Phase shifter, portable device, and method of phase shifting

Abstract

To provide a device and a method of a phase shifter with a switched transmission line load.SOLUTION: A phase shifter 210 includes a first port, a first controllable reflective load 201, a second port, a second controllable reflective load 202, and a pair of coupling wires 200 that are electromagnetically coupled to each other. The pair of coupling wires includes a first conductive wire 203 between the first port and the first controllable reflective load, and a second conductive wire 204 between a second controllable reflective load and the second port. At least one of the first controllable reflective load or the second controllable reflective load includes a switched transmission line load.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to an electronic system, and more particularly to radio frequency (RF) electronic devices.

Background Art

[0002] Phase shifters are used in RF communication systems to control the phase of RF signals transmitted or received wirelessly via an antenna.

[0003] Examples of RF communication systems with one or more phase shifters include, but are not limited to, cellular phones, tablets, base stations, network access points, customer premises equipment (CPE), laptops, and wearable electronic devices. For example, in wireless devices that communicate using cellular standards, wireless local area network (WLAN) standards, and / or any other suitable communication standards, a power amplifier can be used for RF signal amplification. The RF signal can have a frequency in the range of about 30 kHz to 300 GHz, such as in the range of about 410 MHz to about 7.125 GHz for 5th generation (5G) communication using frequency range 1 (FR1), or in the range of about 24.25 GHz to 52.6 GHz for 5G communication using frequency range 2 (FR2).

Summary of the Invention

[0004] In certain embodiments, the present disclosure relates to a phase shifter. The phase shifter includes a first port, a second port, a first controllable reflective load including a first transmission line and a first plurality of shunt switches connected along the first transmission line, a second controllable reflective load, and a pair of coupled lines that are electromagnetically coupled to each other. The pair of coupled lines includes a first conductive line connected between the first port and the first controllable reflective load, and a second conductive line connected between the second controllable reflective load and the second port.

[0005] In some embodiments, the first controllable reflective load further includes a first ground conductor on the first side of the first transmission line and a second ground conductor on the second side of the first transmission line. According to certain embodiments, each of the first plurality of shunt switches is implemented as a pair of field-effect transistors. The pair of field-effect transistors includes a first field-effect transistor connected between the first transmission line and the first ground conductor, and a second field-effect transistor connected between the first transmission line and the second ground conductor.

[0006] In some embodiments, one or more of the first plurality of shunt switches are closed based on the phase shift setting of the phase shifter.

[0007] In various embodiments, a first port receives a radio frequency input signal, and a second port provides a phase-shifted radio frequency output signal.

[0008] In some embodiments, a second port receives a radio frequency input signal, and a first port provides a phase-shifted radio frequency output signal.

[0009] In some embodiments, the first plurality of shunt switches are connected to the first transmission line at a plurality of points that are a certain distance from each other.

[0010] In various embodiments, the first plurality of shunt switches are connected to the first transmission line at a plurality of points that are at non-uniform distances from each other. According to certain embodiments, the distance between adjacent pairs of points gradually decreases along the length of the first transmission line.

[0011] In some embodiments, the first plurality of shunt switches each have a common size.

[0012] In some embodiments, the first plurality of shunt switches each have a different size. According to certain embodiments, the size of the first plurality of shunt transistors gradually increases along the length of the first transmission line.

[0013] According to various embodiments, the first transmission line includes a plurality of meandering sections. According to some embodiments, at least one of the meandering sections includes a loop.

[0014] In some embodiments, the second controllable reflective load includes a second transmission line and a second plurality of shunt switches connected along the second transmission line.

[0015] In some embodiments, the phase shifter further includes a hybrid coupler comprising a pair of coupling lines.

[0016] In a given embodiment, this disclosure relates to a wireless device. The wireless device includes a transceiver and a front-end system coupled to the transceiver. The front-end system includes a phase shifter, which includes a first port, a second port, a first controllable reflective load including a first transmission line and a first plurality of shunt switches connected along the first transmission line, a second controllable reflective load, and a pair of coupling wires electromagnetically coupled to each other. The pair of coupling wires includes a first conductive wire connected between the first port and the first controllable reflective load, and a second conductive wire connected between the second controllable reflective load and the second port.

[0017] In various embodiments, the first controllable reflective load further includes a first ground conductor on the first side of the first transmission line and a second ground conductor on the second side of the first transmission line. According to certain embodiments, each of the first plurality of shunt switches is implemented as a pair of field-effect transistors. The pair of field-effect transistors includes a first field-effect transistor connected between the first transmission line and the first ground conductor, and a second field-effect transistor connected between the first transmission line and the second ground conductor.

[0018] In some embodiments, one or more of the first plurality of shunt switches are closed based on the phase shift setting of the phase shifter.

[0019] In some embodiments, a first port receives a radio frequency input signal and a second port provides a radio frequency output signal with a shifted phase.

[0020] In various embodiments, a second port receives a radio frequency input signal and a first port provides a radio frequency output signal with a shifted phase.

[0021] In some embodiments, a first plurality of shunt switches are connected to a first transmission line at a plurality of points that are at a constant distance from each other.

[0022] In some embodiments, a first plurality of shunt switches are connected to a first transmission line at a plurality of points that are at a non-uniform distance from each other. According to a certain number of embodiments, the distance between adjacent pairs of the plurality of points gradually decreases along the length of the first transmission line.

[0023] In various embodiments, each of the first plurality of shunt switches has a common size.

[0024] In some embodiments, each of the first plurality of shunt switches has a different size. According to a certain number of embodiments, the size of the first plurality of shunt transistors gradually increases along the length of the first transmission line.

[0025] According to some embodiments, the first transmission line includes a plurality of serpentine sections. According to various embodiments, at least one of the plurality of serpentine sections includes a loop.

[0026] In some embodiments, a second controllable reflective load includes a second transmission line and a second plurality of shunt switches connected along the second transmission line.

[0027] In various embodiments, the phase shifter further includes a hybrid coupler including a pair of coupled lines.

[0028] In certain embodiments, the present disclosure relates to a method of phase shifting. The method includes receiving a radio frequency input signal at a first port. The method further includes controlling a first controllable reflective load and a second controllable reflective load to control the phase shift of a radio frequency output signal at a second port, where the first controllable reflective load includes a first transmission line and a first plurality of shunt switches connected along the first transmission line. The method further includes providing a coupling between a first conductive line and a second conductive line of a pair of coupled lines, where the first conductive line is connected between the first port and the first controllable reflective load, and the second conductive line is connected between the second controllable reflective load and the second port.

[0029] In various embodiments, the first controllable reflective load further includes a first ground conductor on a first side of the first transmission line and a second ground conductor on a second side of the first transmission line. According to some embodiments, each of the first plurality of shunt switches is implemented as a pair of field effect transistors. The pair of field effect transistors includes a first field effect transistor connected between the first transmission line and the first ground conductor and a second field effect transistor connected between the first transmission line and the second ground conductor.

[0030] In a certain number of embodiments, the method further includes closing one or more of the first plurality of shunt switches based on a phase shift setting of a phase shifter.

[0031] In some embodiments, the first plurality of shunt switches are connected to the first transmission line at a plurality of points that are a certain distance from each other.

[0032] In various embodiments, the first plurality of shunt switches are connected to the first transmission line at a plurality of points that are a non-uniform distance from each other. According to a certain number of embodiments, the distance between adjacent pairs of the plurality of points gradually decreases along the length of the first transmission line.

[0033] In some embodiments, each of the first plurality of shunt switches has a common size.

[0034] In some embodiments, the first plurality of shunt switches each have a different size. According to various embodiments, the size of the first plurality of shunt transistors gradually increases along the length of the first transmission line.

[0035] In certain embodiments, the first transmission line includes a plurality of meandering sections. According to some embodiments, at least one of the meandering sections includes a loop.

[0036] In some embodiments, the second controllable reflective load includes a second transmission line and a second plurality of shunt switches connected along the second transmission line.

