Apparatus and method for determining reflection coefficient of antenna

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11336308-B2
Application number	US-201916767225-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 31, 2019
Priority date	Jan 31, 2018
Publication date	May 17, 2022
Grant date	May 17, 2022

Abstract

Disclosed is an electronic device. Other various embodiments as understood from the specification are also possible. The electronic device may include an antenna, a communication module including a transceiver, and a control circuit. The control circuit may be configured to radiate a first signal generated from the transceiver through the antenna, to obtain at least part of a second signal obtained by combining a forward signal delivered from the communication module to the antenna and a reverse signal reflected from the antenna, and to determine a reflection coefficient for the antenna based on at least part of the first signal and at least part of the second signal.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
an antenna;
a communication module including a transceiver; and
a control circuit,
wherein the control circuit is configured to:
radiate a first signal generated from the transceiver through the antenna;
obtain at least part of a second signal obtained by combining a forward signal delivered from the communication module to the antenna and a reverse signal reflected from the antenna; and
determine a reflection coefficient for the antenna based on at least part of the first signal and at least part of the second signal.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a memory,
wherein the control circuit is configured to:
determine the reflection coefficient based at least on a look-up table indicating a ratio between the first signal and the second signal, which are stored in the memory.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , further comprising:
a passive element between the communication module and the antenna,
wherein the control circuit is configured to:
obtain the at least part of the second signal through the passive element.

4. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the communication module further includes a first transmission/reception module corresponding to a first frequency band and a second transmission/reception module corresponding to a second frequency band,
further comprising:
a switch between the communication module and the antenna,
wherein the control circuit is configured to:
obtain the at least part of the second signal through a port, which is not connected to the first transmission/reception module and the second transmission/reception module, from among a plurality of ports included in the switch.

5. The electronic device of claim 2 , further comprising:
a first line interposed between the communication module and the antenna and a second line disposed separately from the first line,
wherein the control circuit is configured to:
obtain the at least part of the second signal through the second line.

6. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the communication module includes a printed circuit board (PCB), and
wherein the second line is disposed on the same layer as the first line, on a layer over the first line, or on a layer under the first line, on the PCB.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a tuner between the communication module and the antenna,
wherein the control circuit is configured to:
correct impedance for the antenna based on the determined reflection coefficient through the tuner.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the transceiver includes a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC).

9. A method of an electronic device, the method comprising:
radiating a first signal generated from a transceiver, through an antenna;
obtaining at least part of a second signal obtained by combining a forward signal delivered to the antenna and a reverse signal reflected from the antenna; and
determining a reflection coefficient for the antenna based on at least part of the first signal and at least part of the second signal.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the determining of the reflection coefficient includes:
determining the reflection coefficient based on a look-up table indicating a ratio between the first signal and the second signal.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the obtaining of the at least part of the second signal includes:
obtaining the at least part of the second signal through a passive element interposed between a communication module including the transceiver and the antenna.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the obtaining of the at least part of the second signal includes:
obtaining the at least part of the second signal through a port of a switch interposed between a communication module including the transceiver and the antenna.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the obtaining of the at least part of the second signal includes:
obtaining the at least part of the second signal through a first line interposed between a communication module including the transceiver and the antenna and a second line disposed separately from the first line.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the second line is disposed on the same layer as the first line, on a layer over the first line, or on a layer under the first line.

15. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
correcting impedance for the antenna based on the determined reflection coefficient.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lim Wonsub
• Oh Seunghyun
• Na Hyoseok
• Yang Dongil

Classifications

• H04B1/18

  Input circuits, e.g. for coupling to an antenna or a transmission line (coupling networks between antennas or lines and receivers independent of the nature of the receiver H03H) · CPC title

• H01Q1/521

  reducing the coupling between adjacent antennas · CPC title

• H04B1/401

  for selecting or indicating operating mode · CPC title

• H01Q1/243

  with built-in antennas · CPC title

• H04B17/10

  of transmitters · CPC title