Method and apparatus for managing interference in a communication device

• US 9,941,922 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2016
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP USA, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Manssen, Keith, Greene, Matthew Russell, Smith, Wayne, Schlueter, David, Spears, John
• Primary Examiner(s): GONZALES, APRIL GUZMAN
• Application Number:
  US15/250,351
• Publication Number:
  US 20160373146A1
• Time in Patent Office: 589 Days
• Field of Search: 455 631
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/188 the guides being dielectric waveguides
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 11/30 Automatic matching of source impedance to load impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/38 Impedance-matching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/40 Automatic matching of load impedance to source impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0475 with means for limiting noise, interference or distortion H04B1/0483 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/1027 assessing signal quality or detecting noise/interference for the received signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/109 by improving strong signal performance of the receiver when strong unwanted signals are present at the receiver input
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/12 Neutralising, balancing, or compensation arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/40 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/401 for selecting or indicating operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 15/00 Suppression or limitation of noise or interference by means associated with receiver H04B1/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a matching network including a tunable reactance circuit configured to be coupled to at least one of a transmitter portion and a receiver portion of a communication device, wherein the tunable reactance circuit is adjustable to a plurality of tuning states, and wherein the determination of a tuning state is based on parameters associated with a detected interference. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, by a system including a processor, whether measured parameters are valid or invalid based on a phase threshold analysis, wherein the system is integrated in a communication device;

adjusting, by the system, a tunable reactance circuit of the communication device to a first tuning state according to the measured parameters responsive to a determination that the measured parameters are valid; and

adjusting, by the system, the tunable reactance circuit to a second tuning state responsive to a determination that the measured parameters are invalid, wherein the second tuning state is one of a default tuning state or a last known tuning state for a use case of the communication device that was previously determined valid,

wherein the phase threshold analysis is based on detecting an erratic shift between a subset of the measured parameters that is greater than a phase threshold, and wherein the determination that the measured parameters are invalid is based in part on detecting a return loss greater than a return loss threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the measured parameters comprise parameters associated with forward and reverse power during a transmission burst and between transmission bursts.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the adjusting of the tunable reactance circuit to the first tuning state comprises determining the first tuning state according to second parameters that are measured during the transmission burst.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting of the tunable reactance circuit to the first tuning state according to the measured parameters comprises determining the first tuning state from a look-up table accessible to the system.

5. A communication device, comprising:

a transceiver;

a tunable reactance circuit coupled to the transceiver; and

a processor coupled to the tunable reactance circuit, wherein the processor, responsive to executing instructions, performs operations comprising;

selecting measurement times for parameters to enable measuring the parameters so that a subset of the parameters are measured outside of a transmission burst;

measuring the parameters according to the measurement times;

determining whether the parameters are valid or invalid based on a threshold analysis;

adjusting the tunable reactance circuit to a first tuning state according to the parameters responsive to a determination that the parameters are valid; and

adjusting the tunable reactance circuit to a second tuning state responsive to a determination that the parameters are invalid,

wherein the threshold analysis utilizes a dynamic threshold that is adjusted during operation of the communication device according to a known transmitted power level and a target return loss associated with a use case determined for the communication device and a communication channel being utilized by the communication device.

6. The communication device of claim 5, wherein the second tuning state is a last known tuning state previously determined valid.

7. The communication device of claim 5, wherein the tunable reactance circuit comprises a semiconductor switched capacitor.

8. The communication device of claim 5, wherein the second tuning state is a default tuning state, and wherein the adjusting of the tunable reactance circuit to the first tuning state according to the parameters comprises determining the first tuning state from a look-up table accessible to the processor.

9. The communication device of claim 5, wherein the tunable reactance circuit comprises a semiconductor varactor, a micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) varactor, a semiconductor switched capacitor, a MEMS switched capacitor, or any combination thereof.

10. The communication device of claim 5, wherein the tunable reactance circuit comprises a voltage tunable capacitor.

11. The communication device of claim 5, further comprising a directional coupler coupled between the transceiver and the tunable reactance circuit, wherein the directional coupler enables the measuring of the parameters associated with forward and reverse power.

12. The communication device of claim 5, wherein the adjusting of the tunable reactance circuit to the first tuning state is based in part on the use case of the communication device.

13. A method comprising:

sampling, by a system including a processor, parameters associated with forward and reverse power, wherein the system is integrated in a communication device, wherein the sampling is performed at a rate and in an amount that enables detection of peaks, nulls or a combination thereof;

detecting, by the system, an existence of an interferer based on the sampling of the parameters;

determining, by the system, a tuning state for a matching network of the communication device based on whether the interferer exists;

adjusting, by the system, the matching network based on the tuning state when the interferer does not exist; and

adjusting, by the system, the matching network based on a previously determined tuning state when the interferer does exist.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein a time period of the sampling is selected to be at least partially outside of a transmission burst.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the detecting of the existence of the interferer is based on amplitude modulation.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the matching network comprises a semiconductor varactor, a micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) varactor, a semiconductor switched capacitor, a MEMS switched capacitor, or any combination thereof.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the detecting of the existence of the interferer is based on phase measurements outside of a predetermined deviation.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the detecting of the existence of the interferer is based on a comparison of measured and predicted transmission power level changes.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the detecting of the existence of the interferer is based on a comparison of measured and predicted improvement in reflected loss.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the adjusting of the matching network is based on a use case of the communication device.