Method and apparatus for tuning a communication device

• US 8,655,286 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2011
• Issued: 02/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP USA, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Mendolia, Gregory
• Primary Examiner(s): HSIEH, PING Y
• Application Number:
  US13/035,417
• Publication Number:
  US 20120220243A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,089 Days
• Field of Search: 455/77, 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/69, 343/702, 370/278
• US Class Current: 455/77
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/18 Input circuits, e.g. for coupling to an antenna or a transmission line coupling networks between antennas or lines and receivers independent of the nature of the receiver H03H
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3838 Arrangements for reducing RF exposure to the user, e.g. by changing the shape of the transceiver while in use
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/00 Radio transmission systems, i.e. using radiation field H04B10/00, H04B15/00 take precedence

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including computer instructions to obtain at least one operational parameter associated with a communication device and to adjust a steerable antenna of the communication device when the communication device does not satisfy an impedance threshold, where the satisfying of the impedance threshold is determined based on the at least one operational parameter. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. An apparatus operably coupled with a mobile communication device, the apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

a controller coupled with the memory, wherein the controller performs operations comprising;

adjusting an antenna pattern of a steerable antenna of the mobile communication device to reduce obstruction in a near field of the steerable antenna in response to a determination of an antenna mismatch, wherein the adjusting of the antenna pattern of the steerable antenna is based on a received signal strength indicator; and

adjusting a matching network of the mobile communication device,

wherein the adjusting of the antenna pattern of the steerable antenna and the adjusting of the matching network are based on closed loop iterations.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller performs operations further comprising:

obtaining an operational parameter associated with the steerable antenna; and

determining whether the mobile communication device satisfies an impedance threshold based on the operational parameter.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the operational parameter is obtained before and after the adjusting of the steerable antenna.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein changes in the operational parameter are utilized as feedback for determining a position for the steerable antenna during the adjusting of the steerable antenna.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the operational parameter comprises a magnitude and a phase of a reflected power associated with the steerable antenna.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the obtaining of the operational parameter is performed using a directional coupler.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the adjusting of the matching network of the mobile communication device is in response to the antenna mismatch.

8. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the impedance threshold is based on one or more values stored in a memory of the mobile communication device.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the adjusting of the matching network or the adjusting of the steerable antenna utilizes at least one of an electrically tunable capacitor, a semiconductor varactor, a micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) varactor, a MEMS switched reactive element, a piezoelectric components or a semiconductor switched reactive element.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to obtain an RF voltage associated with the steerable antenna, and wherein the adjusting of the steerable antenna and the adjusting of the matching network is based on the RF voltage.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the RF voltage is obtained from a directional coupler operably coupled with the steerable antenna.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mobile communication device comprises a multiple antenna system.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured for:

communicating steering data with a base station; and

adjusting the steerable antenna based on the steering data.

14. An apparatus operably coupled with a mobile communication device, the apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

a controller coupled with the memory, wherein the controller performs operations comprising;

adjusting an antenna pattern of a steerable antenna of the mobile communication device to reduce obstruction in a near field of the steerable antenna in response to a determination of an antenna mismatch; and

adjusting a matching network of the mobile communication device, wherein the adjusting of the matching network is performed while an antenna steering position is held constant.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, comprising computer instructions which, responsive to being executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

obtaining at least one operational parameter associated with a communication device;

adjusting an antenna pattern of a steerable antenna of the communication device responsive to a determination that the communication device does not satisfy an impedance threshold, wherein satisfying of the impedance threshold is determined based on the at least one operational parameter; and

adjusting a matching network of the communication device based on the at least one operational parameter, wherein the adjusting of the matching network is performed while an antenna steering position is held constant, wherein the adjusting of the steerable antenna is performed without using proximity sensors, and wherein the adjusting of the steerable antenna includes moving a steerable lobe pattern associated with the steerable antenna.