Multi-layered RF filter

Abstract

A metal cavity filter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises: a plurality of housings; and at least one metal member disposed between the plurality of housings, wherein one or more resonators are disposed in a cavity formed in each of the plurality of housings, and a slot for a slot resonator coupled to at least one resonator among the one or more resonators is formed in at least a part of the at least one metal member.

Description

Multilayer RF filter

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a wireless communication system, and more specifically, to a metal cavity filter in a wireless communication system and a wireless communication device including the same.

[0002] 4G(4 th To meet the increasing demand for wireless data traffic following the commercialization of the (generation) communication system, improved 5G (5 th Efforts are being made to develop 5G communication systems or pre-5G communication systems. For this reason, 5G communication systems or pre-5G communication systems are referred to as Beyond 4G Network communication systems or Post-LTE systems.

[0003] To achieve high data transmission rates, 5G communication systems are being considered for implementation in the mmWave band (e.g., the 60 GHz band). To mitigate path loss and increase the transmission distance of radio waves in the mmWave band, beamforming, massive MIMO, full Dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antenna, analog beamforming, and large-scale antenna technologies are being discussed for 5G communication systems.

[0004] In addition, to improve the network of the system, technologies such as advanced small cell, advanced small cell, cloud radio access network (cloud RAN), ultra-dense network, Device to Device communication (D2D), wireless backhaul, moving network, cooperative communication, Coordinated Multi-Points (CoMP), and interference cancellation are being developed in 5G communication systems.

[0005] In addition, advanced coding modulation (ACM) methods such as FQAM (Hybrid Frequency Shift Keying and Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) and SWSC (Sliding Window Superposition Coding), as well as advanced access technologies such as FBMC (Filter Bank Multi Carrier), NOMA (Non Orthogonal Multiple Access), and SCMA (Sparse Code Multiple Access) are being developed in 5G systems.

[0006] 4G(4 th To meet the increasing demand for wireless data traffic following the commercialization of the (generation) communication system, improved 5G (5 thEfforts are being made to develop 5G communication systems or pre-5G communication systems. For this reason, 5G communication systems or pre-5G communication systems are referred to as Beyond 4G Network communication systems or Post-LTE systems.

[0007] To achieve high data transmission rates, 5G communication systems are being considered for implementation in the mmWave band (e.g., the 60 GHz band). To mitigate path loss and increase the transmission distance of radio waves in the mmWave band, beamforming, massive MIMO, full Dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antenna, analog beamforming, and large-scale antenna technologies are being discussed for 5G communication systems.

[0008] In addition, to improve the network of the system, technologies such as advanced small cell, advanced small cell, cloud radio access network (cloud RAN), ultra-dense network, Device to Device communication (D2D), wireless backhaul, moving network, cooperative communication, Coordinated Multi-Points (CoMP), and interference cancellation are being developed in 5G communication systems.

[0009] In addition, advanced coding modulation (ACM) methods such as FQAM (Hybrid Frequency Shift Keying and Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) and SWSC (Sliding Window Superposition Coding), as well as advanced access technologies such as FBMC (Filter Bank Multi Carrier), NOMA (Non Orthogonal Multiple Access), and SCMA (Sparse Code Multiple Access) are being developed in 5G systems.

[0010] Products equipped with multiple antennas are being developed to improve communication performance, and it is expected that equipment with an increasingly large number of antennas will be used by utilizing Massive MIMO technology. As the number of antenna elements in communication devices increases, the number of RF (radio frequency) components (e.g., RF filters, etc.) will inevitably increase accordingly.

[0011] RF filters are essential components of wireless communication devices. As multiple RF filters are used depending on the operating frequency, they account for a significant portion of the device's size and material costs. Furthermore, as the number of RF filters used in a wireless communication device increases, their proportion is also growing.

[0012] A metal cavity filter is a type of waveguide filter that utilizes the resonance phenomenon within a cavity formed by the walls of a metal housing. Filters of various performance levels can be implemented by adjusting the number or size of structures (e.g., resonators, tuning screws) placed within the cavity.

[0013] In the case of conventional metal cavity filters, to minimize the increase in filter size resulting from the addition of resonators, the added resonators must be placed alongside other resonators. Consequently, as the number of resonators in the metal cavity filter increases, the length or area of ​​the filter inevitably increases. When the metal cavity filter is placed on a substrate, as its length or area increases, the area it occupies within the substrate's available surface area increases. Furthermore, since the number of configurations for placing the metal cavity filter on a given substrate area becomes limited, the freedom and efficiency of component placement on the substrate are reduced.

[0014] In order to enhance product competitiveness through the miniaturization of wireless communication devices and the reduction of material costs, it is necessary to provide a new structure for metal cavity filters.

[0015] Based on the discussion above, the present disclosure provides a multi-layered filter of a wireless communication system and a wireless communication device including such a filter.

[0016] Specifically, the present disclosure provides a new design method that enables a metal cavity to be configured in multiple layers to form a single RF path.

[0017] In addition, the multi-layered structure of the present disclosure provides a metal cavity filter with the same performance but smaller size and a wireless communication device including such a filter.

[0018] A metal cavity filter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a plurality of housings (700-1, 700-2); and at least one metal member (703) disposed between the plurality of housings, wherein one or more resonators (710, 720, 740, 750) are disposed in a cavity formed in each of the plurality of housings, and a slot (735) for a slot resonator (730) coupled to at least one of the one or more resonators (720, 740) may be formed in at least a part of the at least one metal member.

[0019] A metal cavity filter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a metal housing (3000) having a cavity formed therein, the cavity being divided into a plurality of layers by a first portion (3400) of the metal housing, and one or more resonators (3010, 3020, 3040, 3050) being disposed in each of the plurality of layers, and a slot (3035) for a slot resonator (3030) coupling with at least one of the one or more resonators (3020, 3040) may be formed in at least a portion of the first portion.

[0020] A wireless communication device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a metal cavity filter, wherein the metal cavity filter includes a plurality of housings (700-1, 700-2); and at least one metal member (703) disposed between the plurality of housings, wherein one or more resonators (710, 720, 740, 750) are disposed in a cavity formed in each of the plurality of housings, and a slot (735) for a slot resonator (730) coupled to at least one of the one or more resonators (720, 740) may be formed in at least a part of the at least one metal member.

[0021] A wireless communication device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a metal cavity filter, wherein the metal cavity filter includes a metal housing (3000) in which a cavity is formed, the cavity is divided into a plurality of layers by a first portion (3400) of the metal housing, and one or more resonators (3010, 3020, 3040, 3050) are disposed in each of the plurality of layers, and a slot (3035) for a slot resonator (3030) that couples with at least one of the one or more resonators (3020, 3040) may be formed in at least a portion of the first portion.

[0022] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a new design method is provided in which a metal cavity forming a single RF path is configured in multiple layers, so that a filter can be designed in various shapes, thereby improving the degree of freedom in filter design and filter placement.

[0023] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the performance of a metal cavity filter can be maintained while its size can be effectively reduced. Furthermore, the miniaturization of the filter can diversify the methods of arranging the filter within a wireless communication device and can also lead to the miniaturization of the wireless communication device including the filter.

[0024] Furthermore, the advantages regarding the design, placement, and size of the filter can also improve the placement efficiency of other components besides the filter.

[0025] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the effects of miniaturization and cost reduction of filters and wireless communication devices can be provided.

[0026] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a wireless communication environment according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0027] FIG. 2 illustrates a functional configuration for signal amplification of a communication unit of a wireless communication device in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0028] FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) including a power amplifier according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0029] FIG. 4 illustrates examples of an antenna array and an RF filter in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0030] FIG. 5 is a drawing for explaining a metal cavity filter including a housing and a resonator formed integrally.

[0031] FIG. 6 is a drawing for illustrating a metal cavity filter including a housing and a resonator coupled to the housing.

[0032] FIG. 7 is an exploded view of a filter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] FIG. 8 is an exploded view of a filter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, viewed from the side.

[0034] FIG. 9 illustrates a plan view of a metal member included in a filter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a filter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036] FIG. 11 is a side view of a filter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] FIG. 12 is a graph illustrating the change in the value of coupling BW with respect to the distance between resonators in a filter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the amount of frequency change according to the configuration of the slot resonator in a filter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0039] FIG. 14 illustrates the shape of various slot resonators according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0040] FIG. 15 is a side view of a metal member according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0041] FIG. 16 is an exploded view of a multi-layered cavity filter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0042] FIG. 17 is an exploded view of a multilayer cavity filter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0043] FIG. 18 is a side view of a multilayer cavity filter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0044] FIG. 19 is a plan view of a multilayer cavity filter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0045] FIG. 20 illustrates a multilayer cavity filter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure being disposed on a substrate.

[0046] FIG. 21 illustrates a multilayer cavity filter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure being disposed on a substrate.

[0047] FIG. 22 is a drawing showing a portion of a multilayer cavity filter to which a filter connector is connected according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0048] FIG. 23 is a drawing showing a portion of a multilayer cavity filter to which a filter connector is connected according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0049] FIG. 24 illustrates a filter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0050] FIG. 25 is a side view of a filter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0051] FIG. 26 illustrates a slot resonator of a filter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0052] FIG. 27 is a side view of a filter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0053] FIG. 28 illustrates a filter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0054] FIG. 29 illustrates a slot resonator of a filter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0055] FIGS. 30 to 33 illustrate a filter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0056] FIG. 34 illustrates a slot resonator according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0057] FIG. 35 is a drawing illustrating the arrangement of slot resonators in a radio unit (RU) filter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0058] FIG. 36 illustrates the functional configuration of a wireless communication device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0059] The terms used in this disclosure are used merely to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of other embodiments. A singular expression may include a plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, may have the same meaning as generally understood by those skilled in the art described in this disclosure. Terms used in this disclosure that are defined in a general dictionary may be interpreted as having the same or similar meaning as they have in the context of the relevant technology, and are not to be interpreted in an ideal or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined in this disclosure. In some cases, even terms defined in this disclosure are not to be interpreted to exclude the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0060] In the various embodiments of the present disclosure described below, a hardware-based approach is described as an example. However, since the various embodiments of the present disclosure include techniques using both hardware and software, the various embodiments of the present disclosure do not exclude a software-based approach.

