Method and apparatus for tuning a communication device

• US 9,473,216 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2014
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP USA, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Mendolia, Gregory
• Primary Examiner(s): Hsieh, Ping
• Application Number:
  US14/149,259
• Publication Number:
  US 20140118190A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,015 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3838 Arrangements for reducing RF exposure to the user, e.g. by changing the shape of the transceiver while in use
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/00 Radio transmission systems, i.e. using radiation field H04B10/00, H04B15/00 take precedence

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including computer instructions to obtain at least one operational parameter associated with a communication device and to adjust a steerable antenna of the communication device when the communication device does not satisfy an impedance threshold, where the satisfying of the impedance threshold is determined based on the at least one operational parameter. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions which, responsive to being executed by a processing system including a processor of a mobile device, facilitate performance of operations comprising:

monitoring an operational parameter associated with a steerable antenna coupled to a matching network according to an impedance threshold based on a free-space impedance of the steerable antenna;

adjusting an antenna pattern of the steerable antenna from a first position to a second position to reduce obstruction in a near field of the steerable antenna in response to a determination of an antenna mismatch based on the monitoring of the operational parameter, wherein changes in the operational parameter are utilized as feedback for determining a position for the steerable antenna during the adjusting of the steerable antenna;

determining a difference value based on the operational parameter and a baseline impedance of the steerable antenna;

repeating the adjusting of the antenna pattern of the steerable antenna to reduce the obstruction in the near field of the steerable antenna, in response to the difference value exceeding the impedance threshold; and

adjusting the matching network, in response to the difference value satisfying the impedance threshold,

wherein the adjusting of the antenna pattern of the steerable antenna and the adjusting of the matching network are according to iterative processes.

2. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the adjusting of the antenna pattern of the steerable antenna is based on a received signal strength indicator.

3. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the operational parameter is obtained before and after the adjusting of the steerable antenna.

4. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the impedance threshold is based on one or more values stored in a memory, and wherein the steerable antenna is part of a multiple antenna system of a mobile communication device.

5. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the operational parameter comprises a magnitude and a phase of a reflected power associated with the steerable antenna.

6. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the monitoring of the operational parameter is performed using a directional coupler.

7. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the adjusting of the matching network is in response to the antenna mismatch.

8. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein iterations for the adjusting of the antenna pattern are limited to an iteration threshold, and wherein, responsive to a determination that the iteration threshold has been exceeded, the adjusting of the matching network utilizes a closed loop impedance matching process according to a last known antenna steering position at a time when the iteration threshold was exceeded.

9. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the matching network includes an electrically tunable capacitor comprising barium strontium titanate, and wherein at least one of the adjusting of the matching network or the adjusting of the steerable antenna is according to changes to a tuning state of the electrically tunable capacitor.

10. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the matching network includes a semiconductor varactor, and wherein at least one of the adjusting of the matching network or the adjusting of the steerable antenna is according to changes to a tuning state of the semiconductor varactor.

11. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium claim 1, wherein the matching network includes a micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) varactor, and wherein at least one of the adjusting of the matching network or the adjusting of the steerable antenna is according to changes to a tuning state of the MEMS varactor.

12. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the matching network includes a micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) switched reactive element, and wherein at least one of the adjusting of the matching network or the adjusting of the steerable antenna is according to changes to a tuning state of the MEMS switched reactive element.

13. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the matching network includes a piezoelectric component or a semiconductor switched reactive element, and wherein at least one of the adjusting of the matching network or the adjusting of the steerable antenna is according to changes to a tuning state of the piezoelectric component or the semiconductor switched reactive element.

14. A method comprising:

adjusting, by a processing system including a processor, an antenna pattern of a steerable antenna of a mobile communication device to reduce obstruction in a near field of the steerable antenna in response to a determination of an antenna mismatch;

determining, by the processing system, a difference value based on a measured impedance of the steerable antenna and a baseline impedance of the steerable antenna in free-space;

in response to the difference value exceeding a difference threshold, repeating, by the processing system, the adjusting of the antenna pattern of the steerable antenna to reduce the obstruction in the near field of the steerable antenna; and

in response to the difference value not exceeding the difference threshold, adjusting, by the processing system, a matching network of the mobile communication device, wherein the adjusting of the matching network is performed while an antenna steering position is held constant.

15. The method of claim 14, comprising obtaining an RF voltage associated with the steerable antenna, wherein at least one of the adjusting of the antenna pattern or the adjusting of the matching network is based on the RF voltage.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the RF voltage is obtained from a directional coupler operably coupled with the steerable antenna.

17. The method of claim 14, comprising communicating steering data with a base station, wherein the adjusting of the antenna pattern is based on the steering data.

18. A method comprising:

facilitating, by a processing system including a processor, adjustment of an antenna pattern of a steerable antenna of a communication device to obtain an adjusted impedance of the steerable antenna, wherein the adjusting of the antenna pattern includes moving a steerable lobe pattern;

determining, by the processing system, a difference value based on the adjusted impedance and a baseline impedance of the steerable antenna;

in response to the difference value exceeding a difference threshold, repeating, by the processing system, the facilitating of the adjustment of the antenna pattern of the steerable antenna to obtain an updated adjusted impedance; and

in response to the difference value not exceeding the difference threshold, facilitating, by the processing system, adjustment of a matching network of the communication device based on the adjusted impedance;

monitoring the adjustment of the antenna pattern according to an iteration threshold; and

responsive to a determination that the iteration threshold has been exceeded, facilitating application of a closed loop impedance matching process for the adjustment of the matching network to a last known antenna steering position at a time when the iteration threshold was exceeded.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising obtaining, by the processing system, an operation parameter comprising a received signal strength indicator.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the adjusted impedance comprises a magnitude and a phase of a reflected power associated with the steerable antenna, wherein the matching network includes an electrically tunable capacitor comprising barium strontium titanate, and wherein at least one of the adjusting of the matching network or the adjusting of the antenna pattern is according to changes to a tuning state of the electrically tunable capacitor.