Method and arrangement for detecting load mismatch, and a radio device utilizing the same

1. An arrangement for detecting impedance mismatch between an output of a radio frequency amplifier and an input of a load coupled to the output of the radio frequency amplifier, of which the radio frequency amplifier comprises an amplifying component, the arrangement comprising:

first monitoring means adapted to monitor a measurable electric effect at a side of the amplifying component other than the load and to produce a first measurement signal,

second monitoring means adapted to monitor a measurable electric effect between the amplifying component and the load and to produce a second measurement signal, and

decision-making means adapted to receive said first and second measurement signals, to compare said first measurement signal to said second measurement signal and to decide on the basis of such comparing, whether said first and second measurement signals together indicate impedance mismatch.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein said first monitoring means and said second monitoring means are peak radio frequency voltage detectors adapted to monitor peak radio frequency voltage and to produce signals indicative of detected peak radio frequency voltage.

3. An arrangement according to claim 2 , wherein said decision-making means are adapted to compare a ratio of said first and second measurement signals with a constant, and to respond to a ratio of said first and second measurement signals differing from said constant by deciding that said first and second measurement signals together indicate impedance mismatch.

4. An arrangement according to claim 2 , wherein said first monitoring means and said second monitoring means are half-wave rectifiers.

5. An arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein said first monitoring means and said second monitoring means are peak radio frequency current detectors adapted to monitor peak radio frequency current and to produce signals indicative of detected peak radio frequency current.

6. An arrangement for detecting impedance mismatch between an output of a radio frequency amplifier and an input of a load coupled to the output of the radio frequency amplifier, of which the radio frequency amplifier comprises an amplifying component, the arrangement comprising:

first monitoring means adapted to monitor a measurable electric effect at other a side of the amplifying component other than the load and to produce a first measurement signal,

second monitoring means adapted to monitor a measurable electric effect between the amplifying component and the load and to produce a second measurement signal, and

decision-making means adapted to receive said first and second measurement signals and to decide, whether said first and second measurement signals together indicate impedance mismatch, wherein:

the radio frequency amplifier comprises amplifying components that constitute a chain of amplifying stages, of which one is an output stage, and which chain of amplifying stages is coupled between an input and an output of the radio frequency amplifier,

said first monitoring means is adapted to monitor a measurable electric effect between said input of the radio frequency amplifier and said output stage, and

said second monitoring means is adapted to monitor a measurable electric effect between said output stage and said output of the radio frequency amplifier.

7. An arrangement according to claim 6 , wherein:

the radio frequency amplifier comprises two amplifying components, of which one is a driver stage and the other is an output stage,

said first monitoring means is adapted to monitor a measurable electric effect between said driver stage and said output stage, and

said second monitoring means is adapted to monitor a measurable electric effect between said output stage and an output of the radio frequency amplifier.

8. An arrangement according to claim 7 , wherein:

the arrangement comprises dynamically controllable impedance matching means between said output stage and said output of the radio frequency amplifier, and

said decision-making means is adapted to control said dynamically controllable impedance matching means, a consequence of such controlling being an effect of reducing impedance mismatch by said dynamically controllable impedance matching means.

9. An arrangement according to claim 8 , wherein said dynamically controllable impedance matching means comprise:

a signal path for a signal to be transmitted from the radio frequency amplifier to the load,

a capacitance coupled between said signal path and a ground potential, and

a controllable switch adapted to selectively make connection from said signal path through said capacitance to ground potential;

and wherein said decision-making means is adapted to control said controllable switch.

10. An arrangement according to claim 7 , wherein:

the arrangement comprises a dynamically controllable biasing arrangement adapted to control biasing of said output stage, and

said decision-making means is adapted to control said dynamically controllable biasing arrangement, a consequence of such controlling being an effect of reducing impedance mismatch by changing the biasing of said output stage.

11. An arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein:

the arrangement comprises transmission power control means for controlling how much radio frequency power is output from the radio frequency amplifier,

said decision-making means is adapted to inform said transmission power control means when the decision-making means decide that said first and second measurement signals together indicate impedance mismatch, and

said transmission power control means is adapted to respond to such informing by changing the control of how much radio frequency power is output from the radio frequency amplifier.

