Directional coupler

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10084225-B2
Application number	US-201615367578-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 2, 2016
Priority date	Jan 26, 2016
Publication date	Sep 25, 2018
Grant date	Sep 25, 2018

Abstract

A directional coupler includes a first to a fourth port, a main line connecting the first port and the second port, a first and a second subline section configured to be electromagnetically coupled to the main line, and a phase shifter. The first subline section, the phase shifter, and the second subline section are arranged in this order in series between the third port and the fourth port. The phase shifter outputs a signal that is phase-delayed relative to an input signal. The phase delay amount of the output signal of the phase shifter relative to the input signal increases with increasing frequency of the input signal. A frequency twice as high as the frequency of the input signal at which the phase delay amount is 90 degrees is lower than the frequency of the input signal at which the phase delay amount is 180 degrees.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A directional coupler comprising:
a first port;
a second port;
a third port;
a fourth port;
a main line connecting the first port and the second port;
a first subline section and a second subline section each formed of a line configured to be electromagnetically coupled to the main line; and
a phase shifter for outputting a signal that is phase-delayed relative to an input signal, wherein
the first subline section, the phase shifter, and the second subline section are arranged in this order in series between the third port and the fourth port in terms of circuit configuration,
a phase delay amount of the output signal of the phase shifter relative to the input signal of the phase shifter increases with increasing frequency of the input signal, and
a frequency twice as high as a frequency of the input signal at which the phase delay amount is 90 degrees is lower than a frequency of the input signal at which the phase delay amount is 180 degrees.

2. The directional coupler according to claim 1 , further comprising a stack for integrating the first to fourth ports, the main line, the first and second subline sections and the phase shifter, the stack including dielectric layers and conductor layers stacked on each other.

3. The directional coupler according to claim 2 , wherein
the stack has a top surface and a bottom surface located at opposite ends in a direction in which the dielectric layers and the conductor layers are stacked, and
the phase shifter is located closer to the top surface than are the main line and the first and second subline sections.

4. A directional coupler comprising: a first port; a second port; a third port; a fourth port; a main line connecting the first port and the second port; a first subline section and a second subline section each formed of a line configured to be electromagnetically coupled to the main line; and a phase shifter for outputting a signal that is phase-delayed relative to an input signal, wherein the first subline section, the phase shifter, and the second subline section are arranged in this order in series between the third port and the fourth port in terms of circuit configuration, the phase shifter includes a first path and a second path, the first path connecting the first subline section and the second subline section, the first path includes a first inductance element and a second inductance element having their respective inductances and configured to be inductively coupled to each other, each of the first and second inductance elements has a first end and a second end opposite to each other, the first end of the first inductance element is connected to the first subline section, the first end of the second inductance element is connected to the second subline section, the second end of the first inductance element and the second end of the second inductance element are connected to each other, and connected to a ground via the second path, and the second path includes a first capacitor.

5. The directional coupler according to claim 4 , wherein the first inductance element is a first line, and the second inductance element is a second line.

6. The directional coupler according to claim 5 , wherein the first line and the second line are configured to be capacitively coupled to each other.

7. The directional coupler according to claim 5 , wherein
the first line includes a first line portion,
the second line includes a second line portion opposed to the first line portion,
the first line portion has a first edge and a second edge opposite to each other, the first edge of the first line portion being closest to the first subline section in terms of circuit configuration,
the second line portion has a first edge and a second edge opposite to each other, the first edge of the second line portion being closest to the second subline section in terms of circuit configuration, and
the first edge of the second line portion is physically closer to the second edge of the first line portion than to any other part of the first line portion, and the second edge of the second line portion is physically closer to the first edge of the first line portion than to any other part of the first line portion.

8. The directional coupler according to claim 4 , wherein
the phase shifter further includes a third path connecting the first end of the first inductance element and the first end of the second inductance element, and
the third path includes a second capacitor.

9. The directional coupler according to claim 4 , wherein the second path further includes an inductor connected in series to the first capacitor.

10. The directional coupler according to claim 4 , further comprising a stack for integrating the first to fourth ports, the main line, the first and second subline sections and the phase shifter, the stack including dielectric layers and conductor layers stacked on each other.

11. The directional coupler according to claim 10 , wherein
the stack has a top surface and a bottom surface located at opposite ends in a direction in which the dielectric layers and the conductor layers are stacked, and
the phase shifter is located closer to the top surface than are the main line and the first and second subline sections.

Assignees

• Tdk Corp

Inventors

• Ashida Yuta
• Ootsuka Noriaki
• Kijima Takeshi
• Sakisaka Yasunori
• Goto Tetsuzo

Classifications

• H03H7/185

  comprising distributed impedance elements together with lumped impedance elements · CPC title

• H01P5/18 Primary

  consisting of two coupled guides, e.g. directional couplers · CPC title

• H01P5/187 Primary

  Broadside coupled lines · CPC title