[0037] In some embodiments, the phase shifter further includes a hybrid coupler comprising a pair of coupling lines.

[0038] In a given embodiment, the disclosure relates to a phase shifter. The phase shifter includes a coupler, which includes an input terminal, a through terminal, a first coupling line connected between the input terminal and the through terminal, an isolation terminal, a coupling terminal, and a second coupling line connected between the isolation terminal and the coupling terminal. The phase shifter further includes an input port connected to the input terminal of the coupler and configured to receive a radio frequency input signal, an output port connected to the coupling terminal of the coupler and configured to output a radio frequency output signal having a phase shift with respect to the radio frequency input signal, and a first controllable reflector load connected to the through terminal of the coupler. The first controllable reflector load includes a transmission line and a plurality of shunt switches, each connected between a ground voltage and a different point on the transmission line, the plurality of shunt switches being selectable to control the phase shift.

[0039] In various embodiments, the first controllable reflective load further includes a first ground conductor on the first side of the transmission line and a second ground conductor on the second side of the transmission line. According to certain embodiments, a plurality of shunt switches are each implemented as a pair of field-effect transistors. The pair of field-effect transistors includes a first field-effect transistor connected between the first transmission line and the first ground conductor, and a second field-effect transistor connected between the first transmission line and the second ground conductor.

[0040] In some embodiments, multiple shunt switches are connected to a transmission line at multiple points that are unevenly spaced. According to certain embodiments, the distance between adjacent pairs of points gradually decreases along the length of the transmission line.

[0041] In various embodiments, multiple shunt switches each have a different size. According to certain embodiments, the size of multiple shunt transistors gradually increases along the length of the first transmission line.

[0042] In some embodiments, the transmission line includes a plurality of meandering sections. According to some embodiments, at least one of the meandering sections includes a loop.

[0043] In certain embodiments, the phase shifter further includes a second controllable reflective load connected to the isolation terminal of the coupler.

[0044] In a given embodiment, the disclosure relates to a wireless device. The wireless device includes a transceiver and a front-end system coupled to the transceiver. The front-end system includes a phase shifter, which includes a coupler, which includes an input terminal configured to receive a radio frequency input signal, a through terminal, a first coupling line connected between the input terminal and the through terminal, an isolation terminal, a coupling terminal configured to output a radio frequency output signal having a phase shift with respect to the radio frequency input signal, and a second coupling line connected between the isolation terminal and the coupling terminal. The phase shifter further includes a first controllable reflective load connected to the through terminal of the coupler, which includes a transmission line and a plurality of shunt switches, each connected between a ground voltage and a different point along the transmission line, the plurality of shunt switches being selectable to control the phase shift.

[0045] In some embodiments, the first controllable reflective load further includes a first ground conductor on the first side of the transmission line and a second ground conductor on the second side of the transmission line. According to certain embodiments, a plurality of shunt switches are each implemented as a pair of field-effect transistors. The pair of field-effect transistors includes a first field-effect transistor connected between the first transmission line and the first ground conductor, and a second field-effect transistor connected between the first transmission line and the second ground conductor.

[0046] In various embodiments, multiple shunt switches are connected to a transmission line at multiple points at non-uniform intervals. According to some embodiments, the distance between adjacent pairs of points gradually decreases along the length of the transmission line.

[0047] In some embodiments, the multiple shunt switches each have a different size. According to certain embodiments, the size of the multiple shunt transistors gradually increases along the length of the first transmission line.

[0048] In some embodiments, the portable device further includes a second controllable reflective load connected to the isolation terminal of the coupler.

[0049] In a given embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a method for phase shifting. The method includes receiving a radio frequency input signal at the input terminal of a coupler. The method further includes providing coupling from a first coupling line of the coupler to a second coupling line of the coupler, the first coupling line being connected between the input terminal of the coupler and the through terminal of the coupler, and the second coupling line being connected between the isolation terminal of the coupler and the coupling terminal of the coupler. The method further includes providing a radio frequency output signal from the coupling terminal of the coupler, the radio frequency output signal having a phase shift with respect to the radio frequency input signal. The method further includes controlling the phase shift using a first controllable reflective load connected to the through terminal of the coupler, which includes selecting one or more of a plurality of shunt switches of the first controllable reflective load, each of which is connected between a ground voltage and a different point along the transmission line of the first controllable reflective load.

[0050] In some embodiments, the method further includes controlling a second controllable reflective load connected to the isolation terminal of the coupler.

[0051] In a given embodiment, the disclosure relates to a phase shifter. The phase shifter includes a first port, a second port, a first controllable reflective load, and a second controllable reflective load, the second controllable reflective load including a first transmission line and a first plurality of shunt switches connected along the first transmission line. The phase shifter further includes a pair of coupling wires electromagnetically coupled to each other. The pair of coupling wires includes a first conductive wire connected between the first port and the first controllable reflective load, and a second conductive wire connected between the second controllable reflective load and the second port.

[0052] In various embodiments, the second controllable reflective load further includes a first ground conductor on the first side of the first transmission line and a second ground conductor on the second side of the first transmission line. According to some embodiments, each of the first plurality of shunt switches is implemented as a pair of field-effect transistors. The pair of field-effect transistors includes a first field-effect transistor connected between the first transmission line and the first ground conductor, and a second field-effect transistor connected between the first transmission line and the second ground conductor.

[0053] In certain embodiments, one or more of the first plurality of shunt switches are closed based on the phase shift setting of the phase shifter.

[0054] In some embodiments, a first port receives a radio frequency input signal, and a second port provides a phase-shifted radio frequency output signal.

[0055] In some embodiments, a second port receives a radio frequency input signal, and a first port provides a phase-shifted radio frequency output signal.

[0056] In various embodiments, the first plurality of shunt switches are connected to the first transmission line at a plurality of points that are a certain distance from each other.

[0057] In some embodiments, a plurality of first shunt switches are connected to a first transmission line at a plurality of points that are at non-uniform distances from each other. According to certain embodiments, the distance between adjacent pairs of points gradually decreases along the length of the first transmission line.

[0058] In some embodiments, the first plurality of shunt switches each have a common size.

[0059] In certain embodiments, the first plurality of shunt switches each have a different size. According to some embodiments, the size of the first plurality of shunt transistors gradually increases along the length of the first transmission line.

[0060] According to various embodiments, the first transmission line includes a plurality of meandering sections. According to certain embodiments, at least one of the meandering sections includes a loop.

[0061] In some embodiments, the first controllable reflective load includes a second transmission line and a second plurality of shunt switches connected along the second transmission line.

[0062] In some embodiments, the phase shifter further includes a hybrid coupler comprising a pair of coupling lines.

[0063] In a given embodiment, this disclosure relates to a wireless device. The wireless device includes a transceiver and a front-end system coupled to the transceiver. The front-end system includes a phase shifter, which includes a first port, a second port, a first controllable reflective load, a second controllable reflective load including a first transmission line, and a first plurality of shunt switches connected along the first transmission line. The phase shifter further includes a pair of coupling wires electromagnetically coupled to each other. The pair of coupling wires includes a first conductive wire connected between the first port and the first controllable reflective load, and a second conductive wire connected between the second controllable reflective load and the second port.

[0064] In various embodiments, the second controllable reflective load further includes a first ground conductor on the first side of the first transmission line and a second ground conductor on the second side of the first transmission line. According to certain embodiments, each of the first plurality of shunt switches is implemented as a pair of field-effect transistors. The pair of field-effect transistors includes a first field-effect transistor connected between the first transmission line and the first ground conductor, and a second field-effect transistor connected between the first transmission line and the second ground conductor.

[0065] In some embodiments, one or more of the first plurality of shunt switches are closed based on the phase shift setting of the phase shifter.

[0066] In various embodiments, a first port receives a radio frequency input signal, and a second port provides a phase-shifted radio frequency output signal.

[0067] In some embodiments, a second port receives a radio frequency input signal, and a first port provides a phase-shifted radio frequency output signal.

