Radio apparatus

• US 6,339,711 B1
• Filed: 03/16/1998
• Issued: 01/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Otaka, Shoji, Yoshida, Hiroshi, Kayano, Hiroyuki, Tsurumi, Hiroshi, Maeda, Tadahiko, Sekine, Syuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunter, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Woldetatios, Yemane
• Application Number:
  US09/039,464
• Time in Patent Office: 1,401 Days
• Field of Search: 455/226.1, 455/226.2, 455/226.3, 455/226.4, 455/126, 455/115, 455/82, 455/83, 455/422, 455/423, 455/424, 455/525, 455/13.4, 455/14, 455/19, 455/20, 455/21, 455/24, 455/23, 455/38.3, 455/63, 455/67.1, 455/67.3, 455/69, 455/76, 455/78, 455/177, 330/129, 330/255
• US Class Current: 455/550.1
• CPC Class Codes: H03D 3/008 Compensating DC offsets
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/30 Modifications of amplifiers to reduce influence of variations of temperature or supply voltage or other physical parameters in differential amplifiers H03F3/45479
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/294 the amplifier being a low noise amplifier [LNA]
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/372 Noise reduction and elimination in amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/504 the supply voltage or current being continuously controlled by a controlling signal, e.g. the controlling signal of a transistor implemented as variable resistor in a supply path for, an IC-block showed amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/189 High-frequency amplifiers, e.g. radio frequency amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/3042 in modulators, frequency-changers, transmitters or power amplifiers transmission power control in bidirectional transmission systems H04W52/04
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/1075 by changing characteristics of the loop filter, e.g. changing the gain, changing the bandwidth H03L7/1072 takes precedence
• 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 1/28 the receiver comprising at least one semiconductor device having three or more electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/30 for homodyne or synchrodyne receivers demodulator circuits H03D1/22
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/403 using the same oscillator for generating both the transmitter frequency and the receiver local oscillator frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/405 with multiple discrete channels
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

In a radio apparatus, the band of a loop filter of a synthesizer in a blank channel searching state is narrower than the band in a communicating state. In addition, a radio wave environment is measured. A characteristic necessary for the radio apparatus is determined corresponding to the measured radio wave environment. The power is controlled corresponding to the performance of the radio apparatus. Thus, the power consumption is decreased. In addition, the efficiency of the output power is improved. In the radio apparatus, the current consumption of a power amplifier PA is measured. A matching circuit (LNA or MIX) of the antenna is adjusted with the measured result so as to decrease an antenna loss. In the radio apparatus, a DC offset is removed from the transmitted power and the reflected wave. When the DC offset is removed using an AC coupling capacitor, the deterioration of the frequency characteristic of the receiving portion is compensated with a capacitor in a digital signal process. In the radio apparatus, a transmission power detecting portion is structured as an IC chip. The transmission power detecting portion detects the transmission power corresponding to leakage currents in the power supply of the IC chip and the ground. Thus, when the power is detected, a power loss is suppressed. Consequently, the power consumption of the radio apparatus can be decreased.

Claims

1. A radio apparatus, comprising:

a transmitting portion having a power amplifier configured to send a radio signal to an antenna;

a receiving portion configured to receive a radio signal from the antenna;

a transmission/reception switch configured to select one of said transmitting portion and said receiving portion;

a transmission power detecting portion, connected or capacitance-coupled to a power supply portion supplying a power to drive the power amplifier, and configured to indirectly detect output power of the power amplifier by sensing the amount of fluctuation of the power of the power supply portion taking place when a radio signal is transmitted and to provide a corresponding transmission power signal; and

a controlling portion configured to respond the transmission power signal from the transmitting power detecting portion to provide control of transmission power of the radio signal based thereon.

2. The radio apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein said transmission power detecting portion includes a sensing portion configured to sense the amount of fluctuation of the power supply portion.

3. The radio apparatus as set forth in claim 2,

wherein said sensing portion includes one of a diode, a capacitor, and a resistor.

4. The radio apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein said transmission power detecting portion comprises:

a sensing portion configured to sense the amount of fluctuation of the power of the power supply portion; and

a frequency converting portion configured to convert a signal sensed by said sensing portion into a low frequency signal.

5. The radio apparatus as set forth in claim 4,

wherein said sensing portion includes one of a diode, a capacitor, and a resistor.

6. The radio apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein said transmission power detecting portion is included in one of an IC chip of the power amplifier and an IC chip of said transmission/reception switch.

7. The radio apparatus as set forth in claim 6,

wherein the transmission/reception switch is a single-pole-dual-throw circuit, and

wherein said transmission detecting portion detects a leakage current of the single-pole-dual-throw circuit as said indirectly detected output power of the power amplifier.

8. The radio apparatus as set forth in claim 7,

wherein said single-pole-dual-throw circuit has a shunt transistor, one of a drain terminal and a source terminal of the shunt transistor is connected to a transmission power input terminal, and a gate T terminal of the shunt transistor is connected to a control signal terminal, and

wherein said transmission detecting portion comprises a two-terminal impedance circuit composed of a resistor, a capacitor, or inductance, a first terminal of the two-terminal impedance circuit is connected to the remaining terminal of the shunt transistor, a second terminal of the two-terminal impedance circuit is connected to ground, and said transmission detecting portion detect a current from the first terminal corresponding to said leakage current fluctuating parameter value.

9. The radio apparatus as set forth in claim 6,

wherein one of the power amplifier and said transmission/reception switch is structured as an IC chip, and

wherein said transmission power detecting portion comprises:

a first metal wire pattern formed in the IC chip mainly composed of an insulation layer; and

a second metal wire pattern, formed on the first metal wire pattern through the insulation layer, for supplying a power.

10. The radio apparatus as set forth in claim 9,

wherein the first metal wire pattern in the IC chip is varied so as to designate capacitance as the parameter value for indirectly detecting the output power of the power amplifier.

11. A radio apparatus, comprising:

a radio circuit configured to send a signal to be transmitted to an antenna through a transmitting amplifier;

a power supply circuit configured to supply power to drive said transmitting amplifier;

an ampere meter configured to indirectly measure the power supplied by the power supply circuit to the transmitting amplifier and to provide a corresponding output signal;

a matching circuit configured to vary a matching characteristic of the antenna; and

a controlling circuit configured to receive the output signal from the ampere meter and to control the matching circuit corresponding to the output signal to vary the matching characteristics.