[0061] Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that identical components in the accompanying drawings are represented by the same reference numerals whenever possible. Furthermore, detailed descriptions of known functions and configurations that could obscure the essence of the present disclosure will be omitted.

[0062] In describing the embodiments in this specification, technical details that are well known in the technical field to which this disclosure belongs and are not directly related to this disclosure are omitted. This is intended to convey the essence of this disclosure more clearly without obscuring it by omitting unnecessary explanations.

[0063] For the same reason, some components in the attached drawings have been exaggerated, omitted, or schematically depicted. Additionally, the size of each component does not entirely reflect its actual dimensions. Identical or corresponding components in each drawing have been assigned the same reference numbers.

[0064] The advantages and features of the present disclosure and the methods for achieving them will become clear by referring to the embodiments described below in detail together with the accompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below but may be implemented in various different forms. These embodiments are provided merely to ensure that the disclosure of the present disclosure is complete and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the disclosure, and the present disclosure is defined only by the scope of the claims. Throughout the specification, like reference numerals refer to like components.

[0065] The present disclosure relates to a new structure of a metal cavity filter in a wireless communication system.

[0066] Specifically, the metal cavity filter of the present disclosure can be configured with a multi-layered structure and can operate as a one-path filter. Conventional MMU filters were configured only with a single-layered structure, but by applying the multi-layered structure of the present disclosure to an array antenna filter (or MMU filter), a multi-layered array antenna filter can be configured. Furthermore, conventional RU filters operated only as a one-path filter when configured with a multi-layered structure, but by applying the multi-layered structure of the present disclosure to an RU filter, a multi-layered one-path filter can be configured.

[0067] Therefore, the wireless communication environment and functional configuration of the wireless communication device are described below.

[0068] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a wireless communication environment according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. In the present disclosure, a wireless communication device may refer to nodes utilizing a wireless channel in a wireless communication system. Referring to FIG. 1, a base station (110) and a terminal (120) are exemplified as some of the nodes. The terminal (120) may also be connected to a plurality of base stations. Although not illustrated in FIG. 1, base stations may be connected to the terminal (120) through multiple connectivity (e.g., dual connectivity, DC).

[0069] A base station (110) is a network infrastructure that provides wireless access to a terminal (120). The base station (110) has coverage defined as a specific geographical area based on the distance at which it can transmit signals. The term 'coverage' used below may refer to a service coverage area available at the base station (110). The base station (110) may cover one cell or multiple cells. Here, the multiple cells may be distinguished by the supported frequency and the area of ​​the sector covered.

[0070] In addition to being a base station, the base station (110) may be referred to as an 'access point (AP)', 'eNodeB (eNB)', '5G node (5th generation node)', '5G NodeB (NB)', 'gNB (next generation node B)', 'wireless point', 'transmission / reception point (TRP)', 'distributed unit (DU)', 'radio unit (RU)', 'remote radio head (RRH)', or other terms having an equivalent technical meaning. According to various embodiments, the base station (110) may be connected to one or more 'transmission / reception points (TRPs)'. The base station (110) may transmit a downlink signal to a terminal (120) or receive an uplink signal through one or more TRPs.

[0071] A terminal (120) is a device used by a user and performs communication with a base station (110) via a wireless channel. In some cases, the terminal (120) may be operated without user involvement. That is, at least one of the terminals (120) may be a device that performs machine type communication (MTC) and may not be carried by a user. The terminal (120) may be referred to as 'user equipment (UE)', 'mobile station', 'subscriber station', 'customer premises equipment (CPE)', 'remote terminal', 'wireless terminal', 'electronic device', or 'vehicle terminal', 'user device', or other terms having an equivalent technical meaning.

[0072] The base station (110) and the terminal (120) may include an RF filter for selectively passing a frequency used in the transmission and reception signal. Of course, FIG. 1 is merely an example and does not limit the wireless communication device of the present disclosure to a base station and a terminal. The present disclosure may be applied to any wireless communication device that includes an RF filter for selectively passing a frequency used in the transmission and reception signal.

[0073] FIG. 2 illustrates a functional configuration for signal amplification of a communication unit of a wireless communication device in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0074] Referring to FIG. 2, the wireless communication device comprises a wireless communication unit or a communication unit including an encoding and modulation unit (202), a digital beamforming unit (204), a plurality of transmission paths (206-1 to 206-N), and an analog beamforming unit (208). However, FIG. 2 is merely an example and does not limit the configuration of the wireless communication device of the present disclosure. The present disclosure may be applied to any wireless communication device including a power amplifier (PA).

[0075] The encoding and modulation unit (202) performs channel encoding. For channel encoding, at least one of a low density parity check (LDPC) code, a convolution code, and a polar code may be used. The encoding and modulation unit (202) generates modulation symbols by performing contellation mapping.

[0076] The digital beamforming unit (204) performs beamforming on a digital signal (e.g., modulation symbols). To do this, the digital beamforming unit (204) multiplies the modulation symbols by beamforming weights. Here, the beamforming weights are used to change the magnitude and phase of the signal and may be referred to as a 'precoding matrix', 'precoder', etc. The digital beamforming unit (204) outputs the digitally beamformed modulation symbols to multiple transmission paths (206-1 to 206-N). At this time, according to the MIMO (multiple input multiple output) transmission technique, the modulation symbols may be multiplexed, or the same modulation symbols may be provided to multiple transmission paths (206-1 to 206-N).

[0077] Multiple transmission paths (206-1 to 206-N) convert digitally beamformed digital signals into analog signals. To this end, each of the multiple transmission paths (206-1 to 206-N) may include an inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) operation unit, a cyclic prefix (CP) insertion unit, a DAC, and an up-conversion unit. The CP insertion unit is intended for orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) and may be excluded when other physical layer methods (e.g., filter bank multi-carrier (FBMC)) are applied. That is, the multiple transmission paths (206-1 to 206-N) provide independent signal processing processes for multiple streams generated through digital beamforming. However, depending on the implementation method, some of the components of the multiple transmission paths (206-1 to 206-N) may be used in common.

[0078] The analog beamforming unit (208) performs beamforming on the analog signal. To this end, the digital beamforming unit (204) multiplies the analog signals by beamforming weights. Here, the beamforming weights are used to change the magnitude and phase of the signal. Specifically, the analog beamforming unit (240) can be configured in various ways depending on the connection structure between the multiple transmission paths (206-1 to 206-N) and antennas. For example, each of the multiple transmission paths (206-1 to 206-N) can be connected to a single antenna array. As another example, the multiple transmission paths (206-1 to 206-N) can be connected to a single antenna array. As yet another example, the multiple transmission paths (206-1 to 206-N) can be adaptively connected to a single antenna array or connected to two or more antenna arrays.

[0079] FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) including a power amplifier according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0080] In 5G communication, mmWave phased array RFICs are being developed for efficient communication in the mmWave band. To achieve high communication performance in the mmWave band, the development of high-power, highly efficient, and highly linear power amplifiers (PAs) within the IC (e.g., CMOS (complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor) / Si (silicon)-based PAs) is required.

[0081] Referring to FIG. 3, the RFIC (300) may include a plurality of RF chains (316, 316-1). The plurality of RF chains (316, 316-1) may include a power amplifier (PA) and a low noise amplifier (LNA). Unlike the power amplifier (PA), which is responsible for signal amplification at the output of the transmitting end, the low noise amplifier (LNA) is responsible for signal amplification at the input of the receiving end and is located near the antenna to amplify the weak signal captured by the antenna, thereby reducing attenuation in the transmission line.

[0082] The RF signal (312) input to the RFIC (300) can be distributed to each RF chain through a distributor (or coupler, coupler) (314). According to one embodiment, the distributor (314) may be composed of a passive element or an active element.

[0083] Each of the multiple RF chains (316, 316-1) may include a power amplifier (PA). In a wireless communication system, the transmission signal of a base station (110) or a terminal (120) undergoes severe attenuation because it is transmitted through a wireless channel. To this end, the transmitter of the base station (110) or the terminal (120) may be configured to include an amplifier for amplifying the transmission signal. A power amplifier (PA) may be placed in each of the multiple RF chains to amplify the signal transmitted through the air. The power amplifier (PA) can amplify the applied signal and transmit it to the antenna. Although not shown in FIG. 3, the signal passing through the power amplifier (PA) is transmitted to the antenna (e.g., the antenna element of an array antenna) via a filter and a transmission line.

[0084] In FIG. 3, an exemplary structure of an RFIC proposed through the embodiments of the present disclosure is described. Meanwhile, the RFIC structure illustrated in FIG. 3 is merely an example to explain the transmission process from the RF signal input to the antenna. That is, FIG. 3 is not to be interpreted as excluding a wireless communication device having an RFIC with a structure different from FIG. 3 among the embodiments of a wireless communication device including an RF filter of the present disclosure.

[0085] Since the performance of the power amplifier affects the overall performance of the RFIC, an RF filter that selectively passes the operating frequency from the input signal of the power amplifier may be included for high performance and high efficiency.

[0086] The wireless communication device of the present disclosure may include one or more antenna arrays, one or more RFICs that supply RF signals to one or more antenna arrays, and an RF filter that selectively passes and filters an operating frequency. The RF filter may include, for example, a metal cavity filter.

[0087] During transmission, a wireless communication device can convert a baseband signal into an RF signal using an RFIC. An RF filter can remove unnecessary frequencies from the RF signal generated by the RFIC. An antenna array can radiate the filtered RF signal into space. During reception, the wireless communication device can receive the RF signal in space through the antenna array. An RF filter can allow only the desired frequency band to pass through the received RF signal. An RFIC can process the filtered RF signal by converting it into a baseband signal.

