Wide band antenna systems

• US 9,847,807 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2015
• Issued: 12/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NXP USA, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Zhu, Yongfei, Mendolia, Gregory, Dilorenzo, James, Schroeder, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): HUANG, WEN WU
• Application Number:
  US14/877,979
• Publication Number:
  US 20160105210A1
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• Field of Search: 4555757, 455 5
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/30 Combinations of separate antenna units operating in different wavebands and connected to a common feeder system
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/38 Impedance-matching networks
• 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 1/3827 Portable transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/401 for selecting or indicating operating mode

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a communication device including a matching network for impedance tuning and pairs of antennas that can be utilized as primary and diversity antennas, respectively, and can provide high radiation efficiency. An RF switch can be utilized for re-configuring the primary and diversity antennas. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A mobile communication device, comprising:

a transceiver;

an antenna system coupled with the transceiver, wherein the antenna system includes a first pair of flag antennas and a second pair of flag antennas, wherein one of the first or second pairs of flag antennas are primary antennas and another of the first or second pairs of flag antennas are diversity antennas, wherein a first flag of the first pair of flag antennas is utilized during middle and high band communications, wherein a third flag of the second pair of flag antennas is utilized during middle and high band communications, wherein the first pair of flag antennas have a first single feed point and are connected via a first transmission line, wherein the first pair of flag antennas are positioned in proximity to a bottom of the mobile communication device, wherein the second pair of flag antennas have a second single feed point and are connected via a second transmission line, and wherein the second pair of flag antennas are positioned in proximity to a side of the mobile communication device;

a group of inductors coupled with the first and second pairs of flag antennas;

a matching network coupled with the transceiver and the antenna system, wherein the matching network comprises a tunable reactive element;

a tuning sensor, wherein the tuning sensor measures one or more signal parameters; and

a controller coupled with the matching network, wherein the controller detects an impedance change of the antenna system, wherein the controller receives a first signal parameter from the tuning sensor and determines a first efficiency metric for the matching network based on the first signal parameter, wherein the controller switches the primary antennas to operate in a diversity state and switches the diversity antennas to operate in a primary state based on the impedance change and the first efficiency metric, wherein the controller receives a second signal parameter from the tuning sensor and determines a second efficiency metric for the matching network based on the second signal parameter, wherein the controller adjusts the tunable reactive element according to the second efficiency metric to provide impedance tuning.

2. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein a second flag of the first pair of flag antennas is utilized during low band communications, and wherein a fourth flag of the second pair of flag antennas is utilized during low band communications.

3. The mobile communication device of claim 1, further comprising an RF switch connected with the antenna system, wherein the RF switch has a first position in which the first pair of flag antennas are the primary antennas and the second pair of flag antennas are the diversity antennas, and wherein the RF switch has a second position in which the second pair of flag antennas are the primary antennas and the first pair of flag antennas are the diversity antennas.

4. The mobile communication device of claim 3, wherein the controller adjusts the RF switch between the first and second positions according to a determined impedance mismatch.

5. The mobile communication device of claim 1, further comprising a detector coupled with the matching network, wherein the detector measures forward and reverse power at a port of the matching network.

6. The mobile communication device of claim 5, wherein the tunable reactive element is adjusted based on the forward and reverse power.

7. The mobile communication device of claim 6, wherein the tunable reactive element is adjusted based on tuning values stored in a look-up table.

8. An antenna system, comprising:

a first pair of flag antennas having a first single feed point and being connected with a transceiver of a mobile communication device, wherein the first pair of flag antennas are primary antennas;

a second pair of flag antennas having a second single feed point and being connected with the transceiver of the mobile communication device, wherein the second pair of flag antennas are diversity antennas; and

a group of inductors coupled with the first and second pairs of flag antennas, wherein the first pair of flag antennas are positioned in proximity to a bottom of the mobile communication device, wherein the second pair of flag antennas are positioned in proximity to a side of the mobile communication device, and wherein the first pair of flag antennas and the second pair of flag antennas operate in identical frequency bands;

a matching network coupled to the antenna system, wherein the matching network comprises a tunable reactive element;

a tuning sensor, wherein the tuning sensor measures one or more signal parameters; and

a controller coupled with the matching network, wherein the controller detects an impedance change of the antenna system, wherein the controller receives a first signal parameter from the tuning sensor and determines a first efficiency metric for the matching network based on the first signal parameter, wherein the controller switches the primary antennas to operate in a diversity state and switches the diversity antennas to operate in a primary state based on the impedance change and the first efficiency metric, wherein the controller receives a second signal parameter from the tuning sensor and determines a second efficiency metric for the matching network based on the second signal parameter, wherein the controller adjusts the tunable reactive element according to the second efficiency metric to provide impedance tuning.

