Electronic Device Having Sensors and Antenna Monitor For Controlling Wireless Operation

• US 20150341073A1
• Filed: 05/20/2014
• Published: 11/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Ayala Vazquez, Enrique, Hu, Hongfei, Pascolini, Mattia, Ouyang, Yuehui, Yarga, Salih, Zhou, Yijun, Nath, Jayesh, Tsai, Ming-Ju, Mow, Matthew A., Han, Liang, Judkins, James G., Schlub, Robert W., lrci, Erdinc
• Granted Patent: US 9,742,459 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

An electronic device may be provided with wireless circuitry. Control circuitry may be used to adjust the wireless circuitry. The wireless circuitry may include an antenna that is tuned using tunable components. The control circuitry may gather information on the current operating mode of the. electronic device, sensor data from a proximity sensor, accelerometer, microphone, and other sensors, antenna impedance information for the antenna, and information on the use of connectors in the electronic device. Based on this gathered data, the control circuitry can adjust the tunable components to compensate for antenna detuning due to loading from nearby external objects, may adjust transmit power levels, and may make other wireless circuit adjustments.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

an antenna;

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

a tunable component that tunes the antenna;

a connector that is configured to receive an external connector; and

control circuitry that tunes the tunable component to tune the antenna based on information about use of the connector.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising:

a connector sensor that senses whether the external connector has been plugged into the connector, wherein the control circuitry is coupled to the connector sensor, and wherein the information about the use of the connector comprises information from the connector sensor indicating whether the external connector has been plugged into the connector.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising:

a connector interface in the control circuitry, wherein the connector interface senses whether the external connector has been plugged into the connector and wherein the information about the use of the connector comprises information from the connector interface indicating whether the external connector has been plugged into the connector.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the information about the use of the connector comprises connector type information for the external connector and wherein the control circuitry is configured to tune the tunable component based on the connector type information.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 4 further comprising:

a coupler that is interposed between the antenna and the wireless radio-frequency transceiver circuitry, wherein the control circuitry uses the coupler to gather antenna impedance information on the antenna, and wherein the control circuitry tunes the tunable component to tune the antenna based on the antenna impedance information.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 5 further comprising:

a proximity sensor that generates proximity sensor data indicative of whether an external object is within the vicinity of the antenna, wherein the control circuitry tunes the tunable component to tune the antenna based on the proximity sensor data.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising:

first and second proximity sensors responsive to the presence of external objects in the vicinity of the antenna, wherein the control circuitry tunes the tunable component to tune the antenna based on data from the first proximity sensor and based on data from the second proximity sensor.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 7 further comprising a connector sensor that senses whether the external connector has been plugged into the connector, wherein the control circuitry is coupled, to the connector sensor, and wherein the information about the use of the connector comprises information from the connector sensor indicating whether the external connector has been plugged into the connector.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 7 wherein the information about the use of the connector comprises connector type information for the external connector and wherein the control circuitry tunes the tunable component based on the connector type information.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising:

a coupler that is interposed between the antenna and the wireless radio-frequency transceiver circuitry, wherein the control circuitry uses the coupler to gather antenna impedance information on the antenna, and wherein the control circuitry tunes the tunable component to tune the antenna based on the antenna impedance information.

11. The electronic device defined in claim 10 further comprising:

a connector interface in the control circuitry, wherein the connector interface senses whether the external connector has been plugged into the connector and wherein the information about the use of the connector comprises information from the connector interface indicating whether the external connector has been plugged into the connector.

12. A method of adjusting an antenna in an electronic device, comprising:

with control circuitry in the electronic device, gathering information on whether an external connector has been plugged into the electronic device;

with the control circuitry, measuring an antenna impedance for the antenna using signals from a coupler; and

with the control circuitry, adjusting a tunable component to tune the antenna based on the information on whether the external coupler has been plugged into the electronic device and based on the measured antenna impedance.

13. The method defined in claim 12 further comprising:

gathering proximity sensor data with a proximity sensor in the electronic device; and

adjusting the tunable component based on the proximity sensor data.

14. The method defined in claim 13 further comprising:

gathering accelerometer data with an accelerometer in the electronic device; and

adjusting the tunable component based on the accelerometer data.

15. The method defined in claim 14 wherein the electronic device includes a connector sensor that senses whether the external connector has been plugged into the electronic device and wherein gathering the information on whether the external connector has been plugged into the electronic device comprises using the connector sensor to determine whether the external connector has been plugged into the electronic device.

16. The method defined in claim 12 further comprising:

determining which type of external connector has been plugged into the electronic device; and

adjusting a tunable component to tune the antenna based on which type of external connector has been plugged into the electronic device.

17. The method defined in claim 12 further comprising:

gathering sensor data from a sensor in the electronic device; and

with the control circuitry, adjusting the tunable component based at least partly on the sensor data.

18. An electronic device, comprising:

an antenna having a resonating element, a ground, a return path between the resonating element and the ground, and a tunable component coupled between the resonating element and the ground that tunes the antenna;

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

a coupler interposed between the antenna and the wireless radio-frequency transceiver circuitry;

a connector that is configured to receive an external connector; and

control circuitry that measures an antenna impedance for antenna using signals from the coupler and that tunes the tunable component to tune the antenna based on the antenna impedance and based on information gathered about use of the connector.

19. The electronic device defined in claim 18 further comprising:

a connector sensor that senses whether the external connector has been plugged into the connector, wherein the control circuitry is coupled to the connector sensor, and wherein the information gathered about the use of the connector comprises information from the connector sensor indicating whether the external connector has been plugged into the connector.

20. The electronic device defined in claim 19 further comprising:

a plurality of proximity sensors that gather proximity information on external objects adjacent to the antenna, wherein the control circuitry is configured to tune the tunable component based on proximity sensor data from the proximity sensors.