Low-noise amplifier supporting multi carrier operations
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsMohammed ALAM, Yiwen CHEN, Ricardo FERNANDEZ, Dong-Jun YANG
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A radio-frequency (RF) amplifier circuit facilites carrier-aggregation (CA) operation in a wireless communication network. A first amplifier subcircuit is coupled to an input node, and a second amplifier subcircuit is coupled to the input node. An amplifier subcircuit selector is to selectively enable operation of the first amplifier subcircuit, the second amplifier subcircuit, or the first and the second amplifier subcircuits together, in response to a selection indication. A reactive coupling network is arranged to selectively adjust the input impedance at the input node in response to the selection indication to reduce the input impedance variation.
Claims21
A radio-frequency (RF) amplifier circuit for carrier-aggregation (C A) operation in a wireless communication network, the RF amplifier circuit comprising:
- an input node;
- a first amplifier subcircuit operably coupled to the input node, and a second amplifier subcircuit operably coupled to the input node, the first amplifier subcircuit to amplify a first RF carrier to produce a first output, and the second amplifier subcircuit to amplify a second RF carrier to produce a second output, wherein the first RF carrier and the second RF carrier are to be received simultaneously;
- an amplifier subcircuit selector to selectively enable operation of the first amplifier subcircuit, the second amplifier subcircuit, or the first and the second amplifier subcircuits together, in response to a selection indication, and
- a reactive coupling network arranged to selectively adjust the input impedance at the input node in response to the selection indication to reduce the input impedance variation.
-21. (canceled)
A method for operating a radio-frequency (RF) amplifier circuit facilitating carrier-aggregation (CA) operation in a wireless communication network, the method comprising:
- receiving, by a controller circuit, an indication of carriers for use in the CA operation;
- generating, by the controller circuit, an amplifier subcircuit selection indication indicating amplifier subcircuits to be selectively enabled from among at least a first amplifier subcircuit, and a second amplifier subcircuit, the amplifier subcircuit selection indication being based on the indication of carriers;
- determining, by the controller circuit, an input impedance correction for a common input node of the first amplifier subcircuit and the second amplifier subcircuit, based on the amplifier subcircuits to be selectively enabled;
- and
- generating, by the controller circuit, an input impedance adjustment signal representing electrical operations to be performed to effect the input impedance correction.
A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a controller circuit of a radio-frequency (RF) amplifier facilitating carrier-aggregation (CA) operation in a wireless communication network, causes the RF amplifier to:
- receive an indication of carriers for use in the CA operation;
- generate an amplifier subcircuit selection indication indicating amplifier subcircuits to be selectively enabled from among at least a first amplifier subcircuit, and a second amplifier subcircuit, the amplifier subcircuit selection indication being based on the indication of carriers;
- determine an input impedance correction for a common input node of the first amplifier subcircuit and the second amplifier subcircuit, based on the amplifier subcircuits to be selectively enabled;
- and
- generate an input impedance adjustment signal representing electrical operations to be performed to effect the input impedance correction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.