Communication module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018167094-A1
Application number	US-201715834855-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 7, 2017
Priority date	Dec 9, 2016
Publication date	Jun 14, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A communication module includes a first switch circuit that receives a first or second received signal and that outputs the first received signal from a first terminal thereof or the second received signal from a second terminal thereof, a first low-noise amplifier that amplifies the first received signal, a second low-noise amplifier that amplifies the second received signal, a first filter circuit disposed between the first switch circuit and the first low-noise amplifier, and a second filter circuit disposed between the first switch circuit and the second low-noise amplifier. The first filter circuit has greater signal loss than the second filter circuit. A signal path from the first terminal of the first switch circuit to the first low-noise amplifier via the first filter circuit has a shorter length than that from the second terminal of the first switch circuit to the second low-noise amplifier via the second filter circuit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A communication module comprising:
a first switch circuit configured to receive a first receive signal in a first frequency band or a second receive signal in a second frequency band, and output the first receive signal from a first terminal or output the second receive signal from a second terminal; a first low-noise amplifier configured to amplify the first receive signal; a second low-noise amplifier configured to amplify the second receive signal; a first filter circuit disposed between the first terminal of the first switch circuit and the first low-noise amplifier, the first filter circuit being configured to pass receive frequencies in the first frequency band; and a second filter circuit disposed between the second terminal of the first switch circuit and the second low-noise amplifier, the second filter circuit being configured to pass receive frequencies in the second frequency band, wherein the first filter circuit has greater signal loss than the second filter circuit, and a signal path from the first terminal of the first switch circuit to the first low-noise amplifier via the first filter circuit is shorter than a signal path from the second terminal of the first switch circuit to the second low-noise amplifier via the second filter circuit.

2 . The communication module according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a second switch circuit configured to receive the first receive signal amplified by the first low-noise amplifier or the second receive signal amplified by the second low-noise amplifier, and output the received first receive signal or second receive signal.

3 . The communication module according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first power amplifier configured to amplify a first transmit signal in the first frequency band and output a first amplified signal; and a second power amplifier configured to amplify a second transmit signal in the second frequency band and output a second amplified signal, wherein the first filter circuit is a duplexer configured to output the first amplified signal to the first terminal of the first switch circuit and output the first receive signal to the first low-noise amplifier, and the second filter circuit is a duplexer configured to output the second amplified signal to the second terminal of the first switch circuit and output the second receive signal to the second low-noise amplifier.

4 . The communication module according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a first power amplifier configured to amplify a first transmit signal in the first frequency band and output a first amplified signal; and a second power amplifier configured to amplify a second transmit signal in the second frequency band and output a second amplified signal, wherein the first filter circuit is a duplexer configured to output the first amplified signal to the first terminal of the first switch circuit and output the first receive signal to the first low-noise amplifier, and the second filter circuit is a duplexer configured to output the second amplified signal to the second terminal of the first switch circuit and output the second receive signal to the second low-noise amplifier.

5 . The communication module according to claim 1 , wherein the first switch circuit is further configured to receive a third receive signal in a third frequency band and output the third receive signal from a third terminal, the communication module further comprising:
a third low-noise amplifier configured to amplify the third receive signal; a third filter circuit disposed between the third terminal of the first switch circuit and the third low-noise amplifier, the third filter circuit being configured to pass receive frequencies in the third frequency band, wherein the second filter circuit has greater signal loss than the third filter circuit, and a signal path from the second terminal of the first switch circuit to the second low-noise amplifier via the second filter circuit is shorter than a signal path from the third terminal of the first switch circuit to the third low-noise amplifier via the third filter circuit.

6 . A communication module comprising:
a first switch circuit configured to receive a first receive signal in a first frequency band or a second receive signal in a second frequency band, and output the first receive signal from a first terminal or the second receive signal from a second terminal; a first filter circuit configured to receive the first receive signal from the first terminal of the first switch circuit, the first filter circuit being configured to pass receive frequencies in the first frequency band; a second filter circuit configured to receive the second receive signal from the second terminal of the first switch circuit, the second filter circuit being configured to pass receive frequencies in the second frequency band; a third switch circuit configured to receive the first receive signal from the first filter circuit or the second receive signal from the second filter circuit, and output the received first receive signal or second receive signal; and a low-noise amplifier configured to amplify the first receive signal or second receive signal output from the third switch circuit, wherein the first filter circuit has greater signal loss than the second filter circuit, and a signal path from the first terminal of the first switch circuit to the third switch circuit via the first filter circuit is shorter than a signal path from the second terminal of the first switch circuit to the third switch circuit via the second filter circuit.

7 . The communication module according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a first power amplifier configured to amplify a first transmit signal in the first frequency band and output a first amplified signal; and a second power amplifier configured to amplify a second transmit signal in the second frequency band and output a second amplified signal, wherein the first filter circuit is a duplexer configured to output the first amplified signal to the first terminal of the first switch circuit and output the first receive signal to the third switch circuit, and the second filter circuit is a duplexer configured to output the second amplified signal to the second terminal of the first switch circuit and output the second receive signal to the third switch circuit.

8 . The communication module according to claim 6 ,
wherein the first switch circuit is further configured to receive a third receive signal in a third frequency band and output the third receive signal from a third terminal, the communication module further comprises a third filter circuit configured to receive the third receive signal from the third terminal of the first switch circuit, the third filter circuit being configured to pass receive frequencies in the third frequency band, wherein the third switch circuit is further configured to receive the third receive signal from the third filter circuit and output the received third receive signal, wherein the low-noise amplifier is further configured to amplify the third receive signal output from the third switch circuit, wherein the second filter circuit has greater signal loss than the third filter circuit, and wherein a signal path from the second terminal of the first switch circuit to the third switch circuit via the second filter circuit is shorter than a signal path from the third terminal of the first switch circuit to the third switch circuit via the third filter circuit.

Assignees

• Murata Manufacturing Co

Inventors

• Aramata Tomohide

Classifications

• H03H7/38

  Impedance-matching networks · CPC title

• H04B1/1081 Primary

  Reduction of multipath noise (by equalising H04B7/005) · CPC title

• H03H7/465

  having variable circuit topology, e.g. including switches · CPC title

• H04B1/52

  Hybrid arrangements, i.e. arrangements for transition from single-path two-direction transmission to single-direction transmission on each of two paths or vice versa · CPC title

• H04B1/00

  Details of transmission systems, not covered by a single one of groups H04B3/00 - H04B13/00; Details of transmission systems not characterised by the medium used for transmission · CPC title