Antenna switching scheme

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022158343-A1
Application number	US-202017098319-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 13, 2020
Priority date	Nov 13, 2020
Publication date	May 19, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

In some aspects, an apparatus includes a transformer including a first inductor, a second inductor, and a third inductor. The apparatus also includes a power amplifier coupled to the first inductor, a first antenna coupled to a first terminal of the second inductor, a second antenna coupled to a second terminal of the second inductor, a first switch coupled between the first terminal of the second inductor and a ground, a second switch coupled between the second terminal of the second inductor and the ground, and a low-noise amplifier coupled to the third inductor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus, comprising:
a transformer including a first inductor, a second inductor, and a third inductor; a power amplifier coupled to the first inductor; a first antenna coupled to a first terminal of the second inductor; a second antenna coupled to a second terminal of the second inductor; a first switch coupled between the first terminal of the second inductor and a ground; a second switch coupled between the second terminal of the second inductor and the ground; and a low-noise amplifier coupled to the third inductor.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first antenna comprises a patch antenna, and the second antenna comprises a dipole antenna.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first antenna is on a first surface, the second antenna is on a second surface, and the first surface and the second surface face different directions.

4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the first surface and the second surface are orientated approximately perpendicular to each other.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the power amplifier is a differential power amplifier having a first output and a second output, the first output is coupled to a first terminal of the first inductor, and the second output is coupled to a second terminal of the first inductor.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a shunt inductor coupled between the second inductor and a ground.

7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the shunt inductor is coupled to a center tap of the second inductor.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first shunt inductor coupled in parallel with the first switch; and a second shunt inductor coupled in parallel with the second switch.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a controller configured to:
turn off the first switch and turn on the second switch in a first antenna mode; and turn on the first switch and turn off the second switch in a second antenna mode.

10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a third switch coupled between an input of the low-noise amplifier and the ground.

11 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a third switch coupled between a first terminal of the third inductor and the ground, wherein an input of the low-noise amplifier is coupled to a second terminal of the third inductor.

12 . The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising a fourth switch coupled between the input of the low-noise amplifier and the ground.

13 . The apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising a controller configured to:
turn off the third switch and turn on the fourth switch in a transmit mode; and turn on the third switch and turn off the fourth switch in a receive mode.

14 . A wireless device, comprising:
a first antenna array comprising a first plurality of antennas; a second antenna array comprising a second plurality of antennas; a plurality of power amplifiers; a plurality of low-noise amplifiers; and a plurality of switching circuits, wherein each of the plurality of switching circuits comprises:
a transformer including a first inductor, a second inductor, and a third inductor, wherein the first inductor is coupled to a respective one of the plurality of power amplifiers, a first terminal of the second inductor is coupled to a respective one of the first plurality of antennas, a second terminal of the second inductor is coupled to a respective one of the second plurality of antennas, and the third inductor is coupled to a respective one of the plurality of low-noise amplifiers;
a first switch coupled between the first terminal of the second inductor and a ground; and
a second switch coupled between the second terminal of the second inductor and the ground.

15 . The wireless device of claim 14 , wherein each of the first plurality of antennas comprises a patch antenna, and each of the second plurality antennas comprises a dipole antenna.

16 . The wireless device of claim 14 , wherein the first plurality of antennas are on a first surface, the second plurality of antennas are on a second surface, and the first surface and the second surface face different directions.

17 . An apparatus, comprising:
a transformer including a first inductor, a second inductor, a third inductor, and a fourth inductor; a power amplifier coupled to the first inductor; a low-noise amplifier coupled to the second inductor a first antenna coupled to a first terminal of the third inductor; a first switch coupled between a second terminal of the third inductor and a ground; a second antenna coupled to a first terminal of the fourth inductor; and a second switch coupled between a second terminal of the fourth inductor and the ground.

18 . The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the first antenna comprises a patch antenna, and the second antenna comprises a dipole antenna.

19 . The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the first antenna is on a first surface, the second antenna is on a second surface, and the first surface and the second surface face different directions.

20 . The apparatus of claim 17 , further comprising:
a first shunt inductor coupled in parallel with the first switch; and a second shunt inductor coupled in parallel with the second switch.

21 . The apparatus of claim 17 , further comprising a controller configured to:
turn on the first switch and turn off the second switch in a first antenna mode; and turn off the first switch and turn on the second switch in a second antenna mode.

22 . The apparatus of claim 17 , further comprising a third switch coupled between an input of the low-noise amplifier and the ground.

23 . The apparatus of claim 17 , further comprising:
a third switch coupled between the first terminal of the third inductor and the ground; and a fourth switch coupled between the first terminal of the fourth inductor and the ground.

24 . The apparatus of claim 23 , further comprising a controller configured to:
turn on the first switch, turn off the second switch, turn off the third switch, and turn on the fourth switch in a first antenna mode; and turn off the first switch, turn on the second switch, turn on the third switch, and turn off the fourth switch in a second antenna mode.

25 . The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein a first terminal of the second inductor is coupled to an input of the low-noise amplifier, and the apparatus further comprising a third switch coupled between a second terminal of the second inductor and a ground.

26 . The apparatus of claim 25 , further comprising a fourth switch coupled between the input of the low-noise amplifier and the ground.

27 . The apparatus of claim 26 , further comprising a controller configured to:
turn on the third switch and turn off the fourth switch in a receive mode; and turn off the third switch and turn on the fourth switch in a transmit mode.

28 . A wireless device, comprising:
a first antenna array comprising a first plurality of antennas; a second antenna array comprising a second plurality of antennas; a plurality of power amplifiers; a plurality of low-noise amplifiers; and a plurality of switching circuits, wherein each of the plurality of switching circuits comprises:
a transformer including a first inductor, a second inductor, a third inductor, and a fourth inductor, wherein the first

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Hassan Muhammad
• Goldblatt Jeremy
• Asuri Bhushan Shanti
• Dunworth Jeremy Darren
• Bellaouar Abdellatif
• Sridhara Ravi
• Garcia Jorge

Classifications

• H03F2200/541

  Transformer coupled at the output of an amplifier · CPC title

• H03F2200/537

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

• H03F2200/534

  Transformer coupled at the input of an amplifier · CPC title

• H03F2200/451

  the amplifier being a radio frequency amplifier · CPC title

• H03F2200/294

  the amplifier being a low noise amplifier [LNA] · CPC title