Dual-Band RF Mixer Chain With Shared LO and Three-Coil Matching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Implementing four separate RF mixer chains for carrier aggregation in wireless communication devices leads to excessive area consumption and power consumption, while maintaining efficient dual-band operation and image rejection capabilities is challenging.
Innovation Solution
A dual-band RF mixer chain using a dual-band matching network with a three-coil transformer topology, allowing for shared local oscillator signals and reduced gain error, supports LB/LB, LB/MB, LB/HB, and MB/HB carrier aggregation with reduced power consumption and interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If four separate RF mixer chains are implemented for carrier aggregation, then carrier aggregation capabilities are supported, but area consumption and power consumption become excessive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple RF mixer chains into a single shared mixer chain. The gain stage combines signals from multiple frequency bands (low band and high band) and shares common components including the mixer, local oscillator, and matching network, thereby reducing the overall area consumption while maintaining carrier aggregation functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The shared mixer chain is designed to handle multiple frequency bands and carrier aggregation scenarios universally. The gain stage can process both low band and high band signals simultaneously, and the matching network is configured to operate across multiple frequency ranges, making the single chain adaptable to various carrier aggregation modes.
2Adaptability or versatility
If four separate RF mixer chains are implemented for carrier aggregation, then carrier aggregation capabilities are supported, but power consumption becomes excessive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple RF mixer chains into a single shared mixer chain. The gain stage combines signals from multiple frequency bands (low band and high band) and shares common components including the mixer, local oscillator, and matching network, thereby reducing the overall area consumption while maintaining carrier aggregation functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The shared mixer chain is designed to handle multiple frequency bands and carrier aggregation scenarios universally. The gain stage can process both low band and high band signals simultaneously, and the matching network is configured to operate across multiple frequency ranges, making the single chain adaptable to various carrier aggregation modes.
3Use of energy by stationary object
If a shared local oscillator is used in the dual-band RF mixer chain, then power consumption is reduced, but maintaining image rejection capabilities becomes challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by implementing band-specific filtering and gain control within the shared mixer chain. The matching network is configured with different impedance values for low band and high band operations, and the gain stage can independently adjust parameters for each frequency band, ensuring optimal image rejection for each band while sharing the common oscillator.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution reduces transceiver size and power consumption while maintaining efficient carrier aggregation capabilities, enhancing image rejection and supporting multiple frequency bands without excessive hardware.
Implementation Method 1
a matching network that may couple to the first input port and the second input port and perform impedance matching on the first signal and the second signal
Implementation Method 2
a second inductor that may couple to the first inductor based the first signal
Implementation Method 3
The method may include magnetically coupling a first inductor of a gain stage of the electronic device to a second inductor of the gain stage based on the signal including a first frequency
Implementation Method 4
The method may include capacitively coupling a first terminal of a third inductor of the gain stage to a second terminal of the second inductor based on the signal including a second frequency
Data Source
AI summary
This case is directed to supporting LB/LB, LB/MB, LB/HB and MB/HB carrier aggregation while reducing the area consumed on a transceiver and reducing power consumed on the transceiver. In some cases, four supporting such carrier aggregation may include implementing four separate radio frequency mixer chains. However, implementing four separate mixer chains may consume excessive area on the transceiver and may result in excessive transceiver power consumption. By leveraging the fact that HB LO frequency ranges overlap with LB LO frequency ranges, a dual-band gain stage may be implemented such that an LB/HB mixer may share a single LO signal (e.g., so as to provide a dual-band matching network that may provide impedance matching at LB and HB frequencies) without extending an original LB LO signal bandwidth. The dual-band gain stage may reduce space and power consumed on the transceiver while maintaining support for LB/LB, LB/MB, LB/HB and MB/HB carrier aggregation.