Phase shifter, radio device, and method of phase shift

Abstract

To provide a device of a phase shifter with a switch-type transmission load, and a method of a phase shifter.SOLUTION: A phase shifter 210 includes a first port, a first controllable reflection load 201, a second port, a second controllable reflection load 202, and a pair of connecting lines 200 electromagnetically connected to each other. The pair of connecting lines include: a first conductive line 203 between the first port and the first controllable reflection load 201; and a second conductive line 204 between the second controllable reflection load 202 and the second port. At least one of the first controllable reflection load 201 and the second controllable reflection load 202 includes a switch-type transmission load.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] A phase shifter is used in an RF communication system to control the phase of an RF signal transmitted or received wirelessly via an antenna. Examples of RF communication systems with one or more phase shifters include, but are not limited to, mobile phones, tablets, base stations, network access points, customer premise equipment (CPE), laptops, and wearable electronic devices. For example, in a wireless device that communicates using a cellular standard, a wireless local area network (WLAN) standard, and / or any other suitable communication standard, 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 fifth 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).

[0003] Examples of RF communication systems with one or more phase shifters include, but are not limited to, mobile phones, tablets, base stations, network access points, customer premise equipment (CPE), laptops, and wearable electronic devices. In a wireless device that communicates using a cellular standard, a wireless local area network (WLAN) standard, and / or any other suitable communication standard, 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 fifth 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). For example, in a wireless device that communicates using a cellular standard, a wireless local area network (WLAN) standard, and / or any other suitable communication standard, 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 fifth 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). 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 fifth 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). For example, in the range of about 410 MHz to about 7.125 GHz for fifth 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). 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 fifth 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). 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 fifth generation (5G) communication using frequency range 1 (FR1), or in the range of about 24.25 GHz to �2.6 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 an electromagnetic coupling between them. a second controllable reflective load, and an electromagnetic coupling between them. a second controllable reflective load, and an electromagnetic coupling between them. It includes a pair of connection lines. The pair of connection 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. Between the first port and the first controllable reflective load, there is a first conductive line, and between the second controllable reflective load and the second port, there is a second conductive line.

[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 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. Between the first port and the first controllable reflective load, there is a first conductive line, and between the second controllable reflective load and the second port, there is a second conductive line. Between the first port and the first controllable reflective load, there is a first conductive line, and between the second controllable reflective load and the second port, there is a second conductive line. conductive line.

[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. Based on the phase shift setting of the phase shifter, one or more of the first plurality of shunt switches are closed.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0015] In some embodiments, the phase shifter further includes a hybrid coupler including a pair of coupled lines. and includes.

[0016] In a predetermined embodiment, the present 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 reflection load including a first transmission line and a first plurality of shunt switches connected along the first transmission line, a second controllable reflection load, and a pair of coupled lines electromagnetically coupled to each other. and includes. A pair of connection lines includes a first conductive line connected between a first port and a first controllable reflective load, and a second conductive line connected between a second controllable reflective load and a second port.

[0017] 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 a certain number of 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 a phase shift setting of a phase shifter.

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

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

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

[0022] In some embodiments, the first plurality of shunt switches are connected to the 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 plurality ​ The distance between adjacent pairs of points decreases gradually along the length of the first transmission line.

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

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

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

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

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

[0028] In a given embodiment, 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 the first controllable reflection load and the second controllable reflection load to control the phase shift of the radio frequency output signal at the second port, the first controllable reflection load including the first transmission line and the 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, the first conductive line being the first port and the first controllable able connected along the first transmission line, and the second conductive line is connected to the second port. and the second conductive line is connected to the second port. The first controllable reflective load is connected between the energy source and the first port, and the second conductive line is connected between the second controllable reflective load and the second port. is connected.

[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, the first 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. 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. 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. is included.

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

[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 constant distance from each other. is connected to the first transmission line.

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

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

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

[0035] In a certain number of embodiments, the first transmission line includes a plurality of serpentine sections. In some embodiments, at least one of the plurality of serpentine 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 including a pair of coupled lines.

[0038] In a given embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a phase shifter. The phase shifter includes a coupler, and this coupler includes an input terminal, a through terminal, a first coupled line connected between the input terminal and the through terminal, an isolation terminal, a coupling terminal, and a second coupled line connected between the isolation terminal and the coupling terminal. The phase shifter further includes an input port configured to be connected to the input terminal of the coupler to receive a radio frequency input signal, an output port configured to be connected to the coupling terminal of the coupler to output a radio frequency output signal having a phase shift with respect to the radio frequency input signal, and a first controllable reflective load connected to the through terminal of the coupler. The first controllable reflective load includes a transmission line and a plurality of shunt switches each connected between a ground voltage and a different point of the transmission line, and the plurality of shunt switches are 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. In a number of embodiments each of the 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.

[0040] In some embodiments, the plurality of shunt switches are connected to the transmission line at a plurality of points at non-uniform intervals. According to a number of embodiments the distance between adjacent pairs of the plurality of points decreases gradually along the length of the transmission line.

[0041] In various embodiments each of the plurality of shunt switches has a different size According to a number of embodiments the size of the plurality of shunt transistors increases gradually 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 plurality of meandering sections includes a loop.

[0043] In a number of 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 present 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 ​​​​The m includes a phase shifter, which includes a coupler. The coupler 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, and 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 reflection load connected to the through terminal of the coupler. The first controllable reflection load 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 are selectable to control the phase shift.

[0045] In some embodiments, the first controllable reflection load further includes 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. According to a certain number of embodiments, the 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, the plurality of shunt switches are connected to the transmission line at a plurality of points that are at non-uniform intervals. According to some embodiments, the distance between adjacent pairs of the plurality of points gradually decreases along the length of the transmission line.

