# US 11,309,617 B2 · Directional coupler > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,309,617 B2 - Document ID: US11309617B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/984,708 - Filed: 2020-08-04 - Published: 2020-11-19 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2018-02-05 - Assignees: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Daisuke Tokuda; Yasushi Shigeno - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11309617B2 ## CPC - H01P 5/184: {the guides being strip lines or microstrips} - H01P 1/15: by semiconductor devices - H01P 1/24: Terminating devices - H01P 5/185: {Edge coupled lines} - H03H 7/52: One-way transmission networks, i.e. unilines - H01P: WAVEGUIDES; RESONATORS, LINES, OR OTHER DEVICES OF THE WAVEGUIDE TYPE (operating at optical frequencies G02B) - H03H: IMPEDANCE NETWORKS, e.g. RESONANT CIRCUITS; RESONATORS (waveguides, resonators, lines or other devices of the waveguide type H01P) ## Abstract A directional coupler (1) includes a substrate (10), a main line (20) formed directly or indirectly on the substrate (10), sub-lines (21, 22 and 23) at least part of each of which is formed directly or indirectly on the substrate (10) along the main line (20), a switch (30) switching connections among end portions of the plurality of sub-lines (21, 22 and 23), and detection output terminals (FWD and REV) connected to the sub-line (21), wherein, when looking at the substrate (10) in plan, the end portions of the sub-lines (21, 22 and 23) are disposed on the same side as the detection output terminals (FWD and REV) relative to the main line (20), and the sub-line (21) to which the detection output terminals (FWD and REV) are connected is overlapped with or surrounded by the sub-lines (22 and 23). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A directional coupler comprising: a substrate; a main line provided directly or indirectly on the substrate; a plurality of sub-lines, at least a part of each of the plurality of sub-lines being provided directly or indirectly on the substrate along the main line; a switch switching connections among end portions of the plurality of sub-lines; and detection output terminals connected to one of the plurality of sub-lines, wherein, when looking at the substrate in plan, the end portions of the plurality of sub-lines are disposed on a same side as the detection output terminals relative to the main line, and the one of the plurality of sub-lines to which the detection output terminals are connected is overlapped with or surrounded by other one or more of the plurality of sub-lines. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The directional coupler according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of layers laminated directly or indirectly on the substrate, wherein at least two of the plurality of sub-lines are respectively provided in different ones of the plurality of layers. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The directional coupler according to claim 2, wherein the at least two of the plurality of sub-lines have different lengths from each other, and longer one of the at least two sub-lines is provided in one of the plurality of layers located at an upper position than a layer in which shorter one of the at least two sub-lines is provided. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The directional coupler according to claim 1, further comprising a pair of input/output terminals connected to the main line, wherein, when looking at the substrate in plan, none of the plurality of sub-lines is overlapped with the input/output terminals. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The directional coupler according to claim 1, wherein film thicknesses of wirings in the plurality of sub-lines are each smaller than a film thickness of a wiring in the main line. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The directional coupler according to claim 1, wherein a width of a wiring in the main line is greater than a width of each of wirings in the plurality of sub-lines. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The directional coupler according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of sub-lines include a first sub-line, a second sub-line and a third sub-line, wherein a first signal of a first frequency band, a second signal of a second frequency band higher than the first frequency band, and a third signal of a third frequency band higher than the second frequency band are transferred through the first sub-line, the first signal and the second signal are transferred through the second sub-line, and the first signal is transferred through the third sub-line, and the directional coupler takes a plurality of connection states including at least a first connection state, a second connection state and a third connection state, wherein the first sub-line, the second sub-line, and the third sub-line are continuously connected by the switch to form a single sub-line in the first connection state, the first sub-line and the second sub-line are continuously connected by the switch to form a single sub-line in the second connection state, and only the first sub-line is continuously connected by the switch to form a single sub-line in the third connection state. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The directional coupler according to claim 2, further comprising a pair of input/output terminals connected to the main line, wherein, when looking at the substrate in plan, none of the plurality of sub-lines is overlapped with the input/output terminals. ### Claim 9 (depends on 3) The directional coupler according to claim 3, further comprising a pair of input/output terminals connected to the main line, wherein, when looking at the substrate in plan, none of the plurality of sub-lines is overlapped with the input/output terminals. