Apparatuses and methods for wireless communication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023120605-A1
Application number	US-202218082809-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 16, 2022
Priority date	Nov 23, 2017
Publication date	Apr 20, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

An apparatus for wireless communication is provided. The apparatus includes a processing circuit configured to receive data to be wirelessly transmitted within a predefined frequency range. Further, the processing circuit is configured to generate a first radio frequency transmit signal of a first frequency range based on the data, and to generate a second radio frequency transmit signal of a second frequency range based on the data. The first frequency range and the second frequency range are subranges of the predefined frequency range. The apparatus further includes a front-end circuit configured to supply the first radio frequency transmit signal to a first antenna, and to supply the second radio frequency transmit signal to a second antenna.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:
a processor circuit configured to generate a radio frequency (RF) signal; a transmit path configured to generate and transmit a transmit signal based on the RF signal; and a control circuit configured to adjust the transmit path to a selected configuration state of a plurality of configuration states of the transmit path, wherein each configuration state of the plurality of configuration states of the transmit path corresponds to a different combination of frequency range and communication standard, and wherein the selected configuration state allows the transmit signal to be transmitted within a selected frequency range using a selected communication standard.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the transmit path comprises an amplifier, and wherein to adjust the transmit path the control circuit is configured to adjust at least one of:
an output impedance of the amplifier; or a bias voltage supplied to the amplifier.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising:
an adjustable envelope tracking circuit configured to provide a supply voltage to the amplifier based on the selected frequency range.

4 . The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising an adjustable impedance matching circuit coupled to an output of the amplifier and configured to adjust the output impedance of the amplifier according to an operational configuration of the impedance matching circuit that corresponds to the selected frequency range.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor circuit is further configured to generate an additional RF signal,
the apparatus further comprising:
an additional transmit path configured to generate and transmit an additional transmit signal based on the additional RF signal;
wherein the control circuit is further configured to adjust the additional transmit path to a selected additional configuration state of a plurality of configuration states of the additional transmit path, wherein each configuration state of the plurality of configuration states of the additional transmit path corresponds to a different combination of frequency range and communication standard, wherein the selected additional configuration state allows the additional transmit signal to be transmitted within a selected additional frequency range using a selected additional communication standard.

6 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the selected frequency range is different from and non-overlapping with the selected additional frequency range.

7 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the selected frequency range corresponds to a first component carrier and the selected additional frequency range corresponds to a second component carrier.

8 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the selected frequency range and the selected additional frequency range are within one of:
a frequency band defined in a single communication standard; a frequency band defined in at least two different communication standards; different respective frequency bands defined in corresponding different communication standards; or different respective frequency bands defined in a single communication standard.

9 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the processor circuit is further configured to:
generate the RF signal according to the selected communication standard; and generate the additional RF signal according to the selected additional communication standard.

10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the transmit path comprises an adjustable filter circuit configured to filter the RF signal according to an operational configuration of the adjustable filter circuit that corresponds to the selected frequency, to generate the transmit signal.

11 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an antenna coupled to an output of the transmit path, wherein the transmit path is configured to transmit the transmit signal via the antenna.

12 . A device for wireless communications, comprising:
a first transmit path configured to transmit a first radio frequency (RF) signal via a first antenna and; a second transmit path configured to transmit a second RF signal via a second antenna; and a control circuit configured to adjust any one or more of
a first portion of the first transmit path to a first configuration state of a plurality of configuration states of the first portion of the first transmit path, wherein each configuration state of the plurality of configuration states of the first portion of the first transmit path corresponds to a different frequency range, wherein the first configuration state allows the first RF signal to be transmitted within a first frequency range, or
a first portion of the second transmit path to a second configuration state of a plurality of configuration states of the first portion of the second transmit path, wherein each configuration state of the plurality of configuration states of the first portion of the second transmit path corresponds to a different frequency range, wherein the second configuration state allows the second RF signal to be transmitted within a second frequency range.

13 . The device of claim 12 , wherein control circuit is further configured to adjust any one or more of:
a second portion of the first transmit path to a third configuration state of a plurality of configuration states of the second portion of the first transmit path, wherein each configuration state of the plurality of configuration states of the second portion of the first transmit path corresponds to a different communication standard, wherein the third configuration state allows the first RF signal to be transmitted using a first communication standard; or a second portion of the second transmit path to a fourth configuration state of a plurality of configuration states of the second portion of the second transmit path, wherein each configuration state of the plurality of configuration states of the second portion of the second transmit path corresponds to a different communication standard, wherein the fourth configuration state allows the second RF signal to be transmitted using a second communication standard.

14 . The device of claim 13 , wherein the first transmit path comprises a first amplifier and the second transmit path comprises a second amplifier,
wherein the control circuit is configured to adjust, based on the first communication standard, a first bias voltage supplied to the first amplifier to adjust the second portion of the first transmit path, and wherein the control circuit is configured to adjust, based on the second communication standard, a second bias voltage supplied to the second amplifier to adjust the second portion of the second transmit path.

15 . The device of claim 14 , further comprising an adjustable envelope tracking circuit configured to:
supply, based on the first frequency range, a first supply voltage to the first amplifier, and supply, based on the second frequency range, a second supply voltage to the second amplifier.

16 . The device of claim 12 , wherein the first transmit path comprises a first amplifier and the second transmit path comprises a second amplifier,
wherein the control circuit is configured to adjust, based on the first frequency range, an output impedance of the first amplifier to adjust the first portion of the first transmit path, and wherein the control circuit is configured to adjust, based on the second frequency range, an output impedance of the second amplifier to adjust the first portion of the second transmit path.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Langer Andreas
• Bruder Thomas

Classifications

• H04B1/0064 Primary

  with separate antennas for the more than one band (H04B1/0053 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H03F3/245

  with semiconductor devices only · CPC title

• H04B1/0475 Primary

  with means for limiting noise, interference or distortion (H04B1/0483 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04B7/0413

  MIMO systems · CPC title

• H03F3/68

  Combinations of amplifiers, e.g. multi-channel amplifiers for stereophonics {(power amplifiers using a combination of several semiconductor amplifiers H03F3/211; combinations of amplifiers using coupling networks with distributed constants H03F3/602)} · CPC title