Method for automatically adjusting a tunable matching circuit, and automatic tuning system using this method

An automatic tuning system having a user port and a target port, the automatic tuning system allowing, at a given frequency, a transfer of power from the user port to the target port, the automatic tuning system comprising:

• a sensing unit, the sensing unit delivering two or more sensing unit output signals, each of the sensing unit output signals being mainly determined by one or more electrical variables sensed at the target port;
• a single-input-port and single-output-port tunable matching circuit, the single-input-port and single-output-port tunable matching circuit comprising one or more adjustable impedance devices, the one or more adjustable impedance devices being referred to as the adjustable impedance devices of the tunable matching circuit and being such that, at said given frequency, each of the adjustable impedance devices of the tunable matching circuit has a reactance, the reactance of any one of the adjustable impedance devices of the tunable matching circuit being adjustable by electrical means, the single-input-port and single-output-port tunable matching circuit comprising a temperature measurement device which measures, at one or more locations in the single-input-port and single-output-port tunable matching circuit, a temperature, to obtain one or more temperature signals, each of the one or more temperature signals being mainly determined by one or more of the temperatures at said one or more locations;
• a signal processing unit, the signal processing unit estimating two or more real quantities depending on an impedance seen by the target port, using the sensing unit output signals obtained while an excitation is applied to the user port, said two or more real quantities depending on an impedance seen by the target port being sufficient for being able to compute a real part and an imaginary part of the impedance seen by the target port, the signal processing unit delivering a tuning instruction as a function of said one or more temperature signals and as a function of said two or more real quantities depending on an impedance seen by the target port;
• and
• a tuning control unit, the tuning control unit receiving the tuning instruction from the signal processing unit, the tuning control unit delivering one or more tuning control signals to the single-input-port and single-output-port tunable matching circuit, said one or more tuning control signals being determined as a function of the tuning instruction, the reactance of each of the adjustable impedance devices of the tunable matching circuit being mainly determined by at least one of the one or more tuning control signals.

An automatic tuning system having one user port and one target port, the automatic tuning system allowing, at a given frequency, a transfer of power from the user port to the target port, the automatic tuning system comprising:

• a sensing unit, the sensing unit delivering two or more sensing unit output signals, each of the sensing unit output signals being mainly determined by one or more electrical variables sensed at the target port;
• a single-input-port and single-output-port tunable matching circuit, the single-input-port and single-output-port tunable matching circuit comprising one or more adjustable impedance devices, the one or more adjustable impedance devices being referred to as the adjustable impedance devices of the tunable matching circuit and being such that, at said given frequency, each of the adjustable impedance devices of the tunable matching circuit has a reactance, the reactance of any one of the adjustable impedance devices of the tunable matching circuit being adjustable by electrical means, the single-input-port and single-output-port tunable matching circuit comprising a temperature measurement device which measures, at one or more locations in the single-input-port and single-output-port tunable matching circuit, a temperature, to obtain one or more temperature signals, each of the one or more temperature signals being mainly determined by one or more of the temperatures at said one or more locations;
• a signal processing unit, the signal processing unit estimating two or more real quantities depending on an impedance seen by the target port, using the sensing unit output signals obtained while an excitation is applied to the user port, said two or more real quantities depending on an impedance seen by the target port being sufficient for being able to compute a real part and an imaginary part of the impedance seen by the target port, the signal processing unit delivering a tuning instruction as a function of said two or more real quantities depending on an impedance seen by the target port;
• and
• a tuning control unit, the tuning control unit receiving the tuning instruction from the signal processing unit, the tuning control unit delivering one or more tuning control signals to the single-input-port and single-output-port tunable matching circuit, said one or more tuning control signals being determined as a function of said one or more temperature signals and as a function of the tuning instruction, the reactance of each of the adjustable impedance devices of the tunable matching circuit being mainly determined by at least one of the one or more tuning control signals.