Tunable microwave devices with auto-adjusting matching circuit

• US 7,795,990 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2008
• Issued: 09/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NXP USA, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: Paratek Microwave Incorporated (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: du Toit, Cornelis Frederik, Ryan, Deirdre A
• Primary Examiner(s): Jones; Stephen E
• Application Number:
  US12/077,140
• Publication Number:
  US 20080169995A1
• Time in Patent Office: 911 Days
• Field of Search: 333/33, 333/32, 333/17.3, 343/700.MS, 343/787, 343/909
• US Class Current: 333/17.3
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/028 between strip lines
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/04 with variable factor of coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/242 specially adapted for hand-held use
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/56 Modifications of input or output impedances, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/60 Amplifiers in which coupling networks have distributed constants, e.g. with waveguide resonators H03F3/54 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/40 Automatic matching of load impedance to source impedance
• 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

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention provides a power amplifier, comprising tunable impedance matching circuit including a plurality of tunable dielectric varactors and

• • a DC voltage source interface capable of providing voltage to said plurality of said tunable dielectric varactors.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

an auto-adjusting matching network adapted to be coupled to an antenna, said matching network comprises a tunable impedance matching circuit, said antenna having a variable impedance, wherein the impedance matching circuit is adapted to reduce the signal reflection of a signal propagating through the matching network by matching the variable impedance of the antenna with a tuned impedance of the matching network,

wherein the matching network comprises a non-tunable dielectric stage and a tunable dielectric stage, and wherein the matching is performed by adjusting a dielectric constant of the tunable dielectric stage based on a received tuning signal associated with the variable impedance of the antenna.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said antenna is an RF antenna.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said matching network is an auto-adjusting matching circuit capable of contributing to the tunable range of said apparatus.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus is a microwave device.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said matching network facilitates the capability of operation by said apparatus in the frequency range between 500 MHz to 40 GHz.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said matching circuit has minimal reflection loss and reduced insertion loss over the tuning range of said apparatus.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tunable dielectric stage comprises barium strontium titanate.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the tunable dielectric stage comprises a metal silicate phase.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the tunable dielectric stage comprises at least two metal oxide phases.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the tunable dielectric stage comprises a Mg-containing compound.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

an auto-adjusting matching network adapted to be coupled to a variable load, wherein the auto-adjusting matching network is adapted to reduce signal reflection of a signal propagating through the auto-adjusting matching network into the variable load by matching a variable impedance of the variable load with a tunable impedance of the matching network,

wherein the matching network comprises a non-tunable dielectric stage and a tunable dielectric stage, and wherein the matching is performed by adjusting a dielectric constant of the tunable dielectric stage based on a received tuning signal associated with the variable impedance of the variable load.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the auto-adjusting matching network is capable of contributing to the tunable range of the apparatus.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said apparatus is a microwave device.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the non-tunable and tunable dielectric stages form a composite impedance transformer.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the non-tunable and tunable dielectric stages form a composite impedance transformer of a quarter-wavelength.

16. A method of impedance matching in a device, comprising:

providing an auto-adjusting multi-stage impedance matching circuit that is connectable with said device, wherein the device has a variable impedance, and

utilizing the multi-stage impedance matching circuit to reduce signal reflection of a signal propagating through the multi-stage impedance matching circuit into said device, by matching the variable impedance of the device with a tunable impedance of the multi-stage impedance matching circuit, wherein the matching is performed by adjusting an impedance of a tunable dielectric stage of the multi-stage impedance matching circuit,

wherein the matching circuit comprises a non-tunable dielectric stage, and wherein the matching is performed by adjusting a dielectric constant of the tunable dielectric stage based on a received tuning signal associated with the variable impedance.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the device is a microwave device and said signal is a microwave signal.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein said device is a portable communication device.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the non-tunable and tunable dielectric stages form a composite impedance transformer.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the non-tunable and tunable dielectric stages form a composite impedance transformer of a quarter-wavelength.