US 11,121,693 B1Granted

Radio frequency port impedance detection using concurrent radios

AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.

InventorsNathan Labadie, Kun Ting Tsai, Cheol Su Kim, Kalyan Teja Posani, Omar Fawazhashim Zakaria

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Abstract

Technologies directed to a wireless device with RF port impedance detection using concurrent radios are described. One wireless device includes an impedance detection circuit with a bi-directional RF coupler and switching circuitry. A processing device controls the switching circuitry to i) couple the bi-directional RF coupler between a first radio and a first RF port and a second radio and a second RF port. The processing device causes a first radio to send a first signal and a second radio to measure a first receive signal strength indicator (RSSI) value of a first reflected signal. The processing device determines that the first RSSI value exceeds a threshold, the threshold representing an impedance mismatch condition at or beyond the first RF port. The processing device sends a message indicative of the impedance mismatch condition to a second device.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A wireless device comprising:

a first RF port to couple to a first antenna;
a second RF port;
a first wireless local area network (WLAN) radio;
a second WLAN radio;
an impedance detection circuit comprising:
switching circuitry coupled to the first WLAN radio, the second WLAN radio, the first RF port, and the second RF port;
a bi-directional RF coupler coupled to the switching circuitry, the bi-directional RF coupler comprising a first port, a second port, a third port, and a fourth port,
wherein the switching circuitry, in a coupler mode, i) couples the first WLAN radio to the first port, the first RF port to the third port, and the second WLAN radio to the second port, and ii) decouples the second RF port from the fourth port,
wherein the switching circuitry, in a normal mode, iii) decouples the bi-directional RF coupler from the first WLAN radio, the second WLAN radio, the first RF port, and the second RF port and iv) couples the first WLAN radio to the first RF port and the second WLAN radio to the second RF port;
and
a processing device coupled to the first WLAN radio, the second WLAN radio, and the impedance detection circuit, wherein the processing device:
receives a first message from a remote server that manages wireless device in a network, the first message comprising a request to check for an impedance mismatch condition at or beyond the first RF port, wherein the impedance mismatch condition is caused by v) the first antenna being disconnected from the first RF port or vi) a physical attribute of an RF cable, which is coupled between the first antenna and the first RF port, the physical attribute causing malfunction of the RF cable;
sends a control signal to the impedance detection circuit that causes the impedance detection circuit to switch from the normal mode to the coupler mode;
instructs the first WLAN radio to send a first signal via the first antenna;
instructs the second WLAN radio to measure a first receive signal strength indicator (RSSI) value of a first reflected signal received at the second port of the bi-directional RF coupler, wherein the first reflected signal is a reflected signal of the first signal and is caused by an impedance mismatch condition caused by v) or vi);
determines that the first RSSI value exceeds a threshold, the threshold representing the impedance mismatch condition;
sends a second message to the remote server, the second message comprising a response with an indication of the impedance mismatch condition;
and
receives a third message from the remote server, the third message comprising a command to disable the first WLAN radio.

16 more elements

An apparatus comprising:

a processing device;
a first RF port;
a second RF port;
a first terminal configured to couple to a first radio;
a second terminal configured to couple to a second radio;
a first radio frequency front-end (RFFE) circuit;
a second RFFE circuit;
a coupler;
and
switching circuitry coupled to the first terminal, the first RFFE circuitry, a first port of the coupler, the second terminal, the second RFFE circuit, a second port of the coupler, a third port of the coupler, the first RF port, a fourth port of the coupler, and the second RF port, wherein the processing device is to:
control the switching circuitry to i) couple the first terminal to the first port, ii) couple the first RF port to the third port, iii) couple the second terminal to the second port, and iv) decouple the second RF port from the fourth port;
cause the first radio to send a first signal;
cause the second radio to measure a first receive signal strength indicator (RSSI) value of a first reflected signal, the first reflected signal being a reflected signal of the first signal;
determine that the first RSSI value exceeds a threshold, the threshold representing an impedance mismatch condition at or beyond the first RF port;
and
send a message to a second device indicative of the impedance mismatch condition.

13 more elements

A method comprising:

receiving, by a processing device of a wireless device, a first message from a second device, the first message comprises a request that causes the processing device to check for an impedance mismatch condition;
coupling, by the processing device, a first radio to a first port of a coupler of the wireless device;
coupling, by the processing device, a second radio to a second port of the coupler;
coupling, by the processing device, a first RF port to a third port of the coupler;
decoupling, by the processing device, a second RF port from a fourth port of the coupler;
causing, by the processing device, the first radio to send a first signal via a first terminal;
causing, by the processing device, the second radio to measure a first receive signal strength indicator (RSSI) value of a first reflected signal at a second terminal, the first reflected signal is a reflection signal of the first signal;
determining, by the processing device, that the first RSSI value exceeds a threshold, the threshold representing an impedance mismatch condition at or beyond the first RF port, wherein the impedance mismatch condition is caused by i) a first antenna being disconnected from a first RF port of the wireless device or ii) a physical attribute of an RF cable coupled between the first antenna and the first RF port;
and
sending, by the processing device, a message to the second device indicative of the impedance mismatch condition.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/744,974Filed 16 Jan 2020
Granted: 14 Sep 2021
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification13 codes

H03H 7/40
Impedance-matching networks: automatic matching of load impedance to source impedance
H04B 1/18
Circuits: input circuits, e.g. for coupling to an antenna or a transmission line
H04B 17/103
For measurement of specific parameters of the transmitter or components thereof: reflected power, e.g. return loss
H04B 17/17
Performance testing: detection of non-compliance or faulty performance, e.g. response deviations

Family

No related US applications are recorded in the indexed filing history.

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