Adaptive impedance matching apparatus, system and method

• US 7,714,676 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2006
• Issued: 05/11/2010
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Takaoka; Dean O
• Application Number:
  US11/594,308
• Publication Number:
  US 20080106349A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,280 Days
• Field of Search: 333/17.3, 333/32, 324/600
• US Class Current: 333/17.3
• 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

An embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus, comprising an RF matching network connected to at least one RF input port and at least one RF output port and including one or more voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements and wherein the RF matching network is adapted to maximize RF power transferred from the at least one RF input port to the at least one RF output port by varying the voltage or current to the voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements to maximize the RF voltage at the at least one RF output port. The variable reactive elements may be variable capacitances, variable inductances, or both.

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 voltage or current controlled 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 a voltage or current applied to said voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements to increase the RF voltage at said at least one RF output port; and

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

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said one or more voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements comprise at least one of one or more variable capacitors, one or more variable inductor, or a combination thereof.

8. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said one or more variable capacitors comprise at least one of one or more semiconductor varactors, one or more micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) varactors, one or more MEMS switched capacitors, and one or more ferroelectric capacitors.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said one or more voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements comprise at least one of one or more semiconductor varactors, one or more MEMS varactors, one or more MEMS switched reactive elements, one or more semiconductor switched reactive elements, and one or more ferroelectric capacitors.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a voltage detector coupled to said at least one RF output port to measure a voltage at said at least one RF output port and provide voltage information to said controller to generate said control signals.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said bias voltage driver circuit comprises at least one of a charge pump and one or more digital to analog converters.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said one or more voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements comprise at least one of one or more capacitors and one or more inductors.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the one or more capacitors comprise one of one or more variable impedance capacitors and one or more switched capacitors each switched capacitor having a fixed impedance, and wherein the one or more inductors comprise one of one or more variable impedance inductors and one or more switched inductors each switched inductor having a fixed impedance.

3. An adaptive impedance matching network, 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 voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements;

a voltage detector coupled to said at least one RF output port to determine a voltage at said at least one RF output port and provide voltage information to a controller that controls a bias driving circuit which provides voltage or current bias to said RF matching network; and

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 a voltage or current applied to said voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements to increase the RF voltage at said at least one RF output port; and

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

14. The adaptive impedance matching network of claim 3, wherein said one or more voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements comprise at least. one of one or more semiconductor varactors, one or more MEMS varactors, one or more MEMS switched reactive elements, one or more semiconductor switched reactive elements, and one or more ferroelectric capacitors.

15. The adaptive impedance matching network of claim 3, wherein said one or more voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements comprise at least one of one or more capacitors and one or more inductors.

16. The adaptive impedance matching network of claim 15, wherein the one or more capacitors comprise one of one or more variable impedance capacitors and one or more switched capacitors each switched capacitor having a fixed impedance, and wherein the one or more inductors comprise one of one or more variable impedance inductors and one or more switched inductors each switched inductor having a fixed impedance.

4. A method of adaptive impedance matching, comprising:

coupling an RF matching network comprising one or more voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements to at least one RF input port and at least one RF output port; and

adapting said RF matching network to increase RF power transferred from said at least one RF input port to said at least one RF output port by varying a voltage or current applied to said voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements to increase the RF voltage at said at least one RF output port; and

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

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said one or more voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements comprise at least one of one or more variable capacitors, one or more variable inductors, or a combination thereof.

17. The method of claim 4, wherein said one or more voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements comprise at least one of one or more semiconductor varactors, one or more MEMS varactors, one or more MEMS switched reactive elements, one or more semiconductor switched reactive elements, and one or more ferroelectric capacitors.

18. The method of claim 5, wherein said one or more variable capacitors comprise at least one of one or more semiconductor varactors, one or more micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) varactors, one or more MEMS switched capacitors, and one or more ferroelectric capacitors.

6. A machine-accessible medium comprising computer instructions, which when accessed, cause a machine to:

adapt an RF matching network to increase RF power transferred from at least one RF input port to at least one RF output port by controlling a variation of a voltage or current applied to one or more voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements in said RF matching network to increase an RF voltage at said at least one RF output port; and

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

7. The machine-accessible medium of claim 6, comprising computer instructions to receive information from a voltage detector coupled to said at least one RF output port to measure a voltage at said at least one RF output port.

19. The machine-accessible medium of claim 6, wherein said one or more variable capacitors comprise at least one of one or more semiconductor varactors, one or more micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) varactors, one or more MEMS switched capacitors, and one or more ferroelectric capacitors.

20. The machine-accessible medium of claim 7, comprising computer instructions to generate according to the received information control signals that are adapted by said bias voltage driver circuit.