Apparatus including power amplifier

Abstract

According to an embodiment, a radio unit (RU) comprises: a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) including a first port and a second port; a plurality of power amplifiers (PAs) including a first PA for a first frequency band and a second PA for a second frequency band; a first diplexer electrically connected to the RFIC via the first port and electrically connected to input terminals of the plurality of PAs; and a second diplexer electrically connected to the RFIC via the second port and electrically connected to output terminals of the plurality of PAs, wherein some of first radio frequency (RF) signals in the first frequency band output from the first PA and some of second RF signals in the second frequency band output from the second PA may be transmitted to the RFIC via the second diplexer and the second port.

Description

Device including a power amplifier

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a device including a power amplifier.

[0002] 5G (generation) mobile communication technology defines a wide frequency band to enable fast transmission speeds and new services. It can be implemented not only in frequency bands below 6 GHz ('Sub 6 GHz'), such as 3.5 gigahertz (3.5 GHz), but also in ultra-high frequency bands called millimeter waves (mmWave), such as 28 GHz and 39 GHz ('Above 6 GHz'). Furthermore, in the case of 6G mobile communication technology, which is referred to as a system beyond 5G, implementation in the terahertz (THX) band (e.g., the 3 terahertz band at 95 GHz) is being considered to achieve transmission speeds 50 times faster and ultra-low latency reduced to one-tenth compared to 5G mobile communication technology.

[0003] When such 5G mobile communication systems are commercialized, connected devices, which are increasing explosively, will be connected to communication networks. Accordingly, it is expected that there will be a need to enhance the functionality and performance of 5G mobile communication systems and to integrate the operation of connected devices. To this end, new research is planned to be conducted on 5G performance improvement and complexity reduction, support for AI services, support for metaverse services, and drone communication using eXtended Reality (XR), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Machine Learning (ML) to efficiently support Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Mixed Reality (MR).

[0004] Furthermore, the advancement of these 5G mobile communication systems encompasses multi-antenna transmission technologies such as new waveforms to guarantee coverage in the terahertz band of 6G mobile communication technology, Full Dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antennas, and large-scale antennas; metamaterial-based lenses and antennas to improve terahertz band signal coverage; high-dimensional spatial multiplexing technology using OAM (Orbital Angular Momentum); and Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface (RIS) technology; as well as Full Duplex technology for enhancing frequency efficiency and system networks in 6G mobile communication technology; AI-based communication technologies that realize system optimization by utilizing satellites and AI from the design stage and internalizing end-to-end AI support functions; and the realization of services of complexity exceeding the limits of terminal computing capabilities by utilizing ultra-high-performance communication and computing resources. It could serve as a foundation for the development of next-generation distributed computing technologies, etc.

[0005] According to one embodiment, a radio unit (RU) includes a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) comprising a first port and a second port, a plurality of power amplifiers (PAs) comprising a first power amplifier (PA) for a first frequency band and a second PA for a second frequency band, a first diplexer electrically connected to the RFIC through the first port and electrically connected to the input terminals of the plurality of PAs, and a second diplexer electrically connected to the RFIC through the second port and electrically connected to the output terminals of the plurality of PAs, and a portion of the first RF signals of the first frequency band output from the first PA and a portion of the second RF signals of the second frequency band output from the second PA can be transmitted to the RFIC through the second diplexer and the second port.

[0006] According to one embodiment, a base station comprises a plurality of antennas, a plurality of RFICs including a first port and a second port, a plurality of PAs including a first PA for a first frequency band and a second PA for a second frequency band, a first diplexer electrically connected to the RFIC through the first port and electrically connected to the input terminals of the plurality of PAs, and a second diplexer electrically connected to the RFIC through the second port and electrically connected to the output terminals of the plurality of PAs, and a portion of the first RF signals of the first frequency band output from the first PA and a portion of the second RF signals of the second frequency band output from the second PA can be transmitted to the RFIC through the second diplexer and the second port.

[0007] FIG. 1 illustrates a wireless communication system according to one embodiment.

[0008] FIG. 2 illustrates exemplary configurations of a base station according to one embodiment.

[0009] FIG. 3 is a drawing illustrating an exemplary configuration of a DU (distributed unit), RU (radio unit), and antenna according to one embodiment.

[0010] FIG. 4a is a drawing illustrating a RU including a plurality of PAs related to the present disclosure and at least one antenna.

[0011] FIG. 4b is a drawing illustrating a RU including a plurality of PAs related to the present disclosure and at least one antenna.

[0012] FIG. 5 illustrates an RU comprising a plurality of diplexers electrically connected to a plurality of PAs according to one embodiment, and at least one antenna electrically connected to the RU.

[0013] FIG. 6 is a drawing illustrating a RU including three PAs according to one embodiment.

[0014] FIG. 7 is a drawing illustrating an RU including a separate third correction circuit not included in the RFIC according to one embodiment.

[0015] In relation to the description of the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals may be used for identical or similar components.

[0016] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to specific embodiments and should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, and / or alternatives of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0017] FIG. 1 illustrates a wireless communication system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] FIG. 1 illustrates a base station (110), a terminal (120), and a terminal (130) as part of nodes utilizing a wireless channel in a wireless communication system. FIG. 1 illustrates only one base station, but other base stations identical or similar to the base station (110) may be additionally included. The base station (110) of FIG. 1 of the present disclosure may correspond to the RU (301) of FIG. 3 through FIG. 7.

[0019] A base station (110) is a network infrastructure that provides wireless access to terminals (120, 130). The base station (110) has coverage defined as a certain geographical area based on the distance at which it can transmit signals. In addition to being a base station, the base station (110) may be referred to as an 'access point (AP)', 'eNodeB (eNB)', '5th generation node', 'wireless point', 'transmission / reception point (TRP)', or other terms having an equivalent technical meaning.

[0020] Each of the terminal (120) and terminal (130) is a device used by a user and performs communication with the base station (110) via a wireless channel. In some cases, at least one of the terminal (120) and terminal (130) may be operated without user involvement. That is, at least one of the terminal (120) and terminal (130) is a device that performs machine type communication (MTC) and may not be carried by the user. Each of the terminal (120) and terminal (130) may be referred to as 'user equipment (UE)', 'mobile station', 'subscriber station', 'customer premises equipment (CPE)', 'remote terminal', 'wireless terminal', 'electronic device', or 'user device' or other terms having an equivalent technical meaning.

[0021] A base station (110), a terminal (120), and a terminal (130) can transmit and receive wireless signals in a millimeter wave (mmWave) band (e.g., 28 GHz, 30 GHz, 38 GHz, 60 GHz). At this time, to improve channel gain, the base station (110), the terminal (120), and the terminal (130) can perform beamforming. Here, beamforming may include transmission beamforming and reception beamforming. That is, the base station (110), the terminal (120), and the terminal (130) can impart directivity to the transmission signal or the reception signal. To this end, the base station (110) and the terminals (120, 130) can select serving beams (112, 113, 121, 131) through a beam search or beam management procedure. After serving beams (112, 113, 121, 131) are selected, subsequent communication can be performed through a resource that is in a quasi-co-located (QCL) relationship with the resource that transmitted the serving beams (112, 113, 121, 131).

[0022] FIG. 2 illustrates exemplary configurations of a base station according to one embodiment.

[0023] Referring to FIG. 2, an exemplary functional configuration of a base station (210) according to one embodiment is illustrated. The base station (210) may include an antenna section (211), a filter section (212), an RF (radio frequency) processing section (213), and / or a processor (214). The base station (210) of FIG. 2 of the present disclosure may correspond to the DU (300), RU (301), and at least one antenna (330) of FIG. 3. For example, the base station (210) of FIG. 2 may include the DU (330), RU (301), and at least one antenna (330) (e.g., a passive antenna) of FIG. 3.

[0024] According to one embodiment, the antenna section (211) may include a plurality of antennas (or antenna elements). The antennas perform functions for transmitting and receiving signals over a wireless channel. The antennas may include a radiator made of a conductor or a conductive pattern formed on a substrate (e.g., PCB). The antennas may radiate an upconverted signal over a wireless channel or acquire a signal radiated by another device. Each antenna may be referred to as an antenna element or an antenna component. In some embodiments, the antenna section (211) may include an antenna array (e.g., a sub-array) in which a plurality of antenna elements form a row. The antenna section (211) may be electrically connected to the filter section (212) via RF signal lines. The antenna section (211) may be mounted on a PCB containing a plurality of antenna elements. The PCB may include a plurality of RF signal lines connecting each antenna element to the filter of the filter section (212). These RF signal lines may be referred to as a feeding network. The antenna section (211) may provide the received signal to the filter section (212) or radiate the signal provided from the filter section (212) into the air. An antenna of the structure according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may be included in the antenna section (211).

