Acoustic resonator filter bank system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12451867-B2
Application number	US-202318181698-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 10, 2023
Priority date	Mar 17, 2022
Publication date	Oct 21, 2025
Grant date	Oct 21, 2025

Abstract

One example includes an acoustic resonator filter bank system. The system includes a multiplex passive filter that is configured to provide a plurality of filtered versions of a radio frequency (RF) input signal. The system also includes a filter bank that comprises a plurality of filter blocks that are each configured to provide a plurality of pass-bands across a frequency spectrum. Each of the filter blocks includes an acoustic resonator. The system further includes a switch matrix that is configured to provide one of the filtered versions of the RF input signal to one of the filter blocks in the filter bank to provide an RF output signal having a frequency band corresponding to a respective one of the pass-bands.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An acoustic resonator filter bank system comprising:
a multiplex passive filter that is configured to provide a plurality of filtered versions of a radio frequency (RF) input signal;
a filter bank that comprises a plurality of filter blocks that are each configured to provide a plurality of pass-bands across a frequency spectrum, each of the filter blocks comprising a plurality of filter elements arranged between a respective plurality of filter-path nodes and a low-voltage rail, each plurality of filter elements including a plurality of filter-path capacitors in parallel with an acoustic resonator; and
a switch matrix that is configured to provide one of the filtered versions of the RF input signal to one of the filter blocks in the filter bank to provide an RF output signal having a frequency band corresponding to a respective one of the pass-bands.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the acoustic resonator is arranged as a combined overtone resonator.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the switch matrix comprises a plurality of super lattice castellated gate field effect transistor (SLCFET) switches configured to switch the one of the filtered versions of the RF input signal to one of the filter blocks.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the multiplex passive filter is one of a plurality of multiplex passive filters that are each associated with a respective one of a plurality of filter paths, wherein the filter bank is one of a plurality of filter banks that are each associated with a respective one of the filter paths, wherein the switch matrix is one of a plurality of switch matrices that are each associated with a respective one of the plurality of filter paths, the system further comprising an input switch configured to provide the RF input signal to one of the filter paths.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein each of the filter blocks of each of the filter banks are configured to provide a plurality of distinct pass-bands across the frequency spectrum, such that the pass-bands collectively span the entirety of the frequency spectrum.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of pass-bands associated with each of the filter blocks comprises a first pass-band, a second pass-band higher than the first pass-band, and a third pass-band higher than the second pass-band, wherein the first, second, and third pass-bands that are harmonically related.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the multiplex passive filter comprises a low-pass filter configured to provide a low-pass filtered version of the RF input signal, a band-pass filter configured to provide a band-pass filtered version of the RF input signal, and a high-pass filter configured to provide a high-pass filtered version of the RF input signal, wherein the switch matrix is configured to provide one of the low-pass, band-pass, and high-pass versions of the RF input signal to one of the filter blocks to provide the RF output signal having a respective one of the first pass-band, the second pass-band, and the third pass-band.

8. An integrated circuit (IC) comprising the acoustic resonator filter bank system of claim 1 .

9. A method for filtering a radio frequency (RF) input signal via an acoustic resonator filter bank system, the method comprising:
providing the RF input signal to a multiplex passive filter of the acoustic resonator filter bank system, the multiplex passive filter comprising a low-pass filter configured to provide a low-pass filtered version of the RF input signal, a band-pass filter configured to provide a band-pass filtered version of the RF input signal, and a high-pass filter configured to provide a high-pass filtered version of the RF input signal; and
providing a plurality of selection switching signals to a switch matrix that is configured to receive each of the low-pass, pass-band, and high-pass filtered versions of the RF input signal and to selectively switch one of the low-pass, pass-band, and high-pass filtered versions of the RF input signal to one of a plurality of filter blocks in a filter bank, each of the filter blocks comprising a plurality of filter elements arranged between a respective plurality of filter-path nodes and a low-voltage rail, each plurality of filter elements including a plurality of filter-path capacitors in parallel with an acoustic resonator and is configured to provide a first pass-band, a second pass-band higher than the first pass-band, and a third pass-band higher than the second pass-band to provide an RF output signal having a frequency band corresponding to a respective one of the first pass-band, the second pass-band, and the third pass-band.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the acoustic resonator is arranged as a combined overtone resonator.

11. The method of claim 9 , the method further comprising providing an input switch signal to an input switch to provide the RF input signal to one of a plurality of filter paths,
wherein providing the RF input signal to the multiplex passive filter comprises providing the RF input signal to one of a plurality of multiplex passive filter that are each associated with a respective one of the plurality of filter paths, and
wherein providing the selection switching signals to the switch matrix comprises providing the selection switching signals to a respective one of a plurality of switch matrices that are each associated with a respective one of the filter paths to selectively switch one of the low-pass, pass-band, and high-pass filtered versions of the RF input signal to one of the filter blocks in a respective one of a plurality of filter banks that are each associated with a respective one of the filter paths.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein each of the filter blocks of each of the filter banks are configured to provide a plurality of distinct pass-bands across frequency spectrum, such that the pass-bands collectively span the entirety of the frequency spectrum.

13. An acoustic resonator filter bank system comprising:
an input switch configured to provide a radio frequency (RF) input signal to one of a plurality of filter paths;
a plurality of multiplex passive filters that are each associated with a respective one of the filter paths, each of the multiplex passive filters being configured to provide a plurality of filtered versions of the RF input signal in response to receiving the RF input signal from the input switch;
a plurality of filter banks that are each associated with a respective one of the filter paths, each of the filter banks comprising a plurality of filter blocks that are each configured to provide a plurality of pass-bands across a frequency spectrum, each of the filter blocks comprising a plurality of filter elements arranged between a respective plurality of filter path nodes and a low-voltage rail, each plurality of filter elements including a plurality of filter path capacitors in parallel with an acoustic resonator; and
a plurality of switch matrices that are each associated with a respective one of the filter paths, each of the switch matrices being configured to provide one of the filtered versions of the RF input signal to one of the filter blocks in a respective one of the filter banks to provide an RF output signal having a frequency band corresponding to a respective one of the pass-bands.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the acoustic resonator is arranged as a combined overtone resonator.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of pass-bands associated with each of the filter blocks of each of the filter banks comprises a first pass-band, a second pass-band higher than the first pass-band

Assignees

• Torpey Matthew S
• Howell Robert S
• Northrop Grumman Systems Corp

Inventors

• Torpey Matthew S
• Howell Robert S

Classifications

• H03H9/72

  Networks using surface acoustic waves · CPC title

• H03H9/6403 Primary

  Programmable filters · CPC title

• H03H2210/025

  Capacitor · CPC title

• H03H9/6483 Primary

  Ladder SAW filters · CPC title

• H03H9/605

  consisting of a ladder configuration · CPC title