TUNABLE MICROWAVE DEVICES WITH AUTO-ADJUSTING MATCHING CIRCUIT

• US 20110063042A1
• Filed: 11/23/2010
• Published: 03/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP USA, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: Paratek Microwave Incorporated (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Du Toit, Cornelis Frederik, Khayo, Izz, McKinzie, William, Bachmann, Heinz, Martin, James Andrew III, Mendolia, Greg
• Granted Patent: US 8,744,384 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 333/17.3
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/04 with variable factor of coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/242 specially adapted for hand-held use
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/50 Structural association of antennas with earthing switches, lead-in devices or lightning protectors
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/56 Modifications of input or output impedances, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/60 Amplifiers in which coupling networks have distributed constants, e.g. with waveguide resonators H03F3/54 takes precedence
• 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 1/0458 Arrangements for matching and coupling between power amplifier and antenna or between amplifying stages matching circuits in general H03H

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus, comprising an input port and a dynamic impedance matching network capable of determining a mismatch at the input port and dynamically changing the RF match by using at least one matching element that includes at least one voltage tunable dielectric capacitor. The matching network may be a “Pi”, a “T”, or “ladder” type network and the apparatus may further comprise at least one directional coupler capable of signal collection by sampling a portion of an incident signal, a reflected signal or both. In an embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus may also include a control and power control & logic unit (PC LU) to convert input analog signals into digital signals and sensing VSWR phase and magnitude and processing the digital signals using an algorithm to give it a voltage value and wherein the voltage values may be compared to values coming from the coupler and once compared and matched, the values may be passed to a Hi Voltage Application Specific Integrated Circuit (HV ASIC) to transfer and distribute compensatory voltages to the matching network elements. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a matching network capable of adapting to a mismatch at a port coupled to a load impedance by using at least one matching element that includes at least one tunable reactive element; and

a control and logic unit adapted to;

convert input analog signals supplied by a direction coupler coupled to the impedance load into digital signals;

process said digital signals using an algorithm that produces voltage values determined from a comparison of digital values derived from said directional coupler and once compared, said voltage values are passed to a voltage circuit to transfer and distribute compensatory voltages to said matching network.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said matching network is configured as one of a “

Pi”

type network, a “

T”

type network, a “

ladder”

type network, and combinations thereof.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the compared digital values are Voltage Standing Wave Ratio (VSWR) values.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the VSWR values comprise at least current and previous VSWR values.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said directional coupler samples a portion of an incident signal, a reflected signal or both.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus is a mobile telephone.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least one tunable reactive element corresponds to at least one of a plurality of micromachined tunable reactive elements, capacitors with a variable dielectric, and semiconductor variable reactive elements.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one tunable reactive element corresponds to one of a capacitor, and inductor.

9. A method, comprising:

matching an impedance presented to an RF signal received by an input port of a matching network capable of adapting to a mismatch at said input port by using at least one matching element that includes at least one tunable reactive element,

wherein the matching network adjusts the impedance presented to the RF signal responsive to a control and logic unit that converts signals collected from a directional coupler into digital signals, determines Voltage Standing Wave Ratio (VSWR) values from said digital signals, and processes said digital signals using an algorithm to produce one or more voltage values, and wherein said one or more voltage values are determined from a comparison of VSWR values and once compared, said one or more voltage values are passed to a voltage circuit to transfer and distribute one or more compensatory voltages to said at least one matching element.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said matching network is configures as one of a “

Pi”

type network, a “

T”

type network, a “

ladder”

type network, and combinations thereof.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the compared VSWR values comprise at least current and previous VSWR values.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said at least one matching element comprise at least one micromachined tunable reactive element.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein said directional coupler samples a portion of an incident signal, a reflected signal or both.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein said at least one matching element comprise at least one capacitor with a tunable dielectric.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein said at least one matching element comprise at least one semiconductor variable reactive element.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one tunable reactive element corresponds to a capacitor, an inductor, or a combination thereof.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein said method operates in a mobile communication device.

18. A matching circuit, comprising:

a matching network to receive an incoming signal at an input port of the matching network, wherein the matching network includes a plurality of matching network elements comprising tunable reactive elements, wherein said matching network is adapted to adjust an impedance presented to said incoming signal,

wherein said impedance is adjusted by a controller adapted to convert analog signals supplied by a directional coupler into digital values, and process said digital values using an algorithm that produces voltage values, and wherein said voltage values are determined from a comparison of said digital values and once compared, said voltage values are passed to a circuit to distribute one or more adjustment signals to said plurality of matching network elements.

19. The matching circuit of claim 18, wherein said digital values represent Voltage Standing Wave Ratio (VSWR) values, and wherein the VSWR values comprise at least current and previous VSWR values.

20. The matching circuit of claim 18, wherein said tunable reactive elements correspond to at least one of a plurality of micromachined tunable reactive elements, capacitors with a variable dielectric, and semiconductor variable capacitors.