Multiband filter
A band-stop filter is proposed which is constructed on a multilayered substrate and consists of a parallel circuit comprising a bandpass filter and a high-pass filter. The two filters are at least partly realized in the form of LC-elements integrated into the substrate. Further circuit components can be arranged as discrete components on the substrate. In the filter branch having the bandpass filter, an electroacoustic resonator is arranged in a transverse branch to ground. By means of the filter, a wide stop band is obtained, while the passband or passbands can comprise a plurality of radio bands.
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This application is a continuation of co-pending International Application No. PCT/EP2008/056510, filed May 27, 2008, which designated the United States and was not published in English, and which claims priority to German Application No. 10 2007 024 895.6 filed May 29, 2007, both of which applications are incorporated herein by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELDEmbodiments of the invention relate to a multiband filter having a passband for at least two mobile radio bands in which transmission and reception are possible. Furthermore, the filter has a stop band for a third wireless transmission system.
BACKGROUNDMultiband filters for a plurality of mobile radio bands having different frequency ranges require either one wide or a plurality of narrower passband ranges in order that the different frequency ranges assigned to the bands can be permitted to pass.
The patent specifications U.S. Pat. No. 5,815,052, U.S. Pat. No. 6,043,725 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,115,592 disclose multiband filters which consist of a parallel circuit comprising two bandpass filters. U.S. Pat. No. 5,184,096 discloses a wide-band passband filter including a parallel circuit formed by three bandpass filters. Further multiband filters are obtained through specific design of the corresponding filter circuits.
The document EP 1 347 573 A1, also published as U.S. Pat. No. 6,927,648, discloses a multiplexer which includes high-, low- and bandpass filters and distributes input signals in four different frequency ranges correspondingly among four separate outputs.
One problem with known multiband filters is that a wide passband can be obtained only at sufficient distance from a stop band or, to put it another way, known multiband filters only have a transmission range with a flank that is flattened toward the stop band, with the result that these filters have an excessively large transition width between stop band and first passband.
SUMMARYIn one aspect, the present invention specifies a multiband filter which has at least two passbands lying above a stop band for different mobile radio bands and which, in particular, is provided with a small and therefore improved transition width between stop band and passband.
A band-stop filter is proposed which has a first and a second filter branch connected in parallel with one another. Arranged in the first filter branch is a first subfilter, which includes a bandpass filter having a first passband. Arranged in the second filter branch is a second subfilter, which includes a high-pass filter having a second passband, which is arranged above the first passband in terms of frequency. First and second filter branches are electrically connected in parallel between an input port and an output port and, for this purpose, are in each case electrically connected to a common signal input and a common signal output. Each of the two ports can include two electrical terminals, one of which can be connected to ground. Furthermore, from the first filter branch, a transverse branch is transversely connected to ground, an impedance element and, in particular, a resonator being arranged in the transverse branch. Such a construction yields a band-stop filter which has a stop band which is formed below the first passband and which undergoes transition to a first passband with a steep flank. A second passband is formed above the first passband.
The band-stop filter is constructed on a multilayered substrate having at least two structured metallization planes. In this case, bandpass filter and high-pass filter are constructed from LC-elements that are at least partly integrated in the multilayered substrate. Given suitable dimensioning of the LC-elements and given corresponding positioning of the resonant frequency of the resonator it is possible to obtain a plurality of passbands having an extremely high relative bandwidth of in each case more than 5% in conjunction with low insertion loss, the nearby stop band having a high attenuation and a small transition width with respect to the first passband. The band-stop filter that is at least partly integrated into the substrate is additionally compact and cost-effective to produce.
It is advantageous for a steep flank between the stop band and the first passband if an electroacoustic resonator having a quality factor of at least 500 is used as the impedance element. The resonator is preferably specified such that its resonant frequency approximately corresponds to the upper edge of the stop band.
