Back to results
US 8,476,987 B2Granted
Integrated bidirectional coupler
AssigneeSTMicroelectronics (Tours) SAS
InventorsFrançois Dupont, Hilal Ezzeddine, Sylvain Charley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A distributed-line directional coupler including: a first conductive line between first and second ports intended to convey a signal to be transmitted; and a second conductive line, coupled to the first one, between third and fourth ports, the second line being interrupted approximately at its middle, the two intermediary ends being connected to attenuators.
Claims28
A directional coupler comprising:
- a first conductive line between first and second ports intended to convey a signal to be transmitted;
- and
- a second conductive line, coupled to the first conductive line, between third and fourth ports,
- wherein the second line is interrupted approximately at a middle of the second line to form a first intermediary end and a second intermediary end, the first intermediary end being connected to a first attenuator and the second intermediary end being connected to a second attenuator,
- wherein the first attenuator and the second attenuator have attenuation values such that, when a first reflected signal is produced at the second port and a second reflected signal is produced at the third port, the first reflected signal will produce at the fourth port a first produced signal having a higher amplitude than a second produced signal produced at the fourth port by the second reflected signal.
2 more elements
A circuit comprising:
- a first conductive line;
- a second conductive line to couple to the first conductive line, a first inner end of the second conductive line being connected to a first attenuator;
- and
- a third conductive line to couple to the first conductive line, a second inner end of the third conductive line being connected to a second attenuator, the first attenuator being different from the second attenuator,
- wherein the first attenuator and the second attenuator have attenuation values such that, when a first reflected signal is produced at the first conductive line and a second reflected signal is produced at the second conductive line, the first reflected signal will produce a first produced signal having a higher amplitude on the third conductive line than a second produced signal produced by the second reflected signal.
2 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- a first output terminal to couple to an antenna;
- a first conductive line to convey to the first output terminal a signal to be transmitted;
- at least one second output terminal;
- and
- a circuit to detect reflection presented by the antenna to the first output terminal, the circuit being adapted to detect reflection above a lower operating limit of the circuit, the lower operating limit not being linked to an impedance presented to the at least one second output terminal.
2 more elements
A circuit comprising:
- a first output terminal to couple to an antenna;
- a first conductive line to convey to the first output terminal a signal to be transmitted;
- at least one second output terminal;
- and
- means for detecting reflection presented by the antenna to the first output terminal, the means being adapted to detect reflection above a lower operating limit of the means for detecting, the lower operating limit not being linked to an impedance presented to the at least one second output terminal.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.