Handheld electronic devices with antenna power monitoring

• US 20090096683A1
• Filed: 10/10/2007
• Published: 04/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Kocalar, Erturk D., Sanguinetti, Louie J., Rosenblatt, Michael N.
• Granted Patent: US 8,892,049 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/702
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/242 specially adapted for hand-held use

Abstract

Handheld electronic devices are provided that contain wireless communications circuitry. The wireless communications circuitry may include an antenna. A radio-frequency coupler may be coupled to the antenna. Transceiver circuitry may be used to transmit and receive radio-frequency signals through the coupler and the antenna. A reflected power detection circuit may be connected to the coupler. When the transceiver circuitry transmits radio-frequency signals, some of the signals are reflected back from the antenna into the coupler. The coupler directs the reflected antenna signals into the reflected power detection circuit. Processing circuitry may analyze a reflected power signal from the reflected power detection circuit to determine whether operation of the antenna is being disrupted by the placement of a user'"'"'s hand over the antenna or other proximity effects. If antenna operation is being disrupted, the user may be alerted or other suitable actions may be taken.

Claims

1. A handheld electronic device comprising:

an antenna;

a radio-frequency coupler that is coupled to the antenna;

transceiver circuitry that transmits and receives radio-frequency signals through the coupler and the antenna; and

monitoring and control circuitry that monitors how much transmitted signal power is reflected back from the antenna when the transceiver circuitry is transmitting the radio-frequency signals.

2. The handheld electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the monitoring and control circuitry includes processing circuitry that analyzes the monitored reflected transmitted signal power and that takes action when the monitored reflected transmitted signal power indicates that operation of the antenna is being disrupted due to proximity effects.

3. The handheld electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the monitoring and control circuitry includes processing circuitry that analyzes the monitored reflected transmitted signal power and that alerts a user of the handheld electronic device when the monitored reflected transmitted signal power indicates that operation of the antenna is being disrupted due to proximity effects.

4. The handheld electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising a display, wherein the monitoring and control circuitry includes processing circuitry that analyzes the monitored reflected transmitted signal power and that displays a visual message to a user of the handheld electronic device on the display when the monitored reflected transmitted signal power indicates that operation of the antenna is being disrupted due to proximity effects.

5. The handheld electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising a display, wherein the monitoring and control circuitry includes processing circuitry that analyzes the monitored reflected transmitted signal power and that displays a visual alert symbol to a user of the handheld electronic device on the display when the monitored reflected transmitted signal power indicates that operation of the antenna is being disrupted due to proximity effects.

6. The handheld electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising a display, wherein the monitoring and control circuitry includes processing circuitry that analyzes the monitored reflected transmitted signal power and that displays alert message text to a user of the handheld electronic device on the display when the monitored reflected transmitted signal power indicates that operation of the antenna is being disrupted due to proximity effects.

7. The handheld electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising a speaker, wherein the monitoring and control circuitry includes processing circuitry that analyzes the monitored reflected transmitted signal power and that presents an audible alert to a user of the handheld electronic device with the speaker when the monitored reflected transmitted signal power indicates that operation of the antenna is being disrupted due to proximity effects.

8. The handheld electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising a vibrating element, wherein the monitoring and control circuitry includes processing circuitry that analyzes the monitored reflected transmitted signal power and that presents a vibrating alert to a user of the handheld electronic device with the vibrating element when the monitored reflected transmitted signal power indicates that operation of the antenna is being disrupted due to proximity effects.

9. The handheld electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the monitoring and control circuitry includes processing circuitry that analyzes the monitored reflected transmitted signal power and that shuts down communications circuitry on the handheld electronic device to save power when the monitored reflected transmitted signal power indicates that operation of the antenna is being disrupted due to proximity effects.

10. The handheld electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the monitoring and control circuitry includes processing circuitry that analyzes the monitored reflected transmitted signal power and that locks communications circuitry on the handheld electronic device to save power when the monitored reflected transmitted signal power indicates that operation of the antenna is being disrupted due to proximity effects.

11. The handheld electronic device defined in claim 1, further comprising an additional antenna, wherein the monitoring and control circuitry includes processing circuitry that analyzes the monitored reflected transmitted signal power and selects the additional antenna in the handheld electronic device to use to transmit the radio-frequency signals when the monitored reflected transmitted signal power indicates that operation of the antenna is being disrupted due to proximity effects.

12. The handheld electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the monitoring and control circuitry comprises a power detection diode coupled to the coupler that measures signals that have been reflected back from the antenna to the power detection diode through the coupler.

13. Wireless communications circuitry in a handheld electronic device comprising:

an antenna;

a coupler that is coupled to the antenna;

transceiver circuitry that transmits radio-frequency signals through the coupler and the antenna; and

a reflected power detection circuit that is connected to the coupler, wherein during data transmission by the transceiver circuitry, radio-frequency signals are reflected back into coupler from the antenna and are directed by the coupler to the reflected power detection circuit.

14. The wireless communications circuitry defined in claim 13 further comprising processing circuitry that processes reflected antenna power measurements from the reflected power detection circuit and that provides an alert to a user of the handheld electronic device when the reflected antenna power measurements indicate that operation of the antenna has been disrupted due to proximity effects.

15. The wireless communications circuitry defined in claim 13 wherein the transceiver circuitry comprises analog to digital converter circuitry that converts analog signals from the reflected power detection circuit into digital signals and wherein the wireless communications circuitry further comprises processing circuitry that compares digitized reflected power measurement signals from the analog to digital converter to a threshold to determine whether operation of the antenna is being disrupted due to proximity effects from a body part of a user of the handheld electronic device.

16. A method of operating a handheld electronic device having an antenna, transceiver circuitry, and monitoring and control circuitry, comprising:

transmitting radio-frequency signals through the antenna from the transceiver circuitry;

with the monitoring and control circuitry, monitoring how much transmitted signal power is reflected back from the antenna when the transceiver circuitry is transmitting the radio-frequency signals to determine whether operation of the antenna is being disrupted due to proximity effects; and

providing an alert for a user of the handheld electronic device when the monitoring and control circuitry determines that operation of the antenna is being disrupted.

17. The method defined in claim 16 wherein providing the alert comprises displaying a visual alert on a display in the handheld electronic device.

18. The method defined in claim 16 wherein providing the alert comprises displaying a visual signal strength indicator on a display in the handheld electronic device and displaying an alert symbol over the signal strength indicator.

19. The method defined in claim 16 wherein providing the alert comprises displaying at textual alert message on a display in the handheld electronic device.

20. The method defined in claim 16 further comprising shutting down at least some circuitry on the handheld electronic device to save power when it is determined by the monitoring and control circuitry that operation of the antenna is being disrupted due to proximity effects.