Uplink carrier aggregation and simultaneous mimo without mid-band and high-band switch combining

Abstract

Described herein are front-end architectures and wireless devices that support uplink carrier aggregation and simultaneous MIMO operations in a plurality of band combinations. The front-end architectures include a combination of low-band, mid-band, high-band, MIMO, and uplink carrier aggregation modules to provide the described functionality. The architectures include an antenna switch module coupled to a first antenna and to a second antenna. The architectures do not use mid-band and high-band switch combining. The architectures use low-band filters in diplexers or triplexers positioned before an antenna switch module.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A front-end architecture for wireless communication comprising:
 a first triplexer having a low-pass filter, a band-pass filter, and a high-pass filter;   a second triplexer having a low-pass filter, a notch filter, and a band-pass filter;   a first diplexer having a low-pass filter and a band-pass filter;   a second diplexer having a notch filter and a band-pass filter;   an antenna switch module coupled to the first triplexer, the second triplexer, the first diplexer, and the second diplexer, the antenna switch module having a first throw coupled to a first antenna and a second throw coupled to a second antenna;   a first module having a low-band power amplifier with integrated duplexer, a first output coupled to the low-pass filter of the first triplexer, and a second output coupled to the low-pass filter of the second triplexer;   a second module having a mid-band power amplifier with integrated duplexer, a first output coupled to the band-pass filter of the first triplexer, and a second output coupled to the notch filter of the second triplexer;   a third module having a high-band power amplifier with integrated duplexer, a first output coupled to the band-pass filter of the first diplexer, and a second output coupled to the band-pass filter of the second diplexer;   a fourth module having a plurality of filters that includes a mid-band receive filter, a high-band receive filter, and a transmit filter, the fourth module also having a first output coupled to the high-pass filter of the first triplexer, a second output coupled to the band-pass filter of the second triplexer, a third output coupled to the low-pass filter of the first diplexer, and a fourth output coupled to the notch filter of the second diplexer; and   a fifth module having a power amplifier configured for uplink carrier aggregation, the fifth module configured to selectively couple to the fourth module, to the third module, and to the second module to utilize filters within these modules in one or more uplink carrier aggregation operating modes.   
     
     
         2 . The front-end architecture of  claim 1  wherein the high-pass filter of the first triplexer is configured to pass signals in cellular frequency bands B7 and B41, the band-pass filter of the first triplexer is configured to pass mid-band signals, and the low-pass filter of the first triplexer is configured to pass low-band signals. 
     
     
         3 . The front-end architecture of  claim 1  wherein the band-pass filter of the second triplexer is configured to pass signals in cellular frequency bands B30 and B40, the notch filter of the second triplexer is configured to pass mid-band signals, and the low-pass filter of the second triplexer is configured to pass low-band signals. 
     
     
         4 . The front-end architecture of  claim 1  wherein the band-pass filter of the first diplexer is configured to pass signals in cellular frequency bands B7 and B41 and the low-pass filter of the first diplexer is configured to pass mid-band signals. 
     
     
         5 . The front-end architecture of  claim 1  wherein the band-pass filter of the second diplexer is configured to pass signals in cellular frequency bands B30 and B40 and the notch filter of the second diplexer is configured to pass mid-band signals. 
     
     
         6 . The front-end architecture of  claim 1  wherein the front-end architecture is configured to provide uplink carrier aggregation simultaneously with multiple input multiple output operation. 
     
     
         7 . The front-end architecture of  claim 6  wherein, in an operating mode that provides low-band and high-band uplink carrier aggregation simultaneously with mid-band multiple input multiple output operation, the first module transmits low-band signals to the first triplexer, the second module receives mid-band signals through the first triplexer, the third module transmits signals to the second diplexer, and the fourth module receives mid-band signals through the second diplexer. 
     
     
         8 . The front-end architecture of  claim 6  wherein, in an operating mode that provides low-band and high-band uplink carrier aggregation simultaneously with high-band multiple input multiple output operation, the first module transmits low-band signals to the first triplexer, the third module transmits and receives signals through the second diplexer, and the fourth module receives high-band signals through the first triplexer. 
     
     
         9 . The front-end architecture of  claim 6  wherein, in an operating mode that provides mid-band uplink carrier aggregation simultaneously with mid-band multiple input multiple output operation, the second module transmits and receives mid-band signals through the first triplexer, the fourth module receives mid-band signals through the first diplexer, and the fifth module routes carrier aggregation signals through a filter in the fourth module to transmit the carrier aggregation signals through the first diplexer, the fourth module configured to use MB-MB switchplexing. 
     
     
         10 . The front-end architecture of  claim 6  wherein, in an operating mode that provides mid-band uplink carrier aggregation simultaneously with high-band multiple input multiple output operation, the second module transmits mid-band signals through the first triplexer, the third module receives high-band signals through the first diplexer, the fourth module receives mid-band signals through the first triplexer, and the fifth module routes carrier aggregation signals through a filter in the fourth module to transmit the carrier aggregation signals through the first diplexer, the fourth module configured to use MB-HB switchplexing. 
     
     
         11 . The front-end architecture of  claim 6  wherein, in an operating mode that provides mid-band and high-band uplink carrier aggregation simultaneously with mid-band multiple input multiple output operation, the third module transmits and receives high-band signals through the second diplexer, the fourth module receives mid-band signals through the second diplexer, and the fifth module routes mid-band transmit and receive signals through a filter in the fourth module and through the first triplexer. 
     
     
         12 . The front-end architecture of  claim 6  wherein, in an operating mode that provides mid-band and high-band uplink carrier aggregation simultaneously with high-band multiple input multiple output operation, the third module transmits and receives high-band signals through the second diplexer, the fourth module receives high-band signals through the first triplexer, and the fifth module routes mid-band transmit and receive signals through a filter in the fourth module and through the first triplexer. 
     