[0025] According to various embodiments, the antenna section (211) may include at least one antenna module having a dual-polarized antenna. The dual-polarized antenna may be, for example, a cross-pole (x-pol) antenna. The dual-polarized antenna may include two antenna elements corresponding to different polarizations. For example, the dual-polarized antenna may include a first antenna element having a polarization of +45° and a second antenna element having a polarization of -45°. Of course, the polarizations may be formed with other orthogonal polarizations in addition to +45° and -45°. Each antenna element may be connected to a feeding line and electrically connected to the filter section (212), RF processing section (213), and processor (214) described later.

[0026] According to one embodiment, the dual-polarized antenna may be a patch antenna (or a microstrip antenna). Since the dual-polarized antenna has the form of a patch antenna, it can be easily implemented and integrated into an array antenna. Two signals having different polarizations may be input to each antenna port. Each antenna port corresponds to an antenna element. For high efficiency, it is required to optimize the relationship between the co-pol and cross-pol characteristics between two signals having different polarizations. In the dual-polarized antenna, the co-pol characteristic represents the characteristics for a specific polarization component, and the cross-pol characteristic represents the characteristics for a polarization component different from the specific polarization component.

[0027] An antenna (e.g., antenna element, sub array, antenna array) of an antenna device including a separable PCB according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may be included in an antenna section (211). For example, a first conductive member or a first conductive member and a second conductive member of an antenna device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may mean an antenna element and may be included in the antenna section (211) of FIG. 2.

[0028] The filter section (212) can perform filtering to transmit a signal of a desired frequency. The filter section (212) can perform the function of selectively identifying a frequency by forming resonance. In some embodiments, the filter section (212) can form resonance through a cavity that structurally contains a dielectric. Also, in some embodiments, the filter section (212) can form resonance through elements that form inductance or capacitance. Also, in some embodiments, the filter section (212) may include an elastic filter such as a BAW (bulk acoustic wave) filter or a SAW (surface acoustic wave) filter. The filter section (212) may include at least one of a band pass filter, a low pass filter, a high pass filter, or a band reject filter. That is, the filter section (212) may include RF circuits for obtaining a signal in a frequency band for transmission or a frequency band for reception. According to various embodiments, the filter unit (212) can electrically connect the antenna unit (211) and the RF processing unit (213).

[0029] The RF processing unit (213) may include a plurality of RF paths. An RF path may be a unit of a path through which a signal received through an antenna or a signal radiated through an antenna passes. At least one RF path may be referred to as an RF chain. An RF chain may include a plurality of RF elements. RF elements may include amplifiers, mixers, oscillators, DACs, ADCs, etc. For example, the RF processing unit (213) may include an up converter that up-converts a baseband digital transmission signal to a transmission frequency, and a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) that converts the up-converted digital transmission signal into an analog RF transmission signal. The up converter and the DAC form part of a transmission path. The transmission path may further include a power amplifier (PA) or a coupler (or combiner). Additionally, for example, the RF processing unit (213) may include an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) that converts an analog RF reception signal into a digital reception signal and a down converter that converts the digital reception signal into a baseband digital reception signal. The ADC and the down converter form part of the reception path. The reception path may further include a low-noise amplifier (LNA) or a coupler (or divider). The RF components of the RF processing unit may be implemented on a PCB. The antennas and the RF components of the RF processing unit may be implemented on a PCB, and filters may be repeatedly connected between the PCBs to form multiple layers.

[0030] The RFIC (radio frequency integrated circuit) and package board (PKG) of an antenna device including a separable PCB according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may be included in the RF processing unit (213) of FIG. 2. That is, the RF processing unit (213) may include an RFIC (radio frequency integrated circuit) as an RF device for mmWave. As described above in the present disclosure, the RFIC may be formed as an RFIC chip combined with a package board and coupled to the first PCB, or the RFIC may be directly coupled to the first PCB.

[0031] The processor (214) can control the overall operations of the base station (210). The control unit (214) may include various modules for performing communication. The processor (214) may include at least one processor, such as a modem. The processor (214) may include modules for digital signal processing. For example, the processor (214) may include a modem. When transmitting data, the processor (214) generates complex symbols by encoding and modulating the transmitted bit sequence. Also, for example, when receiving data, the processor (214) restores the received bit sequence by demodulating and decoding the baseband signal. The processor (214) can perform the functions of a protocol stack required by the communication standard.

[0032] FIG. 3 is a drawing illustrating an exemplary configuration of a DU (distributed unit), RU, and antenna according to one embodiment.

[0033] Referring to FIG. 3, a base station (200) according to one embodiment may include a DU (distributed unit) (300), an RU (301), and / or at least one antenna (330).

[0034] For example, the DU (300) may include a controller (or, at least one processor) (310), and the controller (310) may control at least a portion of the RU (301). For example, the RU (301) may include at least one transceiver (320) (e.g., RFIC, filter, PA). For example, at least one antenna (330) may be an antenna (e.g., passive antenna) electrically connected to the RU (301). At least one antenna (330) may radiate or transmit RF signals received from the RU (301).

[0035] According to one embodiment, the transceiver (320) of the RU (301) may include an RFIC, and the RFIC may upconvert an IF (intermediate) signal into an RF (radio frequency) signal and transmit the RF signal to at least one antenna (330) outside the RU (301). For example, the RU (301) may include a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) for converting an IF signal into an RF signal (e.g., RFIC (410) of FIG. 5). As another example, the transceiver (320) of the RU (301) may include a PA and / or filter for amplifying the RF signal.

[0036] According to one embodiment, at least one antenna (330) may include various types of antennas. For example, at least one antenna (330) may be a passive antenna electrically connected to the RU (301). For example, at least one antenna (330) may include a patch antenna, a dipole antenna, a monopole antenna, a slit antenna, an LDS (laser direct structuring) antenna, and / or an IFA (inverted-F antenna).

[0037] For example, at least one antenna (330) may include an antenna for transmitting and / or receiving a signal in the mmWave frequency band. For example, at least one antenna (330) may include a plurality of antenna elements (e.g., patch antennas), and the plurality of antenna elements may form an array. The plurality of antenna elements forming the array may transmit and / or receive a signal in the mmWave frequency band.

[0038] In the present disclosure, the term controller (310) may be replaced with other terms referring to a configuration for data processing. For example, the term controller may be replaced with a processor or a computing device.

[0039] In the present disclosure, the transceiver (320) may include a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) and / or an intermediate frequency integrated circuit (IFIC). For example, in FIG. 3, the transceiver (320) is described as including an RFIC and an IFIC, but this is merely an example and the transceiver (320) may correspond to an RFIC. As another example, the transceiver (320) may correspond to an IFIC.

[0040] FIG. 4a is a drawing illustrating a radio unit (RU) including a plurality of PAs related to the present disclosure and at least one antenna.

[0041] Referring to FIG. 4a, the RU (301) may include a first RFIC (411), a second RFIC (412), a plurality of PAs (420), and / or a plurality of filters (490). For example, the RU (301) may be a communication device that supports a plurality of frequency bands (e.g., multi-bands). For example, the plurality of PAs (420) may include a first PA (421) and / or a second PA (422). For example, the plurality of filters (490) may include a first filter (491) and a second filter (492). The first filter (491) may be electrically connected to the first PA (421), and the second filter (492) may be electrically connected to the second PA (492).

[0042] The RU (301) can be electrically connected to at least one antenna (330) (e.g., a passive antenna). For example, at least one antenna (330) can radiate RF signals received from the RU (301).

[0043] The RU (301) may not include a separate antenna, and the RU (301) may be electrically connected to an external antenna (e.g., at least one antenna (330)).

[0044] In FIG. 4a of the present disclosure, at least one antenna (330) (e.g., a passive antenna) is described as having a configuration distinct from the RU (301), but this is merely an example. For example, at least one antenna (330) may be a passive antenna distinct from the RU (301), or it may be an antenna included within the RU (301).

[0045] The first RFIC (411) may include a plurality of ports. For example, the first RFIC (411) may include a first port (451) and may be electrically connected to the first input terminal (421a) of the first PA (421) through the first port (451). For example, the first RFIC (411) may include a second port (452) and may be electrically connected to the first output terminal (421b) of the first PA (421) through the second port (452). The first RFIC (411) may acquire some of the first RF signals (e.g., a first feedback signal) output by the first PA (421) through the second port (452).

[0046] The second RFIC (412) may include a plurality of ports. For example, the second RFIC (412) may include a third port (453) and may be electrically connected to the second input terminal (422a) of the second PA (422) through the third port (453). For example, the second RFIC (412) may include a fourth port (454) and may be electrically connected to the second output terminal (422b) of the second PA (422) through the fourth port (454). The second RFIC (412) may acquire some of the second RF signals (e.g., second feedback signals) output by the second PA (422) through the fourth port (454).

