Filters including bandpass filter transmission lines

Abstract

To solve a problem in which a conventional interference mitigation filter tends to be more complex than an interference mitigation filter implemented using a bandpass approach, may have limited tunability, and may exhibit greater sensitivity to thermal fluctuations.SOLUTION: A filter includes a housing having an input port and an output port and a plurality of resonant cavities within the housing. Each resonant cavity may include a respective notch resonator. The filter may further include a bandpass filter including a plurality of bandpass resonators, and the bandpass filter extends between the input port and the output port. Bandpass filters can replace transmission lines included in a conventional filter.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Cross - reference to Related Applications This application claims priority to Italian Patent Application No. 102021000006053, filed on March 15, 2021, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention generally relates to communication systems, and more specifically, to filters suitable for use in cellular communication systems.

Background Art

[0003] A filter is an electronic device that selectively passes signals based on their frequency. Various types of filters are used in cellular communication systems. Typically, as new generations of cellular communication services are introduced without phasing out existing cellular communication services step - by - step, both the number and types of filters used have increased significantly. Filters can be used, for example, to enable different frequency - band radio - frequency ( "RF") signals to share selected components of a cellular communication system and / or to separate RF data signals from power and / or control signals. In many applications, filters can be incorporated within base - station antennas. As the number of filters used in typical cellular communication systems has increased rapidly, there has been a growing need for smaller, lighter, and / or less expensive filters.

[0004] The "response" of a filter refers to the amount of energy that passes from the first port of the filter (e.g., the input port) to the second port (e.g., the output port) as a function of frequency. A filter response typically includes one or more passbands, which are frequency ranges in which the filter passes a signal with relatively little attenuation. A filter response also typically includes one or more stopbands. A stopband is a frequency range in which the filter effectively fails to pass a signal, usually because the filter is designed to reflect any signal incident on the filter backward within this frequency range. In some applications, it may be desirable for the filter response to exhibit a high degree of "local selectivity," meaning that transitions from the passband to the adjacent stopband occur over a narrow frequency range. Metal resonant cavity filters are typically used in applications where the filter response must exhibit a high degree of local selectivity. One technique to enhance local selectivity is to add a "transmission zero" to the filter response. A "transmission zero" refers to a portion of the filter frequency response in which the amount of signal energy passing through is very low.

[0005] One type of filter commonly used in cellular communications applications is an interference mitigation filter. An interference mitigation filter is a two-port device that allows RF energy to pass through in a first frequency band ("passband") while attenuating or "rejecting" RF energy in a second frequency band ("stopband"). In many applications, the passband and stopband may be located close to each other, and therefore the filter may need to exhibit a high degree of local selectivity. An interference mitigation filter may be used, for example, in a base station shared by two different cellular operators. Each cellular operator may mount base station antennas on antenna towers associated with the base station, and these base station antennas may serve in the same frequency band. To limit interference between antennas operated by different cellular operators, the first cellular operator may transmit and receive RF signals in their respective first and second subbands of a particular operating frequency band, while the second cellular operator may transmit and receive RF signals in their respective third and fourth subbands of this operating frequency band. For example, a first cellular operator may transmit an RF signal in the 1930-1940 MHz subband and receive an RF signal in the 1850-1860 MHz subband within the 1850-1990 MHz operating frequency band. In this situation, a second cellular operator (at the same location) would be assigned a different subband, for example, transmitting an RF signal in the 1960-1970 MHz subband and receiving an RF signal in the 1880-1890 MHz subband. In such a situation, the first cellular operator may use interference mitigation filters (or two filters, one for each subband) that allow RF signals in the 1850-1860 MHz and 1930-1940 MHz subbands to pass through, while rejecting RF signals in the 1880-1890 MHz and 1960-1970 MHz subbands, in order to minimize the impact of the second cellular operator's equipment on the communication quality.Similarly, a second cellular operator may use interference mitigation filters (or two interference mitigation filters) that allow RF signals in the 1880-1890 MHz and 1960-1970 MHz subbands to pass through, while rejecting RF signals in the 1850-1860 MHz and 1930-1940 MHz subbands, in order to minimize the impact of the first cellular operator's equipment on communication quality.

[0006] Interference reduction filters can be implemented using a bandpass filter approach. Figure 1A is a top view of a conventional interference reduction filter 100 (with its cover removed) implemented as a resonant cavity bandpass filter that creates a stopband (attenuation) above a pair of passbands, as shown in Figure 1B. As shown in Figure 1A, the filter 100 includes a metal housing 110 having a floor 112, an outer wall 114, and an inner wall 116. The housing 110 may be formed, for example, by die casting or machining. The inner wall 116 defines a plurality of resonant cavities 120. A plurality of coaxial resonant elements or “resonators” 130 are provided, with each of the resonant cavities 120 having a resonator 130. Each resonator 130 extends upward from the floor 112 of the housing 110 and may be implemented, for example, as a metal TEM resonator. Openings 118, commonly called “windows,” are formed in some of the inner walls 116. The window 118 allows resonators 130 in adjacent resonant cavities 120 to couple with each other. An internal metal cover (not shown) is provided, which serves as the top of the filter 100. The internal metal cover may have a shape and size substantially similar to the floor 112 and may be attached, for example, to the upper surfaces of the outer and inner walls 114, 116 of the housing 110 via screws (threaded holes 115 for the screws are visible in Figure 1). An external cover (not shown) may be mounted on top of the internal cover to cover the adjustment screws.