[0047] In some embodiments, the plurality of shunt switches each have a different size In certain embodiments, the sizes of the plurality of shunt transistors increase gradually along the length of the first transmission line

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

[0049] In a given embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a method of phase shifting. The method includes receiving a radio frequency input signal at an 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, where the first coupling line is connected between an input terminal of the coupler and a through terminal of the coupler, and the second coupling line is connected between an isolation terminal of the coupler and a coupling terminal of the coupler The method further includes providing a radio frequency output signal from a coupling terminal of the coupler, where the radio frequency output signal has a phase shift relative to the radio frequency input signal The method further includes controlling the phase shift using a first controllable reflection load connected to a through terminal of the coupler, which includes selecting one or more of a plurality of shunt switches of the first controllable reflection load, where the plurality of shunt switches are each connected between a ground voltage and different points along a transmission line of the first controllable reflection load[[ID=2,5]] [[ID=2,8]]

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

[0051] ​​​​​​​​​​In certain embodiments, the present disclosure relates to a phase shifter. The phase shifter includes a first port, a second port, a first controllable reflection load, and a second controllable reflection load, and the second controllable re flection load includes 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 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 reflection load and a second conductive line connected between the second controllable reflection load and the second port.

[0052] In various embodiments, the second controllable reflection 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. In some embodiments, one or more of the first plurality of shunt switches are closed based on a phase shift setting of the phase shifter.

[0053] In some embodiments, the first port receives a radio frequency input signal and the second port provides a radio frequency output signal with a shifted phase.

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

[0055]

[0056] ​​In various embodiments, the first plurality of shunt switches are connected to the first transmission line at a plurality of points that are at a fixed distance from each other. The first plurality of shunt switches are connected to the first transmission line at a plurality of points that are at a non-uniform distance from each other.

[0057] In some embodiments, the first plurality of shunt switches are connected to the 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. In some embodiments, each of the first plurality of shunt switches has a common size. In a certain number of embodiments, each of the first plurality of shunt switches has 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.

[0058] In various embodiments, the first transmission line includes a plurality of serpentine sections. According to a certain number of embodiments, at least one of the plurality of serpentine sections includes a loop. 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.

[0059] In some embodiments, the phase shifter further includes a hybrid coupler including a pair of coupled lines. In a given embodiment, the present 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

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

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

[0062] In some embodiments, the phase shifter further includes a hybrid coupler including a pair of coupled lines. In a given embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a wireless device. The wireless device includes a transceiver and a front-end system coupled to the transceiver.

[0063] In a given embodiment, the present 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 The mu includes a phase shifter, and this phase shifter includes a first port, a second port, a first controllable reflection load, a second controllable reflection 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 lines that are electromagnetically coupled to each other. The pair of coupling lines includes a first conductive line connected between the first port and the first controllable reflection load, and a second conductive line connected between the second controllable reflection load and the second port.

[0064] In various embodiments, the second controllable reflection 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 a certain number of 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 subsequently 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 a phase shift setting of the phase shifter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0072] In 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 .

[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 including a pair of coupled lines .

[0075] In a given embodiment, a method of phase shifting is provided. The method includes receiving a radio frequency input signal at a first port . The method further includes the first controllable reflective load and Controlling a second controllable reflective load to control the phase shift of a radio frequency output signal at a second port including, 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 coupling lines, the first conductive line being connected between a first port and the first controllable reflective load, and the second conductive line being connected between the second controllable reflective load and the second port

[0076] In some embodiments, the second 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

[0077] In certain 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

[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 fixed distance from each other

[0079] In some 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 certain embodiments, the plurality ​​​​​​​​​The distance between adjacent pairs of points decreases gradually along the length of the first transmission line.

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

[0081] 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 increases gradually along the length of the first transmission line.

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

[0083] In various embodiments, the first controllable reflection 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 including a pair of coupled lines.

Brief Description of the Drawings

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

[0086]

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[0087] The following detailed description of a given embodiment presents various descriptions of a particular embodiment. However the innovations described herein can be embodied in many different forms defined and covered, for example, by the claims. In this specification, drawings with the same reference numbers indicate elements that are the same or functionally similar. It is understood that the elements shown in the drawings are not necessarily to scale. It is further understood that a given reference is not necessarily limited to scale. It is further understood that a given Embodiments may include more elements than shown in the drawings and / or portions of the elements shown in the drawings. Furthermore, some embodiments may also include any suitable combination of features from two or more of the drawings.

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

[0089] The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is a joint project among telecommunications standards bodies around the world, such as the Association of Radio Industries and Businesses (ARIB), the Telecommunications Technology Committee (TTC), the China Communications Standards Association (CCSA), the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS), the Telecommunications Technology Association (TTA), the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), and the Telecommunications Standards Development Society of India (TSDSI).

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

[0091] The technical specifications managed by 3GPP can be extended and revised by specification releases. These specification releases may well and widely specify new features and evolutions over a number of years.

[0092] In one example, 3GPP introduced carrier aggregation (CA) for LTE in Release 10. 3GPP initially introduced two downlink carriers, but in Release 14 it was extended to include up to five downlink carriers and up to three uplink carriers. Other examples of new features and evolutions provided by 3GPP releases include, but are not limited to, 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 5G technology in Release 15 and Phase 2 of 5G technology in Release 16. Subsequent 3GPP releases will further evolve and expand 5G technology. 5G technology is also referred to here as 5G New Radio (NR).

[0094] 5G NR supports or is expected to support various features such as communication using millimeter-wave spectrum, beamforming capabilities, high spectral efficiency waveforms, low-latency communication, multiple radio numerologies, and / or non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA). Despite such RF functions giving flexibility to the network and improving user data rates, ​, there are a certain number of technical challenges to support such features.