A particularly wide first passband is obtained if the resonator has a high pole-zero separation. In the case of an electroacoustic resonator, the separation is all the greater, the higher the coupling of the piezoelectric material of the resonator. By way of example, lithium niobate and potassium niobate can be used as highly coupling materials for electroacoustic resonators.
However, it is also possible to increase the pole-zero separation of an electroacoustic resonator by means of an inductance connected in series therewith. In one configuration, therefore, in the transverse branch with respect to ground, the resonator is connected in series with an inductance. In this case, lithium tantalate is also suitable as piezoelectric material.
The electroacoustic resonator can be an SAW (surface acoustic wave) resonator, a BAW (bulk acoustic wave) resonator or a ceramic microwave resonator, each of which can be realized with high quality factors.
Of the LC elements from which bandpass filters and high-pass filters are constructed, at least a portion is realized cost-effectively as integrated elements in the substrate. Their quality factors are less than 50, for example. Parts of the LC elements are therefore realized as discrete elements in the form of capacitors and/or coils and, in particular, mounted on the surface of the substrate which has the integrated LC elements. It is advantageous, for example, to realize the capacitances which can be produced with relatively small manufacturing tolerances in the form of elements integrated into the substrate, but to realize at least a portion of the inductances as a discrete coil.
In one possible application of the multiband filter proposed, the stop band corresponds to the band between 470 and 750 MHz reserved for the DVB-H system (digital video broadcast-handheld), while the first and second passbands for the transmitting and receiving bands are assigned to the conventional mobile radio systems operating in the 1 and 2 GHz ranges. A band-stop filter dimensioned in this way therefore has at least a first passband between 824 and 960 MHz and a second passband between 1710 and 2170 MHz. What can be achieved with the aid of series capacitances arranged on the input and output sides of the second filter branch with the high-pass filter, and with the aid of series inductances at the input and output of the first filter branch, is that only ever one of the two filter branches transmits, while the respective other branch constitutes an open circuit.
However, it is also possible to shift the cut-off frequency of the high-pass filter (second subfilter) into the range of the first passband. This has the effect that when frequencies in the 1 GHz range are applied to the band-stop filter, both the first and the second filter branch can transmit power. However, signals in the 2 GHz range are transmitted exclusively in the second filter branch, while the first subfilter constitutes an open circuit. Through a suitable choice of the cut-off frequency of the high-pass filter, it is possible to realize a very wide transmission band which, above the first passband, has only a small dip with slightly increased attenuation and already transmits optimally again, that is to say with low insertion loss, at approximately 1300 MHz.
While the passbands are created practically exclusively by correspondingly dimensioned LC-elements of bandpass filter and high-pass filter, with the aid of the impedance element arranged into a transverse branch with respect to the first filter branch, a steep transition from the first passband to the stop band is realized, which, in one embodiment, blocks with an attenuation of at least −13 dB up to approximately 750 MHz and with an attenuation of more than −25 dB below 700 MHz.
One suitable bandpass filter in the first filter branch includes at least a first and a second series inductance, a first and a second series capacitance and, connected to ground transversely with respect thereto, a first parallel inductance. The bandpass filter can additionally include a third series inductance and optionally a second parallel inductance. First and second parallel inductances are respectively arranged in a dedicated transverse branch with respect to the second filter branch and can be connected in series with a capacitance likewise arranged in the respective transverse branch.
One suitable high-pass filter in the second filter branch can include a first and a second series capacitance and an inductance arranged between the two series capacitances in a transverse branch connected to ground. The inductance in the transverse branch of the high-pass filter can additionally be connected in series with a capacitance likewise arranged in the transverse branch.
If high power is applied to the band-stop filter, as is the case, for example, in the transmitting branch of a mobile radio system, then the resonator should have a particular power strength and be able to withstand signals of more than 30 dBm without damage, which corresponds to a power present of more than 1 watt.
