Dynamic antenna tuner setting for carrier aggregation scenarios

• US 9,554,359 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2014
• Issued: 01/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Tabet, Tarik, Damji, Navid, Hu, Ming, Mucke, Christian W., Majjigi, Vinay R., Mujtaba, Syed A., Sebeni, Johnson O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yao, Kwang B
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGO, NGUYEN HOANG
• Application Number:
  US14/175,502
• Publication Number:
  US 20150230206A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,082 Days
• Field of Search: 370/230, 370/252, 370/311, 370/328, 370/329, 370/339, 370/341, 370/343
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/00 Baseband systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0039 Frequency-contiguous, i.e. with no allocation of frequencies for one user or terminal between the frequencies allocated to another
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0041 Frequency-non-contiguous
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/00 Power management, e.g. TPC [Transmission Power Control], power saving or power classes gain control in transmitters or power amplifiers H03G3/3042
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/245 taking into account received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/346 distributing total power among users or channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/365 Power headroom reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/42 in systems with time, space, frequency or polarisation diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/02 Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1215 for collaboration of different radio technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/02 Hybrid access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for dynamically adjusting radio frequency circuitry in a wireless communication device are disclosed. The wireless communication device can receive downlink communication using carrier aggregation through a primary component carrier and a secondary component carrier. When carrier aggregation is not enabled, the wireless communication device adjusts the radio frequency circuitry based on default values. When carrier aggregation is enabled, the wireless communication device evaluates radio frequency conditions for the primary and secondary component carriers and adjusts the radio frequency circuitry based on whether uplink and/or downlink communication is power constrained. When uplink communication is power constrained, the wireless communication device adjusts the radio frequency circuitry for optimal performance via the primary component carrier, and when uplink communication is not power constrained, the wireless communication device adjusts the radio frequency circuitry for optimal performance via the combination of the primary and secondary component carriers used for carrier aggregation.

Claims

1. A method to adjust radio frequency circuitry in a wireless communication device, the method comprising the wireless communication device at least:

receiving one or more downlink communications from a wireless network;

determining whether carrier aggregation is enabled;

when carrier aggregation is not enabled, adjusting the radio frequency circuitry based on default setting values; and

when carrier aggregation is enabled;

evaluating radio frequency conditions for a primary component carrier and for a secondary component carrier used for carrier aggregation;

determining whether uplink communication is power constrained;

when uplink communication is power constrained, adjusting the radio frequency circuitry to maximize power transfer over a set of radio frequencies through the primary component carrier; and

when uplink communication is not power constrained, adjusting the radio frequency circuitry to maximize power transfer over a set of radio frequencies through a combination of the primary component carrier and the secondary component carrier,

wherein the wireless communication device determines whether uplink communication is power constrained based at least in part on whether;

an uplink performance metric is less than an uplink performance threshold and a downlink performance metric is greater than a downlink performance threshold, or

a downlink received signal strength exceeds a downlink signal strength threshold and a number of uplink random access channel (RACH) failures occur.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the radio frequency circuitry comprises matching a set of radio frequency components to one or more antennas.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

adjusting the radio frequency circuitry to maximize power transfer over a set of radio frequencies through the primary component carrier comprises setting a center frequency of a pass-band of the radio frequency circuitry to correspond to a first median radio frequency value of the primary component carrier, and

adjusting the radio frequency circuitry to maximize power transfer over a set of radio frequencies through the combination of the primary component carrier and the secondary component carrier comprises setting the center frequency of the pass-band of the radio frequency circuitry to correspond to a second median radio frequency value between the primary component carrier and the secondary component carrier.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting the radio frequency circuitry to maximize a downlink data rate.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device determines whether uplink communication is power constrained further based at least in part on whether an uplink transmit power headroom is less than a power headroom threshold value or an uplink transmit power level exceeds a transmit power threshold value.