[0068] In certain embodiments, the first plurality of shunt switches are connected to the first transmission line at a plurality of points that are a certain distance from each other.

[0069] In some embodiments, a plurality of first shunt switches are connected to a first transmission line at a plurality of points that are at non-uniform distances from each other. According to certain embodiments, the distance between adjacent pairs of points gradually decreases along the length of the first transmission line.

[0070] In various embodiments, the first plurality of shunt switches each have a common size.

[0071] In some embodiments, the first plurality of shunt switches each have a different size. According to some embodiments, the size of the first plurality of shunt transistors gradually increases along the length of the first transmission line.

[0072] In certain embodiments, the first transmission line includes a plurality of meandering sections. According to various embodiments, at least one of the meandering sections includes a loop.

[0073] In some embodiments, the first controllable reflective load includes a second transmission line and a second plurality of shunt switches connected along the second transmission line.

[0074] In some embodiments, the phase shifter further includes a hybrid coupler comprising a pair of coupling lines.

[0075] In a predetermined embodiment, a phase shift method is provided. The method includes receiving a radio frequency input signal at a first port. The method further includes controlling a first controllable reflector and a second controllable reflector to control the phase shift of a radio frequency output signal at a second port, the first controllable reflector including a first transmission line and a first plurality of shunt switches connected along the first transmission line. The method further includes providing a coupling between a first and second conduction wire of a pair of coupling wires, the first conduction wire connected between the first port and the first controllable reflector, and the second conduction wire connected between the second controllable reflector and the second port.

[0076] In some embodiments, the second controllable reflective load further includes a first ground conductor on the first side of the first transmission line and a second ground conductor on the second side of the first transmission line. According to some embodiments, each of the first plurality of shunt switches is implemented as a pair of field-effect transistors. The pair of field-effect transistors includes a first field-effect transistor connected between the first transmission line and the first ground conductor, and a second field-effect transistor connected between the first transmission line and the second ground conductor.

[0077] In certain embodiments, the method further includes closing one or more of a plurality of first shunt switches based on the phase shift setting of the phase shifter.

[0078] In various embodiments, the first plurality of shunt switches are connected to the first transmission line at a plurality of points that are a certain distance from each other.

[0079] In some embodiments, a plurality of first shunt switches are connected to a first transmission line at a plurality of points that are at non-uniform distances from each other. According to certain embodiments, the distance between adjacent pairs of points gradually decreases along the length of the first transmission line.

[0080] In various embodiments, the first plurality of shunt switches each have a common size.

[0081] In some embodiments, the first plurality of shunt switches each have a different size. According to certain embodiments, the size of the first plurality of shunt transistors gradually increases along the length of the first transmission line.

[0082] In some embodiments, the transmission line includes multiple meandering sections. According to certain embodiments, at least one of the meandering sections includes a loop.

[0083] In various embodiments, the first controllable reflective load includes a second transmission line and a second plurality of shunt switches connected along the second transmission line.

[0084] In some embodiments, the phase shifter further includes a hybrid coupler comprising a pair of coupling lines. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0085] Embodiments of the present disclosure are described below through non-limiting examples with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0086] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of an example of a communication network. [Figure 2A] This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a communication system that operates using beamforming. [Figure 2B] This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of beamforming that provides a transmission beam. [Figure 2C] This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of beamforming that provides a receiving beam. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram of a phase shifter according to one embodiment. [Figure 4A] This is a schematic diagram of a switchable transmission line according to one embodiment. [Figure 4B] This is a schematic diagram of a switch-type transmission line according to another embodiment. [Figure 5A] This is a schematic diagram of a switch-type transmission line according to another embodiment. [Figure 5B] This is a schematic diagram of a switch-type transmission line according to another embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram of a switch-type transmission line according to another embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a schematic diagram of a switch-type transmission line according to another embodiment. [Figure 8] This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a mobile device. [Figure 9A] This is a schematic diagram of an RF channel according to one embodiment. [Figure 9B] This is a schematic diagram of an RF channel according to another embodiment. [Figure 10A] This is a perspective view of one embodiment of a module that operates using beamforming. [Figure 10B] This is a cross-section of the module in Figure 10A, along the line 10B-10B. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0087] The following detailed description of a given embodiment presents various descriptions of a particular embodiment. However, the innovation described herein can be embodied in numerous different forms defined and covered, for example, by the claims. In this specification, the same reference numeral refers to drawings showing identical or functionally similar elements. It should be understood that the elements shown in the drawings are not necessarily to scale. It should also be understood that a given embodiment may include more elements than shown in the drawings, and / or subsets of the elements shown in the drawings. Furthermore, some embodiments may also include any suitable combination of features from two or more drawings.

[0088] The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) and is responsible for global issues concerning information and communication technologies, including the global sharing of radio frequency bands.

[0089] The Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is a collaborative project among a group of telecommunications standards organizations worldwide, including the Radio Industry Association (ARIB), the Telecommunications Technology Committee (TTC), the China Communications Standards Association (CCSA), the Telecommunications Industry Solutions Alliance (ATIS), the Telecommunications Technology Association (TTA), the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), and the Telecommunications Standards Development Institute of India (TSDSI).

[0090] Within the scope of the ITU, 3GPP develops and maintains technical specifications for various mobile communication technologies, including, for example, second-generation (2G) technologies (e.g., Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) (registered trademark) and Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE)), third-generation (3G) technologies (e.g., Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) and High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA)), and fourth-generation (4G) technologies (e.g., Long-Term Evolution (LTE) and LTE Advanced).

[0091] Technical specifications managed by 3GPP can be extended and revised through specification releases. These specification releases may span many years and may specify a wide range of new features and advancements.

[0092] For example, 3GPP introduced carrier aggregation (CA) for LTE in Release 10. Initially, 3GPP introduced two downlink carriers, but in Release 14, it expanded to include up to five downlink carriers and up to three uplink carriers. Other examples of new features and advancements provided by 3GPP releases include, but are not limited to, License-Assisted Access (LAA), Enhanced LAA (eLAA), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IOT), Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X), and High-Power User Equipment (HPUE).

[0093] 3GPP introduced Phase 1 of fifth-generation (5G) technology in Release 15 and Phase 2 of 5G technology in Release 16. Subsequent 3GPP releases will further evolve and expand 5G technology. Here, 5G technology is also referred to as 5G New Radio (NR).

[0094] 5GNR supports or is planned to support a variety of features such as millimeter-wave spectral communication, beamforming capability, high spectral efficiency waveforms, low latency communication, multiplex radio numerology, and / or non-orthogonal multiplex access (NOMA). Although such RF capabilities provide network flexibility and improve user data rates, there are a number of technical challenges in supporting these features.

[0095] The teachings herein are applicable to a wide variety of communication systems, including but not limited to those using advanced cellular technologies such as LTE Advanced, LTE Advanced Pro, and / or 5G NR.

[0096] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an example of a communication network 10. The communication network 10 includes a macrocell base station 1, a small cell base station 3, and various examples of user equipment (UEs). User equipment (UEs) include a first portable device 2a, a wirelessly connected vehicle 2b, a laptop 2c, a stationary wireless device 2d, a wirelessly connected train 2e, a second portable device 2f, and a third portable device 2g.

[0097] Although specific examples of base stations and user equipment are shown in Figure 1, the communication network may include a wide variety of types and / or numbers of base stations and user equipment.

[0098] For example, in the illustrated example, the communication network 10 includes a macrocell base station 1 and a smallcell base station 3. The smallcell base station 3 may operate with relatively lower power, shorter range, and / or fewer concurrent users compared to the macrocell base station 1. The smallcell base station 3 may also be referred to as a femtocell, picocell, or microcell. Although the communication network 10 is shown to include two base stations, the communication network 10 may be implemented to include more or fewer base stations and / or other types of base stations.

