SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ENHANCING PROBABILITY OF INTERNAL MEASUREMENTS IN CROWDED ENVIRONMENTS

• US 20150333779A1
• Filed: 05/13/2014
• Published: 11/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intel IP Corporation (Intel Corporation)
• Inventors: Itkin, Grigory, Tracht, Thorsten
• Granted Patent: US 9,356,631 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0475 with means for limiting noise, interference or distortion H04B1/0483 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/101 for measurement of specific parameters of the transmitter or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/11 for calibration
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength

Abstract

A communication system having self or internal calibration is disclosed. The system includes an antenna tuner, a mismatch component, a receiver, and a strength indicator. The antenna tuner is configured to mismatch an antenna according to a mismatch code. The mismatch code includes or alters antenna characteristics of the antenna. The mismatch component is configured to provide the mismatch code to the antenna tuner. The strength indicator is configured to measure a strength of the received signal.

Claims

1. A communication system having internal calibration, the system comprising:

an antenna tuner configured to mismatch an antenna according to a mismatch code, wherein the mismatch code includes antenna characteristics;

a mismatch component configured to provide the mismatch code to the antenna tuner;

a receiver coupled to the antenna tuner and configured to provide a received signal; and

a strength indicator configured to measure a strength of the received signal.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the mismatch component includes a list of available mismatch codes.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the antenna tuner is configured to alter an impedance of the antenna according to the mismatch code.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the antenna tuner is configured to obtain an incoming signal, where the incoming signal varies in response to the mismatch code.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the received signal includes a wanted signal and interference.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the mismatch component is configured to select the mismatch code that yields the strength above a channel threshold.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the strength indicator compares the measured strength to a channel threshold.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the mismatch component is configured to select an unused mismatch code from a list of unused mismatch codes on the measured strength being below the channel threshold.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a transmitter coupled to an output the antenna tuner and configured to provide a transmit signal.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising an injection component configured to inject signals into the transmit signal for calibration.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the injection component is configured to identify an injection level for calibration.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the injection component is configured to inject signals for calibration.

13. A communications system having internal calibration, the system comprising:

an antenna tuner configured to mismatch an antenna according to a mismatch code, wherein the mismatch code includes antenna characteristics and the mismatch code corresponds to a suitable signal strength;

a receiver coupled to the antenna tuner and configured to provide a received signal, the received signal including a wanted signal;

a transmitter coupled to the antenna tuner and configured to provide a transmission signal; and

an injection component configured to inject calibration signals into the transmission signal.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising a low pass filter configured to filter the received signal according to a narrow frequency range.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising a measuring unit coupled to the low pass filter and configured to measure the received signal from the low pass filter.

16. The system of claim 13, further comprising a strength indicator configured to measure a strength of the received signal.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a control unit coupled to the strength indicator and configured to select the mismatch code based on the strength from the strength indicator prior to enabling the injection component to inject calibration signals.

18. A method of configuring a communications system for internal calibration, the method comprising:

configuring an antenna tuner to mismatch an antenna to provide a received signal having a selected strength;

setting an injection component to an injection level; and

injecting signals for calibration using the injection level into a transmission signal.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein configuring the antenna tuner includes applying one or more codes to the antenna tuner until a strength of the received signal has a strength exceeding a channel threshold.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising obtaining measurements of the received signal after injecting the signals for calibration.