Coupler circuit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10147994-B2
Application number	US-201715712531-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 22, 2017
Priority date	Sep 23, 2016
Publication date	Dec 4, 2018
Grant date	Dec 4, 2018

Abstract

Aspects of this disclosure relate to a coupler circuit configured to receive an output of a radio frequency coupler. The coupler circuit can be arranged in a daisy chain with other coupler circuits. The coupler circuit can include a switch configured to turn on based on a signal level of a direct current component of a coupler signal from another coupler circuit and pass a radio frequency component of the coupler signal when on. The coupler circuit can pass the coupler signal while a module that includes the coupler circuit is otherwise inactive.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A radio frequency system with coupler circuits arranged in a daisy chain, the radio frequency system comprising:
a first coupler circuit configured to receive a first signal from a first radio frequency coupler; and
a second coupler circuit configured to receive a second signal from a second radio frequency coupler, the first coupler circuit and the second coupler circuit arranged in a daisy chain, and the second coupler circuit including a switch configured to turn on based on a signal level of a direct current component of a coupler signal from the first coupler and to pass a radio frequency component of the coupler signal when on.

2. The radio frequency system of claim 1 wherein a first packaged module includes the first coupler circuit and a second packaged module includes the second coupler circuit.

3. The radio frequency system of claim 2 wherein the second coupler circuit is configured to pass the coupler signal while the second packaged module is otherwise inactive.

4. The radio frequency system of claim 1 further comprising a power detector having an input coupled to an output of the daisy chain, the power detector being configured to provide an indication of power of a single carrier of a carrier aggregated signal.

5. The radio frequency system of claim 1 further comprising a frequency multiplexing circuit configured to receive a first output signal from a first signal path that includes the first radio frequency coupler, to receive a second output signal from a second signal path that includes the second radio frequency coupler, and to provide a carrier aggregated signal.

6. The radio frequency system of claim 1 further comprising a third coupler circuit arranged in the daisy chain.

7. The radio frequency system of claim 1 wherein the second coupler circuit includes a radio frequency signal path and a direct current signal path, and the radio frequency signal path includes the switch.

8. The radio frequency system of claim 7 wherein the direct current signal path is configured to pass the direct current component of the coupler signal to the output port when the switch is on.

9. A coupler circuit for passing a coupler signal, the coupler circuit comprising:
an input port configured to receive an input signal having a direct current component and a radio frequency component;
a radio frequency signal path including a switch configured to turn on based on a signal level of the direct current component of the input signal and to pass the radio frequency component of the input signal to an output port using the switch; and
a direct current signal path configured to pass the direct current component of the input signal to the output port when the switch is on.

10. The coupler circuit of claim 9 wherein the radio frequency signal path includes a direct current blocking element coupled between the switch and the output port.

11. The coupler circuit of claim 10 wherein the radio frequency signal path is configured to receive an output from a radio frequency coupler at a node between the switch and the direct current blocking element.

12. The coupler circuit of claim 10 wherein the radio frequency signal path includes another direct current blocking element coupled between the input port and the switch.

13. The coupler circuit of claim 9 wherein the coupler circuit is configured to pass the direct current component and the radio frequency component to the output port when a module that includes the coupler circuit is otherwise inactive.

14. The coupler circuit of claim 9 wherein the direct current signal path includes a second switch and a radio frequency blocking circuit coupled between the second switch and the output port.

15. The coupler circuit of claim 14 further comprising a third switch configured to provide a direct current signal to a node between the second switch and the radio frequency blocking circuit when the second switch is off.

16. The coupler circuit of claim 14 further comprising another switch coupled to a control terminal of the second switch and configured to turn on responsive to the signal level of the direct current component of the input signal.

17. A wireless communication device comprising:
a first module including a first radio frequency coupler and first coupler circuit configured to receive a first signal from the first radio frequency coupler;
a second module including a second radio frequency coupler and a second coupler circuit configured to receive a second signal from the second radio frequency coupler, the first coupler circuit and the second coupler circuit arranged in a daisy chain, and the second coupler circuit including a switch configured to turn on based on a signal level of a direct current component of a coupler signal from the first coupler circuit and to pass a radio frequency component of the coupler signal when on;
an antenna configured to transmit a carrier aggregated signal that includes a first carrier and a second carrier, the first carrier being provided by one of the first module or the second module; and
a power detector having an input coupled to an output of the daisy chain, the power detector configured to provide an indication of power of the first carrier of the carrier aggregated signal.

18. The wireless communication device of claim 17 wherein the second coupler circuit is configured to pass the coupler signal from the first coupler circuit while the second module is otherwise inactive.

19. The wireless communication device of claim 17 wherein the second coupler circuit includes a radio frequency signal path including a switch configured to turn on based on a signal level of a direct current component of the coupler signal and to pass a radio frequency component of the coupler signal to an output port when the switch is on, and the second coupler circuit includes direct current signal path is configured to pass the direct current component of the coupler signal to the output port when the switch is on.

20. The wireless communication device of claim 17 further comprising a frequency multiplexing circuit configured to receive a first output signal from a first signal path associated with the first coupler circuit, to receive a second output signal from a second signal path associated with the second coupler circuit, and to provide the carrier aggregated signal.

Assignees

• Skyworks Solutions Inc

Inventors

• JAYARAMAN Srivatsan
• Oz Onder
• Balaraman Pradeep A
• Arkiszewski Roman Zbigniew
• Choi Yeung Bun
• Zhang Songbai

Classifications

• H03G3/3042

  in modulators, frequency-changers, transmitters or power amplifiers · CPC title

• H03F2200/204

  A hybrid coupler being used at the output of an amplifier circuit · CPC title

• H03F3/195

  in integrated circuits · CPC title

• H03F2200/294

  the amplifier being a low noise amplifier [LNA] · CPC title

• H01P5/18 Primary

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