The power strength of a resonator embodied, e.g., as a single-port SAW resonator can be increased by cascading. A quadrupling of the power strength is obtained, for example, by means of a double cascade of two resonators connected in series. In this case, the impedance of such a cascaded resonator can remain unchanged by comparison with the uncascaded resonator by means of corresponding quadrupling of the resonator area.
The resonator also experiences a lower application of power when it is arranged in the first filter branch in the vicinity of the signal output, or when the transverse branch with the resonator is arranged in a terminally situated fashion in the first filter branch and the band-stop filter is connected to a corresponding polarity.
If an SAW resonator is used in the transverse branch with respect to the first filter branch, then it can be embodied as a one-port resonator without reflectors. In this case, additional chip area is saved and the substrate area for the entire band-stop filter is thus reduced as well.
The band-stop filter proposed can be used, in particular, in mobile telephones having transmitting and receiving paths in the first and in the second passband. If the filter is then used in the transmitting path between antenna and transmitting amplifier, interference signals lying in the stop band, which can occur on account of noise in the transmitting amplifier, can be filtered out by means of the band-stop filter. High suppression of signals in the stop band makes it possible to operate a DVB-H receiving branch (=digital video broadcast-handheld) which is likewise realized in the mobile radio device without interference as a result of the simultaneous telephone operation in the first or second passband.
Without such a band-stop filter it would be possible for the noise in the transmitting amplifier in the range of the DVB-H frequencies to be transmitted to the second antenna required for the DVB-H system and give rise there to a reduced reception quality or interference with DVB-H reception. The band-stop filter is therefore preferably arranged in one or more transmitting branches between a power amplifier and the antenna. Between band-stop filter and antenna, branching to further transmitting and receiving branches can be performed by at least one of the elements antenna switch, duplexer or diplexer or by combination of the elements mentioned.
In one advantageous development, a bridging circuit is provided for the band-stop filter, by which bridging circuit the band-stop filter is removed from the mobile radio path, here the transmitting path, and bridged if DVB-H is not activated. The electrical losses which can possibly arise as a result of the additional filter elements of the band-stop filter can thereby be restricted to the time period in which DVB-H is activated. The bridging circuit can include an additional switch that opens or closes a bridging path.
The band-stop filter proposed is explained in greater detail below on the basis of exemplary embodiments and the associated figures. The figures are illustrated purely schematically and not as true to scale and serve solely for elucidating the invention.
The following list of reference symbols may be used in conjunction with the drawings:
- BP Bandpass filter
- BS Band-stop filter
- C1, C2, . . . Capacitances
- FZ1, FZ2 First and second filter branches
- HP High-pass filter
- L1, L2, . . . Inductances
- R Resonator
- 1-4 Transmission curves of Examples 1-4
- T1, T2 Terminals
- D1, D2 First and second passbands
- SP Stop band
- AK External contact
- M Metallization plane
- SU Substrate
The two filter branches FZ1 and FZ2 are realized on a multilayered substrate. In this case, all the capacitances can be realized as integrated capacitances within the multilayered substrate in the form of metallization areas that are structured in mutually adjacent metallization planes of the substrate. Likewise, a portion of the inductances L can be realized as integrated elements in the multilayer substrate. However, at least a portion of the inductances is realized in each case as a discrete device and preferably mounted on the surface of the multilayer substrate. The resonator R is preferably an electroacoustic resonator, for example, an SAW resonator, which is arranged as a bare die likewise on the surface of the multilayer substrate by means of flip-chip technology and is electrically connected to the interconnection integrated in the substrate. The high-pass filter HP realized in the second filter branch comprises a sixth capacitance C6 and an eighth capacitance C8, between which a seventh inductance L7 is arranged in a transverse branch to ground.
By means of suitable dimensioning of the circuit elements L and C and also by means of a suitable resonant frequency of the resonator R, it is also possible, however, for the specifications of the band-stop filter and, in particular, stop bands SP and also first and second passbands D1, D2 to be individually optimized with regard to a different problem.