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

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

[0097] Despite the specific examples of base stations and user equipment shown in FIG. 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 macro cell base station 1 and a small cell base station 3. The small cell base station 3 may operate with relatively low power, short distance, and / or few simultaneous users compared to the macro cell base station 1. The small cell base station 3 , may also be referred to as a femto cell, a pico cell or a micro cell. Despite being shown as including two base stations, the communication network 10 may be implemented to include more or fewer base stations and / or other types of base stations.

[0099] Despite the various examples of user equipment shown, the teachings herein apply to mobile phones, tablets​​​ Laptops, laptops, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, wearables Electronic devices, customer premise equipment (CPE), wirelessly connected vehicles, wireless relays, and / or a variety It is applicable to a variety of user equipment including but not limited to other communication devices Furthermore, the user equipment includes not only currently available communication devices operating in a cellular network but also communication devices developed later that can be easily implemented in the systems, processes, methods, and devices of the present invention described herein and claimed in the claims. Including.

[0100] The exemplary communication network 10 of FIG. 1 supports communications using various cellular technologies including, for example, 4G LTE and 5G NR. In a given implementation, the communication network 1 0 is further adapted to provide a wireless local area network (WLAN) such as WiFi. Although various examples of communication technologies have been given, the communication network 10 can be adapted to support a variety of communication technologies.

[0101] Various communication links of the communication network 10 are depicted in FIG. 1. The communication links can be duplexed (duplexed) in a variety of ways including, for example, using frequency division duplexing (FDD) and / or time division duplexing (TDD). FDD is a type of radio frequency communication that uses different frequencies for signal transmission and reception. FDD can provide a number of advantages such as high data rates and low latency. In contrast, TDD is a type of radio frequency that uses approximately the same frequency for signal transmission and reception. It is communication, and the transmission communication and the reception communication switch over time. TDD provides a certain number of advantages such as efficient spectrum usage and variable allocation of throughput between the transmission and reception directions.

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

[0103] As shown in FIG. 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-backhaul and / or self-backhaul (such as between the mobile device 412g and the mobile device 412f).

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

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

[0107] In one example, frequency division multiple access (FDMA) is used to divide a frequency band into multiple frequency carriers. In addition, one or more carriers are allocated to a particular user. Examples of FDMA include, but are not limited to, single carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA) and orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA). OFDMA is a multi-carrier technology that divides the available bandwidth into a number of mutually orthogonal narrowband sub-carriers that can be allocated separately to different users.

[0108] Other examples of shared access include time division multiple access (TDMA) where a specific time slot is allocated to a user to use frequency resources, and code division multiple access (CDMA) where different users share frequency resources by assigning Spatial division multiple access using beamforming to provide shared access by means of time division successive (SDMA), non-orthogonal multiple access using the power domain for multiple access purposes (NOMA), including but not limited to. For example, NOMA can be used to serve multiple users with the same frequency, time and / or code but different power levels. It can be used.

[0109] Enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) refers to technologies that increase the system capacity of an LTE network. For example, eMBB may refer to at least 10 Gbps peak data rate and at least 100 Mbps communication for each user. Ultra-reliable low-latency communication (uRLLC) refers to technologies for very low latency communication, e.g., less than 2 milliseconds. uRLLC can be used for mission-critical communications such as autonomous driving and / or remote surgery applications. Massive machine type communication (mMTC) refers to low-cost and low-data-rate communication associated with wireless connections to everyday objects, e.g., communication associated with Internet of Things (IoT) applications. The communication network 10 of FIG. 1 can be used to support a variety of advanced communication functions including but not limited to eMBB, uRLLC and / or mMTC. The communication network 10 of FIG. 1 can be used to support a variety of advanced communication functions including but not limited to eMBB, uRLLC and / or mMTC. The communication network 10 of FIG. 1 can be used to support a variety of advanced communication functions including but not limited to eMBB, uRLLC and / or mMTC.

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

[0111] FIG. 2A is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a communication system 110 operating by beamforming. The communication system 110 includes a transceiver 105, a signal conditioning circuit 1 and a signal conditioning circuit 1 04a1, 104a2……104an, 104b1, 104b2…104bn, 104m 1, 104m2…104mn, and includes an antenna array 102. The antenna array 102 includes antenna elements 103a1, 103a2…103an, 103b1, 103b2…10 3bn, 103m1, 103m2…103mn.

[0112] Millimeter-wave carrier, centimeter-wave carrier, and / or other frequency carriers A communication system that communicates using can perform beamforming and directivity for signal transmission and / or reception using an antenna array such as the antenna array 102 can do.

[0113] For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the communication system 110 includes an array 102 of m×n antenna elements and these elements are each coupled to a separate signal conditioning circuit in this embodiment. As indicated by the ellipsis, the communication system 110 can implement any suitable number of antenna elements and signal conditioning circuits. For signal transmission, the signal conditioning circuits 104a1, 104a2…104an 104b1, 104b2…104bn, 104m1, 104m2…104mn cause the signals radiated from the antenna elements to combine using constructive and destructive interference and provide the transmission signals to the antenna array 102 so as to generate an aggregated transmission signal that exhibits a quality such as a beam having a strong signal intensity propagating in a given direction away from the antenna array 102.

[0114] For signal transmission, the signal conditioning circuits 104a1, 104a2…104an 104b1, 104b2…104bn, 104m1, 104m2…104mn are such that the signals radiated from the antenna elements combine using constructive and destructive interference and provide the transmission signals to the antenna array 102 so as to generate an aggregated transmission signal that exhibits a quality such as a beam having a strong signal intensity propagating in a given direction away from the antenna array 102. The signals radiated from the antenna elements combine using constructive and destructive interference and provide the transmission signals to the antenna array 102 so as to generate an aggregated transmission signal that exhibits a quality such as a beam having a strong signal intensity propagating in a given direction away from the antenna array 102. The signals radiated from the antenna elements combine using constructive and destructive interference and provide the transmission signals to the antenna array 102 so as to generate an aggregated transmission signal that exhibits a quality such as a beam having a strong signal intensity propagating in a given direction away from the antenna array 102. The signals radiated from the antenna elements combine using constructive and destructive interference and provide the transmission signals to the antenna array 102 so as to generate an aggregated transmission signal that exhibits a quality such as a beam having a strong signal intensity propagating in a given direction away from the antenna array 102. can do.

