Uplink and downlink carrier aggregation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017222665-A1
Application number	US-201715484045-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 10, 2017
Priority date	Sep 17, 2013
Publication date	Aug 3, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Improved switched multiplexer architecture for supporting carrier aggregation in front-end applications. In some embodiments, an N-plexing system can include an assembly of filters configured to provide N filtered paths, and a switching circuit in communication with the assembly of filters. The switching circuit can be configured to provide a plurality of switchable paths between the assembly of filters and an antenna port to allow simultaneous operation between the N filtered paths and the antenna port. In some embodiments, N can be 4 for a quadruplexing system or 2 for a duplexing system, and such a system can be implemented in a front-end module (FEM) for wireless devices.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A front-end system comprising:
a filter assembly including a first filter configured to pass a first frequency range associated with a first transmission frequency range of a first band and a second filter configured to pass a second frequency range associated with a first receive frequency range of the first band and with a second receive frequency range of a second band; a switching circuit in communication with the filter assembly and an antenna port, the switching circuit including a first switch configured to connect the first filter to the antenna port and a second switch configured to connect the second filter to the antenna port, the second switch independently operated from the first switch.

2 . The system of claim 1 further comprising a second antenna port, the switching circuit in communication with the filter assembly and the second antenna port.

3 . The system of claim 2 wherein the switching circuit includes a third switch configured to connect a third filter of the filter assembly to the second antenna port with the first, second, and third switches being independently operated from each other.

4 . The system of claim 1 wherein the first band includes B 1 and the second band includes B 4 .

5 . The system of claim 1 wherein the first band includes B 1 and the second band includes B 10 .

6 . The system of claim 1 wherein the first band includes B 5 and the second band includes B 6 .

7 . The system of claim 1 wherein the first band includes B 5 and the second band includes B 18 .

8 . The system of claim 1 wherein the first band includes B 14 and the second band includes B 28 .

9 . The system of claim 1 wherein the first band includes B 11 and the second band includes B 21 .

10 . The system of claim 1 further comprising a second switching circuit configured to switch frequency bands in a high-band frequency range and the switching circuit is configured to switch frequency bands in a low-band frequency range.

11 . The system of claim 10 further comprising a second filter assembly including a third filter configured to pass a third frequency range associated with a third transmission frequency range of a third band and a fourth filter configured to pass a fourth frequency range associated with a third receive frequency range of the third band and with a fourth receive frequency range of a fourth band.

12 . The system of claim 11 wherein the second switching circuit is in communication with the second filter assembly and the second antenna port, the second switching circuit including a third switch configured to connect the third filter to the second antenna port and a fourth switch configured to connect the fourth filter to the second antenna port, the fourth switch independently operated from the third switch.

13 . The system of claim 1 wherein the filter assembly and the switching circuit are configured to support time-division duplex signals for transmission.

14 . The system of claim 1 wherein the filter assembly and the switching circuit are configured to support carrier aggregation for at least one of the combination of bands B 1 and B 7 , B 2 and B 4 , B 7 and B 3 , B 5 and B 12 , B 5 and B 17 , or B 8 and B 20 .

15 . A radio-frequency (RF) module comprising:
a packaging substrate configured to receive a plurality of components; a filter assembly implemented on the packaging substrate and including a first filter configured to pass a first frequency range associated with a first transmission frequency range of a first band and a second filter configured to pass a second frequency range associated with a first receive frequency range of the first band and with a second receive frequency range of a second band; and a switching circuit implemented on the packaging substrate and in communication with the filter assembly and an antenna port, the switching circuit including a first switch configured to connect the first filter to the antenna port and a second switch configured to connect the second filter to the antenna port, the second switch independently operated from the first switch.

16 . The RF module of claim 15 wherein the RF module is a front-end module (FEM).

17 . The RF module of claim 16 wherein the FEM further includes a power amplifier module having a plurality of power amplifiers.

18 . The RF module of claim 16 wherein the switching circuit is implemented on an antenna switching module (ASM).

19 . The RF module of claim 16 wherein the switching circuit is implemented on a semiconductor die.

20 . A wireless device comprising:
a transceiver configured to process radio-frequency signals; a front-end module (FEM) in communication with the transceiver, the FEM including a filter assembly having a first filter configured to pass a first frequency range associated with a first transmission frequency range of a first band and a second filter configured to pass a second frequency range associated with a first receive frequency range of the first band and with a second receive frequency range of a second band, the FEM also including a switching circuit implemented on the packaging substrate and in communication with the filter assembly and an antenna port, the switching circuit including a first switch configured to connect the first filter to the antenna port and a second switch configured to connect the second filter to the antenna port, the second switch independently operated from the first switch; and an antenna in communication with the signal port, the antenna configured to facilitate either or both of transmission and receiving of RF signals.

Assignees

• Skyworks Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Chang Shiaw Wen
• Duverneay Brian Blu
• XU Sarah Shiui
• Pehlke David Richard

Classifications

• H04B1/40

  Circuits · CPC title

• H04B1/48

  in circuits for connecting transmitter and receiver to a common transmission path, e.g. by energy of transmitter {(H04B1/46 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• H04L5/14

  Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex · CPC title

• H03F3/24

  of transmitter output stages · CPC title

• H04B2001/0408

  with power amplifiers · CPC title