Amplifier device using transformer with multi-loop structure and communication device using the same in wireless communication system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12456992-B2
Application number	US-202318305738-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 24, 2023
Priority date	Mar 24, 2023
Publication date	Oct 28, 2025
Grant date	Oct 28, 2025

Abstract

A communication device configured to transmit/receive a radio frequency (RF) signal is provided. The device includes a transceiver including an amplifier device using a multi-loop inter-stage matching (ISM) transformer, and a processor configured to control an operation of the amplifier based on a signal strength during transmission/reception of the RF signal. The transformer is disposed between a first amplifier and a second amplifier and includes a plurality of primary loops and a plurality of secondary loops, each primary loop includes an inductor component having a different size and a different Q-factor and each secondary loop includes an inductor component having a different size and a different Q-factor. The processor adjusts an attenuation level of the transformer by controlling a switching connection to the first amplifier and the second amplifier for one primary loop among the plurality of primary loops and one secondary loop among the plurality of secondary loops.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A communication device configured to transmit/receive a radio frequency (RF) signal in a wireless communication system, comprising:
a transceiver including an amplifier device using a multi-loop inter-stage matching (ISM) transformer; and a processor configured to:
control an operation of the amplifier device based on a signal strength during transmission/reception of the RF signal,
wherein the multi-loop ISM transformer is disposed between a first amplifier and a second amplifier and includes a plurality of primary loops and a plurality of secondary loops, wherein each primary loop includes an inductor component and having a different size and a different Q-factor and each secondary loop includes an inductor component and having a different size and a different Q-factor, and wherein the processor is further configured to:
adjust an attenuation level of the multi-loop ISM transformer by controlling a switching connection to the first amplifier and the second amplifier for one primary loop among the plurality of primary loops and one secondary loop among the plurality of secondary loops in the multi-loop ISM transformer.

2 . The communication device of claim 1 ,
wherein input ends of the one primary loop are connected to output ends of the first amplifier through first switches, wherein output ends of the one secondary loop are connected to input ends of the second amplifier through second switches, and wherein the processor is further configured to:
control switching of the first switches and the second switches so that the one primary loop and the one secondary loop operate as a resonance circuit.

3 . The communication device of claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
in case that increase of the attenuation level is required due to a strong signal intensity, control the switching of the first switches and the second switches to connect an inner primary loop of the multi-loop ISM transformer to the output ends of the first amplifier and connect an inner secondary loop of the multi-loop ISM transformer to the input ends of the second amplifier.

4 . The communication device of claim 3 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
in case that decrease of the attenuation level is required due to a weak signal intensity, control the switching of the first switches and the second switches to connect an outer primary loop of the multi-loop ISM transformer to the output ends of the first amplifier and connect an outer secondary loop of the multi-loop ISM transformer to the input ends of the second amplifier.

5 . The communication device of claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of primary loops and the plurality of secondary loops include first to n th primary loops and first to n th secondary loops, respectively, in a direction from an inner loop to an outer loop, wherein the first to n th primary loops and the first to n th secondary loops are configured to have different inductance values and different Q factors, and wherein the processor is further configured to:
adjust the attenuation level of the multi-loop ISM transformer based on the signal strength.

6 . The communication device of claim 5 , wherein the attenuation level is inversely proportional to a coupling coefficient corresponding to at least one of a size or a width of the one primary loop and the one secondary loop.

7 . The communication device of claim 1 ,
wherein the amplifier device includes multi-loop ISM transformers disposed in multiple stages, and wherein, based on the amplifier device comprising a low-noise amplifier device, the multi-loop ISM transformers are disposed behind an amplifier of a first stage in the amplifier device.

8 . The communication device of claim 1 ,
wherein the amplifier device includes multi-loop ISM transformers disposed in multiple stages, and wherein, based on the amplifier device comprising a power amplifier device, the multi-loop ISM transformers are disposed in front of an amplifier of a last stage in the amplifier device.

9 . The communication device of claim 1 ,
wherein the processor is further configured to:
control an operation of the multi-loop ISM transformer by an operation mode selected among a plurality of operation modes and determined based on the signal strength, the plurality of operation modes being preset based on a degree of the attenuation level, and
wherein the plurality of operation modes include a through mode in which an attenuator function is not performed in the multi-loop ISM transformer, a first attenuation mode in which the attenuation level increases while the signal strength is strong, and a second attenuation mode having a low attenuation level lower than the first attenuation mode.

10 . The communication device of claim 1 , wherein, in the amplifier device, impedance matching of the multi-loop ISM transformer is maintained based on a Q-factor.

11 . An amplifier device included in a communication device configured to transmit/receive a radio frequency (RF) signal in a wireless communication system, the amplifier device comprising:
a plurality of amplifiers; and a multi-loop inter-stage matching (ISM) transformer disposed between a first amplifier and a second amplifier among the plurality of amplifiers and including a plurality of primary loops and a plurality of secondary loops, wherein each primary loop includes an inductor component and having a different size and a different Q-factor and each secondary loop includes an inductor component and having a different size and a different Q-factor, wherein input ends of the plurality of primary loops are connected to output ends of the first amplifier through first switches, wherein output ends of the plurality of secondary loops are connected to input ends of the second amplifier through second switches, and wherein one primary loop among the plurality of primary loops and one secondary loop among the plurality of secondary loops are connected to the first amplifier and the second amplifier, respectively, through the first switches and the second switches to adjust an attenuation level of the multi-loop ISM transformer.

12 . The amplifier device of claim 11 ,
wherein the plurality of primary loops and the plurality of secondary loops include first to n th primary loops and first to n th secondary loops, respectively, in a direction from an inner loop to an outer loop, and wherein the first to n th primary loops and the first to n th secondary loops are configured to have different inductance values and different Q factors to adjust the attenuation level.

13 . The amplifier device of claim 11 , wherein the attenuation level is inversely proportional to a coupling coefficient corresponding to at least one of a size or a width of the one primary loop and the one secondary loop.

14 . The amplifier device of claim 11 , further comprising:
multi-loop ISM transformers disposed in multiple stages, wherein, based on the amplifier device comprising a low-noise amplifier device, the multi-loop ISM transformers are disposed behind an amplifier of a first stage in the amplifier device.

15 . The amplifier device of claim 11 , further comprising:
multi-loop ISM transformers disposed in multiple stages, wherein, based on the amplifier device comprising a power amplifier device, the multi-loop ISM transformers are disposed in front of an amplifier of a last stage in the amplifier device.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Jungsik
• Kim Dongki
• Kim Seongkyun
• Nam Hyohyun
• Lee Daeyoung
• Lee Chaejun

Classifications

• H03F1/565

  using inductive elements · CPC title

• H03F3/21

  with semiconductor devices only {(H03F3/245 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• H03F2200/537

  A transformer being used as coupling element between two amplifying stages · CPC title

• H04B1/40

  Circuits · CPC title

• H01F19/04

  Transformers or mutual inductances suitable for handling frequencies considerably beyond the audio range (resonant circuits H03H) · CPC title