[0047] Each of the first RFIC (411) and the second RFIC (412) may be a radio frequency (RF) circuit (or RF module) for a single frequency band. For example, the first RFIC (411) may be a circuit that supports first RF signals of a first frequency band (e.g., 1.8 GHz). That is, the first RFIC (411) may be a circuit that generates first RF signals of the first frequency band. For example, the second RFIC (412) may be a circuit that supports a second frequency band (e.g., 2.1 GHz). That is, the second RFIC (412) may be a circuit that generates second RF signals of the second frequency band.

[0048] Each of the first RFIC (411) and the second RFIC (412) may include at least one correction circuit. For example, the first RFIC (411) may include at least one first correction circuit (411a), and the second RFIC (412) may include at least one second correction circuit (412a). For example, each of the at least one first correction circuit (411a) and at least one second correction circuit (412a) may include a CFR (crest factor reduction) circuit and / or a DPD (digital predistortion) circuit. For example, the CFR circuit included in the first RFIC (411) may adjust the ratio of the maximum power to the average power of the first RF signals. Likewise, the CFR circuit included in the second RFIC (412) may adjust the ratio of the maximum power to the average power of the second RF signals. As another example, the DPD circuit included in the first RFIC (411) can add a specified signal to the signal input to the first PA (421) (e.g., input signal) and increase the linearity of the first PA (421) through prior distortion. The DPD circuit included in the second RFIC (412) can add a specified signal to the signal input to the second PA (422) (e.g., input signal) and increase the linearity of the second PA (422) through prior distortion.

[0049] Each of the first PA (421) and the second PA (422) can amplify RF signals of one frequency band. For example, the first PA (421) can receive first RF signals of a first frequency band from the first RFIC (411) and amplify the first RF signals. For example, the second PA (422) can receive second RF signals of a second frequency band from the second RFIC (412) and amplify the second RF signals.

[0050] The first PA (421) may be electrically connected to at least one antenna (330) via the first transmission line (471). For example, the first PA (421) may be electrically connected to the first antenna among at least one antenna (330) via the first transmission line (471). The first PA (421) may transmit amplified first RF signals to the first antenna. For example, the first antenna may be an antenna radiator for transmitting and / or receiving first RF signals of a first frequency band.

[0051] The second PA (422) may be electrically connected to the second antenna among at least one antenna (330) via the second transmission line (472). For example, the second PA (422) may be electrically connected to the second antenna among at least one antenna (330) via the second transmission line (472). The second PA (422) may transmit amplified second RF signals to the second antenna. For example, the second antenna may be an antenna radiator for transmitting and / or receiving second RF signals in a second frequency band.

[0052] The first transmission line (471) may include a first filter (491). For example, the first filter (491) can transmit first RF signals of a first frequency band from the first PA (421) to the first antenna and remove noise outside the first frequency band. As another example, the first transmission line (471) may include at least one RF element other than the first filter (491) (e.g., a phase shifter, a splitter).

[0053] The second transmission line (472) may include a second filter (492). For example, the second filter (492) can transmit second RF signals of the second frequency band from the second PA (422) to the second antenna and remove noise outside the second frequency band. As another example, the second transmission line (472) may include at least one RF element other than the second filter (492) (e.g., a phase shifter, a splitter).

[0054] The first RFIC (411) can be coupled to the first transmission line (471) through the third transmission line (473). For example, the first RFIC (411) can be electromagnetically (or capacitively) connected to the first transmission line (471) through the second port (452) and the third transmission line (473). For example, a first coupling (481) can be formed between the first transmission line (471) and the third transmission line (473).

[0055] The first RFIC (411) can acquire some of the first RF signals (e.g., first feedback signals) transmitted through the first transmission line (471) to the first antenna among at least one antenna (330). For example, the first PA (421) can transmit the first RF signals to the first transmission line (471) through the first output terminal (421b). In this case, the third transmission line (473) connected to the second port (452) of the first RFIC (411) can be connected to the first transmission line (471) through the first coupling (481), and some of the first RF signals can be transmitted to the first RFIC (411) through the second port (452) and the third transmission line (473).

[0056] Some of the first RF signals transmitted to the first RFIC (411) (e.g., first feedback signals) may be used for at least one first correction circuit (411a) included in the first RFIC (411). For example, at least one first correction circuit (411a) corresponding to the DPD circuit may identify some of the first RF signals as feedback signals and correct an input signal input to the first PA (421) based on some of the first RF signals (e.g., first feedback signals). For example, at least one first correction circuit (411a) corresponding to the DPD circuit may reduce the nonlinearity of the first PA (421) by adding a correction signal to the input signal input to the first PA (421) based on some of the first RF signals (e.g., first feedback signals).

[0057] The second RFIC (412) can be coupled to the second transmission line (472) through the fourth transmission line (474). For example, a second coupling (482) can be formed between the second transmission line (472) and the fourth transmission line (474). For example, the second PA (422) can transmit second RF signals to the second transmission line (472) through the second output terminal (422b). In this case, the fourth transmission line (474) connected to the fourth port (454) of the second RFIC (412) can be connected to the second transmission line (472) through the second coupling (482), and some of the second RF signals can be transmitted to the second RFIC (412) through the fourth port (454) and the fourth transmission line (474).

[0058] Some of the second RF signals transmitted to the second RFIC (412) may be used for at least one second correction circuit (412b) included in the second RFIC (412). For example, at least one second correction circuit (412a) corresponding to the DPD circuit may identify some of the second RF signals as feedback signals and correct the input signal input to the second PA (422) based on some of the second RF signals. For example, at least one second correction circuit (412a) corresponding to the DPD circuit may reduce the nonlinearity of the second PA (422) by adding a correction signal to the input signal input to the second PA (422) based on some of the second RF signals.

[0059] In the present disclosure, the term RFIC may be referred to as a configuration that includes, for example, a mixer, and uses the mixer to convert a signal received from an IFIC or CP into an RF signal, or converts an RF signal into an IF signal or a BB signal. However, this is merely an example and the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the term RFIC may be replaced with the terms RF-FEM (front end module), RF module, or RF circuit.

[0060] The first RFIC (411), second RFIC (412), plurality of PAs (420), and / or plurality of filters (490) of FIG. 4a of the present disclosure may be referred to as concepts included in the transceiver (320) of FIG. 3.

[0061] FIG. 4b is a drawing illustrating a RU including a plurality of PAs related to the present disclosure and at least one antenna.

[0062] Referring to FIG. 4b, the RU (301) may include an RFIC (410), a plurality of PAs (420), a plurality of couplers (430), and / or a plurality of filters (490). For example, the plurality of PAs (420) may include a first PA (421) and / or a second PA (422). For example, the plurality of filters (490) may include a first filter (491) and a second filter (492).

[0063] The RU (301) can be electrically connected to at least one antenna (330) (e.g., a passive antenna). For example, at least one antenna (330) can radiate RF signals received from the RU (301).

[0064] In FIG. 4b of the present disclosure, at least one antenna (330) (e.g., a passive antenna) is described as having a configuration distinct from the RU (301), but this is merely an example. For example, the at least one antenna (330) may be a passive antenna distinct from the RU (301), or it may be an antenna included within the RU (301). For example, the at least one antenna (330) may be an antenna placed outside the RU (301), or it may be an antenna included within the RU (301).

[0065] Comparing FIG. 4b with FIG. 4a, in FIG. 4b, the first PA (421) and the second PA (422) are electrically connected to a single RFIC (e.g., RFIC (410)), whereas in FIG. 4a, the first PA (421) is electrically connected to the first RFIC (411) and the second PA (422) can be electrically connected to the second RFIC (412). Additionally, in FIG. 4b, the first PA (421) and the second PA (422) operate as Doherty amplifiers to support both the first frequency band and the second frequency band, whereas in FIG. 4a, the first PA (421) is dedicated to the first frequency band and the second PA (422) can be dedicated to the second frequency band. (That is, in FIG. 4b, the first PA (421) and the second PA (422) are each shared across multiple frequency bands, whereas in FIG. 4a, the first PA (421) and the second PA (422) can each be dedicated to a single frequency band.)

[0066] Additionally, in FIG. 4b, a portion of the first RF signals (e.g., the first feedback signal) and a portion of the second RF signals (e.g., the second feedback signal) may be input (or, feedback) to the first RFIC (411) through a coupling connection (e.g., the third coupling (483)) on a transmission line (e.g., the third transmission line (463)). On the other hand, in FIG. 4a, a portion of the first RF signals (e.g., the first feedback signal) and a portion of the second RF signals (e.g., the second feedback signal) may be input (or, feedback) to the first RFIC (411) and the second RFIC (412) through a plurality of coupling connections (e.g., the first coupling (481)) and the second coupling (482) on the first transmission line (471) and the second transmission line (472).