[0088] FIG. 4 illustrates examples of an antenna array and an RF filter in a wireless communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Beamforming technology is used as one of the techniques to mitigate propagation path loss and increase the transmission distance of radio waves. Beamforming generally uses multiple antennas to concentrate the reach area of ​​radio waves or to increase the directivity of reception sensitivity for a specific direction. Therefore, to form beamforming coverage instead of forming a signal in an isotropic pattern using a single antenna, a base station (410) may be equipped with multiple antennas. An antenna array including multiple antennas is described below. The example of the antenna array shown in FIG. 4 is merely an example to explain embodiments of the present disclosure and is not to be interpreted as limiting other embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0089] Referring to FIG. 4, a base station (410) may include an antenna array (430). According to one embodiment, the base station (410) may include a Massive MIMO Unit (MMU) that includes the antenna array (430). Each antenna included in the antenna array (430) may be referred to as an array element or an antenna element. In FIG. 4, the antenna array (430) is depicted as a two-dimensional planar array, but this is merely one embodiment and does not limit other embodiments of the present disclosure. According to another embodiment, the antenna array (430) may be configured in various forms, such as a linear array. The antenna array may be referred to as a massive antenna array.

[0090] A key technology for improving the data capacity of 5G communication is beamforming technology, which uses an antenna array connected to multiple RF paths. To achieve higher data capacity, the number of RF paths must be increased, or the power per RF path must be increased. However, increasing the number of RF paths leads to larger product sizes, and due to spatial constraints in installing actual base station equipment, it is currently at a level where further expansion is no longer possible.

[0091] To improve communication performance, the number of antennas (or antenna elements) of equipment performing wireless communication (e.g., base station (410)) is increasing. Additionally, the number of RF components (e.g., amplifiers, filters) for processing RF signals received or transmitted through the antenna elements is also increasing, making it essential to ensure spatial gain and cost efficiency while satisfying communication performance when configuring communication equipment. As the number of paths increases, the number of filters for processing signals in each antenna element also increases.

[0092] An RF filter may include a circuit that performs filtering to transmit wireless signals of a desired frequency by forming resonance. In other words, an RF filter can perform the function of selectively identifying frequencies. As an important component for selecting and attenuating frequencies, such RF filters are used in most communication equipment.

[0093] Although filters such as ceramic and BAW (bulk acoustic wave) filters offer significant advantages in terms of miniaturization, cavity filters are utilized in numerous communication devices due to their superior performance in terms of power handling, capacitance, insertion loss, and attenuation. Even if ceramic and BAW filters can be used in MMUs and small cells requiring low-power specifications, the use of cavity filters continues to be demanded in high-performance MMUs and all RRUs (remote radio units). Therefore, miniaturization, weight reduction, and cost-effectiveness of cavity filters are critical factors in securing the competitiveness of communication equipment.

[0094] In the present disclosure, the term "filter" may be understood to mean an RF filter, a cavity filter, or a metal cavity filter.

[0095] Filters utilize machined parts, such as housings and resonators, as key components. The characteristics of the filter are determined by the shape and structure of these parts. For example, a filter may contain multiple resonators within a housing, and desired RF filter characteristics can be obtained by varying the proximity between resonators, the number of resonators, or the size or shape of each resonator.

[0096] The housing and resonator included in the filter may be molded as a single unit, or may be configured by assembling the resonator to the housing. FIG. 5 is a drawing for illustrating a metal cavity filter including a housing and a resonator formed as a single unit. FIG. 6 is a drawing for illustrating a metal cavity filter including a housing and a resonator coupled to the housing.

[0097] Referring to FIG. 5, the filter may include a housing (500), a first cover (501) that shields the inside and outside of the housing at the top of the housing, and a second cover (502) that shields the bottom of the housing. FIG. 5 shows the first cover (501) transparently to explain the internal structure of the housing, but the first cover (501) and the second cover (502) may be made of the same metal material as the housing (500).

[0098] Referring to FIG. 5, the housing (500) of the filter and five resonators (510, 520, 530, 540, 550) can be formed integrally. The five resonators shown in FIG. 5 can be referred to as housing-integrated resonators.

[0099] For example, in the case of the resonator (510), since the resonator (510) is formed as part of the housing (500), the resonator (510) and the housing (500) are formed of the same metal material. The length of the resonator (510) induces inductance, and the distance between the resonator (510) and the housing (500) can induce capacitance. Likewise, in the case of the resonator (520) to the resonator (550), inductance and capacitance based on length and distance are formed. Through the combination of inductance and capacitance formed by the resonator, a filter can be implemented that passes the necessary frequency and blocks the unwanted frequency.

[0100] Additionally, the cavity filter can operate in a transverse electromagnetic (TEM) mode and pass a signal through coupling based on the distance and / or structure between the resonators. The resonators can form a C-coupling corresponding to the distance between adjacent resonators and / or filter ports. For example, the resonator (510) can form an equivalent C-coupling based on the distance from the resonator (520), or the resonator (510) can also form a C-coupling with an adjacent filter port and / or the resonator (510) can form an L-coupling by being directly connected to the connector of the adjacent filter port. The resonator (520) can form a C-coupling with the adjacent resonator (510) and / or form a C-coupling with the adjacent resonator (530). An equivalent C-coupling can be formed based on the spacing between the resonator (520) and the resonator (510), and an equivalent C-coupling can be formed based on the spacing between the resonator (520) and the resonator (530). The coupling between adjacent resonators can form a coupling BW sufficient to form a power transmission path from the input port to the output port.

[0101] Referring to FIG. 6, resonators (610, 620, 640, 650) can be coupled to the housing (600) of the filter. The resonators of FIG. 6 can be referred to as assembled resonators.

[0102] Similar to the filter in FIG. 5, the housing (600) and resonators (610, 620, 640, 650) in FIG. 6 may also be composed of metal materials. For example, the metal material may include aluminum (Al), but metal materials such as aluminum have a higher coefficient of thermal expansion compared to ordinary steel and may be susceptible to temperature changes. The housing (600) is formed of a metal material so that the inside and outside of the housing can be shielded. To satisfy the characteristics of the RF filter in a temperature environment, the assembled resonator may be composed of a metal material having a lower coefficient of thermal expansion than the metal material of the housing. Each of the housing (600) and the resonators (610, 620, 640, 650) may be manufactured through a mold process.

[0103] The length of the resonator (610) induces inductance, and the distance between the resonator (610) and the housing (600) can induce capacitance. Likewise, in the case of the resonators (620, 640, 650), inductance and capacitance based on length and distance are formed. A boss (601) may be further formed in the housing (600), and the resonator (610) may be placed on top of the boss (601). In this case, the length of the resonator (610) to induce inductance may correspond to the sum of the height of the boss (601) and the height of the resonator (610). The capacitance formed based on the distance between the resonator and the housing may be adjusted in size according to the area between the resonator and the housing. For example, the top surface of the resonator (610) forms a capacitance opposite to the housing (600), and the capacitance value can be adjusted by adjusting the area of ​​the top surface. For example, the top surface of the resonator (610) may have an area larger than the average cross-sectional area of ​​the resonator.

[0104] In this way, by adjusting the area of ​​the top surface of the resonator, the capacitance value can be controlled, and furthermore, the resonance frequency of the resonator can be adjusted. Additionally, by adjusting the area of ​​the top surface of the resonator, the height design of the cavity filter can be modified. For example, if the top surface of the resonator is machined to have a large area so that the capacitance value becomes greater than the inductance value, the height of the high-frequency cavity filter can conversely be reduced.

[0105] Additionally, the cavity filter can operate in TEM mode and can form a coupling corresponding to the distance between the resonators (610, 620, 640, 650), and can pass a signal through this coupling to form a power transmission path. For example, in FIG. 6, since resonator (610) and resonator (620) are adjacent to each other, an equivalent coupling can be formed based on the distance between resonator (610) and resonator (620). Similarly, since resonator (640) and resonator (650) are adjacent to each other, an equivalent coupling can be formed based on the spacing between them. Additionally, in the case of one resonator and a neighboring resonator, a coupling can be formed with a filter port adjacent to the surroundings.

[0106] However, the resonator (610) and the resonator (650) cannot form a coupling because they are shielded by a metal member between them, and the resonator (620) and the resonator (640) cannot form a coupling because they are shielded by a metal member between them. For example, the metal member that spatially separates or shields the resonators (610, 620) and the resonators (640, 650) may be a wall or floor formed in the housing (600) as part of the housing (600), or may be a cover or an interlayer insertable layer coupled to the housing. The metal member may shield the inside and outside of the filter as part of the housing or together with the housing. In addition, since the resonator (620) and the resonator (640) are not sufficiently adjacent, the coupling formed between them cannot form a coupling bandwidth (BW) of sufficient size; therefore, the power transmission path (A) formed by the resonators (610, 620) is separated from the power transmission path (B) formed by the resonators (640, 650). The conventional two-stage filter, as shown in FIG. 6, can only be designed as a two-path filter providing power transmission paths (A) and (B), and cannot be designed as a one-path filter. Furthermore, as will be explained later, when a resonator is added to the filter of FIG. 6, problems arise such as an increase in the size of the filter itself and a decrease in the degree of freedom of design.

[0107] Meanwhile, the filter may further include a tuning section to compensate for unavoidable tolerances in the manufacture of the mechanism. Taking the filter of FIG. 5 as an example, five tuning screws (515, 525, 535, 545, 555) may be connected to the first cover (501) of the filter. The tuning section will be described in detail later with reference to drawings of an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0108] FIGS. 5 and 6 are merely examples for illustrating a general metal cavity filter and do not limit the present invention to a filter comprising five T-shaped resonators inside a housing.

[0109] The filter of the present invention may omit some components or include additional components. For example, the filter of the present invention may optionally include a tuning screw. At least some of the tuning screws in FIG. 5 may be omitted, and at least one tuning screw may be added to the filter of FIG. 6.

[0110] For example, the filter of the present invention may include a larger or smaller number of resonators. Generally, filters applied to an RU or MMU include a large number of resonators. If a resonator is added to the filter of FIG. 5, the length of the resonator (e.g., 87 mm) will increase. Referring to FIG. 5, if one resonator is added to the illustrated filter, the length of the filter may increase by 87 mm plus the width of one resonator (e.g., the width (W3) of the resonator (530) in FIG. 5) and the distance between the resonator and the housing (e.g., the distance (d5) between the resonator (550) and the inner surface of the housing (500) in FIG. 5). As another example, if a resonator is added to the filter illustrated in FIG. 6, the length of the filter will also increase. As another example, in the case of a filter in which the cavity for the resonator is configured in the shape of a hexagonal prism, if a resonator is added within the filter, the area of ​​the resonator may increase.

