Method and system for automatic power control (APC) in a communications device that communicates via inductive coupling

• US 9,918,280 B1
• Filed: 11/08/2016
• Issued: 03/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Hueber, Gernot, Macnamara, Ian Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tuan H
• Application Number:
  US15/346,506
• Time in Patent Office: 490 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/26 using coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/226 using past references to control power, e.g. look-up-table
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/245 taking into account received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/246 where the output power of a terminal is based on a path parameter calculated in said terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/52 using AGC [Automatic Gain Control] circuits or amplifiers

Abstract

Embodiments of methods and systems for automatic power control (APC) in a communications device that communicates via inductive coupling are described. In an embodiment, a method for APC in a communications device that communicates via inductive coupling involves storing a universal APC table for the communications device, adjusting the universal APC table in response to at least one system parameter, and controlling a transmission configuration of the communications device based on the adjusted APC table. Other embodiments are also described.

Claims

1. A method for automatic power control (APC) in a communications device that communicates via inductive coupling, the method comprising:

storing a universal APC table for the communications device;

adjusting the universal APC table in response to at least one system parameter; and

controlling a transmission configuration of the communications device based on the adjusted APC table, wherein the universal APC table contains information regarding a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) at the communications device and information regarding corresponding transmission configuration of the communications device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the universal APC table contains information reflecting a relationship between a field strength of inductive coupling and a load modulation amplitude of the communications device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information regarding the transmission configuration of the communications device comprises index information of a plurality of predefined transmission configurations of the communications device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission configuration of the communications device comprises at least one of:

information regarding a transmitter driver supply voltage of the communications device;

information regarding modulation configuration of the communications device;

information regarding a number of transmitter drivers in the communications device; and

information regarding a ratio between a maximum possible transmit power and an actual mean transmit power of the communications device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the universal APC table in response to the at least one system parameter comprises scaling a parameter in the universal APC table in response to the at least one system parameter.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the universal APC table in response to the at least one system parameter comprises shifting a plurality of entries in the universal APC table in response to the at least one system parameter.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one system parameter is selected from the group consisting of:

a ratio between the RSSI at the communications device and a field strength of inductive coupling; and

a ratio between a load modulation amplitude of the communications device and a transmitter output signal amplitude of the communications device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein adjusting the universal APC table in response to the at least one system parameter comprises scaling a RSSI parameter in the universal APC table in response to the ratio between the RSSI at the communications device and the field strength of inductive coupling.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein adjusting the universal APC table in response to the at least one system parameter comprises scaling up the RSSI parameter in the universal APC table in response to an increase in the ratio between the RSSI at the communications device and the field strength of inductive coupling.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein adjusting the universal APC table in response to the at least one system parameter comprises scaling down the RSSI parameter in the universal APC table in response to a decrease in the ratio between the RSSI at the communications device and the field strength of inductive coupling.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein adjusting the universal APC table in response to the at least one system parameter comprises shifting a plurality of entries in the universal APC table in response to the ratio between the load modulation amplitude of the communications device and the transmitter output signal amplitude of the communications device.

12. An automatic power control (APC) unit for a communications device that communicates via inductive coupling, the APC unit comprising:

an APC table storage unit that stores a universal APC table for the communications device;

an APC adjustor unit configured to adjust the universal APC table in response to at least one system parameter; and

a transmission configuration control unit configured to control a transmission configuration of the communications device based on the adjusted APC table, wherein the universal APC table contains information regarding a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) at the communications device and information regarding corresponding transmission configuration of the communications device.

13. The APC unit of claim 12, wherein the universal APC table contains information reflecting a relationship between a field strength of inductive coupling and a load modulation amplitude of the communications device.

14. The APC unit of claim 12, wherein the transmission configuration of the communications device comprises at least one of:

information regarding a transmitter driver supply voltage of the communications device;

information regarding modulation configuration of the communications device;

information regarding a number of transmitter drivers in the communications device; and

information regarding a ratio between a maximum possible transmit power and an actual mean transmit power of the communications device.

15. The APC unit of claim 12, wherein the at least one system parameter is selected from the group consisting of:

a ratio between the RSSI at the communications device and a field strength of inductive coupling; and

a ratio between a load modulation amplitude of the communications device and a transmitter output signal amplitude of the communications device.

16. The APC unit of claim 15, wherein the APC adjustor unit is configured to:

scale up a RSSI parameter in the universal APC table in response to an increase in the ratio between the RSSI at the communications device and the field strength of inductive coupling; and

scale down the RSSI parameter in the universal APC table in response to a decrease in the ratio between the RSSI at the communications device and the field strength of inductive coupling.

17. The APC unit of claim 15, wherein the APC adjustor unit is configured to shift a plurality of entries in the universal APC table in response to the ratio between the load modulation amplitude of the communications device and the transmitter output signal amplitude of the communications device.

18. A method for automatic power control (APC) in a communications device that communicates via inductive coupling, the method comprising:

storing a universal APC table for the communications device, wherein the universal APC table contains information regarding a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) at the communications device and index information of a plurality of predefined transmission configurations of the communications device;

adjusting the universal APC table in response to a ratio between the RSSI at the communications device and a field strength of inductive coupling or a ratio between a load modulation amplitude of the communications device and a transmitter output signal amplitude of the communications device; and

controlling a transmission configuration of the communications device based on the adjusted APC table.

19. A method for automatic power control (APC) in a communications device that communicates via inductive coupling, the method comprising:

storing a universal APC table for the communications device;

adjusting the universal APC table in response to at least one system parameter, wherein the at least one system parameter is selected from the group consisting of;

a ratio between a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) at the communications device and a field strength of inductive coupling; and

a ratio between a load modulation amplitude of the communications device and a transmitter output signal amplitude of the communications device; and

controlling a transmission configuration of the communications device based on the adjusted APC table.