Adaptive impedance matching module

• US 20080122553A1
• Filed: 11/08/2006
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP USA, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: Research in Motion RF Inc (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: McKinzie, William E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,299,867 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 333/17.3
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/40 Automatic matching of load impedance to source impedance

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus, comprising an RF input port, an RF output port connected to the RF input port via a multichip adaptive impedance matching module (AIMM), and the multichip AIMM comprising one or more voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements, wherein the multichip AIMM 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 bias voltage or bias 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. An apparatus, comprising:

an RF input port;

an RF output port connected to said RF input port via an adaptive impedance matching module (AIMM), said AIMM comprising;

one or more voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements; and

wherein said AIMM is adapted to maximize RF power transferred from said at least one RF input port to said at least one RF output port by varying the bias voltage or current to said voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements to maximize the RF voltage at said at least one RF output port.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said AIMM further comprises a controller including a (digital state machine?) operable to use external signals in the operation of a control algorithm.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said AIMM further comprises a plurality of capacitors and/or a plurality of inductors as variable reactive elements.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said controller further comprises at least one analog-to-digital converter and at least one digital-to-analog converter.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said AIMM is a closed loop feedback system adapted to maximize the RF voltage at said RF output port by adjusting bias voltages or bias currents.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said AIMM further comprises a variable voltage divider and an RF voltage detector to monitor said RF output port voltage.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said AIMM further comprises a voltage driver circuit comprised of a charge pump and a plurality of analog buffers.

8. A method of adaptive impedance matching, comprising:

connecting an RF output port to an RF input port via an adaptive impedance matching module (AIMM), said AIMM comprising;

one or more voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements; and

wherein said AIMM is adapted to maximize RF power transferred from said at least one RF input port to said at least one RF output port by varying the voltage or current to said voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements to maximize the RF voltage at said at least one RF output port.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising using external signals in the operation of a control algorithm by a (digital state machine?) in said AIMM.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said AIMM further comprises a plurality of capacitors and/or a plurality of inductors as variable reactive elements.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said controller further comprises at least one analog-to-digital converter and at least one digital-to-analog converter.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein said multichip AIMM is a closed loop feedback system adapted to maximize the RF voltage across said RF output node by adjusting bias voltages.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein said AIMM further comprises a variable voltage divider and an RF voltage detector to monitor said RF output port voltage.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein said AIMM further comprises a voltage driver circuit comprised of a voltage converting power supply and a plurality of analog buffers.

15. A machine-accessible medium that provides instructions, which when accessed, cause a machine to perform operations comprising:

connecting an RF output port to an RF input port via an adaptive impedance matching module (AIMM), said AIMM comprising;

one or more voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements; and

wherein said AIMM is adapted to maximize RF power transferred from said at least one RF input port to said at least one RF output port by varying the voltage or current to said voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements to maximize the RF voltage at said at least one RF output port.

16. The machine-accessible medium of claim 15, further comprising said instructions causing said machine to perform operations further comprising using external signals in the operation of a control algorithm by a processor in said AIMM.

17. The machine-accessible medium of claim 15, wherein said AIMM further comprises a plurality of capacitors and/or a plurality of inductors as variable reactive elements.

18. The machine-accessible medium of claim 15, wherein said AIMM further comprises a controller containing at least one analog-to-digital converter and at least one digital-to-analog converter.

19. The machine-accessible medium of claim 15, wherein said AIMM is a closed loop feedback system adapted to maximize the RF voltage across said RF output node by adjusting bias voltages.

20. The machine-accessible medium of claim 15, wherein said AIMM further comprises

a variable voltage divider and

an RF voltage detector to monitor said RF output port voltage.