Radio-frequency processing device and method and related wireless communication device

• US 8,811,911 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2011
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Inventors: Su, Chih-Chin, Lai, Chung-Chi, Ho, Chien-Ting, Chen, Wan-Ming
• Primary Examiner(s): Hanidu, Ganiyu A
• Application Number:
  US13/172,801
• Publication Number:
  US 20120003947A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,147 Days
• Field of Search: 455/191.2, 455/188.1, 455/191.1, 455/150.1, 455/230, 455/572, 455/86, 455/12.1, 455/76, 455/260, 455/245.1, 455/67.11, 455/77, 455/121, 455/129, 455/193.1, 343/860, 343/787, 343/853, 343/745, 333/32, 333/17.3
• US Class Current: 455/67.11
• 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

A radio-frequency (RF) processing device, for a wireless communication device, is disclosed. The RF processing device comprises an antenna, an RF-signal processing module, a controller, for generating a control signal according to a band switching signal, and a matching adjustment module for adjusting an impedance between the antenna and the RF-signal processing module according to the control signal.

Claims

1. A radio-frequency (RF) processing device, for a wireless communication device having a baseband module for generating a band switching signal according to a frequency band used by the wireless communication device, comprising:

an antenna;

an RF-signal processing module configured to be connected to the baseband module for outputting a baseband or mid-band signal to the baseband module;

a controller configured to be connected to the baseband module, for generating a control signal according to the band switching signal generated by the baseband module; and

a matching adjustment module connected to the controller for receiving the control signal from the controller and adjusting an impedance between the antenna and the RF-signal processing module according to the control signal;

wherein the matching adjustment module comprises;

a converter, for converting the control signal provided by the controller into a plurality of voltage signals; and

a matching adjustment circuit comprising a plurality of inductors, coupled between the antenna and the RF-signal processing module in series and a plurality of varactors, coupled between the plurality of inductors and a ground, for changing capacitance between the antenna and the RF-signal processing module according to the plurality of voltage signals to vary voltage standing wave ratios and extend an operating bandwidth of the antenna without extending the antenna.

2. The RF processing device of claim 1, wherein the controller stores a plurality of settings for determining the capacitance, and selects a setting from the plurality of settings as the control signal according to the band switching signal.

3. The RF processing device of claim 1, further comprising a sensor, for sensing a surrounding status of the wireless communication device, wherein the controller further generates the control signal according to the surrounding status.

4. A radio-frequency (RF) processing method, for a wireless communication device having an antenna, an RF-signal processing module, a baseband module, a matching adjustment module and a controller coupled between the baseband module and the matching adjustment module, comprising:

sensing whether an object is approaching the wireless communication device and generating a sensing result;

generating, with the baseband module, a band switching signal according to a frequency band used by the wireless communication device;

generating, with the controller, a control signal according to the band switching signal and the sensing result; and

adjusting, with the matching adjustment module, an impedance between the antenna and the RF-signal processing module according to the control signal to vary voltage standing wave ratios and extend an operating bandwidth of the antenna without extending the antenna.

5. The RF processing method of claim 4, wherein the step of adjusting, with the matching adjustment module, the impedance between the antenna and the RF-signal processing module according to the control signal is adjusting a plurality of electrical parameters between the antenna and the RF-signal processing module according to the control signal.

6. The RF processing method of claim 5, further comprising storing a plurality of settings for determining the plurality of electrical parameters, and selecting a setting from the plurality of settings for adjusting the plurality of electrical parameters according to the control signal.

7. The RF processing method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of electrical parameters comprise capacitance.

8. A wireless communication device, comprising:

a baseband module configured to generate a band switching signal according to a frequency band used by the wireless communication device; and

a radio-frequency (RF) processing device, comprising;

an antenna;

an RF-signal processing module connected to the baseband module for outputting a baseband or mid-band signal to the baseband module;

a controller connected to the baseband module, for generating a control signal according to the band switching signal generated by the baseband module; and

a matching adjustment module connected to the controller for adjusting an impedance between the antenna and the RF-signal processing module according to the control signal;

wherein the matching adjustment module comprises;

a converter, for converting the control signal provided by the controller into the plurality of voltage signals; and

a matching adjustment circuit comprising a plurality of inductors, coupled between the antenna and the RF-signal processing module in series and a plurality of varactors, coupled between the plurality of inductors and a ground, for changing capacitance between the antenna and the RF-signal processing module according to the plurality of voltage signals to vary voltage standing wave ratios and extend an operating bandwidth of the antenna without extending the antenna.

9. The wireless communication device of claim 8, wherein the controller stores a plurality of settings for determining the capacitance, and selects a setting from the plurality of settings as the control signal according to the band switching signal.

10. The wireless communication device of claim 8, further comprising a sensor, for sensing a surrounding status of the wireless communication device, wherein the controller further generates the control signal according to the surrounding status.

11. The wireless communication device of claim 8, wherein the baseband module generates the band switching signal according to a frequency band used by the wireless communication device.

12. The wireless communication device of claim 10, wherein the sensor is a proximity sensor, which is configured to sense whether an object is approaching the wireless communication device and generate a sensing result, according to which the controller generates the control signal.

13. A wireless communication device, comprising:

a baseband module, configured to generate a band switching signal;

a proximity sensor, configured to sense whether an object is approaching the wireless communication device and generate a sensing result;

a radio-frequency (RF) processing device, comprising;

an antenna;

an RF-signal processing module connected to the baseband module for outputting a baseband or mid-band signal to the baseband module;

a controller connected to the baseband module, for generating a control signal according to the band switching signal generated by the baseband module and the sensing result generated by the proximity sensor; and

a matching adjustment module connected to the controller for receiving the control signal from the controller and adjusting an impedance between the antenna and the RF-signal processing module according to the control signal to vary voltage standing wave ratios and extend an operating bandwidth of the antenna without extending the antenna.