System and method for adaptive aperture tunable antenna
AssigneeFuturewei Technologies, Inc.
InventorsPing Shi, Navid Nader
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An antenna's resonance frequency is detuned when a part of a human body approaches or contacts the antenna and consequently results in efficiency loss. The antenna may be tuned by changing its total load capacitance such that the antenna's total load capacitance falls within a reference capacitance range of a reference capacitance, where the antenna can operate at or near its pre-determined operating resonance frequency. A tunable capacitor may be coupled to the antenna for tuning the total load capacitance of the antenna.
Claims23
An apparatus, comprising:
- an antenna having a tunable aperture;
- a tunable capacitor, a first terminal of the tunable capacitor being coupled to the antenna, and a second terminal of the tunable capacitor being coupled to a ground through an inductor;
- a capacitance sensing device coupled to the antenna, and configured to detect a total load capacitance of the antenna, the capacitance sensing device including a sensor head that is positioned overlapping the antenna;
- and
- a controller, coupled to the capacitance sensing device, and configured to select, from a plurality of look-up tables, a tuning capacitance of the tunable capacitor that is associated with the total load capacitance of the antenna based on a frequency band, a resonant frequency, and a duplexing mode that the antenna is operating at, and to control tuning of the tunable capacitor in accordance with the selected tuning capacitance, the selected tuning capacitance of the tunable capacitor having been predefined to tune the total load capacitance of the antenna to fall within a reference capacitance range of a reference capacitance, the reference capacitance enabling the antenna to operate at the resonant frequency.
A method for tuning an antenna of an apparatus, the method comprising:
- detecting, via a capacitance sensing device of the apparatus, a total load capacitance of the antenna, the capacitance sensing device including a sensor head that is positioned overlapping the antenna, the antenna having a tunable aperture and being coupled to a tunable capacitor of the apparatus, the tunable capacitor coupled to ground through an inductor;
- selecting, by a controller of the apparatus from a plurality of look-up tables, a tuning capacitance of the tunable capacitor that is associated with the total load capacitance of the antenna based on a frequency band, a resonant frequency, and a duplexing mode that the antenna is operating at, the selected tuning capacitance of the tunable capacitor having been predefined to tune the total load capacitance of the antenna to fall within a reference capacitance range of a reference capacitance, the reference capacitance enabling the antenna to operate at the resonant frequency;
- and
- controlling, by the controller of the apparatus, tuning of the tunable capacitor according to the selected tuning capacitance.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.