[0007] The filter 100 further includes an input port 150 and an output port 152 used to couple RF signals entering and exiting the housing 110. In the illustrated embodiment, the input port 150 and the output port 152 are formed as respective coaxial connectors, each having an external conductor contact physically and electrically connected to the housing 110 and a central conductor contact extending into the interior of the housing 110 through the outer wall 114 of the housing 110. A coaxial input cable with a connector may be coupled to the input port 150, and a coaxial output cable with a connector may be coupled to the output port 152. Multiple resonators 140 extending between the input port 150 and the output port 152 are also provided. A particular filter 100 illustrated in Figure 1A is a dual bandpass filter having a transmit passband, a transmit stopband, and a receive passband (see Figure 1B). Tuning screws or other tuning elements (not shown) extending through a metal cover (not shown) are provided. For example, tuning screws may be aligned coaxially with each resonator 130, 140, and tuning screws may also be provided between adjacent resonators 130, 140. Tuning screws may be used to tune the center frequencies of the passband and stopband, as well as the size or "bandwidth" of the passband and stopband.

[0008] When an RF signal is input at input port 150, the RF energy within the passband of filter 100 passes through the resonant cavity 120 (through the window 118 in the inner wall 116), along the larger cavity along the lower edge of the filter including the resonator 140, and is output through output port 152. The RF energy within the stopband of filter 100 is reflected backward and therefore does not pass through to output port 152. Filter 100 has a mutual response and therefore behaves in the same manner when RF energy is input at port 152 and output at port 150. The response of filter 100 is shown in Figure 1B, which is a plot showing the amount (in dB) that the magnitude of the input RF signal is reduced by the filter as a function of frequency. There are two passbands on the left side of the plot and one stopband on the right side of the plot. The lower part of the two passbands is mainly generated by the resonator 140, while the upper part of the two passbands is mainly generated by the resonator 130. The arrangement of resonators 130, 140 and coupling window 118 in Figure 1A creates five transmission zeros just above the upper passband, providing abrupt transitions and high levels of rejection in the stopband.

[0009] Interference reduction filters implemented using the bandpass filter approach shown in Figure 1A can be relatively simple to design and easy to tune. However, these filters typically require a relatively large number of resonators and are typically relatively large in size.

[0010] Interference mitigation filters can alternatively be implemented using a band-rejection or "notch" filter approach. Figure 2 is a top view of a conventional interference mitigation filter 200 (with its cover removed) implemented using a band-rejection filter approach. As shown in Figure 2, the filter 200 includes a metal housing 210 having a floor 212, an outer wall 214, and an inner wall 216. The housing 210 may be formed, for example, by die casting or machining. The inner wall 216 defines a plurality of resonant cavities 220. A plurality of resonators 230 are provided, each having a resonator 230 within the resonant cavity 220. Each resonator 230 extends upward from the floor 212 and, in the illustrated embodiment, is implemented as a dielectric TE01 resonator. An internal metal cover (not shown) is provided that serves as the top of the filter 200. The internal metal cover may have a shape and size substantially similar to the floor 212 and may be attached, for example, to the upper surface of the outer wall 214 via screws (threaded holes 215 for the screws are visible in Figure 2). An external cover (not shown) may be mounted on top of the internal cover to cover the adjustment screws.

[0011] Similar to filter 100, filter 200 includes an input port 250 and an output port 252 used to couple RF signals entering and exiting the housing 210. The input and output ports 250, 252 may be substantially identical to the input and output ports 150, 152, and therefore further description thereof will be omitted. Filter 200 further includes an RF transmission line 260 having a first end coupled to the center conductor contact of the input port 250 and a second end coupled to the center conductor contact of the output port 252. The RF transmission line 260 may be implemented, for example, as a coaxial transmission line, a stripline transmission line, or a microstrip transmission line. In the illustrated embodiment, the transmission line is implemented as an air stripline transmission line. Spurs or "stubs" 262 extend from the RF transmission line 260 into each resonant cavity 220, and each spur 262 may extend around one portion of each dielectric TE01 resonator 230. Tuning screws or other tuning elements (not shown) are provided, extending through an internal metal cover (not shown). Since the tuning elements may be identical to the corresponding tuning elements of the filter 100, further description thereof is omitted.

[0012] When an RF signal is input at input port 250, the RF energy within the passband of filter 200 passes along the RF transmission line 260 to output port 252. The RF energy within the stopband of filter 200 passes through the resonant cavity 220 and is reflected backward, and therefore does not pass to output port 252.

