High power phase shifter
AssigneeAlcatel Lucent
InventorsMichel Rixain, Jean-Luc Galiez
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A variable capacitance cell includes a hybrid coupler including a first port, a second port, a third port, and a fourth port. A first variable capacitance is connected to the second port. The first variable capacitance includes one or more first variable micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) capacitor. A second variable capacitance is connected to the third port. The second variable capacitance includes one or more second variable MEMS capacitors. Control signals are applied to the first and second variable capacitances to selectively change the capacitances of the first and second variable capacitances, thereby modifying a phase difference between a signal input at the first port and a signal output from the fourth port.
Claims20
An apparatus comprising:
- a hybrid coupler including at least a first port, a second port, a third port, and a fourth port;
- a first variable capacitance connected to the second port, wherein the first variable capacitance comprises at least one first variable micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) capacitor;
- a second variable capacitance connected to the third port, wherein the second variable capacitance comprises at least one second variable MEMS capacitor;
- and
- at least one delay line coupled to at least one of the first port, the second port, the third port, and the fourth port, at least one of the at least one delay line including a plurality of selectable delay line segments of different lengths with individual ones of the plurality of delay lines being selectable;
- and
- wherein a phase difference between a signal input to the first port and a signal output from the fourth port is determined by capacitances of the at least one first MEMS capacitor and the at least one second MEMS capacitor;
- and
- wherein each of the plurality of delay line segments is configured to introduce a phase offset in the phase difference, the phase offset introduced being determined by the length of a selected one of the selectable delay line segments of the at least one delay line.
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An apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of variable capacitance cells coupled in series, wherein each variable capacitance cell comprises:
- a hybrid coupler including at least a first port, a second port, a third port, and a fourth port;
- a first variable capacitance connected to the second port, wherein the first variable capacitance comprises at least one first variable micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) capacitor;
- a second variable capacitance connected to the third port, wherein the second variable capacitance comprises at least one second variable MEMS capacitor;
- and
- at least one delay line including a plurality of selectable delay line segments of different lengths coupled to at least one of the first port, the second port, the third port, and the fourth port;
- and
- wherein a phase difference between a signal input to the first port of the hybrid coupler of each variable capacitance cell and a signal output from the fourth port of the hybrid coupler of each variable capacitance cell is determined by capacitances of the at least one first MEMS capacitor and the at least one second MEMS capacitor of each variable capacitance cell, and wherein the at least one delay line of each variable capacitance cell introduces a phase offset in the phase difference of each variable capacitance cell, the phase offset of each variable capacitance cell determined by a selected one of the selectable delay line segments of the at least one delay line of each variable capacitance cell.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.