IP Library Granted Patent US 7,714,676
Granted Patent B2
US 7,714,676 · App. 11/594,308 · Granted May 11, 2010

Adaptive impedance matching apparatus, system and method

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,714,676
App. No.
11/594,308
Granted
May 11, 2010
Kind
B2
Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus, comprising an RF matching network connected to at least one RF input port and at least one RF output port and including one or more voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements and wherein the RF matching network is adapted to maximize RF power transferred from the at least one RF input port to the at least one RF output port by varying the voltage or current to the voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements to maximize the RF voltage at the at least one RF output port. The variable reactive elements may be variable capacitances, variable inductances, or both.

Claims (32)

1. An apparatus, comprising:

an RF matching network coupled to at least one RF input port and at least one RF output port and comprising one or more voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements;

wherein said RF matching network is adapted to increase RF power transferred from said at least one RF input port to said at least one RF output port by varying a voltage or current applied to said voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements to increase the RF voltage at said at least one RF output port; and

wherein said one or more voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements are coupled to a bias voltage driver circuit adapted to map control signals that are output from a controller to a voltage range that is compatible with said one or more voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements in said RF matching network.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said one or more voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements comprise at least one of one or more variable capacitors, one or more variable inductor, or a combination thereof.

3. An adaptive impedance matching network, comprising:

an RF matching network coupled to at least one RF input port and at least one RF output port and comprising one or more voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements;

a voltage detector coupled to said at least one RF output port to determine a voltage at said at least one RF output port and provide voltage information to a controller that controls a bias driving circuit which provides voltage or current bias to said RF matching network; and

wherein said RF matching network is adapted to increase RF power transferred from said at least one RF input port to said at least one RF output port by varying a voltage or current applied to said voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements to increase the RF voltage at said at least one RF output port; and

wherein said one or more voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements are coupled to said bias voltage driver circuit adapted to map control signals that are output from said controller to a voltage range that is compatible with said one or more voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements in said RF matching network.

4. A method of adaptive impedance matching, comprising:

coupling an RF matching network comprising one or more voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements to at least one RF input port and at least one RF output port; and

adapting said RF matching network to increase RF power transferred from said at least one RF input port to said at least one RF output port by varying a voltage or current applied to said voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements to increase the RF voltage at said at least one RF output port; and

wherein said one or more voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements are coupled to a bias voltage driver circuit adapted to map control signals that are output from a controller to a voltage range that is compatible with said one or more voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements in said RF matching network.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said one or more voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements comprise at least one of one or more variable capacitors, one or more variable inductors, or a combination thereof.

6. A machine-accessible medium comprising computer instructions, which when accessed, cause a machine to:

adapt an RF matching network to increase RF power transferred from at least one RF input port to at least one RF output port by controlling a variation of a voltage or current applied to one or more voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements in said RF matching network to increase an RF voltage at said at least one RF output port; and

wherein said one or more voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements are coupled to a bias voltage driver circuit adapted to map control signals that are output from a controller to a voltage range that is compatible with said one or more voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements in said RF matching network.

7. The machine-accessible medium of claim 6 , comprising computer instructions to receive information from a voltage detector coupled to said at least one RF output port to measure a voltage at said at least one RF output port.

8. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein said one or more variable capacitors comprise at least one of one or more semiconductor varactors, one or more micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) varactors, one or more MEMS switched capacitors, and one or more ferroelectric capacitors.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said one or more voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements comprise at least one of one or more semiconductor varactors, one or more MEMS varactors, one or more MEMS switched reactive elements, one or more semiconductor switched reactive elements, and one or more ferroelectric capacitors.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising a voltage detector coupled to said at least one RF output port to measure a voltage at said at least one RF output port and provide voltage information to said controller to generate said control signals.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said bias voltage driver circuit comprises at least one of a charge pump and one or more digital to analog converters.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said one or more voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements comprise at least one of one or more capacitors and one or more inductors.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the one or more capacitors comprise one of one or more variable impedance capacitors and one or more switched capacitors each switched capacitor having a fixed impedance, and wherein the one or more inductors comprise one of one or more variable impedance inductors and one or more switched inductors each switched inductor having a fixed impedance.

14. The adaptive impedance matching network of claim 3 , wherein said one or more voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements comprise at least. one of one or more semiconductor varactors, one or more MEMS varactors, one or more MEMS switched reactive elements, one or more semiconductor switched reactive elements, and one or more ferroelectric capacitors.

15. The adaptive impedance matching network of claim 3 , wherein said one or more voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements comprise at least one of one or more capacitors and one or more inductors.

16. The adaptive impedance matching network of claim 15 , wherein the one or more capacitors comprise one of one or more variable impedance capacitors and one or more switched capacitors each switched capacitor having a fixed impedance, and wherein the one or more inductors comprise one of one or more variable impedance inductors and one or more switched inductors each switched inductor having a fixed impedance.

17. The method of claim 4 , wherein said one or more voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements comprise at least one of one or more semiconductor varactors, one or more MEMS varactors, one or more MEMS switched reactive elements, one or more semiconductor switched reactive elements, and one or more ferroelectric capacitors.

18. The method of claim 5 , wherein said one or more variable capacitors comprise at least one of one or more semiconductor varactors, one or more micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) varactors, one or more MEMS switched capacitors, and one or more ferroelectric capacitors.

19. The machine-accessible medium of claim 6 , wherein said one or more variable capacitors comprise at least one of one or more semiconductor varactors, one or more micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) varactors, one or more MEMS switched capacitors, and one or more ferroelectric capacitors.

20. The machine-accessible medium of claim 7 , comprising computer instructions to generate according to the received information control signals that are adapted by said bias voltage driver circuit.

Assignments (5)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 5, 2020
From: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
To: NXP USA, INC.
Reel/Frame 052095/0443 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 30, 2013
From: RESEARCH IN MOTION RF, INC.
To: RESEARCH IN MOTION CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 030909/0908 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 30, 2013
From: RESEARCH IN MOTION CORPORATION
To: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
Reel/Frame 030909/0933 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 31, 2012
From: PARATEK MICROWAVE, INC.
To: RESEARCH IN MOTION RF, INC.
Reel/Frame 028686/0432 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 8, 2006
From: MCKINZIE, WILLIAM E., III
To: PARATEK MICROWAVE, INC.
Reel/Frame 018546/0638 →