[0111] As previously explained, the length or area of ​​the filter is a major factor in determining the length or area of ​​the substrate and the degree of freedom for component placement on the substrate. Referring to FIG. 5, when a filter is mounted on the substrate, the first surface (560) of the filter comes into contact with the substrate, and the filter may occupy an area equal to the area of ​​the first surface (560) of the available area of ​​the substrate. Therefore, when a resonator is added, the horizontal length of the first surface used to place the filter on the substrate increases, and as the horizontal length increases, there is a problem in that the component placement on the substrate given by the horizontal length becomes fixed or limited, and the degree of freedom for component placement or the degree of freedom for designing a wireless communication device using such a filter may decrease. The same applies to FIG. 6.

[0112] FIG. 7 is an exploded view of a filter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 8 is an exploded view of a filter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure viewed from the side. FIG. 9 shows a plan view of a metal member (703) included in a filter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a filter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 11 is a side view of a filter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 show a filter in a combined state in which the components of the filter described in the exploded views of FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 are combined.

[0113] In the following description, based on a multilayer cavity filter in which each of the plurality of housings is formed by a mold and assembled, the multilayer cavity filter may include a plurality of housings, but this is merely an example and does not limit the present disclosure. For example, in the case of a two-layer cavity filter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, two housings may be formed and assembled to form a filter, but the filter may include one housing by forming a single housing with a cavity structure formed on both sides using a mold.

[0114] A filter according to one embodiment may include a housing (700-1), a housing (700-2), a first cover (701) coupled to the top of the housing (700-1) to shield the inside and outside from the top of the housing (700-1), a metal member (703) coupled to the bottom of the housing (700-1) and the top of the housing (700-2) to shield the inside and outside of the filter, and a second cover (702) coupled to the bottom of the housing (700-2) to shield the inside and outside from the bottom of the housing (700-2). Resonators (710, 720) may be formed on the inside of the housing (700-1), and resonators (740, 750) may be formed on the inside of the housing (700-2). A slot (735) may be formed in the metal member (703) that is coupled to the bottom of the housing (700-1) and the top of the housing (700-2). Although the first cover (701) is shown transparent for convenience of explanation, at least some of the structures constituting the filter of FIG. 7, including the first cover (701), may be made of metal material.

[0115] In the present disclosure, the filter may include a metal material, and the metal material is aluminum (Al), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), silver (Ag + It may include at least one of ) or other alloy additives. For example, aluminum may be used as the main material of the housing considering weight, ease of processing, and cost. Nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), and silver (Ag) may be used as the plating material for the housing. +...can be used. Metallic materials such as aluminum have a higher coefficient of thermal expansion compared to general steel, so they may be vulnerable to temperature changes. Temperature changes in the housing can be determined by the temperature change of the main material, aluminum. To control the characteristics of temperature changes, an iron-based alloy with a lower coefficient of thermal expansion than aluminum may be used as the resonator material. For example, the iron-based alloy may include at least one of SUM24L, Invar, or SUS (stainless steel). Nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), and silver (Ag) may be used as the plating material for the resonator. + ) can be used. The temperature change of the resonator can be determined by the temperature change of the iron-based alloy, which is the main material of the resonator.

[0116] The resonant frequency of the filter can be determined by the inductance and capacitance, and thus the frequency selectivity of the filter. As described in FIG. 5, in the filters of FIG. 7 through 11, inductance and capacitance can be formed based on the length and separation distance of the resonators (710, 720, 740, 750). For example, the length (a2) of the resonator (720) induces inductance, and the resonator (720) can act as an inductor. The separation distance (b2) between the resonator (720) and the inner surface of the housing (700-1) induces capacitance, and the resonator (720) and the housing (700-1) can act as a capacitor. That is, the resonators can be represented as tuning circuits of an LC circuit.

[0117] By adjusting the length (a) of the resonator and / or the distance (b) between the resonator and the wall, the inductance and capacitance of the resonator can be adjusted. In particular, the resonant frequency of an LC circuit depends on the value of the capacitance, and the change in resonant frequency due to a change in capacitance is greater than the change in resonant frequency due to a change in inductance. Therefore, the resonant frequency can be adjusted by adjusting the value of the capacitance. Generally, the capacitance value of a capacitor composed of two conductors can be determined based on Equation 1.

[0118] [Mathematical Formula 1]

[0119]

[0120] Here, C represents the capacitance value, ε represents the permittivity, A represents the area of ​​the conductor, and d represents the distance between the conductors. A capacitor has different capacitance values ​​depending on the distance between two conductors or the area of ​​the conductors placed facing each other.

[0121] The region formed on the metal member (703) by the slot (735) according to one embodiment (the shaded region in FIG. 9) can operate as a resonator, such as a resonator (720). Referring to FIG. 9, a slot may be formed in a part of the metal member (703). The part of the metal member remaining after the slot is formed (the shaded region) can operate as a T-shaped resonator. In the present disclosure, the resonator formed in the remaining part due to the formation of the slot in the metal member may be called a slot resonator (730). That is, a slot may be formed in a part of the metal member (703), and a slot resonator (730) may be formed in the part remaining due to the formation of the slot. The slot resonator (730) is connected to another part of the metal member (703) in part. A slot resonator can be implemented by processing at least one of the wall, base, cover, or interlayer insertable layer of the filter housing and / or by forming it through a mold. Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, the length (a3) ​​of the slot resonator (730) contained in the metal member (703) between the housing (700-1) and the housing (700-2) can induce inductance. The distance (b3) between the inner surface of the metal member (703) formed by the formation of the slot and the slot resonator (730) can induce capacitance.

[0122] Additionally, the filters of FIGS. 7 through 11 can pass signals through coupling based on the distance and / or structure between the resonators. For example, in FIG. 10, because the distance (d12) between resonator (710) and resonator (720) is sufficiently small, an equivalent C-coupling can be formed. Likewise, a C-coupling can be formed between resonator (740) and resonator (750). In addition, resonator (720) can also form a C-coupling with slot resonator (730), and resonator (740) can also form a C-coupling with slot resonator (730). The first housing (700-1) is positioned on top of the second housing (700-2), so that the distance between the resonators inside the second housing (700-2) and the resonators inside the first housing (700-1) is considerably far, but the slot resonator (730) located in the middle can form a sufficient C-coupling with the resonator (720) of the first housing (700-1) and also form a sufficient coupling with the resonator (740) of the second housing (700-2). In the case of C-coupling, the change in coupling according to the change in distance (d) is large, so a large C-coupling value can be obtained even if the distance (d) is adjusted only slightly. Referring to FIG. 11, the resonator (720) and the resonator (730) can form an equivalent capacitance based on the gap (d23) and an equivalent capacitor based on the gap (d34). Accordingly, a filter according to one embodiment may be characterized by a C-coupling formed based on the gap between the resonator (730) and the resonator (720) and a C-coupling formed based on the gap between the resonator (730) and the resonator (740). However, this is merely an example, and the electrical characteristics formed based on the distance (d) between the resonators in the present invention are not limited to C-coupling. By adjusting the distance (d) between the resonators, L-coupling may also be formed.

[0123] In this way, the signal passing through the housing (700-1) and the housing (700-2) through the slot resonator (730) can have a sufficient coupling BW.

[0124] FIG. 12 is a graph illustrating the change in the value of the coupling BW with respect to the distance between resonators in a filter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The frequency response curve (1210) of FIG. 12 illustrates the frequency response curve of a filter where the distance (d23 or d34) between the slot resonator (730) and the resonator (720 or 740) is d mm. The frequency response curve (1220) illustrates the frequency response curve of a filter where the distance (d23 or d34) is (d-0.1) mm, and the frequency response curve (1230) illustrates the frequency response curve of a filter where the distance (d23 or d34) is (d+0.1) mm. Referring to FIG. 12, if the distance between the resonators decreases by 0.1 mm, the coupling BW may decrease. If the distance between the resonators increases by 0.1 mm, the coupling BW may increase. In this way, by adjusting the spacing between the slot resonator and the resonator, the coupling BW according to the C-coupling or L-coupling of the resonator can be adjusted.

[0125] In this way, a filter that passes the required frequency and blocks the unwanted frequency can be implemented by using a combination of inductance and capacitance formed by the resonators (710, 720, 730, 740, 750) or by using coupling formed between the resonators. The slot resonator (730) can operate as a resonator that forms a circuit of the filter by forming a coupling with another resonator. The filter of FIGS. 7 to 11 can have performance equivalent to that of the filter of FIG. 5 with five resonators arranged side by side.

[0126] In a filter using five resonators, the resonator (530) and the resonator (730) can perform the same role. If a slot resonator (730) is used instead of the resonator (530), the length required for the resonator (530) (e.g., w3+d5) is not required in the total length (87mm) of the filter. Since the slot resonator (730) is implemented by forming a slot in the wall of the cover or housing that originally existed in the filter, there is no need to allocate additional space in the filter to implement the slot resonator (730). Therefore, the size of the filter can be drastically reduced when using the slot resonator (730). Comparing FIG. 5 and FIG. 10, when a filter is mounted on a substrate, the area occupied by the filter in the available area of ​​the substrate can be reduced from the area of ​​the first surface (560), 23 × 87 = 2001 mm^2, to the area of ​​the first surface (760), 42 × 43 = 1806 mm^2. Additionally, the volume of the metal member on which the slot resonator is formed replaces the volume of the cover portion that would have been necessary for shielding the existing filter if the slot resonator had not been used, so it can be seen that there is no change in the filter volume due to the addition of the metal member dividing the filter layers.

[0127] In addition, while the filter with five resonators was previously limited to a single-layer structure with a horizontal length of 87 mm, by using a slot resonator (730), it can be implemented as a multi-layer or multi-layer structure with a horizontal length of 42 mm. Therefore, for design modification, an option is available to select and change at least one of the horizontal length and vertical length of the first surface. Furthermore, the method of arranging electronic components including filters on a given substrate becomes more diverse, and the degree of freedom in designing the wireless communication device can be improved.