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) The directional coupler according to claim 2, wherein film thicknesses of wirings in the plurality of sub-lines are each smaller than a film thickness of a wiring in the main line. ### Claim 11 (depends on 3) The directional coupler according to claim 3, wherein film thicknesses of wirings in the plurality of sub-lines are each smaller than a film thickness of a wiring in the main line. ### Claim 12 (depends on 4) The directional coupler according to claim 4, wherein film thicknesses of wirings in the plurality of sub-lines are each smaller than a film thickness of a wiring in the main line. ### Claim 13 (depends on 2) The directional coupler according to claim 2, wherein a width of a wiring in the main line is greater than a width of each of wirings in the plurality of sub-lines. ### Claim 14 (depends on 3) The directional coupler according to claim 3, wherein a width of a wiring in the main line is greater than a width of each of wirings in the plurality of sub-lines. ### Claim 15 (depends on 4) The directional coupler according to claim 4, wherein a width of a wiring in the main line is greater than a width of each of wirings in the plurality of sub-lines. ### Claim 16 (depends on 5) The directional coupler according to claim 5, wherein a width of a wiring in the main line is greater than a width of each of wirings in the plurality of sub-lines. ### Claim 17 (depends on 2) The directional coupler according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of sub-lines include a first sub-line, a second sub-line and a third sub-line, wherein a first signal of a first frequency band, a second signal of a second frequency band higher than the first frequency band, and a third signal of a third frequency band higher than the second frequency band are transferred through the first sub-line, the first signal and the second signal are transferred through the second sub-line, and the first signal is transferred through the third sub-line, and the directional coupler takes a plurality of connection states including at least a first connection state, a second connection state and a third connection state, wherein the first sub-line, the second sub-line, and the third sub-line are continuously connected by the switch to form a single sub-line in the first connection state, the first sub-line and the second sub-line are continuously connected by the switch to form a single sub-line in the second connection state, and only the first sub-line is continuously connected by the switch to form a single sub-line in the third connection state. ### Claim 18 (depends on 3) The directional coupler according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of sub-lines include a first sub-line, a second sub-line and a third sub-line, wherein a first signal of a first frequency band, a second signal of a second frequency band higher than the first frequency band, and a third signal of a third frequency band higher than the second frequency band are transferred through the first sub-line, the first signal and the second signal are transferred through the second sub-line, and the first signal is transferred through the third sub-line, and the directional coupler takes a plurality of connection states including at least a first connection state, a second connection state and a third connection state, wherein the first sub-line, the second sub-line, and the third sub-line are continuously connected by the switch to form a single sub-line in the first connection state, the first sub-line and the second sub-line are continuously connected by the switch to form a single sub-line in the second connection state, and only the first sub-line is continuously connected by the switch to form a single sub-line in the third connection state. ### Claim 19 (depends on 4) The directional coupler according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of sub-lines include a first sub-line, a second sub-line and a third sub-line, wherein a first signal of a first frequency band, a second signal of a second frequency band higher than the first frequency band, and a third signal of a third frequency band higher than the second frequency band are transferred through the first sub-line, the first signal and the second signal are transferred through the second sub-line, and the first signal is transferred through the third sub-line, and the directional coupler takes a plurality of connection states including at least a first connection state, a second connection state and a third connection state, wherein the first sub-line, the second sub-line, and the third sub-line are continuously connected by the switch to form a single sub-line in the first connection state, the first sub-line and the second sub-line are continuously connected by the switch to form a single sub-line in the second connection state, and only the first sub-line is continuously connected by the switch to form a single sub-line in the third connection state. ### Claim 20 (depends on 5) The directional coupler according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of sub-lines include a first sub-line, a second sub-line and a third sub-line, wherein a first signal of a first frequency band, a second signal of a second frequency band higher than the first frequency band, and a third signal of a third frequency band higher than the second frequency band are transferred through the first sub-line, the first signal and the second signal are transferred through the second sub-line, and the first signal is transferred through the third sub-line, and the directional coupler takes a plurality of connection states including at least a first connection state, a second connection state and a third connection state, wherein the first sub-line, the second sub-line, and the third sub-line are continuously connected by the switch to form a single sub-line in the first connection state, the first sub-line and the second sub-line are continuously connected by the switch to form a single sub-line in the second connection state, and only the first sub-line is continuously connected by the switch to form a single sub-line in the third connection state.