[0013] Figure 3A is a top view of the conventional interference reduction filter 200' (with the cover removed), and the filter is again implemented as a resonant cavity notch filter with a transmission line extending between the input and output ports. Filter 200' is very similar to filter 200 in Figure 2, except that filter 200' includes a metal TEM resonator 230' instead of the dielectric TE01 resonator 230 of filter 200. Figure 3B is a graph of the frequency response of the filter in Figure 3A. As indicated by the rectangular structure of the plot, the filter design requires two passbands (approximately 824–849 MHz and 869–889 MHz) as well as one stopband (approximately 890–915 MHz). The notch structure provides a single passband that covers both passband frequency ranges. Resonator 230' produces the stopband response shown in Figure 3B. The vertical axis in Figure 3B shows the RF signal level at the output of filter 200' in dB as opposed to the RF signal level at the input to the filter. [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0014] Interference mitigation filters implemented using the notch filter approach in Figures 2 and 3A may contain fewer resonators and may be smaller than similarly performing interference mitigation filters implemented using the bandpass filter approach in Figure 1. Furthermore, interference mitigation filters implemented using the notch filter approach in Figures 2 and 3A typically have lower attenuation in the passband (i.e., better insertion loss performance) and may exhibit higher power handling capabilities. However, interference mitigation filters implemented using the notch filter approach in Figures 2 and 3A tend to be more complex than those implemented using the bandpass approach, may have limited tuning, and may exhibit higher sensitivity to thermal variations. [Means for solving the problem]

[0015] According to embodiments of the present invention, a filter is provided, comprising a housing having an input port and an output port, and a plurality of resonant cavities within the housing. Each resonant cavity may include a notch resonator. The filter may further include a bandpass filter comprising a plurality of bandpass resonators, the bandpass filter extending between the input port and the output port. In some embodiments, the filter may be an interference reduction filter.

[0016] In some embodiments, a bandpass filter may be configured to allow RF signals to pass directly between an input port and an output port having frequencies within the filter's passband frequency range, and / or a resonant cavity may be configured to substantially block RF signals having frequencies within the filter's stopband frequency range from passing through the filter.

[0017] In some embodiments, the passband frequency range may have a first bandwidth, and the frequency range between the passband frequency range and the stopband frequency range may be less than twice the first bandwidth or less than the first bandwidth.

[0018] In some embodiments, each resonant cavity may include a window opening into the bandpass filter. In some embodiments, windows may not be provided between the resonant cavities.

[0019] In some embodiments, the bandpass resonator may be arranged in a staggered pattern that extends substantially from the input port to the output port.

[0020] In some embodiments, a bandpass resonator may be located between a first wall and a second wall, with at least some resonant cavities on one side of the first wall and the bandpass resonator on the other side of the first wall. The first wall may include a plurality of first openings that allow RF energy to pass from the bandpass filter into resonant cavities located on the first side of the first wall. In some embodiments, additional resonant cavities may be located on one side of the second wall, with the bandpass resonator on the other side of the second wall, and the second wall may include a plurality of second openings that allow RF energy to pass from the bandpass filter into additional resonant cavities. In other embodiments, the second wall may be the outer wall of the housing.

[0021] In some embodiments, the bandpass resonator may have a different shape from the notch resonator.

[0022] According to further embodiments of the present invention, a filter is provided comprising a housing having an input port and an output port, a transmission line extending between the input port and the output port, and a plurality of resonant cavities within the housing, each resonant cavity comprising its respective first resonator. In these filters, the transmission line is implemented as a bandpass filter comprising a plurality of second resonators.

[0023] A further embodiment of the present invention provides a housing having a floor, a first wall, and a second wall, and a plurality of resonators positioned between the first wall and the second wall, wherein the resonators and the first and second walls include a bandpass filter, and a first plurality of resonant cavities formed within the housing. The first wall forms a portion of each resonant cavity within the first plurality of resonant cavities. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0024] [Figure 1A] This is a top view of a conventional interference reduction filter with the cover removed; the filter is implemented as a resonant cavity bandpass filter. [Figure 1B] It is a graph of the frequency response of the filter in FIG. 1A. [Figure 2] It is a top view of another conventional interference reduction filter in a state where the cover is removed, and the filter is implemented as a resonant cavity notch filter having a transmission line extending between the input and output ports. [Figure 3A] It is a top view of another conventional interference reduction filter in a state where the cover is removed, and the filter is implemented again as a resonant cavity notch filter having a transmission line extending between the input and output ports. [Figure 3B] It is a graph of the frequency response of the filter in FIG. 3A. [Figure 4] It is a schematic diagram of a conventional interference reduction filter. [Figure 5] It is a schematic diagram of an interference reduction filter according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6A] It is a schematic top perspective view of an interference reduction filter according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6B] It is a graph of the frequency response of the filter in FIG. 6A. [Figure 7] It is a schematic diagram of an interference reduction filter according to a further embodiment of the present invention.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0025] In this specification, when a plurality of identical elements or structures are provided, in some embodiments, they may be referred to using a reference number consisting of two parts, and the two parts are separated by a dash. In this specification, such elements may be individually referred to by their complete reference numbers (e.g., inner wall xxx-x), or may be collectively referred to by the first part of the applicable reference number (e.g., inner wall xxx).

