# US 12,016,113 B2 · Mitigating PDN induced RF interference using a stepped impedance filter > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,016,113 B2 - Document ID: US12016113B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/131,501 - Filed: 2020-12-22 - Published: 2022-06-23 - Granted: 2024-06-18 - Earliest claimed: 2020-12-22 - Assignees: Intel Corporation - Applicants: Intel Corporation - Inventors: Vishram Shriram Pandit; Yagnesh Vinodrai Waghela - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12016113B2 ## CPC - H01P 1/2039: {Galvanic coupling between Input/Output} - H05K 1/0233: {Filters, inductors or a magnetic substance} - H04B 1/0475: {with means for limiting noise, interference or distortion (H04B1/0483 takes precedence)} - H04B 1/1018: {noise filters connected between the power supply and the receiver} - H05K 1/16: incorporating printed electric components, e.g. printed resistors, capacitors or inductors - H05K 1/0216: {Reduction of cross-talk, noise or electromagnetic interference (grounding H05K1/0215)} - H05K 1/0263: {High current adaptations, e.g. printed high current conductors or using auxiliary non-printed means; Fine and coarse circuit patterns on one circuit board (H05K1/0293 takes precedence)} - H01P: WAVEGUIDES; RESONATORS, LINES, OR OTHER DEVICES OF THE WAVEGUIDE TYPE (operating at optical frequencies G02B) - H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS - H04B: TRANSMISSION ## Abstract In some implementations, an electronics system includes a voltage regulator circuit of a PDN configured to generate a power signal, a printed circuit board (PCB) comprising a power rail to deliver the power signal to a digital circuit generating an interfering signal. The PDN radiating the interfering signal or its harmonics impacting the functionality of destination antenna and circuits (such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular, etc.). The system includes a filtering element configured to filter an interfering signal generated by the digital circuit. The filtering element includes a first set of low impedance (low-Z) segments and a second set of high impedance (high-Z) segments. The low-Z and high-Z segments are formed using a copper trace of the power rail and are serially connected to each other. The filtering element forms a low pass filter and filters out high frequency interfering signal going to the destination antenna and circuits by radiated means. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A power delivery apparatus comprising: a voltage regulator circuit configured to generate a power signal; a printed circuit board (PCB) comprising a power rail to deliver the power signal to a digital circuit; and a filtering element configured to filter an interfering signal generated by the digital circuit, the filtering element comprising: a first set of low impedance (low-Z) segments; and a second set of high impedance (high-Z) segments, the low-Z and high-Z segments formed using a copper trace of the power rail and being serially connected to each other. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The power delivery apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a system-on-a-chip (SoC) mounted on a package coupled to the PCB, the SoC configured to include the digital circuit. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The power delivery apparatus of claim 2, wherein the filtering element is disposed on a section of the power rail between the PCB and the digital circuit. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The power delivery apparatus of claim 1, wherein the filtering element is a stepped impedance filter configured to filter out a high-frequency signal component of the interfering signal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The power delivery apparatus of claim 4, wherein the interfering signal generated by the digital circuit is affecting Wi-Fi circuitry of a computing device and the high-frequency signal component filtered out by the stepped impedance filter is within a frequency range of 2.4 GHz-2.5 GHz, 5 GHz-5.875 GHz, or 5.925 GHz-7.125 GHz. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The power delivery apparatus of claim 4, wherein the interfering signal generated by the digital circuit is affecting Bluetooth circuitry of a computing device and the high-frequency signal component filtered out by the stepped impedance filter is within a frequency range of 2.4 GHz-2.5 GHz. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The power delivery apparatus of claim 4, wherein the interfering signal generated by the digital circuit is affecting circuitry of a computing device and the high-frequency signal component filtered out by the stepped impedance filter is within a frequency range of 1.1 GHz-1.7 GHz. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The power delivery apparatus of claim 4, wherein the interfering signal generated by the digital circuit is affecting LTE circuitry of a computing device and the high-frequency signal component filtered out by the stepped impedance filter is within a frequency range of 700 MHz-5.9 GHz. ### Claim 9 (depends on 4) The power delivery apparatus of claim 4, wherein the interfering signal generated by the digital circuit is affecting mmW circuitry of a computing device and the high-frequency signal component filtered out by the stepped impedance filter is within a frequency range of 24.2 GHz-52.6 GHz. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The power delivery apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first set of low-Z segments are associated with a first set of dimensions, and the second set of high-Z segments are associated with a second set of dimensions, the first set of dimensions being different from the second set of dimensions. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The power delivery apparatus of claim 10, wherein each low-Z segment of the first set is associated with dimensions that are higher than dimensions of a high-Z segment of the second set. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The power delivery apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first set of low-Z segments and the second set of high-Z segments of the filtering element are configured with the first set of dimensions and the second set of dimensions respectively, based on a frequency of the interfering signal. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The power delivery apparatus of claim 1, wherein the filtering element comprises an equal number of low-Z segments of the first set and high-Z segments of the second set. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The power delivery apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first set of low-Z segments and the second set of high-Z segments are coupled in series and alternating with each other along a length of the copper trace of the power rail. ### Claim 15 An electronics system comprising: front-end circuitry configured to generate at least one transmit signal; and a power delivery network (PDN) configured to generate a power signal for powering the front-end circuitry, the PDN comprising: a voltage regulator circuit configured to generate the power signal; a printed circuit board (PCB) comprising a power rail to deliver the power signal to the front-end circuitry; and a stepped impedance filter (SIF) conductively coupled to the PCB and configured to filter an interfering signal generated by the front-end circuitry, the SIF comprising a plurality of segments formed by a copper trace of the power rail. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The electronics system of claim 15, wherein the SIF comprises: a first set of low impedance (low-Z) segments; and a second set of high impedance (high-Z) segments, the low-Z and high-Z segments being serially connected to each other. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The electronics system of claim 16, wherein the first set of low-Z segments are associated with a first set of dimensions and the second set of high-Z segments are associated with a second set of dimensions, and wherein at least one of length, width, or height of the first set of dimensions is different from a corresponding length, width, or height of the second set of dimensions. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The electronics system of claim 17, wherein the first set of low-Z segments and the second set of high-Z segments of the SF are configured with the first set of dimensions and the second set of dimensions respectively, based on a frequency of the interfering signal. ### Claim 19 A stepped impedance filter (SIF) for filtering an interfering signal generated by a circuit, the SIF comprising: a first set of low impedance (low-Z) segments; and a second set of high impedance (high-Z) segments, the low-Z and high-Z segments having a rectangular shape, being different from each other, and being serially connected, and wherein the low-Z and high-Z segments are formed using a copper trace conducting a power signal that powers the circuit. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The SIF of claim 19, wherein the first set of low-Z segments are associated with a first set of dimensions, the second set of high-Z segments are associated with a second set of dimensions, the first set of dimensions being different from the second set of dimensions, and wherein the low-Z segments and the high-Z segments are coupled in series and alternating with each other along a length of the copper trace.