[0099] Although various examples of user devices are presented, the teachings herein are applicable to a wide variety of user devices, including but not limited to mobile phones, tablets, laptops, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, wearable electronic devices, subscriber premises equipment (CPE), wirelessly connected vehicles, wireless relays, and / or a wide variety of other communication devices. Furthermore, user devices include not only currently available communication devices operating in cellular networks, but also subsequently developed communication devices that can be easily implemented in the systems, processes, methods and devices of the present invention described herein and claimed in the claims.

[0100] The communication network 10 illustrated in Figure 1 supports communication using various cellular technologies, including, for example, 4G LTE and 5G NR. In a given implementation example, the communication network 10 is further adapted to provide a wireless local area network (WLAN) such as Wi-Fi. Although various examples of communication technologies have been given, the communication network 10 can be adapted to support a wide variety of communication technologies.

[0101] Various communication links of the communication network 10 are depicted in Figure 1. Communication links can be duplicated (duplexed) in a wide variety of ways, including, for example, using frequency division duplication (FDD) and / or time division duplication (TDD). FDD is a type of radio frequency communication that uses different frequencies for transmitting and receiving signals. FDD can offer a number of advantages, such as high data rates and low latency. In contrast, TDD is a type of radio frequency communication that uses nearly the same frequency for transmitting and receiving signals, with the transmitting and receiving communications switching over time. TDD can offer a number of advantages, such as efficient use of the spectrum and variable allocation of throughput between the transmitting and receiving directions.

[0102] In a given implementation example, user equipment can communicate with a base station using one or more of 4G LTE, 5G NR, and WiFi technologies. In a given implementation example, Enhanced License-Assisted Access (eLAA) is used to aggregate one or more licensed frequency carriers (e.g., licensed 4G LTE and / or 5G NR frequencies) with one or more unlicensed carriers (e.g., unlicensed WiFi frequencies).

[0103] As shown in Figure 1, the communication link includes not only the communication link between the UE and the base station, but also UE-to-UE communication and base station-to-base station communication. For example, the communication network 10 can be implemented to support self-fronthaul and / or self-backhaul (such as between mobile device 412g and mobile device 412f).

[0104] Communication links can operate across a wide variety of frequencies. In a given implementation example, communication is supported using 5GNR technology over one or more frequency bands below 6 gigahertz (GHz) and / or over one or more frequency bands above 6 GHz. For example, a communication link may have frequency range 1 (FR1), frequency range 2 (FR2), or a combination thereof. In one embodiment, one or more portable devices support the HPUE power class specification.

[0105] In a given implementation example, a base station and / or user equipment communicate using beamforming. For example, beamforming can be used to converge signal strength to overcome path loss, such as the high loss associated with communication over high signal frequencies. In a given embodiment, one or more user devices, such as mobile phones, communicate using beamforming in the millimeter-wave frequency band in the range of 30 GHz to 300 GHz, and / or in the upper centimeter-wave frequency band in the range of 6 GHz to 30 GHz, more specifically 24 GHz to 30 GHz.

[0106] Different users of the communication network 10 can share available network resources, such as the available frequency spectrum, in a wide variety of ways.

[0107] In one example, Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) is used to divide a single frequency band into multiple frequency carriers. In addition, one or more carriers are allocated to a specific user. Examples of FDMA include, but are not limited to, single-carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA) and orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA). OFDMA is a multi-carrier technique that divides the available bandwidth into many mutually orthogonal narrowband subcarriers, which can be allocated separately to different users.

[0108] Other examples of shared access include, but are not limited to, time-division multiplexing (TDMA), where users are allocated specific time slots to use frequency resources; code-division multiplexing (CDMA), where frequency resources are shared among different users by assigning each user a unique code; spatial-division multiplexing (SDMA), where beamforming is used to provide spatially divided shared access; and non-orthogonal multiplexing (NOMA), where power domains are used for multiple access. For example, NOMA may be used to serve a large number of users at the same frequency, time, and / or code but at different power levels.

[0109] Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) refers to technologies that increase the system capacity of LTE networks. For example, eMBB may refer to communications with a peak data rate of at least 10 Gbps and a minimum of 100 Mbps per user. Ultra-High Reliability Low Latency Communications (uRLLC) refers to technologies for communications with extremely low latency, for example, less than 2 milliseconds. uRLLC can be used for mission-critical communications such as autonomous driving and / or remote surgery applications. Massive Machine-Type Communications (mMTC) refers to low-cost, low-data-rate communications associated with wireless connectivity to everyday objects, such as communications associated with Internet of Things (IoT) applications.

[0110] The communication network 10 in Figure 1 can be used to support a wide variety of advanced communication functions, including but not limited to eMBB, uRLLC, and / or mMTC.

[0111] Figure 2A is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a communication system 110 that operates by beamforming. The communication system 110 includes a transceiver 105, signal conditioning circuits 104a1, 104a2...104an, 104b1, 104b2...104bn, 104m1, 104m2...104mn, and an antenna array 102. The antenna array 102 includes antenna elements 103a1, 103a2...103an, 103b1, 103b2...103bn, 103m1, 103m2...103mn.

[0112] Communication systems that communicate using millimeter-wave carriers, centimeter-wave carriers, and / or other frequency carriers may use antenna arrays such as antenna array 102 to provide beamformation and directivity for transmitting and / or receiving signals.

[0113] For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the communication system 110 includes an array 102 of m × n antenna elements, each of which is coupled to a separate signal conditioning circuit in this embodiment. As indicated by the ellipsis, the communication system 110 can implement any appropriate number of antenna elements and signal conditioning circuits.

[0114] With respect to signal transmission, the signal conditioning circuits 104a1, 104a2…104an, 104b1, 104b2…104bn, 104m1, 104m2…104mn can supply a transmission signal to the antenna array 102 such that the signals radiated from the antenna elements combine using constructive and destructive interference and produce an aggregated transmission signal that exhibits a beam-like quality with a strong signal intensity that propagates in a given direction away from the antenna array 102.

[0115] In the context of signal reception, the signal conditioning circuits 104a1, 104a2…104an, 104b1, 104b2…104bn, 104m1, 104m2…104mn process the received signal (for example, by individually controlling the received signal phase) so that more signal energy is received when the signal reaches the antenna array 102 from a particular direction. Thus, the communication system 110 also provides directivity for signal reception.

[0116] The relative concentration of signal energy that becomes the transmit or receive beam can be increased by increasing the size of the array. For example, a higher concentration of signal energy that becomes the transmit beam allows the signal to propagate over a longer range while providing a sufficient signal level for RF communication. For instance, a signal with a high ratio of signal energy that becomes the transmit beam can exhibit high effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP).

[0117] In the illustrated embodiment, the transceiver 105 transmits signals to signal conditioning circuits 104a1, 104a2…104an, 104b1, 104b2…104bn, 104m1, 104m2…104mn, and processes the signals received from the signal conditioning circuits.

[0118] As shown in Figure 2A, the transceiver 105 generates control signals for the signal conditioning circuits 104a1, 104a2…104an, 104b1, 104b2…104bn, 104m1, 104m2…104mn. The control signals can be used for various functions, such as controlling the gain and phase of the transmitted and / or received signals to control beamforming. For example, each of the signal conditioning circuits 104a1, 104a2…104an, 104b1, 104b2…104bn, 104m1, 104m2…104mn may include a phase shifter, which is implemented according to the teachings herein.

[0119] Figure 2B is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of beamforming that provides a transmit beam. Figure 2B shows a portion of a communication system including a first signal conditioning circuit 114a, a second signal conditioning circuit 114b, a first antenna element 113a, and a second antenna element 113b.

[0120] Although the communication system is shown to include two antenna elements and two signal conditioning circuits, it may include additional antenna elements and / or signal conditioning circuits. For example, Figure 2B shows one embodiment of a part of the communication system 110 of Figure 2A.

