A tunable, broadband directional coupler circuit employing additional, selectable coupling circuits for controlling the frequency response.

Abstract

A tunable, broadband directional coupler circuit employing one or more additional, switchable coupling circuits for controlling frequency response, and associated methods. In seven exemplary embodiments, the directional coupler includes one or more additional coupling circuits, each including an additional coupling line disposed adjacent to the primary coupling line, that can be selectively activated to modify the frequency response of the directional coupler. When an additional coupling circuit is activated, its additional coupling line has the effect of extending the length of the primary coupling line through mutual inductance, thus modifying the coupled frequency response of the directional coupler. The additional coupling circuit includes one or more switches for enabling selective coupling of its additional coupling line to the coupled port and / or isolated port of the directional coupler to selectively modify and control the frequency response of the primary coupling line.

Claims

1. A directional coupler circuit, A main transmission line coupled between the input port and the output port, A primary coupling circuit comprising a primary coupling line adjacent to the main transmission line, wherein the primary coupling line comprises a coupling output, Additional coupling circuits, The additional coupling circuit is provided, An additional coupling line having a first end and a second end, the additional coupling line being adjacent to the primary coupling line, An additional coupling port switch coupled to the first end of the additional coupling line and the coupling output, An additional isolated port switch coupled to the second end of the additional coupling line and the isolated output, A directional coupler circuit equipped with this feature.

2. The input port is configured to couple the received input radio frequency (RF) signal to the main transmission line. The primary coupling line is configured to couple a portion of the power of the input RF signal from the main transmission line, as a primary coupled RF signal, to the coupling output in order to provide the primary coupled RF signal with a primary frequency response. The directional coupler circuit according to claim 1.

3. The additional coupling port switch is configured to be activated to couple the first end of the additional coupling line to the coupling output in order to provide the primary coupled RF signal having a second frequency response different from the primary frequency response. The directional coupler circuit according to claim 2, wherein the additional coupling line is configured to be electromagnetically (EM) coupled to the primary coupling line in response to the activation of the additional coupling port switch which couples the first end of the additional coupling line to the coupling output.

4. The additional isolated port switch is configured to be activated to couple the second end of the additional coupling line to the isolated output in order to provide the primary coupled RF signal having a third frequency response different from the primary frequency response. The directional coupler circuit according to claim 2, wherein the additional coupling line is configured to be electromagnetically (EM) coupled to the primary coupling line in response to the activation of the additional isolated port switch which couples the second end of the additional coupling line to the isolated output.

5. The aforementioned primary coupling circuit is A first primary coupling port switch coupled to the first end of the primary coupling line and the coupling output, A first primary isolation port switch is coupled to the second end of the primary coupling line and the isolation output, A second primary coupling port switch coupled to the second end of the primary coupling line and the coupling output, A second primary isolation port switch is coupled to the first end of the primary coupling line and the isolation output, The directional coupler circuit according to claim 1, further comprising:

6. The input port is configured to couple the received input radio frequency (RF) signal to the main transmission line. The primary coupling line is configured to couple a portion of the power of the input RF signal from the main transmission line as a primary coupling RF signal. The first primary coupling port switch is configured to be activated to couple the first end of the primary coupling line to the coupling output in order to provide the primary coupling RF signal of the primary frequency response, The first primary isolation port switch is configured to be activated to couple the second end of the primary coupling line to the isolation output. The directional coupler circuit according to claim 5.

7. The second primary coupling port switch is configured to be activated to couple the second end of the primary coupling line to the coupling output, The second primary isolation port switch is configured to be activated to couple the first end of the primary coupling line to the isolation output. The directional coupler circuit according to claim 5.

8. The additional coupling port switch is configured to be deactivated to isolate the first end of the additional coupling line from the coupling output. The additional isolation port switch is configured to be deactivated to isolate the second end of the additional coupling line from the isolation output. The directional coupler circuit according to claim 6.

