Antenna selection and tuning

• US 9,634,697 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2015
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Natesan, Dineshbabu, Chiou, Yi-Chyun, Virk, Tarandeep, Filipovic, Daniel Fred, He, Ning
• Primary Examiner(s): SANDIFORD, DEVAN A
• Application Number:
  US14/848,569
• Publication Number:
  US 20170070246A1
• Time in Patent Office: 594 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/245 with means for shaping the antenna pattern, e.g. in order to protect user against rf exposure
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/24 varying the orientation by switching energy from one active radiating element to another, e.g. for beam switching
• 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 1/40 Circuits

Abstract

A systems, methods and apparatus including a plurality of antennas are provided. The antenna system includes a first antenna, a second antenna, and a measurement device. The measurement device is configured to measure at least a first complex value indicative of an impedance matching of the first antenna and a second complex value indicative of an impedance matching of the second antenna. The antenna system includes an antenna selection controller configured to select one of the first antenna and the second antenna. The antenna selection controller making the selection based on the measurement of the first complex value of the first antenna and the measurement of the second complex value of the second antenna.

Claims

1. An antenna system including a plurality of antennas, the antenna system comprising:

a first antenna;

a second antenna;

a measurement device, the measurement device configured to measure at least a first complex value indicative of an impedance matching of the first antenna and a second complex value indicative of an impedance matching of the second antenna;

an antenna selection controller configured to select one of the first antenna and the second antenna based on the measurement of the first complex value of the first antenna and the measurement of the second complex value of the second antenna;

a coupler; and

first and second switches,

wherein the coupler has a first signal connection and a second signal connection and a first signal measurement connection and a second signal measurement connection, the first signal connection coupled to the first switch, the second signal connection coupled to a power amplifier, the first signal measurement connection and the second signal measurement connection alternatively coupled to ground and a transceiver based on a state of the second switch.

2. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein the first and second complex values indicate first and second voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) values of the respective first and second antennas.

3. The antenna system of claim 2, wherein the selection is based on a comparison of the first complex value and the second complex value to complex values indicating an antenna transmission blockage.

4. The antenna system of claim 2, wherein the selection is based on a comparison between the first complex value and the second complex value to determine which of the first and second antennas is better matched.

5. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein the measurement device is further configured to:

measure the first complex value when the first antenna is coupled to the measurement device; and

measure the second complex value when the second antenna is coupled to the measurement device.

6. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein the first signal measurement connection is coupled to ground and the second signal measurement connection is coupled to the transceiver to measure an instant power and wherein the second signal measurement connection is coupled to ground and the first signal measurement connection is coupled to the transceiver to measure a reflected power.

7. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein the measurement device comprises a first measurement device coupled to the first antenna, the first measurement device configured to measure the first complex value of the first antenna and a second measurement device coupled to the second antenna, the second measurement device configured to measure the second complex value of the second antenna.

8. The antenna system of claim 1, further comprising at least a third antenna, the at least third antenna configured to be coupled to the measurement device through a third switch, wherein the measurement device is further configured to measure at least a third complex value indicative of an impedance matching between the at least third antenna and free space.

9. The antenna system of claim 8, wherein the antenna selection controller is further configured to select the one of the first, second, and at least third antennas based on the measured at least the third complex value.

10. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein the first complex value and the second complex value are transformed to a first return loss and a second return loss respectively and the antenna selection controller is configured to select one of the first antenna and the second antenna based on the first return loss and the second return loss.

11. The antenna system of claim 1, further comprising a tuner coupled between the first switch and the measurement device, the tuner configured to tune the first antenna when the first antenna is coupled to the measurement device and to tune the second antenna when the second antenna is coupled to the measurement device.

12. A method for an antenna system including a plurality of antennas, the method comprising:

measuring a first complex value indicative of an impedance match between a first antenna and free space;

measuring a second complex value indicative of an impedance match between a second antenna and free space;

selecting one of the first antenna and the second antenna based on the measurement of the first complex value and the measurement of the second complex value; and

coupling a first signal measurement connection to ground and a second signal measurement connection to a transceiver to measure an instant power and coupling the second signal measurement connection to ground and the first signal measurement connection to the transceiver to measure a reflected power.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first and second complex values indicate first and second voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) values of the respective first and second antennas.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the selecting is performed by comparing the first complex value and the second complex value to complex values indicating whether antenna transmission is being blocked.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the selection is performed by comparing the first complex value and the second complex value to determine which antenna of the first and second antennas is better matched.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

coupling the first antenna to a measurement device;

measuring the first complex value when the first antenna is coupled to the measurement device;

coupling the second antenna to the measurement device; and

measuring the second complex value when the second antenna is coupled to the measurement device.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising alternatively measuring the first complex value and measuring the second complex value.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising using a first measurement device to measure the first complex value and using a second measurement device to measure the second complex value for the second antenna.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the first complex value and the second complex value are transformed to a first return loss and a second return loss respectively and selecting one of the first antenna and the second antenna based on the first return loss and the second return loss.

20. The method of claim 12, further comprising tuning the first antenna when the first antenna is coupled to a measurement device and to tuning the second antenna when the second antenna is coupled to the measurement device.

21. An antenna system including a plurality of antennas, the antenna system comprising:

means for measuring a first complex value indicative of an impedance match between a first antenna and free space;

means for measuring a second complex value indicative of an impedance match between a second antenna and free space;

means for selecting one of the first antenna and the second antenna based on the measurement of the first complex value and the measurement of the second complex value; and

means for coupling a first signal measurement connection to ground and a second signal measurement connection to a transceiver to measure an instant power and means for coupling the second signal measurement connection to ground and the first signal measurement connection to the transceiver to measure a reflected power.

22. The antenna system of claim 21, wherein the first and second complex values indicate voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) values of the respective first and second antennas.

23. The antenna system of claim 22, wherein the selecting is performed by comparing the first complex value and the second complex value to complex values indicating whether antenna transmission is being blocked.

24. The antenna system of claim 22, wherein the means for selecting selects the one of the first antenna and the second antenna with a smaller indicated VSWR value.

25. The antenna system of claim 22, wherein the selection is performed by comparing the first complex value and the second complex value to determine which antenna of the first and second antennas is better matched.

26. The antenna system of claim 21, further comprising:

means for coupling the first antenna to a measurement device;

means for measuring the first complex value when the first antenna is coupled to the measurement device;

means for coupling the second antenna to the measurement device; and

means for measuring the second complex value when the second antenna is coupled to the measurement device.

27. The antenna system of claim 21, further comprising means for alternatively measuring the first complex value and measuring the second complex value.