High radiation efficiency antenna systems

• US 9,853,684 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2015
• Issued: 12/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP USA, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Boire, Daniel Charles, Schroeder, Jeffrey, Mendolia, Gregory
• Primary Examiner(s): HUANG, WEN WU
• Application Number:
  US14/877,983
• Publication Number:
  US 20160105212A1
• Time in Patent Office: 810 Days
• Field of Search: 4555757, 4555755
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0006 Particular feeding systems
• 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 7/40 Automatic matching of load impedance to source impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0064 with separate antennas for the more than one band H04B1/0053 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0475 with means for limiting noise, interference or distortion H04B1/0483 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/48 in circuits for connecting transmitter and receiver to a common transmission path, e.g. by energy of transmitter H04B1/46 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/485 inhibiting unwanted transmission

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 the first pair of flag antennas have a first single feed point and are connected via a first transmission line, wherein the second pair of flag antennas have a second single feed point and are connected via a second transmission line, 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, wherein a first high impedance transmission line connects between a first end of the first flag near the first single feed point and an end of the second flag, 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, and wherein a second high impedance transmission line connects between a first end of the third flag near the second single feed point and an end of the fourth flag;

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

a controller coupled with the matching network, wherein the controller;

detects a use case configuration of the mobile communication device;

obtains a device parameter;

accesses biasing signals and capacitance values from a look-up table stored in memory according to the device parameter and the use case configuration; and

adjusts the tunable reactive element according to the biasing signals and capacitance values in the look-up table to provide impedance tuning.

2. 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.

3. The mobile communication device of claim 2, wherein the controller adjusts the RF switch between the first and second positions according to a determined impedance mismatch.

4. 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.

5. The mobile communication device of claim 4, wherein the tunable reactive element is adjusted based on the forward and reverse power.

6. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the first and second pairs of flag antennas are substantially similar in size and shape, respectively.

7. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the use case configuration is one of a physical use case configuration and a functional use case configuration, wherein the physical use case configuration is a physical state of the mobile communication device, and wherein the functional use case configuration is an operational state of the mobile communication device.

8. An antenna system, comprising:

a first pair of flag antennas having a first high impedance transmission line connecting between the first pair of flag antennas at ends of each flag antenna in the first pair of flag antennas, and a first single feed point coupled with a transceiver of a mobile communication device;

a second pair of flag antennas having a second high impedance transmission line connecting between the second pair of flag antennas at ends of each flag antenna in the second pair of flag antennas, and a second single feed point coupled with the transceiver of the mobile communication device;

an RF switch connected between the transceiver of the mobile communication device and 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;

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

a controller coupled with the matching network, wherein the controller;

detects a use case configuration of the mobile communication device;

obtains a device parameter;

accesses biasing signals and capacitance values from a look-up table stored in memory according to the device parameter and the use case configuration; and

adjusts the tunable reactive element according to the biasing signals and capacitance values in the look-up table to provide impedance tuning.

9. The antenna system of claim 8, wherein the RF switch is adjusted between the first and second positions according to a determined impedance mismatch.

10. The antenna system of claim 8, wherein the first single feed point is connected with a first flag of the first pair of flag antennas that is utilized during middle and high band communications, and wherein the second single feed point is connected with a third flag of the second pair of flag antennas that is utilized during middle and high band communications.

11. 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.

12. The antenna system of claim 8, wherein the use case configuration is one of a physical use case configuration and a functional use case configuration.

13. The antenna system of claim 12, wherein the physical use case configuration is a physical state of the mobile communication device, and wherein the functional use case configuration is an operational state of the mobile communication device.

14. 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 have a first single feed point and each antenna in the first pair has first and second ends and the first pair of antennas are connected at the first ends via a first transmission line, and wherein the second pair of antennas have a second single feed point and each antenna in the second pair has first and second ends and are the second pair of antennas are connected at the first ends via a second transmission line;

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

a controller coupled with the matching network, wherein the controller;

detects a use case configuration of the communication device;

obtains a device parameter;

accesses biasing signals and capacitance values from a look-up table stored in memory according to the device parameter and the use case configuration; and

adjusts the tunable reactive element according to the biasing signals and capacitance values in the look-up table to provide impedance tuning.

15. The communication device of claim 14, 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 14, 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 14, 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 14, wherein the use case configuration is one of a physical use case configuration and a functional use case configuration.

20. The communication device of claim 19, wherein the physical use case configuration is a physical state of the communication device, and wherein the functional use case configuration is an operational state of the communication device.