Wireless Circuitry for Simultaneously Receiving Radio-frequency Transmissions in Different Frequency Bands

Abstract

An electronic device has wireless communications circuitry that includes transmitters and receivers. Antenna structures may be coupled to the transmitters and receivers to support radio-frequency signal transmission and radio-frequency signal reception operations. Switching circuitry such may be used to support multiple communications bands of interest. One or more low band receivers may be associated with the first switch and one or more high band receivers may be associated with the second switch. The switches can be configured in real time to switch a desired communications band into use. A diplexer may be used to simultaneously pass low bands to the first receiver and high bands to the second receiver. In this way, a data stream in the low band may be simultaneously received with a data stream in the high band.

1 . A method of receiving radio-frequency transmissions with an electronic device, comprising:
 with an antenna in the electronic device, receiving at least first and second data streams in at least first and second respective communications bands;   with a diplexer, routing the first data stream to a first receiver and routing the second data stream to a second receiver;   simultaneously receiving the first data stream using the first receiver and the second data stream using the second receiver; and   with baseband processor circuitry in the electronic device, combining the first data stream received by the first receiver with the second data stream received by the second receiver.   
     
     
         2 . The method defined in  claim 1  wherein the diplexer comprises a low pass filter, wherein routing the first data stream to the first receiver comprises:
 with the low pass filter, routing the first data stream to the first receiver and blocking the second data stream from reaching the first receiver. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method defined in  claim 1  wherein the diplexer comprises a high pass filter, wherein routing the second data stream to the second receiver comprises:
 with the high pass filter, routing the second data stream to the second receiver and blocking the first data stream from reaching the second receiver. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method defined in  claim 1  further comprising:
 with a switching circuit that is interposed between the first receiver and the diplexer, receiving the first data stream; and 
 with the switching circuit, routing the first data stream to a duplexer that is associated with the first communications band. 
 
     
     
         5 . The method defined in  claim 4  further comprising:
 with the duplexer, routing the first data stream to an additional switching circuit that is interposed between the duplexer and the first receiver. 
 
     
     
         6 . The method defined in  claim 5  further comprising:
 configuring the additional switching circuit to route the first data stream to the first receiver. 
 
     
     
         7 . The method defined in  claim 1  further comprising:
 with the first receiver, demodulating the first data stream; and 
 with the second receiver, demodulating the second data stream. 
 
     
     
         8 . Wireless communications circuitry, comprising:
 a first radio-frequency receiver configured to operate in a first communications band;   a second radio-frequency receiver configured to operate in a second communications band;   an antenna configured to receive at least a first data stream in a first communications band and a second data stream in a second communications band;   a diplexer having a first port that is coupled to the first radio-frequency receiver, a second port that is coupled to the second radio-frequency receiver, and a third port that is coupled to the antenna; and   baseband circuitry configured to simultaneously receive the first data stream from the first radio-frequency receiver and the second data stream from the second radio-frequency receiver.   
     
     
         9 . The wireless circuitry defined in  claim 8  wherein the first radio-frequency receiver comprises a Long Term Evolution (LTE) cellular telephone receiver configured to operate in LTE Band  17  and wherein the second radio-frequency receiver includes an LTE cellular telephone receiver configured to operate in LTE band  4 . 
     
     
         10 . The wireless circuitry defined in  claim 8  wherein the diplexer comprises a low pass filter and a high pass filter. 
     
     
         11 . The wireless circuitry defined in  claim 10  wherein the low pass filter is configured to pass frequencies associated with the first data stream without passing frequencies associated with the second data stream. 
     
     
         12 . The wireless circuitry defined in  claim 11  wherein the high pass filter is configured to pass frequencies associated with the second data stream without passing frequencies associated with the first data stream. 
     
     
         13 . The wireless circuitry defined in  claim 10  further comprising:
 a first duplexer that is interposed between the diplexer and the first radio-frequency receiver and is configured to route the first data stream to the first radio-frequency receiver; and 
 a second duplexer that is interposed between the diplexer and the second radio-frequency receiver and is configured to route the second data stream to the second radio-frequency receiver. 
 
     
     
         14 . The wireless circuitry defined in  claim 13  further comprising:
 oscillator circuitry coupled to the first receiver and the second receiver that is configured to provide the first receiver with a first signal at a first frequency associated with the first data stream and configured to provide the second receiver with a second signal at a second frequency associated with the second data stream. 
 
     
     
         15 . A method of operating wireless communications circuitry, comprising:
 receiving instructions from a base station that direct the wireless communications circuitry to prepare for simultaneous receipt of a first data stream in a first communications band and a second data stream in a second communications band;   in response to receiving the instructions from the base station, configuring switching circuitry in the wireless circuitry to form a first signal path and a second signal path;   with an antenna in the wireless circuitry, receiving the first and second data streams;   with a diplexer in the wireless circuitry, routing the first data stream through the first signal path and routing the second data stream through the second signal path; and   simultaneously receiving the first data stream at a first receiver coupled to the first signal path and the second data stream at a second receiver coupled to the second signal path.   
     
     
         16 . The method defined in  claim 15  wherein receiving instructions from the base station comprises receiving instructions from the base station to operate in a carrier aggregation mode. 
     
     
         17 . The method defined in  claim 15  wherein the diplexer comprises a low pass filter and wherein routing the first data stream through the first signal path comprises isolating the first data stream from the second data stream with the low pass filter. 
     
     
         18 . The method defined in  claim 17  wherein the diplexer further comprises a high pass filter and wherein routing the second data stream through the second signal path comprises isolating the second data stream from the first data stream with the high pass filter. 
     
     
         19 . The method defined in  claim 15  further comprising:
 with a first oscillating circuit, providing a first local oscillator signal at a first frequency associated with the first communications band to the first radio-frequency receiver; and 
 with a second oscillating circuit, providing a second local oscillator signal at a second frequency associated with the second communications band to the second radio-frequency receiver. 
 
     
     
         20 . The method defined in  claim 15  further comprising:
 with baseband circuitry, receiving the first and second data streams from the first and second radio-frequency receivers; and 
 combining the first and second data streams to form a single data stream.