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US 9,853,340 B2Granted
Coupled slow-wave transmission lines
AssigneeQorvo US, Inc.
InventorsDirk Robert Walter Leipold, George Maxim, Marcus Granger-Jones, Baker Scott
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AssigneeQorvo US, Inc.
InventorsDirk Robert Walter Leipold, George Maxim, Marcus Granger-Jones, Baker Scott
Estimating the term…
The present disclosure relates to coupled slow-wave transmission lines. In this regard, a transmission line structure is provided. The transmission line structure includes a first undulating signal path formed from first loop structures. The transmission line structure also includes a second undulating signal path formed from second loop structures. The second undulating signal path is disposed alongside of the first undulating signal path. Further, a first ground structure is disposed above or below either one or both of the first undulating signal path and the second undulating signal path.
A transmission line structure comprising:
A transmission line structure comprising:
A transmission line structure comprising:
A transmission line structure comprising:
A transmission line structure comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.
Non-comb or non-interdigital filters: special shape resonators
Microstrips; Strip lines: triplate lines
Transitions between lines of the same kind and shape, but with different dimensions: between strip lines
Delay lines of the waveguide type: meander lines
About 8 years 4 months of term left · ends 3 Mar 2035 (estimated)
The present disclosure relates to transmission lines, and specifically to transmission lines configured to transmit slow-wave signals.
Mobile computing devices, such as mobile phones and computer tablets, continue to employ designs focused on decreasing size requirements. The trend toward miniaturization of mobile computing devices requires the use of smaller internal components. Tunable filters are one such internal component that affect the overall size of a mobile computing device. One way to construct a tunable filter is through the use of transmission lines. Notably, tunable filters require slower wave signals, and thus, transmission lines used to construct tunable filters should be designed to transmit wave signals at compatible speeds. Three factors that affect the speed at which transmission lines transmit wave signals are size, permittivity (∈), and permeability (μ).
FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary transmission line 10 disposed along a ground plane 12. The transmission line 10 is separated from the ground plane 12 by a distance (D), wherein, as a non-limiting example, the distance (D) may include a dielectric layer (not shown). Further, the transmission line 10 is employed using a low cost, low permittivity (∈low) material. The speed at which a wave signal is transmitted (the velocity factor (Vf) (not shown)) by the transmission line 10 is inversely proportional to the square root of the relative permittivity (Vf=1/√∈(r)). Thus, the ∈low material causes the transmission line 10 to have a higher Vf as compared to transmission lines constructed using a higher permittivity material. To delay a transmitted wave signal in light of the higher Vf, the transmission line 10 is designed with a longer length (Llong) so as to require a transmitted wave signal to travel a further distance. Additionally, the transmission line 10 is designed with a wider width (Wwide) to reduce loss. Therefore, to transmit a wave signal at a speed that is compatible with a tunable filter while achieving low loss, the transmission line 10 requires a larger area to overcome the higher Vf associated with the ∈low material. However, the larger area of the transmission line 10 may not be desirable for tunable filters implemented in mobile computing devices with limited area requirements.
The accompanying drawings incorporated in and forming a part of this specification illustrate several aspects of the disclosure, and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the disclosure;
FIG. 1 is a diagram of an exemplary transmission line;
FIG. 2 is a diagram of an exemplary transmission line with a shorter length and narrower width;
The embodiments set forth below represent the necessary information to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosure and illustrate the best mode of practicing the disclosure. Upon reading the following description in light of the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art will understand the concepts of the disclosure and will recognize applications of these concepts not particularly addressed herein. It should be understood that these concepts and applications fall within the scope of the disclosure and the accompanying claims.
It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element could be termed a second element, and, similarly, a second element could be termed a first element, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
Relative terms such as “below” or “above,” or “upper” or “lower,” or “horizontal” or “vertical” may be used herein to describe a relationship of one element, layer, or region to another element, layer, or region as illustrated in the Figures. It will be understood that these terms and those discussed above are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in addition to the orientation depicted in the Figures.