[0128] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the amount of frequency change according to the configuration of the slot resonator in a filter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 13 is a graph showing the relationship between the distance (b3) between the slot resonator (730) and the inner surface of the metal member (703) in FIG. 8 and 9 and the resonant frequency (f) of the filter. When the distance (b3) is 0.2 mm smaller than the reference distance b mm, the capacitance is greater than the capacitance at the reference distance, and the resonant frequency (f) may be 38 MHz smaller than the resonant frequency at the reference distance. When the resonator distance (b3) is 0.2 mm larger than the reference distance, the capacitance is smaller than the capacitance at the reference distance, and the resonant frequency (f) may be 34 MHz larger than the resonant frequency at the reference distance.

[0129] As examined above, the performance of a filter can be determined based on the shape and structure of the components constituting the filter. However, even if specific performance is predicted to be achieved based on product simulations during the design and manufacturing of the components, the performance of the actual implemented product may differ from the simulation results because there are factors that are difficult to identify through simulation (e.g., machining tolerances of the components, limitations of process precision, or factors related to differences in material information). It is economically advantageous to obtain the desired performance by correcting the characteristics of the filter through additional tuning.

[0130] A filter according to one embodiment may further include a tuning section for correcting machining tolerances. Referring to FIGS. 7 through 11, the filter may further include a tuning section (715, 725, 745) for correcting the resonance frequency according to the machining tolerances of the housing and the resonator. For example, the resonator (720) can form resonance through a distance (d2) from the tuning section (725), which is made of a metal material. The tuning section (725), which is a conductor spaced apart from the upper part of the resonator (720), and the resonator (720) can perform the role of a capacitor. Since the resonance frequency of an LC circuit depends on the capacitance value, the resonance frequency can be adjusted by adjusting the capacitance value of the tuning section (725), which is a conductor, and the resonator (720).

[0131] The capacitor may have different capacitor values ​​based on the distance (d2) between the resonator (720) and the tuning section (725) and / or the area facing the resonator (720) and the tuning section (725). The tuning section (725) is configured so that the distance (d2) from the resonator (720) is adjustable and can be used to correct the characteristics of the RF filter. For example, the tuning section (725) may include a tuning screw (screw or bolt, nut), and a groove may be formed in the first cover (701) of the filter into which the tuning screw can be inserted. By fixing the tuning screw to the first cover (701) through the engagement of the tuning screw, the distance between the tuning screw and the resonator (720) is adjusted, and based on this, the capacitance value is determined, thereby allowing the resonant frequency to be adjusted. Likewise, the distance (d4) between the tuning part (745) and the resonator (740) can also be configured to be adjustable. The tuning screw may be made of a metal material, for example, brass considering the unit cost, but this is merely an example and does not limit the present disclosure.

[0132] However, FIGS. 7 to 11 are merely examples for explaining the slot resonator of the filter and do not limit the filter of the present invention. The filter of the present invention can be configured in various ways. For example, the configuration of the tuning section may be omitted. Alternatively, the tuning screws included in the tuning section may be arranged on both the first cover and the second cover as shown in FIGS. 7 to 11 so as to be arranged on both sides of the filter, or they may be arranged on one side of the filter as shown in FIGS. 16 to 23. Referring to FIGS. 16 to 23, if all tuning screws are arranged on one side (or in the same direction) of the filter, a filter of three or more layers can be implemented, and a plurality of filters can also be arranged adjacent to each other on a substrate.

[0133] As another example, the shape of the slot resonator is not limited to a T-shape. FIG. 14 illustrates various shapes of slot resonators according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The slot formed in the metal member (e.g., metal member (703)) and the shape of the slot resonator may vary as shown in FIG. 14. However, the electrical characteristics of the slot resonator are independent of the shape of the slot resonator and may be determined based on the length (a) of the slot resonator and the distance (b) between the slot resonator and the inner surface of the metal member. Additionally, FIGS. 30 to 35 illustrate a slot resonator configured in a bent T-shape to satisfy the length condition (L2) of the resonator under given design limitations or conditions (L1 and desired frequency).

[0134] As another example, the electrical characteristics of the slot resonator may be independent of the thickness of the slot resonator or the thickness of the metal member (e.g., metal member (703)) on which the slot resonator is formed. However, the distance between the slot resonator and other resonators only affects the coupling characteristics of the slot resonator. FIG. 15 is a side view of a metal member according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 15, although the thickness (T2) of the metal member (703-1) is greater than the thickness (T1) of the metal member (703-1), the length (a) of the resonator (730-1) and the length (a) of the resonator (730-2) are the same, and the distance (b) from the inner surface of the metal member is also the same, so the LC characteristics of the resonator (730-1) and the LC characteristics of the resonator (730-2) may be the same. Additionally, regardless of the thickness of the metal member, if the distance (d) between resonator (730-1) and another resonator (e.g., resonator (720) or resonator (740)) is equal to the distance (d) between resonator (730-2) and another resonator, the degree of C-coupling between resonator (730-1) and another resonator and the degree of C-coupling between resonator (730-2) and another resonator may be the same. In other words, the thickness of the metal member may not have a significant effect on the electrical characteristics of the slot resonator. Therefore, the thickness of the metal member can be freely designed. For example, in FIG. 11, the thickness of the metal member (703) is sufficient if it falls within a critical range where the metal member (703) placed between the plurality of housings (700-1, 700-2) can be assembled, and is not limited by the electrical characteristics required for the filter.

[0135] As another example, while FIGS. 7 to 11 illustrate that a single filter contains five resonators, it goes without saying that the number of resonators can vary. A filter applied to an RU or MMU may contain a large number of resonators. For example, a filter containing eight resonators will be described with reference to FIGS. 16 to 23.

[0136] As another example, FIGS. 7 to 11 illustrate a filter in which the housing is stacked in two layers, but a filter with three or more layers may be provided. For example, FIGS. 16 to 23 describe a three-layer filter.

[0137] As another example, the filter may not have the housing and the resonator formed as a single unit. As shown in FIGS. 24 to 35, the housing and the resonator may be manufactured separately, and the resonator may be added to or combined with the housing.

[0138] As another example, a two-layer cavity filter according to one embodiment may include one housing having a cavity structure formed on both sides, unlike the two-layer cavity filter of FIGS. 7 to 11 which includes two housings (e.g., a plurality of housings (700-1, 700-2) of FIG. 7).

[0139] FIG. 16 is an exploded view of a multi-layered cavity filter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 17 is an exploded view of a multi-layered cavity filter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 18 is a side view of a multi-layered cavity filter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 19 is a top view of a multi-layered cavity filter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 20 and FIG. 21 illustrate a multi-layered cavity filter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure being placed on a substrate. FIG. 22 and FIG. 23 are drawings showing a portion of the multi-layered cavity filter to which a filter connector is connected according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The filter illustrated in FIG. 20 to FIG. 23 may be placed on a substrate (2090) constituting a product (e.g., an MMU product) that uses an array antenna. An RF filter according to one embodiment may include an MMU filter, and the filter illustrated in FIG. 7 to FIG. 23 may be an MMU filter. One MMU filter can provide one RF path.

[0140] A filter according to one embodiment may be composed of a (N+1) layer multilayer cavity filter comprising N metal members on which slot resonators are formed. For example, in the case of a filter forming a single layer cavity with one housing (1600-1, 1600-2, 1600-3) as in FIG. 16, it may include (N+1) housings (N is a positive integer) and N metal members on which slot resonators are formed, located between the housings. Since the slot resonators on the metal members form C-coupling with resonators adjacent to the slot resonators, or since the slot resonators on the metal members form C-coupling with resonators included in each of the housings connected to both sides of the metal members, a single RF filter can be implemented using resonators located in the (N+1) housings and slot resonators located between the housings. This is because a single power transmission path can be formed through the C-coupling of the resonators included in the (N+1) housings.

[0141] For example, referring to FIGS. 16 through 23, the filter may include three housings (1600-1, 1600-2, 1600-3) and two metal members (1603, 1604) having slot resonators formed therein. Two slot resonators (1630, 1660) are formed in the metal members (1603, 1604). Housing (1600-1) may be formed integrally with the resonators (1610, 1620) inside it, housing (1600-2) may be formed integrally with the resonators (1640, 1650) inside it, and housing (1600-3) may be formed integrally with the resonators (1670, 1680) inside it. The resonators formed in the housing and the slot resonators of the metal members can be shielded so as not to be affected by the outside by the combination of the cover (1601, 1602), the housing (1600-1, 1600-2, 1600-3) and the metal member (1603, 1604).

[0142] Each of the resonators (1610, 1620, 1640, 1650, 1670, 1680) can form an inductance based on the length of the resonator and a capacitance based on the distance from the inner surface of the housing. Each of the slot resonators (1630, 1660) can form an inductance based on the length of the slot resonator and a capacitance based on the distance from the inner surface of the metal member (1603, 1604). Resonators adjacent to each other among the resonators (1610, 1620, 1640, 1650, 1670, 1680) and the slot resonators (1630, 1660) can form a C-coupling. For example, resonator (1610) can form a coupling with resonator (1620). Also, for example, the resonator (1620) can form a coupling with the resonator (1610) and the resonator (1630). The slot resonator (1630) can form a coupling with the resonator (1620) and the resonator (1640).

[0143] As the multilayer cavity filter according to one embodiment is configured with more layers, the effect of reducing the filter volume due to replacement with slot resonators can be greater. For example, to obtain the performance of a filter containing 11 resonators, a single-layer cavity filter in which 11 resonators are placed in one layer, a two-layer cavity filter in which 1 of the 11 resonators is replaced with a slot resonator and 10 resonators are distributed across two layers, and a three-layer cavity filter in which 2 of the 11 resonators are replaced with 2 slot resonators and 9 resonators are distributed across three layers can be implemented. The volume of the two-layer cavity filter will be smaller than the volume of the single-layer cavity filter by the volume required to place one resonator, and the volume of the three-layer cavity filter will be smaller than the volume of the two-layer cavity filter by the volume required to place one resonator. Therefore, the greater the number of general resonators replaced with slot resonators, the greater the effect of reducing the filter size can be.

