The present invention relates to a high-frequency filter.
The number of duplexers mounted on a mobile phone has been increasing associated with the mobile phone's ability to handle multiple bands and multiple modes. On the other hand, in order to solve the shortage of space caused by acceleration in adding multiple functions to the mobile phone, the request for reducing size of a wireless section has become strong. Because of such background, expectation is high for a multi-duplexer module having integrated therein multiple duplexers.
Patent Literature 1 discloses a multi-duplexer module 1000 shown in
[PTL 1] Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No, 2010-45563
[PTL 2] Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2000-315936
However, when a plurality of transmission-and-reception filters such as duplexers are arranged, various problems occur such as wiring becoming complicated, power consumption increasing due to insertion loss by a newly added switch, distortion being generated by the switch, and needing an additional circuit and wiring for switch control.
Thus, an objective of the present invention is to provide a high-frequency filter that is capable of handling multiple bands and that allows assigning multiple functions to a PA and simplifying wiring and circuits without using a switch.
The present invention is a high-frequency filter including a first filter, a second filter, and a first matching circuit connected to an input side of the first filter and an input side of the second filter. Furthermore, a first input, which is an input to the high-frequency filter, is inputted to the first filter or the second filter via the first matching circuit.
Furthermore, the first matching circuit includes at least one first resonator, and the at least one resonator is connected in series to an input side of, among the first filter and the second filter, a filter whose passband is a higher frequency band.
The high-frequency filter further includes a first reception filter and a second reception filter. Furthermore, the first input is a transmission signal, the first filter and the second filter are respectively a first transmission filter and a second transmission filter to both of which the transmission signal is inputted, and a reception signal, which is a second input inputted to the high-frequency filter, is inputted to the first reception filter and the second reception filter.
Furthermore, the high-frequency filter further includes a second matching circuit connected to an output side of the first reception filter and an output side of the second reception filter.
Furthermore, the second matching circuit includes at least one second resonator, and the at least one second resonator is connected in series to an input side of, among the first reception filter and the second reception filter, a filter whose passband is a higher frequency band.
Furthermore, at least one set, selected from a set including the first transmission filter and the first reception filter and a set including the second transmission filter and the second reception filter, is formed as a duplexer.
Furthermore, a frequency band of a passband of the second transmission filter is higher than a frequency band of a passband of the first transmission filter, a frequency band of a passband of the second reception filter is higher than a frequency band of a passband of the first reception filter, and the frequency band of the passband of the second transmission filter and the frequency band of the passband of the first reception filter partially overlap.
Furthermore, at least one among the first transmission filter, the second transmission filter, the first reception filter, and the second reception filter is formed from an elastic wave filter that utilizes non-leakage elastic waves.
Furthermore, the high-frequency filter further may include an amplifier, wherein the first input may be amplified by the amplifier, and may be inputted to the first filter or the second filter via the first matching circuit.
Furthermore, the high-frequency filter may further include an antenna switch connected to output sides of each of the transmission filters and input sides of each of the reception filters.
With the high-frequency filter of the present invention, it is possible to assign multiple functions to a PA and simplify wiring and circuits, without using a switch.
In the following, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described.
The first transmission filter 111 and the second transmission filter 112 may be formed from, for example, elastic wave filters such as DMS filters and rudder type filters utilizing non-leakage waves.
The first matching circuit 121 performs matching between the first transmission filter 111 and the second transmission filter 112. The first matching circuit 121 can be achieved by grounding and connecting an inductor 152 parallel with respect to a signal route, and connecting, in series, a first resonator 153 to an input side of at least one of the first transmission filter 111 and the second transmission filter 112. The first resonator 153 is preferably connected in series to an input side of, among the first transmission filter 111 and the second transmission filter 112, the one whose passband is a higher frequency band. The first resonator 153 has characteristics of a capacitor, and functions as a high pass filter when connected in series. Therefore, when the first resonator 153 is connected in series to an input side of a transmission filter whose passband is a higher frequency band, it is possible to suppress transmission signals corresponding to a low frequency band from being inputted to the transmission filter. In the present embodiment, the frequency band of the passband of the second transmission filter 112 is set to be higher than the frequency band of the passband of the first transmission filter 111, and the first resonator 153 is connected in series to the input side of the second transmission filter 112. It should be noted that a resonator may be connected in series to each of both the input side of the first transmission filter 111 and the input side of the second transmission filter 112. Furthermore, the first matching circuit 121 may be formed using other circuit configurations.
