Front-end for processing 2G signal using 3G/4G paths

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11323073-B2
Application number	US-201816208873-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 4, 2018
Priority date	Aug 17, 2014
Publication date	May 3, 2022
Grant date	May 3, 2022

Abstract

Front-end for processing 2G signal using 3G/4G paths. In some embodiments, a front-end architecture can include a first amplification path and a second amplification path, with each being configured to amplify a 3G/4G signal, and the first amplification path including a phase shifting circuit. The front-end architecture can further include a splitter configured to receive a 2G signal and split the 2G signal into the first and second amplification paths, and a combiner configured to combine amplified 2G signals from the first and second amplification paths into a common output path. The front-end architecture can further include an impedance transformer implemented along the common output path to provide a desired impedance for the combined 2G signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A front-end architecture comprising:
a first amplification path having a first amplifier configured to support either or both of a 3G band and a 4G band;
a second amplification path having a second amplifier configured to support either or both of a 3G band and a 4G band;
a splitter configured to receive an input 2G signal at a common input and split the input 2G signal into the first and second amplification paths, such that the first and second amplifiers amplify respective portions of the input 2G signal;
a combiner including a switch circuit having first and second nodes switchably coupled to outputs of the first and second amplifiers, respectively, and first and second matching networks coupled to the first and second nodes, respectively, such that the combiner couples the outputs of the first and second amplifiers to a common output, such that the amplified 2G signals from the first and second amplifiers are provided to the common output as an output 2G signal; and
an impedance transformer coupled to the common output and configured to provide a desired impedance for the output 2G signal.

2. The front-end architecture of claim 1 further comprising an input path coupled to the common input and configured to route the input 2G signal to the common input of the splitter, and an output path coupled to the common output and configured to route the output 2G signal from the common output of the combiner, such that the impedance transformer is implemented along the output path.

3. The front-end architecture of claim 2 wherein each of the first and second amplifiers is configured as a power amplifier.

4. The front-end architecture of claim 2 wherein the first and second amplifiers are configured to support low band and very low band signals, respectively, associated with the 3G and 4G bands.

5. The front-end architecture of claim 2 wherein the first amplification path further includes a phase shifting circuit implemented on the input side of the first amplifier.

6. The front-end architecture of claim 2 wherein each of the first and second amplification paths further includes an output matching network implemented on the output side of the respective amplifier.

7. The front-end architecture of claim 2 wherein the splitter includes a first switch between the common input and the first amplifier, and a second switch between the common input and the second amplifier.

8. The front-end architecture of claim 7 wherein each of the first and second switches of the splitter is configured to be closed when the input 2G signal is received and split into the first and second amplification paths.

9. The front-end architecture of claim 2 wherein the switch circuit of the combiner is part of a band selection switch.

10. The front-end architecture of claim 9 wherein the node coupled to the output of the respective amplifier is an existing node for either or both of the respective 3G and 4G bands.

11. The front-end architecture of claim 10 wherein the combiner portion of the band selection switch further includes a common throw such that when the common throw is coupled to both of the nodes associated with the first and second amplification paths, the output 2G signal is provided to the common output.

12. The front-end architecture of claim 10 wherein the combiner portion of the band selection switch further includes a throw for each of the nodes associated with the first and second amplification paths, such that when both of the throws are coupled to the nodes associated with the first and second amplification paths, the output 2G signal is provided to the common output.

13. A method for processing a 2G signal, the method comprising:
splitting an input 2G signal at a common input into a first amplification path and a second amplification path, each amplification path having an amplifier configured to support either or both of a 3G band and a 4G band;
amplifying respective portions of the input 2G signal with the amplifiers of the first and second amplification paths;
performing a combining operation such that first and second nodes of a switch circuit are switchably coupled to outputs of the first and second amplifiers, respectively, and the amplified 2G signals from the outputs of the first and second amplifiers routed to a common output through the switch circuit and first and second matching networks, respectively, thereby combining the amplified 2G signals to provide an output 2G signal to the common output; and
providing an impedance transformation for the output 2G signal from the common output.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising routing the output 2G signal to an antenna for transmission.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising phase shifting the respective portion of the input 2G signal in the first amplification path.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the splitting includes performing switching operations with a first switch between the common input and the first amplifier, and a second switch between the common input and the second amplifier.

17. A front-end module comprising:
a packaging substrate configured to receive and support a plurality of components; and
a front-end system implemented on the packaging substrate, and including a first amplification path having a first amplifier configured to support either or both of a 3G band and a 4G band, and a second amplification path having a second amplifier configured to support either or both of a 3G band and a 4G band, the front-end system further including a splitter configured to receive an input 2G signal at a common input and split the input 2G signal into the first and second amplification paths, such that the first and second amplifiers amplify respective portions of the input 2G signal, the front-end system further including a combiner including a switch circuit having first and second nodes switchably coupled to outputs of the first and second amplifiers, respectively, and first and second matching networks coupled to the first and second nodes, respectively, such that the combiner couples the outputs of the first and second amplifiers to a common output, such that the amplified 2G signals from the first and second amplifiers are provided to the common output as an output 2G signal, the front-end system further including an impedance transformer coupled to the common output and configured to provide a desired impedance for the output 2G signal.

Assignees

• Skyworks Solutions Inc

Inventors

• King Joel Richard
• Jeong Hyeong Tae
• Cheng Nick
• Chang Weiheng
• Roy Doel

Classifications

• H03F3/191 Primary

  Tuned amplifiers (H03F3/193, H03F3/195 take precedence) · CPC title

• H03F2203/21142

  Output signals of a plurality of power amplifiers are parallel combined to a common output · CPC title

• H03F3/211

  using a combination of several amplifiers (H03F3/60 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H03F3/213

  in integrated circuits · CPC title

• H03F2203/21145

  Output signals are combined by switching a plurality of paralleled power amplifiers to a common output · CPC title