Front end module and wireless device having no post amplifier bandpass filter

Abstract

According to the present disclosure there is provided a front end module comprising a bandpass filter, an antenna port for connection to an antenna and forming a signal path with the bandpass filter, and one or more amplifiers. The one or more amplifiers are disposed between the bandpass filter and the antenna port in the signal path. A corresponding wireless device and wireless access point are also provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A front end module comprising:
 a bandpass filter;   an antenna port for connection to an antenna and forming a signal path with the bandpass filter; and   one or more amplifiers, the one or more amplifiers being disposed between the bandpass filter and the antenna port in the signal path.   
     
     
         2 . The front end module of  claim 1  wherein the one or more amplifiers comprises:
 a first amplifier disposed between the antenna port and the bandpass filter in the signal path; and 
 a second amplifier disposed between the antenna port and the bandpass filter in the signal path, wherein the front end module further comprises one or more switches arranged such that the front end module can be configured in either a transmit path configuration by selecting the first amplifier or a receive path configuration by selecting the second amplifier. 
 
     
     
         3 . The front end module of  claim 2  wherein the one or more switches comprises:
 a first switch disposed between the antenna port and the one or more amplifiers in the signal path; and 
 a second switch disposed between the bandpass filter and the one or more amplifiers in the signal path, the first switch and the second switch allowing the front end module to be configured in either the transmit path configuration by selecting the first amplifier or the receive path configuration by selecting the second amplifier. 
 
     
     
         4 . The front end module of  claim 2  wherein the first amplifier comprises a power amplifier. 
     
     
         5 . The front end module of  claim 2  wherein the second amplifier comprises a low noise amplifier. 
     
     
         6 . The front end module of  claim 1  wherein the bandpass filter is in a small signal side of the power amplifier in the front end module. 
     
     
         7 . The front end module of  claim 1  wherein the bandpass filter is configured for use with Wi-Fi signals. 
     
     
         8 . The front end module of  claim 1  wherein the bandpass filter is a 5 GHz bandpass filter or a 6 GHz bandpass filter. 
     
     
         9 . A wireless device comprising:
 one more antennae; and   one or more front end modules, each front end module having a bandpass filter, an antenna port connected to one of the one or more antennae and forming a signal path with the bandpass filter, and one or more amplifiers, the one or more amplifiers being disposed between the bandpass filter and the antenna in the signal path.   
     
     
         10 . The wireless device of  claim 9  wherein the one or more amplifiers of each of the one or more front end modules comprises:
 a first amplifier disposed between the antenna port and the bandpass filter of the front end module in the signal path; and 
 a second amplifier disposed between the antenna port and the bandpass filter of the front end module in the signal path, wherein each of the one or more front end modules further comprises one or more switches arranged such that the front end module can be configured in either a transmit path configuration by selecting the first amplifier or a receive path configuration by selecting the second amplifier. 
 
     
     
         11 . The wireless device of  claim 10  wherein the one or more switches of each of the one or more front end modules comprises:
 a first switch disposed between the antenna port and the one or more amplifiers of the front end module in the signal path; and 
 a second switch disposed between the bandpass filter and the one or more amplifiers of the front end module in the signal path, the first switch and the second switch allowing the front end module to be configured in either the transmit path configuration by selecting the first amplifier or the receive path configuration by selecting the second amplifier. 
 
     
     
         12 . The wireless device of  claim 10  wherein the first amplifier of each of the one or more front end modules comprises a power amplifier. 
     
     
         13 . The wireless device of  claim 10  wherein the second amplifier of each of the one or more front end modules comprises a low noise amplifier. 
     
     
         14 . The wireless device of  claim 9  wherein the one or more front end modules comprises one or more pairs of front end modules and wherein, for each pair of front end modules, the bandpass filter of one front end module passes a different frequency range to the bandpass filter of the other front end module, such that the passbands of the bandpass filters do not overlap. 
     
     
         15 . The wireless device of  claim 14  wherein, for each pair of front end modules, the bandpass filter of one front end module is a 5 GHz bandpass filter the bandpass filter of the other front end module is a 6 GHz bandpass filter. 
     
     
         16 . The wireless device of  claim 9  wherein the one or more front end modules comprises two or more pairs of front end modules and wherein the bandpass filters of one pair of front end modules are configured for use in a different geographical region to the bandpass filters of another pair of front end modules. 
     
     
         17 . The wireless device of  claim 16  further comprising a region detector configured to detect a geographical region in which the wireless device is located and to automatically configure the wireless device for that geographical region by selecting a pair of front end modules configured for use in the detected geographical region for use in a transmit path configuration of the wireless device and a receive path configuration of the wireless device. 
     
     
         18 . The wireless device of  claim 9  wherein the one or more antennae comprises two or more antennae, at least two of the two or more antennae being different types of antenna or having different polarizations. 
     
     
         19 . The wireless device of  claim 9  wherein the one or more antennae comprises two or more antennae, at least two of the two or more antennae having least 20 dB of isolation between them. 
     
     
         20 . The wireless device of  claim 9  wherein the wireless device is a wireless mobile device or a wireless access point.