Method and system for matching an integrated FM system to an antenna utilizing on-chip measurement of reflected signals

• US 8,270,907 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2011
• Issued: 09/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Baker, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Tuan A
• Application Number:
  US13/080,316
• Publication Number:
  US 20110183628A1
• Time in Patent Office: 532 Days
• Field of Search: 455 78- 83, 455 68- 69, 455120-125, 455/269, 455280-281, 455/284, 455/296, 455/67.11, 455/67.14, 455/63.1, 455/557, 455/575.1, 455/575.7, 455 901- 903, 455344-349, 343/702, 343/724, 343/725, 343820-822, 324/527
• US Class Current: 455/67.14
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/085 concerning mainly the frequency- or phase-detection arrangement including the filtering or amplification of its output signal H03L7/10 takes precedence; circuits for comparing the phase or frequency of two mutually-independent oscillations H03D13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/181 a numerical count result being used for locking the loop, the counter counting during fixed time intervals H03L7/1806 takes precedence

Abstract

Aspects of a method and system for matching an integrated system to an antenna utilizing on-chip measurement of reflected signals are provided. In a chip comprising at least a portion of a receiver and at least a portion of a transmitter, a best impedance match between an antenna and the chip may be determined based on on-chip measurement of one or more signals reflected from the antenna. The best impedance match between the antenna and the chip may be determined utilizing a correction algorithm. The correction algorithm may be determined utilizing data from an external test set that measures signals transmitted by the chip via the antenna. The reflected signals may be routed to a signal analyzer via on on-chip directional coupler. The best impedance match may be determined for each of a plurality of frequencies and/or each of a plurality of transmit signal strengths.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

in a chip comprising at least a portion of a receiver and at least a portion of a transmitter;

determining a best impedance match between an antenna and said chip based on on-chip measurement of one or more signals reflected from said antenna, wherein;

said best impedance match between said antenna and said chip is determined utilizing a correction algorithm; and

said correction algorithm is determined utilizing data from an external test set that measures signals transmitted by said chip via said antenna.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising routing, utilizing an on-chip directional coupler, said reflected signals to a signal analyzer.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said signal analyzer measures signal strength of said one or more signals reflected from said antenna.

4. The method according to claim 1, comprising impedance matching said antenna and said chip utilizing a configurable matching network.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein at least a portion of said configurable matching network is integrated on said chip.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein said configurable matching network comprises one or more banks of inductors communicatively coupled via one or more switching elements.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein said configurable matching network comprises one or more banks of capacitors communicatively coupled via one or more switching elements.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said best impedance match is determined for each of a plurality of frequencies.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said best impedance match is determined for each of a plurality of transmit signal strengths.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein said external test set provides control signals to said chip utilizing one or more wireless protocols other than a wireless protocol of said one or more signals reflected from said antenna.

11. A system comprising:

one or more circuits in a chip, said one or more circuits comprising at least a portion of a receiver and at least a portion of a transmitter, and said one or more circuits being operable to;

determine a best impedance match between an antenna and said chip based on on-chip measurement of one or more signals reflected from said antenna, wherein;

said best impedance match between said antenna and said chip is determined utilizing a correction algorithm; and

said correction algorithm is determined utilizing data from an external test set that measures signals transmitted by said chip via said antenna.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein:

said one or more circuits comprise a directional coupler; and

said reflected signals are routed to a signal analyzer by said directional coupler.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein said signal analyzer measures signal strength of said one or more signals reflected from said antenna.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein said one or more circuits configure a configurable matching network as part of said determining said best impedance.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein at least a portion of said configurable matching network is integrated on said chip.

16. The system according to claim 14, wherein said configurable matching network comprises one or more banks of inductors communicatively coupled via one or more switching elements.

17. The system according to claim 14, wherein said configurable matching network comprises one or more banks of capacitors communicatively coupled via one or more switching elements.

18. The system according to claim 11, wherein said best impedance match is determined for each of a plurality of frequencies.

19. The system according to claim 11, wherein said best impedance match is determined for each of a plurality of transmit signal strengths.

20. The system according to claim 11, wherein said external test set provides control signals to said chip utilizing one or more wireless protocols other than a wireless protocol of said one or more signals reflected from said antenna.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable medium embodying a program executable in a computing device, the program designed to determine a best impedance match between an antenna and a chip based on an on-chip measurement of one or more signals reflected from the antenna, wherein the best impedance match between the antenna, and the chip is determined utilizing a correction algorithm the correction algorithm is determined utilizing data from an external test set that measures signals transmitted by the chip via the antenna.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, further comprising code that routes, utilizing an on-chip directional coupler, the reflected signals to a signal analyzer.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the signal analyzer measures signal strength of the one or more signals reflected from the antenna.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, further comprising code that impedance matches the antenna and the chip utilizing a configurable matching network.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein at least a portion of the configurable matching network is integrated on the chip.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the configurable matching network comprises one or more banks of inductors communicatively coupled via one or more switching elements.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the configurable matching network comprises one or more banks of capacitors communicatively coupled via one or more switching elements.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the best impedance match is determined for each of a plurality of frequencies.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the best impedance match is determined for each of a plurality of transmit signal strengths.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the external test set provides control signals to the chip utilizing one or more wireless protocols other than a wireless protocol of the one or more signals reflected from the antenna.