System and method for controlling electromagnetic interference in portable electronic devices having a radio frequency subsystem

• US 8,787,990 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2012
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Marchand, Rene Pierre, Winger, Lyall Kenneth, Bernard, Christopher David
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Lana N
• Application Number:
  US13/467,348
• Publication Number:
  US 20130301689A1
• Time in Patent Office: 804 Days
• Field of Search: 4551271-1275, 455572-574, 4553431-3436, 455102-110, 375219-238
• US Class Current: 455/574
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/38 Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 15/06 by local oscillators of receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/4902 Pulse width modulation; Pulse position modulation

Abstract

A portable electronic device that has a radio frequency communication subsystem operationally connected switch-mode power supply subsystem. The switch-mode power supply subsystem generates a pulse-width modulation electrical signal that produces electromagnetic interference. The switch-mode power supply subsystem can reduce the slew rate of the pulse-width modulation electrical signal when the radio-frequency communication subsystem is active. This reduces the level of the electromagnetic interference signal only during radio frequency communication, which improves the efficiency of the radio frequency communication. Not having the reduced slew rate when there is no radio frequency communication allows for higher modulation efficiency.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) communication subsystem configured to generate a RF activity status signal indicative of a RF activity status of the RF communication subsystem; and

a switch-mode power supply subsystem configured to receive the RF activity status signal, the switch-mode power supply subsystem operable to output an output electrical signal as a function of the RF activity status signal, the output electrical signal being a first output electrical signal when the RF activity status signal indicates inactivity of the RF communication subsystem, the output electrical signal being a second output electrical signal when the RF activity status signal indicates activity of the RF communication subsystem, the first output electrical signal being a pulse-width modulated signal having an initial slew rate, the second output electrical signal being a modified pulse-width modulated signal having a modified slew rate, the modified slew rate being less than the initial slew rate, the portable electronic device producing an electromagnetic interference (EMI) signal as a function of the output electrical signal, the EMI signal being lower for the second output electrical signal than for the first output electrical signal.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the switch-mode power supply subsystem includes:

a direct current voltage source to produce a voltage; and

a modulator assembly operationally connected to the direct current voltage source to modulate the voltage to produce the output electrical signal, the modulator assembly including a modulator switch, a modulator switch driver to drive the modulator switch, and a slew rate switch assembly electrically connected between the modulator switch driver and the modulator switch, the slew rate switch assembly having a resistance value, the resistance value being selectable between an initial resistance value and a modified resistance value, the modified resistance value being greater than the initial resistance value, a selection of the resistance value being effected as a function of the RF activity status signal, the initial resistance value being selected when the RF activity status signal indicates inactivity of the RF communication subsystem, the modified resistance value being selected when the RF activity status signal indicates activity of the RF communication subsystem.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the slew rate switch assembly includes a slew rate switch and a resistor.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein the modulator switch is a transistor.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein the transistor is a MOSFET or a IGBT.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the RF communication subsystem includes a baseband processor and a RF transceiver, the baseband processor to generate the RF activity status signal, the RF activity status signal to indicate one of an activity of the RF transceiver and an inactivity of the RF transceiver.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein:

the activity of the RF transceiver includes at least one of receiving a RF signal and transmitting a RF signal; and

the inactivity of the RF transceiver includes neither receiving nor transmitting a RF signal.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the RF communication subsystem includes a RF transceiver, the RF transceiver to generate the RF activity status signal RF, the RF activity status signal to indicate one of an activity of the RF transceiver and an inactivity of the RF transceiver.