Consolidated front-end architecture
Embodiments relate to radio-frequency front-end configurations having a shared amplifier network. The front-end configuration includes a first signal path configured to provide a first radio-frequency signal, a second signal path configured to provide a second radio-frequency signal, and a shared amplifier network that forms at least part of the first signal path and the second signal path. The shared amplifier network comprises a low noise amplifier configured to amplify received first or second radio-frequency signals and a power amplifier configured to amplify first or second radio-frequency signals for transmitting by an antenna. Related radio-frequency modules, wireless devices and methods for simultaneously transmitting and receiving a first radio-frequency signal and a second radio-frequency signal are also provided.
1 . A radio-frequency front-end configuration comprising:
a first signal path configured to handle a cellular radio-frequency signal;
a second signal path configured to handle a Wi-Fi radio-frequency signal;
a plurality of shared transmit/receive filters including a shared cellular band pass filter and a shared Wi-Fi band pass filter;
a transmit/receive switch;
an antenna;
a shared amplifier network that forms at least part of the first signal path and the second signal path and including a shared power amplifier, the cellular radio-frequency signal being provided from an output of the shared power amplifier to the antenna through the transmit/receive switch and the shared cellular band pass filter, and the Wi-Fi radio-frequency signal being provided from the output of the shared power amplifier to the antenna through the transmit/receive switch and the shared Wi-Fi band pass filter, the shared amplifier network further comprising a shared low noise amplifier having an input connected to the shared cellular band pass filter and the shared Wi-Fi band pass filter through the transmit/receive switch;
an antenna switch connected to the shared cellular band pass filter and the shared Wi-Fi band pass filter; and
an antenna multiplexer including a first filter section connected to the antenna switch, the first filter section having a first band pass characteristic passing the cellular radio-frequency signal and a second band pass characteristic spaced apart from the first band pass characteristic and passing the Wi-Fi radio-frequency signal.
2 . The radio-frequency front-end configuration of claim 1 further comprising a multiplexer configured to provide the cellular radio-frequency signal from the first signal path to the antenna, and to provide the Wi-Fi radio-frequency signal from the second signal path to the antenna.
3 . The radio-frequency front-end configuration of claim 1 further comprising an antenna switch module for selecting between a first radio-frequency band of the cellular radio-frequency signal and a second radio-frequency band of the cellular radio-frequency signal.
4 . The radio-frequency front-end configuration of claim 1 wherein the first signal path includes a first band pass filter configured to pass a first cellular radio-frequency band, and the second signal path includes a second band pass filter configured to pass a second cellular radio-frequency band.
5 . The radio-frequency front-end configuration of claim 1 wherein the cellular frequency range is separated from the Wi-Fi frequency range by a frequency gap that is smaller than 15 MHz.
6 . The radio-frequency front-end configuration of claim 1 wherein the cellular radio-frequency signal includes frequencies between 2300 MHz to 2400 MHz and between 2496 MHz to 2690 MHz and the Wi-Fi radio-frequency signal includes frequencies between 2403 MHz to 2483 MHz.
7 . The radio-frequency front-end configuration of claim 1 wherein the cellular radio-frequency signal includes frequencies between 4400 MHz to 5000 MHz and the Wi-Fi radio-frequency signal includes frequencies between 5150 MHz to 5850 MHz.
8 . The radio-frequency front-end configuration of claim 1 wherein the cellular radio-frequency signal includes frequencies between 5855 MHz to 5925 MHz and the Wi-Fi radio-frequency signal includes frequencies between 5925 MHz to 7125 MHz.
9 . The radio-frequency front-end configuration of claim 1 wherein the first signal path includes a first filter configured to pass frequencies between 2300 MHz to 2400 MHz and a second filter configured to pass frequencies between 2496 MHz to 2690 MHz.
10 . The radio-frequency front-end configuration of claim 1 wherein the transmit/receive switch selects either the input of the shared low noise amplifier, a bypass path to the antenna, or the output of the shared power amplifier.
