Method and apparatus for adapting a variable impedance network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11444593-B2
Application number	US-202117171739-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 9, 2021
Priority date	Mar 22, 2010
Publication date	Sep 13, 2022
Grant date	Sep 13, 2022

Abstract

The present disclosure may include, for example, a tunable capacitor having a decoder for generating a plurality of control signals, and an array of tunable switched capacitors comprising a plurality of fixed capacitors coupled to a plurality of switches. The plurality of switches can be controlled by the plurality of control signals to manage a tunable range of reactance of the array of tunable switched capacitors. Additionally, the array of tunable switched capacitors is adapted to have non-uniform quality (Q) factors. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device comprising:
a tunable matching network on a single die, the tunable matching network including a plurality of signal switches,
wherein the plurality of signal switches are configurable to provide a first matching network and a separate second matching network having respectively a low-frequency signal path and a high-frequency signal path,
wherein the single die has a plurality of ports for coupling to an input and an output of the first matching network and to an input and an output of the second matching network;
wherein one or both of the low-frequency signal path and the high-frequency signal path comprises a tunable network; and
wherein an input switch of the plurality of signal switches is directly coupled to an input port of the plurality of ports and an output switch of the plurality of signal switches is directly coupled to an output port of the plurality of ports.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the plurality of signal switches are integrated into the die.

3. The device of claim 1 ,
wherein one or both of the low-frequency signal path and the high-frequency signal path comprises a tunable network; wherein a first input port of the plurality of ports and a separate second input port of the plurality of ports are respectively coupled to the input of the first matching network and the input of the second matching network, and
wherein the output switch of the plurality of signal switches is configured to connect the output port alternately to the output of the first matching network or the output of the second matching network.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the first input port and the second input port are connected to a dual-mode antenna.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device comprises a radio system, and wherein the tunable matching network is configured to connect to one of a single-input radio or a dual-input radio.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device comprises a handset, and wherein the tunable matching network is configured to interface to an antenna of the handset.

7. The device of claim 1 ,
wherein a first output port of the plurality of ports and a separate second output port of the plurality of ports are respectively coupled to the output of the first matching network and the output of the second matching network, and
wherein the input switch of the plurality of signal switches is configured to connect the input port alternately to the input of the first matching network or the input of the second matching network.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the input switch is configured to divert a signal to one of the low-frequency signal path or the high-frequency signal path, in accordance with a frequency of the signal.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is configured to provide a tunable matching network in one of a low-frequency signal band and a high-frequency signal band and a fixed matching network in the other of the low-frequency signal band and the high-frequency signal band.

10. A device comprising:
a tunable matching network on a single die, the tunable matching network including a plurality of signal switches,
wherein the plurality of signal switches are configurable to provide a first tunable matching network and a separate second tunable matching network having respectively a low-frequency signal path and a high-frequency signal path, and to divert a signal to one of the low-frequency signal path or the high-frequency signal path, in accordance with a frequency of the signal; and
wherein an input switch of the plurality of signal switches is directly coupled to an input port of the plurality of ports and an output switch of the plurality of signal switches is directly coupled to an output port of the plurality of ports.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein at least a portion of the plurality of signal switches are integrated into the die.

12. The device of claim 10 , wherein the single die has a plurality of ports for coupling to an input and an output of the first tunable matching network and to an input and an output of the second tunable matching network.

13. The device of claim 12 ,
wherein a first input port of the plurality of ports and a separate second input port of the plurality of ports are respectively coupled to the input of the first tunable matching network and the input of the second tunable matching network, and
wherein the output switch of the plurality of signal switches is configured to connect the output port alternately to the output of the first tunable matching network or the output of the second tunable matching network.

14. The device of claim 13 , wherein the first input port and the second input port are connected to a dual-mode antenna.

15. The device of claim 12 ,
wherein a first output port of the plurality of ports and a separate second output port of the plurality of ports are respectively coupled to the output of the first tunable matching network and the output of the second tunable matching network, and
wherein the input switch of the plurality of signal switches is configured to connect the input port alternately to the input of the first tunable matching network or the input of the second tunable matching network.

16. A device comprising:
a tunable matching network on a single die, the tunable matching network including a plurality of signal switches,
wherein the plurality of signal switches are configurable to provide in the tunable matching network a first signal path and a separate second signal path, the first signal path and the second signal path respectively comprising a low-frequency signal path and a high-frequency signal path,
wherein the single die has a plurality of ports for coupling to an input and an output of the first signal path and to an input and an output of the second signal path;
wherein the plurality of signal switches are configured to divert a signal to one of the low-frequency signal path or the high-frequency signal path, in accordance with a frequency of the signal; and
wherein an input switch of the plurality of signal switches is directly coupled to an input port of the plurality of ports and an output switch of the plurality of signal switches is directly coupled to an output port of the plurality of ports.

17. The device of claim 16 , wherein at least a portion of the plurality of signal switches are integrated into the die.

18. The device of claim 16 ,
wherein a first input port of the plurality of ports and a separate second input port of the plurality of ports are respectively coupled to the input of the first signal path and the input of the second signal path, and
wherein the output switch of the plurality of signal switches is configured to connect the output port alternately to the output of the first signal path or the output of the second signal path.

19. The device of claim 18 , wherein the first input port and the second input port are connected to a dual-mode antenna.

20. The device of claim 16 ,
wherein a first output port of the plurality of ports and a separate second output port of the plurality of ports are respectively coupled to the output of the first signal path and the output of the second signal path, and
wherein the input switch of the plurality of signal switches is configured to connect the input port alternately to the input of the first signal path or the input of the second signal path.

Assignees

• Nxp Usa Inc

Inventors

• Manssen Keith
• Greene Matthew Russell

Classifications

• H03H7/38 Primary

  Impedance-matching networks · CPC title

• H03H7/40

  Automatic matching of load impedance to source impedance · CPC title

• H03H5/12

  with at least one voltage- or current-dependent element · CPC title

• H03K17/56

  by the use, as active elements, of semiconductor devices (using diodes H03K17/74) · CPC title

• H03H7/004

  Capacitive coupling circuits not otherwise provided for · CPC title