Furthermore, as shown in
When the first matching circuit 121 is disposed on each of the input sides of the first transmission filter 111 and the second transmission filter 112, passband characteristics of each of the first transmission filter 111 and the second transmission filter 112 are exerted even if transmission signals are inputted through the same wiring, and thereby the PA 904 and the wiring between a transmission signal output terminal of the transceiver 901 and the input terminal 131 of the high-frequency filter 100 can be assigned with multiple functions. With this, it becomes unnecessary to provide a switch for switching an input destination of transmission signals or a circuit for controlling this switching, and thereby wiring and circuits can be simplified.
In the following, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.
Reception signals from the antenna 903 are branched at the antenna switch 902 and inputted to the first antenna terminal 141 and the second antenna terminal 142. Reception signals inputted to the first antenna terminal 141 are inputted to the first reception filter 211, and reception signals inputted to the second antenna terminal 142 are inputted to the second reception filter 212. Furthermore, an output of the first reception filter 211 is connected to the first output terminal 261, and an output of the second reception filter 212 is connected to the second output terminal 262. The first output terminal 261 and the second output terminal 262 are connected to a transceiver 911, and a PA 905 and a PA 906, built in the transceiver 911, amplify reception signals.
The first reception filter 211 and the second reception filter 212 may be formed from, for example, elastic wave filters such as DMS filters and rudder type filters utilizing non-leakage waves.
Also in the present embodiment, the PA 904 and the wiring between a transmission signal output terminal of the transceiver 911 and the input terminal 131 of the high-frequency filter 200 are assigned with multiple functions. With this, similarly to the first embodiment, it becomes unnecessary to provide a switch for switching an input destination of transmission signals or a circuit for controlling this switching, and thereby wiring and circuits can be simplified.
In the following, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described.
The second matching circuit 322 performs matching between the first reception filter 211 and the second reception filter 212. The second matching circuit 322 can be achieved by grounding and connecting an inductor 352 parallel with respect to a signal route, and connecting, in series, a second resonator 353 to an output side of at least one of the first reception filter 211 and the second reception filter 212. The second resonator 353 is preferably connected in series to an output side of, among the first reception filter 211 and the second reception filter 212, a reception filter whose passband is a higher frequency band. With this, reception signals corresponding to a low frequency band can be removed from the output of the reception filter. In the present embodiment, the frequency band of the passband of the second reception filter 212 is set to be higher than the frequency band of the passband of the first reception filter 211, and the second resonator 353 is connected in series to the output side of the second reception filter 212. It should be noted that a resonator may be connected in series to each of both the output side of the first reception filter 211 and the output side of the second reception filter 212. Furthermore, the second matching circuit 322 may be formed using other circuit configurations.
Also in the present embodiment, the PA 904 and the wiring between a transmission signal output terminal of a transceiver 921 and the input terminal 131 of the high-frequency filter 300 are assigned with multiple functions. Furthermore, the third output terminal 263 is connected to the transceiver 921, and a PA 907 built in the transceiver 921 amplifies reception signals. Thus, the PA 907 and the wiring between a reception signal input terminal of the transceiver 921 and the third output terminal 363 of the high-frequency filter 300 are assigned with multiple functions. With this, the wiring can be further simplified.
In the following, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described.
The first reception filter 413 and the second reception filter 414 may be formed from, for example, elastic wave filters such as DMS filters and rudder type filters utilizing non-leakage waves.
Also in the present embodiment, the PA 904 and the wiring between a transmission signal output terminal of a transceiver 931 and the input terminal 131 of the high-frequency filter 200 are assigned with multiple functions. With this, similarly to the first embodiment, it becomes unnecessary to provide a switch for switching an input destination of transmission signals or a circuit for controlling this switching, and thereby wiring and circuits can be simplified.
In the following, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described.
The third matching circuit 523 performs matching between the first reception filter 413 and the second reception filter 414. The third matching circuit 523 can be attained by connecting an inductor 552 between the eighth output terminal 568 and the ninth output terminal 569, and by serially connecting a third resonator 553 and a fourth resonator 554 to the output signal lines on the output side of, among the first reception filter 413 and the second reception filter 414, the one whose passband is a higher frequency band. By serially connecting a resonator to the output side of a reception filter whose passband is a higher frequency band, reception signals corresponding to a low frequency band can be removed from the output of the reception filter. In the present embodiment, the frequency band of the passband of the second reception filter 414 is set to be higher than the frequency band of the passband of the first reception filter 413, and the third resonator 553 and the fourth resonator 554 are connected in series to the output side of the second reception filter 414. It should be noted that a resonator may be connected in series to each of both the output side of the first reception filter 211 and the output side of the second reception filter 212. Furthermore, the third matching circuit 523 may be formed using other circuit configurations.
