Single chip signal splitting carrier aggregation receiver architecture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9362958-B2
Application number	US-201213411444-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 2, 2012
Priority date	Mar 2, 2012
Publication date	Jun 7, 2016
Grant date	Jun 7, 2016

Abstract

A wireless communication device configured for receiving a multiple carrier signal is described. The wireless communication device includes a single-chip signal splitting carrier aggregation receiver architecture. The single-chip signal splitting carrier aggregation receiver architecture includes a primary antenna, a secondary antenna and a transceiver chip. The single-chip signal splitting carrier aggregation receiver architecture reuses a simultaneous hybrid dual receiver path.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wireless communication device configured for receiving a multiple carrier signal, comprising:
a single-chip signal splitting carrier aggregation receiver architecture that comprises:
a primary antenna;
a secondary antenna; and
a transceiver chip, wherein the single-chip signal splitting carrier aggregation receiver architecture reuses a simultaneous hybrid dual receiver path, the simultaneous hybrid dual receiver path comprising a first routing from the primary antenna through a primary receiver to a tertiary receiver and a second routing from the secondary antenna through a secondary receiver to a quaternary receiver,
wherein the first routing comprises a third routing between a first stage amplifier of a source low noise amplifier of the primary receiver and a second stage amplifier of a target low noise amplifier of the tertiary receiver, and
wherein the second routing comprises a fourth routing between a first stage amplifier of a source low noise amplifier of the secondary receiver and a second stage amplifier of a target low noise amplifier of the quaternary receiver.

2. The wireless communication device of claim 1 , wherein the single-chip signal splitting carrier aggregation receiver architecture does not require four antennas, a power splitter, an external low noise amplifier, or die-to-die signal routing.

3. The wireless communication device of claim 1 , wherein the transceiver chip comprises:
a transmitter;
the primary receiver;
the secondary receiver;
the tertiary receiver; and
the quaternary receiver,
wherein each receiver comprises multiple low noise amplifiers, and
wherein each low noise amplifier comprises a first stage amplifier and a second stage amplifier.

4. The wireless communication device of claim 3 , wherein the first stage amplifier is a transconductance stage, and wherein the second stage amplifier is a cascode stage.

5. The wireless communication device of claim 3 , wherein the multiple low noise amplifiers comprise multiple low noise amplifiers for a first band and multiple low noise amplifiers for a second band.

6. The wireless communication device of claim 5 , wherein the first band is a low band and the second band is a mid band.

7. The wireless communication device of claim 5 , wherein the first band is a low band and the second band is a high band.

8. The wireless communication device of claim 5 , wherein the first band is a mid band and the second band is a high band.

9. The wireless communication device of claim 3 , wherein a fifth routing is used from the primary antenna through the primary receiver to obtain a primary inphase/quadrature signal, wherein a sixth routing is used from the primary antenna through the tertiary receiver to obtain a TRx inphase/quadrature signal, wherein a seventh routing is used from the secondary antenna through the secondary receiver to obtain a secondary inphase/quadrature signal, and wherein an eighth routing is used from the secondary antenna through the quaternary receiver to obtain a QRx inphase/quadrature signal.

10. The wireless communication device of claim 9 , wherein the single-chip signal splitting carrier aggregation receiver architecture is in inter-band operation, wherein the fifth routing passes through a first primary receiver low noise amplifier, wherein the sixth routing passes through a second primary receiver low noise amplifier, wherein the sixth routing passes through a first signal splitting stage, wherein the seventh routing passes through a first secondary receiver low noise amplifier, wherein the eighth routing passes through a second secondary receiver low noise amplifier, and wherein the eighth routing passes through a second signal splitting stage.

11. The wireless communication device of claim 9 , wherein the single-chip signal splitting carrier aggregation receiver architecture is in intra-band operation, wherein the fifth routing and the sixth routing pass through a primary receiver low noise amplifier, wherein the sixth routing passes through a first signal splitting stage, wherein the seventh routing and the eighth routing pass through a secondary receiver low noise amplifier, and wherein the eighth routing passes through a second signal splitting stage.

12. A method for receiving a multiple carrier signal using a single-chip signal splitting carrier aggregation receiver architecture, comprising:
receiving a first signal using a primary antenna;
routing the first signal through a primary receiver on a transceiver chip in the single-chip signal splitting carrier aggregation receiver architecture to obtain a primary inphase/quadrature signal;
routing the first signal from a first stage amplifier of a source low noise amplifier of the primary receiver through a second stage amplifier of a target low noise amplifier of a tertiary receiver on the transceiver chip to obtain a TRx inphase/quadrature signal;
receiving a second signal using a secondary antenna;
routing the second signal through a secondary receiver on the transceiver chip to obtain a secondary inphase/quadrature signal; and
routing the second signal from a first stage amplifier of a source low noise amplifier of the secondary receiver through a second stage amplifier a target low noise amplifier of a quaternary receiver on the transceiver chip to obtain a QRx inphase/quadrature signal.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the single-chip signal splitting carrier aggregation receiver architecture does not require four antennas, a power splitter, an external low noise amplifier, or die-to-die signal routing.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the transceiver chip comprises:
a transmitter;
the primary receiver;
the secondary receiver;
the tertiary receiver; and
the quaternary receiver,
wherein each receiver comprises multiple low noise amplifiers, and
wherein each low noise amplifier comprises a first stage amplifier and a second stage amplifier.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first stage amplifier is a transconductance stage, and wherein the second stage amplifier is a cascode stage.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the multiple low noise amplifiers comprise multiple low noise amplifiers for a first band and multiple low noise amplifiers for a second band.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first band is a low band and the second band is a mid band.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first band is a low band and the second band is a high band.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first band is a mid band and the second band is a high band.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein a first routing is used from the primary antenna through the primary receiver to obtain the primary inphase/quadrature signal, wherein a second routing is used from the primary antenna through the tertiary receiver to obtain the TRx inphase/quadrature signal, wherein a third routing is used from the secondary antenna through the secondary receiver to obtain the secondary inphase/quadrature signal, and wherein a fourth routing is used from the secondary antenna through the quaternary receiver to obtain the QRx inphase/quadrature signal.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the single-chip signal splitting carrier aggregation receiver architecture is in inter-band operation, wherein the first routing passes through a first primary receiver low noise amplifier, wherein the second routing passes through a second primary receiver low noise amplifier, wherein the second routing passes through

Assignees

• Gudem Prasad Srinivasa Siva
• Sahota Gurkanwal Singh
• Chang Li-Chung
• Holenstein Christian
• Bossu Frederic
• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Gudem Prasad Srinivasa Siva
• Sahota Gurkanwal Singh
• Chang Li-Chung
• Holenstein Christian
• Bossu Frederic

Classifications

• H04B1/0057 Primary

  using diplexing or multiplexing filters for selecting the desired band · CPC title

• H04B7/04

  using two or more spaced independent antennas · CPC title