Directional coupler

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11600895-B2
Application number	US-202016984701-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 4, 2020
Priority date	Feb 5, 2018
Publication date	Mar 7, 2023
Grant date	Mar 7, 2023

Abstract

A directional coupler (1) includes a substrate (10), a main line (20) formed directly or indirectly on the substrate (10), sub-lines (21, 22 and 23) at least part of each of which is formed directly or indirectly on the substrate (10) along the main line (20), a switch (30) switching connections among end portions of the plurality of sub-lines (21, 22 and 23), and detection output terminals (FWD and REV) connected to the sub-line (21), wherein, when looking at the substrate (10) in plan, the end portions of the sub-lines (21, 22 and 23) are disposed on the opposite side to the detection output terminals (FWD and REV) relative to the main line (20), and the sub-line (21) to which the detection output terminals (FWD and REV) are connected is overlapped with or surrounded by the sub-lines (22 and 23).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A directional coupler comprising:
a substrate;
a main line provided directly or indirectly on the substrate;
a plurality of sub-lines, at least a part of each of the plurality of sub-lines being provided directly or indirectly on the substrate along the main line;
a switch switching connections among end portions of the plurality of sub-lines; and
detection output terminals connected to one of the plurality of sub-lines,
wherein, when looking at the substrate in plan, the end portions of the plurality of sub-lines are disposed on an opposite side to the detection output terminals relative to the main line, and the one of the plurality of sub-lines to which the detection output terminals are connected is overlapped with or surrounded by other one or more of the plurality of sub-lines,
wherein the end portions of each of the plurality of sub-lines are positioned in an inner side of the main line so as to define a ring-like shape, and
wherein, when looking at the substrate in plan, each sub-line has a first end portion and a second end portion, both of which define the ring-like shape and are positioned relative to the inner side of the main line.

2. The directional coupler according to claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of layers laminated directly or indirectly on the substrate,
wherein at least two of the plurality of sub-lines are respectively provided in different ones of the plurality of layers.

3. The directional coupler according to claim 2 , wherein the at least two of the plurality of sub-lines have different lengths from each other, and
longer one of the at least two sub-lines is provided in one of the plurality of layers located at an upper position than a layer in which shorter one of the at least two sub-lines is provided.

4. The directional coupler according to claim 1 , further comprising a pair of input/output terminals connected to the main line,
wherein, when looking at the substrate in plan, none of the plurality of sub-lines is overlapped with the input/output terminals.

5. The directional coupler according to claim 1 , wherein film thicknesses of wirings in the plurality of sub-lines are each smaller than a film thickness of a wiring in the main line.

6. The directional coupler according to claim 1 , wherein a width of a wiring in the main line is greater than a width of each of wirings in the plurality of sub-lines.

7. The directional coupler according to claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of sub-lines include a first sub-line, a second sub-line and a third sub-line, wherein a first signal of a first frequency band, a second signal of a second frequency band higher than the first frequency band, and a third signal of a third frequency band higher than the second frequency band are transferred through the first sub-line, the first signal and the second signal are transferred through the second sub-line, and the first signal is transferred through the third sub-line, and
the directional coupler takes a plurality of connection states including at least a first connection state, a second connection state and a third connection state, wherein the first sub-line, the second sub-line, and the third sub-line are continuously connected by the switch to form a single sub-line in the first connection state, the first sub-line and the second sub-line are continuously connected by the switch to form a single sub-line in the second connection state, and only the first sub-line is continuously connected by the switch to form a single sub-line in the third connection state.

8. The directional coupler according to claim 2 , further comprising a pair of input/output terminals connected to the main line,
wherein, when looking at the substrate in plan, none of the plurality of sub-lines is overlapped with the input/output terminals.

9. The directional coupler according to claim 3 , further comprising a pair of input/output terminals connected to the main line,
wherein, when looking at the substrate in plan, none of the plurality of sub-lines is overlapped with the input/output terminals.

10. The directional coupler according to claim 2 , wherein film thicknesses of wirings in the plurality of sub-lines are each smaller than a film thickness of a wiring in the main line.

11. The directional coupler according to claim 3 , wherein film thicknesses of wirings in the plurality of sub-lines are each smaller than a film thickness of a wiring in the main line.

12. The directional coupler according to claim 4 , wherein film thicknesses of wirings in the plurality of sub-lines are each smaller than a film thickness of a wiring in the main line.

13. The directional coupler according to claim 2 , wherein a width of a wiring in the main line is greater than a width of each of wirings in the plurality of sub-lines.

14. The directional coupler according to claim 3 , wherein a width of a wiring in the main line is greater than a width of each of wirings in the plurality of sub-lines.

15. The directional coupler according to claim 4 , wherein a width of a wiring in the main line is greater than a width of each of wirings in the plurality of sub-lines.

16. The directional coupler according to claim 5 , wherein a width of a wiring in the main line is greater than a width of each of wirings in the plurality of sub-lines.

17. The directional coupler according to claim 2 , wherein
the plurality of sub-lines include a first sub-line, a second sub-line and a third sub-line, wherein a first signal of a first frequency band, a second signal of a second frequency band higher than the first frequency band, and a third signal of a third frequency band higher than the second frequency band are transferred through the first sub-line, the first signal and the second signal are transferred through the second sub-line, and the first signal is transferred through the third sub-line, and
the directional coupler takes a plurality of connection states including at least a first connection state, a second connection state and a third connection state, wherein the first sub-line, the second sub-line, and the third sub-line are continuously connected by the switch to form a single sub-line in the first connection state, the first sub-line and the second sub-line are continuously connected by the switch to form a single sub-line in the second connection state, and only the first sub-line is continuously connected by the switch to form a single sub-line in the third connection state.

18. The directional coupler according to claim 3 , wherein
the plurality of sub-lines include a first sub-line, a second sub-line and a third sub-line, wherein a first signal of a first frequency band, a second signal of a second frequency band higher than the first frequency band, and a third signal of a third frequency band higher than the second frequency band are transferred through the first sub-line, the first signal and the second signal are transferred through the second sub-line, and the first signal is transferred through the third sub-line, and
the directional coupler takes a plurality of connection states including at least a first connection state, a second connection state and a third connection state, wherein the first sub-line, the second sub-line, and the third sub-line are continuously connected by the switch to form a single sub-line in the first connection state, the first sub-line and the second sub-line are continuously connected by the switch to form a single sub-line in the second connection state, and only the first sub-line is continuously connected by

Assignees

• Murata Manufacturing Co

Inventors

• Tokuda Daisuke
• Shigeno Yasushi

Classifications

• H01P5/184 Primary

  the guides being strip lines or microstrips · CPC title

• H03H7/52

  One-way transmission networks, i.e. unilines · CPC title

• H01P1/15

  by semiconductor devices · CPC title

• H01P5/185 Primary

  Edge coupled lines · CPC title

• H01P1/24

  Terminating devices · CPC title