[0115] In the context of signal reception, signal conditioning circuits 104a1, 104a2…104a n, 104b1, 104b2…104bn, 104m1, 104m2…104mn process the received signal (e.g., by separately controlling the received signal phase) so that when the signal arrives at the antenna array 102 from a specific direction a large amount of signal energy is received. Thus, the communication system 110 also provides directivity for signal reception.

[0116] The relative concentration of signal energy that becomes a transmission beam or a reception beam can be increased by increasing the size of the array. For example, when the signal energy that becomes a focused transmission beam increases, the signal can propagate over a long range while providing a sufficient signal level for RF communication. For example, a signal with a large ratio of signal energy that becomes a focused transmission beam can exhibit a 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, 104 m2…104mn and processes the signals received from the signal conditioning circuits.

[0118] As shown in FIG. 2A, the transceiver 105 generates control signals for signal conditioning circuits 104a1 , 104a2…104an, 104b1, 104b2…104bn, 104m1, 104 m2…104mn. The control signals control various functions such as controlling the gain and phase of the transmission signal and / or the reception signal to control beamforming. It can be used for energy. For example, signal conditioning circuits 104a1, 1 04a2…104an, 104b1, 104b2…104bn, 104m1, 104m2 …104mn may each include a phase shifter implemented according to the teachings herein.

[0119] FIG. 2B is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of beamforming that provides a transmission beam. FIG. 2B shows 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. It shows a part of the system.

[0120] Although shown as including two antenna elements and two signal conditioning circuits, the communication system may include additional antenna elements and / or signal conditioning circuits. For example, FIG. 2B shows one embodiment of a part of the communication system 110 of FIG. 2A. It shows a state.

[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 the power amplifier 131a or LNA 132a. In addition, the second signal conditioning circuit 1 14b includes a second phase shifter 130b, a second power amplifier 131b, a second LNA 132b, and a switch for controlling the selection of the power amplifier 131b or LNA 132b. The first phase shi fter 130a and the second phase shifter 130b can be implemented according to any of the embodiments herein. It can be done.

[0122] Although one embodiment of the signal conditioning circuit is shown, the signal conditioning Other implementation examples of the joining circuit are also possible. For example, in one example, the signal conditioning circuit includes one or more band filters, diplexers, 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 has a value of approximately 90° when the transmission beam direction is substantially perpendicular to the plane of the antenna array, and has a value of approximately 0° when the transmission beam direction is substantially parallel to the plane of the antenna array.

[0124] By controlling the relative phases of the transmission signals applied to the antenna elements 113a, 113b, the desired transmission beam angle θ can be achieved. For example, the first phase shifter 13 0a has a reference value of 0°, and the second phase shifter 130b can be controlled to provide a phase shift of approximately -2πf(d / ν)cosθ radians. Here, f is the fundamental frequency of the transmission signal, d is the distance between the antenna elements, ν is the speed 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. Here, λ is the wavelength of the fundamental component of the transmission signal. In such an implementation, the second phase shifter 130b can be controlled to provide a phase shift of approximately -πcosθ radians to achieve the transmission beam angle θ.

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

[0127] FIG. 2C is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of beamforming that provides a receive beam. FIG. 2C is similar to FIG. 2B, but FIG. 2C is different in that it shows beamforming in the context of a receive beam rather than a transmit beam. The points shown are different.

[0128] As shown in FIG. 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 to achieve the desired receive 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 to achieve the receive beam angle θ.

[0129] Despite the various equations given for the phase values that provide beamforming, other phase selection values are possible, such as the phase values selected based on the implementation of the antenna array, the implementation of the signal conditioning circuit, and / or the radio environment.

[0130] Phase shifter with switched transmission line load

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

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

[0133] By implementing a phase shifter in this manner, high-frequency performance (e.g., operation in FR2 in the range of 24 GHz to 30 GHz) becomes effective. Furthermore, good reflection loss can be achieved over a range of phase settings of the phase shifter, and / or the reflection loss can be made relatively constant. Furthermore, the group delay of the phase shifter has little variation with frequency, and thus does not distort broadband signals.

[0134] The first controllable reflective load and the second controllable reflective load are controlled based on a selected phase setting of the phase shifter. In a given implementation, each controllable reflective load is implemented using a switched transmission line load. Such a switched transmission line load may include a transmission line and a shunt switch (e.g., a field effect transistor or FET) connected between the transmission line and a reference voltage such as ground. By selecting a combination of switches to be turned on, the effective electrical length of the transmission line can be controlled. When 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 coupled lines can be adjusted during design to achieve desired performance characteristics. In a given implementation, a pair The coupling line of the 3dB 90° coupler (also called a hybrid coupler here) The hybrid combiner is implemented as a combiner with a control Possible to work in combination with reflective loads.

[0136] The phase shifter here is used as an RF signal conditioner for beamforming applications. A wide variety of applications, including but not limited to providing phase shift in local circuits. It can be used in applications.

[0137] In this particular implementation example, the phase shifter may be, for example, 24.25 GHz to 52.6 GHz. To provide a phase shift to RF signals in the 5G Frequency Range 2 (FR2), such as Hz. However, the phase shifter here can also handle other RF signal frequencies. Cut.