[0067] The RU (301) may include an RFIC (410), and the RFIC (410) may include a plurality of ports. For example, the RFIC (410) may include a fifth port (455) and a sixth port (456). For example, the fifth port (455) of the RFIC (410) may be a port for outputting first RF signals of a first frequency band and second RF signals of a second frequency band. For example, the RFIC (410) may combine and output the first RF signals and the second RF signals through the fifth port (455) for amplification by the first PA (421) and the second PA (422). For example, the sixth port (456) of the RFIC (410) may be a port for inputting a portion of the first RF signals (e.g., feedback signals) and a portion of the second RF signals (e.g., feedback signals) into the RFIC (410). For example, the RFIC (410) can obtain a first feedback signal output from the first PA (421) and a second feedback signal output from the second PA (422) through the sixth port (456).

[0068] In FIG. 4b, first RF signals and second RF signals of different frequency bands are output through the fifth port (455) of the RFIC (410), whereas in FIG. 4a, first RF signals are output through the first port (451) and second RF signals can be output through the third port (453). That is, in FIG. 4b, one port (e.g., the fifth port (455)) is shared with the first RF signals and second RF signals, whereas in the embodiment of FIG. 4a, the first port (451) and the third port (453) can each be dedicated to the first RF signals and second RF signals, respectively.

[0069] The RFIC (410) may be an RF circuit for multiple frequency bands. For example, the RFIC (410) may support a first frequency band (e.g., about 1.8 GHz) and a second frequency band (e.g., about 2.1 GHz). For example, the RFIC (410) may convert IF signals into first RF signals of the first frequency band and convert IF signals into second RF signals of the second frequency band.

[0070] The RFIC (410) may include at least one correction circuit (410a). For example, at least one correction circuit (410a) may include a CFR (crest factor reduction) circuit and / or a DPD (digital predistortion) circuit. For example, at least one correction circuit (410a) corresponding to the CFR circuit may adjust the ratio of the maximum power to the average power of the first RF signals and may adjust the ratio of the maximum power to the average power of the second RF signals. As another example, at least one correction circuit (410a) corresponding to the DPD circuit may add a designated signal (e.g., a correction signal) to a signal input to the first PA (421) (e.g., an input signal) and increase the linearity of the first PA (421) through pre-distortion, and may add a designated signal (e.g., a correction signal) to a signal input to the second PA (422) (e.g., an input signal) and increase the linearity of the second PA (422) through pre-distortion.

[0071] Multiple PAs (420) can amplify RF signals of multiple frequency bands. For example, the first PA (421) and the second PA (422) may correspond to Doherty amplifiers, and the first PA (421) may be the main PA and the second PA (422) may be the auxiliary PA. In this case, the first PA (421) and the second PA (422) can amplify first RF signals of the first frequency band (e.g., about 1.8 GHz) and second RF signals of the second frequency band (e.g., about 2.1 GHz).

[0072] While the multiple PAs (420) of FIG. 4b support multiple frequency bands together, the multiple PAs (420) of FIG. 4a can each support a single frequency band. That is, the multiple PAs (420) of FIG. 4b can be shared with multiple frequency bands (e.g., a first frequency band and / or a second frequency band). On the other hand, the first PA (421) of FIG. 4a can be dedicated to the first frequency band (e.g., about 1.8 GHz), and the second PA (422) can be dedicated to the second frequency band (e.g., about 2.1 GHz).

[0073] The RFIC (410) can be electrically connected to the first PA (421) and the second PA (422) through the fourth transmission line (464). For example, the RU (301) may include the fourth transmission line (464) that electrically connects the RFIC (410) and the first coupler (431). The first coupler (431) can be electrically connected to the first input terminal (421a) of the first PA (421) and the second input terminal (422a) of the second PA (422). That is, the RFIC (410) can be electrically connected to the first input terminal (421a) and the second input terminal (422a) of the first PA (421) through the fourth transmission line (464) and the first coupler (431).

[0074] Multiple PAs (420) may be electrically connected to a third transmission line (463) connected to at least one antenna (330) through a second coupler (432). For example, a first PA (421) may be electrically connected to the second coupler (432) through the first transmission line (461), and a second PA (422) may be electrically connected to the second coupler (432) through the second transmission line (462). Since the second coupler (432) is electrically connected to the third transmission line (463) which is electrically connected to at least one antenna (330), multiple PAs (420) may be connected to the third transmission line (463) and / or at least one antenna (330) through the second coupler (432).

[0075] In this case, the second coupler (432) can combine the first RF signals of the first frequency band and the second RF signals of the second frequency band output from the first PA (421) and the second PA (422) and transmit them to a single transmission line (e.g., a third transmission line (463)). The first RF signals transmitted to the third transmission line (463) can be transmitted to the first antenna among at least one antenna (330) through the first filter (491), and the second RF signals transmitted to the third transmission line (463) can be transmitted to the second antenna among at least one antenna (330) through the second filter (492).

[0076] Each of the plurality of couplers (430) may be a 4-port coupler. For example, the first coupler (431) may be electrically connected to the fourth transmission line (464), ground (497), the first PA (421), and the second PA (422). For example, the second coupler (432) may be electrically connected to the first transmission line (461), the second transmission line (462), ground (497), and the third transmission line (463).

[0077] The RFIC (410) can be coupled to the third transmission line (463) through the fifth transmission line (465). For example, the RFIC (410) can be electromagnetically (or capacitively) connected to the third transmission line (463) through the sixth port (456) and the fifth transmission line (465).

[0078] The RFIC (410) can acquire some of the first RF signals (e.g., first feedback signals) and some of the second RF signals (e.g., second feedback signals) transmitted to at least one antenna (330) through the third transmission line (463). For example, the first PA (421) can transmit the first RF signals to the second coupler (432) through the first output terminal (421b) and the first transmission line (461), and the second PA (422) can transmit the second RF signals to the second coupler (432) through the second output terminal (422b) and the second transmission line (462). The second coupler (432) can combine the first RF signals and the second RF signals and transmit them to the third transmission line (463).

[0079] In this case, the third transmission line (463) can be coupled with the fifth transmission line (465), and some of the first RF signals (e.g., first feedback signal) and some of the second RF signals (e.g., second feedback signal) can be transmitted to the RFIC (410) through the fifth transmission line (465) and the sixth port (456).

[0080] Some of the first RF signals (e.g., first feedback signals) and some of the second RF signals (e.g., second feedback signals) transmitted to the RFIC (410) may be used for at least one correction circuit (410a) included in the RFIC (410). For example, at least one correction circuit (410a) corresponding to a DPD circuit may identify some of the first RF signals and some of the second RF signals, respectively, as feedback signals. At least one correction circuit (410a) may correct an input signal input to the first PA (421) and correct an input signal input to the second PA (422) based on the feedback signals. As another example, at least one correction circuit (410a) corresponding to a CFR circuit may identify some of the first RF signals and some of the second RF signals, respectively, as feedback signals. At least one correction circuit (410a) can adjust the CFR (e.g., ratio of average power to maximum power) of the first RF signals and / or second RF signals based on the maximum power and average power of the feedback signals.

[0081] In the present disclosure, a coupler may be referred to as an RF configuration for combining or distributing a plurality of signals. For example, a coupler can combine RF signals of different frequency bands and transmit them over a single transmission line.

[0082] In FIG. 4a of the present disclosure, to support first RF signals of a first frequency band and second RF signals of a second frequency band, the RU (301) may include a plurality of RFICs (e.g., first RFIC (411), second RFIC (412)) and four ports (e.g., first port (451), second port (452), third port (453) and fourth port (454)), and the RU (301) may include a plurality of correction circuits (e.g., at least one first correction circuit (411a), at least one second correction circuit (412b)). On the other hand, in the embodiment of FIG. 4b, to support first RF signals and second RF signals, the RU (301) may include one RFIC (e.g., RFIC (410)) and two ports (e.g., fifth port (455) and sixth port (456)). Additionally, the RU (301) may include one correction circuit (e.g., at least one correction circuit (410a)). Thus, when the RU (301) supports the first RF signals and the second RF signals using a plurality of couplers (430), the number of RFICs and ports included in the RU (301) may be reduced, and costs may be reduced.

[0083] Meanwhile, in FIG. 4b, when the first RF signals and the second RF signals are supported through a plurality of couplers (430), the loss of the RF signals may be greater than in FIG. 4a. For example, in FIG. 4b, when the first RF signals and the second RF signals output from the first PA (421) and the second PA (422) are combined through the second coupler (432) and separated by a plurality of filters (490), the loss of the signals may increase. As another example, in FIG. 4b, when the first PA (421) and the second PA (422) operate together for the first RF signals and the second RF signals, the loss of the signals may increase compared to when the first PA (421) is dedicated to the first RF signals and the second PA (422) is dedicated to the second RF signals (e.g., in FIG. 4a and FIG. 5).

[0084] Accordingly, Figure 5 below describes the structure of a RU (301) that can reduce the number of RFICs and ports to ensure cost reduction while simultaneously reducing signal loss.

