SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TUNING AN ANTENNA IN A WIRELESS COMMUNICATION DEVICE

• US 20130183910A1
• Filed: 01/17/2012
• Published: 07/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited (Fujitsu Limited)
• Inventors: Bavisi, Amit, Premakanthan, Pravin
• Granted Patent: US 9,203,138 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/77
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/006 using switches for selecting the desired band H04B1/0057 takes precedence

Abstract

In accordance with the present disclosure, method may include receiving one or more environment parameter signals indicative of an environment of a wireless communication element. The method may also include communicating one or more control signals to an antenna tuner of the wireless communication element for controlling an impedance of the antenna tuner based on the one or more environment parameter signals.

Claims

1. A wireless communication element, comprising:

a receive path configured to receive a first wireless communication signal and convert the first wireless communication signal into a first digital signal based at least on an oscillator signal;

a transmit path configured to convert a second digital signal into a second wireless communication signal based at least on the oscillator signal;

an antenna coupled to the receive path and the transmit path and configured to transmit the second wireless communication signal;

an antenna tuner coupled to the transmit path and the antenna; and

a control path coupled to the antenna and the antenna tuner, the control path configured to;

receive one or more environment parameter signals indicative of an environment of the wireless communication element; and

based on the one or more environment parameter signals, communicate one or more control signals to the antenna tuner for controlling an impedance of the antenna tuner.

2. A wireless communication element according to claim 1, the control path further configured to:

determine if an entry exists in a memory of the wireless communication element associated with the one or more environment parameter signals;

if the entry exists in the memory, determine an antenna tuner setting associated with the one or more environment parameter signals based on the entry;

communicate the one or more control signals to the antenna tuner based on the antenna tuner setting.

3. A wireless communication element according to claim 2, the control path further configured to:

determine if an entry exists in a memory of the wireless communication element associated with the one or more environment parameter signals;

if the entry does not exist in the memory, sense one or more power signals indicative of power transmitted from the transmit path to the antenna;

based at least on the one or more power signals, determine an antenna tuner setting associated with the one or more environment parameter signals; and

store an entry in the memory, the entry associating the one or more environment parameter settings with the antenna tuner setting.

4. A wireless communication element according to claim 1, the antenna tuner comprising one or more variable capacitors, the one or more control signals to the antenna tuner for controlling the capacitances of the one or more variable capacitors.

5. A wireless communication element according to claim 1, wherein the one or more environment parameter signals comprises a signal indicative of an orientation of the wireless communication element relative to the center of the earth.

6. A wireless communication element according to claim 1, wherein the one or more environment parameter signals comprises a signal indicative of a location of the wireless communication element.

7. A wireless communication element according to claim 1, wherein the one or more environment parameter signals comprises a signal indicative of proximity of the wireless communication element to a user of the wireless communication element.

8. A control path for control of an antenna tuner, comprising:

a control module coupled to an antenna tuner, the control path configured to;

receive one or more environment parameter signals indicative of an environment of a wireless communication element; and

based on the one or more environment parameter signals, communicate one or more control signals to the antenna tuner for controlling an impedance of the antenna tuner; and

a memory communicatively coupled to the control module, the memory configured to store one or more entries, each entry associating an antenna tuner setting for the antenna tuner to one or more environment parameter signals.

9. A control path according to claim 8, the control module further configured to:

determine if an entry exists in the memory associated with the one or more environment parameter signals;

if the entry exists in the memory, determine an antenna tuner setting associated with the one or more environment parameter signals based on the entry;

communicate the one or more control signals to the antenna tuner based on the antenna tuner setting.

10. A control path according to claim 8, the control path further configured to:

determine if an entry exists in the memory associated with the one or more environment parameter signals;

if the entry does not exist in the memory, sense one or more power signals indicative of power transmitted from the transmit path to the antenna;

based at least on the one or more power signals, determine an antenna tuner setting associated with the one or more environment parameter signals; and

store an entry in the memory, the entry associating the one or more environment parameter settings with the antenna tuner setting.

11. A control path according to claim 8, the antenna tuner comprising one or more variable capacitors, the one or more control signals to the antenna tuner for controlling the capacitances of the one or more variable capacitors.

12. A control path according to claim 8, wherein the one or more environment parameter signals comprises a signal indicative of an orientation of the wireless communication element relative to the center of the earth.

13. A control path according to claim 8, wherein the one or more environment parameter signals comprises a signal indicative of a location of the wireless communication element.

14. A control path according to claim 8, wherein the one or more environment parameter signals comprises a signal indicative of proximity of the wireless communication element to a user of the wireless communication element.

15. A method, comprising:

receiving one or more environment parameter signals indicative of an environment of a wireless communication element; and

based on the one or more environment parameter signals, communicating one or more control signals to an antenna tuner of the wireless communication element for controlling an impedance of the antenna tuner.

16. A method according to claim 15, further comprising:

determining if an entry exists in a memory of the wireless communication element, the entry associated with the one or more environment parameter signals;

if the entry exists in the memory, determining an antenna tuner setting associated with the one or more environment parameter signals based on the entry;

communicating the one or more control signals to the antenna tuner based on the antenna tuner setting.

17. A method according to claim 15, further comprising:

determining if an entry exists in the memory of the wireless communication element, the entry associated with the one or more environment parameter signals;

if the entry does not exist in the memory, sensing one or more power signals indicative of power transmitted from the transmit path to the antenna;

based at least on the one or more power signals, determining an antenna tuner setting associated with the one or more environment parameter signals; and

storing an entry in the memory, the entry associating the one or more environment parameter settings with the antenna tuner setting.

18. A method according to claim 15, the antenna tuner comprising one or more variable capacitors, the one or more control signals to the antenna tuner for controlling the capacitances of the one or more variable capacitors.

19. A method according to claim 15, wherein the one or more environment parameter signals comprises a signal indicative of an orientation of the wireless communication element relative to the center of the earth.

20. A method according to claim 15, wherein the one or more environment parameter signals comprises a signal indicative of a location of the wireless communication element.

21. A method according to claim 15, wherein the one or more environment parameter signals comprises a signal indicative of proximity of the wireless communication element to a user of the wireless communication element.