[0121] The first signal conditioning circuit 114a includes a first phase shifter 130a, a first power amplifier 131a, a first low-noise amplifier (LNA) 132a, and a switch for controlling the selection of either the power amplifier 131a or the LNA 132a. In addition, the second signal conditioning circuit 114b includes a second phase shifter 130b, a second power amplifier 131b, a second LNA 132b, and a switch for controlling the selection of either the power amplifier 131b or the LNA 132b. The first phase shifter 130a and the second phase shifter 130b can be implemented according to any of the embodiments herein.

[0122] Although one embodiment of a signal conditioning circuit is presented, other implementations of the signal conditioning circuit are also possible. For example, in one example, the signal conditioning circuit includes one or more bandfilters, duplexers, diplexers, and / or other components.

[0123] In the illustrated embodiment, the first antenna element 113a and the second antenna element 113b are spaced apart by a distance d. In addition, Figure 2B is annotated with an angle θ. In this example, θ is approximately 90° when the transmitting beam direction is substantially perpendicular to the plane of the antenna array, and approximately 0° when the transmitting beam direction is substantially parallel to the plane of the antenna array.

[0124] A desired transmission beam angle θ can be achieved by controlling the relative phase of the transmission signal applied to antenna elements 113a and 113b. For example, the first phase shifter 130a may have a reference value of 0°, and the second phase shifter 130b may be controlled to give a phase shift of approximately -2πf(d / ν)cosθ radians, where f is the fundamental frequency of the transmission signal, d is the distance between the antenna elements, ν is the velocity of the radiated wave, and π is the mathematical constant pi.

[0125] In a given implementation example, the distance d is implemented to be approximately 1 / 2λ, where λ is the wavelength of the fundamental component of the transmitted signal. In such an implementation, the second phase shifter 130b can be controlled to provide a phase shift of approximately -πcosθ radians in order to achieve the transmitted beam angle θ.

[0126] Therefore, the relative phases of the phase shifters 130a and 130b can be controlled to provide transmit beamforming. In a given implementation example, a transceiver (e.g., transceiver 105 in Figure 2A) controls one or more phase shifter phase values ​​to control beamforming.

[0127] Figure 2C is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of beamforming that provides a receiving beam. Figure 2C is similar to Figure 2B, but differs in that Figure 2C shows beamforming in the context of a receiving beam rather than a transmitting beam.

[0128] As shown in Figure 2C, the relative phase difference between the first phase shifter 130a and the second phase shifter 130b can be selected to be approximately equal to -2πf(d / ν)cosθ radians in order to achieve the desired receiving beam angle θ. In an implementation example where the distance d corresponds to approximately λ / 2, the phase difference can be selected to be approximately equal to -πcosθ radians in order to achieve the receiving beam angle θ.

[0129] Although various formulas have been given for phase values ​​that give beamforming, other phase selection values ​​are also possible, such as phase values ​​selected based on the antenna array implementation, the signal conditioning circuit implementation, and / or the wireless environment.

[0130] Phase shifter with switchable transmission line load

[0131] Phase shifters are used in radio frequency (RF) systems to provide controllable phase adjustment to RF signals.

[0132] A phase shifter with a switchable transmission line load is provided. In a given embodiment, the phase shifter includes a first port, a first controllable reflective load, a second port, a second controllable reflective load, and a pair of coupling lines electromagnetically coupled to each other. The pair of coupling lines includes a first conductive line between the first port and the first controllable reflective load, and a second conductive line between the second controllable reflective load and the second port. At least one of the first controllable reflective load or the second controllable reflective load includes a switchable transmission line load.

[0133] In this embodiment, implementing a phase shifter enables high-frequency performance (e.g., operation in FR2 in the range of 24 GHz to 30 GHz). Furthermore, good reflection loss can be achieved and / or the reflection loss can be kept relatively constant across the phase setting range of the phase shifter. In addition, the group delay of the phase shifter has almost no frequency variation and therefore does not distort broadband signals.

[0134] The first and second controllable reflective loads are controlled based on the selected phase setting of the phase shifter. In a given implementation example, each controllable reflective load is implemented using a switchable transmission line load. Such a switchable transmission line load may include a transmission line and a shunt switch (e.g., a field-effect transistor, i.e., FET) connected between the transmission line and a reference voltage such as ground. The effective electrical length of the transmission line can be controlled by selecting the combination of switches to be turned on. As the effective electrical length changes, the amount of phase shift by the phase shifter also changes.

[0135] The even-mode impedance, odd-mode impedance, and the length of the pair of coupling wires can be adjusted during the design phase to achieve the desired performance characteristics. In a given implementation example, the pair of coupling wires are implemented as a coupler such as a 3dB 90° coupler (also referred to here as a hybrid coupler). The hybrid coupler operates in combination with a controllable reflective load to achieve the desired performance.

[0136] The phase shifter used here can be used in a wide variety of applications, including but not limited to providing a phase shift in RF signal conditional circuits for beamforming applications.

[0137] In the given implementation example presented here, the phase shifter is configured to apply a phase shift to RF signals in the 5G frequency range 2 (FR2), such as 24.25 GHz to 52.6 GHz. However, the phase shifter here can also handle other RF signal frequencies.

[0138] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a phase shifter 210 according to one embodiment. The phase shifter 210 includes a pair of coupling wires 200 (corresponding to a hybrid coupler in this embodiment), a first controllable reflective load 201 (also referred to here as a variable reflective load), a second controllable reflective load 202, an input port IN, and an output port OUT. The coupling wires 200 include a first conductive wire 203 and a second conductive wire 204 that are electromagnetically coupled to each other.

[0139] In the illustrated embodiment, the first end 207a of the first conductive wire 203 is connected to the input port IN, and the second end 207b of the first conductive wire 203 is connected to the first controllable reflective load 201. In addition, the first end 208a of the second conductive wire 204 is connected to the second controllable reflective load 202, and the second end 208b of the second conductive wire 204 is connected to the output port OUT. The first end 207a of the first conductive wire 203 and the first end 208a of the second conductive wire 204 are on the first side of the coupling wire 200, while the second end 207b of the first conductive wire 203 and the second end 208b of the second conductive wire 204 are on the second side or opposite side of the coupling wire 200.

[0140] In this embodiment, a pair of coupling wires 200 are implemented as a hybrid coupler. In addition, the first end 207a corresponds to the input terminal (IN) of the coupler, the second end 207b corresponds to the through terminal (0°) of the coupler, the first end 208a corresponds to the isolation terminal (ISO) of the coupler, and the second end 208b corresponds to the coupling terminal (90°) of the coupler.

[0141] At least one of the first controllable reflective load 201 or the second controllable reflective load 202 is implemented using a switchable transmission line as taught herein.

[0142] In this embodiment, by implementing the phase shifter 210, high frequency performance, good reflection loss, and / or constant reflection loss can be achieved across multiple phase settings. Furthermore, the group delay of the phase shifter 210 has almost no frequency variation, and therefore does not distort broadband signals.

[0143] In a given implementation example, the first controllable reflective load 201 and the second controllable reflective load 202 are controlled based on the selected phase setting of the phase shifter 210, so that the electrical length of the transmission lines of these reflective loads changes. For example, the first controllable reflective load 201 and the second controllable reflective load 202 can each be implemented as switchable transmission lines controlled by a common control signal.

[0144] The even-mode impedance, odd-mode impedance, and length of coupling wire 200 can be adjusted during the design phase to achieve the desired performance characteristics. The coupling wire 200 operates in combination with controllable reflective loads 201 / 202 to achieve the desired performance.

[0145] Figure 4A is a schematic diagram of a switchable transmission line 230 according to one embodiment. The switchable transmission line 230 consists of a transmission line 221 and an RF input to the transmission line 221. IN This includes shunt switches 222a, 222b, 222c, ... 222n and a control circuit 223. In other words, it includes n shunt switches. Here, n is an integer of 2 or more, preferably 4 or more.

[0146] The switchable transmission line 230 in Figure 4A shows a controllable reflective load in one embodiment implemented according to the teachings herein.

