Adaptive impedance matching apparatus, system and method with improved dynamic range

• US 10,020,828 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2016
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP USA, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: McKinzie, William E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Tuan
• Application Number:
  US15/205,595
• Publication Number:
  US 20160322991A1
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/50 Structural association of antennas with earthing switches, lead-in devices or lightning protectors
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 2007/386 Multiple band impedance matching
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/40 Automatic matching of load impedance to source impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0458 Arrangements for matching and coupling between power amplifier and antenna or between amplifying stages matching circuits in general H03H

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus, comprising'"'"' an RF matching network connected to at least one RF input port and at least one RF output port and 5 including one or more voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements; a voltage detector connected to the at least one RF output port via a variable voltage divider to determine the voltage at the at least one RF output port and provide voltage information to a controller that controls a bias driving circuit which provides voltage or current bias to the RF matching network; a variable voltage divider connected to the voltage detector and implemented using a 10 multi-pole RF switch to select one of a plurality of different resistance ratios to improve the dynamic range of the apparatus; and wherein the RF matching network is adapted to maximize RF power transferred from the at least one RF input port to the at least one RF output port by varying the voltage or current to the voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements to maximize the RF voltage at the at least one RF output port.

Claims

1. A mobile communication device, comprising:

an antenna;

a matching network having an output coupled with the antenna, wherein the matching network comprises one or more variable reactive elements;

a memory to store computer instructions; and

a controller coupled with the memory and the matching network, wherein the controller, responsive to executing the computer instructions, performs operations comprising;

obtaining a voltage at the output of the matching network, wherein the voltage is obtained using a voltage detector;

determining whether to adjust the matching network according to the voltage that is obtained; and

responsive to a determination to adjust the matching network, adapting the matching network to increase the voltage at the output of the matching network that is coupled to the antenna, wherein the adapting mitigates undesired matching impedances in the matching network by varying the one or more variable reactive elements.

2. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the matching network comprises one or more variable reactive elements, and wherein the one or more variable reactive elements comprise a semiconductor varactor, a micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) varactor, a MEMS switched reactive element, a semiconductor switched reactive element, a ferroelectric capacitor or a combination thereof.

3. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the voltage detector is coupled to the output via a variable voltage divider.

4. The mobile communication device of claim 3, wherein the variable voltage divider is programmable using a loop controller.

5. The mobile communication device of claim 3, wherein the voltage detector is a diode detector.

6. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise identifying a default reactance value according to an operating frequency, wherein the varying of the one or more variable reactive elements commences at the default reactance value.

7. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

identifying a physical state of the mobile communication device; and

identifying a default reactance value according to the physical state, wherein the varying of the one or more variable reactive elements commences at the default reactance value.

8. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the adapting of the matching network comprises limiting a number of tuning steps within a transmit burst.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage device including computer instructions which, when executed by a processor of a mobile communication device, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

obtaining a voltage at an output of a matching network of the mobile communication device, wherein the voltage is obtained using a voltage detector, and wherein the output of the matching network is coupled to an antenna of the mobile communication device;

determining whether to adjust the matching network according to the voltage that is obtained; and

responsive to a determination to adjust the matching network, adapting the matching network to increase the voltage at the output of the matching network that is coupled to the antenna, wherein the adapting mitigates undesired matching impedances in the matching network by varying one or more variable reactive elements of the matching network.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 9, wherein the one or more variable reactive elements comprise a semiconductor varactor, a micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) varactor, a MEMS switched reactive element, a semiconductor switched reactive element, a ferroelectric capacitor or a combination thereof.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 9, wherein the voltage detector is coupled to the output via a variable voltage divider.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 11, wherein the variable voltage divider is programmable using a loop controller.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 9, wherein the voltage detector is a diode detector.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise identifying a default reactance value according to an operating frequency, wherein the varying of the one or more variable reactive elements commences at the default reactance value.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise:

identifying a physical state of the mobile communication device; and

identifying a default reactance value according to the physical state, wherein the varying of the one or more variable reactive elements commences at the default reactance value.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 9, wherein the adapting of the matching network comprises limiting a number of tuning steps within a transmit burst.

17. A method, comprising:

obtaining, by a processing system including a processor, a voltage at an output of a matching network that is coupled to an antenna, wherein the voltage is obtained using a voltage detector;

determining whether to adjust the matching network according to the voltage that is obtained; and

responsive to a determination to adjust the matching network, adapting, by the processing system, the matching network to increase the voltage at the output of the matching network that is coupled to the antenna, wherein the adapting mitigates undesired matching impedances in the matching network by varying one or more variable reactive elements of the matching network.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the one or more variable reactive elements comprise a semiconductor varactor, a micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) varactor, a MEMS switched reactive element, a semiconductor switched reactive element, a ferroelectric capacitor or a combination thereof.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the voltage detector is coupled to the output via a variable voltage divider.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising identifying, by a processing system, a default reactance value according to an operating frequency, wherein the varying of the one or more variable reactive elements commences at the default reactance value.