[0085] The RFIC (410), plurality of PAs (420), plurality of couplers (430), and / or plurality of filters (490) of FIG. 4b of the present disclosure may be referred to as concepts included in the transceiver (320) of FIG. 3.

[0086] FIG. 5 illustrates an RU comprising a plurality of diplexers electrically connected to a plurality of PAs according to one embodiment, and at least one antenna electrically connected to the RU.

[0087] Referring to FIG. 5, a RU (301) according to one embodiment may include an RFIC (410), a plurality of PAs (420), a plurality of diplexers (510), a plurality of filters (490), and / or a plurality of transmission lines (530). For example, the plurality of PAs (420) may include a first PA (421) and / or a second PA (422). For example, the plurality of filters (490) may include a first filter (491) and a second filter (492). For example, the plurality of diplexers (510) may include a first diplexer (511) and a second diplexer (512). For example, a diplexer may be referred to as an RF circuit that filters, separates, or combines two different frequency bands.

[0088] According to one embodiment, the RU (301) may be electrically connected to at least one antenna (330) (e.g., a passive antenna). For example, at least one antenna (330) may radiate RF signals received from the RU (301).

[0089] In FIG. 5 of the present disclosure, at least one antenna (330) (e.g., a passive antenna) is described as having a configuration distinct from the RU (301), but this is merely an example. For example, at least one antenna (330) may be a passive antenna distinct from the RU (301), or it may be an antenna included within the RU (301).

[0090] Comparing FIG. 5 with FIG. 4a, in the embodiment of FIG. 5, the RU (301) can support multiple PAs (420) using only one RFIC (e.g., RFIC (410)) and two ports (e.g., first port (551), second port (552)). On the other hand, in the embodiment of FIG. 4a, the RU (301) can support multiple PAs (420) using multiple RFICs (e.g., first RFIC (411), second RFIC (412)) and four ports (e.g., first port (451), second port (452), third port (453), fourth port (454)). Consequently, in the embodiment of FIG. 5, unlike FIG. 4a, the number of RFICs and ports for multiple frequency bands (or multiple PAs (420)) can be reduced.

[0091] That is, in the embodiment of FIG. 5, since two diplexers are included within the RU (301), the RFIC (410) can output signals for multiple PAs (420) and receive feedback signals simultaneously using only two ports. In this case, the first port (551) may be a shared port for transmitting output signals of different frequency bands to multiple PAs (420), and the second port (552) may be a shared port for receiving feedback signals of different frequency bands.

[0092] Comparing FIG. 5 with FIG. 4b, in the embodiment of FIG. 5, a plurality of PAs (420) can each support a single frequency band. For example, the first PA (421) of FIG. 5 can amplify RF signals in the first frequency band (e.g., about 1.8 GHz), and the second PA (422) can amplify RF signals in the second frequency band (e.g., about 2.1 GHz). In the embodiment of FIG. 5, since each of the plurality of PAs (420) is dedicated to a single frequency band, signal loss may be reduced (or power efficiency may be increased). Additionally, in the embodiment of FIG. 5, since there is no coupling through a separate coupler (e.g., the second coupler (432) of FIG. 4b), additional signal loss may be reduced. On the other hand, in the embodiment of FIG. 4b, as multiple PAs (420) operate as Doherty amplifiers, multiple PAs (420) can support multiple frequency bands (e.g., a first frequency band and / or a second frequency band) together. In this case, as multiple PAs (420) are shared across multiple frequency bands, signal loss may be relatively large. Additionally, in the embodiment of FIG. 4b, additional signal loss may occur as the second coupler (432) combines the signals output from the first PA (421) and the second PA (422). Consequently, in the embodiment of FIG. 5, unlike FIG. 4b, the RU (301) can reduce or minimize signal loss when supporting multiple frequency bands.

[0093] That is, in the embodiment of FIG. 5, since two diplexers are included within the RU (301), signal separation and combination may not be repeated, and since multiple PAs (420) are dedicated to different frequency bands, signal amplification efficiency may be ensured. For example, in FIG. 4b, the signal separation of the first coupler (431) and the signal combination of the second coupler (432) are performed sequentially, so the strength of the signal output by the multiple PAs (420) may be relatively reduced. On the other hand, in FIG. 5, since there is no separate signal combination after the multiple PAs (420) connected to the first diplexer (511) amplify the signal, signal loss may be reduced. Additionally, in FIG. 4b, multiple PAs (420) are used together to amplify signals of multiple frequency bands, whereas in FIG. 5, each of the multiple PAs (420) connected to the first diplexer (511) is used to amplify signals of different frequency bands, so signal amplification can be performed efficiently. According to one embodiment, the multiple transmission lines (530) may include a first transmission line (531), a second transmission line (532), a third transmission line (533), a fourth transmission line (534), a fifth transmission line (535), a sixth transmission line (536), a seventh transmission line (537), and / or an eighth transmission line (538). For example, the first transmission line (531) may electrically connect the first diplexer (511) and the first input terminal (421a) of the first PA (421). For example, the second transmission line (532) can electrically connect the first diplexer (511) and the second input terminal (422a) of the second PA (422). For example, the third transmission line (533) can electrically connect the first output terminal (421b) of the first PA (421) and at least one antenna (330). For example, the fourth transmission line (534) can electrically connect the second output terminal (422b) of the second PA (422) and at least one antenna (330).For example, the fifth transmission line (535) can electrically connect the RFIC (410) and the first diplexer (511). For example, the sixth transmission line (536) can connect the second diplexer (512) and the third transmission line (533) through the first coupling (581), and the seventh transmission line (537) can connect the second diplexer (512) and the fourth transmission line (534) through the second coupling (582). For example, the eighth transmission line (538) can electrically connect the RFIC (410) and the second diplexer (512).

[0094] For example, in order for the third transmission line (533) and the sixth transmission line (536) to be electromagnetically connected through coupling, a conductive portion (e.g., a conductive pad, a conductive connecting member) with a length corresponding to 1 / 4 wavelength of the output signal of the first PA (421) may be formed at one end of the sixth transmission line (536). In this case, the conductive portion formed at one end of the sixth transmission line (536) may be positioned within a specified distance from the third transmission line (533) and electromagnetically connected.

[0095] For example, in order for the fourth transmission line (534) and the seventh transmission line (537) to be electromagnetically connected through coupling, a conductive portion (e.g., a conductive pad, a conductive connecting member) with a length corresponding to 1 / 4 wavelength of the output signal of the second PA (422) may be formed at one end of the seventh transmission line (537). In this case, the conductive portion formed at one end of the seventh transmission line (537) may be positioned within a specified distance from the fourth transmission line (534) and electromagnetically connected.

[0096] According to one embodiment, the sixth transmission line (536), the seventh transmission line (537), and / or the eighth transmission line (538) may be electrical paths through which feedback signals of the first RF signals and the second RF signals are transmitted. For example, some of the first RF signals output from the first PA (421) (e.g., first feedback signals) may be transmitted to the sixth transmission line (536) through the first coupling (581). For example, some of the second RF signals output from the second PA (422) (e.g., second feedback signals) may be transmitted to the seventh transmission line (537) through the second coupling (582). Some of the transmitted first RF signals and some of the second RF signals may be input to the second diplexer (512). The second diplexer (512) can combine some of the first RF signals (e.g., first feedback signal) and some of the second RF signals (e.g., second feedback signal) and transmit them to the RFIC (410) through a single transmission line (e.g., eighth transmission line (538)).

[0097] For example, a feedback signal may be referenced as a signal serving as a reference for correction of at least one correction circuit (410a) included in the RFIC (410). For example, a first feedback signal associated with a first RF signal may be used to adjust the ratio of maximum power to average power of signals output from the first PA (421), or may be used for pre-distortion of signals input to the first PA (421) (e.g., adding a correction signal to the input signal). As another example, a second feedback signal associated with a second RF signal may be used to adjust the ratio of maximum power to average power of signals output from the second PA (422), or may be used for pre-distortion of signals input to the second PA (422).

[0098] According to one embodiment, each of the plurality of diplexers (510) may include a plurality of ports. For example, the first diplexer (511) may include a first common port (511a), a first separation port (511b), and / or a second separation port (511c). In this case, the first diplexer (511) may receive first RF signals and second RF signals from the RFIC (410) through the first common port (511a) connected to the fifth transmission line (535). The first diplexer (511) may transmit the first RF signal to the first PA (421) through the first separation port (511b) connected to the first transmission line (531). The first diplexer (511) may transmit the second RF signal to the second PA (422) through the second separation port (511c) connected to the second transmission line (532).

[0099] For example, the second diplexer (512) may include a second common port (512a), a third separation port (512b), and / or a fourth separation port (512c). In this case, the second diplexer (512) may transmit some of the first RF signals (e.g., a first feedback signal) and some of the second RF signals (e.g., a second feedback signal) to the RFIC (410) through the second common port (512a) connected to the eighth transmission line (538). The second diplexer (512) may receive the first feedback signal through the third separation port (512b) connected to the sixth transmission line (536). The second diplexer (512) may receive the second feedback signal through the fourth separation port (512c) connected to the seventh transmission line (537).