9. The directional coupler circuit according to claim 6, wherein the additional coupling port switch is configured to be activated to couple the first end of the additional coupling line to the coupling output in order to provide the primary coupled RF signal having a second frequency response different from the primary frequency response.

10. The directional coupler circuit according to claim 8, wherein the additional isolated port switch is configured to be activated to couple the second end of the additional coupling line to the isolated output in order to provide the primary coupled RF signal having a third frequency response different from the primary frequency response.

11. The system further comprises a second additional coupling circuit, the second additional coupling circuit being: A second additional coupling line having a first end and a second end, the second additional coupling line being adjacent to the additional coupling line, A second additional coupling port switch coupled to the first end of the second additional coupling line and the coupling output, A directional coupler circuit according to claim 1, comprising:

12. The second additional coupling port switch is configured to be activated to couple the first end of the second additional coupling line to the coupling output, The second additional coupling circuit is, A second additional isolated port switch coupled to the second end of the second additional coupling line and the isolated output, Furthermore, The second additional isolation port switch is configured to be activated to couple the second end of the second additional coupling line to the isolation output, The additional coupling port switch is configured to be activated to couple the first end of the additional coupling line to the coupling output. The second additional coupling port switch is configured to be activated to couple the first end of the second additional coupling line to the coupling output, The aforementioned additional connection line is An additional isolated port switch is coupled to the second end of the additional coupling line and the isolated output, The additional isolation port switch is configured to be activated to couple the second end of the additional coupling line to the isolation output. The second additional isolation port switch is configured to be activated to couple the second end of the second additional coupling line to the isolation output. The directional coupler circuit according to claim 11.

13. A method for selectively tuning the frequency response of a directional coupler, Receiving an input radio frequency (RF) signal on an input port coupled to the main transmission line, The received input RF signal is transmitted to the output port on the main transmission line. In order to provide a primary coupled RF signal to the coupled output of the primary frequency response, a portion of the power of the input RF signal as a coupled RF signal from the main transmission line is coupled to a primary coupled line adjacent to the main transmission line. To provide an additional coupled RF signal with a second frequency response different from the primary frequency response, an additional coupling line adjacent to the primary coupling line is activated to couple a portion of the coupled RF signal to the additional coupling line. The additional coupling line is provided and activated by To provide the additional coupled RF signal having a second frequency response different from the first frequency response, an additional coupling port switch coupled to the first end of the additional coupling line and the coupling output is activated to couple the portion of the coupled RF signal to the additional coupling line. To provide the additional coupled RF signal having a third frequency response different from the primary frequency response, an additional isolated port switch for coupling the second end of the additional coupling line to an isolated output is activated to couple the portion of the coupled RF signal to the additional coupling line. A method that includes [a certain feature].

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising deactivating the additional coupling line to separate the portion of the coupled RF signal from the additional coupling line in order to provide the first-order coupled RF signal of the first-order frequency response.

15. To provide a second additional coupled RF signal having a third frequency response different from the first and second frequency responses, the system further comprises activating a second additional coupled line adjacent to the additional coupled line to couple a portion of the additional coupled RF signal to the second additional coupled line, and / or The further comprising not activating the aforementioned additional coupling line, and / or, The method of claim 13, further comprising deactivating the second additional coupling line to separate the portion of the additional coupling RF signal from the second additional coupling line in order to provide the additional coupling RF signal of the second frequency response.

16. A radio frequency (RF) transmission circuit, A power amplifier (PA) circuit, and the said PA circuit, A PA input configured to receive an input RF signal, Equipped with PA output, The PA circuit is configured to amplify the input RF signal into an amplified RF signal on the PA output. Matched network circuit, and the matched network circuit, A matched network input coupled to the PA output, Equipped with a harmonized network output, A directional coupler circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 12, A radio frequency (RF) transmission circuit equipped with [a specific feature].

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