On the surface of the substrate SU, as a discrete component in any event a resonator R, e.g., as here of flip-chip design is connected with the aid of bondable contacts arranged on the surface of the substrate. The resonator is illustrated here as an SAW resonator. However, it is also possible for the resonator to be embodied as a BAW or microwave ceramic resonator.
As a further discrete circuit component, here an inductance L is likewise arranged on the surface of the substrate SU and electrically connected as an SMD device (=surface mounted device) to the circuit within the substrate. A capacitance C is realized, for example, by two metallization areas arranged in mutually adjacent metallization planes M1, M2, as illustrated in
Concrete values as to how the circuit elements of the first exemplary embodiment can be dimensioned in accordance with an optimization in order to obtain the desired transmission behavior of the band-stop filter are specified below. In this case, the inductance values are specified in nH, and the capacitance values in pF:
L1=28.62
C1=1.65
L2=0.80
C3=12.42
L4=6.21
L5=7.34
C6=3.05
L7=4.12
C8=3.12.
For the first exemplary embodiment, the resonant frequency of the resonator R is chosen such that it is located in the region of the upper flank of the stop band SP. This takes account of the fact that the fourth inductance L4 connected in series with the resonator R shifts the resonant frequency toward lower frequencies. Without this inductance, it would be necessary to choose a correspondingly lower resonant frequency of the resonator.
In the example, a lithium tantalate SAW resonator having a resonant frequency of 773 MHz, an antiresonant frequency of 801 MHz and a static capacitance of 4.44 pF is used. In a corresponding manner, the discrete values for the circuit elements of the exemplary embodiments illustrated in
The invention is not restricted to the individual circuits illustrated in the exemplary embodiments. It is clear that the individual filters can be varied by addition and omission of individual circuit components. In principle, further LC circuits are known for bandpass and high-pass filters and can be used in the band-stop filter proposed. Different combinations of known and newly designed bandpass and high-pass filters are also possible in this case.
Claims
1. A wireless communication device comprising:
- a radio system that operates in a first passband and a second passband, the second passband being established above the first passband, wherein a stop band is formed below the first passband;
- transmitting and receiving paths of the radio system, wherein the radio system is designed to receive a further signal in the stop band in order to filter out interference noise that is generated in the transmitting path and lies in the stop band between a transmitting path and an antenna; and
- a filter circuit coupled to the radio system, the filter circuit comprising: a multilayered substrate having integrated structured metallization planes; an input port and an output port; first and second filter branches coupled in parallel between the input port and the output port; a first subfilter arranged in the first filter branch, the first subfilter comprising a bandpass filter for the first passband; a second subfilter arranged in the second filter branch, the second subfilter comprising a high-pass filter having the second passband, wherein the bandpass filter and the high pass filter are constructed from inductor and capacitor elements that are at least partly integrated in the multilayered substrate, wherein the high-pass filter has a cut-off frequency that is chosen to be in the range of the first passband; a transverse branch connected to ground in the first filter branch; and an electroacoustic resonator arranged in the transverse branch, wherein the resonator has a quality factor of at least 500.
2. A band-stop filter comprising:
- a multilayered substrate having integrated structured metallization planes;
- an input port and an output port;
- first and second filter branches coupled in parallel between the input port and the output port;
- a first subfilter arranged in the first filter branch, the first subfilter comprising a bandpass filter for a first passband;
- a second subfilter arranged in the second filter branch, the second subfilter comprising a high-pass filter having a second passband, the second passband being established above the first passband, wherein the bandpass filter and the high pass filter are constructed from inductor and capacitor elements that are at least partly integrated in the multilayered substrate, wherein the high-pass filter has a cut-off frequency that is chosen to be in the range of the first passband;
- a transverse branch connected to ground in the first filter branch; and
- an electroacoustic resonator arranged in the transverse branch, wherein the resonator has a quality factor of at least 500.