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

[0139] In the illustrated embodiment, the first end 207a of the first conductive line 203 is connected to the input port IN. and the second end 207 b of the first conductive line 203 is connected to the first controllable reflective load 201 . In addition, the first end 208a of the second conductive line 204 is connected to the second controllable reflective load 202. , the second end 208b of the second conductive line 204 is connected to the output port OUT. The first end 207a of 3 and the first end 208a of the second conductive line 204 are present on the first side of the coupling line 200 while the second end 207b of the first conductive line 203 and the second end 208b of the second conductive line 204 are present on the second side or the opposite side of the coupling line 200.

[0140] In this embodiment, a pair of coupling lines 200 is implemented as a hybrid coupler. In addition the first end 207a corresponds to the input terminal (IN) of the coupler, and the second end 207b corresponds to the s plit 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 reflection load 201 or the second controllable reflection load 202 is implemented using the switched transmission line according to the teachings herein.

[0142] By implementing the phase shifter 210 in this manner, high frequency performance, good reflection loss, and / or constant reflection loss can be achieved over a plurality of phase settings. Furthermore, the group delay of the phase shifter 210 has little variation with frequency and therefore does not distort broadband signals. In a given implementation example, the first controllable reflection load 201 and the second controllable reflection load 202

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

[0144] The even-mode impedance, odd-mode impedance, and length of the coupled wire 200 are determined as desired. The bond wire 200 can be adjusted during design to achieve the desired performance characteristics. It works in combination with the controllable reflective load 201 / 202 to achieve:

[0145] 4A is a schematic diagram of a switched transmission line 230 according to one embodiment. The transmission line 230 is connected to the transmission line 221 and the RF input RF IN And, Shantousui 222n and a control circuit 223. , n shunt switches, where n is an integer equal to or greater than 2 and equal to or greater than 4. It is preferable.

[0146] The switched transmission line 230 of FIG. 4A is a control of one embodiment implemented in accordance with the teachings herein. Indicates the controllable reflective load.

[0147] In the illustrated embodiment, the control circuit 223 determines whether the phase shift setting φ is The shunt switches 222a, 222b, 222c, ... 222n are opened or closed. The switches 222a, 222b, 222c, . . . 222n are connected to different The shunt switches 222a, 222b, 222c, ... 222n are connected to the The transmission line 221 is selectively connected to ground.

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

[0149] In a given implementation example, the control circuit 223 turns on all the switches (or at least the shunt switch 222a closest to the RF IN to provide the shortest electrical length of the transmission line 221. When starting from the state where all the shunt switches are closed, the shunt switch can be sequentially opened (turned off) starting from the switch 222a closest to the RF to provide gradually increasing electrical lengths. IN

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

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

[0152] In a given embodiment herein, the switched transmission line includes shunt switches that are controlled using thermometer decoding.

[0153] FIG. 5A is a schematic diagram of a switched transmission line 240 according to another embodiment. The switched 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, 23 2c1 / 232c2,... 232n1 / 232n2. That is, n pairs of shunt switches are included. Here, n is an integer of 2 or more, and preferably 4 or more.

[0154] ​​​​​Comparing the switched transmission line 230 of FIG. 4A, the switched transmission line 240 of FIG. 5A implements each shunt switch using a pair of FET switches. Additionally, each pair of FE T switch is one FE connected between the transmission line 231 and the first ground conductor 233a T switch (e.g., FET switch 232a1), and the other FET switch (e.g., FET switch 232a2) connected between the transmission line 231 and the second ground conductor 2 33b. In a given implementation example, each pair of FET switches is commonly controlled by n control signals (e.g., the n control signals generated one for each pair by a control circuit such as the control circuit 223 of FIG. 4 A) generated by a corresponding control circuit for each pair. By implementing the shunt switch using FETs in the depicted manner, improved performance (especially at high frequencies) is achieved.

[0155]

[0156] FIG. 5B is a schematic diagram of a switched transmission line 250 according to another embodiment. The switched 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, 24 2c1 / 242c2,... 242n1 / 242n2.

[0157] The switched transmission line 250 of FIG. 5B is similar to the switched transmission line 240 of FIG. 5A, but the switched transmission line 250 of FIG. 5B includes a plurality of shunt switches having different sizes (i.e., the on-state resistance and off-state capacitance change) and different distances or separations from each other.

[0158] Implementing the switched transmission line 250 in this manner provides a number of advantages.

[0159] For example, the on-state resistance (Ron) of the shunt switches can be individually selected to maintain a substantially constant reflection coefficient (|Γ |) over a plurality of switch states (corresponding to a plurality of L phase shift settings). In a given implementation, Ron decreases as the phase shift increases, so the switches closer to the RF input of the transmission line are smaller than the switches farther from the RF input (which have a higher on-state resistance). Ron decreases as the phase shift increases, so the switches closer to the RF input of the transmission line are smaller than the switches farther from the RF input (which have a higher on-state resistance).

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

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

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

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

[0164] The switched transmission line 260 of FIG. 6 is similar to the switched transmission line 230 of FIG. 4A, but the transmission line 251 shown in FIG. 6 includes sections 255a, 255b, … 255n that meander to achieve a desired phase and / or amplitude response while maintaining a compact layout. The points are different.

[0165] The meandering of the transmission line is also applicable to a configuration that uses a plurality of pairs of FET switches coupled to a pair of ground lines. For example, the transmission line 231 of the embodiments of FIGS. 5A and 5B may meander according to the teachings herein.

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

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

[0168] Using a reflection type phase shifter implemented according to the teachings herein, a wide variety of performance results can be achieved.

[0169] Table 1 below shows an example of the results of a phase shifter using a switched transmission line load according to an implementation example of FIG. 5B.