[0026] The most delicate part of an interference mitigation filter implemented using a notch filter approach is the RF transmission line extending from the input port to the output port. Apart from the interface between the upper internal cover and the outer wall, the RF transmission line is typically the most common source of passive intermodulation (PIM) distortion in the filter. Therefore, to minimize the risk of PIM distortion, the RF transmission line must be manufactured and installed to extremely precise specifications. To ensure the filter functions correctly, the RF transmission line must be positioned very precisely relative to the other elements of the filter. Typically, plastic spacers and / or screws are used to hold the RF transmission line in place. These plastic components are typically formed from special plastic materials to minimize their impact on RF performance. Unfortunately, these materials can negatively impact the cost of the filter, and the installation of RF transmission lines using numerous plastic screws / spacers complicates the manufacturing process.

[0027] According to embodiments of the present invention, an interference mitigation filter is provided which includes an integrated bandpass filter acting as the RF transmission line of the filter. As described above, conventional interference mitigation filters implemented using a notch filter approach include conventional RF transmission line structures such as coaxial transmission lines, stripline transmission lines, or microstrip transmission lines. These transmission lines have very wide bandwidths and can pass signals having frequencies from 0 Hz to tens of GHz. However, many interference mitigation filters only require passing through relatively narrow frequency bandwidths, such as frequencies in the range of 1 to 100 MHz. For example, a typical application may need to pass an RF signal within a 20 MHz frequency band centered at 2 GHz, which means that the passband is only 1% of the operating frequency. Bandpass filters can easily pass RF signals in such a passband with very low insertion loss, and therefore, the interference mitigation filter according to embodiments of the present invention replaces conventional RF transmission lines with bandpass filters.

[0028] As described above, the RF transmission lines used in conventional interference reduction filters can be highly sensitive (i.e., small changes in the transmission line can affect performance) and complex structures formed using expensive materials. Bandpass filter-based transmission lines can be formed by simply adding an additional resonator to the filter, which can be achieved, for example, by forming the additional resonator during the die-casting process, resulting in a slight additional cost or complexity. Interference reduction filters according to embodiments of the present invention may be significantly less expensive than conventional interference reduction filters and may have improved PIM distortion performance and reduced sensitivity to thermal variations. Filters according to embodiments of the present invention may also be easier to tune and can be tuned over a much wider range. As a result, in some cases, the same filter may be used for different passband and stopband combinations simply by tuning the filter differently.

[0029] According to some embodiments, a filter is provided that includes a housing having an input port and an output port, and a plurality of resonant cavities within the housing. Each resonant cavity may include its own notch resonator. The filter may further include a bandpass filter comprising a plurality of bandpass resonators, the bandpass filter extending between the input port and the output port.

[0030] According to further embodiments of the present invention, a filter is provided comprising a housing having an input port and an output port, a transmission line extending between the input port and the output port, and a plurality of resonant cavities within the housing, each resonant cavity comprising its respective first resonator. In these filters, the transmission line is implemented as a bandpass filter comprising a plurality of second resonators.

[0031] A further embodiment of the present invention provides a housing having a floor, a first wall, and a second wall, and a plurality of resonators positioned between the first wall and the second wall, wherein the resonators and the first and second walls include a bandpass filter, and a first plurality of resonant cavities formed within the housing, the first wall forming a portion of each resonant cavity within the first plurality of resonant cavities.

[0032] In any of the filters described above, the bandpass filter may be configured to allow RF signals to pass directly between the input and output ports having frequencies within the filter's passband frequency range, and the resonant cavity may be configured to substantially block RF signals having frequencies within the filter's stopband frequency range from passing through the filter. In some embodiments, the passband frequency range may have a first bandwidth, and the frequency range between the passband frequency range and the stopband frequency range may be less than twice the first bandwidth or less than the first bandwidth. Each resonant cavity may include a window opening into the bandpass filter. Windows may not be provided between the resonant cavities. In some embodiments, the bandpass resonators may be arranged in a staggered line substantially extending from the input port to the output port. In some embodiments, the filter may be an interference reduction filter.

[0033] Here, embodiments of the present invention will be discussed in more detail with reference to Figures 4 to 7.

[0034] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a conventional interference mitigation filter 300 implemented using a notch filter approach. Filter 300 can be considered a schematic diagram of filter 200 in Figure 2 or filter 200' in Figure 3A. As shown in Figure 4, the conventional filter 300 includes a housing 310, a plurality of resonant cavities 320, a plurality of resonators 330, an input port 350, an output port 352, and an RF transmission line 360. Each resonant cavity 320 may contain one of each of the resonators 330. The RF transmission line 360 ​​includes a plurality of spars (branchs) 362 that extend between the input port 350 and the output port 352 and extend into the resonant cavity 320 to couple with the resonators 330.

[0035] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of an interference reduction filter 400 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown, filter 400 may be substantially identical to filter 300, except that the RF transmission line 360 ​​of filter 300 is replaced by the bandpass filter 440 of filter 400.

