The present invention relates to multiplexers, and more particularly relates to multiplexers that each reduce the effects of unwanted waves (spurious emissions) generated by a filter.
In recent years, multi-band communication that performs communication using radio waves in a plurality of frequency bands has been promoted in mobile terminals such as cellular phones and smartphones. Such mobile terminals are mounted with a multiplexer for dividing a radio frequency (RF) signal transmitted/received by one antenna into signals in a plurality of frequency bands.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2013-62556 discloses a multiplexer with a plurality of band pass filters having different passbands. In Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2013-62556, the multiplexer has a configuration in which a duplexer having two filters (F1 and F2) connected in parallel and another filter are connected in parallel to an antenna terminal with a matching circuit interposed therebetween. The matching circuit is adjusted so that, in each filter, the impedance in another filter's passband will be in an open state when viewed from the antenna terminal.
In a communication apparatus where a multiplexer is used, a sudden phase change may occur due to the effects of external noise or the like, which may lead to the generation of an unwanted wave (spurious emission) which is a frequency signal component other than a certain frequency. For example, such a case is that a signal in the passband of a filter B is generated from a filter A. In this case, even if the impedance of each filter is in an open state when viewed from the antenna terminal, the effects of a spurious emission generated by the filter A may be transmitted to the filter B, which may consequently deteriorate the bandpass characteristics of the filter B.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention reduce or prevent deterioration of bandpass characteristics due to generation of a spurious emission in a multiplexer with a plurality of band pass filters having different passbands.
A multiplexer according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes an antenna terminal, first to third filters, and first and second phase circuits that adjust a phase of a passing signal. The first filter has a first passband and is connected to the antenna terminal. The second filter has a second passband and is connected to the antenna terminal with the first phase circuit provided between the second filter and the antenna terminal. In the second filter, an unwanted wave is generated in the first passband. The third filter has a third passband and is connected to a connection node between the first phase circuit and the second filter with the second phase circuit provided between the third filter and the connection node. The first phase circuit adjusts a phase to provide an impedance in an open state in the first passband at the antenna terminal. The second phase circuit adjusts the phase to provide the impedance in a short-circuited state in the first passband at the connection node.
According to the multiplexer according described above, the second filter in which a spurious emission is generated in the first passband is connected to the first filter with the first phase circuit provided therebetween, which is adjusted to provide the impedance in an open state in the first passband, and, at the same time, the second filter is connected to the third filter with the second phase circuit provided therebetween, which is adjusted to provide the impedance in a short-circuited state in the first passband. Therefore, a spurious emission generated by the second filter is not transmitted to the first filter side having the first passband, but is transmitted to the third filter side. Accordingly, the deterioration of bandpass characteristics of the first filter due to the effects of a spurious emission generated by the second filter is able to be reduced or prevented.
The above and other elements, features, steps, characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the same or corresponding portions in the drawings are designated by the same reference numeral, and no description thereof will be repeated.
The filters 10 to 30 are band pass filters having different passbands. As the filters 10 to 30, for example, surface acoustic wave (SAW) filters or bulk acoustic wave (BAW) filters may be implemented.
The filter 10 (first filter) has a passband BW1 (first passband), the filter 20 (second filter) has a passband BW2 (second passband), and the filter 30 (third filter) has a passband BW3 (third passband). Although the passbands of these filters may be set arbitrarily, it is set in the example of the present preferred embodiment that the passband BW1 is provided in the lowest frequency band, the passband BW3 is provided in the highest frequency band, and the passband BW2 is provided in the intermediate frequency band.
The filter 10 is connected to the antenna terminal T0 and allows, out of RF signals received by the antenna ANT, signals in the passband BW1 to pass to the output terminal T1. The filter 20 is connected to the antenna terminal T0 with the phase circuit 40 (first phase circuit) provided therebetween. The filter 20 allows, out of RF signals received by the antenna ANT, signals in the passband BW2 to pass to the output terminal T2.
The filter 30 is connected to a connection node JP2 between the phase circuit 40 and the filter 20 with the phase circuit 45 (second phase circuit) provided therebetween. The filter 30 allows, out of RF signals received by the antenna ANT, signals in the passband BW3 to pass to the output terminal T3.
That is, in the multiplexer 1, the filters 20 and 30, which are connected in parallel with the phase circuit 45 provided therebetween, are connected in parallel to the filter 10 with the phase circuit 40 provided therebetween.
The phase circuits 40 and 45 are circuits to adjust the phase of a passing RF signal. In the present preferred embodiment, the phase circuit 40 adjusts the phase of a passing signal to provide the impedance in an open state in the passband (passband BW1) of the filter 10 at a connection node JP1 (i.e., the antenna terminal T0) between the filter 10 and the duplexer. In contrast, the phase circuit 45 adjusts the phase of a passing signal to provide the impedance in a short-circuited state in the passband BW1 at the connection node JP2.