6. A wireless communication device configured to adjust radio frequency circuitry of a radio frequency front end dynamically, the wireless communication device comprising:

the radio frequency front end including at least one antenna and at least one radio frequency component block coupled thereto; and

a transceiver and a baseband processor to receive and transmit radio frequency signals via the radio frequency front end;

wherein the baseband processor is configured to;

determine whether carrier aggregation is enabled;

when carrier aggregation is not enabled, adjust settings of the at least one radio frequency component block based on default setting values; and

when carrier aggregation is enabled;

evaluate radio frequency conditions for a primary component carrier and for a secondary component carrier used for carrier aggregation;

determine whether uplink communication is power constrained;

when uplink communication is power constrained, adjust the at least one radio frequency component block to maximize power transfer over a set of radio frequencies through the primary component carrier; and

when uplink communication is not power constrained, adjust the at least one radio frequency component block to maximize power transfer over a set of radio frequencies through a combination of the primary component carrier and the secondary component carrier,

wherein the baseband processor determines whether uplink communication is power constrained based at least in part on whether;

an uplink performance metric is less than an uplink performance threshold and a downlink performance metric is greater than a downlink performance threshold, or

a downlink received signal strength exceeds a downlink signal strength threshold and a number of uplink random access channel (RACH) failures occur.

7. The wireless communication device of claim 6, wherein the baseband processor adjusts settings of the at least one radio frequency block by matching a set of radio frequency components to the at least one antenna.

8. The wireless communication device of claim 6, wherein the baseband processor adjusts settings of the at least one radio frequency block to:

maximize power transfer over a set of radio frequencies through the primary component carrier by at least setting a center frequency of a pass-band of the at least one radio frequency block to correspond to a first median radio frequency value of the primary component carrier, and

maximize power transfer over a set of radio frequencies through the combination of the primary component carrier and the secondary component carrier by at least setting the center frequency of the pass-band of the at least one radio frequency block to correspond to a second median radio frequency value between the primary component carrier and the secondary component carrier.

9. The wireless communication device of claim 6, wherein the baseband processor is further configured to adjust settings of the at least one radio frequency block to maximize a downlink data rate.

10. The wireless communication device of claim 6, wherein the baseband processor determines whether uplink communication is power constrained further based at least in part on whether an uplink transmit power headroom is less than a power headroom threshold value or an uplink transmit power level exceeds a transmit power threshold value.

11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer program code stored thereon, the computer program code, when executed by one or more processors implemented on a wireless communication device, causes the wireless communication device to perform a method comprising:

determining whether carrier aggregation is enabled;

when carrier aggregation is not enabled, adjusting radio frequency circuitry of a radio frequency front end of the wireless communication device based on default setting values; and

when carrier aggregation is enabled;

evaluating radio frequency conditions for a primary component carrier and for a secondary component carrier used for carrier aggregation;

determining whether uplink communication is power constrained;

when uplink communication is power constrained, adjusting the radio frequency circuitry to maximize power transfer over a set of radio frequencies through the primary component carrier; and

when uplink communication is not power constrained, adjusting the radio frequency circuitry to maximize power transfer over a set of radio frequencies through a combination of the primary component carrier and the secondary component carrier,

wherein the wireless communication device determines whether uplink communication is power constrained based at least in part on whether;

an uplink performance metric is less than an uplink performance threshold and a downlink performance metric is greater than a downlink performance threshold, or

a downlink received signal strength exceeds a downlink signal strength threshold and a number of uplink random access channel (RACH) failures occur.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein adjusting the radio frequency circuitry comprises matching a set of radio frequency components to one or more antennas.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein:

adjusting the radio frequency circuitry to maximize power transfer over a set of radio frequencies through the primary component carrier comprises setting a center frequency of a pass-band of the radio frequency circuitry to correspond to a first median radio frequency value of the primary component carrier, and

adjusting the radio frequency circuitry to maximize power transfer over a set of radio frequencies through the combination of the primary component carrier and the secondary component carrier comprises setting the center frequency of the pass-band of the radio frequency circuitry to correspond to a second median radio frequency value between the primary component carrier and the secondary component carrier.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein execution of the computer program code further causes the wireless communication device to adjust the radio frequency circuitry to maximize a downlink data rate.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the wireless communication device determines whether uplink communication is power constrained further based at least in part on whether an uplink transmit power headroom is less than a power headroom threshold value or an uplink transmit power level exceeds a transmit power threshold value.