Multiband rf device

Abstract

A device or system for transmission and reception for voice or data communication applications. The device or system is capable of duplex operation and adapted to operate in an environment using a plurality of frequency bands. The present disclosure also relates to a communication means including a transmitter and receiver arrangement and to antennas.

1 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A multiband radio-frequency (RF) device comprising:
 a power amplifier circuit arranged to amplify an RF signal to be transmitted to provide an amplified RF signal, the power amplifier circuit comprising a plurality of power amplifiers associated with different passbands and arranged to provide independent amplifications to the passbands;   a transmit filter circuit arranged to receive the amplified RF signal and provide a filtered RF signal at at least one of the passbands;   a circulator arranged to receive the filtered RF signal and provide the filtered RF signal to an antenna connection; and   a reception processing path coupled to the antenna connection through the circulator, the reception processing path comprising a receive bandpass filter circuit arranged to receive a RF reception signal and to selectably attenuate signals outside a predetermined frequency band from the RF reception signal to provide the RF reception signal to a receiver.   
     
     
         17 . The multiband RF device of  claim 16 , wherein the transmit filter circuit is a low Q tunable filter. 
     
     
         18 . The multiband RF device of  claim 16 , wherein no filter between the power amplifier circuit and the antenna connection is a high Q filter. 
     
     
         19 . The multiband RF device of  claim 16 , wherein the power amplifiers have a gain of at most 10 dB. 
     
     
         20 . The multiband RF device of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 a pre-amplifier circuit arranged to amplify the RF signal from a modulator circuit; and   a transmit bandpass filter circuit arranged to selectably attenuate signals outside a predetermined frequency band from the RF signal from the pre-amplifier circuit and provide a pre-amplified filtered RF signal to the power amplifier circuit as the modulated RF signal.   
     
     
         21 . The multiband RF device of  claim 20 , wherein the transmit bandpass filter is a surface acoustic wave (SAW) filter. 
     
     
         22 . The multiband RF device of  claim 20 , wherein the transmit bandpass filter is a high Q filter and no filter between the power amplifier circuit and the antenna connection is a high Q filter. 
     
     
         23 . The multiband RF device of  claim 20 , wherein:
 the transmit bandpass filter circuit comprises a set of transmit bandpass filters, each transmit bandpass filter comprising a different one of the passbands, and   the receive bandpass filter circuit comprises a set of receive bandpass filters, each receive bandpass filter comprising a different one of the passbands.   
     
     
         24 . The multiband RF device of  claim 23 , wherein:
 each power amplifier is connected with at least one of the transmit bandpass filters, and   a number of power amplifiers is less than a number of transmit bandpass filters such that at least one power amplifier is connected with a plurality of the transmit bandpass filters.   
     
     
         25 . The multiband RF device of  claim 24 , wherein the power amplifiers comprise:
 a low-band power amplifier arranged to amplify an output of at least one low-band transmit bandpass filter of the set of transmit bandpass filters, and   a high-band power amplifier arranged to amplify an output of at least one high-band transmit bandpass filter of the set of transmit bandpass filters.   
     
     
         26 . The multiband RF device of  claim 25 , wherein the at least one low-band bandpass filter and the at least one high-band bandpass filter comprise a different number of bandpass filters. 
     
     
         27 . The multiband RF device of  claim 25 , wherein:
 the circulator comprises a low-band circulator connected with the low-band power amplifier and a high-band circulator connected with the high-band power amplifier, and   attenuations in the low-band circulator and in the high-band circulator are able to be different.   
     
     
         28 . The multiband RF device of  claim 23 , wherein:
 the transmit bandpass filter circuit further comprises amplifier switches disposed on opposite sides of the set of transmit bandpass filters to select a particular transmit bandpass filter of the set of transmit bandpass filters to connect with each power amplifier; and   the receive bandpass filter circuit comprises a receiver switch disposed between a set of receive bandpass filters and the circulator to select a particular receive bandpass filter to connect the antenna connection and the receiver.   
     
     
         29 . The multiband RF device of  claim 28 , wherein:
 one of the amplifier switches is disposed between the power amplifier circuit and the antenna connection.   
     
     
         30 . The multiband RF device of  claim 28 , further comprising:
 a receive tunable filter disposed between the receiver switch and the circulator.   
     
     
         31 . The multiband RF device of  claim 20 , wherein:
 the transmit bandpass filter circuit comprises a set of tunable transmit bandpass filters, each tunable transmit bandpass filter able to tune to a different set of the passbands,   the power amplifier is connected with at least one of the tunable transmit bandpass filters, and   a number of power amplifiers is less than a number of tunable transmit bandpass filters such that at least one power amplifier is connected with a plurality of the tunable transmit bandpass filters.   
     
