Electronic device comprising amplifier circuit for processing wideband RF signal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12506448-B2
Application number	US-202217860467-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 8, 2022
Priority date	Jan 10, 2020
Publication date	Dec 23, 2025
Grant date	Dec 23, 2025

Abstract

Disclosed is an electronic device comprising: a wireless communication circuit for generating an RF signal, an amplifier circuit electrically connected to the wireless communication circuit and configured to amplify the RF signal, and an antenna connected to the amplifier circuit. The amplifier circuit may comprise: a first amplifier; a second amplifier; a first transmission path connected to an output terminal of the first amplifier and the antenna; a second transmission path connected to an output terminal of the second amplifier and the first transmission path; a first variable impedance circuit located on the first transmission path and configured to change an electrical length of the first transmission path based on the frequency of the RF signal; and a second variable impedance circuit located on the second transmission path and configured to change the electrical length based on a power mode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electronic device, comprising:
a wireless communication circuit configured to generate a radio frequency (RF) signal; an amplifier circuit electrically connected with the wireless communication circuit and configured to amplify the RF signal; and an antenna connected with the amplifier circuit, wherein the amplifier circuit includes: a switch control circuit, a first amplifier; a second amplifier; a first transmission path connected with an output terminal of the first amplifier and the antenna; a second transmission path connected with an output terminal of the second amplifier and the first transmission path; a first variable impedance circuit located on the first transmission path and comprising a first inductor located on a path between at least an input terminal and an output terminal of the first variable impedance circuit and a first switch connected with the first inductor; and a second variable impedance circuit located on the second transmission path and comprising a second inductor located on a path between at least an input terminal and an output terminal of the second variable impedance circuit and a second switch connected with the second inductor, wherein the first switch comprises a first terminal connected to an output terminal of the first inductor and a second terminal selectively connectable to a point of the first inductor, wherein the second switch comprises a third terminal connected to an output terminal of the second inductor and a fourth terminal selectively connectable to a point of the second inductor, and wherein the switch control circuit is configured to: change an electrical length of the first transmission path based on a frequency of the RF signal by controlling the first switch, in a low power mode, control an impedance value of the second variable impedance circuit to be a specific value or more by controlling the second switch, and in a high power mode, control the impedance value of the second variable impedance circuit to be lower than the specific value by controlling the second switch based on the frequency of the RF signal.

2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first variable impedance circuit is configured to set λ/4 impedance corresponding to the frequency of the RF signal.

3 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first variable impedance circuit further includes:
a first variable capacitor located on a path between a path between the input terminal of the first variable impedance circuit and the first inductor and a ground; and a second variable capacitor located on a path between a path between the output terminal of the first variable impedance circuit and the first inductor and the ground.

4 . The electronic device of claim 3 ,
wherein the second terminal is connected with the point of the first inductor to form a bypass path or is configured to be in an open state.

5 . The electronic device of claim 3 ,
wherein the switch control circuit is configured to receive a switch control signal corresponding to the frequency of the RF signal from the wireless communication circuit and to generate a first switch signal for controlling the first switch based on the switch control signal.

6 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the second variable impedance circuit further includes:
a third variable capacitor located on a path between a path between the input terminal of the second variable impedance circuit and the second inductor and a ground; and a fourth variable capacitor located on a path between a path between the output terminal of the second variable impedance circuit and the second inductor and the ground.

7 . The electronic device of claim 6 ,
wherein the third terminal is connected with the path between the output terminal of the second variable impedance circuit and the second inductor, and wherein the fourth terminal is selectively connected with a specific portion of the second inductor.

8 . The electronic device of claim 7 ,
wherein the switch control circuit is configured to receive a switch control signal corresponding to the frequency of the RF signal from the wireless communication circuit and to generate a second switch signal for controlling the second switch based on the switch control signal.

9 . The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a signal distribution circuit configured to receive the RF signal and to generate a first distribution signal input to the first amplifier and a second distribution signal input to the second amplifier.

10 . The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the first distribution signal and the second distribution signal are generated to have a specific phase difference.

11 . The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the signal distribution circuit includes:
a wideband distributor configured to distribute the RF signal; and a third variable impedance circuit configured to have a specific impedance value based on the frequency of the RF signal wherein one of output signals of the wideband distributor has a specific phase.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yang Dongil
• Kim Jooseung
• Son Junghwan
• Choi Hyunseok

Classifications

• H03H7/38

  Impedance-matching networks · CPC title

• H03F2200/378

  A variable capacitor being added in the output circuit, e.g. collector, drain, of an amplifier stage · CPC title

• H03F3/60

  Amplifiers in which coupling networks have distributed constants, e.g. with waveguide resonators (H03F3/54 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H03F3/189

  High-frequency amplifiers, e.g. radio frequency amplifiers · CPC title

• H03F1/07

  Doherty-type amplifiers · CPC title