IP Library Granted Patent US 8,626,083
Granted Patent B2
US 8,626,083 · App. 13/108,589 · Granted Jan 7, 2014

Method and apparatus for tuning a communication device

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,626,083
App. No.
13/108,589
Granted
Jan 7, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a tuning system for a communication device having an antenna where the tuning system includes at least one first tunable element connected with at least one radiating element of the antenna for tuning the antenna where the adjusting of the at least one first tunable element is based on a closed loop process, and a matching network having at least one second tunable element coupled at a feed point of the antenna for tuning the matching network based on an operational parameter of the communication device. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Claims (34)

1. A tuning system for a communication device having an antenna, the tuning system comprising:

at least one first tunable element connected with at least one radiating element of the antenna for tuning the antenna, wherein the adjusting of the at least one first tunable element comprises a closed loop process;

a matching network having at least one second tunable element coupled at a feed point of the antenna for tuning the matching network based on an operational parameter of the communication device; and

a detector coupled between the antenna and the matching network, wherein the operational parameter is obtained using the detector without using a measuring component coupled between the matching network and a transceiver of the communication device.

2. The tuning system of claim 1 , wherein the operational parameter comprises at least one of output power, return loss, received power, current drain or transmitter linearity.

3. The tuning system of claim 1 , wherein the operational parameter comprises return loss.

4. The tuning system of claim 1 , wherein the operational parameter is obtained during transmission by a transceiver of the communication device.

5. The tuning system of claim 1 , wherein the operational parameter comprises received power.

6. The tuning system of claim 5 , wherein the adjusting of the at least one first tunable element is based on metrics obtained from the detector.

7. The tuning system of claim 1 , comprising a detector and a directional coupler coupled between the antenna and the matching network, wherein the operational parameter is obtained from the detector.

8. The tuning system of claim 7 , wherein a Voltage Standing Wave Ratio (VSWR) associated with the antenna is obtained using the directional coupler, and wherein the at least one first tunable element is adjusted based on the VSWR.

9. The tuning system of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the at least one first tunable element and the at least one second tunable element is electrically tunable capacitors.

10. The tuning system of claim 1 , wherein the closed loop process is based on derivative information associated with a detected RF voltage of the communication device.

11. The tuning system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one radiating element includes a low band radiating element and a high band radiating element.

12. The tuning system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first tunable element includes an electrically tunable capacitor.

13. A tuning system for a communication device having an antenna, the tuning system comprising:

at least one first tunable element connected with at least one radiating element of the antenna for tuning the antenna, wherein the adjusting of the at least one first tunable element comprises a closed loop process; and

a matching network having at least one second tunable element coupled at a feed point of the antenna for tuning the matching network based on an operational parameter of the communication device,

wherein the operational parameter is obtained using a directional coupler coupled between the matching network and a transceiver, wherein the adjusting of the at least one first tunable element and the adjusting of the at least one second tunable element are based on the operational parameter without obtaining measurements from a measuring components positioned in proximity to the antenna.

14. A tuning system for a communication device having an antenna, the tuning system comprising:

at least one first tunable element connected with at least one radiating element of the antenna for tuning the antenna, wherein the adjusting of the at least one first tunable element comprises a closed loop process; and

a matching network having at least one second tunable element coupled at a feed point of the antenna for tuning the matching network based on an operational parameter of the communication device;

a first measuring component coupled between the matching network and a transceiver to obtain the operational parameter of the communication device; and

a second measuring component coupled between the antenna and the matching network to obtain an other operational parameter associated with a transmit power of the communication device, wherein the adjusting of the at least one first tunable element is based on the other operational parameter.

15. The tuning system of claim 14 , wherein the first measuring component is a directional coupler.

16. The tuning system of claim 14 , wherein at least one first radiating element of the antenna associated with a first frequency range is tuned using a different process than is utilized in tuning at least one second radiating element of the antenna associated with a second frequency range.

17. The tuning system of claim 16 , wherein the at least one first radiating element is a high band radiating element tuned based on an open loop process.

18. The tuning system of claim 14 , wherein the first and second measuring components are directional couplers.

19. A tuning system for a communication device having an antenna, the tuning system comprising:

at least one first tunable element connected with at least one radiating element of the antenna for tuning the antenna, wherein the adjusting of the at least one first tunable element comprises a first closed loop process; and

a matching network having at least one second tunable element coupled at a feed point of the antenna for tuning the matching network based on a second closed loop process,

wherein the first and second closed loop processes are iterative processes, and

wherein at least one measured operational metric of the communication device is utilized by both of the first and second closed loop processes.

20. The tuning system of claim 19 , wherein the at least one first tunable element comprises an electrically tunable capacitor.

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 May 27, 2011
From: GREENE, MATTHEW R.; MANSSEN, KEITH R.
To: PARATEK MICROWAVE, INC.
Reel/Frame 026353/0170 →