM element includes a second plurality of windings occupying a second common region.

[0112] 15. The method according to Clause 14, the method further comprising: sharing at least one winding of the first EM element and the second EM element between the PA and the LNA.

[0113] 16. The method according to any one of Clauses 14 to 15, the method further comprising: coupling a first portion of the first plurality of windings in the first EM element with an efficient coupling factor; and coupling a second portion of the first plurality of windings in the first EM element with an inefficient coupling factor, wherein the efficient coupling factor is greater than the inefficient coupling factor.

[0114] 17. The method according to any one of Clauses 14 to 16, wherein the output of the LNA is a differential signal.

[0115] 18. The method according to any one of clauses 14 to 17, the method further comprising: coupling a signal from the first EM element to the antenna; and coupling a signal from the second EM element to a signal upconverter and a signal downconverter.

[0116] 19. An apparatus for amplifying a signal, the apparatus comprising: means for coupling an output of a power amplifier (PA) and an input of a low-noise amplifier (LNA) to an antenna via a first electromagnetic (EM) element; and means for coupling the input of the PA to a transmitted signal and the output of the LNA to a receiver via a second EM element; wherein the first EM element includes a first plurality of windings occupying a first common region, and the second EM element includes a second plurality of windings occupying a second common region.

[0117] 20. The device according to Clause 19, further comprising: at least one winding of the first EM element and the second EM element shared between the PA and the LNA.

[0118] 21. The device according to any one of claims 19 to 20, the device further comprising: a component for coupling a first portion of the first plurality of windings in the first EM element with an efficient coupling factor; and a component for coupling a second portion of the first plurality of windings in the first EM element with an inefficient coupling factor, wherein the efficient coupling factor is greater than the inefficient coupling factor.

[0119] 22. The device according to any one of clauses 19 to 21, wherein the output of said LNA is a single-ended signal.

[0120] 23. The device according to any one of clauses 19 to 22, the device further comprising: means for coupling the first EM element to the antenna; and means for coupling the second EM element to the signal up-converter and the signal down-converter.

[0121] 24. A communication system with a pseudo-bidirectional amplifier, the communication system comprising: a first electromagnetic (EM) element; a second EM element; and A power amplifier (PA) and a low-noise amplifier (LNA) are each at least partially disposed between a first EM element and a second EM element, the PA being spaced apart from the LNA, wherein the PA is coupled to an antenna via the first EM element and configured to receive a transmitted signal from the second EM element, wherein the input of the LNA is coupled to the first EM element and the output of the LNA is coupled to the second EM element, wherein the first EM element includes a first plurality of at least partially overlapping windings and the second EM element includes a second plurality of at least partially overlapping windings.

[0122] 25. The system according to Clause 24, wherein the second EM element is coupled to the receiving phase shifter and the transmitting phase shifter.

[0123] 26. The system according to any one of clauses 24 to 25, wherein the second EM element is coupled to a phase shifter configured for both receiving and transmitting operations.

[0124] 27. The system according to any one of clauses 24 to 26, wherein the first winding of the second plurality of at least partially overlapping windings is selectively coupled to the system voltage and selectively coupled to the bias voltage.

[0125] 28. The system according to any one of clauses 24 to 27, wherein the first winding of the second plurality of at least partially overlapping windings is coupled to a single-ended receiving node via a capacitor.

[0126] 29. The system according to any one of clauses 24 to 28, wherein the center tap of the first winding of the second plurality of at least partially overlapping windings is selectively coupled to a bias voltage.

[0127] 30. The system according to any one of Clauses 24 to 29, wherein the input terminal of the LNA is further selectively coupled to ground.

[0128] 31. A communication system comprising: a pseudo-bidirectional amplifier including a transmitter and a receiver; a power amplifier connected to an antenna via a first electromagnetic (EM) element, the PA being configured to receive a transmitted signal from a second EM element; and a low-noise amplifier (LNA) connected to the first EM element and the second EM element, the power amplifier and the LNA including separate amplifier cores, wherein the first EM element includes a first plurality of inter-wound windings having a first high-efficiency coupling factor and occupying a first common region, and the second EM element includes a second plurality of inter-wound windings having a second high-efficiency coupling factor and occupying a second common region.