9. The antenna system of claim 8, comprising:

an RF switch connected with the first and second pairs of flag antennas, wherein the RF switch has a first position in which the first pair of flag antennas are primary antennas and the second pair of flag antennas are diversity antennas, and wherein the RF switch has a second position in which the second pair of flag antennas are the primary antennas and the first pair of flag antennas are the diversity antennas.

10. The antenna system of claim 9, wherein the RF switch is adjusted between the first and second positions according to a determined impedance mismatch.

11. The antenna system of claim 8, wherein the first pair of flag antennas are connected via a first transmission line, and wherein the second pair of flag antennas are connected via a second transmission line.

12. The antenna system of claim 8, wherein a first flag of the first pair of flag antennas is utilized during middle and high band communications and a second flag of the first pair of flag antennas is utilized during low band communications, and wherein a third flag of the second pair of flag antennas is utilized during middle and high band communications and a fourth flag of the second pair of flag antennas is utilized during low band communications.

13. A communication device, comprising:

a transceiver;

an antenna system coupled with the transceiver, wherein the antenna system includes a first pair of antennas and a second pair of antennas, wherein one of the first or second pairs of antennas are primary antennas and another of the first or second pairs of antennas are diversity antennas, wherein the first pair of antennas and the second pair of antennas operate in identical frequency bands, wherein the first pair of antennas have a first single feed point and are connected via a first transmission line, wherein the first pair of antennas are positioned in proximity to a bottom of the communication device, wherein the second pair of antennas have a second single feed point and are connected via a second transmission line, and wherein the second pair of antennas are positioned in proximity to a side of the communication device;

a matching network coupled with the transceiver and the antenna system, wherein the matching network comprises a tunable reactive element;

a tuning sensor, wherein the tuning sensor measures one or more signal parameters; and

a controller coupled with the matching network, wherein the controller detects an impedance change of the antenna system, wherein the controller receives a first signal parameter from the tuning sensor and determines a first efficiency metric for the matching network based on the first signal parameter, wherein the controller switches the primary antennas to operate in a diversity state and switches the diversity antennas to operate in a primary state based on the impedance change and the first efficiency metric, wherein the controller receives a second signal parameter from the tuning sensor and determines a second efficiency metric for the matching network based on the second signal parameter, wherein the controller adjusts the tunable reactive element according to the second efficiency metric to provide impedance tuning.

14. The communication device of claim 13, further comprising a group of inductors coupled with the first and second pairs of antennas.

15. The communication device of claim 13, wherein a first flag of the first pair of antennas is utilized during middle and high band communications and a second flag of the first pair of antennas is utilized during low band communications, and wherein a third flag of the second pair of antennas is utilized during middle and high band communications and a fourth flag of the second pair of antennas is utilized during low band communications.

16. The communication device of claim 13, further comprising an RF switch connected with the antenna system, wherein the RF switch has a first position in which the first pair of antennas are the primary antennas and the second pair of antennas are the diversity antennas, and wherein the RF switch has a second position in which the second pair of antennas are the primary antennas and the first pair of antennas are the diversity antennas.

17. The communication device of claim 16, wherein the controller adjusts the RF switch between the first and second positions according to a determined impedance mismatch.

18. The communication device of claim 13, further comprising a detector coupled with the matching network, wherein the detector measures forward and reverse power at a port of the matching network.

19. The communication device of claim 13, wherein the tunable reactive element is adjusted based on detected forward and reverse power at a port of the matching network.

20. The communication device of claim 13, wherein the tunable reactive element is adjusted based on tuning values stored in a look-up table.