Multiplexing for filter-banks complexity reduction

A combo filter architecture comprising:

• a combo input switch coupled to a radio frequency (RF) input terminal;
• a combo output switch coupled to an RF output terminal;
• and
• a plurality of filter architectures parallel to each other and coupled between the combo input switch and the combo output switch, wherein:
• the combo input switch and the combo output switch are configured to select one of the plurality of filter architectures to operate at a given time;
• and
• each of the plurality of filter architectures comprises a filter bank with a plurality of filters, an input switch coupled between the combo input switch and an input side of the filter bank, and an output switch coupled between an output side of the filter bank and the combo output switch, wherein:
• each of the plurality of filters is multiplexed with one or more different filters of the plurality of filters at the input side of the filter bank and the output side of the filter bank;
• the input switch is controlled to connect a first group of the plurality of filters to the combo input switch at a given time, and the output switch is controlled to connect a second group of the plurality of filters to the combo output switch at the given time, wherein the first group of the plurality of filters and the second group of the plurality of filters have one filter in common, such that the input switch and the output switch are configured to select one of the plurality of filters to connect to both the combo input switch and the combo output switch at the given time;
• and
• the input switch and the output switch are controlled independently.

A method of designing a filter architecture comprising:

• determining a number of filters of a filter bank in the filter architecture;
• determining which multiplexing approach to be applied to the filters of the filter bank;
• determining a number of switch throws of an input switch and an output switch;
• routing each filter of the filter bank to both the input switch and the output switch using the determined multiplexing approach, wherein each filter of the filter bank is multiplexed with one or more different filters of the filter bank at an input side of the filter bank and at an output side of the filter bank;
• and
• programming an allocation of the switch throws of the input switch and the output switch, such that only one specific filter of the filter bank is operating at a given time.

A communication device comprising:

• a baseband processor;
• receive circuitry;
• and
• transmit circuitry, wherein:
• at least one of the baseband processer, the transmit circuitry, and the receive circuitry includes a filter architecture;
• and
• the filter architecture includes a filter bank with a plurality of filters, an input switch coupled between a radio frequency (RF) input terminal and an input side of the filter bank, and an output switch coupled between an output side of the filter bank and a RF output terminal, wherein:
• each of the plurality of filters is multiplexed with one or more different filters of the plurality of filters at the input side of the filter bank and the output side of the filter bank;
• the input switch is controlled to connect a first group of the plurality of filters to the RF input terminal at a given time, and the output switch is controlled to connect a second group of the plurality of filters to the RF output terminal at the given time, wherein the first group of the plurality of filters and the second group of the plurality of filters have one filter in common, such that the input switch and the output switch are configured to select one of the plurality of filters to operate at the given time;
• and
• the input switch and the output switch are controlled independently.