     
         32 . The multiband RF device of  claim 31 , wherein:
 the transmit filter circuit comprises a plurality of transmit filters, each transmit filter comprising a different one of the passbands, and   each of the power amplifiers is connected with at least one of the transmit filters.   
     
     
         33 . The multiband RF device of  claim 31 , further comprising:
 a diplex filter disposed between the transmit filter circuit and the circulator and arranged to provide attenuation to separate between the different passbands.   
     
     
         34 . The multiband RF device of  claim 31 , wherein:
 no switch is disposed in a path between the power amplifier circuit and the antenna connection.   
     
     
         35 . A multiband radio-frequency (RF) device comprising:
 modulator circuitry arranged to provide an RF signal;   a pre-amplifier circuit arranged to amplify the RF signal and provide a pre-amplified RF signal;   a tunable transmit bandpass filter circuit arranged to attenuate signals outside a predetermined frequency band from the pre-amplified RF signal and provide a pre-amplified filtered RF signal;   a power amplifier circuit arranged to amplify the pre-amplified filtered RF signal to provide an amplified RF signal;   a tunable filter circuit arranged to receive the amplified RF signal and provide a filtered RF signal at a selectable frequency band; and   a circulator arranged to receive the filtered RF signal and provide the filtered RF signal to an antenna connection.   
     
     
         36 . The multiband RF device of  claim 35 , further comprising:
 a reception processing path coupled to the antenna connection through the circulator, the reception processing path comprising a tunable receive bandpass filter arranged to receive a RF reception signal and to attenuate signals outside a predetermined frequency band from the RF reception signal to provide the RF reception signal to a receiver.   
     
     
         37 . The multiband RF device of  claim 35 , wherein:
 the tunable bandpass filter circuit comprises a low-band tunable filter and a high-band tunable filter, and   the power amplifier circuit comprises a low-band power amplifier arranged to amplify an output of the low-band tunable filter and a high-band power amplifier arranged to amplify an output of the high-band tunable filter.   
     
     
         38 . The multiband RF device of  claim 37 , wherein:
 the circulator comprises a low-band circulator connected with the low-band power amplifier and a high-band circulator connected with the high-band power amplifier, and   attenuations in the low-band circulator and in the high-band circulator are able to be different.   
     
     
         39 . The multiband RF device of  claim 37 , wherein:
 the modulator circuitry comprises tunable modulation stages, each modulation stage connected with one of the low-band tunable filter and high-band tunable filter.   
     
     
         40 . The multiband RF device of  claim 35 , wherein:
 the transmit filter circuit is a low Q tunable filter,   no filter between the power amplifier circuit and the antenna connection is a high Q filter, the power amplifier circuit has a gain of at most 10 dB, and   no switch is disposed in a path between the power amplifier circuit and the antenna connection.   
     
     
         41 . A multiband radio-frequency (RF) device comprising:
 a pre-amplifier circuit arranged to amplify the RF signal and provide a pre-amplified RF signal;   a transmit bandpass filter circuit arranged to attenuate signals outside a predetermined frequency band from the pre-amplified RF signal and provide a pre-amplified filtered RF signal, the transmit bandpass filter circuit comprising a set of transmit bandpass filters with different passbands;   a power amplifier circuit arranged to amplify the pre-amplified filtered RF signal to provide an amplified RF signal;   a transmit filter circuit arranged to receive the amplified RF signal and provide a filtered RF signal at a selectable frequency band, the transmit bandpass filter circuit comprises a set of transmit bandpass filters, each transmit bandpass filter comprising a different one of the passbands;   a diplex filter arranged to provide attenuation to the filtered RF signal to separate between the different passbands;   a circulator arranged to receive an output of the diplex filter and provide the filtered RF signal to an antenna connection; and   a reception processing path coupled to the antenna connection through the circulator, the reception processing path comprising a receive bandpass filter circuit arranged to receive a RF reception signal and to selectably attenuate signals outside a predetermined frequency band from the RF reception signal to provide the RF reception signal to a receiver, the receive bandpass filter circuit comprising a set of receive bandpass filters, the set of transmit bandpass filters and the set of receive bandpass filters comprising the same passbands.   
     
     
         42 . The multiband RF device of  claim 41 , wherein:
 the power amplifier circuit comprises a low-band power amplifier arranged to amplify an output of at least one low-band transmit bandpass filter of the set of transmit bandpass filters and a high-band power amplifier arranged to amplify an output of at least one high-band transmit bandpass filter of the set of transmit bandpass filters, and   the at least one low-band bandpass filter and the at least one high-band bandpass filter comprise a different number of bandpass filters.   
     
     
         43 . The multiband RF device of  claim 41 , wherein:
 the transmit filter circuit is a low Q tunable filter,   no filter between the power amplifier circuit and the antenna connection is a high Q filter, and   the power amplifier circuit has a gain of at most 10 dB.