[0129] 32. The RFIC as described in Clause 1, wherein the second EM element is coupled to the receive phase shifter and the transmit phase shifter.

[0130] 33. The RFIC according to Clause 1, wherein the second EM element is coupled to a phase shifter configured for both receive and transmit operations.

[0131] 34. The RFIC according to Clause 1, wherein the first winding of the second plurality of windings is selectively coupled to the system voltage and selectively coupled to the bias voltage.

[0132] 35. The RFIC as described in Clause 1, wherein the first winding of the second plurality of windings is coupled to a single-ended receiving node via a capacitor.

[0133] 36. The RFIC according to Clause 1, wherein the center tap of the first winding of the second plurality of windings is selectively coupled to a bias voltage.

[0134] 37. The RFIC as described in Clause 1, wherein the input terminal of the LNA is further selectively coupled to ground.

[0135] The circuit architecture described in this article can be implemented on one or more ICs, analog ICs, RFICs, mixed-signal ICs, ASICs, printed circuit boards (PCBs), electronic devices, etc. The circuit architecture described in this article can also be manufactured using various IC process technologies, such as complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS), N-channel MOS (NMOS), P-channel MOS (PMOS), bipolar junction transistors (BJTs), bipolar CMOS (BiCMOS), silicon-germanium (SiGe), gallium arsenide (GaAs), heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs), high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs), silicon-on-insulator (SOI), etc.

[0136] The apparatus for implementing the circuit described herein may be a standalone device or part of a larger device. The device may be (i) a standalone IC, (ii) a collection of one or more ICs that may include memory ICs for storing data and / or instructions, (iii) an RF IC such as an RF receiver (RFR) or an RF transmitter / receiver (RTR), (iv) an ASIC such as a mobile station modem (MSM), (v) a module that may be embedded in other devices, (vi) a receiver, a cellular phone, a wireless device, a mobile phone or mobile unit, (vii) and so on.

[0137] While selected aspects have been illustrated and described in detail, it should be understood that various substitutions and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC), the radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) comprising: A power amplifier (PA) having an output coupled to an antenna via a first electromagnetic (EM) element, the PA being configured to receive a transmitted signal from a second EM element at an input. A low-noise amplifier (LNA) having an input coupled to a first EM element and an output coupled to a second EM element, wherein the power amplifier and the LNA include separate amplifier cores; and The first EM element includes a first plurality of windings occupying a first common region, and the second EM element includes a second plurality of windings occupying a second common region.

2. The RFIC according to claim 1, wherein at least one winding of the first EM element and the second EM element is shared between the PA and the LNA.

3. The RFIC of claim 1, wherein a first portion of the first plurality of windings in the first EM element has a high-efficiency coupling factor, and a second portion of the first plurality of windings in the first EM element has a low-efficiency coupling factor, wherein the high-efficiency coupling factor is greater than the low-efficiency coupling factor.

4. The RFIC of claim 3, wherein the first portion of the first plurality of windings in the first EM element having a high-efficiency coupling factor includes a first winding having a first receive coupling factor (k1_Rx) and a second winding having a first transmit coupling factor (k1_Tx).

5. The RFIC according to claim 4, wherein the first receive coupling factor (k1_Rx) is substantially the same as the first transmit coupling factor (k1_Tx).

6. The RFIC according to claim 4, wherein the first receive coupling factor (k1_Rx) is different from the first transmit coupling factor (k1_Tx).

7. The RFIC of claim 1, wherein a first portion of the second plurality of windings in the second EM element has a high-efficiency coupling factor, and a second portion of the second plurality of windings in the second EM element has a low-efficiency coupling factor, wherein the high-efficiency coupling factor is greater than the low-efficiency coupling factor.

