Head-hand capacitance compensation with digital variable capacitor

• US 10,594,024 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2019
• Issued: 03/17/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc. (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cavendish Kinetics Inc (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Inventors: Parkhurst, Ray, Tornatta, Jr., Paul Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hoang V
• Assistant Examiner(s): Salih, Awat M
• Application Number:
  US16/247,529
• Publication Number:
  US 20190148818A1
• Time in Patent Office: 428 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/245 with means for shaping the antenna pattern, e.g. in order to protect user against rf exposure
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/48 Earthing means; Earth screens; Counterpoises
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/005 with variable reactance for tuning the antenna
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0421 with a shorting wall or a shorting pin at one end of the element H01Q9/0414 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/42 with folded element, the folded parts being spaced apart a small fraction of the operating wavelength

Abstract

The present disclosure generally relates to a device having a capacitance sensor that detects a change in capacitance that occurs in the antenna whenever the antenna is in close proximity to a user'"'"'s hand and/or head. Following detection of the capacitance change, the capacitance of the antenna may be changed by using a variable capacitor that is coupled to the sensor through a controller.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a first antenna;

an RF source coupled to the first antenna;

a capacitive sensor capable of detecting the capacitance of the antenna;

a feedback controller coupled to the capacitive sensor; and

a first capacitor coupled to the antenna and to the feedback controller, wherein the antenna, the first capacitor, the feedback controller, and the capacitive sensor are connected in order in direct series connection.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the first capacitor is a digital variable capacitor.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the digital variable capacitor includes a plurality of MEMS devices.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the antenna is coupled to ground.

5. The device of claim 4, further comprising a second capacitor coupled to the antenna.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the second capacitor is a digital variable capacitor.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the digital variable capacitor comprises a plurality of MEMS.

8. The device of claim 1, further comprising a second capacitor coupled to the antenna.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the second capacitor is a digital variable capacitor that comprises a plurality of MEMS.

10. A device, comprising:

a first antenna;

an RF source coupled to the first antenna;

a capacitive sensor capable of detecting capacitance of the antenna, the capacitive sensor configured to detect a change of the capacitance of the antenna from a first capacitance;

a feedback controller coupled to the capacitive sensor; and

a first variable capacitor coupled to the antenna and to the feedback controller, wherein the first variable capacitor, the feedback controller and the capacitive sensor are connected in series with the antenna and in that order from the antenna, and wherein the feedback controller is configured to continuously change the capacitance of the first variable capacitor in response to the change of the capacitance of the antenna so that the adjusted capacitance of the antenna returns to the first capacitance, wherein the antenna, the first variable capacitor, the feedback controller, and the capacitive sensor are connected in order in direct series connection.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the first variable capacitor is a digital variable capacitor.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the digital variable capacitor includes a plurality of MEMS devices.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the antenna is coupled to ground.

14. The device of claim 12, further comprising a second capacitor coupled to the antenna.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the second capacitor is a digital variable capacitor.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the digital variable capacitor comprises a plurality of MEMS.

17. The device of claim 10, further comprising a second capacitor coupled to the antenna.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the second capacitor is a digital variable capacitor that comprises a plurality of MEMS.