Phase shifter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11296679-B2
Application number	US-202017002956-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 26, 2020
Priority date	Sep 10, 2019
Publication date	Apr 5, 2022
Grant date	Apr 5, 2022

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a phase shifter including an input port configured to receive a radio frequency (RF) signal; a first output port, a second output port, a third output port, and a fourth output port each configured to output a respective phase-shifted sub-component of the RF signal; a first conductive trace that extends in a first direction, the first conductive trace coupled to the first output port and the second output port; a second conductive trace that extends in the first direction, the second conductive trace coupled to the third output port and the fourth output port; and a first wiper configured to couple the input port to the first conductive trace and the second conductive trace, wherein the first wiper is configured to be slidable in the first direction with respect to the first conductive trace and the second conductive trace.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A phase shifter, comprising:
an input port configured to receive a radio frequency (RF) signal;
a first output port, a second output port, a third output port, and a fourth output port each configured to output a respective phase-shifted sub-component of the RF signal;
a first conductive trace that extends linearly along a first longitudinal axis, the first conductive trace coupled to the first output port and the second output port;
a second conductive trace that extends linearly along a first longitudinal axis that extends in parallel to the first longitudinal axis, the second conductive trace coupled to the third output port and the fourth output port; and
a first wiper configured to couple the input port to the first conductive trace and the second conductive trace,
wherein the first wiper is configured to be slidable in a direction that is parallel to the first longitudinal axis.

2. The phase shifter according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first conductive trace and the second conductive trace is a meandered trace.

3. The phase shifter according to claim 2 , wherein the meandered trace is a periodic curve.

4. The phase shifter according to claim 3 , wherein the periodic curve is one of a sinusoidal curve and a square wave curve.

5. The phase shifter according to claim 2 , wherein both the first conductive trace and the second conductive trace are periodic curves and a period of the first conductive trace is different from a period of the second conductive trace.

6. The phase shifter according to claim 5 , wherein a height of the first conductive trace is different from a height of the second conductive trace.

7. The phase shifter according to claim 5 , wherein a width of the first conductive trace is different from a width of the second conductive trace.

8. The phase shifter according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a first dielectric substrate below the first conductive trace; and
a second dielectric substrate below the second conductive trace, wherein a dielectric constant of the first dielectric substrate is different from a dielectric constant of the second dielectric substrate.

9. The phase shifter according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a first dielectric substrate below the first conductive trace; and
a second dielectric substrate below the second conductive trace,
wherein a thickness of the first dielectric substrate is different from a thickness of the second dielectric substrate.

10. The phase shifter according to claim 1 , wherein the first wiper comprises:
a first coupling portion that is configured to couple to the first conductive trace;
a second coupling portion that is configured to couple to the second conductive trace; and
a third coupling portion that is configured to couple to the input port.

11. The phase shifter according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a third conductive trace that is coupled to the input port,
wherein the third coupling portion is coupled to the input port via the third conductive trace.

12. The phase shifter according to claim 11 , further comprising:
a fifth output port configured to output an additional phase-shifted sub-component of the RF signal;
a fourth conductive trace that is coupled to the fifth output port; and
a second wiper that is configured to couple the fourth conductive trace to the third conductive trace, wherein the second wiper is slidable on the fourth conductive trace in the first direction to change a phase of the RF signal output from the fifth output port.

13. The phase shifter according to claim 12 , wherein a sliding of the second wiper is associated with a sliding of the first wiper such that a phase of the additional phase-shifted sub-component of the RF signal output from the fifth output port remains substantially unchanged before and after the sliding of the first wiper.

14. The phase shifter according to claim 13 , wherein the second wiper is “U” shaped.

15. A phase shifter, comprising:
an input port configured to receive a radio frequency (RF) signal;
a first output port and a second output port each configured to output respective phase shifted sub-components of the RF signal;
a first conductive trace configured to extend linearly along a first longitudinal axis and that is coupled to the first output port and to the second output port; and
a wiper configured to couple the input port to the first conductive trace,
wherein the wiper is configured to be slidable above the first conductive trace parallel to the first longitudinal axis to change the phase of the respective sub-components of the RF signal that are output at the first output port and the second output port.

16. A phase shifter comprising:
a main printed circuit board structure that includes:
an input port;
a first meandered conductive trace that extends linearly along a first longitudinal axis on the main printed circuit board structure, the first meandered conductive trace forming a first RF transmission path that has a first length;
a second meandered conductive trace that extends linearly along a second longitudinal axis on the main printed circuit board structure, the second longitudinal axis parallel to the first longitudinal axis, the second meandered conductive trace forming a second RF transmission path that has a second length that exceeds the first length; and
a wiper that is configured to move above the first meandered conductive trace parallel to the first longitudinal axis.

17. The phase shifter according to claim 16 , further comprising:
a first output port that is coupled to a first end of the first meandered conductive trace;
a second output port that is coupled to a second end of the first meandered conductive trace;
a third output port that is coupled to a first end of the second meandered conductive trace; and
a fourth output port that is coupled to a second end of the second meandered conductive trace.

18. The phase shifter according to claim 16 , wherein the first meandered conductive trace has a wave shape having a first period and a first height, and the second meandered conductive trace has a wave shape having a second period and a second height, where the first period differs from the second period and/or the first height differs from the second height.

19. The phase shifter according to claim 16 , wherein the wiper is further configured to move above the second meandered conductive trace along the first direction.

20. The phase shifter according to claim 16 , wherein a first width of the first meandered conductive trace is less than a second width of the second meandered conductive trace.

Assignees

• Commscope Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Guo Pengfei
• Wan Fangwen
• He Jinchun

Classifications

• H01P1/184 Primary

  Strip line phase-shifters (H01P1/181, H01P1/185, H01P1/19 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01P1/18 Primary

  Phase-shifters (H01P1/165 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H03H11/22 Primary

  providing two or more phase shifted output signals, e.g. n-phase output · CPC title

• H01P1/06

  Movable joints, e.g. rotating joints · CPC title