Table 1

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

[0171] The mobile device 800 may be configured to support 2G, 3G, 4G (LTE, LTE Advanced, and LTE Advanced Pro), 5GNR, WLAN (e.g. Wi-Fi), WPAN (e.g. Bl Bluetooth (registered trademark) and ZigBee (registered trademark), WMAN (e.g., WiM ax), and / or using a variety of communication technologies, including but not limited to GPS technology. It can be used to communicate via

[0172] The transceiver 802 generates RF signals for transmission and receives incoming signals from the antenna 804. Processes RF signals. It will be understood that the functions associated with transmitting and receiving RF signals The various functions are implemented by one or more components collectively represented in FIG. 8 as transceiver 802. In one example, a device that handles a given type of RF signal may be used. Alternatively, separate components (eg, separate circuits or dies) may be provided.

[0173] The front-end system 803 transmits to the antenna 804 and / or In the illustrated embodiment, the front The end system 803 includes a power amplifier (PA) 811, a low noise amplifier (LNA) 812, It includes 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 shifters disclosed herein can also be used in other configured electronic systems.

[0175] The front - end system 803 can provide a certain number of functions including, but not limited to, amplification of the transmission signal, amplification of the received signal, signal filtering ring, switching between different bands, switching between different power modes, switching between the transmission mode and the reception mode, signal duplexing, signal multiplexing (such as diplexing or triplexing), or some combination thereof.

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

[0177] The phase shifter 810 is controlled to provide beam forming and directivity for signal transmission and / or reception using the antenna 804. For example, in the context of signal transmission, the phase of the transmission signal applied to the antenna array used for transmission is controlled so that the transmitted signals are combined using constructive and destructive interference, and an aggregated transmission signal is generated that exhibits a quality such as a beam with strong signal strength propagating in a given direction. ​​​​In the context of reception, the phase is controlled such that when a signal arrives at the antenna array from a specific direction, more signal energy is received.

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

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

[0180] In a given implementation example, the antenna 804 supports MIMO communication and / or switched diversity city communication. For example, MIMO communication uses multiple antennas to communicate multiple data streams over a single radio frequency channel. MIMO communication benefits from high signal-to-noise ratio, improved coding, and / or signal interference reduction due to spatial multiplexing (multiplexing) of the wireless environment. Switched diversity refers to communication where a specific antenna operating at a specific time is selected. For example, the observed bit A switch can be used to select a specific antenna from a group of antennas based on various factors such as error rate and / or signal strength indicators. This can be done using a switch to select a specific antenna from a group of antennas based on various factors such as error rate and / or signal strength indicators.

[0181] In a given implementation example, the antenna 804 includes one or more antenna elements of an array to enhance beamforming. This can be done using a switch to select a specific antenna from a group of antennas based on various factors such as error rate and / or signal strength indicators.

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

[0183] The memory 806 can be used for a variety of purposes such as storing data and / or instructions to facilitate the operation of the mobile device 800 and / or to store user information. The memory 806 can be used for a variety of purposes such as storing data and / or instructions to facilitate the operation of the mobile device 800 and / or to store user information. 806 can be used for a variety of purposes such as storing data and / or instructions to facilitate the operation of the mobile device 800 and / or to store user information.

[0184] The power management system 805 provides a number of power management functions for the mobile 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 can be configured to vary the supply voltage provided to one or more of the plurality of power amplifiers 811 to improve efficiency such as power added efficiency (PAE). 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 can be configured to vary the supply voltage provided to one or more of the plurality of power amplifiers 811 to improve efficiency such as power added efficiency (PAE). 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 can be configured to vary the supply voltage provided to one or more of the plurality of power amplifiers 811 to improve efficiency such as power added efficiency (PAE). 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 can be configured to vary the supply voltage provided to one or more of the plurality of power amplifiers 811 to improve efficiency such as power added efficiency (PAE). 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 can be configured to vary the supply voltage provided to one or more of the plurality of power amplifiers 811 to improve efficiency such as power added efficiency (PAE).

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

[0186] FIG. 9A is a schematic diagram of an RF channel 910 according to an embodiment. The RF channel 9 10 includes an RF splitter / combiner 901, phase shifters 902a, 902b,... 902z, a first group of transmit / receive (T / R) switches 903a, 903b,... 903z, power amplifiers 904 a, 904b,... 904z, low noise amplifiers (LNAs) 905a, 905b,... 905z, a second group of T / R switches 906a, 906b,... 906z, and antennas 907a, 90 7b,... 907z.

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

[0188] Despite depicting one embodiment of an RF channel, the teachings herein are applicable to RF channels implemented in a variety of ways. Thus, other implementations are possible.

[0189] FIG. 9B is a schematic diagram of an RF channel 920 according to another embodiment. The RF channel 9 20 includes an RF splitter 911a, an RF combiner 911b, a first group of phase shifters 912a, 91 2b, … 912z, phase shifters 913a, 913b, … 913z of the second group, power amplifier 9 04a, 904b, … 904z, LNAs 905a, 905b, … 905z, T / R switches 906a, 906b, … 906z, and antennas 907a, 907b, … 907z are included. to.

[0190] RF channel 920 showed the RF channels of other embodiments. However, the teachings here are applicable to RF channels implemented in a wide variety of manners. Therefore, other implementation examples are also possible.

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

[0192] Module 1140 includes a laminate substrate or laminate 1141, a semiconductor die or IC 1142 (invisible in FIG. 10A), surface mount devices (SMDs) 1143 (invisible in FIG. 10A) , and an antenna array. This antenna array includes antenna elements 1151a1, 11 51a2, 1151a3 … 1151an, 1151b1, 1151b2, 1151b3 … 1151bn, 1151c1, 1151c2, 1151c3 … 1151cn, 1151m 1, 1151m2, 1151m3 … 1151mn.

