Radiated power control systems and methods in wireless communication devices
Embodiments include systems and methods for controlling radiation of radio frequency (RF) energy by a wireless communication device that includes a transmitter, an antenna, a vector field sensor, and a processing system. The transmitter produces an analog RF signal, and the antenna radiates the analog RF signal into an environment. The vector field sensor senses an intensity of a vector field resulting from the analog RF signal radiated by at least the antenna (and possibly other portions of the device). The processing system determines whether a value representing the intensity is greater than a first threshold, and when the value is greater than the first threshold, the processing system causes the radiated RF energy produced by the wireless communication device to be decreased.
1. A method for controlling radiation of radio frequency (RF) energy by a wireless communication device that includes a transmitter and an antenna, the method performed by the wireless communication device and comprising the steps of:
producing radiated RF energy by the wireless communication device;
sensing, by a vector field sensor that is positioned within a portion of the wireless communication device that corresponds to a Hearing Aid Compatibility (HAC) grid, an intensity of a vector field within the portion of the device that corresponds to a particular measurement area of the HAC grid within which an intensity measurement taken during device testing was highest, when compared with intensity measurements taken during the device testing within measurement areas other than the particular measurement area, wherein the vector field results from the radiated RF energy;
determining whether a value representing the intensity is greater than a first threshold; and
when the value is greater than the first threshold, decreasing the radiated RF energy produced by the wireless communication device.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein decreasing the radiated RF energy comprises adjusting one or more values of one or more impedance matching components to cause a decrease in the radiated RF energy.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein decreasing the radiated RF energy comprises adjusting power control parameters of the transmitter to cause a decrease in the radiated RF energy.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
determining whether the value is less than a second threshold, wherein the second threshold has a lower value than the first threshold; and
when the value is less than the second threshold, increasing the radiated RF energy produced by the wireless communication device.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein increasing the radiated RF energy comprises adjusting one or more values of one or more impedance matching components to cause an increase in the radiated RF energy.
6. The method of claim 4 , wherein increasing the radiated RF energy comprises adjusting power control parameters of the transmitter to cause an increase in the radiated RF energy.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication device further comprises one or more circuits that include one or more impedance matching components, and wherein the one or more impedance matching components includes one or more capacitors, and wherein decreasing the radiated RF energy is performed by adjusting the one or more values of the one or more capacitors.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of determining whether a value representing the intensity is greater than a first threshold determines whether the value representing the intensity is greater than the Hearing Aid Compatibility limit threshold.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein sensing the intensity of the vector field comprises sensing the intensity of an electric field.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein sensing the intensity of the vector field comprises sensing the intensity of a magnetic field.
11. A method for controlling radiation of radio frequency (RF) energy by a wireless communication device that includes a transmitter and an antenna, the method performed by the wireless communication device and comprising the steps of:
producing radiated RF energy by the wireless communication device;
sensing, by a vector field sensor that is position within a portion of the wireless communication device that corresponds to a Hearing Aid Compatibility (HAC) grid that includes a three-by-three array of measurement areas, an intensity of a vector field within the portion of the device that corresponds to a particular measurement area of the HAC grid within which an intensity measurement taken during device testing was highest, when compared with intensity measurements taken during the device testing within measurement areas other than the particular measurement area, wherein the vector field results from the radiated RF energy;
determining whether a value representing the intensity is greater than a first threshold; and
when the value is greater than the first threshold, decreasing the radiated RF energy produced by the wireless communication device.
12. A wireless communication device comprising:
a transmitter configured to produce an analog radio frequency (RF) signal;
an antenna, operably coupled with the transmitter, and configured to radiate the analog RF signal into an environment, wherein a vector field results from the analog RF signal radiated by the antenna;
a vector field sensor positioned within a portion of the wireless communication device that corresponds to a Hearing Aid Compatibility (HAC) grid, wherein the vector field sensor is configured to sense an intensity of the vector field in a particular measurement area of the HAC grid within which an intensity measurement taken during device testing was highest when compared with intensity measurements taken during the device testing within measurement areas other than the particular measurement area; and
a processing system operably coupled with vector field sensor, and configured to determine whether a value representing the intensity is greater than a first threshold, and when the value is greater than the first threshold, to cause radiated RF energy produced by the wireless communication device to be decreased.
13. The device of claim 12 , wherein the processing system is further configured to determine whether the value is less than a second threshold, wherein the second threshold has a lower value than the first threshold, and when the value is less than the second threshold, to cause RF energy produced by the wireless communication device to be increased.
14. The device of claim 12 , further comprising:
an impedance matching circuit, operably coupled between the antenna and the transmitter, wherein the impedance matching circuit includes one or more impedance matching components, and wherein the processing system is configured to cause the radiated RF energy to be decreased by causing one or more values of the one or more impedance matching components to be adjusted.
15. The device of claim 12 , further comprising:
an antenna tuning circuit, operably coupled to the antenna and to the processing system, wherein the antenna tuning circuit includes one or more impedance matching components, and wherein the processing system is configured to cause the radiated RF energy to be decreased by causing one or more values of the one or more impedance matching components to be adjusted.
16. The device of claim 12 , wherein the processing system is configured to cause the radiated RF energy to be decreased by adjusting power control parameters of the transmitter to cause a decrease in the radiated RF energy.
17. A wireless communication device, comprising:
a transmitter configured to produce an analog radio frequency (RF) signal;
an antenna, operably coupled with the transmitter, and configured to radiate the analog RF signal into an environment;
a vector field sensor configured to sense an intensity of a vector field resulting from the analog RF signal radiated by at least the antenna; and
a processing system operably coupled with vector field sensor, and configured to determine whether a value representing the intensity is greater than a first threshold, and when the value is greater than the first threshold, to cause radiated RF energy produced by the wireless communication device to be decreased;
a first ground plane;
a second ground plane; and
an impedance matching circuit, operably coupled between the first ground plane and the second ground plane, wherein the impedance matching circuit includes one or more impedance matching components, and wherein the processing system is configured to cause the radiated RF energy to be decreased by causing one or more values of the one or more impedance matching components to be adjusted.
18. A wireless communication device, comprising:
a transmitter configured to produce an analog radio frequency (RF) signal;
an antenna, operably coupled with the transmitter, and configured to radiate the analog RF signal into an environment;
a vector field sensor configured to sense an intensity of a vector field resulting from the analog RF signal radiated by at least the antenna; and
a processing system operably coupled with vector field sensor, and configured to determine whether a value representing the intensity is greater than a first threshold, and when the value is greater than the first threshold, to cause radiated RF energy produced by the wireless communication device to be decreased,
wherein the vector field sensor is positioned within a portion of the device that corresponds to a Hearing Aid Compatibility (HAC) grid that includes a three-by-three array of measurement areas, and wherein the vector field sensor is positioned within a portion of the device that corresponds to a particular measurement area of the HAC grid within which an intensity measurement taken during device testing was highest, when compared with intensity measurements taken during the device testing within measurement areas other than the particular measurement area.