     
         13 . The front-end architecture of  claim 1  further comprising a first power management unit configured to provide power to the first module and to the fifth module and a second power management unit configured to provide power to the second module and the third module. 
     
     
         14 . A front-end architecture for wireless communication comprising:
 a first triplexer having a low-pass filter, a band-pass filter, and a high-pass filter;   a second triplexer having a low-pass filter, a notch filter, and a band-pass filter;   a third triplexer having a low-pass filter, a first band-pass filter, and a second band-pass filter;   a fourth triplexer having a low-pass filter, a notch filter, and a band-pass filter;   an antenna switch module coupled to the first triplexer, the second triplexer, the third triplexer, and the fourth triplexer, the antenna switch module having a first throw coupled to a first antenna and a second throw coupled to a second antenna;   a first module having a low-band power amplifier with integrated duplexer, a first output coupled to the low-pass filter of the first triplexer, a second output coupled to the low-pass filter of the second triplexer, a third output coupled to the low-pass filter of the third triplexer, and a fourth output coupled to the low-pass filter of the fourth triplexer;   a second module having a mid-band power amplifier with integrated duplexer, a first output coupled to the band-pass filter of the first triplexer, and a second output coupled to the notch filter of the second triplexer;   a third module having a high-band power amplifier with integrated duplexer, a first output coupled to the band-pass filter of the fourth triplexer, and a second output coupled to the second band-pass filter of the third triplexer;   a fourth module having a plurality of filters that includes a mid-band receive filter, a high-band receive filter, and a transmit filter, the fourth module also having a first output coupled to the high-pass filter of the first triplexer, a second output coupled to the band-pass filter of the second triplexer, a third output coupled to the first band-pass filter of the third triplexer, and a fourth output coupled to the notch filter of the fourth triplexer; and   a fifth module having a power amplifier configured for uplink carrier aggregation, the fifth module configured to selectively couple to the fourth module, to the third module, and to the second module to utilize filters within these modules in one or more uplink carrier aggregation operating modes.   
     
     
         15 . The front-end architecture of  claim 14  wherein the low-pass filter of the third triplexer is configured to pass low-band signals, the first band-pass filter of the third triplexer is configured to pass mid-band signals, and the second band-pass filter of the third triplexer is configured to pass signals in cellular frequency bands B7 and B41. 
     
     
         16 . The front-end architecture of  claim 14  wherein the low-pass filter of the third triplexer is configured to pass low-band signals, the notch filter of the third triplexer is configured to pass mid-band signals, and the band-pass filter of the third triplexer is configured to pass signals in cellular frequency bands B30 and B40. 
     
     
         17 . The front-end architecture of  claim 14  wherein the front-end architecture is configured to provide uplink carrier aggregation simultaneously with multiple input multiple output operation. 
     
     
         18 . The front-end architecture of  claim 17  wherein, in an operating mode that provides low-band and mid-band uplink carrier aggregation simultaneously with mid-band multiple input multiple output operation, the first module transmits and receives low-band signals through the second triplexer, the second module transmits and receives mid-band signals through the third triplexer, and the fourth module receives mid-band signals through the third triplexer. 
     
     
         19 . The front-end architecture of  claim 17  wherein, in an operating mode that provides low-band and mid-band uplink carrier aggregation simultaneously with high-band multiple input multiple output operation, the first module transmits and receives low-band signals through the first triplexer, the second module transmits and receives mid-band signals through the second triplexer, the third module receives high-band signals through the third triplexer, and the fourth module receives high-band signals through the first triplexer. 
     
     
         20 . A wireless device comprising:
 a transceiver configured to generate a plurality of transmit signals and process a plurality of received signals;   a plurality of antennas configured to facilitate transmission of the transmit signals and reception of the received signals; and   a front-end system implemented between the transceiver and the plurality of antennas, the front-end system including a first triplexer having a low-pass filter, a band-pass filter, and a high-pass filter; the front-end system also including a second triplexer having a low-pass filter, a notch filter, and a band-pass filter; the front-end system also including a first diplexer having a low-pass filter and a band-pass filter; the front-end system also including a second diplexer having a notch filter and a band-pass filter; the front-end system also including an antenna switch module coupled to the first triplexer, the second triplexer, the first diplexer, and the second diplexer, the antenna switch module having a first throw coupled to a first antenna and a second throw coupled to a second antenna; the front-end system also including a first module having a low-band power amplifier with integrated duplexer, a first output coupled to the low-pass filter of the first triplexer, and a second output coupled to the low-pass filter of the second triplexer; the front-end system also including a second module having a mid-band power amplifier with integrated duplexer, a first output coupled to the band-pass filter of the first triplexer, and a second output coupled to the notch filter of the second triplexer; the front-end system also including a third module having a high-band power amplifier with integrated duplexer, a first output coupled to the band-pass filter of the first diplexer, and a second output coupled to the band-pass filter of the second diplexer; the front-end system also including a fourth module having a plurality of filters that includes a mid-band receive filter, a high-band receive filter, and a transmit filter, the fourth module also having a first output coupled to the high-pass filter of the first triplexer, a second output coupled to the band-pass filter of the second triplexer, a third output coupled to the low-pass filter of the first diplexer, and a fourth output coupled to the notch filter of the second diplexer; and the front-end system also including a fifth module having a power amplifier configured for uplink carrier aggregation, the fifth module configured to selectively couple to the fourth module, to the third module, and to the second module to utilize filters within these modules in one or more uplink carrier aggregation operating modes.