Diversity receiver front end system with flexible antenna routing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016127015-A1
Application number	US-201514944951-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 18, 2015
Priority date	Oct 31, 2014
Publication date	May 5, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Diversity receiver front end system with flexible antenna routing. A receiving system can include a plurality of amplifiers. Each one of the plurality of amplifiers can be disposed along a corresponding one of a plurality of paths between an input of the receiving system and an output of the receiving system. Each one of the plurality of paths can correspond to a different frequency band. The receiving system can include an input multiplexer configured to receive, at one or more of a plurality of input multiplexer inputs, one or more RF signals. Each one of the one or more RF signals can include one or more frequency bands. The input multiplexer can be configured to output each of the one or more RF signals to one or more of a plurality of input multiplexer outputs. The receiving system can include a controller configured to receive an antenna configuration signal and, based on the antenna configuration signal, control the input multiplexer to route each of the one or more RF signals to propagate along one or more of the plurality of paths corresponding to the one of more frequency bands of the RF signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A receiving system comprising:
a plurality of amplifiers, each one of the plurality of amplifiers disposed along a corresponding one of a plurality of paths between an input of the receiving system and an output of the receiving system, each one of the plurality of paths corresponding to a different frequency band; an input multiplexer configured to receive, at one or more of a plurality of input multiplexer inputs, one or more RF signals, each one of the one or more RF signals including one or more frequency bands, the input multiplexer configured to output each of the one or more RF signals to one or more of a plurality of input multiplexer outputs; and a controller configured to receive an antenna configuration signal and, based on the antenna configuration signal, control the input multiplexer to route each of the one or more RF signals to propagate along one or more of the plurality of paths corresponding to the one of more frequency bands of the RF signal.

2 . The receiving system of claim 1 wherein, in response to an antenna configuration signal indicating that the receiving system includes a single antenna, the controller is configured to control the input multiplexer to route an RF signal received at a single input multiplexer input to all of the plurality of input multiplexer outputs associated with the one or more frequency bands of the RF signal.

3 . The receiving system of claim 1 wherein, in response to an antenna configuration signal indicating that the receiving system includes a single antenna, the controller is configured to control the input multiplexer to route an RF signal received at a single input multiplexer input to all of the plurality of input multiplexer outputs.

4 . The receiving system of claim 1 wherein, the controller is configured to, in response to a first antenna configuration signal, control the input multiplexer to route an RF signal received at a first input multiplexer input to an input multiplexer output and, in response to a second antenna configuration signal, control the input multiplexer to route an RF signal received at a second input multiplexer input to the input multiplexer output.

5 . The receiving system of claim 1 wherein a first input multiplexer input is coupled to the plurality of input multiplexer outputs via a first plurality of switches and a second input multiplexer input is coupled to the plurality of input multiplexer outputs via a second plurality of switches.

6 . The receiving system of claim 6 wherein the controller controls the input multiplexer by controlling the first plurality of switches and the second plurality of switches.

7 . The receiving system of claim 6 wherein the first plurality of switches includes a first plurality of single-pole/single-throw (SPST) switches and the second plurality of switches includes a second plurality of SPST switches.

8 . The receiving system of claim 1 wherein a first input multiplexer input is coupled to a first input multiplexer output, a second multiplexer output via a first switch, and a third input multiplexer output via a second switch and a second input multiplexer input is coupled to the second multiplexer output via the first switch, the third input multiplexer output via the second switch, and a fourth input multiplexer output.

9 . The receiving system of claim 8 wherein the controller controls the input multiplexer by controlling the first switch and the second switch.

10 . The receiving system of claim 8 wherein the first switch includes a first multiple-pole/single-throw (MPST) switch and the second switch includes a second MPST.

11 . The receiving system of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to receive a band select signal and to control the input multiplexer based on the band select signal.

12 . The receiving system of claim 1 wherein the input multiplexer is implemented as a band splitter.

13 . The receiving system of claim 12 wherein the band splitter includes one or more bandpass filters.

14 . The receiving system of claim 12 wherein the band splitter includes one or more diplexers.

15 . The receiving system of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of antennas respectively coupled to the plurality of input multiplexer inputs.

16 . A radio-frequency (RF) module comprising:
a packaging substrate configured to receive a plurality of components; and a receiving system implemented on the packaging substrate, the receiving system including a plurality of amplifiers, each one of the plurality of amplifiers disposed along a corresponding one of a plurality of paths between an input of the receiving system and an output of the receiving system, each one of the plurality of paths corresponding to a different frequency band, an input multiplexer configured to receive, at one or more of a plurality of input multiplexer inputs, one or more RF signals, each one of the one or more RF signals including one or more frequency bands, the input multiplexer configured to output each of the one or more RF signals to one or more of a plurality of input multiplexer outputs, and a controller configured to receive an antenna configuration signal and, based on the antenna configuration signal, control the input multiplexer to route each of the one or more RF signals to propagate along one or more of the plurality of paths corresponding to the one of more frequency bands of the RF signal.

17 . The RF module of claim 17 wherein the RF module is a diversity receiver front-end module (FEM).

18 . The RF module of claim 17 wherein the input multiplexer is implemented as a band splitter including at least one of a bandpass filter or a diplexer.

19 . A wireless device comprising:
a first antenna configured to receive a first radio-frequency (RF) signal; a first front-end module (FEM) in communication with the first antenna, the first FEM including a packaging substrate configured to receive a plurality of components, the first FEM further including a receiving system implemented on the packaging substrate, the receiving system including a plurality of amplifiers, each one of the plurality of amplifiers disposed along a corresponding one of a plurality of paths between an input of the receiving system and an output of the receiving system, each one of the plurality of paths corresponding to a different frequency band, an input multiplexer configured to receive, at one or more of a plurality of input multiplexer inputs, one or more RF signals, each one of the one or more RF signals including one or more frequency bands, the input multiplexer configured to output each of the one or more RF signals to one or more of a plurality of input multiplexer outputs, and a controller configured to receive an antenna configuration signal and, based on the antenna configuration signal, control the input multiplexer to route each of the one or more RF signals to propagate along one or more of the plurality of paths corresponding to the one of more frequency bands of the RF signal; and a communications module configured to receive a processed version of the first RF signal from the first FEM via a plurality of transmission lines respectively coupled to the plurality of output multiplexer outputs and to generate data bits based on the processed version of the first RF signal.

20 . The wireless device of claim 19 further comprising a second antenna configured to receive a second radio-frequency (RF) signal and a second FEM in communication with the second antenna,

Assignees

• Skyworks Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Wloczysiak Stephane Richard Marie
• Domino William J
• Agarwal Bipul

Classifications

• H04B1/40

  Circuits · CPC title

• H04B7/04 Primary

  using two or more spaced independent antennas · CPC title

• H04B7/0837

  using pre-detection combining (H04B7/0868 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04W40/06

  based on characteristics of available antennas · CPC title

• H04B7/082

  selecting best antenna path · CPC title