[0036] Although the bandpass filter 440 is a separate structure, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the bandpass filter 440 typically does not operate independently of the resonant cavity 420 and resonator 430 that produce the stopband response of the filter 400. Therefore, it will be understood that when the stopband portion of the filter 400 is detuned (e.g., the tuning screw is removed or set to a location that does not provide a desired frequency response), the location of the passband in the response of the bandpass filter 440 will also be affected. Thus, when the stopband portion of the filter 400 is detuned, the bandpass filter 440 may not have a passband corresponding to the desired passband of the filter 400 (e.g., it may be moved to another part of the frequency spectrum) and / or may not have a conventional bandpass response. However, once the stopband portion of the filter 400 is properly tuned for operation, the bandpass filter 440 will then exhibit a classical bandpass response, and the bandpass response will cover the passband of the filter 400. Therefore, it will be understood that the bandpass filter transmission line included in the filter according to the embodiment of the present invention is not an independent structure, but rather will have a response that is influenced by the design and / or tuning of the rest of the filter. However, once the rest of the filter is properly tuned, the bandpass filter transmission line according to the embodiment of the present invention will exhibit a bandpass response that covers the desired passband of the filter.

[0037] Figure 6A is a schematic exploded top perspective view of an interference reduction filter 500 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 6A, the filter 500 includes a metal housing 510 (e.g., a metal housing, or a dielectric housing with a metal coating) having a floor 512, an outer wall 514, and an inner wall 516. The housing 510 may be formed, for example, by die casting or machining. The inner wall 516 defines a plurality of resonant cavities 520. A plurality of resonators 530 are provided, each having a resonator 530 in the resonant cavity 520. Each resonator 530 extends upward from the floor 512. The resonators 530 may be implemented, for example, as dielectric TE01 or TM resonators, or as metal TEM resonators. The resonators 530 may be referred to herein as “notch” resonators because they are mounted within the resonant cavities and configured to form a notch-type (stopband) filter response. The resonant cavity 520 and the resonator 530 may be configured to substantially block RF signals having frequencies within the stopband frequency range of the filter 500 from passing through the filter 500.

[0038] The filter 500 further includes an input port 550 and an output port 552 used to couple RF signals entering and exiting the housing 510. The input port 550 and the output port 552 are each formed as coaxial connectors having external conductor contacts physically and electrically connected to the housing 510, and a central conductor contact extending inward through an opening in the outer wall 514 of the housing 510. A coaxial input cable with a connector (not shown) may be coupled to the input port 550, and a coaxial output cable with a connector (not shown) may be coupled to the output port 552. A plurality of resonators 542 extending between the input port 550 and the output port 552 are also provided. The resonators 542 extend between a pair of inner walls 516-1, 516-2 and are configured to form a bandpass filter 540. The resonators 542 may be referred to herein as “bandpass” resonators because they are configured to form a bandpass filter 540 that allows RF signals within the passband of the filter 500 to pass directly from the input port 550 to the output port 552. In other words, RF signals within the passband frequency range of the filter 500 flow only along the path of the bandpass filter 540 and do not substantially enter the resonant cavity 520. The bandpass resonators 542 may be implemented as metal TEM resonators in some embodiments, for example, but other types of resonators may be used as alternatives. The bandpass resonators 542 may be arranged in a staggered configuration, as shown in Figure 6A, so that each resonator 542 may couple with adjacent resonators 542 and non-adjacent resonators 542. For example, the bandpass resonators 542 may be arranged in a staggered line substantially extending from the input port 550 to the output port 552, as shown in Figure 6A. It will also be understood that the resonators may be arranged in a comb-like configuration, for example, by being alternately fixed to the bottom of the housing and the internal cover 570 (and the notch resonator 530 may also be fixed to the internal cover 570). The bandpass resonator 542 may have a different shape and / or size from the notch resonator 530, or may be formed using the same common type of resonator as the notch resonator 530 (e.g., a metal TEM resonator), or may not.

[0039] The first inner wall 516-1 and the second inner wall 516-2 each extend the entire length of the filter 500 in the illustrated embodiment. The bandpass resonator 542 is located between the insides of the first and second inner walls 516-1 and 516-2. A first subset of the resonant cavity 520 is located outside the first inner wall 516-1, and a second subset of the resonant cavity 520 is located outside the second inner wall 516-2. A window 518 is formed in the inner walls 516-1 and 516-2. The window 518 allows RF energy to couple from the bandpass filter 540 into the resonant cavity 520. The window 518 may be relatively large. In some embodiments, the window may open from the floor 512 into the internal metal cover 570 (described below) of the filter 500 to allow sufficient coupling between the bandpass resonator 542 and the notch resonator 530. No windows are provided between any of the resonant cavities 520. In other words, in some embodiments, the resonant cavities 520 may open only to the bandpass filter 540.