Also in the present embodiment, the PA 904 and the wiring between a transmission signal output terminal of a transceiver 941 and the input terminal 131 of the high-frequency filter 500 are assigned with multiple functions. A PA 909 and the wiring between a reception signal input terminal of the transceiver 941, and the eighth output terminal 568 and the ninth output terminal 569 of the high-frequency filter 500 are assigned with multiple functions. With this, the wiring can be further simplified.
In the following, a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described.
It should be noted that, in the high-frequency filter 600, although a set including the first transmission filter 111 and the first reception filter 413 and a set including the second transmission filter 112 and the second reception filter 414 are both formed with a duplexer, it is possible to form only either one of those with a duplexer.
In the following, a seventh embodiment of the present invention will be described.
It should be noted that, in the high-frequency filter 700, although a set including the first transmission filter 111 and the first reception filter 413 and a set including the second transmission filter 112 and the second reception filter 414 are both formed with a duplexer, it is possible to form only either one of those with a duplexer.
As another embodiment, in the high-frequency filters 200 and 300 according to the second and third embodiments, it is possible to form at least one set, among a set including the first transmission filter 111 and the first reception filter 211, and a set including the second transmission filter 112 and the second reception filter 212, with a duplexer.
A first Example of the present invention will be described. A high-frequency filter 800 according to the present Example is obtained by, in the high-frequency filter 500 according to the fifth embodiment, forming the first transmission filter 111 and the first reception filter 413 so as to respectively support frequency bandwidth of transmission and reception in band 5 (transmission: 824 to 849 MHz, reception: 869 to 894 MHz), and forming the second transmission filter 112 and the second reception filter 414 so as to respectively support frequency bandwidth of transmission and reception in band 8 (transmission: 880 to 915 MHz, reception: 925 to 960 MHz).
Thus, the frequency band of the passband of the second transmission filter 112 is higher than the frequency band of the passband of the first transmission filter 111, the frequency band of the passband of the second reception filter 414 is higher than the frequency band of the passband of the first reception filter 413, and the frequency band of the passband of the second transmission filter 112 and the frequency band of the passband of the first reception filter 413 partially overlap.
A second Example of the present invention will be described.
To the input terminal 131 of the high-frequency filter 100a, transmission signals outputted from the transceiver 901 and amplified by the PA 904 are inputted. The first antenna terminal 141 and the second antenna terminal 142 are connected to the antenna 903 via an antenna switch 912.
A first antenna terminal 141b and a second antenna terminal 142b of the high-frequency filter 100b are connected to the antenna 903 via the antenna switch 912, and reception signals are inputted thereto. Output signals from the output terminal 132 are amplified by a PA 910 and inputted to a transceiver 951.
The antenna switch 912 switches the connection destination of the antenna 903 to any one of the first antenna terminal 141 and the second antenna terminal 142 of the high-frequency filter 100a, and the first antenna terminal 141b and the second antenna terminal 142b of the high-frequency filter 100b. With this, switching can be conducted among transmission in band 5, transmission in band 8, reception in band 5, and reception in band 8. Communication using two bands with the TDD method can be attained by repeating such switching in predetermined time slices.
Although each of the embodiments and Examples of the high-frequency filter of the present invention has been described above, the present invention can be achieved not only with the high-frequency filter by itself, but also can be achieved as a part of other electronic circuit modules when combined with other filters etc. Furthermore, the above described antenna switches, PAs for transmission signal, etc., may be constituent elements of the high-frequency filter. Still further, although the high-frequency filter has been described above as to be applied to wireless transceivers, the high-frequency filter may be used as a filter for other use application.
The present invention is useful as a high-frequency filter used in mobile phones etc., and is particularly useful as a high-frequency filter capable of handling multiple bands.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2011-259362 | Nov 2011 | JP | national |
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 120 as a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/241,877, titled “HIGH-FREQUENCY FILTER,” filed on Feb. 27, 2014, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/241,877 is a national stage entry under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of PCT Application Serial No. PCT/JP2012/006808, titled “HIGH-FREQUENCY FILTER,” filed on Oct. 24, 2012. PCT Application Serial No. PCT/JP2012/006808 claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2011-259362, filed on Nov. 28, 2011.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 14241877 | US | |
Child | 14875153 | US |