12. A mobile telecommunication device, comprising:

a transmitter block,

within the transmitter block a radio frequency amplifier having an amplifying component and an output port, and

an antenna coupled to the output port of the radio frequency amplifier;

wherein for detecting impedance mismatch between the antenna and the output port of the radio frequency amplifier the mobile telecommunication device comprises:

first monitoring means adapted to monitor a measurable electric effect at a side of the amplifying component other than the antenna and to produce a first measurement signal,

second monitoring means adapted to monitor a measurable electric effect between the amplifying component and the antenna and to produce a second measurement signal, and

decision-making means adapted to receive said first and second measurement signals, to compare said first measurement signal to said second measurement signal and to decide on the basis of such comparing, whether said first and second measurement signals together indicate impedance mismatch.

13. A mobile telecommunication device according to claim 12 , wherein said decision-making means are located within the transmitter block.

14. A mobile telecommunication device according to claim 13 , wherein the transmitter block comprises an integrated power amplifier circuit, which includes said first monitoring means, said second monitoring means and said decision-making means.

15. A mobile telecommunication device according to claim 13 , wherein the transmitter block comprises a power amplifier circuit, which includes said first monitoring means and said second monitoring means, and the transmitter block further comprises said decision-making means in a circuit that is separate from the power amplifier circuit.

16. A mobile telecommunication device according to claim 12 , wherein in addition to the transmitter block the mobile telecommunication device comprises a separate control block, so that said first monitoring means and said second monitoring means are located in the transmitter block and said decision-making means are located in said control block.

17. A mobile telecommunication device according to claim 12 , wherein:

the mobile telecommunication device comprises transmission power control means for controlling how much radio frequency power is output from the transmitter block to the antenna,

said decision-making means is adapted to inform said transmission power control means when the decision-making means decides that said first and second measurement signals together indicate impedance mismatch, and

said transmission power control means is adapted to respond to such informing by changing the control of how much radio frequency power is output from the transmitter block.

18. A mobile telecommunication device according to claim 17 , wherein said transmission power control means is adapted to receive a power control command from a cellular radio system and to choose a way of effecting such a power control command depending on whether the decision-making means has decided that said first and second measurement signals together indicate impedance mismatch.

19. A method for detecting impedance mismatch between an output of a radio frequency amplifier and an input of a load coupled to the output of the radio frequency amplifier, comprising:

monitoring a measurable electric effect at a side of an amplifying component within the radio frequency amplifier other than the load, and producing a first measurement signal,

monitoring a measurable electric effect between said amplifying component within the radio frequency amplifier and the load, and producing a second measurement signal,

comparing said first measurement signal to said second measurement signal and

deciding on the basis of such comparing, whether said first and second measurement signals together indicate impedance mismatch.

20. A method according to claim 19 , wherein:

the steps of monitoring a measurable electric effect involve monitoring a peak radio frequency voltage, and

the step of deciding, whether said first and second measurement signals together indicate impedance mismatch, comprises the substeps of:

calculating a ratio of said first and second measurement signals,

comparing said ratio with a constant, and

in a case where said comparing shows that said ratio differs from said constant by an amount that is larger than a certain threshold, deciding that said first and second measurement signals together indicate impedance mismatch.

21. A method according to claim 19 , wherein:

the steps of monitoring a measurable electric effect involve monitoring a peak radio frequency current.

22. A method according to claim 19 , wherein for compensating for a detected impedance mismatch the method additionally comprises the steps of:

generating a corrective signal as a response to deciding that said first and second measurement signals together indicate impedance mismatch, and

applying said corrective signal to a dynamically controllable impedance matching network between said amplifying component and the load in order to change its impedance matching characteristics.

23. A method according to claim 19 , wherein for compensating for a detected impedance mismatch the method additionally comprises the steps of:

generating a corrective signal as a response to deciding that said first and second measurement signals together indicate impedance mismatch, and

applying said corrective signal to a controllable biasing arrangement in order to change biasing of said amplifying component.

24. A method according to claim 19 , wherein for compensating for a power loss due to a detected impedance mismatch the method additionally comprises the steps of:

correcting a power control value by a certain correction factor, the magnitude of which depends on how severe an impedance mismatch was detected, and

applying the corrected power control value to the radio frequency amplifier in order to define its output power level.