11 . The radio-frequency front-end configuration of claim 1 wherein the further comprising an antenna switch connected to the shared cellular band pass filter and the shared Wi-Fi band pass filter, and an antenna multiplexer further includes including a first filter section connected to the antenna switch and a second filter section directly connected to the transmit/receive switch.
12 . A wireless device comprising:
one or more antennas including a first antenna; and
a radio-frequency module coupled to the one or more antennas, the radio-frequency module including a front-end configuration including a first signal path configured to handle a cellular radio-frequency signal, a second signal path configured to handle a Wi-Fi radio-frequency signal, a plurality of shared transmit/receive filters including a shared cellular band pass filter and a shared Wi-Fi band pass filter, a transmit/receive switch, and a shared amplifier network that forms at least part of the first signal path and the second signal path, the shared amplifier network including a shared low noise amplifier and a shared power amplifier, the cellular radio-frequency signal being provided from an output of the shared power amplifier to the first antenna through the transmit/receive switch and the shared cellular band pass filter, and the Wi-Fi radio-frequency signal being provided from the output of the shared power amplifier to the first antenna through the transmit/receive switch and the shared Wi-Fi band pass filter, an input of the shared low noise amplifier connected to the shared cellular band pass filter and the shared Wi-Fi band pass filter through the transmit/receive switch, the radio-frequency module further including an antenna switch connected to the shared cellular band pass filter and the shared Wi-Fi band pass filter and an antenna multiplexer including a first filter section connected to the antenna switch, the first filter section having a first band pass characteristic passing the cellular radio-frequency signal and a second band pass characteristic spaced apart from the first band pass characteristic and passing the Wi-Fi radio-frequency signal.
13 . The wireless device of claim 12 wherein the radio-frequency module further includes a multiplexer configured to provide the cellular radio-frequency signal from the first signal path to the first antenna, and to provide the Wi-Fi radio-frequency signal from the second signal path to the first antenna.
14 . The wireless device of claim 12 wherein the radio-frequency module further includes an antenna switch module for selecting between a first radio-frequency band of the cellular radio-frequency signal and a second radio-frequency band of the cellular radio-frequency signal.
15 . The wireless device of claim 12 wherein the radio-frequency module further an antenna switch connected to the shared cellular band pass filter and the shared Wi-Fi band pass filter, and an antenna multiplexer further includes including a first filter section connected to the antenna switch and a second filter section directly connected to the transmit/receive switch.
16 . A method of coordinating the transmission and reception of signals, the method comprising:
handling a cellular radio-frequency signal using a first signal path;
handling a Wi-Fi radio-frequency signal using a second signal path;
amplifying both the cellular radio-frequency signal and the Wi-Fi radio-frequency signal for transmission on an antenna using a shared power amplifier of a shared amplifier network that forms at least part of the first signal path and the second signal path, the cellular radio-frequency signal being provided from an output of the shared power amplifier to the antenna through a transmit/receive switch and a shared cellular band pass filter, and the Wi-Fi radio-frequency signal being provided from the output of the shared power amplifier to the antenna through a shared Wi-Fi band pass filter, an input of a shared low noise amplifier connected to the shared cellular band pass filter and the shared Wi-Fi band pass filter through the transmit/receive switch;
using an antenna switch to connect the antenna to the shared cellular band pass filter or the shared Wi-Fi band pass filter through a first filter section of an antenna multiplexer, the first filter section having a first band pass characteristic passing the cellular radio-frequency signal and a second band pass characteristic spaced apart from the first band pass characteristic and passing the Wi-Fi radio-frequency signal.
17 . The method of claim 16 wherein further comprising using an antenna switch to connect the antenna to the shared cellular band pass filter or the shared Wi-Fi band pass filter through a first filter section of an antenna multiplexer, the antenna multiplexer further includes including a second filter section directly connected to the transmit/receive switch.