[0147] In the illustrated embodiment, the control circuit 223 opens or closes the shunt switches 222a, 222b, 222c, ... 222n based on a selected phase shift setting φ. The shunt switches 222a, 222b, 222c, ... 222n are connected to different positions along the transmission line 221. The shunt switches 222a, 222b, 222c, ... 222n selectively connect the transmission line 221 to ground.

[0148] By changing which of the shunt switches 222a, 222b, 222c, ... 222n are turned on and which are turned off, the electrical length of the transmission line 221 is changed. This then affects the overall phase shift of the reflective type phase shifter into which the switchable transmission line 230 is incorporated.

[0149] In a given implementation example, the control circuit 223 controls all switches (or at least RF) INTurn on the shunt switch 222a) closest to the RF to provide the shortest electrical length of the transmission line 221. If starting with all shunt switches closed, turn on the shunt switch to RF IN By sequentially opening (turning off) the switches, starting with the switch 222a closest to the target, an electrical length that gradually increases can be obtained.

[0150] Figure 4B is a schematic diagram of a switchable transmission line 230' according to another embodiment.

[0151] The switchable transmission line 230' in Figure 4B is similar to the switchable transmission line 230 in Figure 4A, but differs in that the switchable transmission line 230' in Figure 4B includes a control circuit 223' which includes a thermometer decoder 224.

[0152] In a given embodiment, the switchable transmission line includes a shunt switch controlled using thermometer decoding.

[0153] Figure 5A is a schematic diagram of a switchable transmission line 240 according to another embodiment. The switchable transmission line 240 includes a transmission line 231, a first ground conductor 233a, a second ground conductor 233b, and a plurality of pairs of FET switches 232a1 / 232a2, 232b1 / 232b2, 232c1 / 232c2, ... 232n1 / 232n2. That is, it includes n pairs of shunt switches. Here, n is an integer of 2 or more, preferably 4 or more.

[0154] Comparing the switchable transmission line 230 in Figure 4A, the switchable transmission line 240 in Figure 5A implements each shunt switch using a pair of FET switches. Additionally, each pair of FET switches includes one FET switch (e.g., FET switch 232a1) connected between the transmission line 231 and the first ground conductor 233a, and another FET switch (e.g., FET switch 232a2) connected between the transmission line 231 and the second ground conductor 233b. In a given implementation example, each pair of FET switches is commonly controlled by a corresponding control signal (e.g., n control signals generated for each pair by a control circuit such as the control circuit 223 in Figure 4A).

[0155] By implementing the shunt switch using the FETs in the depicted configuration, improved performance (especially at high frequencies) can be achieved.

[0156] Figure 5B is a schematic diagram of a switchable transmission line 250 according to another embodiment. The switchable transmission line 250 includes a transmission line 231, a first ground conductor 233a, a second ground conductor 233b, and a plurality of pairs of FET switches 242a1 / 242a2, 242b1 / 242b2, 242c1 / 242c2, ... 242n1 / 242n2.

[0157] The switchable transmission line 250 in Figure 5B is similar to the switchable transmission line 240 in Figure 5A, but the switchable transmission line 250 in Figure 5B differs in that it includes multiple shunt switches of different sizes (i.e., varying on-state resistance and off-state capacitance) and different distances or separations from one another.

[0158] By implementing the switchable transmission line 250 in this embodiment, a certain number of advantages can be obtained.

[0159] For example, the on-state resistance (Ron) of a shunt switch has a substantially constant reflection coefficient (|Γ) across multiple switch states (corresponding to multiple phase shift settings). LIndividual selections can be made to maintain the |). In a given implementation example, Ron decreases as the phase shift increases, so switches closer to the RF input of the transmission line will have lower on-state resistance than switches further from the RF input (higher on-state resistance).

[0160] In other examples, the lengths of the transmission lines 231 between switches (d1, d2, ...d n ) is controlled to control the amount of phase step between adjacent phase settings.

[0161] By appropriately selecting the distance between switches, a phase step of 11.25 degrees can be achieved, for example, at a center frequency of 27 GHz.

[0162] When implementing a switchable transmission line 250, the off-state capacitance (Coff) is considered in terms of its effect on the characteristic impedance and propagation constant of the transmission line 231. For example, the switch and the transmission line can be designed simultaneously and iteratively.

[0163] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a switchable transmission line 260 according to another embodiment. The switchable transmission line 260 consists of a transmission line 251 and an RF input to the transmission line 251. IN This includes shunt switches 222a, 222b, 222c, ... 222n and a control circuit 223.

[0164] The switchable transmission line 260 in Figure 6 is similar to the switchable transmission line 230 in Figure 4A, but the transmission line 251 shown in Figure 6 differs in that it includes meandering sections 255a, 255b, ... 255n to achieve the desired phase and / or amplitude response while maintaining a compact layout.

[0165] The meandering of the transmission line is also applicable to configurations using multiple pairs of FET switches coupled to a pair of ground lines. For example, the transmission line 231 in the embodiments of Figures 5A and 5B may meander according to the teachings herein.

[0166] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a switchable transmission line 310 according to another embodiment. The switchable transmission line 310 includes a transmission line 301, a first ground conductor 302a, a second ground conductor 302b, a first pair of switches 304a to 304b, and a second pair of switches 305a to 305b. Additional pairs of switches may be included, as indicated by the ellipsis.

[0167] In the example in Figure 7, the transmission line 301 includes a first section 305a that meanders in a small loop and a second section 305b that meanders without a loop. The embodiment in Figure 7 also depicts other examples of meandering that achieve the desired phase and / or amplitude response while maintaining a compact layout.

[0168] A wide variety of performance results can be achieved using a reflection-type phase shifter implemented according to the teachings presented here.

[0169] Table 1 below shows an example of the results of a phase shifter using a switch-type transmission line load, as shown in one implementation example in Figure 5B. [Table 1]

[0170] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the portable device 800. The portable device 800 includes a baseband system 801, a transceiver 802, a front-end system 803, an antenna 804, a power management system 805, a memory 806, a user interface 807, and a battery 808.

[0171] The mobile device 800 can be used to communicate using a wide variety of communication technologies, including but not limited to 2G, 3G, 4G (LTE, LTE Advanced, and LTE Advanced Pro), 5G NR, WLAN (e.g., Wi-Fi), WPAN (e.g., Bluetooth® and ZigBee®), WMAN (e.g., WiMAX), and / or GPS technology.

[0172] The transceiver 802 generates an RF signal for transmission and processes the incoming RF signal received from the antenna 804. It is understood that the various functions associated with transmitting and receiving RF signals can be achieved by one or more components, collectively represented as the transceiver 802 in Figure 8. In one example, a separate component (e.g., a separate circuit or die) may be provided to handle a predetermined type of RF signal.

[0173] The front-end system 803 assists in conditioning the signals transmitted to and / or received from antenna 804. In the illustrated embodiment, the front-end system 803 includes a power amplifier (PA) 811, a low-noise amplifier (LNA) 812, a filter 813, a switch 814, and a duplexer 815.

[0174] The phase shifter 810 can be implemented according to any of the embodiments herein. However, the phase shifter disclosed herein can also be used in electronic systems of other configurations.

[0175] The front-end system 803 can provide a certain number of functions, including, but not limited to, amplification of the transmit signal, amplification of the receive signal, filtering of the signal, switching between different bands, switching between different power modes, switching between transmit and receive modes, duplexing of the signal, multiplexing of the signal (e.g., diplexing or triplexing), or any combination thereof.

[0176] The portable device 800 operates in conjunction with beamforming. For example, the front-end system 803 includes a phase shifter 810 whose phase is variably controlled by a transceiver 802. In a given implementation example, the transceiver 802 controls the phase of the phase shifter 810 based on data received from the processor 801.

[0177] The phase shifter 810 is controlled to provide beamforming and directivity for transmitting and / or receiving signals using antenna 804. For example, in the context of signal transmission, the phase of the transmitted signal given to the antenna array used for transmission is controlled so that the radiated signals are coupled using constructive and destructive interference, resulting in an aggregated transmitted signal that exhibits beam-like quality with strong signal intensity propagating in a given direction. In the context of signal reception, the phase is controlled so that more signal energy is received when the signal arrives at the antenna array from a particular direction.