[0040] The bandpass filter 540, acting as a transmission line extending between the input port 550 and the output port 552, is configured to couple with each of the notch resonators 530. In particular, the windows 518 of the first wall 516-1 and the second wall 516-2 provide an RF transmission path from the bandpass filter 540 into each resonant cavity 520. Each window 518 of the first and second walls 516-1 and 516-2 is positioned adjacent to one of each of the bandpass resonators 542. As seen in Figure 6A, most of the bandpass resonators 542 (all except the two at the ends of the transmission line) are configured to couple directly with one of each of the notch resonators 530.

[0041] An internal metal cover 570 is provided that encloses the resonant cavity 520 and the bandpass filter 540. The internal cover 570 includes several openings 572 that are aligned with a threaded opening 515 of the housing 510. Set screws (not shown) are screwed into the openings 572 and 515 to attach the internal cover 570 to the upper surface of the outer wall 514. Several tuning screws (or other tuning elements) 574, 576 are mounted on the internal cover 570 (only a few of each tuning screw 574, 576 are shown). The tuning screws 574 may be aligned coaxially with the resonators 530, 542, and the tuning screws 576 may be positioned so that when inserted into the interior of the housing 510, they are between adjacent resonators 530, 542. The tuning screws 574, 576 may be used to tune the center frequencies of the passband and stopband, as well as the size or "bandwidth" of the passband and stopband. An external cover (not shown) may be mounted on top of the internal cover 570 to cover the tuning screws 574 and 576.

[0042] When an RF signal is input to the input port 550, the RF energy within the passband of filter 500 passes directly from the input port 550 to the output port 552 via the bandpass filter 540. The RF energy within the stopband of filter 500 passes through the resonant cavity 520, is reflected backward, and therefore does not pass to the output port 552.

[0043] Figure 6B is a graph of the frequency response of the filter in Figure 6A. As indicated by the rectangular structure of the plot, the filter design requires two passbands (approximately 824–849 MHz and 869–889 MHz) and one stopband (approximately 890–915 MHz). The notch structure, similar to filter 200' (see Figure 3B), achieves a single passband covering both passband frequency ranges. Resonator 542 generates the bandpass response, and resonator 530 generates the stopband response shown in Figure 6B. The vertical axis in Figure 6B shows the RF signal level at the output of the filter in dB versus the RF signal level at the input to the filter.

[0044] As described above, interference mitigation filters are commonly used in applications where two cellular operators have base station antennas mounted on the same tower that serve the same frequency band. Each cellular operator may limit interference by using different subbands in these frequency bands. Each subband could be, for example, a 10 MHz or 20 MHz subband, and each operator would use a first subband for downlink and a second subband for uplink. Unfortunately, the subbands used by the two different operators may be very close to each other (e.g., several MHz apart). Therefore, each operator may include interference mitigation filters along the RF path through the antennas that allow signals in the antenna's operating frequency subband (i.e., passband) to pass through while attenuating signals in the other antenna's operating frequency subband (i.e., stopband). In some embodiments, the passband frequency range may have a first bandwidth, and the frequency range between the passband frequency range and the stopband frequency range may be less than twice the first bandwidth. In other embodiments, the frequency range between the passband frequency range and the stopband frequency range may be less than the first bandwidth, less than half of the first bandwidth, or less than a quarter of the first bandwidth. In some cases, the interference mitigation filter may be external to the antenna (for example, implemented as a filter mounted on a tower).

[0045] Filter 500 may be both smaller and less expensive to manufacture than conventional interference mitigation filters with the design shown in Figure 1 that offer equivalent performance, and may exhibit lower attenuation in the passband and have higher power handling capabilities. Filter 500 may be less expensive to manufacture than conventional interference mitigation filters with the designs shown in Figures 2-3A, and may exhibit improved PIM performance and be less sensitive to thermal fluctuations than these filters. Filter 500 may also have a much wider tuning range and may be easier to tune than the filters in Figures 2-3A. For example, in some cases, the positions of the stopband and passband may be reversed simply by adjusting the tuning screw on filter 500. This means that the same filter may be used by two cellular operators operating at the same base station.

[0046] It will be understood that many modifications can be made to the filter 500 without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the number of resonant cavities 520 and resonators 530 may vary based on the desired filter response. As another example, the location of the resonant cavities 520 may be changed. Different types of resonators 530, 542 may be used, and the input and output ports 550, 552 may have any conventional port design. The internal cover 570 may be soldered in place rather than fixed using screws, and any suitable type of tuning element may be used. The number and arrangement of bandpass resonators 542 may be selected based on the desired response to the filter.

[0047] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of an interference reduction filter 500' according to a further embodiment of the present invention. Filter 500' is very similar to filter 400 of Figure 5, except that filter 500' includes only a resonant cavity 520 on one side of the bandpass filter 540. Thus, the first side wall of the bandpass filter 540 comprises an inner wall, and the second side wall may comprise the outer wall of the housing 510 in this embodiment.

[0048] It will be understood that the techniques disclosed herein may be used in filters other than interference reduction filters. For example, low-loss combiners include RF transmission lines that may be implemented as bandpass filters according to the teachings of the present invention.