In the present preferred embodiment, the phrase that the impedance is in an “open state” means a high impedance state, which is a state in which the phase is in a vicinity of the left end portion (in a vicinity of −180°) on the Smith chart. In the present preferred embodiment, an “open state” does not necessarily mean that the impedance is infinite. In addition, the phrase that the impedance is in a “short-circuited state” means a low impedance state in which the impedance is close to 0Ω, which is a state in which the phase is in a vicinity of the right end portion (in a vicinity of 0° on the Smith chart.
In the multiplexer 1, each filter is in a short-circuited state with respect to signals with frequencies corresponding to its own passband when viewed from the antenna terminal T0, and is in an open state with respect to signals with frequencies other than the passband. However, in a circuit connected to each output terminal or the filter itself, an unwanted wave (spurious emission) with a frequency other than its own passband may be generated due to the effects of noise or the like. If the frequency of the spurious emission is included in the passband of another filter, this may affect the bandpass characteristics of this other filter.
As shown by line LN1 in
When the spurious emission is generated, if there is no phase circuit 40 illustrated in
In the present preferred embodiment, the phase circuit 40 adjusts the phase to provide the impedance in an open state in the passband BW1 at the antenna terminal T0 (i.e., the connection node JP1), and the phase circuit 45 further adjusts the phase to provide the impedance in a short-circuited state in the passband BW1 at the connection node JP2. Accordingly, a spurious emission generated by the filter 20 is allowed to flow through the phase circuit 45 more easily with a relatively low impedance, without passing through the phase circuit 40 with a relatively high impedance. Therefore, a spurious emission generated by the filter 20 is less likely to be transmitted to the filter 10.
In addition, since the impedance in the passband BW1 of the phase circuit 40 is in an open state, signals in the passband BW1 out of RF signals received by the antenna ANT do not flow to the filters 20 and 30 side but flow to the filter 10. Accordingly, the deterioration of bandpass characteristics of the filter 10 is able to be reduced or prevented.
Next, the phase at each point of the multiplexer 1 of the present preferred embodiment will be described with respect to
Alternatively, the series inductor L1 may be applied as the phase circuit 45, as illustrated in
Alternatively, the parallel capacitor C1 may be applied as the phase circuit 45, as illustrated in
Referring to
In contrast, in the case of the multiplexer 1 of the present preferred embodiment (solid line LN3), an increase in insertion loss at frequency fa is reduced or prevented, and the effects of a spurious emission from the filter 20 are reduced.
In
For example, in the case where the return loss of a spurious emission is as small as about 1 dB (line LN10), if the phase is adjusted within the range of greater than or equal to about −235° and less than about −15° by the phase circuit 45, the effects of a spurious emission generated by the filter 20 on the filter 10 may be reduced to an acceptable range.
In the case where the return loss of a spurious emission is as large as about 30 dB (line LN50), in order to reduce the effects of the spurious emission to an acceptable range, the phase is adjusted to a narrower range of greater than or equal to about −200° and less than about −155° by the phase circuit 45.
That is, the greater the level of a spurious emission generated by the filter 20, the narrower the range of phase adjustment to be applied by the phase circuit 45. When viewed in the range of greater than or equal to about −180° and less than about 0°, as the level of a spurious emission increases, the phase is more greatly adjusted in order to reduce the effects of the spurious emission to an acceptable range.
Referring to
In the case where the return loss of a spurious emission is greater than or equal to about 5 dB and less than about 10 dB (between line LN40 and line LN30 in
As described above, the effects of a spurious emission generated by the filter 20 on the filter 10 may be reduced by appropriately adjusting the phase of the phase circuit 45 according to the level of the spurious emission generated by the filter 20.
Although an example in the case of a multiplexer (triplexer) including three filters has been described in the above-described preferred embodiment, as illustrated in
While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it is to be understood that variations and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. The scope of the present invention, therefore, is to be determined solely by the following claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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JP2018-124079 | Jun 2018 | JP | national |
This application claims the benefit of priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-124079 filed on Jun. 29, 2018 and is a Continuation Application of PCT Application No. PCT/JP2019/024981 filed on Jun. 24, 2019. The entire contents of each application are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
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Entry |
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Official Communication issued in corresponding Chinese Patent Application No. 201980043301.3, dated Apr. 6, 2021. |
Official Communication issued in International Patent Application No. PCT/JP2019/024981, dated Aug. 13, 2019. |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20210083642 A1 | Mar 2021 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/JP2019/024981 | Jun 2019 | US |
Child | 17108042 | US |