[0178] In a given implementation example, the portable device 800 supports carrier aggregation, providing flexibility to increase the peak data rate. Carrier aggregation can be used with both frequency-division duplexing (FDD) and time-division duplexing (TDD), and may be used to aggregate multiple carriers or channels. Carrier aggregation includes adjacent aggregation, where continuous carriers are aggregated within the same operating frequency band. Carrier aggregation may be discontinuous and may include carriers whose frequencies are separated within a common band or different bands.

[0179] Antenna 804 may include antennas used for a wide variety of types of communication. For example, antenna 804 may include antennas for transmitting and / or receiving signals associated with a wide variety of frequencies and communication standards.

[0180] In a given implementation example, antenna 804 supports MIMO communication and / or switched diversity communication. For example, MIMO communication uses multiple antennas to communicate multiplexed data streams over a single radio frequency channel. MIMO communication benefits from a high signal-to-noise ratio, improved coding, and / or reduced signal interference due to the spatial multiplexing of the radio environment. Switched diversity refers to communication in which a specific antenna is selected to operate at a particular time. For example, a switch can be used to select a specific antenna from a group of antennas based on various coefficients such as the observed bit error rate and / or signal strength index.

[0181] In a given implementation example, the antenna 804 includes one or more arrays of antenna elements to enhance beamforming.

[0182] The baseband system 801 is coupled to a user interface 807 that facilitates the processing of various user input / output (I / O), such as voice and data processing. The baseband system 801 provides a digital representation of the transmit signal to the transceiver 802, which processes this to generate an RF signal for transmission. The baseband system 801 also processes the digital representation of the receive signal provided by the transceiver 802. As shown in Figure 8, the baseband system 801 is coupled to a memory 806 to facilitate the operation of the portable device 800.

[0183] Memory 806 can be used for a wide variety of purposes, such as storing data and / or instructions, in order to facilitate the operation of the portable device 800 and / or provide storage for user information.

[0184] The power management system 805 provides a certain number of power management functions for the portable device 800. In a given implementation example, the power management system 805 includes a PA supply control circuit that controls the supply voltage of a plurality of power amplifiers 811. For example, the power management system 805 may be configured to change the supply voltage supplied to one or more of the plurality of power amplifiers 811 in order to improve an efficiency such as power added efficiency (PAE).

[0185] As shown in Figure 8, the power management system 805 receives the battery voltage from the battery 808. The battery 808 may be any suitable battery for use in the portable device 800, including, for example, a lithium-ion battery.

[0186] Figure 9A is a schematic diagram of an RF channel 910 according to one embodiment. The RF channel 910 includes an RF divider / coupler 901, phase shifters 902a, 902b, ... 902z, a first group of transmit / receive (T / R) switches 903a, 903b, ... 903z, power amplifiers 904a, 904b, ... 904z, low-noise amplifiers (LNAs) 905a, 905b, ... 905z, a second group of T / R switches 906a, 906b, ... 906z, and antennas 907a, 907b, ... 907z.

[0187] In the illustrated embodiment, the T / R switch is used to select a power amplifier for transmission or an LNA for reception. That is, RF channel 910 is suitable for time-division duplexing (TDD). Additionally, since the RF divider / coupler 901 is shared in both the transmit and receive directions, RF signal routing is reduced.

[0188] Although one embodiment of an RF channel is described herein, the teachings presented here are applicable to RF channels implemented in a wide variety of ways. Therefore, other implementation examples are also possible.

[0189] Figure 9B is a schematic diagram of an RF channel 920 according to another embodiment. The RF channel 920 includes an RF divider 911a, an RF coupler 911b, a first group of phase shifters 912a, 912b, ... 912z, a second group of phase shifters 913a, 913b, ... 913z, power amplifiers 904a, 904b, ... 904z, LNAs 905a, 905b, ... 905z, T / R switches 906a, 906b, ... 906z, and antennas 907a, 907b, ... 907z.

[0190] RF channel 920 represented an RF channel of another embodiment. However, the teachings herein are applicable to RF channels implemented in a wide variety of ways. Therefore, other implementation examples are also possible.

[0191] Figure 10A is a perspective view of one embodiment of a beamforming module 1140. Figure 10B is a cross-section of the module 1140 in Figure 10A along the line 10B-10B.

[0192] Module 1140 includes a laminated substrate or laminated material 1141, a semiconductor die or IC 1142 (invisible in Figure 10A), a surface mount device (SMD) 1143 (invisible in Figure 10A), and an antenna array. This antenna array includes antenna elements 1151a1, 1151a2, 1151a3…1151an, 1151b1, 1151b2, 1151b3…1151bn, 1151c1, 1151c2, 1151c3…1151cn, 1151m1, 1151m2, 1151m3…1151mn.

[0193] Although a module of one embodiment is shown in Figures 10A and 10B, the teachings herein are also applicable to modules implemented in a wide variety of ways. For example, a module may include different arrays and / or numbers of antenna elements, dies, and / or surface mount devices. Additionally, module 1140 may include, but not limited to, additional structures and components, including encapsulation structures, shielding structures, and / or wire bonds.

[0194] Antenna elements 1151a1, 1151a2, 1151a3…1151an, 1151b1, 1151b2, 1151b3…1151bn, 1151c1, 1151c2, 1151c3…1151cn, 1151m1, 1151m2, 1151m3…1151mn are formed on the first surface of the laminate 1141 and may be used to receive and / or transmit signals based on the mounting. Although a 4×4 array of antenna elements is illustrated, more or fewer antenna elements are possible, as indicated by the ellipsis. Furthermore, the antenna elements may be arrayed in other patterns or configurations, for example, arrays that use a non-uniform arrangement of antenna elements. Furthermore, in other embodiments, a number of antenna arrays are provided. These antenna arrays include, for example, separate antenna arrays for transmission and reception and / or for different communication bands.

[0195] In the illustrated embodiment, IC1142 is located on the second surface of the laminate 1141, opposite to the first surface. However, other mounting configurations are possible. In one example, IC1142 is integrated into the interior of the laminate 1141.

[0196] In a given implementation example, IC142 includes a signal conditioning circuit associated with the antenna elements 1151a1, 1151a2, 1151a3…1151an, 1151b1, 1151b2, 1151b3…1151bn, 1151c1, 1151c2, 1151c3…1151cn, 1151m1, 1151m2, 1151m3…1151mn. Such a signal conditioning circuit may include one or more phase shifters 1145 implemented according to the teachings herein.

[0197] In one embodiment, IC1142 includes a serial interface such as a Mobile Industry Processor Interface Radio Frequency Front-End (MIPI RFFE) bus and / or an Integrated Circuit Interconnection (I2C) bus that receives data to control a signal conditioning circuit, such as the amount of phase shift provided by a phase shifter 1145. In another embodiment, IC142 further includes an integrated transceiver.

[0198] The laminate 1141 may include various structures, such as conductive layers, dielectric layers, and / or solder masks. The number of layers, layer thickness, and materials used to form these layers can be selected based on a wide variety of factors and may vary depending on the application and / or mounting. The laminate 1141 may include vias that provide electrical connections to the signal feed and / or ground feed of the antenna element. For example, in a given mounting example, the vias help provide electrical connections between the signal conditioning circuit of IC 1142 and the corresponding antenna element.

[0199] Antenna elements 1151a1, 1151a2, 1151a3…1151an, 1151b1, 1151b2, 1151b3…1151bn, 1151c1, 1151c2, 1151c3…1151cn, 1151m1, 1151m2, 1151m3…1151mn can correspond to antenna elements implemented in a wide variety of configurations. In one example, an array of antenna elements includes patch antenna elements formed from a first-side patterned conductive layer of the laminate 1141, which has a ground plane formed using a conductive layer on the opposite side of the laminate 1141 or inside the laminate 1141. Other examples of antenna elements include, but are not limited to, dipole antenna elements, ceramic resonators, stamped metal antennas, and / or laser-directly structured antennas.