[0100] According to one embodiment, the RU (301) can achieve high efficiency by using multiple diplexers (510) so that PAs for each frequency band process only one frequency band (e.g., single band), and the RFIC (410) can also be configured as one, making it possible to configure the RU (301) efficiently in terms of power consumption, size, and / or material costs.

[0101] According to one embodiment, the RU (301) may further include a switch circuit included in each of the sixth transmission line (536) and the seventh transmission line (537). For example, the sixth transmission line (536) may include a first switch circuit, and the RFIC (410) may reduce or minimize the impedance effect caused by the first coupling (581) by turning the first switch circuit ON when a feedback signal is needed and turning the first switch circuit OFF when a feedback signal is not needed. As another example, the seventh transmission line (537) may include a second switch circuit, and the RFIC (410) may reduce or minimize the impedance effect caused by the second coupling (582) by turning the second switch circuit ON when a feedback signal is needed and turning the second switch circuit OFF when a feedback signal is not needed.

[0102] According to one embodiment, the RFIC (410) of the RU (301) may be electrically connected to the DU (300), and the DU (300) may transmit a baseband (BB) signal or an intermediate frequency (IF) signal to the RU (301). In this case, the RFIC (410) of the RU (301) may upconvert the BB signal to an RF signal or upconvert the IF signal to an RF signal.

[0103] In the present disclosure, a plurality of diplexers (510) are described as being included in the RU (301), but this is merely an example. For example, the first diplexer (511) and the second diplexer (512) may be replaced by a single multiplexer. In this case, the multiplexer may include a first common port (511a), a first separation port (511b), a second separation port (511c), a second common port (512a), a third separation port (512b), and / or a fourth separation port (512c).

[0104] In this disclosure, for the purpose of distinction, ports included in a diplexer are distinguished as common ports and separate ports, but this is merely an example, and ports included in a diplexer may also be referred to by the term "port."

[0105] In the present disclosure, it has been described that the first PA (421) operates for a first frequency band and the second PA (422) operates for a second frequency band, but this is merely an example. For example, each of the first PA (421) and the second PA (422) operates exclusively for one frequency band, but the frequency bands corresponding to the PAs may be changed. For example, the RFIC (410) may convert first IF signals received from the IFIC into first RF signals of the first frequency band and transmit the first RF signals to the first PA (421). Likewise, the RFIC (410) may convert first IF signals received from the IFIC into second RF signals of the second frequency band and transmit the second RF signals to the second PA (422). In another example, the RFIC (410) can convert the second IF signals received from the IFIC into third RF signals of a third frequency band and transmit the third RF signals to the first PA (421). In this case, the first PA (421) may be switched to operate for the third frequency band rather than the first frequency band. The RFIC (410) can convert the second IF signals received from the IFIC into second RF signals of a second frequency band and transmit them to the second PA (422).

[0106] In this disclosure, FIG. 5 is compared with FIG. 4a and FIG. 4b, but this is for convenience of explanation only, and embodiments of FIG. 4a and FIG. 4b may be combined with FIG. 5 unless contradictory. Additionally, the contents described in FIG. 4a and FIG. 4b may also be applied to FIG. 5 unless contradictory to FIG. 5.

[0107] In FIG. 5 of the present disclosure, the RFIC (410) is described as being formed as a single chip, but this is merely an example. For example, the RFIC (410) may include a plurality of RFICs. For example, the RFIC (410) may include a first RFIC for a first frequency band (e.g., first RFIC (411)) and a second RFIC for a second frequency band (e.g., second RFIC (412)) internally. As another example, the RFIC (410) may be implemented as a plurality of physically separated chips. In this case, the RFIC (410) may be implemented as a first RFIC (e.g., first RFIC (411)) corresponding to one chip and a second RFIC (e.g., second RFIC (412)) corresponding to another chip.

[0108] The term diplexer in the present disclosure may be replaced with the terms multiplexer, frequency selection filter, frequency splitter, frequency division filter, or band division circuit. For example, the first diplexer (511) may be replaced with the first frequency splitter.

[0109] In the present disclosure, the second diplexer (512) is described as being electromagnetically (or capacitively) connected to the third transmission line (533) and the fourth transmission line (534) through the sixth transmission line (536) and the seventh transmission line (537), respectively, but this is merely an example. For example, the second diplexer (512) may be electrically connected (e.g., inductively connected) to the third transmission line (533) through the sixth transmission line (536) to obtain some of the first RF signals (e.g., first feedback signals). For example, the second diplexer (512) may be electrically connected (e.g., inductively connected) to the fourth transmission line (534) through the seventh transmission line (537) to obtain some of the second RF signals (e.g., second feedback signals).

[0110] The RFIC (410), plurality of PAs (420), plurality of diplexers (510), plurality of filters (490), and / or plurality of transmission lines (530) of FIG. 5 of the present disclosure may be referred to as concepts included in the transceiver (320) of FIG. 3.

[0111] In the present disclosure, RU (301) is described as comprising only two PAs (e.g., a first PA (421), a second PA (422)), but this is merely an example, and RU (301) may comprise two or more PAs. Hereinafter, FIG. 6 describes RU (301) comprising three PAs, and the three PAs being connected by a triplexer.

[0112] FIG. 6 is a drawing illustrating a RU including three PAs according to one embodiment.

[0113] Referring to FIG. 6, a RU (301) according to one embodiment may include an RFIC (410), a plurality of PAs (420), a plurality of triplexers (610), a plurality of filters (490), and / or a plurality of transmission lines (530).

[0114] According to one embodiment, at least one antenna (330) may be electrically connected to the RU (301). For example, at least one antenna (330) may be electrically connected to the first PA (421), the second PA (422), and the third PA (623).

[0115] According to one embodiment, the RU (301) may include a plurality of PAs (420), and the plurality of PAs (420) may include a first PA (421), a second PA (422), and / or a third PA (623). For example, the first PA (421) may amplify first RF signals in a first frequency band (e.g., about 1.8 GHz), and the second PA (422) may amplify second RF signals in a second frequency band (e.g., about 2.1 GHz). For example, the third PA (623) may amplify third RF signals in a third frequency band.

[0116] Comparing FIG. 6 with FIG. 5 of the present disclosure, FIG. 5 describes a plurality of PAs (420) including a first PA (421) and a second PA (422), whereas FIG. 6 may include a plurality of PAs (420) including a first PA (421), a second PA (422), and a third PA (623). That is, the RU (301) of the present disclosure may include various numbers of PAs, and the number of PAs is not limited to two or three.

[0117] According to one embodiment, the plurality of transmission lines (530) may further include a ninth transmission line (639), a tenth transmission line (640), and / or an eleventh transmission line (641). For example, the ninth transmission line (639) may electrically connect the first triplexer (611) and the third PA (623). For example, the tenth transmission line (640) may electrically connect the third PA (623) and at least one antenna (330), and the tenth transmission line (640) may include a third filter (693). For example, the eleventh transmission line (641) may connect the second triplexer (612) and the tenth transmission line (640) through a third coupling (683).

[0118] Comparing FIG. 6 with FIG. 5 of the present disclosure, the plurality of transmission lines (530) of FIG. 6 may further include a ninth transmission line (639), a tenth transmission line (640), and / or an eleventh transmission line (641) compared to the plurality of transmission lines (530) of FIG. 5.

[0119] According to one embodiment, a plurality of filters (490) may include a first filter (491), a second filter (492), and / or a third filter (693). For example, the third filter (693) may be a filter for signals in a third frequency band. For example, the third filter (693) may be a filter that attenuates signals in frequency bands other than the third frequency band.

[0120] According to one embodiment, the RU (301) may include a plurality of triplexers (610), and the plurality of triplexers (610) may include a first triplexer (611) and / or a second triplexer (612).

[0121] According to one embodiment, each of the plurality of triplexers (610) may include a plurality of ports. For example, the first triplexer (611) may include a first common port (611a), a first separation port (611b), a second separation port (611c), and / or a third separation port (611d). In this case, the first triplexer (611) may receive first RF signals, second RF signals, and / or third RF signals from the RFIC (410) through the first common port (611a) connected to the fifth transmission line (535). The first triplexer (611) may transmit at least a portion of the first RF signals to the first PA (421) through the first separation port (611b) connected to the first transmission line (531). The first triplexer (611) can transmit at least a portion of the second RF signals to the second PA (422) through a second separation port (611c) connected to the second transmission line (532). The first triplexer (611) can transmit at least a portion of the third RF signals to the third PA (623) through a third separation port (611d) connected to the ninth transmission line (639). That is, the first triplexer (611) can distribute each of the first RF signals, the second RF signals, and / or the third RF signals received from the RFIC (410) to the first PA (421), the second PA (422), and the third PA (623).