[0049] The exemplary filters 400, 500, and 500' according to embodiments of the present invention illustrated in Figures 5 to 7 above include either four or eight resonant cavities, but it will be understood that any suitable number of cavities may be provided as needed to provide a filter having the desired filtering characteristics. Similarly, the number of resonators included in a bandpass filter may vary as needed.

[0050] Embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating embodiments of the present invention. However, the present invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure may be thorough and complete, and so as to fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Similar numbers refer to similar elements throughout.

[0051] Terms such as "first," "second," etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, but it will be understood that these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used solely to distinguish one element from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the invention, the first element may be called the second element, and similarly, the second element may be called the first element. As used herein, the terms "and / or" include any and all combinations of one or more of the related enumerated items.

[0052] When an element is referred to as "connected" to another element, it will be understood that the element may be directly connected to the other element, or that there may be an intervening element. In contrast, when an element is referred to as "directly connected" to another element, there is no intervening element. Similarly, when an element is referred to as "connected" or "connected" to another element, it will be understood that the element may be directly connected to or directly connected to the other element, or that there may be an intervening element. In contrast, when an element is referred to as "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another element, there is no intervening element. Other terms used to describe relationships between elements should be interpreted in a similar manner (i.e., "directly between" versus "between," "directly adjacent" versus "adjacent," etc.).

[0053] As illustrated in the figures, relative terms such as “below” or “up,” “upper side” or “lower side,” or “horizontal” or “vertical” may be used herein to describe the relationship of one element, layer, or region to another element, layer, or region. It will be understood that these terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device, in addition to the orientation illustrated in the figures.

[0054] The terms used herein are for the sole purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural form unless the context explicitly indicates otherwise. As used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” and / or “including” identify the presence of a described feature, action, element, and / or component, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, actions, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0055] All aspects and elements of the embodiments disclosed above can be used in any way and / or in combination with aspects or elements of other embodiments to provide a number of additional embodiments.

[0056] Some or all of the embodiments described above may also be described as follows, but are not limited to the following. [Note 1] It is a filter, A housing having an input port and an output port, Multiple resonant cavities within the housing, each resonant cavity containing its own notch resonator, A bandpass filter comprising a bandpass filter including a plurality of bandpass resonators, the bandpass filter extending between an input port and an output port. [Note 2] The filter described in Appendix 1, wherein the entire resonant cavity includes a window that opens into the bandpass filter. [Note 3] The filter described in Appendix 1, wherein the bandpass filter is configured to directly pass radio frequency ("RF") signals between an input port and an output port having frequencies within the filter's passband frequency range. [Note 4] The filter, as described in Appendix 3, is configured such that the resonant cavity substantially blocks RF signals having frequencies within the filter's stopband frequency range from passing between the input port and the output port. [Note 5] The filter according to Appendix 4, wherein the passband frequency range has a first bandwidth, and the frequency range between the passband frequency range and the stopband frequency range is less than twice the first bandwidth. [Note 6] The filter is an interference reduction filter, as specified in Appendix 1. [Note 7] The filter of Note 1, in which no window is provided between adjacent resonant cavities. [Note 8] The filter in Appendix 1 has a bandpass resonator with a different shape than a notch resonator. [Note 9] The filter described in Appendix 1, wherein the bandpass resonators are arranged within a staggered pattern of lines that substantially extend from the input port to the output port. [Note 10] The filter according to Appendix 1, wherein a bandpass resonator is disposed between a first wall and a second wall, and at least some of the resonant cavities are on one side of the first wall, and the bandpass resonator is on the other side of the first wall. [Note 11] The first wall is a filter of Appendix 10, which includes a plurality of first openings that allow radio frequency ("RF") energy to pass from the bandpass filter into at least some of the resonant cavities. [Note 12] The filter of Appendix 11, wherein an additional resonant cavity is located on one side of the second wall, and a bandpass resonator is located on the other side of the second wall, and the second wall includes a plurality of second openings that allow RF energy to pass from the bandpass filter into the additional resonant cavity. [Note 13] The second wall is the filter, as described in Appendix 11, which is the outer wall of the housing. [Note 14] It is a filter, A housing having an input port and an output port, A transmission line extending between the input port and the output port, A housing comprising multiple resonant cavities, each of which includes a first resonator, The transmission line includes a bandpass filter comprising multiple second resonators, A filter in which all of the resonant cavities include windows that open into the bandpass filter. [Note 15] The filter described in Appendix 14, wherein the bandpass filter is configured to directly pass radio frequency ("RF") signals between an input port and an output port having frequencies within the filter's passband frequency range. [Note 16] The filter of Note 15, wherein the resonant cavity is configured to substantially block RF signals having frequencies within the filter's stopband frequency range from passing between the input port and the output port. [Note 17] The filter according to Appendix 16, wherein the passband frequency range has a first bandwidth, and the frequency range between the passband frequency range and the stopband frequency range is less than twice the first bandwidth. [Note 18] The filter of Appendix 14, wherein at least one of the second resonators is mounted on the inner cover of the filter. [Note 19] The filter of Appendix 14, wherein the second resonator is located within a staggered line substantially extending from the input port to the output port. [Note 20] The filter of Appendix 14, in which no window is provided between adjacent resonant cavities. [Note 21] The filter of Appendix 14, wherein a second resonator is disposed between the first wall and the second wall, at least some of the resonant cavities are on one side of the first wall, and a bandpass resonator is on the other side of the first wall. [Note 22] The first wall is a filter of Appendix 21, which includes a plurality of first openings that allow radio frequency ("RF") energy to pass from the bandpass filter into a resonant cavity on the first side of the first wall. [Note 23] The filter of Appendix 21, wherein an additional resonant cavity is located on one side of the second wall, and a bandpass resonator is located on the other side of the second wall, and the second wall includes a plurality of second openings that allow radio frequency ("RF") energy to pass from the bandpass filter into the additional resonant cavity. [Note 24] It is a filter, A housing having a floor, a first wall, and a second wall, A plurality of resonators positioned between a first wall and a second wall, wherein the resonators and the first and second walls are equipped with bandpass filters, A filter comprising: a first plurality of resonant cavities that form at least a portion of a stopband filter formed within a housing, wherein the first wall of the first plurality of resonant cavities forms a portion of each resonant cavity within the first plurality of resonant cavities. [Note 25] Each of the first plurality of resonant cavities includes an opening in the first wall that allows radio frequency ("RF") energy to pass directly from the bandpass filter into the respective resonant cavity, as per the filter of Appendix 24. [Note 26] The filter of Appendix 25 further comprises a second plurality of resonant cavities formed within the housing, wherein the second wall forms a portion of each resonant cavity within the second plurality of resonant cavities. [Note 27] The second wall is the outer wall of the housing, the filter as described in Appendix 25. [Note 28] The filter of Appendix 26, wherein the resonator includes a first resonator which is a component of a bandpass filter, and the filter further comprises a plurality of second resonators, with at least one second resonator mounted in each of the first plurality of resonant cavities. [Note 29] The filter described in Appendix 24, wherein the bandpass filter is configured to directly pass radio frequency ("RF") signals between the filter's input port and output port, the bandpass filter having frequencies within the filter's passband frequency range. [Note 30] The filter of Note 29, wherein the resonant cavities within the first plurality of resonant cavities are configured to substantially block RF signals having frequencies within the filter's stopband frequency range from passing between the input port and the output port. [Note 31] The filter according to Appendix 30, wherein the passband frequency range has a first bandwidth, and the frequency range between the passband frequency range and the stopband frequency range is less than twice the first bandwidth. [Note 32] The filter of Note 24, wherein the resonator is located within a staggered line extending between the filter's input port and its output port. [Note 33] The filter of Note 24, in which no windows are provided between adjacent resonant cavities within the first set of resonant cavities. [Note 34] The filter of Appendix 25, wherein each opening in the first wall is positioned adjacent to one of the resonators. [Note 35] The filter described in Appendix 1, wherein most of the bandpass resonators are configured to be directly coupled to one of the notch resonators. [Note 36] The filter of Appendix 14, wherein the transmission line is configured to couple with each of the first resonators. [Note 37] The filter of Appendix 14, wherein most of the second resonators are configured to be directly coupled to one of the first resonators.

