Adaptive matching network
AssigneeBlackBerry Limited
InventorsWilliam E. McKinzie, III, Heinz Bachmann, Greg Mendolia
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure can include, for example, an apparatus having a matching network adapted to reduce a magnitude of a signal reflection at a port of the matching network. The matching network can have one or more controllable variable reactive elements. A controller can be adapted to determine reflection coefficient information from incident and reflected waves sampled at the port of the matching network, and follow at least one cycle of a coarse tune process for generating one or more control signals to tune one or more reactances of the one or more controllable variable reactive elements. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
Claims17
A communication device, comprising:
- an antenna;
- a transceiver coupled with the antenna;
- a directional RF coupler;
- a matching network coupled with the antenna, the transceiver and the directional RF coupler, the matching network comprising a variable reactance element;
- and
- a control circuit coupled with the matching network and the directional RF coupler,
- wherein the directional RF coupler is connected between the matching network and the transceiver,
- wherein the control circuit obtains measurements via the directional RF coupler for forward and reverse waves,
- wherein the control circuit performs an impedance tuning process by adjusting a reactance of the variable reactance element according to the measurements to reduce a return loss,
- wherein the impedance tuning process is initially a coarse tuning process,
- wherein the control circuit determines new reflection coefficient information to initiate a subsequent tuning process, and
- wherein when the new reflection coefficient information has achieved a desired value, the impedance tuning process transitions to a fine tuning process that adjusts the reactance of the variable reactance element by applying iterative adjustments to control signals generated by the control circuit.
A method, comprising:
- obtaining, by a control circuit of a communication device, measurements via an RF coupler that samples forward and reverse waves at a RF input port of a matching network of the communication device;
- and
- adjusting, by the control circuit, the matching network to perform an impedance tuning process by adjusting a reactance of a variable reactance element of the matching network according to the measurements;
- and
- determining a new reflection coefficient information to initiate a subsequent tuning process to reduce a return loss, wherein when the new reflection coefficient information has achieved a desired value, the impedance tuning process transitions to a fine tuning process that adjusts the reactance of the variable reactance element by applying iterative adjustments to control signals generated by the control circuit.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a memory that stores instructions;
- and
- a control circuit coupled with the memory, wherein the control circuit, responsive to executing the instructions, performs operations comprising:
- obtaining measurements via an RF coupler that samples forward and reverse waves at a RF input port of a matching network of a communication device;
- and
- adjusting the matching network to perform an impedance tuning process by adjusting a reactance of a variable reactance element of the matching network according to the measurements to reduce a return loss, wherein the return loss is proportional to a difference between a calibration factor and a difference between the forward and reverse waves.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.