[0144] In addition, a multilayer cavity filter according to one embodiment may provide various configuration options. For example, in a wireless communication device in which a filter comprising 11 resonators is used, the filter may be configured in various ways, such as a single-layer cavity filter comprising 11 resonators, a two-layer cavity filter comprising one slot resonator, a three-layer cavity filter comprising two slot resonators, or a four-layer cavity filter comprising three slot resonators.

[0145] However, the various multi-cavity filters described above are merely examples and do not limit the present invention. For example, the number of resonators included in each layer may differ from layer to layer or may be the same.

[0146] For example, under the condition that at least one resonator is included in each layer, the number of resonators that a two-layer cavity filter can include may be 3, 4, 5, 6, ... Since a two-layer cavity filter can include one slot resonator, it can include at least 3 resonators by adding the number of slot resonators to the number of resonators included in the cavity. When a two-layer cavity filter includes one resonator in each layer, it can include a total of 3 resonators by adding the number of slot resonators (1). When a two-layer cavity filter includes one resonator in one layer and two resonators in another layer, it can include a total of 4 resonators by adding the number of slot resonators (1). In the same way, the number of resonators that a three-layer cavity filter can include may be 5, 6, 7, 8, ...

[0147] Therefore, in order to obtain filter performance including 13 resonators, if the number of resonators included in each layer of the filter can be determined more freely, implementations such as a single-layer cavity filter including 13 resonators, a two-layer cavity filter in which one of the 13 resonators is replaced with a slot resonator and 12 resonators are distributed across two layers, a cavity filter in which two of the 13 resonators are replaced with slot resonators and 11 resonators are distributed across three layers, ... are possible. Furthermore, implementations in which 11 resonators are distributed in groups of 3, 4, and 4 on each layer, implementations in which 3, 3, and 5 resonators are distributed on each layer, ... are possible.

[0148] As another example, under the condition that the number of resonators included in each layer of the cavity filter is equal, 2-layer, 3-layer, 4-layer, and 5-layer cavity filters may include the following number of resonators.

[0149] For a 2-layer cavity filter: 2*m+1= 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23,...

[0150] For a 3-layer cavity filter: 3*m+2= 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 23, ...

[0151] For a 4-layer cavity filter: 4*m+3= 7, 11, 15, 19, 23, ...

[0152] For a 5-layer cavity filter: 5*m+4= 9, 14, 19, 24, ...

[0153] In addition, the above examples merely describe embodiments in which the same number of resonators are included in one layer of the cavity filter and do not limit the present invention.

[0154] Thus, a filter according to one embodiment includes a slot resonator, enabling a single filter to be implemented as a multilayer cavity filter.

[0155] In addition, the slot resonator performs the same operation as a standard resonator (e.g., resonator (1610)), so the performance of the filter can be maintained even if the slot resonator replaces the standard resonator. Furthermore, the slot resonator occupies a much smaller volume than the standard resonator, and the process is simple as it only requires forming a slot in a metal member, and there is a low possibility of mechanical tolerances occurring. Since the standard resonator is formed integrally with the housing through a process prone to mechanical tolerances (e.g., molding) or is formed separately from the housing and then assembled, replacing a portion of the standard resonator with the slot resonator can reduce the possibility of mechanical tolerances and improve the reliability of the filter product.

[0156] Referring to FIGS. 20 through 23, a plurality of filters may be disposed on one side of a substrate (2090), and antenna arrays including antenna elements (e.g., antenna elements (2100)) may be disposed on the other side of the substrate. The number of antenna elements (e.g., antenna elements (2100)) illustrated in FIGS. 21 and 23 may be further increased according to the Massive MIMO trend, and as the number of antenna elements increases, the number of filters for processing signals for each antenna element may also increase. The novel filter structure of the present invention can provide spatial gain and cost efficiency for an increasing number of components.

[0157] Each of the filters (1600, 1700, 1800, 2000) illustrated in FIG. 20 can have the performance of eight resonators. By applying a multilayer structure of the filter according to one embodiment, the size of the filter can be drastically reduced. In the case of a conventional single-layer filter, to include eight resonators, a length for eight resonators is required in the horizontal direction and a length for one resonator is required in the vertical direction. In contrast, the horizontal length of each of the filters (1600, 1700, 1800, 2000) corresponds to the length for two resonators, and the vertical length corresponds to the length for three resonators. The area occupied by four filters (1600, 1700, 1800, 2000) within the available area of ​​the substrate (2090) can correspond to the area occupied by three conventional single-layer filters. By utilizing the multilayer filter structure of the present invention, the size of one filter is drastically reduced, and the available area of ​​the substrate (2090) can be utilized efficiently.

[0158] In addition, when a multilayer structure according to one embodiment is applied, the width and height of the filter can be freely configured. Since there are more cases for placing the filter on a given substrate (2090), the degree of design freedom can be improved.

[0159] Referring to FIGS. 22 and 23, a connector for connecting a filter port to a part of the filter may be connected. For example, the connector may be connected to the indicated portions (2200, 2300). However, since the filter port can be connected to any part of the filter and can be freely designed, the connection portion of the connector is not limited to the portions indicated in FIGS. 22 and 23. For example, referring to FIGS. 18 and 19, the connection portion of the connector may be formed in the indicated portions (1622, 1623).

[0160] A resonator (1680) formed in the housing (1600-3) can form a coupling with an adjacent resonator (1670) and / or an adjacent filter port. For example, the filter port adjacent to the resonator (1680) may be a filter port connected to the connector (1622) or the connector (2200). A resonator (1610) formed in the housing (1600-1) can form a coupling with an adjacent resonator (1620) and / or an adjacent filter port. For example, the filter port adjacent to the resonator (1610) may be a filter port connected to the connector (1623) or the connector (2300).

[0161] FIG. 24 illustrates a filter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 25 is a side view of a filter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0162] A two-layer cavity filter according to one embodiment may include a housing (2400) having a cavity structure formed on the upper and lower surfaces, as shown in FIG. 24. However, this is merely an example and the two-layer cavity filter is not limited to a shape including a single housing. For example, the two-layer cavity filter may include two housings containing a cavity filter in a single layer.

[0163] A filter according to one embodiment may include a housing (2400) and resonators (2410, 2420, 2430, 2440, 2450) coupled to the inside of the housing (2400). Although the housing is shown transparently in FIGS. 24 and 25 to explain the internal structure, the housing (2400) and the resonators (2410, 2420, 2430, 2440, 2450) may be made of a metal material.

[0164] As described in FIG. 6, in the filters of FIG. 24 and 25, inductance and capacitance based on the length and distance between resonators (2410, 2420, 2430, 2440, 2450) can be formed. For example, (a2) of resonator (2410) induces inductance, and resonator (2410) can act as an inductor. The distance (b2) between the inner surface of resonator (2410) and housing (2400) induces capacitance, and resonator (2410) and housing (2400) can act as capacitors. That is, the resonators can be represented as tuning circuits of an LC circuit. By adjusting the length (a) of the resonator and / or the distance (b) between the resonator and the wall, the inductance and capacitance of the resonator can be adjusted.

[0165] FIG. 26 illustrates a slot resonator of a filter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 26 illustrates a downward view of a slot (2435) formed inside a housing at the location of the resonator (2420) of FIG. 24 and FIG. 25. FIG. 27 is a side view of a filter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. A metal member (2700) may be formed as part of a housing (2400) or may be coupled to a housing (2400). The metal member (2700) may shield the inside and outside of the filter as part of a housing (2400) or together with the housing.

[0166] Referring to FIG. 26, a slot (2435) may be formed in the inner wall, bottom, cover, or interlayer insertion layer of the filter, and the remaining portion may function as a slot resonator (2430). The length (a3) ​​of the slot resonator (2430) may induce inductance. The separation distance (b3) between the housing (2400) and the slot resonator (2430) formed by the formation of the slot (2435) may induce capacitance.

[0167] Referring to FIGS. 24 through 26, each of the resonators can form a coupling with an adjacent resonator and / or filter port, and a signal can pass through the filter based on the formed coupling. For example, resonator (2410) can form a C-coupling with an adjacent resonator (2420) based on the distance. Resonator (2410) cannot form a coupling with a distant resonator (2450). If a filter port is connected to a part of the housing adjacent to resonator (2410), resonator (2410) will be able to form a coupling with that filter port. Resonator (2420) can form a coupling with an adjacent resonator (2410) and / or an adjacent slot resonator (2430). The slot resonator (2430) can form a coupling with an adjacent resonator (2420) and / or a resonator (2440).

[0168] Referring to FIG. 25, the resonator (2420) and the slot resonator (2430) can be connected via a bridge (2523). An L-coupling between the two resonators can be formed based on the electrical length from the resonator (2420) to the slot resonator (2430) (i.e., the electrical length of the bridge (2523)). The bridge (2523) may refer to an L-shaped structure formed as part of a housing and can electrically connect the resonator (2420) and the slot resonator (2430). In this case, the electrical length of the bridge is determined by the length, area, and / or height of the bridge and can be understood as a factor that increases the L-coupling. Likewise, the slot resonator (2430) and the resonator (2440) can be connected via a bridge (2534), and an L-coupling can be formed between the two resonators.

[0169] Although the resonator (2420) and the resonator (2440) are far apart from each other, an RF path or power transmission path can be formed leading from the resonator (2410) to the resonator (2420), the resonator (2430), the resonator (2440), and the resonator (2450) in sequence based on the coupling formed with the slot resonator (2430) located in the middle. Accordingly, by forming a slot resonator inside the filter according to one embodiment, the filter can be designed as a 1-path filter that provides a 1-path filter. In this case, the two filter ports for the 1-path filter will be connected to a part of the housing adjacent to the resonator (2410) and a part of the housing adjacent to the resonator (2450), respectively.

[0170] In addition, compared to the filter of FIG. 6, the filters of FIG. 24 to 27 include one more resonator, so there is a difference in filter performance, but the added resonator is a slot resonator and will not increase the volume of the filter. This is because the slot resonators of FIG. 24 to 27 are formed by forming slots in the inner walls, bottom, cover, or interlayer insertion type layers of the filter, which were also present in the filter of FIG. 6.