3. The band-stop filter as claimed in claim 2, wherein the resonator arranged in the transverse branch is connected in series with an inductance.
4. The band-stop filter as claimed in claim 2,
- wherein all the capacitor elements of the bandpass filter and the high-pass filter are integrated into the multilayered substrate; and
- wherein the inductor elements are at least partly realized from discrete inductances or coils arranged on the substrate.
5. The band-stop filter as claimed in claim 2, wherein a stop band is formed below the first passband and wherein the resonator has a resonant frequency that lies in a region of an upper flank of the stop band.
6. The band-stop filter as claimed in claim 2, wherein a series capacitance in the second filter branch is arranged on input and output sides of the second filter branch.
7. The band-stop filter as claimed in claim 2, wherein the bandpass filter, in the first filter branch, comprises at least a first and a second series inductance, a first and a second series capacitance and, a first parallel inductance connected to ground transversely with respect thereto.
8. The band-stop filter as claimed in claim 7, wherein the bandpass filter further comprises a third series inductance and a second parallel inductance.
9. The band-stop filter as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first or second parallel inductance is arranged in a transverse branch with respect to the first filter branch and is connected in series with a capacitance.
10. The band-stop filter as claimed in claim 2, wherein the high-pass filter, in the second filter branch, comprises at least a first and a second series capacitance and an inductance arranged in a transverse branch connected therebetween relative to ground.
11. The band-stop filter as claimed in claim 10, wherein the inductance in the transverse branch of the high-pass filter is connected in series with a capacitance.
12. The band-stop filter as claimed in claim 2, wherein a stop band is formed below the first passband and wherein
- the stop band is between at least 470 and 750 MHz;
- the first passband is between at least 824 and 960 MHz; and
- the second passband is between at least 1710 and 2170 MHz.
13. The band-stop filter as claimed in claim 2, wherein the resonator is embodied as an at least doubly cascaded SAW resonator and is arranged on the multilayered substrate.
14. The band-stop filter as claimed in claim 2, wherein the resonator is embodied as a SAW resonator in a chip composed of a substrate material.
15. The band-stop filter as claimed in claim 14, wherein the substrate material has a higher piezoelectric coupling coefficient than lithium tantalate.
16. A wireless communication device comprising:
- an antenna;
- a transmitting path coupled to the antenna;
- a receiving path coupled to the antenna, the transmitting and receiving paths operating in the 1 and 2 gigahertz ranges; and
- a band-stop filter comprising: a multilayered substrate having integrated structured metallization planes; an input port and an output port; first and second filter branches coupled in parallel between the input port and the output port; a first subfilter arranged in the first filter branch, the first subfilter comprising a bandpass filter for a first passband in the 1 gigahertz range; a second subfilter arranged in the second filter branch, the second subfilter comprising a high-pass filter having a second passband in the 2 gigahertz range, the second passband being established above the first passband, wherein the bandpass filter and the high-pass filter are constructed from inductor and capacitor elements that are at least partly integrated in the multilayered substrate; a transverse branch connected to ground in the first filter branch; and a resonator arranged in the transverse branch;
- wherein the wireless communication device is designed to receive DVB-H signals for filtering out interference signals lying in a DVB-H frequency range from the transmitting path.
17. The wireless communication device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the wireless communication device is designed to bridge the band-stop filter if a DVB-H mode is not activated in the wireless communication device.
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Type: Grant
Filed: Nov 24, 2009
Date of Patent: Nov 6, 2012
Patent Publication Number: 20100127795
Assignee: Epcos AG (Munich)
Inventors: Thomas Bauer (Munich), Andreas Przadka (Munich)
Primary Examiner: Robert Pascal
Assistant Examiner: Gerald Stevens
Attorney: Slater & Matsil, L.L.P.
Application Number: 12/625,007
International Classification: H03H 9/46 (20060101); H04W 4/00 (20090101);