Method and apparatus for adapting a variable impedance network

• US 10,615,769 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2019
• Issued: 04/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP USA, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Manssen, Keith, Greene, Matthew Russell
• Primary Examiner(s): Jones, Stephen E.
• Application Number:
  US16/295,657
• Publication Number:
  US 20190207580A1
• Time in Patent Office: 397 Days
• Field of Search: 333 32, 333 33, 333 173
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 5/12 with at least one voltage- or current-dependent element
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/004 Capacitive coupling circuits not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/38 Impedance-matching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/40 Automatic matching of load impedance to source impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/56 by the use, as active elements, of semiconductor devices using diodes H03K17/74

Abstract

The present disclosure may include, for example, a tunable capacitor having a decoder for generating a plurality of control signals, and an array of tunable switched capacitors comprising a plurality of fixed capacitors coupled to a plurality of switches. The plurality of switches can be controlled by the plurality of control signals to manage a tunable range of reactance of the array of tunable switched capacitors. Additionally, the array of tunable switched capacitors is adapted to have non-uniform quality (Q) factors. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a tunable array of switched reactive elements on a single die, the array comprising a plurality of reactive elements coupled to a plurality of switches, each of the plurality of reactive elements having a fixed reactance value, each of the plurality of switches having a resistance associated therewith,

wherein the single die has a plurality of ports comprising a first port connected to a first reactive element of the plurality of reactive elements having a first reactance value, a second port separate from the first port and connected to reactive elements of the plurality of reactive elements other than the first reactive element, and a third port connected to the plurality of switches, the array thereby being configurable in a first configuration including the first reactive element and providing a first tuning range and a second configuration excluding the first reactive element and providing a second tuning range.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the array of switched reactive elements is adapted to have non-uniform quality (Q) factors, the array of switched reactive elements thereby adapted to maintain a Q factor for the array over a predetermined operating frequency range of the device.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the reactance values of the plurality of reactive elements comprise a binary array.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the array comprises a plurality of inductors coupled to the plurality of switches.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the array comprises a plurality of capacitors coupled to the plurality of switches.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the first reactive element is a first capacitor of the plurality of capacitors having a largest capacitance value.

7. A device comprising:

a tunable array of switched reactive elements on a single die, the array comprising a plurality of reactive elements coupled to a plurality of switches, each of the plurality of reactive elements having a fixed reactance value, each of the plurality of switches having a resistance associated therewith,

wherein the single die has a plurality of ports comprising a first port connected to a first reactive element of the plurality of reactive elements having a first reactance value, a second port separate from the first port and connected to reactive elements of the plurality of reactive elements other than the first reactive element, and a third port connected to the plurality of switches, the array thereby being configurable in a first configuration including the first reactive element and a second configuration excluding the first reactive element, wherein the array is adapted to have non-uniform quality (Q) factors.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the first configuration provides a first tuning range and the second configuration provides a second tuning range.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the array of switched reactive elements is adapted to maintain a Q factor for the array over a predetermined operating frequency range of the device.

10. The device of claim 7, wherein the reactance values of the plurality of reactive elements comprise a binary array.

11. The device of claim 7, wherein the array comprises a plurality of inductors coupled to the plurality of switches.

12. The device of claim 7, wherein the array comprises a plurality of capacitors coupled to the plurality of switches.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the first reactive element is a first capacitor of the plurality of capacitors having a largest capacitance value.

14. A device comprising:

a tunable array of switched reactive elements on a single die, the array comprising a plurality of reactive elements coupled to a plurality of switches, each of the plurality of reactive elements having a fixed reactance value, each of the plurality of switches having a resistance associated therewith,

wherein the single die has a plurality of ports comprising a first port connected to a first reactive element of the plurality of reactive elements having a first reactance value, a second port separate from the first port and connected to reactive elements of the plurality of reactive elements other than the first reactive element, and a third port connected to the plurality of switches, the array thereby being configurable in a first configuration including the first reactive element providing a first tuning range and a second configuration excluding the first reactive element and providing a second tuning range, wherein the array of switched reactive elements is adapted to maintain a Q factor for the array over a predetermined operating frequency range of the device.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the reactance values of the plurality of reactive elements comprise a binary array.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein the array comprises a plurality of inductors coupled to the plurality of switches.

17. The device of claim 14, wherein the array of switched reactive elements is adapted to have non-uniform quality (Q) factors, and wherein the predetermined operating frequency range includes the first tuning range and the second tuning range.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the device comprises a plurality of combinations formed by coupling each reactive element of the plurality of reactive elements respectively to a switch of the plurality of switches, wherein each of the plurality of combinations has a different Q factor.

19. The device of claim 14, wherein the array comprises a plurality of capacitors coupled to the plurality of switches.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the first reactive element is a first capacitor of the plurality of capacitors having a largest capacitance value.