[0171] The filter illustrated in FIGS. 24 through 27 is intended to illustrate an embodiment in which a slot resonator is formed inside a filter comprising an assembled resonator, and does not limit the present disclosure. For example, the filter may be designed as a two-path filter.

[0172] FIG. 28 illustrates a filter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 29 illustrates a slot resonator of a filter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The filter illustrated in FIG. 28 and FIG. 29 can operate as a two-path filter by connecting a filter port to the slot resonator (2430) illustrated in FIG. 24 through FIG. 27. For example, two power transmission paths through the slot resonator (2430) can be provided by connecting two filter ports to a connector (2800) adjacent to the slot resonator (2430). For example, one power transmission path can be formed based on the L-coupling formed by the slot resonator (2430) and the resonator (2420), and the C-coupling formed by the resonator (2420) and the resonator (2410). Additionally, one power transmission path can be formed based on the L-coupling formed by the slot resonator (2430) and the resonator (2440), and the C-coupling formed by the resonator (2440) and the resonator (2450).

[0173] Compared to the filter in Fig. 6, the filters shown in Figs. 28 and 29 include one more resonator, so there is a difference in filter performance, but the added resonator is a slot resonator and will not increase the volume of the filter.

[0174] FIGS. 30 to 33 illustrate a filter according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIGS. 30 and 33 are drawings for explaining a filter including an assembled resonator. FIGS. 30 and 31 are exploded views of FIGS. 32 and 33. FIGS. 34 illustrates a slot resonator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 35 is a drawing for explaining the arrangement of a slot resonator in a radio unit (RU) filter according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0175] Referring to FIGS. 30 through 33, the filter may include a housing (3000), a first cover (3001), and a second cover (3002). The filter may include resonators (3010, 3020, 3040, 3050) connected to the housing (3000) and a slot resonator (3030). The slot resonator (3030) may be formed in a part of the housing (3000) (e.g., a wall, a floor) or in a cover or layer inserted into the interior of the housing. Referring to FIG. 34, the slot resonator (3030) may be formed by a slot (3035) formed in a metal member (3400). The metal member (3400) may be part of the housing (3000) or may be manufactured separately from the housing (3000) and coupled to the housing (3000).

[0176] A resonator (3010) can form a coupling with an adjacent resonator (3020), a slot resonator (3030) can form a coupling with adjacent resonators (3020, 3040), and a resonator (3050) can form a coupling with an adjacent resonator (3040). The filter illustrated in FIGS. 30 to 35 may further include a filter port adjacent to each of the resonators (3010, 3050) to provide one power transmission path. Alternatively, the filter illustrated in FIGS. 30 to 35 may provide two power transmission paths by connecting two filter ports to a connector adjacent to the slot resonator (3030) as in FIGS. 28 and 29.

[0177] Compared to the slot resonator illustrated in FIGS. 24 to 29, the slot resonator (3030) illustrated in FIGS. 30 to 35 may be configured in a bent T-shape. The slot resonator may be formed in a bent T-shape to satisfy the condition of a constant length (L2) at given design conditions (L1 and desired frequency).

[0178] Compared to the filters illustrated in FIGS. 24 to 29, the filters illustrated in FIGS. 30 to 35 may further include a tuning section for correcting mechanical tolerances. The tuning section may further include tuning screws (3015, 3025, 3045, 3055).

[0179] An RF filter according to one embodiment may include an RU filter (3500) of a radio unit (RU) responsible for lower layer functions of a wireless network. The RU filter (3500) may process signals associated with some RF functions of the PHY layer. For example, the RU filter (3500) may process signals associated with IFFT transformation (or FFT transformation), CP insertion (CP removal), and digital beamforming.

[0180] Referring to FIG. 35, a slot resonator (3530) may be disposed in an RU filter (3500). The RU filter (3500) may include a plurality of slot resonators, including the slot resonator (3530), and one RU filter (3500) may provide a plurality of RF paths. The slot resonator (3530) illustrated in FIG. 35 may include the slot resonators illustrated in FIG. 24 through FIG. 34.

[0181] FIG. 36 illustrates the functional configuration of a wireless communication device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The wireless communication device may be referred to as a transceiver. Terms such as '...part', '...device' used below refer to a unit that processes at least one function or operation, and this may be implemented in hardware or software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0182] Referring to FIG. 36, the transmitting and receiving device (110 or 120) includes a communication unit (3601), a storage unit (3603), and a control unit (3605).

[0183] The communication unit (3601) performs functions for transmitting and receiving signals through a wireless channel. For example, the communication unit (3601) performs a conversion function between a baseband signal and a bit sequence according to the physical layer specifications of the system. For example, when transmitting data, the communication unit (3601) generates complex symbols by encoding and modulating the transmitted bit sequence. Also, when receiving data, the communication unit (3601) restores the received bit sequence by demodulating and decoding the baseband signal. The communication unit (3601) may be configured to perform at least one of the operations of the transmitting end or the receiving end of the transmitting and receiving device described through FIGS. 1 to 4.

[0184] The communication unit (3601) upconverts a baseband signal into an RF (radio frequency) band signal and transmits it through an antenna, and downconverts the RF band signal received through the antenna into a baseband signal. To this end, the communication unit (3601) may include a transmission filter, a reception filter, an amplifier, a mixer, an oscillator, a DAC (digital to analog converter), an ADC (analog to digital converter), etc. Additionally, the communication unit (3601) may include a plurality of transmission and reception paths. Furthermore, the communication unit (3601) may include at least one antenna array composed of a plurality of antenna elements. In terms of hardware, the communication unit (3601) may be composed of a digital unit and an analog unit, and the analog unit may be composed of a plurality of sub-units depending on operating power, operating frequency, etc. According to one embodiment, the communication unit (3601) may include a beam forming unit, i.e., a beamforming unit. For example, the communication unit (3601) may include a massive MIMO unit (MMU) for beamforming.

[0185] The communication unit (3601) can transmit and receive signals. To this end, the communication unit (3601) may include at least one transceiver. For example, the communication unit (3601) may transmit a synchronization signal, a reference signal, system information, a message, control information, or data. Additionally, the communication unit (3601) may perform beamforming. The communication unit (3601) may apply beamforming weights to the signal to give directionality according to the settings of the control unit (3605) to the signal to be transmitted or received. According to one embodiment, the communication unit (3601) may generate a baseband signal based on the scheduling result and the transmission power calculation result. Additionally, the RF unit within the communication unit (3601) may transmit the generated signal through an antenna.

[0186] The communication unit (3601) transmits and receives signals as described above. Accordingly, all or part of the communication unit (3601) may be referred to as a 'transmitter', a 'receiver', or a 'transmitter / receiver'. Furthermore, in the following description, transmission and reception performed via a wireless channel are used to mean that processing as described above is performed by the communication unit (3601).

[0187] When the transmitting and receiving device is a base station (110), the communication unit (3601) further includes a backhaul communication unit that provides an interface for performing communication with other nodes within the network. That is, the backhaul communication unit converts a bit sequence transmitted from the base station (110) to another node, e.g., another connection node, another base station, an upper node, a core network, etc., into a physical signal, and converts a physical signal received from another node into a bit sequence.

[0188] The storage unit (3603) stores data such as basic programs, application programs, and setting information for the operation of the transmitting and receiving device. The storage unit (3603) may include memory. The storage unit (3603) may be composed of volatile memory, non-volatile memory, or a combination of volatile memory and non-volatile memory. Additionally, the storage unit (3603) provides the stored data upon the request of the control unit (3605).

[0189] The control unit (3605) controls the overall operations of the transmitting and receiving device. For example, the control unit (3605) transmits and receives signals through the communication unit (3601) or through the backhaul communication unit (in the case of a base station). Additionally, the control unit (3605) writes and reads data to and from the storage unit (3603). Furthermore, the control unit (3605) can perform the functions of the protocol stack required by the communication standard. To this end, the control unit (3605) may include at least one processor. According to various embodiments, the control unit (3605) can control the transmitting and receiving device to perform operations according to the various embodiments described above.

[0190] The configuration of the transmitting and receiving device illustrated in FIG. 36 is merely an example of a transmitting and receiving device, and the examples of transmitting and receiving devices for performing various embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the configuration illustrated in FIG. 36. That is, depending on various embodiments, some configurations may be added, deleted, or changed.

[0191] The present disclosure applies to an RF filter for selecting the frequency of an RF signal and a transmitting and receiving device including the RF filter. Although the transmitting and receiving device is described as a single entity in FIG. 36, as previously described, the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0192] Specifically, the base station (110) may be implemented to form an access network having a distributed deployment as well as an integrated deployment (e.g., an eNB in ​​LTE). The base station (110) may be distinguished into a central unit (CU) and a digital unit (DU), so that the CU performs upper layer functions (e.g., packet data convergence protocol (PRC)) and the DU performs lower layer functions (e.g., medium access control (MAC), physical (PHY)). As such, the base station having a separated deployment may further include a configuration for fronthole interface communication. According to one embodiment, the base station, as a DU, may perform functions for transmitting and receiving signals in a wired communication environment. The DU may include a wired interface for controlling a direct connection between devices through a transmission medium (e.g., copper wire, optical fiber). For example, the DU can transmit electrical signals to other devices via copper wires or perform conversion between electrical and optical signals. The DU can be connected to a distributed CU. However, this description is not interpreted as excluding a scenario in which the DU is connected to the CU via a wireless network. Additionally, the DU may be additionally connected to a radio unit (RU). However, this description is not interpreted as excluding a wireless environment consisting only of a CU and a DU.

[0193] A metal cavity filter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a plurality of housings (700-1, 700-2); and at least one metal member (703) disposed between the plurality of housings, wherein one or more resonators (710, 720, 740, 750) are disposed in a cavity formed in each of the plurality of housings, and a slot (735) for a slot resonator (730) coupled to at least one of the one or more resonators (720, 740) may be formed in at least a part of the at least one metal member.

[0194] According to one embodiment, the plurality of housings includes a first housing (700-1) and a second housing (700-2), and the slot resonator (730) of the at least one metal member can be coupled with the first resonator (720) of the first housing and the second resonator (740) of the second housing.

