Method of using integrated transmitter and receiver front end module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10804953-B2
Application number	US-201916665546-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 28, 2019
Priority date	Nov 8, 2012
Publication date	Oct 13, 2020
Grant date	Oct 13, 2020

Abstract

A method includes (a) switching a receiver path network of a front end module to a first matching mode in a receive mode. The method further includes (b) switching a transmitter path network of the front end module to a first resonance mode in the receive mode. The method further includes (c) switching the transmitter path network to a second matching mode in a transmit mode. The method further includes (d) switching the receiver path network to a second resonance mode in the transmit mode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
setting a transmitter path network of a front end module (FEM) to have a first impedance in a standby mode;
setting a receiver path network of the FEM to a second impedance in the standby mode;
changing the transmitter path network to a third impedance in response to the FEM transitioning to a transmit mode, wherein the third impedance is less than the first impedance; and
changing the receiver path network to a fourth impedance in response to the FEM transitioning to the transmit mode, wherein the fourth impedance is greater than the second impedance.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
changing the transmitter path network to a fifth impedance in response to the FEM transitioning to a receiving mode, wherein the fifth impedance is greater than the third impedance; and
changing the receiver path network to a sixth impedance in response to the FEM transitioning to the receiving mode, wherein the sixth impedance is less than the second impedance.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein changing the transmitter path network to the fifth impedance comprises electrically isolating an inductor of the transmitter path network from a supply voltage.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein changing the receiver path network to the sixth impedance comprises setting a tunable capacitance structure, between a capacitor and an inductor of the receiver path network, to be greater than zero capacitance.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein setting the transmitter path network to the first impedance comprises deactivating a power amplifier in the transmitter path network.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein setting the receiver path network to the second impedance comprises setting a tunable capacitance structure, between a capacitor and an inductor of the receiver path network, to zero capacitance.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein changing the transmitter path network to the third impedance comprises electrically connecting an inductor of the transmitter path network to a supply voltage.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein changing the receiver path network to the fourth impedance comprises connecting a capacitor between an antenna and a receiver of the FEM to a ground voltage.

9. A method comprising:
setting a transmitter path network of a front end module (FEM) to have a first impedance in a standby mode;
setting a receiver path network of the FEM to a second impedance in the standby mode;
changing the transmitter path network to a third impedance in response to the FEM transitioning to a receiver mode, wherein the third impedance is greater than the first impedance; and
changing the receiver path network to a fourth impedance in response to the FEM transitioning to the receiver mode, wherein the fourth impedance is less than the second impedance.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
changing the transmitter path network to a fifth impedance in response to the FEM transitioning to a transmitting mode, wherein the fifth impedance is less than the third impedance; and
changing the receiver path network to a sixth impedance in response to the FEM transitioning to the transmitting mode, wherein the sixth impedance is greater than the second impedance.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein changing the receiver path network to the fourth impedance comprises selectively controlling a capacitance of a tunable capacitance structure between a capacitor and an inductor of the receiver path network.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein selectively controlling the capacitance of the tunable capacitance structure comprises selectively connecting each capacitor of a plurality of capacitors to a ground voltage.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein selectively controlling the capacitance of the tunable capacitance structure comprises setting the capacitance of the tunable capacitance structure to a capacitance ranging from 10 −15 farads to 10 −6 farads.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein changing the transmitter path network to the third impedance comprises electrically isolating an inductor of the transmitter path network from a supply voltage.

15. A method comprising:
(a) switching a receiver path network of a front end module to a first matching mode in a receive mode;
(b) switching a transmitter path network of the front end module to a first resonance mode in the receive mode;
(c) switching the transmitter path network to a second matching mode in a transmit mode;
(d) switching the receiver path network to a second resonance mode in the transmit mode;
(e) switching the transmitter path network to have a first impedance in a standby mode; and
(f) switching the receiver path network to a second impedance in the standby mode, wherein step (b) comprises switching the transmitter path network to a third impedance greater than the first impedance, and step (a) comprises switching the receiver path network to a fourth impedance greater than the second impedance.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the step (a) comprises:
reducing capacitance of a first switchable capacitance unit of the receiver path network.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the step (a) further comprises:
increasing capacitance of a second switchable capacitance unit of the receiver path network.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the step (b) comprises:
establishing a path to ground through an inductor of the transmitter path network.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the step (b) further comprises:
reducing capacitance of a switchable capacitance unit of the transmitter path network.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the step (c) comprises:
biasing a first transistor of a power amplifier of the transmitter path network; and
inputting signals from a transmitter to a second transistor of the power amplifier.

Assignees

• Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yeh En-Hsiang
• Liu Monsen
• Wang Chuei-Tang

Classifications

• H04B1/48 Primary

  in circuits for connecting transmitter and receiver to a common transmission path, e.g. by energy of transmitter {(H04B1/46 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• H04B1/0458

  Arrangements for matching and coupling between power amplifier and antenna or between amplifying stages (matching circuits in general H03H) · CPC title

• H04B1/18

  Input circuits, e.g. for coupling to an antenna or a transmission line (coupling networks between antennas or lines and receivers independent of the nature of the receiver H03H) · CPC title