Wireless communication device antenna with tuning elements

• US 8,405,568 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2009
• Issued: 03/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Mobile Communications GmbH (Intel Corporation)
• Inventors: Knudsen, Mikael Bergholz, Adler, Bernd, Bundgaard, Peter, Mueller, Jan-Erik, Pedersen, Gert F, Pelosi, Mauro
• Primary Examiner(s): MANCUSO, HUEDUNG XUAN CAO
• Application Number:
  US12/475,379
• Publication Number:
  US 20100302123A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,397 Days
• Field of Search: 343/861, 343/702, 343/700.MS, 343/850, 343/860, 455/283, 455/284
• US Class Current: 343/861
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/00 Arrangements for simultaneous operation of antennas on two or more different wavebands, e.g. dual-band or multi-band arrangements combinations of separate active antenna units operating in different wavebands and connected to a common feeder system H01Q21/30
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/35 using two or more simultaneously fed points
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/40 Imbricated or interleaved structures; Combined or electromagnetically coupled arrangements, e.g. comprising two or more non-connected fed radiating elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0421 with a shorting wall or a shorting pin at one end of the element H01Q9/0414 takes precedence
• 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

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to wireless communication device antennas with tuning elements.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device comprising:

a transceiver;

a narrowband antenna decoupled from a chassis of the wireless communication device, the narrowband antenna including one or more tuning elements to match an impedance of a transmitting amplifier, the impedance of a receiving amplifier, or a combination thereof, with an impedance of the narrowband antenna, wherein the one or more tuning elements change a resonance frequency of the narrowband antenna; and

a control unit to determine an absorption loss of the narrowband antenna and instruct the transceiver to transmit signals via the narrowband antenna when the absorption loss is less than an absorption loss value.

2. The wireless communication device of claim 1, further comprising a tuning circuit, wherein a node of the tuning circuit is coupled to the narrowband antenna, and wherein the tuning circuit matches an impedance of the narrowband antenna with the impedance of the transmitting amplifier, the impedance of the receiving amplifier, or a combination thereof.

3. The wireless communication device of claim 2, further comprising a switch, wherein the node of the tuning circuit is a first node of the tuning circuit, and wherein a first node of the switch is coupled to a second node of the tuning circuit, a second node of the switch is coupled to the transmitting amplifier, and a third node of the switch is coupled to the receiving amplifier.

4. The wireless communication device of claim 2, further comprising a duplex filter, wherein the node of the tuning circuit is a first node of the tuning circuit, and wherein a first node of the duplex filter is coupled to a second node of the tuning circuit, a second node of the duplex filter is coupled to the transmitting amplifier, and a third node of the duplex filter is coupled to the receiving amplifier.

5. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the tuning elements include one or more radio frequency switches.

6. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the tuning elements include one or more tunable capacitors.

7. The wireless communication device of claim 1, further comprising an additional narrowband antenna including one or more tuning elements to change a resonance frequency of the additional narrowband antenna, and wherein the absorption loss value is associated with the additional narrowband antenna.

8. The wireless communication device of claim 7, wherein the narrowband antenna includes a plurality of radiating elements.

9. A device comprising:

a transceiver;

a first narrowband antenna;

a second narrowband antenna; and

a control unit to determine an absorption loss of the first narrowband antenna and determine an absorption loss of the second narrowband antenna, the control unit further to select the first narrowband antenna or the second narrowband antenna based on the determining of the absorption losses associated with the respective first and second narrowband antennas.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the control unit instructs the transceiver to transmit signals via the first narrowband antenna when the absorption loss of the second narrowband antenna is greater than the absorption loss of the first narrowband antenna.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the control unit instructs the transceiver to transmit signals via the second narrowband antenna when the absorption loss of the second narrowband antenna is less than the absorption loss of the first narrowband antenna.

12. The device of claim 9, further comprising one or more tuning elements coupled directly between a radiating element of the first or second narrowband antenna and ground.

13. The device of claim 9, further comprising one or more tuning elements coupled between two points of a radiating element of the first or second narrowband antenna.

14. The device of claim 9, wherein the first or second narrowband antenna includes two feed points and a tuning element is coupled between the two feed points.

15. A method comprising:

determining, by a wireless communication device, absorption loss of a first narrowband antenna, the first narrowband antenna including a plurality of tuning elements to match an impedance of the first narrowband antenna with an impedance of a transmitting amplifier of the wireless communication device, an impedance of a receiving amplifier of the wireless communication device, or a combination thereof;

determining, by the wireless communication device, absorption loss of a second narrowband antenna, the second narrowband antenna including a plurality of tuning elements to match an impedance of the second narrowband antenna with an impedance of the transmitting amplifier, the impedance of the receiving amplifier, or a combination thereof;

determining, by the wireless communication device, whether the absorption loss of the second narrowband antenna is greater than the absorption loss of the first narrowband antenna;

transmitting signals, by the wireless communication device, via the first narrowband antenna when the absorption loss of the second narrowband antenna is greater than the absorption loss of the first narrowband antenna; and

transmitting signals, by the wireless communication device, via the second narrowband antenna when the absorption loss of the second narrowband antenna is less than the absorption loss of the second narrowband antenna.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein interaction of objects located proximate to the wireless communication device with the first narrowband antenna contributes to the absorption loss of the first narrowband antenna.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving signals, by the wireless communication device, via the first narrowband antenna when the absorption loss of the second narrowband antenna is greater than the absorption loss of the first narrowband antenna; and

receiving signals, by the wireless communication device, via the second narrowband antenna when the absorption loss of the second narrowband antenna is less than the absorption loss of the second narrowband antenna.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein a control unit of the wireless communication device determines the absorption loss of the first narrowband antenna and the absorption loss of the second narrowband antenna.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the control unit directs a transceiver of the wireless communication device to transmit signals via the first narrowband antenna or the second narrowband antenna.