[0200] Module 1140 may be included in a communication system such as a mobile phone or base station. In one example, module 1140 is mounted on the telephone circuit board of a mobile phone.

[0201] application

[0202] The principles and advantages of the embodiments described herein can be used for a wide variety of applications.

[0203] For example, a phase shifter can be included in a variety of electronic devices, including but not limited to consumer electronic products, components of consumer electronic products, and electronic testing equipment. Examples of electronic devices include, but are not limited to, base stations, wireless network access points, mobile phones (e.g., smartphones), tablets, televisions, computer monitors, computers, handheld computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), microwave ovens, refrigerators, automobiles, stereo systems, disc players, digital cameras, portable memory chips, washing machines, dryers, photocopiers, facsimile machines, scanners, multifunction peripheral devices, watches, and clocks. Furthermore, electronic devices may also include unfinished products.

[0204] summary

[0205] Unless the context explicitly requires otherwise, throughout the specification and claims, terms such as “includes,” “equip,” and so on should be interpreted in a comprehensive sense, the opposite of an exclusive or exhaustive sense, i.e., “includes but not limited to.” The term “combined,” as used herein, refers to two or more elements that may be directly connected or connected via one or more intermediate elements. Similarly, the term “connected,” as used herein, refers to two or more elements that may be directly connected or connected via one or more intermediate elements. In addition, where used in this application, the terms “here,” “above,” “below,” and similar terms refer to the entire application and not to any particular part of it. Where contextually permissible, terms in the above detailed description that use singular or plural numbers may also include plural or singular numbers. The terms “or” and “or” referring to a list of two or more items cover all of the following interpretations of the term: any of the items in the list, all of the items in the list, and any combination of the items in the list.

[0206] Furthermore, unless specifically stated or understood otherwise in the context in which they are used, conditional language used herein, in particular, such as “can,” “may,” “may,” “for example,” and “like,” is generally intended to indicate that a given embodiment includes a given feature, element, and / or state, while other embodiments do not. That is, such conditional language is generally not intended to imply that the feature, element, and / or state exists in any manner necessary for one or more embodiments, or that one or more embodiments necessarily include logic to determine whether or not these features, elements, and / or states are included, or should be done, with or without the author’s input or prompt.

[0207] The above description of embodiments of the present invention is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to any specific form of the above disclosure. While specific embodiments and examples of the present invention are described above for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the invention, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, while processes or blocks are presented in a given order, alternative embodiments may employ systems having routines or blocks with steps in a different order, and some processes or blocks may be deleted, moved, added, subdivided, combined, and / or modified. Each of these processes or blocks may be implemented in various different ways. Furthermore, while processes or blocks may be shown to be executed in series, these processes or blocks may instead be executed in parallel or at different times.

[0208] The teachings of the present invention given herein can be applied to other systems, not necessarily those described above. The elements and operations of the various embodiments described above may be combined to provide further embodiments.

[0209] While certain embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented only as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. In fact, the novel methods and systems described herein may be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications of the methods and systems described herein may be made without departing from the spirit of this disclosure. The appended claims and their equivalents are intended to cover forms or modifications that fall within the scope and spirit of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A phase shifter comprising: a coupler including an input terminal, a through terminal, a first coupling line connected between the input terminal and the through terminal, an isolation terminal, a coupling terminal, and a second coupling line connected between the isolation terminal and the coupling terminal; an input port connected to an input terminal of the coupler and configured to receive a radio frequency input signal; an output port connected to a coupling terminal of the coupler and configured to output a radio frequency output signal having a phase shift with respect to the radio frequency input signal; a first controllable reflection load connected to a through terminal of the coupler; Including, the first controllable reflective load includes a transmission line and a plurality of shunt switches, each shunt switch being connected between a ground voltage and a different point along the transmission line; the plurality of shunt switches are selectable to control the phase shift; The plurality of shunt switches are connected to the transmission line at a plurality of non-uniformly spaced points.

2. The phase shifter of claim 1 , wherein the first controllable reflective load further comprises a first ground conductor on a first side of the transmission line and a second ground conductor on a second side of the transmission line.

3. each of the shunt switches is implemented as a pair of field effect transistors; 3. The phase shifter of claim 2 , wherein the pair of field effect transistors includes a first field effect transistor connected between the transmission line and the first ground conductor, and a second field effect transistor connected between the transmission line and the second ground conductor.

4. 2. The phase shifter of claim 1, wherein the distance between adjacent pairs of the plurality of points gradually decreases along the length of the transmission line.

5. The phase shifter of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of shunt switches has a different size.

6. The phase shifter of claim 5 , wherein the sizes of the plurality of shunt switches increase gradually along the length of the transmission line.

7. The phase shifter of claim 1 , wherein the transmission line includes a plurality of serpentine sections.

8. The phase shifter of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the plurality of serpentine sections includes a loop.

9. 2. The phase shifter of claim 1, further comprising a second controllable reflective load connected to the isolation terminal of the coupler.

10. A portable device, comprising: A transmitter / receiver; a front-end system coupled to the transceiver; Including, the front-end system includes a phase shifter; the phase shifter includes a combiner; the coupler has an input terminal configured to receive a radio frequency input signal, a through terminal, a first coupled wire connected between the input terminal and the through terminal, an isolation terminal, a coupled terminal configured to output a radio frequency output signal having a phase shift with respect to the radio frequency input signal, and a second coupled wire connected between the isolation terminal and the coupled terminal; The phase shifter further includes a first controllable reflective load connected to a through terminal of the coupler; the first controllable reflective load includes a transmission line and a plurality of shunt switches, each shunt switch being connected between a ground voltage and a different point along the transmission line; the plurality of shunt switches are selectable to control the phase shift; A portable device, wherein the plurality of shunt switches are connected to the transmission line at a plurality of non-uniformly spaced points.

11. The portable device of claim 10 , wherein the first controllable reflective load further comprises a first ground conductor on a first side of the transmission line and a second ground conductor on a second side of the transmission line.

12. each of the shunt switches is implemented as a pair of field effect transistors; 12. The portable device of claim 11 , wherein the pair of field effect transistors includes a first field effect transistor connected between the transmission line and the first ground conductor, and a second field effect transistor connected between the transmission line and the second ground conductor.

13. The portable device of claim 10 , wherein the distance between adjacent pairs of the plurality of points gradually decreases along the length of the transmission line.

14. The hand-held device of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of shunt switches each have a different size.

15. The portable device of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of shunt switches increase in size gradually along the length of the transmission line.

16. The hand-held device of claim 10 , wherein the phase shifter further comprises a second controllable reflective load connected to an isolation terminal of the coupler.

17. A method of phase shifting comprising the steps of: receiving a radio frequency input signal at an input terminal of a coupler; providing a coupling from a first coupled wire of the coupler to a second coupled wire of the coupler, the first coupled wire being connected between an input terminal of the coupler and a through terminal of the coupler, and the second coupled wire being connected between an isolation terminal of the coupler and a coupling terminal of the coupler; providing a radio frequency output signal from a coupling terminal of the coupler, the radio frequency output signal having a phase shift relative to the radio frequency input signal; controlling the phase shift using a first controllable reflective load connected to a through terminal of the coupler, the controllable reflective load including selecting one or more of a plurality of shunt switches of the first controllable reflective load; Including, each of the plurality of shunt switches is connected between a ground voltage and a different point along a transmission line of the first controllable reflective load; The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of shunt switches are connected to the transmission line at a plurality of non-uniformly spaced points.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising controlling a second controllable reflective load connected to an isolation terminal of the coupler.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the distance between adjacent pairs of the plurality of points gradually decreases along the length of the transmission line.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the plurality of shunt switches each have a different size, and the sizes of the plurality of shunt switches increase progressively along the length of the transmission line.

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