Methods for providing carrier aggregation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10447317-B2
Application number	US-201816197339-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 20, 2018
Priority date	Sep 17, 2013
Publication date	Oct 15, 2019
Grant date	Oct 15, 2019

Abstract

Improved switched multiplexer architecture for supporting carrier aggregation in front-end applications. A method is disclosed for providing a plurality of switchable paths between an assembly of filters and an antenna port. The method includes connecting a first filter of the filter assembly to the antenna port using a first switch of a switching circuit. The method also includes connecting a second filter of the filter assembly to the antenna port using a second switch of the switching circuit, the second switch independently operated from the first switch. The method also includes passing a first frequency range associated with a first transmission frequency range of a first band using the first filter. The method also includes passing a second frequency range associated with a first receive frequency range of the first band and with a second receive frequency range of a second band using the second filter.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for providing uplink and downlink carrier aggregation, the method comprising:
connecting a first filter of a filter assembly to an antenna port using a first switch of a switching circuit;
connecting a second filter of the filter assembly to the antenna port using a second switch of the switching circuit, the second switch independently operated from the first switch;
connecting a first diplexer of the filter assembly to the antenna port using a third switch of the switching circuit, the third switch independently operated from the first switch and from the second switch;
passing, using the first filter, a first frequency range associated with a first transmission frequency range of a first band;
passing, using the second filter, a second frequency range associated with a first receive frequency range of the first band; and
passing, using the first duplexer, a third frequency range associated with a second receive frequency range and with a second transmission frequency range of a third band.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising connecting a third filter of the filter assembly to a second antenna port with a fourth switch.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the first switch, the second switch, the third switch, and the fourth switch are independently operated from each other.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first band includes B 1 and the second band includes B 7 .

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first band includes B 1 and the second band includes B 2 .

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first band includes B 4 and the second band includes B 7 .

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the first band includes B 4 and the second band includes B 2 .

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the first band includes B 3 and the second band includes B 7 .

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the first band includes B 3 and the second band includes B 2 .

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the filter assembly and the switching circuit are configured to support carrier aggregation for at least one of the combination of bands B 1 and B 7 , B 2 and B 4 , B 7 and B 3 , B 5 and B 12 , B 5 and B 17 , or B 8 and B 20 .

11. A method for providing a plurality of switchable paths between an assembly of filters and an antenna port, the method comprising:
connecting a first duplexer associated with a first cellular frequency band and the antenna port using a first switch of an assembly of filters configured to provide N filtered paths;
connecting a second duplexer associated with a second cellular frequency band and the antenna port using a second switch, the first frequency band covering a frequency range that is exclusive of the frequency range covered by the second frequency band;
filtering signals passed by the first switch between the first duplexer and the antenna port using a first notch filter coupled between the first switch and the first duplexer; and
filtering signals, using a second notch filter switchably coupled between the antenna port and ground, the first notch filter and the second notch filter each configured to provide rejection of a second harmonic of the first cellular frequency band.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the first cellular frequency band includes B 1 and the second cellular frequency band includes B 7 .

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the first cellular frequency band includes B 2 and the second cellular frequency band includes B 4 .

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the first cellular frequency band includes B 5 and the second cellular frequency band includes B 12 .

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the first cellular frequency band includes B 8 and the second cellular frequency band includes B 17 .

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the first cellular frequency band includes B 8 and the second cellular frequency band includes B 20 .

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the first cellular frequency band includes B 13 and the second cellular frequency band includes B 5 .

18. The method of claim 11 wherein the first cellular frequency band includes B 13 and the second cellular frequency band includes B 8 .

19. The method of claim 11 wherein the first cellular frequency band includes B 5 and the second cellular frequency band includes B 28 .

20. The method of claim 11 wherein the first cellular frequency band includes B 8 and the second cellular frequency band includes B 28 .

Assignees

• Skyworks Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Chang Shiaw Wen
• Duverneay Brian Blu
• XU Sarah Shiui
• Pehlke David Richard

Classifications

• H04L5/0041

  Frequency-non-contiguous · CPC title

• H04L25/02

  Details {; arrangements for supplying electrical power along data transmission lines (systems for transmitting signals via power distribution lines H04B3/54)} · CPC title

• H04B1/006 Primary

  using switches for selecting the desired band (H04B1/0057 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04L5/14

  Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex · CPC title

• H04B2001/0408

  with power amplifiers · CPC title