Head-hand capacitance compensation with digital variable capacitor

• US 10,224,614 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2015
• Issued: 03/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc. (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cavendish Kinetics Inc (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Inventors: Parkhurst, Ray, Tornatta, Jr., Paul Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hoang V
• Assistant Examiner(s): Salih, Awat
• Application Number:
  US15/301,277
• Publication Number:
  US 20170018841A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,433 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 1/48 Earthing means; Earth screens; Counterpoises
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/005 with variable reactance for tuning the antenna
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0421 with a shorting wall or a shorting pin at one end of the element H01Q9/0414 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/42 with folded element, the folded parts being spaced apart a small fraction of the operating wavelength

Abstract

The present disclosure generally relates to a device having a capacitance sensor that detects a change in capacitance that occurs in the antenna whenever the antenna is in close proximity to a user'"'"'s hand and/or head. Following detection of the capacitance change, the capacitance of the antenna may be changed by using a variable capacitor that is coupled to the sensor through a controller.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

detecting a change in capacitance of an antenna from a first capacitance to a second capacitance using a capacitive sensor that is disposed in a device; and

changing capacitance in a first variable capacitor based upon feedback from the capacitive sensor through a feedback controller, wherein changing capacitance in the first variable capacitor changes the capacitance of the antenna from the second capacitance to the first capacitance, wherein the first variable capacitor is disposed between the antenna and the feedback controller, further comprising;

changing the first capacitance to a third capacitance with a second variable capacitor, further comprising;

detecting the change of the third capacitance to a fourth capacitance with the capacitive sensor; and

changing the capacitance of the first variable capacitor, wherein changing the capacitance of the first variable capacitor changes the capacitance of the antenna from the fourth capacitance to the third capacitance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first variable capacitor and the second variable capacitor are digital variable capacitors.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the digital variable capacitors each comprise a plurality of MEMS.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first variable capacitor is coupled to the antenna.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the second variable capacitor is coupled to the antenna.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the antenna is coupled to ground.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the antenna is coupled to an RF feed.