Directional couplers and methods for tuning directional couplers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10490876-B2
Application number	US-201715852883-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2017
Priority date	Jun 30, 2015
Publication date	Nov 26, 2019
Grant date	Nov 26, 2019

Abstract

This disclosure relates to directional couplers and methods of tuning directional couplers formed in a printed circuit board. The directional couplers include a main line for transmitting power and at least one secondary line having a coupling portion arranged parallel and at a distance from the main line in a coupling region. The directional coupler includes one or more additional coupling lines that have a coupling portion that runs parallel to and at a distance from the coupling section of the at least one secondary line. The one or more additional coupling lines have a connection arranged on the outer portion of the printed circuit board for selective grounding or connection to an external connection.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for tuning a directional coupler formed at least in part in or on a multi-layered circuit board, the method comprising: transmitting power via a main line positioned in the multi-layered circuit board whereby a primary coupling portion of at least two secondary lines are electromagnetically coupled with the main line via an electromagnetic field, wherein the primary coupling portion is parallel with and spaced apart a distance from the main line; and selectively grounding a secondary coupling portion with one or more additional coupling lines positioned in the multi-layered circuit board in the coupling region via terminal of the one or more additional coupling lines positioned on one or more outside edges of the multi-layered circuit board to vary coupling of the directional coupler, wherein the secondary coupling portions extend parallel with and are spaced apart from the primary coupling portion.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
connecting at least one second additional coupling line in parallel with the at least one secondary line, wherein the at least one second additional coupling line comprises a tertiary coupling portion that extends in parallel with and is spaced apart from the main line such that a change to the electromagnetic coupling between the primary coupling portion and the secondary line on account of manufacturing tolerances is compensated.

3. A directional coupler formed at least in part in or on a multilayered circuit board, the directional coupler comprising:
a main line positioned in the multilayered circuit board for transmitting power;
at least two secondary lines positioned in the multilayered circuit board so as to each have a primary coupling portion that is parallel with and spaced apart from the main line, wherein the primary coupling portion of each of the at least two secondary lines defines a respective coupling region, wherein in the respective coupling regions the main line and the at least two secondary lines are positioned inside of the multilayered circuit board, wherein the primary coupling portion of each of the at least two secondary lines is configured to be electromagnetically coupled to the main line via an electromagnetic field generated during transmission of power via the main line; and
wherein each of the at least two secondary lines comprises one or more additional coupling lines positioned in the multilayered circuit board and configured to be selectively coupled in parallel with a respective one of the at least two secondary lines, wherein the one or more additional coupling lines comprise a secondary coupling portion that extends parallel with and is spaced apart from the primary coupling portion, wherein the one or more additional coupling lines comprise a terminal that is arranged on an outside edge of the multilayered circuit board for selective grounding of the one or more additional coupling lines, whereby grounding of the one or more additional coupling lines adjusts a strength of electromagnetic coupling between the primary coupling portion and the main line of the directional coupler to adjust power transmitted or for manufacturing tolerances to be corrected.

4. The directional coupler of claim 3 , wherein circuit board material of the multilayered circuit board covers the coupling region of the main line and the at least two secondary lines.

5. The directional coupler of claim 3 , further comprising at least one switch for each one of the at least two secondary lines, the at least one switch configured to connect the terminal that is arranged on the outside edge of the multilayered circuit board with a respective one of the at least two second lines, whereby the one or more additional coupling lines are selectively coupled in parallel with the respective one of the at least two secondary lines.

6. The directional coupler of claim 3 , wherein the secondary coupling portion of the one or more additional coupling lines is shorter than the primary coupling portion of the at least two secondary lines.

7. The directional coupler of claim 3 , wherein the one or more additional coupling lines comprise a plurality of coupling lines provided in the longitudinal direction of the coupling portion and each comprising a secondary coupling portion.

8. The directional coupler of claim 3 , wherein the secondary coupling portion of the one or more additional coupling lines is at a distance of less than 2 mm from the primary coupling portion of the at least one secondary line.

9. The directional coupler of claim 3 , wherein the secondary coupling portion of the one or more additional coupling lines is at a distance of less than 1 mm from the primary coupling portion of the at least one secondary line.

10. The directional coupler of claim 3 , wherein the secondary coupling portion of the one or more additional coupling lines is arranged on a side of the primary coupling portion of the at least one secondary line that is facing away from the main line.

11. The directional coupler of claim 3 , wherein the secondary coupling portion of the one or more additional coupling line is at a smaller distance from the primary coupling portion of the at least one secondary line than the primary coupling portion of the at least one secondary line is from the main line.

12. The directional coupler of claim 3 , further comprising at least one second additional coupling line comprising a tertiary coupling portion that extends in parallel with and at a distance from the main line and that is electrically connected in parallel with the at least one secondary line.

13. The directional coupler of claim 12 , wherein the tertiary coupling portion of the at least one second additional coupling line is arranged outside of the coupling region.

14. The directional coupler of claim 12 , wherein the tertiary coupling portion of the at least one second additional coupling line is arranged in front of and/or behind the primary coupling portion of the secondary line, when viewed in a longitudinal direction of the coupling portion of the at least one secondary line.

15. The directional coupler of claim 12 , wherein the tertiary coupling portion of the at least one second additional coupling line is shorter than the primary coupling portion of the at least one secondary line.

16. The directional coupler of claim 3 , wherein the secondary coupling portion of the one or more additional coupling lines is arranged in the same layer of the multi-layered circuit board.

17. The directional coupler of claim 12 , wherein the tertiary coupling portion of the at least one second additional coupling line is arranged in the same layer of the multi-layered circuit board.

18. The directional coupler of claim 3 , further comprising at least one second additional coupling line comprising a tertiary coupling portion that extends in parallel with and at a distance from the main line, wherein the secondary coupling portion and the tertiary coupling portion are arranged in different layers of the multi-layered circuit board.

19. The directional coupler of claim 3 , further comprising at least one second additional coupling line comprising a tertiary coupling portion that extends in parallel with and at a distance from the main line, wherein the secondary coupling portion and the tertiary coupling portion are arranged in the same layer of the multi-layered circuit board.

20. The directional coupler of claim 3 , wherein the primary coupling portion, the secondary coupling portion, and the tertiary couplin

Assignees

• Trumpf Huettinger Gmbh Co Kg

Inventors

• Grede Andre
• Gruner Daniel
• Alt Alexander
• Schwerg Nikolai
• Wangler Christian

Classifications

• H01P5/185 Primary

  Edge coupled lines · CPC title

• H05K2201/09227

  Layout details of a plurality of traces, e.g. escape layout for Ball Grid Array [BGA] mounting · CPC title

• H01P5/184 Primary

  the guides being strip lines or microstrips · CPC title

• H05K1/0237

  High frequency adaptations (H05K1/0216 takes precedence) · CPC title