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

[0194] Antenna elements antenna elements 1151a1, 1151a2, 1151a3…1151an , 1151b1, 1151b2, 1151b3…1151bn, 1151c1, 1151 c2, 1151c3…1151cn, 1151m1, 1151m2, 1151m3…11 51mn are formed on the first surface of the laminate 1141 and can be used to receive and / or transmit signals based on the implementation. Although a 4×4 array of antenna elements is illustrated, more or fewer antenna elements are possible, as indicated by the ellipsis. Further, the antenna elements may be arrayed in other patterns or configurations including, for example, an array using a non-uniform arrangement of antenna elements. Further, in other embodiments, multiple 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, IC 1142 is present on the second surface of the laminate 1141 opposite the first surface. However, other implementations are possible. In one example, IC 11 42 is integrated inside the laminate 1141.

[0196] In a given implementation, IC 142 is connected to antenna elements 1151a1, 1151a2, 1 151a3…1151an, 1151b1, 1151b2, 1151b3…1151bn , 1151c1, 1151c2, 1151c3…1151cn, 1151m1, 1151 including a signal conditioning circuit associated with m2, 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 receives data controlling a signal conditioning circuit such as the amount of phase shift provided by phase shifter 1145 via a Mobile Industry Processor Interface Radio Frequency Front End (MIPI RFFE) bus and / or includes a serial interface such as an Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C) bus. In other embodiments, IC142 further includes an integrated transceiver.

[0198] The laminate 1141 may include various structures including, for example, conductive layers, dielectric layers, and / or solder masks. The number, thickness, and materials of the layers used to form the layers can be selected based on a variety of factors and can vary depending on the application and / or implementation. The laminate 1141 may include vias providing electrical connections to the signal feed and / or ground feed of the antenna element. For example, in a given implementation, the vias assist in providing an electrical connection

[0199] between the signal conditioning circuit of IC1142 and the corresponding antenna element. The antenna elements 1151a1, 1151a2, 1151a3…1151an, 1151b 1, 1151b2, 1151b3…1151bn, 1151c1, 1151c2, 115 The array includes patch antenna elements formed from a patterned conductive layer on the first side of the laminate 1141, which have 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 direct structured antennas.

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

[0201] Application

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

[0203] For example, phase shifters can be included in various electronic devices including, but not limited to, consumer electronics products, parts of consumer electronics products, electronic test equipment, etc. Examples of electronic devices include, but are not limited to, base stations, wireless network access points, mobile phones (e.g., smartphones), tablets, TVs, computer monitors, computers, handheld computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), microwave ovens, refrigerators, automobiles, stereos, disc players, digital cameras, portable memory chips, washing machines, dryers, copiers, fax machines, scanners, multifunctional peripheral devices, wristwatches, table clocks, etc. Further, the electronic devices may include unfinished products.

[0204] Summary

[0205] Unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, throughout the specification and the claims, terms such as "comprising", "including" and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense opposite to an exclusive or exhaustive sense, that is, in the sense of "including but not limited to". Here, the term "coupled" generally used herein refers to the possibility that two or more elements can be directly connected or connected via one or more intermediate elements. Similarly, the term "connected" generally used herein also refers to the possibility that two or more elements can be directly connected or connected via one or more intermediate elements. In addition, when used in this application, the terms "herein", "above", "below" and terms of similar meaning refer to the whole of this application and not to any particular part of this application. Where the context permits, the terms in the above detailed description using singular or plural numbers may include the plural or singular numbers respectively. The terms "or" and "and / or" referring to a list of two or more items cover the following interpretations of the term, that is, 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 described or understood to be otherwise within the context in which it is used, conditional language such as, among others, "can", "may", "is permitted", "might", "such as" "for example" and "like" used herein generally intends that a given embodiment includes a given feature, element, and / or state while other embodiments do not. That is, such conditional languages generally do not intend to imply that features, elements, and / or states exist in any manner necessary for one or more embodiments, or whether one or more embodiments, with or without the author's input or prompt, include these features, elements, and / or states, or the logic for determining whether they should be performed in any particular embodiment. The above description of the embodiments of the present invention is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present invention to the exact form disclosed. Specific embodiments and examples of the present invention have been described above for illustrative purposes, but as will be recognized by those skilled in the art, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the present invention. For example, while a process or block is presented in a given order, alternative embodiments may execute a routine with steps in a different order or use a system with blocks in a different order. Some processes or blocks may be deleted, moved, added, subdivided, combined, and / or modified. These processes or blocks may each be implemented in various different manners. Also, while processes or blocks may be shown as being executed serially, these processes or blocks may instead be executed in parallel or at different times. The teachings of the present invention provided herein can be applied to other systems that are not necessarily the systems described above. The elements and operations of the various embodiments described above may be combined to provide further embodiments.

[0207]

[0208]

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

Claims

1. A phase shifter comprising: a first port and 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; a pair of coupled lines electromagnetically coupled to each other; and a pair of conductive lines including 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. A phase shifter comprising: 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. A phase shifter comprising: A phase shifter.

2. The phase shifter according to claim 1, wherein 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. A phase shifter according to claim 1, wherein 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.

3. The phase shifter according to claim 2, wherein each of the first plurality of shunt switches is implemented as a pair of field effect transistors. A phase shifter according to claim 2, wherein 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. A phase shifter according to claim 2, wherein 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. A phase shifter according to claim 2, wherein 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.

4. The phase shifter according to claim 1, wherein one or more of the first plurality of shunt switches are closed based on a phase shift setting of the phase shifter. A phase shifter according to claim 1, wherein one or more of the first plurality of shunt switches are closed based on a phase shift setting of the phase shifter.

5. The phase shifter according to claim 1, wherein the first port receives a radio frequency input signal. The phase shifter according to claim 1, wherein the second port provides a radio frequency output signal with a shifted phase. A phase shifter according to claim 1, wherein the first port receives a radio frequency input signal, and the second port provides a radio frequency output signal with a shifted phase.

