Method and apparatus for managing interference in a communication device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9564944-B2
Application number	US-201414483809-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 11, 2014
Priority date	Apr 20, 2010
Publication date	Feb 7, 2017
Grant date	Feb 7, 2017

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a matching network including a tunable reactance circuit configured to be coupled to at least one of a transmitter portion and a receiver portion of a communication device, where the tunable reactance circuit is adjustable to a plurality of tuning states, and where the determination of a tuning state is based on whether detected signal measurements are determined to be invalid and is based on information from at least one of an open-loop or closed-loop feedback configuration of the tunable reactance circuit. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A communication device, comprising:
a transceiver;
a tunable reactance circuit coupled to the transceiver; and
a controller coupled with the tunable reactance circuit, wherein the controller, responsive to executing instructions, performs operations comprising:
determining a tuning state for the tunable reactance circuit based on detected signal measurements;
determining whether the detected signal measurements are valid or invalid;
applying the tuning state to the tunable reactance circuit responsive to a determination that the detected signal measurements are valid; and
applying one of a last known valid tuning state or a default tuning state to the tunable reactance circuit responsive to a determination that the detected signal measurements are invalid.

2. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein the determining of the tuning state is based in part on a mechanical use case of the communication device.

3. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein the tunable reactance circuit comprises one or more semiconductor varactors, one or more micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) varactors, one or more semiconductor switched capacitors, one or more MEMS switched capacitors, or combinations thereof.

4. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein the tunable reactance circuit comprises one or more ferroelectric capacitors.

5. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein the determining of whether the detected signal measurements are valid or invalid is based on at least one of Voltage Standing Wave Ratio data measured over a period of time, amplitude modulation, a reflected input measured during transmission and non-transmission, phase measurements outside of a standard deviation, a comparison of measured and predicted transmission power level changes, or a comparison of measured and predicted improvement in reflected loss between tuning states.

6. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein the invalidity of the detected measurements is caused by another communication device generating a signal that interferes with the communication device.

7. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein the invalidity of the detected measurements is caused by internal interference generated by the communication device.

8. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein the tunable reactance circuit comprises a signal sampling network, and wherein a signal output of the signal sampling network has a filter coupled thereto.

9. The communication device of claim 8 , wherein the signal sampling network comprises a directional coupler.

10. A communication device, comprising:
a transceiver;
a tunable reactance circuit coupled to the transceiver; and
a controller coupled with the tunable reactance circuit, wherein the controller, responsive to executing instructions, performs operations comprising:
determining a tuning state for the tunable reactance circuit based on detected signal measurements and based on a use case for the communication device;
determining whether the detected signal measurements are valid or invalid;
applying the tuning state to the tunable reactance circuit responsive to a determination that the detected signal measurements are valid; and
applying a last known valid tuning state to the tunable reactance circuit responsive to a determination that the detected signal measurements are invalid.

11. The communication device of claim 10 , wherein the determining of whether the detected signal measurements are valid or invalid is based on at least one of Voltage Standing Wave Ratio data measured over a period of time, amplitude modulation, a reflected input measured during transmission and non-transmission, phase measurements outside of a standard deviation, a comparison of measured and predicted transmission power level changes, or a comparison of measured and predicted improvement in reflected loss between tuning states.

12. A method comprising:
determining, by a processor of a communication device, a tuning state for a tunable reactance circuit from among a plurality of tuning states based on whether detected signal measurements are determined to be invalid and based on information from at least one of an open-loop or closed-loop feedback configuration of the tunable reactance circuit, wherein the processor is coupled with the tunable reactance circuit, wherein the tunable reactance circuit is coupled to at least one of a transmitter portion or a receiver portion of the communication device;
adjusting the tunable reactance circuit utilizing the tuning state responsive to a determination that the detected signal measurements are valid; and
adjusting the tunable reactance circuit utilizing a previously determined tuning state or a default tuning state responsive to a determination that the detected signal measurements are invalid.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the open-loop feedback configuration is based on a mechanical use case of the communication device.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising determining a validity of the detected signal measurements based on a comparison of measured and predicted improvement in reflected loss.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising determining a validity of the detected signal measurements based on Voltage Standing Wave Ratio data measured over a period of time.

16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising determining a validity of the detected signal measurements based on amplitude modulation.

17. The method of claim 12 , further comprising determining a validity of the detected signal measurements based on a reflected input level measured during transmission and non-transmission.

18. The method of claim 12 , further comprising determining a validity of the detected signal measurements based on phase measurements outside of a predetermined deviation.

19. The method of claim 12 , further comprising determining a validity of the detected signal measurements based on a comparison of measured and predicted transmission power level changes.

20. The method of claim 12 , wherein the tunable reactance circuit comprises at least one of one or more voltage tunable capacitors, one or more semiconductor varactors, one or more micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) varactors, one or more semiconductor switched capacitors, one or more MEMS switched capacitors, and one or more ferroelectric capacitors.

Assignees

• Blackberry Ltd

Inventors

• Manssen Keith
• Greene Matthew
• Smith Wayne
• Schlueter David
• Spears John

Classifications

• H04B1/1027

  assessing signal quality or detecting noise/interference for the received signal · CPC title

• H04B1/12

  Neutralising, balancing, or compensation arrangements · CPC title

• H04W24/02

  Arrangements for optimising operational condition · CPC title

• H03H7/40 Primary

  Automatic matching of load impedance to source impedance · CPC title

• H04B1/401 Primary

  for selecting or indicating operating mode · CPC title