8. The RFIC of claim 7, wherein the first portion of the second plurality of windings in the second EM element having the high-efficiency coupling factor includes a first winding having a second receive coupling factor (k3_Rx) and a second winding having a second transmit coupling factor (k4_Tx).

9. The RFIC according to claim 8, wherein the second receive coupling factor (k3_Rx) is substantially the same as the second transmit coupling factor (k4_Tx).

10. The RFIC of claim 8, wherein the second receive coupling factor (k3_Rx) is different from the second transmit coupling factor (k4_Tx).

11. The RFIC of claim 1, wherein the output of the LNA is a single-ended signal.

12. The RFIC of claim 1, wherein the second EM element is coupled to the signal upconverter and the signal downconverter.

13. The RFIC of claim 1, wherein the second EM element includes a first winding connected to the power amplifier, the first winding including a first winding portion and a first switch, a second winding portion and a second switch, the first switch and the second switch being connected to a bias voltage source.

14. A method for amplifying a signal, the method comprising: The output of the power amplifier (PA) and the input of the low-noise amplifier (LNA) are coupled to the antenna via the first electromagnetic (EM) element; as well as The input of the PA is coupled to the transmitted signal via a second EM element, and the output of the LNA is coupled to the receiver. The first EM element includes a first plurality of windings occupying a first common region, and the second EM element includes a second plurality of windings occupying a second common region.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising: At least one winding of the first EM element and the second EM element is shared between the PA and the LNA.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising: The first portion of the first plurality of windings in the first EM element is coupled with an efficient coupling factor; as well as A second portion of the first plurality of windings in the first EM element is coupled with an inefficient coupling factor, wherein the efficient coupling factor is greater than the inefficient coupling factor.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the output of the LNA is a differential signal.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising: The signal from the first EM element is coupled to the antenna; as well as The signal from the second EM element is coupled to the signal up-converter and the signal down-converter.

19. An apparatus for amplifying a signal, the apparatus comprising: A component used to couple the output of a power amplifier (PA) and the input of a low-noise amplifier (LNA) to an antenna via a first electromagnetic (EM) element; and A component for coupling the input of the PA to the transmitted signal and the output of the LNA to the receiver via a second EM element; and The first EM element includes a first plurality of windings occupying a first common region, and the second EM element includes a second plurality of windings occupying a second common region.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising: At least one winding of the first EM element and the second EM element is shared between the PA and the LNA.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising: Components for coupling a first portion of the first plurality of windings in the first EM element with an efficient coupling factor; and A component for coupling a second portion of the first plurality of windings in the first EM element with an inefficient coupling factor, wherein the efficient coupling factor is greater than the inefficient coupling factor.

22. The device of claim 19, wherein the output of the LNA is a single-ended signal.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising: Components for coupling the first EM element to the antenna; and Components used to couple the second EM element to the signal up-converter and the signal down-converter.

24. A communication system with a pseudo-bidirectional amplifier, the communication system comprising: First electromagnetic (EM) element; Second EM element; and A power amplifier (PA) and a low-noise amplifier (LNA) are each at least partially disposed between the first EM element and the second EM element, with the PA and the LNA spaced apart. The PA is coupled to the antenna via the first EM element and is configured to receive transmitted signals from the second EM element. The input of the LNA is coupled to the first EM element, and the output of the LNA is coupled to the second EM element. The first EM element includes a first plurality of windings that are at least partially overlapping, and the second EM element includes a second plurality of windings that are at least partially overlapping.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the second EM element is coupled to the receiving phase shifter and the transmitting phase shifter.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the second EM element is coupled to a phase shifter configured for both receiving and transmitting operations.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein the first winding of the second plurality of at least partially overlapping windings is selectively coupled to the system voltage and selectively coupled to the bias voltage.

28. The system of claim 24, wherein the first winding of the second plurality of at least partially overlapping windings is coupled to a single-ended receiving node via a capacitor.

29. The system of claim 24, wherein the center tap of the first winding of the second plurality of at least partially overlapping windings is selectively coupled to a bias voltage.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the input terminal of the LNA is further selectively coupled to ground.

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