Claims

1. It is a filter, A housing having an input port and an output port, The housing comprises a plurality of resonant cavities, each of which includes a notch resonator. A bandpass filter comprising a plurality of bandpass resonators, wherein the bandpass filter extends between the input port and the output port, The filter is an interference reduction filter including a passband and a stopband, The notch resonator is configured to generate a plurality of nulls within the stopband, A filter in which the bandpass resonator is arranged within a staggered line substantially extending from the input port to the output port.

2. The filter according to claim 1, wherein the first null among the nulls is located in the lower half of the stopband, and the second null among the nulls is located in the upper half of the stopband.

3. The filter according to claim 1, wherein the first null among the nulls is located in the lower third of the stopband, the second null among the nulls is located in the central third of the stopband, and the third null among the nulls is located in the upper third of the stopband.

4. The filter according to claim 1, wherein the first null among the nulls is located in the lower quarter of the stopband, the second null among the nulls is located within the quarter of the stopband between the lower quarter of the stopband and the center frequency of the stopband, and the third null among the nulls is located within the upper quarter of the stopband.

5. The filter according to claim 4, wherein none of the nulls are within the quarter of the stopband that is between the upper quarter of the stopband and the center frequency of the stopband.

6. The filter according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the filter has only a passband on one side of the stopband.

7. The filter according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a first subset of the resonant cavity is located on the first side of the bandpass filter, and a second subset of the resonant cavity is located on the second side opposite the bandpass filter.

8. The filter according to claim 7, wherein the first wall includes a plurality of first openings, each first opening allowing radio frequency ("RF") energy to pass from the bandpass filter into each of the resonant cavities in the first subset of the resonant cavities, and the second wall includes a plurality of second openings, each second opening allowing RF energy to pass from the bandpass filter into each of the resonant cavities in the second subset of the resonant cavities.

9. The filter according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein all but two of the bandpass resonators are configured to be directly coupled to one of the notch resonators.

Images