Controlling MTD antenna VSWR and coupling for SAR control

• US 9,525,203 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2012
• Issued: 12/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Harel, Haim, Chen, Phil, Kludt, Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): Hsieh, Ping
• Application Number:
  US14/125,174
• Publication Number:
  US 20140125546A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,643 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 455/69
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/50 Structural association of antennas with earthing switches, lead-in devices or lightning protectors
• 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 1/3838 Arrangements for reducing RF exposure to the user, e.g. by changing the shape of the transceiver while in use

Abstract

A method and apparatus has been developed to reduce SAR for a mobile device by designing appropriate matching circuits between each antenna and its power amplifier. In the presence of such matching circuits the normal phase adjustments may be carried out to provide a preferred safe SAR level that can be maintained during phase adjustment without sacrificing TRP.

Claims

1. A mobile transmit diversity device comprising:

a first power amplifier;

a first matching circuit configured to receive and mediate at least a phase of the first signal from the first power amplifier;

a first antenna configured to receive and radiate the first signal mediated by the first matching circuit;

a second power amplifier;

a second matching circuit configured to receive and mediate at least a phase of the second signal from the second power amplifier;

a second antenna configured to receive and radiate the second signal mediated by the second matching circuit;

wherein the first and second antennae are configured to be within each other'"'"'s near field such that the radiated signals from each of the first and second antennae are coupled by near-field wireless coupling; and

wherein each of the first and second matching circuits include a network topology comprising a plurality of impedance components, wherein impedance values of the impedance components are chosen, based on the coupled signals, to produce reflection coefficients and VSWR values that reduce TRP at a phase setting that produces a worst case SAR by the coupled signals among the antennae.

2. The mobile transmit diversity device of claim 1, where the network topology is an L topology and the impedance components include one or more of inductive and capacitive components.

3. A mobile transmit diversity device being subject to a SAR limit comprising:

a first power amplifier;

a first matching circuit configured to receive and mediate at least a phase of the first signal from the first power amplifier;

a first antenna configured to receive and radiate the first signal mediated by the first matching circuit;

a second power amplifier;

a second matching circuit configured to receive and mediate at least a phase of the second signal from the second power amplifier;

a second antenna configured to receive and radiate the second signal mediated by the second matching circuit;

wherein the first and second antennae are configured to be within each other'"'"'s near field such that the radiated signals from each of the first and second antennae are coupled by near-field wireless coupling; and

wherein each of the first and second matching circuits include a network topology comprising a plurality of impedance components, wherein impedance values of the impedance components are chosen, based on the coupled signals, to produce reflection coefficients and VSWR values that produces constant average TRP without exceeding a predefined SAR limit.

4. The mobile transmit diversity device of claim 3 where the network topology is an L topology and the impedance components include one or more of inductive and capacitive components.

5. A mobile transmit diversity unit being subject to a SAR limit comprising:

a first power amplifier;

a first matching circuit configured to receive and mediate at least a phase of the first signal from the first power amplifier;

a first antenna configured to receive and radiate the first signal mediated by the first matching circuit;

a second power amplifier;

a second matching circuit configured to receive and mediate at least a phase of the second signal from the second power amplifier;

a second antenna configured to receive and radiate the second signal mediated by the second matching circuit;

wherein the first and second antennae are configured to be within each other'"'"'s near field such that the radiated signals from each of the first and second antennae are coupled by near-field wireless coupling; and

wherein each of the first and second matching circuits include a network topology chosen, based on the coupled signals, to produce high antenna coupling as measured by VSWR values and that produces higher average TRP without exceeding a predefined SAR limit.

6. The mobile transmit diversity unit of claim 5, wherein the network topology is an L topology and the impedance components include one or more of inductive and capacitive components.

7. A mobile transmit diversity unit comprising:

a first power amplifier;

a first matching circuit configured to receive and mediate at least a phase of the first signal from the first power amplifier;

a first antenna configured to receive and radiate the first signal mediated by the first matching circuit;

a second power amplifier;

a second matching circuit configured to receive and mediate at least a phase of the second signal from the second power amplifier;

a second antenna configured to receive and radiate the second signal mediated by the second matching circuit;

wherein the first and second antennae are configured to be within each other'"'"'s near field such that the radiated signals from each of the first and second antennae are coupled by near-field wireless coupling; and

wherein impedance values of each of the first and second matching circuits are configured, based on the coupled signals, to minimize a worst case SAR value.

8. The mobile transmit diversity unit of claim 7, wherein the network topology is an L topology and the impedance components include one or more of inductive and capacitive components.

9. A method for selecting matching circuits in a mobile transmit diversity device comprising:

receiving and radiating, by a first and second antenna configured to be within each other'"'"'s near field, corresponding first and second radiated signals to produce a radiation field in which the first and second radiated signals are coupled by near-field wireless coupling;

determining a point at which a SAR associated with the radiation field achieves its highest value;

responsive to determining that the highest value exceeds a preset SAR threshold;

sending an interference maximum of a radiation pattern to the point by selecting a phase difference, based on the coupled signals, between the antennae; and

adjusting the matching circuits to reduce TRP so that SAR is below a preset SAR threshold.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein impedance values of components associated with the matching circuits are adjusted based on the selected phase difference.