COMMUNICATIONS CIRCUITRY FOR AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20110117863A1
• Filed: 11/19/2009
• Published: 05/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hayes, Gerard J., Futter, Paul, Story, David R., Camp, William O. JR.
• Granted Patent: US 8,706,053 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/77
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/18 Input circuits, e.g. for coupling to an antenna or a transmission line coupling networks between antennas or lines and receivers independent of the nature of the receiver H03H
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/40 Circuits

Abstract

The control of an antenna tuner for a portable electronic device includes closed loop tuning when sufficient transmit power is present. The closed loop tuning commences using a predetermined antenna tuner configuration for an operational band and device state. The closed loop tuning may be constrained by a tuning range associated with the predetermined antenna tuner configuration for the operational band and device state. Also, when transmit power is low or when a transceiver is in a receive only state, open loop tuning may be conducted by placing the antenna tuner in the predetermined (or default) configuration for the operational band and phone state.

Claims

1. A communications circuit assembly for an electronic device through which the electronic device establishes wireless communications with a communications network, comprising:

a transceiver;

an antenna assembly;

a tuner that operatively couples the transceiver and the antenna assembly; and

a controller configured to control the tuner by outputting tuner control data, wherein the tuner control data is;

predetermined tuning values for one or more operational conditions of the electronic device when transmit power is below a predetermined threshold so that antenna tuning is open loop; and

closed loop controlled tuning values that start with the predetermined tuning values for the one or more operational conditions of the electronic device when transmit power is above the predetermined threshold.

2. The communications circuit assembly of claim 1, wherein the tuner control data is predetermined tuning values for the one or more operational conditions of the electronic device when the electronic device is in a receive mode so that antenna tuning is open loop.

3. The communications circuit assembly of claim 2, wherein the receive mode is a sense mode to ascertain available base stations.

4. The communications circuit assembly of claim 1, wherein the one or more operational conditions of the electronic device include a current communication band.

5. The communications circuit assembly of claim 4, wherein the one or more operational conditions of the electronic device further include a state of the electronic device that is indicative of antenna assembly loading.

6. The communications circuit assembly of claim 1, wherein the closed loop controlled tuning values are bound by a predetermined tuning range for the one or more operational conditions.

7. The communications circuit assembly of claim 1, wherein the tuner control data is input to a decoder that decodes the tuner control data into control signals for individual components of the tuner.

8. The communications circuit assembly of claim 7, wherein the individual components of the tuner are micro electro-mechanical system (MEMS) devices.

9. A method of tuning an antenna assembly from a communications circuit assembly for an electronic device through which the electronic device establishes wireless communications with a communications network, comprising:

operatively coupling a transceiver and the antenna assembly with a tuner; and

controlling the tuner by outputting tuner control data with a controller, wherein the tuner control data is;

predetermined tuning values for one or more operational conditions of the electronic device when transmit power is below a predetermined threshold so that antenna tuning is open loop; and

closed loop controlled tuning values that start with the predetermined tuning values for the one or more operational conditions of the electronic device when transmit power is above the predetermined threshold.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the tuner control data is predetermined tuning values for the one or more operational conditions of the electronic device when the electronic device is in a receive mode so that antenna tuning is open loop.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the receive mode is a sense mode to ascertain available base stations.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more operational conditions of the electronic device include a current communication band.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more operational conditions of the electronic device further include a state of the electronic device that is indicative of antenna assembly loading.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the closed loop controlled tuning values are bound by a predetermined tuning range for the one or more operational conditions.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the tuner control data is input to a decoder that decodes the tuner control data into control signals for individual components of the tuner.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the individual components of the tuner are micro electro-mechanical system (MEMS) devices.