[0122] For example, the second triplexer (612) may include a second common port (612a), a fifth separation port (612b), a sixth separation port (612c) and / or a seventh separation port (612d). In this case, the second triplexer (612) may transmit some of the first RF signals (e.g., a first feedback signal), some of the second RF signals (e.g., a second feedback signal), and / or some of the third RF signals (e.g., a third feedback signal) to the RFIC (410) through the second common port (612a) connected to the eighth transmission line (538).

[0123] For example, the second triplexer (612) can receive a first feedback signal through a fifth separation port (612b) connected to a sixth transmission line (536). The second triplexer (612) can receive a second feedback signal through a sixth separation port (612c) connected to a seventh transmission line (537). The second triplexer (612) can receive a third feedback signal through a seventh separation port (612d) connected to an eleventh transmission line (641).

[0124] In the present disclosure, the feedback signal may be referred to as a signal for the operation of at least one correction circuit (410a) included in the RU (301). For example, the feedback signal may be referred to as a signal for signal correction of at least one correction circuit (410a). For example, the measurement of the feedback signal may be performed by the RFIC (410) and / or at least one correction circuit (410a), and a separate measurement circuit may be included within the RU (301). For example, the feedback signal may be referred to as a signal for at least one correction circuit (410a) corresponding to the DPD to generate a correction signal that is added to the input signal. For example, the feedback signal may be referred to as a signal for at least one correction circuit (410a) corresponding to the CFR circuit to adjust the ratio of the maximum power and average power of a plurality of PAs (420).

[0125] In FIG. 6 of the present disclosure, RU (301) is described as including a plurality of PAs (420) including a first PA (421), a second PA (422), and a third PA (623), but this is merely an example. For example, RU (301) may include a first PA (421), a second PA (422), a third PA (623), and a fourth PA (424), in which case the first triplexer (611) and the second triplexer (612) may each be replaced by a first quadraplexer and a second quadraplexer including four ports.

[0126] FIG. 7 is a drawing illustrating an RU including a separate third correction circuit not included in the RFIC according to one embodiment.

[0127] Referring to FIG. 7, the RU (301) according to one embodiment may further include a third correction circuit (703). For example, the third correction circuit (703) may include a CFR (crest factor reduction) circuit and / or a DPD (digital predistortion) circuit. For example, the third correction circuit (703) corresponding to the CFR circuit may adjust the ratio of the maximum power and average power of the first RF signals and may adjust the ratio of the maximum power and average power of the second RF signals. As another example, a third correction circuit (703) corresponding to a DPD circuit can add a designated signal (e.g., correction signal) to a signal input to the first PA (421) (e.g., input signal) and increase the linearity of the first PA (421) through pre-distortion, and can add a designated signal (e.g., correction signal) to a signal input to the second PA (422) (e.g., input signal) and increase the linearity of the second PA (422) through pre-distortion.

[0128] Unlike at least one correction circuit (410a) of FIG. 5, the third correction circuit (703) of FIG. 7 of the present disclosure may not be included in the RFIC (410) and may be implemented as a separate chip from the RFIC (410). For example, the separately implemented third correction circuit (703) may be placed on the same PCB (or substrate) as the RFIC (410) and may be electrically connected to the RFIC (410) through conductive lines of the PCB.

[0129] Methods according to the claims or embodiments described in the specification of the present disclosure may be implemented in the form of hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0130] When implemented in software, a computer-readable storage medium may be provided for storing one or more programs (software modules). One or more programs stored in the computer-readable storage medium are configured for execution by one or more processors within an electronic device. One or more programs include instructions that cause the electronic device to execute methods according to the claims or embodiments described in the specification of this disclosure.

[0131] In the present disclosure, the function or operation performed by an electronic device may be performed by one or more processors executing one or more instructions stored in memory. The function or operation of the electronic device mentioned in the present disclosure may be performed by a single processor executing one or more instructions, or by a combination of multiple processors executing one or more instructions. A processor mentioned in the present disclosure may be understood to include a circuit for performing operations or controlling other components of the electronic device. For example, the one or more processors may include a central processing unit (CPU), a micro-processor unit (MPU), an application processor (AP), a communication processor (CP), a neural processing unit (NPU), a system on chip (SoC), or an integrated circuit (IC) configured to execute one or more instructions. The one or more processors may be configured to perform the operation of the electronic device described above.

[0132] In the present disclosure, a program (software module, software) may be stored in a random access memory, a non-volatile memory including flash memory, a read-only memory (ROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a magnetic disc storage device, a compact disc-ROM (CD-ROM), digital versatile discs (DVDs), or other forms of optical storage devices, or a magnetic cassette. Alternatively, it may be stored in a memory composed of some or all of these. The memory may be composed of a single storage medium or a combination of multiple storage media. The one or more instructions may be stored in a single storage medium or distributed across multiple storage media.

[0133] Additionally, the above program may be stored on an attachable storage device that can be accessed via a communication network such as the Internet, Intranet, LAN (local area network), WLAN (wide LAN), or SAN (storage area network), or a combination thereof. Such a storage device may be connected to a device performing an embodiment of the present disclosure through an external port. Additionally, a separate storage device on a communication network may be connected to a device performing an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0134] In the specific embodiments of the present disclosure described above, the components included in the disclosure are expressed in a singular or plural form according to the specific embodiments presented. However, the singular or plural expression is selected to suit the situation presented for convenience of explanation, and the present disclosure is not limited to singular or plural components; even if a component is expressed in the plural form, it may be composed of a singular form, and even if a component is expressed in the singular form, it may be composed of a plural form.

[0135] Additionally, in the present disclosure, terms such as “part,” “module,” etc. may be a hardware component, such as a processor or circuit, and / or a software component executed by a hardware component, such as a processor.

[0136] "Parts" and "modules" may be implemented by a program that is stored on an addressable storage medium and can be executed by a processor. For example, "parts" and "modules" may be implemented by components such as software components, object-oriented software components, class components, and task components, as well as by processes, functions, attributes, procedures, subroutines, segments of program code, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuits, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays, and variables.

[0137] The specific embodiments described in this disclosure are merely examples and do not limit the scope of this disclosure in any way. For the sake of brevity, descriptions of prior electronic configurations, control systems, software, and other functional aspects of said systems may be omitted.

[0138] Additionally, in the present disclosure, "comprising at least one of a, b, or c" may mean "comprising only a, comprising only b, comprising only c, or comprising a combination of two or more (comprising a and b, comprising b and c, comprising a and c, or comprising all of a, b, and c)."

[0139] Meanwhile, although specific embodiments have been described in the detailed description of the present disclosure, it is understood that various modifications are possible within the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the scope of the present disclosure should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should be defined by the claims set forth below as well as equivalents thereof.

[0140] According to one embodiment, a RU (radio unit) (301) comprises a RFIC (radio frequency integrated circuit) (410) including a first port (551) and a second port (552), a plurality of PAs (420) including a first PA (power amplifier) ​​(421) for a first frequency band and a second PA (422) for a second frequency band, a first diplexer (511) electrically connected to the RFIC through the first port and electrically connected to the input terminals of the plurality of PAs, and a second diplexer (512) electrically connected to the RFIC through the second port and electrically connected to the output terminals of the plurality of PAs, and a portion of the first RF (radio frequency) signals of the first frequency band output from the first PA and a portion of the second RF signals of the second frequency band output from the second PA can be transmitted to the RFIC through the second diplexer and the second port.

[0141] According to one embodiment, the RU further includes a plurality of antennas (330) including a first antenna and a second antenna, wherein the first antenna is electrically connected to the first PA and transmits signals of the first frequency band received from the first PA, and the second antenna is electrically connected to the second PA and transmits signals of the second frequency band received from the second PA.

[0142] According to one embodiment, the RU further includes a first transmission line (531) connecting the first antenna and the first PA and a second transmission line (532) connecting the second antenna and the second PA, the first transmission line may include a first filter (491) for the signals of the first frequency band, and the second transmission line may include a second filter (492) for the signals of the second frequency band.

[0143] According to one embodiment, the second diplexer (512) is electrically connected to each of the first transmission line (531) and the second transmission line (532) through coupling, and a portion of the first RF signals and a portion of the second RF signals can be transmitted to the second diplexer through the coupling.

[0144] According to one embodiment, the RFIC (410) may further include at least one circuit for correction of the first RF signals and the second RF signals.

[0145] According to one embodiment, the at least one circuit (410a) for the correction may include at least one of a CFR (crest factor reduction) circuit for adjusting the ratio of the maximum power and average power of each of the first RF signals and the second RF signals, or a DPD (digital predistortion) circuit for adding a correction signal to the signals input to the first PA and the second PA.

[0146] According to one embodiment, the RU (301) further includes at least one circuit (703) for correcting the first RF signals and the second RF signals, and the at least one circuit is electrically connected to the RFIC and can receive a portion of the first RF signals and a portion of the second RF signals from the RFIC.

