IP Library › Granted Patent US 8,929,843
Granted Patent B2
US 8,929,843 · App. 13/333,757 · Granted Jan 6, 2015

Antenna power coupler having a variable coupling factor

Inventors: Prashanth Akula (San Diego, CA); David Maldonado (Rancho Santa Fe, CA); Kevin Hsi Huai Wang (San Diego, CA)
Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
H04B1/005H03G3/3042H04B17/0032
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,929,843
App. No.
13/333,757
Granted
Jan 6, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

An antenna power coupler having a variable coupling factor is disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, an apparatus includes a coupler configured to generate a power detection signal based on transmit signal power associated with a plurality of transmission technologies and a variable attenuator configured to apply a selected attenuation factor to the power detection signal to generate an adjusted power detection signal, the selected attenuation factor associated with a selected transmission technology.

Claims (29)

1. Apparatus comprising:

a coupler configured to generate a power detection signal based on transmit signal power associated with a plurality of transmission technologies;

a variable attenuator configured to apply a selected attenuation factor to the power detection signal to generate an adjusted power detection signal that is maintained below a fixed threshold level, the selected attenuation factor is applied by the variable attenuator during all transmit signal powers associated with a selected transmission technology; and

a detection receiver configure to retrieve the selected attenuation factor from a memory based on the selected transmission technology and input the selected attenuation factor to the variable attenuator.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a detection receiver configured to generate an attenuator control signal based on the selected transmission technology to set the selected attenuation factor of the variable attenuator.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , the coupler, variable attenuator, and detection receiver are provided in a transceiver.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , the coupler comprises a wide band coupler.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , the coupler comprises the variable attenuator.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , the adjusted power detection signal is generated to have a power level that is maintained below the fixed threshold level of approximately 0 dBm.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , the plurality of transmission technologies comprise wide band code division multiple access (WCDMA), long term evolution (LTE), global system for mobile communication (GSM), wireless local area network (WLAN), and Bluetooth transmission technologies.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , the coupler is configured to couple to a transmission signal path on an input side of an antenna switch.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , the coupler is configured to couple to a transmission signal path on an output side of an antenna switch.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , the variable attenuator is included in an antenna switch.

11. Apparatus comprising:

means for generating a power detection signal based on transmit signal power associated with a plurality of transmission technologies;

means for applying a selected attenuation factor to the power detection signal to generate an adjusted power detection signal that is maintained below a fixed threshold level, the selected attenuation factor is applied during all transmit signal powers associated with a selected transmission technology; and

means for retrieving the selected attenuation factor from a memory based on the selected transmission technology and inputting the selected attenuation factor to the variable attenuator.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising means for generating an attenuator control signal based on the selected transmission technology to set the selected attenuation factor.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , the means for generating configured to operate over a wide frequency band.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 , the means for applying configured to generate the adjusted power detection signal to have a power level that is maintained below the fixed threshold level of approximately 0 dBm.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 , the means for generating configured to generate the power detection signal based on the transmit signal power associated with wide band code division multiple access (WCDMA), long term evolution (LTE), global system for mobile communication (GSM), wireless local area network (WLAN), and Bluetooth transmission technologies.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 , the means for generating is coupled to an input of a means for antenna switching.

17. The apparatus of claim 11 , the means for generating is coupled to an output of a means for antenna switching.

18. The apparatus of claim 11 , the means for applying included in a means for antenna switching.

19. A method comprising:

generating a power detection signal based on transmit signal power associated with a plurality of transmission technologies;

retrieving a selected attenuation factor from a memory based on a selected transmission technology; and

applying the selected attenuation factor to the power detection signal to generate an adjusted power detection signal that is maintained below a fixed threshold level, and wherein the selected attenuation factor is applied during all transmit signal powers associated with a selected transmission technology.

20. The method of claim 19 , the generating configured to generate the power detection signal based on the transmit signal power associated with wide band code division multiple access (WCDMA), long term evolution (LTE), global system for mobile communication (GSM), wireless local area network (WLAN), and Bluetooth transmission technologies.

Assignments (2)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE SPELLING OF KEVIN HIS HUAI WANG'S MIDDLE NAME. INVENTOR NAME SHOULD BE KEVIN HSI HUAI WANG PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 027808 FRAME 0538. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT OF APPL. NO. 13/333,757 TO QUALCOMM INCORPORATED. Recorded May 16, 2014
From: AKULA, PRASHANTH; MALDONADO, DAVID; WANG, KEVIN HSI HUAI
To: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 032910/0236 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 5, 2012
From: AKULA, PRASHANTH; MALDONADO, DAVID; WANG, KEVIN HIS HUAI
To: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 027808/0538 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 61537020 · Sep 20, 2011
Related Publication 20130072142A1 · Mar 21, 2013