Skyworks Solutions, Inc.

Rf Micro Devices, Inc.

Agere Systems Inc.

Roman Zbigniew Arkiszewski

Jeffrey Gordon Strahler

Florinel G Balteanu

Sabah Khesbak

Brian Baxter

Reza Kasnavi

Chris Levesque

David E Jones

Terry J Stockert

William David Southcombe

Scott Yoder

John G Freed

Onder Oz

Alexander Wayne Hietala

Srivatsan Jayaraman

Jason Millard

Fares Jaoude

David Steven Ripley

Philip Howard Thompson

Yevgeniy A Tkachenko

Pradeep A Balaraman

Ethan Chang

Yeung Bun Choi

Steven Selby

Songbai Zhang

Joshua James Caron

Edward James Anthony

Hirofumi Honjo

Stuart Williams

Jen-Chien Chang

Matthew Lee Banowetz

Jianxing Ni

Duane A Green

Brad Hunkele

Steven T Seiz

Nadim Khlat

Christopher Truong Ngo

Troy L Stockstad

John C Baldwin

Edward E Campbell

Yaxing Zhang

Gil Ra'anan

Shaun Bryce Chamberlain

Aspects of this disclosure relate to a front end architecture for selectively adding an external carrier aggregation band. A switch element can connect a radio frequency signal path to an antenna path through a frequency domain multiplexer, such as a diplexer, in a first mode. The switch element can connect the radio frequency path to the antenna path and bypass the frequency domain multiplexer in a second mode. The frequency domain multiplexer can be external to a front end module that include the radio frequency signal path. In the first mode, a front end system can support carrier aggregation with a band associated with circuitry implemented external to the front end module.

Front end architecture for selectively adding external carrier aggregation band

Apparatus and methods for adaptive power amplifier biasing are provided. In certain embodiments, a power amplifier system includes a power amplifier that provides amplification to a radio frequency (RF) signal, and a power amplifier bias control circuit that generates a bias signal of the power amplifier based on a bandwidth signal indicating a bandwidth of the RF signal. The power amplifier bias control circuit has a bandwidth that adapts to the bandwidth of the RF signal as indicated by the bandwidth signal.

Apparatus and methods for adaptive power amplifier biasing

Aspects of this disclosure relate to a multi-mode power amplifier system. A first power amplifier is configured to provide a radio frequency signal associated with a different radio access technology in a first mode than in a second mode. A second power amplifier is configured to be active in the first mode such that the first power amplifier and the second power amplifier are concurrently active in the first mode. A switch can electrically connect the output of the first power amplifier to different radio frequency signal path in the first mode than in the second mode. Related methods, power amplifier modules, and wireless communication devices are disclosed.

Multi-mode power amplifier system and related wireless devices and methods

Aspects of this disclosure relate to a coupler circuit configured to receive an output of a radio frequency coupler. The coupler circuit can be arranged in a daisy chain with other coupler circuits. The coupler circuit can include a switch configured to turn on based on a signal level of a direct current component of a coupler signal from another coupler circuit and pass a radio frequency component of the coupler signal when on. The coupler circuit can pass the coupler signal while a module that includes the coupler circuit is otherwise inactive.

Coupler circuit

Aspects of this disclosure relate to a dual connectivity power amplifier system. The power amplifier system includes first and second power amplifiers that are concurrently active in a dual connectively mode. The first power amplifier is active in a different mode. A switch electrically connects the first power amplifier to different radio frequency signal paths in the dual connectivity mode and the different mode. Related methods, power amplifier modules, and wireless communication devices are disclosed.

Dual connectivity power amplifier system

Circuits and methods related to radio-frequency (RF) architectures having carrier aggregation. In some implementations, a method for performing carrier aggregation (CA) can include providing a duplexer configured to provide duplexing functionality for a first frequency band and a second frequency band with a common antenna. The method can further include providing a first amplification path and a second amplification path coupled to respective ports of the duplexer, each of the first amplification path and the second amplification path configured to amplify a signal in its respective frequency band, each amplification path including a transmit/receive (TX/RX) switch configured to provide time-division duplexing (TDD) functionality for the amplified signal and a received signal. In some implementations, the first frequency band includes a B39 band, and the second frequency band includes a B41 band.

Devices and methods related to radio-frequency front-end architecture for carrier aggregation of cellular bands

A tunable vector recombination amplifier comprises an input, an output, first and second amplifier circuit paths each including a respective phase shifter to receive a respective input signal from the input and to apply a respective phase shift to produce a respective phase-shifted signal, a respective interstage impedance matching network, and a respective amplifier connected between the respective phase shifter and interstage impedance matching network to receive and amplify the respective phase-shifted signal to produce a respective amplified signal, first and second controllable DC voltage sources each coupled to a respective amplifier and configured to provide a respective supply voltage to the respective amplifier, values of the supply voltages being independently controllable, and an output amplifier stage to receive, amplify, and vectorially combine the amplified signals to produce a combined signal having a specified phase determined by the phase shifts and supply-voltage values and a specified amplitude at the output.

Tunable vector recombination amplifier

Described herein are systems, architectures, circuits, devices, and methods for a DC-DC converter that dynamically adjusts a supply voltage to a power amplifier based on the number of resource blocks in a signal to be transmitted. The disclosed technologies estimate the number of resource blocks in a signal, generate a signal corresponding to the estimated number of resource blocks, and modify a supply voltage based on the generated signal. These technologies can be used to increase the efficiency of power amplifier systems for cellular signals being transmitted that have fewer resource blocks than is typically assumed (e.g., at least 100 resource blocks).

Method of modifying a supply voltage to a power amplifier based on estimated number of resource blocks

A multiplexing system can include a first diplexer and a second diplexer. The first diplexer can have a first transmit terminal, a first receive terminal, and a first common terminal. The first diplexer can be configured to filter a first transmit signal to a first cellular frequency band and output the filtered first transmit signal. The first diplexer can be further configured to filter a first receive signal to a second cellular frequency band and output the filtered first receive signal. The second diplexer can have a second transmit terminal, a second receive terminal, and a second common terminal. The second diplexer can be configured to filter a second transmit signal to the second cellular frequency band and output the filtered second transmit signal. The second diplexer can be further configured to filter a second receive signal to the first cellular frequency band and output the filtered second receive signal.

Carrier aggregation using diplexers

Circuits and methods related to radio-frequency (RF) architectures having carrier aggregation. In some implementations, a carrier aggregation (CA) architecture can include a duplexer configured to provide duplexing functionality for a first frequency band and a second frequency band with a common antenna. The CA architecture can further include a first amplification path and a second amplification path coupled to respective ports of the duplexer, each of the first amplification path and the second amplification path configured to amplify a signal in its respective frequency band, each amplification path including a transmit/receive (TX/RX) switch configured to provide time-division duplexing (TDD) functionality for the amplified signal and a received signal. In some implementations, the first frequency band includes a B39 band, and the second frequency band includes a B41 band.

Radio-frequency front-end architecture for carrier aggregation of cellular bands

Growing community of inventors

Oak Ridge, NC, United States of America

Roman Zbigniew Arkiszewski