Radio communication using multiple antennas and localization variables

• US 20160036474A1
• Filed: 10/15/2015
• Published: 02/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Tekcem
• Inventors: BROYDE, Frdric, CLAVELIER, Evelyne
• Granted Patent: US 9,654,162 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/242 specially adapted for hand-held use
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0006 Particular feeding systems
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 1/0008 using a central processing unit, e.g. a microprocessor digital tuning in general H03J5/0245
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 7/04 where the frequency control is accomplished by varying the electrical characteristics of a non-mechanically adjustable element or where the nature of the frequency controlling element is not significant
• 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 7/0413 MIMO systems

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for radio communication using multiple antennas and localization variables, and to an apparatus for radio communication using multiple antennas and localization variables. An apparatus for radio communication of the invention comprises: 4 antennas, the 4 antennas forming an antenna array; a radio device; a sensor unit estimating a plurality of localization variables; an antenna tuning apparatus having 4 antenna ports, each of the antenna ports being coupled to one of the antennas through a feeder, the antenna tuning apparatus having 4 radio ports, each of the radio ports being coupled to the radio device through an interconnection; and a tuning control unit, the tuning control unit receiving a tuning instruction generated automatically within the apparatus for radio communication, the tuning control unit delivering a plurality of tuning control signals to the antenna tuning apparatus.

Claims

1. A method for radio communication with several antennas in a given frequency band, the method using an apparatus for radio communication that includes n antennas, where n is an integer greater than or equal to 2, the method comprising the steps of:

estimating a plurality of variables, each of the variables being referred to as localization variable, each of the localization variables depending on the distance between a part of a human body and a zone of the apparatus for radio communication, a first of said localization variables depending on the distance between a part of a human body and a first zone of the apparatus for radio communication, a second of said localization variables depending on the distance between a part of a human body and a second zone of the apparatus for radio communication, the first zone of the apparatus for radio communication and the second zone of the apparatus for radio communication being distinct from one another;

coupling said n antennas, directly or indirectly, to an antenna tuning apparatus comprising n antenna ports, m radio ports and p adjustable impedance devices, where m is an integer greater than or equal to 2 and where p is an integer greater than or equal to 2m, the p adjustable impedance devices being such that, at a frequency in said given frequency band, each of the adjustable impedance devices has a reactance, the reactance of any one of the adjustable impedance devices being adjustable by electrical means;

generating a tuning instruction, each of the localization variables having an influence on the tuning instruction, the tuning instruction having an effect on the reactance of each of the adjustable impedance devices.

2. The method for radio communication of claim 1, wherein at least one of the localization variables is an output of a sensor responsive to a pressure exerted by a part of a human body.

3. The method for radio communication of claim 1, wherein at least one of the localization variables is an output of a proximity sensor.

4. The method for radio communication of claim 1, wherein at least one of the localization variables is determined by a change of state of an output of a touchscreen.

5. The method for radio communication of claim 1, wherein the antenna tuning apparatus is such that, at the frequency in said given frequency band, there exists a diagonal impedance matrix referred to as the given diagonal impedance matrix, the given diagonal impedance matrix being such that, if an impedance matrix seen by the antenna ports is equal to the given diagonal impedance matrix, then the reactance of any one of the adjustable impedance devices has an influence on an impedance matrix presented by the radio ports.

6. The method for radio communication of claim 5, wherein the antenna tuning apparatus is such that, at the frequency in said given frequency band, if the impedance matrix seen by the antenna ports is equal to the given diagonal impedance matrix, then the reactance of at least one of the adjustable impedance devices has an influence on at least one non-diagonal entry of the impedance matrix presented by the radio ports.

7. The method for radio communication of claim 1, wherein the antenna tuning apparatus is made up of n antenna tuning apparatuses each comprising one of said antenna ports, one of said radio ports, and two or more of said adjustable impedance devices.

8. The method for radio communication of claim 1, wherein the apparatus for radio communication comprises a radio receiver, the tuning instruction being a function of the localization variables and of one or more quantities representative of a channel matrix.

9. The method for radio communication of claim 1, wherein the apparatus for radio communication comprises a radio transmitter, the tuning instruction being a function of the localization variables and of q real quantities depending on an impedance matrix presented by the radio ports, where q is an integer greater than or equal to m.

10. An apparatus for radio communication using several antennas in a given frequency band, the apparatus for radio communication including n antennas, where n is an integer greater than or equal to 2, the apparatus for radio communication comprising:

a localization unit, the localization unit estimating a plurality of variables, each of the variables being referred to as localization variable, each of the localization variables depending on the distance between a part of a human body and a zone of the apparatus for radio communication, a first of said localization variables depending on the distance between a part of a human body and a first zone of the apparatus for radio communication, a second of said localization variables depending on the distance between a part of a human body and a second zone of the apparatus for radio communication, the first zone of the apparatus for radio communication and the second zone of the apparatus for radio communication being distinct from one another;

a processing unit, the processing unit delivering a tuning instruction, each of the localization variables having an influence on the tuning instruction;

an antenna tuning apparatus comprising n antenna ports, m radio ports and p adjustable impedance devices, where m is an integer greater than or equal to 2 and where p is an integer greater than or equal to 2m, the p adjustable impedance devices being such that, at a frequency in said given frequency band, each of the adjustable impedance devices has a reactance, the reactance of any one of the adjustable impedance devices being adjustable by electrical means;

a tuning control unit, the tuning control unit receiving the tuning instruction, the tuning control unit delivering a plurality of tuning control signals to the antenna tuning apparatus, the tuning control signals being determined as a function of the tuning instruction, the reactance of each of the adjustable impedance devices being mainly determined by one or more of the tuning control signals.

11. The apparatus for radio communication of claim 10, wherein at least one of the localization variables is an output of a sensor responsive to a pressure exerted by a part of a human body.

12. The apparatus for radio communication of claim 10, wherein at least one of the localization variables is an output of a proximity sensor.

13. The apparatus for radio communication of claim 10, wherein at least one of the localization variables is determined by a change of state of an output of a touchscreen.

14. The apparatus for radio communication of claim 10, wherein the antenna tuning apparatus is such that, at the frequency in said given frequency band, there exists a diagonal impedance matrix referred to as the given diagonal impedance matrix, the given diagonal impedance matrix being such that, if an impedance matrix seen by the antenna ports is equal to the given diagonal impedance matrix, then the reactance of any one of the adjustable impedance devices has an influence on an impedance matrix presented by the radio ports.

15. The apparatus for radio communication of claim 14, wherein the antenna tuning apparatus is such that, at the frequency in said given frequency band, if the impedance matrix seen by the antenna ports is equal to the given diagonal impedance matrix, then the reactance of at least one of the adjustable impedance devices has an influence on at least one non-diagonal entry of the impedance matrix presented by the radio ports.

16. The apparatus for radio communication of claim 10, wherein the antenna tuning apparatus is made up of n antenna tuning apparatuses each comprising one of said antenna ports, one of said radio ports, and two or more of said adjustable impedance devices.

17. The apparatus for radio communication of claim 10, wherein the apparatus for radio communication comprises a radio receiver, the tuning instruction being a function of the localization variables and of one or more quantities representative of a channel matrix.

18. The apparatus for radio communication of claim 10, wherein the apparatus for radio communication comprises a radio transmitter, the tuning instruction being a function of the localization variables and of q real quantities depending on an impedance matrix presented by the radio ports, where q is an integer greater than or equal to m.