6. The phase shifter according to claim 1, wherein the second port receives a radio frequency input signal. The phase shifter according to claim 1, wherein the first port provides a radio frequency output signal with a shifted phase. A phase shifter according to claim 1, wherein the second port receives a radio frequency input signal, and the first port provides a radio frequency output signal with a shifted phase.

7. The phase shifter according to claim 1, wherein 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. A phase shifter according to claim 1, wherein 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.

8. The phase shifter according to claim 7, wherein the distance between adjacent pairs of the plurality of points gradually decreases along the length of the first transmission line. A phase shifter according to claim 7, wherein the distance between adjacent pairs of the plurality of points gradually decreases along the length of the first transmission line.

9. The phase shifter according to claim 1, wherein each of the first plurality of shunt switches has a different size. A phase shifter according to claim 1, wherein each of the first plurality of shunt switches has a different size.

10. The phase shifter according to claim 9, wherein the size of the first plurality of shunt transistors gradually increases along the length of the first transmission line. A phase shifter according to claim 9, wherein the size of the first plurality of shunt transistors gradually increases along the length of the first transmission line.

11. The phase shifter according to claim 1, wherein the first transmission line includes a plurality of serpentine sections.

12. The phase shifter according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the plurality of serpentine sections includes a loop.

13. The second controllable reflective load includes a second transmission line and a second plurality of shunt switches connected along the second transmission line. The phase shifter according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of shunt switches.

14. A wireless device, comprising: a transceiver; a front-end system coupled to the transceiver; The front-end system includes 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 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. A wireless device.

15. The wireless device according to claim 14, wherein 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.

16. The wireless device according to claim 15, wherein 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 first five field effect transistor connected between the first transmission line and the first five ground conductors. A wireless device.

17. One or more of the first plurality of shunt switches are closed based on a phase shift setting of the wireless device. The wireless device according to claim 14.

18. The wireless device according to claim 14, wherein 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.

19. The wireless device according to claim 14, wherein each of the first plurality of shunt switches has a different size.

20. A method of phase shifting, comprising: receiving a radio frequency input signal at a first port; controlling a first controllable reflective load and a second controllable reflective load to control a phase shift of a radio frequency output signal at a second port; providing a coupling between a first conductive line and a second conductive line of a pair of coupled lines; The first controllable reflective load includes a first transmission line and a first plurality of shunt switches connected along the first transmission line. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ The first conductive wire is connected between the first port and the first controllable reflective load, The second conductive wire is connected between the second controllable reflective load and the second port, method 。

21. A phase shifter, An input terminal, a through terminal, a first coupling Wire connected between the input terminal and the through terminal, an isolation terminal, a coupling terminal, the isolation terminal and the coupling terminal And a coupler including a second coupling wire connected therebetween, An input Port configured to receive a radio frequency input signal and connected to the input terminal of the coupler, 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 reflective load connected to the through terminal of the coupler Including, The first controllable reflective load 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 are selectable to control the phase shift, phase shift Ta.

22. The first controllable reflective load further includes a first ground conductor on a first side of the transmission line and a second ground conductor on a second side of the first 1 transmission line, the phase shifter of claim 21.

23. Each of the 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 2 ground conductors, the phase shifter of claim 22.

24. The plurality of shunt switches are connected to the transmission line at a plurality of points at non-uniform intervals, the phase shifter of claim 21.

25. The distance between adjacent pairs of the plurality of points gradually decreases along the length of the transmission line, the phase shifter of claim 24.

26. Each of the plurality of shunt switches has a different size, the phase shifter of claim 21.

27. The size of the plurality of shunt transistors gradually increases along the length of the first transmission line, the phase shifter of claim 26.

28. The transmission line includes a plurality of meandering sections, the phase shifter of claim 21.

29. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ The phase shifter according to claim 28, wherein at least one of the plurality of meandering sections includes a loop.

30. The phase shifter according to claim 21, further comprising a second controllable reflective load connected to the isolation terminal of the coupler.

31. A wireless device, a transceiver, and a front-end system coupled to the transceiver, wherein the front-end system includes a phase shifter, the phase shifter includes a coupler, the coupler has 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, the first controllable reflective load includes a transmission line and a plurality of shunt switches each connected between a ground voltage and a different point along the transmission line, and the plurality of shunt switches are selectable to control the phase shift, the wireless device.

32. The portable device according to claim 31, wherein the first controllable reflective load further includes a first ground conductor on a first side of the transmission line and a second ground conductor on a second side of the first transmission line.

33. The portable device according to claim 32, wherein each of the 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.

34. The portable device according to claim 31, wherein the plurality of shunt switches are connected to the transmission line at a plurality of points at non-uniform intervals.

35. The portable device according to claim 34, wherein the distance between adjacent pairs of the plurality of points gradually decreases along the length of the transmission line.

36. The portable device according to claim 31, wherein each of the plurality of shunt switches has a different size.

37. The portable device according to claim 36, wherein the size of the plurality of shunt transistors gradually increases along the length of the first transmission line. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

38. The phase shifter further includes a second controllable reflection load connected to the isolation terminal of the combiner, and the mobile device of claim 31.

39. A method of phase shifting, comprising: receiving a radio frequency input signal at an input terminal of a combiner; providing a coupling from a first coupling line of the combiner to a second coupling line of the combiner, wherein the first coupling line is connected between the input terminal of the combiner and the through terminal of the combiner, and the second coupling line is connected between the isolation terminal of the combiner and the coupling terminal of the combiner; providing a radio frequency output signal from the coupling terminal of the combiner, wherein the radio frequency output signal has a phase shift relative to the radio frequency input signal; controlling the phase shift using a first controllable reflection load connected to the through terminal of the combiner, including selecting one or more of a plurality of shunt switches of the first controllable reflection load; wherein the plurality of shunt switches are each connected between a ground voltage and a different point along a transmission line of the first controllable reflection load.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising controlling a second controllable reflection load connected to the isolation terminal of the combiner. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

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