Apparatus for enhancing efficiency of antenna in a mobile terminal

• US 9,209,849 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2010
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Jin-Man, Lee, Jun-Hui, Kim, Chang-Ha, Kim, Byung-Kyu
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Duc M
• Application Number:
  US12/878,230
• Publication Number:
  US 20110065429A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,916 Days
• Field of Search: 455/120, 455/121, 455/123, 455/124, 455/125, 455/126
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/242 specially adapted for hand-held use
• 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
• 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

An apparatus for enhancing an efficiency of an antenna in a mobile terminal includes an antenna matcher whose setting is changed under control of a controller, the antenna matcher coupled to the antenna, a sensing unit for sensing whether or not a user holds the mobile terminal and a holding pattern in which the user holds the mobile terminal, and a controller for controlling the setting of the antenna matcher according to whether or not the user holds the mobile terminal and the holding pattern.

Claims

1. An apparatus for enhancing an efficiency of an antenna in a mobile terminal, the apparatus comprising:

an antenna matcher coupled to the antenna;

a sensing unit comprising a touch sensor for sensing whether or not a user holds the mobile terminal, and at least one inclination sensor for sensing inclination of the mobile terminal, the inclination corresponding to a holding pattern of the user; and

a controller for determining the user'"'"'s holding pattern based on the sensed inclination, and for controlling the setting of the antenna matcher according to whether or not the user holds the mobile terminal and the user'"'"'s holding pattern.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inclination sensor is an earth magnetic field sensor.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the holding pattern is classified into left-hand holding or right-hand holding according to the earth magnetic field sensor of the sensing unit.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the antenna matcher comprises a trimmer capacitor whose capacitance is changed according to a control signal of the controller.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the antenna matcher comprises one or more capacitors and one or more switching elements, and the one or more switching elements short-circuit or connect the one or more capacitors, wherein impedance of the antenna mismatched by the user'"'"'s holding of the mobile terminal is matched again by changing the capacitance of the antenna matcher according to a control signal of the controller.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the antenna matcher comprises one or more inductors and one or more switching elements, and the one or more switching elements short-circuit or connect the one or more inductors impedance of the antenna mismatched by the user'"'"'s holding of the mobile terminal is matched again by changing the inductance of the antenna matcher according to a control signal of the controller.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the antenna matcher comprises one or more capacitors, one or more inductors, and one or more switching elements, and the one or more switching elements short-circuit or connect at least one of the one or more capacitors and the one or more inductors impedance of the antenna mismatched by the user'"'"'s holding of the mobile terminal is matched again by changing the capacitance and inductance of the antenna matcher according to a control signal of the controller.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller controls settings of the antenna matcher according to a user'"'"'s holding pattern by referring to setting values stored in a memory.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the touch sensor is a capacitive overlay touch sensor.

10. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a sensor unit comprising a touch sensor for sensing whether or not a user holds the mobile terminal, and at least one inclination sensor for sensing inclination of the mobile terminal, the sensed inclination corresponding to a user'"'"'s holding pattern;

a memory for storing a predetermined setting value corresponding to at least one user'"'"'s holding pattern;

an antenna matcher coupled to an antenna to adjust an impedance match of the antenna; and

a controller for determining the user'"'"'s holding pattern based on the sensed inclination, and for controlling the setting of the antenna matcher according to whether or not the user holds the mobile terminal and the user'"'"'s holding pattern by referring to the setting values stored in the memory in order to match an impedance of the antenna during holding of the mobile terminal.

11. A method for enhancing an efficiency of an antenna in a mobile terminal, comprising:

sensing whether a user holds the mobile terminal via a touch sensor;

sensing a corresponding inclination via an inclination sensor;

determining a holding pattern of the user based on the sensed inclination;

retrieving a predetermined setting value corresponding to the determined holding pattern and the sensing that the user holds the mobile terminal; and

adjusting an impedance match of the antenna based on the retrieved setting value.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising storing the predetermined setting value in a memory.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the holding pattern is classified into left-hand holding or right-hand holding.

14. A mobile terminal, comprising:

an antenna matcher coupled to an antenna;

a touch screen configured to display data related to communication and to sense a user'"'"'s touch thereon, wherein the touch screen is disposed on a front side of the mobile terminal; and

a controller, coupled to the touch screen, configured to determine whether or not the user holds the mobile terminal based on information sensed by the touch screen, configured to determine based on the position of the user'"'"'s touch on the touch screen by which hand the user holds the mobile terminal, and configured to control the setting of the antenna matcher according to by which hand the user holds the mobile terminal.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 14, wherein the antenna matcher comprises one or more capacitors or inductors and one or more switching elements, and the one or more switching elements short-circuit or connect the one or more capacitors or inductors, wherein impedance of the antenna mismatched by the user'"'"'s holding of the mobile terminal is matched again by changing the capacitance or inductance of the antenna matcher according to a control signal of the controller.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 14, further comprising a memory that stores setting values for the antenna matcher, and wherein the controller controls the settings of the antenna matcher according to a user'"'"'s holding pattern by referring to the setting values stored in the memory.

17. A method for enhancing an efficiency of an antenna in a mobile terminal having a touch screen, comprising:

receiving a call in the mobile terminal;

in response to the receiving of the call, sensing a user'"'"'s touch on the touch screen by the touch screen, wherein the touch screen is disposed on a front side of the mobile terminal and is for displaying data related to communication; and

determining whether or not the user holds the mobile terminal based on information sensed by the touch screen, and determining based on the position of the user'"'"'s touch on the touch screen, by which hand the user holds the mobile terminal; and

controlling an impedance match of the antenna based on by which hand the user holds the mobile terminal.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the impedance match of the antenna is set through an antenna matcher, and further comprising:

storing setting values for the antenna matcher in a memory;

controlling settings of the antenna matcher to thereby adjust the impedance match, according to a user'"'"'s holding pattern, by referring to the setting values stored in the memory.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the antenna matcher comprises one or more capacitors or inductors and one or more switching elements, and the one or more switching elements short-circuit or connect the one or more capacitors or inductors, wherein impedance of the antenna mismatched by the user'"'"'s holding of the mobile terminal is matched again by changing the capacitance or inductance of the antenna matcher according to a control signal of the controller.