[0195] According to one embodiment, the plurality of housings includes a first housing (1600-1), a second housing (1600-2), and a third housing (1600-3), and the at least one metal member includes a first metal member (1603) and a second metal member (1604), and the slot resonator (1630) of the first metal member is coupled to the first resonator (1620) of the first housing and the second resonator (1640) of the second housing, and the slot resonator (1660) of the second metal member is coupled to the third resonator (1650) of the second housing and the fourth resonator (1670) of the third housing.

[0196] According to one embodiment, the metal cavity filter may further include a plurality of covers coupled to each of the plurality of housings; and a plurality of tuning screws coupled to the plurality of housings or the plurality of covers for adjusting the resonant frequency of the metal cavity filter.

[0197] According to one embodiment, the first length (L2) of the slot resonator can be determined based on the operating frequency.

[0198] A metal cavity filter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a metal housing (3000) having a cavity formed therein, the cavity being divided into a plurality of layers by a first portion (3400) of the metal housing, and one or more resonators (3010, 3020, 3040, 3050) being disposed in each of the plurality of layers, and a slot (3035) for a slot resonator (3030) coupling with at least one of the one or more resonators (3020, 3040) may be formed in at least a portion of the first portion.

[0199] According to one embodiment, the plurality of layers includes a first layer and a second layer, and a power transmission path passing through one or more resonators of the first layer and a power transmission path passing through one or more resonators of the second layer may be identical to each other.

[0200] According to one embodiment, the plurality of layers includes a first layer and a second layer, and the slot resonator (2430) is coupled to two filter ports connected to an adjacent connector (2800), and the power transmission path passing through one or more resonators (2410, 2420) of the first layer and the power transmission path passing through one or more resonators (2440, 2450) of the second layer may be different from each other.

[0201] According to one embodiment, a plurality of covers (3001, 3002) coupled to the top and bottom of the metal housing; and a plurality of tuning screws coupled to the plurality of covers and for correcting mechanical tolerances of one or more resonators may be further included.

[0202] According to one embodiment, a second portion (2523, 2534) of the metal housing can connect the at least one resonator (2420, 2440) and the slot resonator (3030).

[0203] A wireless communication device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises: one or more antenna arrays; one or more RFICs (radio frequency integrated circuits) (300) that supply an RF (radio frequency) signal to the one or more antenna arrays; and a metal cavity filter that selectively passes a frequency used in the RF signal, wherein the metal cavity filter comprises a plurality of housings (700-1, 700-2); and at least one metal member (703) disposed between the plurality of housings, wherein one or more resonators (710, 720, 740, 750) are disposed in a cavity formed in each of the plurality of housings, and a slot (735) for a slot resonator (730) that couples with at least one of the one or more resonators (720, 740) may be formed in at least a part of the at least one metal member.

[0204] According to one embodiment, the plurality of housings includes a first housing (700-1) and a second housing (700-2), and the slot resonator (730) of the at least one metal member can be coupled with the first resonator (720) of the first housing and the second resonator (740) of the second housing.

[0205] According to one embodiment, the plurality of housings includes a first housing (1600-1), a second housing (1600-2), and a third housing (1600-3), and the at least one metal member includes a first metal member (1603) and a second metal member (1604), and the slot resonator (1630) of the first metal member is coupled to the first resonator (1620) of the first housing and the second resonator (1640) of the second housing, and the slot resonator (1660) of the second metal member is coupled to the third resonator (1650) of the second housing and the fourth resonator (1670) of the third housing.

[0206] According to one embodiment, the metal cavity filter may further include a plurality of covers coupled to each of the plurality of housings; and a plurality of tuning screws coupled to the plurality of housings or the plurality of covers for adjusting the resonant frequency of the metal cavity filter.

[0207] According to one embodiment, the first length (L2) of the slot resonator can be determined based on the operating frequency.

[0208] A wireless communication device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a metal cavity filter, wherein the metal cavity filter includes a metal housing (3000) in which a cavity is formed, the cavity is divided into a plurality of layers by a first portion (3400) of the metal housing, and one or more resonators (3010, 3020, 3040, 3050) are disposed in each of the plurality of layers, and a slot (3035) for a slot resonator (3030) that couples with at least one of the one or more resonators (3020, 3040) may be formed in at least a portion of the first portion.

[0209] According to one embodiment, the plurality of layers includes a first layer and a second layer, and a power transmission path passing through one or more resonators of the first layer and a power transmission path passing through one or more resonators of the second layer may be identical to each other.

[0210] According to one embodiment, the plurality of layers includes a first layer and a second layer, and the slot resonator (2430) is coupled to two filter ports connected to an adjacent connector (2800), and the power transmission path passing through one or more resonators (2410, 2420) of the first layer and the power transmission path passing through one or more resonators (2440, 2450) of the second layer may be different from each other.

[0211] According to one embodiment, a plurality of covers (3001, 3002) coupled to the top and bottom of the metal housing; and a plurality of tuning screws coupled to the plurality of covers and for correcting mechanical tolerances of one or more resonators may be further included.

[0212] According to one embodiment, a second portion (2523, 2534) of the metal housing can connect the at least one resonator (2420, 2440) and the slot resonator (3030).

Claims

1. Regarding metal cavity filters, Multiple housings (700-1, 700-2); and It includes at least one metal member (703) disposed between the plurality of housings, and One or more resonators (710, 720, 740, 750) are disposed in cavities formed in each of the plurality of housings, and A slot (735) is formed in at least a part of the above-mentioned at least one metal member for a slot resonator (730) that couples with at least one of the above-mentioned resonators (720, 740). Metal cavity filter.

2. In Paragraph 1, The above plurality of housings include a first housing (700-1) and a second housing (700-2), and The slot resonator (730) of the above-mentioned at least one metal member is coupled to the first resonator (720) of the first housing and the second resonator (740) of the second housing, Metal cavity filter.

3. In Paragraph 1, The above plurality of housings includes a first housing (1600-1), a second housing (1600-2), and a third housing (1600-3), and The above at least one metal member includes a first metal member (1603) and a second metal member (1604), and The slot resonator (1630) of the first metal member is coupled with the first resonator (1620) of the first housing and the second resonator (1640) of the second housing, and The slot resonator (1660) of the second metal member is coupled with the third resonator (1650) of the second housing and the fourth resonator (1670) of the third housing. Metal cavity filter.

4. In Paragraph 1, A plurality of covers coupled to each of the plurality of housings above; and A plurality of tuning screws coupled to the plurality of housings or the plurality of covers and further comprising a plurality of tuning screws for adjusting the resonance frequency of the metal cavity filter. Metal cavity filter.

5. Regarding metal cavity filters, It includes a metal housing (3000) in which a cavity is formed, and The above cavity is divided into a plurality of layers by a first portion (3400) of the metal housing, and One or more resonators (3010, 3020, 3040, 3050) are disposed in each of the above plurality of layers, and A slot (3035) is formed in at least a portion of the first part for a slot resonator (3030) coupled with at least one of the one or more resonators (3020, 3040). Metal cavity filter.

6. In Paragraph 5, The above plurality of layers include a first layer and a second layer, and The power transmission path passing through one or more resonators of the first layer and the power transmission path passing through one or more resonators of the second layer are identical to each other. Metal cavity filter.

7. In Paragraph 5, The above plurality of layers include a first layer and a second layer, and The slot resonator (2430) is coupled with two filter ports connected to an adjacent connector (2800), and The power transmission path passing through one or more resonators (2410, 2420) of the first layer and the power transmission path passing through one or more resonators (2440, 2450) of the second layer are different, Metal cavity filter.

8. In Paragraph 5, A plurality of covers (3001, 3002) coupled to the top and bottom of the metal housing; and A plurality of tuning screws coupled to the plurality of covers and further comprising one or more resonators for correcting mechanical tolerances, Metal cavity filter.

9. In a wireless communication device, It includes a metal cavity filter, and the metal cavity filter is, Multiple housings (700-1, 700-2); and It includes at least one metal member (703) disposed between the plurality of housings, and One or more resonators (710, 720, 740, 750) are disposed in cavities formed in each of the plurality of housings, and A slot (735) is formed in at least a part of the above-mentioned at least one metal member for a slot resonator (730) that couples with at least one of the above-mentioned resonators (720, 740). Wireless communication device.

10. In Paragraph 9, The above plurality of housings include a first housing and a second housing, and The slot resonator of the above-mentioned at least one metal member is coupled to the first resonator of the first housing and the second resonator of the second housing, Wireless communication device.

11. In Paragraph 9, The above plurality of housings include a first housing, a second housing, and a third housing, and The above at least one metal member includes a first metal member and a second metal member, and The slot resonator of the first metal member is coupled with the first resonator of the first housing and the second resonator of the second housing, and The slot resonator of the second metal member is coupled with the third resonator of the second housing and the fourth resonator of the third housing. Wireless communication device.

12. In Paragraph 9, A plurality of covers coupled to each of the plurality of housings above; and A plurality of tuning screws coupled to the plurality of housings or the plurality of covers and further comprising a plurality of tuning screws for adjusting the resonance frequency of the metal cavity filter. Wireless communication device.

13. In a wireless communication device, One or more antenna arrays; One or more RFICs (radio frequency integrated circuits) (300) that supply RF (radio frequency) signals to one or more antenna arrays; and It includes a metal cavity filter that selectively passes the usage frequency in the above RF signal, and the metal cavity filter, It includes a metal housing with a cavity formed therein, The above cavity is divided into a plurality of layers by a first portion of the metal housing, and One or more resonators are disposed in each of the above plurality of layers, and A slot is formed in at least a portion of the first part for a slot resonator coupled to at least one of the one or more resonators, Wireless communication device.

14. In Paragraph 13, The above plurality of layers include a first layer and a second layer, and The power transmission path passing through one or more resonators of the first layer and the power transmission path passing through one or more resonators of the second layer are identical to each other. Wireless communication device.

15. In Paragraph 13, The above plurality of layers include a first layer and a second layer, and The slot resonator (2430) is coupled with two filter ports connected to an adjacent connector (2800), and The power transmission path passing through one or more resonators (2410, 2420) of the first layer and the power transmission path passing through one or more resonators (2440, 2450) of the second layer are different, Wireless communication device.

Images