Transformer, transmitter circuit, semiconductor chip, semiconductor package, base station, mobile device, and method for a radio frequency transmitter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11949446-B2
Application number	US-202016912741-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 26, 2020
Priority date	Jun 26, 2020
Publication date	Apr 2, 2024
Grant date	Apr 2, 2024

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a concept for a transformer, a transmitter circuit, a semiconductor chip, a semiconductor package, a base station, a mobile device and a method for a radio frequency transmitter. The transformer for a radio frequency transmitter circuit comprises a primary coil and a secondary coils, which are configured to receive an input signal and to provide an output signal, and a ternary coil configured to provide a feedback signal.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A transformer for a radio frequency transmitter circuit, comprising;
a primary coil and a secondary coil, which are configured to receive an input signal and to provide an output signal; and
a ternary coil configured to provide a feedback signal,
wherein the primary coil is configured to couple a first part of the power from the input signal to the output signal and wherein the primary coil is configured to couple a second part of the power from the input signal to the feedback signal, wherein the second part of the power is less than a quarter of the first part of the power.

2. The transformer of claim 1 , being configured to receive a balanced input signal and to provide an un-balanced output signal.

3. The transformer of claim 1 , wherein the primary coil is configured to receive a differential input signal, wherein the secondary coil is configured to provide a differential output signal, and wherein the ternary coil is configured to provide a differential feedback signal.

4. The transformer of claim 1 , wherein the primary coil is configured to receive a differential or single-ended input signal, wherein the secondary coil is configured to provide a single-ended output signal, and wherein the ternary coil is configured to provide a differential or single-ended feedback signal.

5. The transformer of claim 1 , wherein the primary coil is configured to receive an amplified radio signal as input signal.

6. The transformer of claim 1 , wherein the primary coil is configured to receive a radio frequency signal as input signal.

7. The transformer of claim 1 , wherein the primary coil is configured to couple a first part of the power from the input signal to the output signal and wherein the primary coil is configured to couple a second part of the power from the input signal to the feedback signal, wherein the second part of the power is less than one 10% percent of the first part of the power.

8. A transmitter circuit comprising; the transformer of claim 1 .

9. The transmitter circuit of claim 8 , further comprising a digital-to-analog-converter, a transmit amplifier, or a mixer with a transmit signal output, wherein the primary coil of the transformer is coupled to the transmit signal output, wherein the secondary coil is coupled to a transmit antenna path of the transmitter circuit, and wherein the ternary coil is coupled to a feedback path of the transmitter circuit.

10. The transmitter circuit of claim 9 , further comprising a pre-distortion circuit which is coupled to the feedback path of the transmitter circuit and which is configured to determine pre-distortion information.

11. The transmitter circuit of claim 10 , wherein the pre-distortion circuit further comprises a pre-distortion device, which is configured to pre-distort an input signal of the digital-to-analog-converter, the transmit amplifier, or the mixer based on the pre-distortion information.

12. The transmitter circuit of claim 9 , wherein the feedback path further comprises an analog-to-digital converter.

13. The transmitter circuit of claim 12 , wherein the ternary coil is coupled to the analog-to-digital converter using an impedance network.

14. The transmitter circuit of claim 13 , wherein the impedance network comprises passive impedance components which are configured to match an impedance of the ternary coil to a load of the analog-to-digital converter.

15. The transmitter circuit of claim 13 , wherein the impedance network comprises an anti-aliasing filter configured to reduce spectral images.

16. The transmitter circuit of claim 13 , wherein the impedance network comprises a filter, which is configured to reduce interfering radio frequency components in the feedback signal.

17. A semiconductor chip with the transmitter circuit of claim 8 .

18. The semiconductor chip of claim 17 further comprising a digital-to-analog converter configured to provide the input signal to the primary coil.

19. A semiconductor package with the transmitter circuit of claim 8 .

20. The semiconductor package of claim 19 , wherein the primary and secondary coils are implemented on a different substrate than the ternary coil.

21. A base station for a mobile communication system with the transmitter circuit of claim 8 .

22. The base station of claim 21 further comprising a digital-to-analog converter, a mixer, or an amplifier configured to provide the input signal to the primary coil.

23. A mobile device for a mobile communication system with the transmitter circuit of claim 8 .

24. The mobile device of claim 23 , further comprising a digital-to-analog converter, a mixer, or an amplifier configured to provide the input signal to the primary coil.

25. A method for a radio frequency transmitter circuit, the method comprising
amplifying, mixing, or converting a signal to obtain a transmit signal;
inputting the transmit signal into a primary coil of a transformer, the transformer further comprising a secondary coil and a ternary coil;
forwarding an output signal of the secondary coil of the transformer to a transmit antenna path of the radio frequency transmitter circuit for radio transmission;
determining pre-distortion information based on a feedback signal output by the ternary coil of the transformer; and
pre-distorting the signal based on the pre-distortion information.

26. The method of claim 25 , further comprising filtering the feedback signal.

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Gruber Daniel
• Elzinga Mark
• Clara Martin

Classifications

• H04B1/582 Primary

  with automatic balancing · CPC title

• H01Q1/246

  specially adapted for base stations · CPC title

• H01Q23/00

  Antennas with active circuits or circuit elements integrated within them or attached to them · CPC title

• H04B1/0475 Primary

  with means for limiting noise, interference or distortion (H04B1/0483 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04B2001/0433

  with linearisation using feedback · CPC title