Telefonaktiebolaget Lm Ericsson (publ)

Thomas Mattsson

Pietro Andreani

Luca Fanori

Sven Erik Mattisson

Magnus Nilsson

Andreas Nydahl

A tunable inductor arrangement includes a first winding part connected at one end to a first input of the inductor arrangement, a second winding part connected at one end to the other end of the first winding part, a third winding part connected at one end to a second input of the inductor arrangement, and a fourth winding part connected at one end to the other end of the third winding part. For tuning, the inductor arrangement includes a switch arrangement switchable between a first setting series-connecting the first and third winding parts between the inputs, and a second setting series-connecting the first, second, fourth and third winding parts between the inputs. The first and third winding parts are arranged on a chip or substrate with essentially common magnetic fields, and the second and fourth winding parts are arranged to cancel electro-magnetic coupling with the first and third winding parts.

Tunable inductor arrangement, transceiver, method and computer program

An oscillator circuit () comprises a first tank circuit (T) comprising an inductive element (L) and a capacitive element (C) coupled in series between a first voltage rail () and a first drive node (). A feedback stage (F) is coupled to a first tank output () of the first tank circuit (T) and to the first drive node (). The feedback stage (F) is arranged to generate, responsive to a first oscillating tank voltage present at the first tank output (), a first oscillating drive signal at the first drive node () in-phase with a first oscillating tank current flowing in the inductive element (L) and the capacitive element (C), thereby causing the oscillator () to oscillate in a series resonance mode of the inductive element (L) and the capacitive element (C).

Series-resonance oscillator

An inductor layout comprising a first inductor and a second inductor. The first and second inductors are electrically and magnetically independent inductors concentrically arranged on an integrated circuit. At least one of the first and second inductors is a multi-loop inductor with a first axis of symmetry.

Inductor layout, and a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) system

A tunable inductor arrangement arrangable on a chip or substrate is disclosed. The tunable inductor comprises a first winding part connected at one end to a first input of the tunable inductor arrangement, a second winding part connected at one end to the other end of the first winding part, a third winding part connected at one end to a second input of the tunable inductor arrangement, a fourth winding part connected at one end to the other end of the third winding part, and a switch arrangement arranged to tune the tunable inductor arrangement. Tuning is performed by selectively provide any of a circuit comprising the first and third winding parts in series between the first and second inputs, or a circuit comprising the first, second, fourth and third winding parts in series between the first and second inputs. The first and third winding parts are arranged on the chip or substrate such that magnetic fields of the first and third windings are essentially common, and the second and fourth winding parts are arranged to cancel electro-magnetic coupling with the first and third winding parts. A receiver, transceiver, communication device, method and computer program are also disclosed.

An oscillator circuit comprises a first tank circuit comprising an inductive element and a capacitive element coupled in series between a first voltage rail and a first drive node. A feedback stage is coupled to a first tank output of the first tank circuit and to the first drive node. The feedback stage is arranged to generate, responsive to a first oscillating tank voltage present at the first tank output, a first oscillating drive voltage at the first drive node in-phase with a first oscillating tank current flowing in the inductive element and the capacitive element, thereby causing the oscillator to oscillate in a series resonance mode of the inductive element and the capacitive element.

An inductor layout () comprising a first inductor () and a second inductor (). The first and second inductors () are electrically and magnetically independent inductors concentrically arranged on an integrated circuit. At least one of the first and second inductors () is a multi-loop inductor with a first axis () of symmetry.

A method of providing an input signal to a mixer circuit comprises coupling an output signal from a low-noise amplifier circuit to a mixer input of the mixer circuit via an AC coupling circuit, comprising an inductive of capacitive coupling circuit. For capacitive coupling configurations, a coupling capacitor is configured to have a capacitance value determined as a function of a transconductance sensitivity of the mixer circuit. For balanced output configurations of the low-noise amplifier circuit, matched coupling capacitors are used for coupling the balanced output signals to respective inputs of the mixer circuit. In one embodiment, the mixer circuit comprises a quadrature mixer circuit, which may be in a balanced or double-balanced configuration. In another embodiment, the mixer circuit comprises a four-phase mixer circuit, which may be configured as a balanced four-phase mixer circuit coupled to the low-noise amplifier circuit via inductive or capacitive embodiments of the coupling circuit.

Mixer circuit and method

A variable integrated inductor is described herein which has an inductance value that can be switched between two or more values. In the preferred embodiment, the variable integrated inductor includes a multi-loop primary inductor which is electromagnetically coupled to a pair of secondary inductors. The secondary inductors are connected to one another to form a closed circuit within which the secondary inductors have a changeable topology that can be switched between a series connection and a parallel connection in order to change an inductance value which is output by the multi-loop primary inductor. In one application, the variable integrated inductor is used in a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) which is of the type that can be used in a multi-band RF radio transceiver (e.g., wireless communication device). In other applications, the variable integrated inductor can be used in a tuned amplifier load, an impedance matching network, a digitally controlled oscillator or any other type of frequency selective LC-network.

Variable integrated inductor

Method and system are disclosed for reducing mutual EM coupling between VCO resonators and for implementing the same on a single semiconductor chip. The method and system involve using inductors that are substantially symmetrical about their horizontal and/or their vertical axes and providing current to the inductors in a way so that the resulting magnetic field components tend to cancel each other by virtue of the symmetry. In addition, two such inductors may be placed near each other and oriented in a way so that the induced current in the second inductor due to the magnetic field originating from first inductor is significantly reduced. The inductors may be 8-shaped, four-leaf clover-shaped, single-turn, multi-turn, rotated relative to one another, and/or vertically offset relative to one another. This Abstract is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. 37 CFR 1.72(b).

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Limhamn, Sweden

Thomas Mattsson