[0147] According to one embodiment, the invention further includes an IFIC electrically connected to the RFIC and transmitting intermediate frequency (IF) signals to the RFIC, wherein the RFIC may be configured to convert first IF signals received from the IFIC into first RF signals and second RF signals, and to transmit each of the first RF signals and second RF signals to the first PA and the second PA, respectively.

[0148] According to one embodiment, the RFIC converts the second IF signals received from the IFIC into third RF signals and the second RF signals that are distinct from the first RF signals, transmits each of the third RF signals and the second RF signals to the first PA and the second PA, and the first PA may be switched to amplify the third RF signals of a third frequency band that is distinct from the first frequency band.

[0149] According to one embodiment, the RFIC includes a first RFIC for the first frequency band and a second RFIC for the second frequency band, and the first RF signals of the first frequency band and the second RF signals of the second frequency band can be transmitted to the RFIC through the second port while being combined by the second diplexer.

[0150] According to one embodiment, the first PA can transmit signals of the first frequency band to a first antenna positioned outside the RU, and the second PA can transmit signals of the second frequency band to a second antenna positioned outside the RU.

[0151] According to one embodiment, a base station comprises a plurality of antennas, a plurality of RFICs including a first port and a second port, a plurality of PAs including a first PA for a first frequency band and a second PA for a second frequency band, a first diplexer electrically connected to the RFIC through the first port and electrically connected to the input terminals of the plurality of PAs, and a second diplexer electrically connected to the RFIC through the second port and electrically connected to the output terminals of the plurality of PAs, and a portion of the first RF signals of the first frequency band output from the first PA and a portion of the second RF signals of the second frequency band output from the second PA can be transmitted to the RFIC through the second diplexer and the second port.

[0152] According to one embodiment, the plurality of antennas includes a first antenna and a second antenna, wherein the first antenna is electrically connected to the first PA and transmits signals of the first frequency band received from the first PA, and the second antenna is electrically connected to the second PA and transmits signals of the second frequency band received from the second PA.

[0153] According to one embodiment, the base station further includes a first transmission line connecting the first antenna and the first PA and a second transmission line connecting the second antenna and the second PA, wherein the first transmission line includes a first filter for the signals of the first frequency band and the second transmission line may include a second filter for the signals of the second frequency band.

[0154] According to one embodiment, the second diplexer is electrically connected to the first transmission line and the second transmission line, respectively, through coupling, and a portion of the first RF signals and a portion of the second RF signals can be transmitted to the second diplexer through the coupling.

[0155] According to one embodiment, the RFIC may further include at least one circuit for correction of the first RF signals and the second RF signals.

[0156] According to one embodiment, the base station comprises at least one of a CFR (crest factor reduction) circuit for adjusting the ratio of the maximum power and average power of each of the first RF signals and the second RF signals, or a DPD (digital predistortion) circuit for adding a correction signal to the signal input to the first PA and the second PA.

[0157] According to one embodiment, the base station further includes at least one circuit for correcting the first RF signals and the second RF signals, and the at least one circuit is electrically connected to the RFIC and can receive a portion of the first RF signals and a portion of the second RF signals from the RFIC.

[0158] According to one embodiment, the base station further includes an IFIC that is electrically connected to the RFIC and transmits intermediate frequency (IF) signals to the RFIC, and the RFIC may be configured to convert the first IF signals received from the IFIC into the first RF signals and the second RF signals, and to transmit the first RF signals and the second RF signals, respectively, to the first PA and the second PA.

[0159] According to one embodiment, the RFIC converts the second IF signals received from the IFIC into third RF signals and the second RF signals that are distinct from the first RF signals, transmits each of the third RF signals and the second RF signals to the first PA and the second PA, and the first PA may be switched to amplify the third RF signals of a third frequency band that is distinct from the first frequency band.

[0160] According to one embodiment, the RFIC includes a first RFIC for the first frequency band and a second RFIC for the second frequency band, and the first RF signals of the first frequency band and the second RF signals of the second frequency band can be transmitted to the RFIC through the second port while being combined by the second diplexer.

[0161] According to one embodiment, the first PA and the second PA are included in a radio unit (RU), the first PA is electrically connected to a first antenna placed outside the RU, and the second PA can be electrically connected to a second antenna placed outside the RU.

Claims

1. Regarding the RU (radio unit), RFIC (radio frequency integrated circuit) including a first port and a second port; A plurality of PAs including a first PA (power amplifier) ​​for a first frequency band and a second PA for a second frequency band; A first diplexer electrically connected to the RFIC through the first port and electrically connected to the input terminals of the plurality of PAs; and It includes a second diplexer that is electrically connected to the RFIC through the second port and electrically connected to the output terminals of the plurality of PAs. A portion of the first RF (radio frequency) signals of the first frequency band output from the first PA and a portion of the second RF signals of the second frequency band output from the second PA are transmitted to the RFIC through the second diplexer and the second port, RU.

2. In Claim 1, A first transmission line connected to the first output terminal of the first PA; and It further includes a second transmission line connected to the second output terminal of the second PA, and The first transmission line includes a first filter for the signals of the first frequency band, and the second transmission line includes a second filter for the signals of the second frequency band, RU.

3. In Claim 2, The second diplexer is electrically connected to each of the first transmission line and the second transmission line through coupling, and A portion of the first RF signals and a portion of the second RF signals are transmitted to the second diplexer through the coupling, RU.

4. In Claim 1, The RFIC further comprises at least one circuit for correction of the first RF signals and the second RF signals, RU.

5. In Claim 4, The at least one circuit for the correction comprises at least one of a CFR (crest factor reduction) circuit for adjusting the ratio of the maximum power and average power of each of the first RF signals and the second RF signals, or a DPD (digital predistortion) circuit for adding a correction signal to the signal input to the first PA and the second PA, RU.

6. In Claim 1, It further includes at least one circuit for correcting the first RF signals and the second RF signals, and The above at least one circuit is electrically connected to the RFIC and receives a portion of the first RF signals and a portion of the second RF signals from the RFIC, RU.

7. In Claim 1, It further includes an IFIC (intermediate frequency integrated circuit) that is electrically connected to the RFIC and transmits IF (intermediate frequency) signals to the RFIC, and The above RFIC is: Converting the first IF signals received from the above IFIC into the first RF signals and the second RF signals, and RU configured to transmit each of the first RF signals and the second RF signals to the first PA and the second PA.

8. In Claim 7, The above RFIC is: Converting the second IF signals received from the above IFIC into third RF signals distinct from the first RF signals and the second RF signals, and Each of the above third RF signals and the above second RF signals is transmitted to the first PA and the second PA, and The above-mentioned first PA is switched to amplify the third RF signals of a third frequency band distinct from the first frequency band, RU.

9. In Claim 1, The above RFIC includes a first RFIC for the first frequency band and a second RFIC for the second frequency band, and RU, wherein the first RF signals of the first frequency band and the second RF signals of the second frequency band are combined by the second diplexer and transmitted to the RFIC through the second port.

10. In Claim 1, The first PA transmits signals of the first frequency band to a first antenna disposed outside the RU, and The RU, wherein the second PA transmits signals of the second frequency band to a second antenna disposed outside the RU.

11. Regarding base stations, A plurality of RFICs including a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) comprising a first port and a second port; A plurality of PAs including a first PA (power amplifier) ​​for a first frequency band and a second PA for a second frequency band; A first diplexer electrically connected to the RFIC through the first port and electrically connected to the input terminals of the plurality of PAs; and It includes a second diplexer that is electrically connected to the RFIC through the second port and electrically connected to the output terminals of the plurality of PAs. A base station in which a portion of the first RF (radio frequency) signals of the first frequency band output from the first PA and a portion of the second RF signals of the second frequency band output from the second PA are transmitted to the RFIC through the second diplexer and the second port.

12. In Claim 11, A first transmission line connected to the first output terminal of the first PA; and It further includes a second transmission line connected to the second output terminal of the second PA, and A base station, wherein the first transmission line includes a first filter for the signals of the first frequency band, and the second transmission line includes a second filter for the signals of the second frequency band.

13. In Claim 12, The second diplexer is electrically connected to each of the first transmission line and the second transmission line through coupling, and A base station in which a portion of the first RF signals and a portion of the second RF signals are transmitted to the second diplexer through the coupling.

14. In Claim 11, The above RFIC further comprises at least one circuit for correction of the first RF signals and the second RF signals, a base station.

15. In Claim 14, A base station comprising at least one circuit for the above correction, wherein the circuit comprises at least one of a CFR (crest factor reduction) circuit for adjusting the ratio of the maximum power and average power of each of the first RF signals and the second RF signals, or a DPD (digital predistortion) circuit for adding a correction signal to the signal input to the first PA and the second PA.

Images