METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ADAPTIVE IMPEDANCE MATCHING

• US 20100164639A1
• Filed: 03/11/2010
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP USA, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: Paratek Microwave Incorporated (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: McKinzie, William E. III
• Granted Patent: US 8,008,982 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 333/17.300
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/50 Structural association of antennas with earthing switches, lead-in devices or lightning protectors
• 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 1/44 Transmit/receive switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/0278 Arrangements for impedance matching
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/18 TPC being performed according to specific parameters

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, an adaptive impedance matching network having an RF matching network coupled to at least one RF input port and at least one RF output port and comprising one or more controllable variable reactive elements. The RF matching network can be adapted to reduce a level of reflected power transferred from said at least one input port by varying signals applied to said controllable variable reactive elements. The one or more controllable variable reactive elements can be coupled to a circuit adapted to map one or more control signals that are output from a controller to a signal range that is compatible with said one or more controllable variable reactive elements. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

an RF matching network coupled to at least one RF input port and at least one RF output port and comprising one or more controllable variable reactive elements,

wherein said RF matching network is adapted to increase RF power transferred from said at least one RF input port to said at least one RF output port by varying signals supplied to said controllable variable reactive elements to increase the RF voltage at said at least one RF output port, and

wherein said one or more controllable variable reactive elements are coupled to a bias driver circuit adapted to map one or more control signals that are output from a controller to a signal range that is compatible with said one or more controllable variable reactive elements in said RF matching network.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said one or more controllable variable reactive elements comprise at least one of one or more variable capacitors, one or more variable inductors, or a combination thereof.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said one or more controllable variable reactive elements comprise at least one of:

one or more reactive elements controlled by one or more semiconductor devices, wherein the one or more semiconductor devices are controlled by the one or more mapped control signals generated by the bias driver circuit;

one or more reactive elements controlled by one or more micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) devices, wherein the one or more MEMS devices are controlled by the one or more mapped control signals;

or

one or more reactive elements each having a controllable reactance, wherein the reactance of each of the one or more reactive elements is controlled by one of the one or more mapped control signals.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus is utilized in a communication device, and wherein said controller generates said control signals responsive to an operational state of the communication device.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the operational state comprises information that describes one of a mode of transmitting RF signals by the communication device, or a mode of receiving RF signals by the communication device.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the operational state comprises information describing each of one or more frequencies of signals transferred from the at least one input port to the at least one output port.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mapped control signals generated by the bias driver circuit enable or disable one or more switches that control a variable reactance of the RF matching network.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the one or more switches correspond to one or more semiconductor switches.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the one or more switches correspond to one or more mechanical switches.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the one or more mechanical switches correspond to one or more micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) switches.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one of the at least one RF input port or the at least one RF output port is coupled to one of a source or a variable load impedance.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the variable load impedance is an antenna, and wherein the source is an RF transceiver.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the RF matching network is adapted to reduce signal reflections from the variable load impedance.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said bias driver circuit is adapted to generate at least one of analog or digital signals.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

an RF matching network coupled to at least one RF input port and at least one RF output port and comprising one or more controllable variable reactive elements,

wherein said RF matching network is adapted to reduce a level of reflected power transferred from said at least one input port by varying signals applied to said controllable variable reactive elements, and

wherein said one or more controllable variable reactive elements are coupled to a circuit adapted to map one or more control signals that are output from a controller to a signal range that is compatible with said one or more controllable variable reactive elements.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said one or more controllable variable reactive elements comprise at least one of:

one or more reactive elements controlled by one or more semiconductor devices, wherein the one or more semiconductor devices are controlled by the one or more mapped control signals generated by the circuit;

one or more reactive elements controlled by one or more micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) devices, wherein the one or more MEMS devices are controlled by the one or more mapped control signals;

or

one or more reactive elements each having a controllable reactance, wherein the reactance of each of the one or more reactive elements is controlled by one of the one or more mapped control signals.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said bias driver circuit is adapted to generate at least one of analog or digital signals.

18. A machine-readable storage medium, comprising computer instructions to:

vary control signals that change one or more reactances within an RF matching network to increase an RF output voltage at an RF output port of said RF matching network,

wherein the RF matching network comprises one or more controllable variable reactive elements, and

wherein said RF matching network is coupled to a circuit adapted to map the control signals to a signal range that is compatible with said one or more controllable variable reactive elements.

19. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the mapped control signals are at least one of analog or digital signals.

20. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein said one or more controllable variable reactive elements comprise at least one of:

one or more reactive elements controlled by one or more semiconductor devices, wherein the one or more semiconductor devices are controlled by the one or more mapped control signals generated by the circuit;

one or more reactive elements controlled by one or more micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) devices, wherein the one or more MEMS devices are controlled by the one or more mapped control signals;

or

one or more reactive elements each having a controllable reactance, wherein the reactance of each of the one or more reactive elements is controlled by one of the one or more mapped control signals.