Voltage standing wave radio measurement and tuning systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9698833-B2
Application number	US-201514942105-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 16, 2015
Priority date	Nov 16, 2015
Publication date	Jul 4, 2017
Grant date	Jul 4, 2017

Abstract

A standing wave ratio detection arrangement is disclosed. The arrangement includes a standing wave ratio detector and a controller. The standing wave ratio detector is configured to receive an isolated signal and a coupled signal and to generate a multi-bit return loss signal based on the isolated signal and the coupled signal in the analog domain using successive attenuation of the coupled signal. The controller is configured to determine a standing wave ratio from the return loss and to generate an antenna tuner control signal using the standing wave ratio.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A standing wave ratio detection arrangement comprising:
a standing wave ratio detector configured to receive an isolated signal and a coupled signal, to compare an isolated power of the isolated signal with a coupled power of the coupled signal and to generate a multi-bit return loss signal based on the comparison of the isolated power and the coupled power in the analog domain using successive attenuation of the coupled signal; and
a controller configured to determine a standing wave ratio from the multi-bit return loss signal and to generate an antenna tuner control signal using the standing wave ratio.

2. The arrangement of claim 1 , further comprising a directional coupler configured to receive an incoming RF signal and generate the isolated signal and the coupled signal using coupling.

3. The arrangement of claim 2 , further comprising an antenna tuner configured to enhance impedance matching according to the antenna tuner control signal.

4. The arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control the successive approximation of the standing wave ratio detector.

5. The arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the standing wave ratio detector includes a first power detector configured to measure the isolated power of the isolated signal, a second power detector configured to measure the coupled power of the coupled signal, and an attenuator component configured to selectively attenuate the coupled signal.

6. The arrangement of claim 5 , wherein the standing wave ratio detector includes a comparator configured to compare the isolated power and the coupled power.

7. The arrangement of claim 5 , wherein the standing wave ratio detector further includes a second attenuator component configured to selectively attenuate the isolated signal.

8. The arrangement of claim 7 , wherein the standing wave ratio detector further includes a register configured to store the return value.

9. The arrangement of claim 7 , wherein the standing wave ratio detector includes a first filter configured to remove interferences from the coupled signal and a second filter configured to remove interferences from the isolated signal.

10. The arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the standing wave ratio detector is configured to operate in an auto-zeroing phase where the isolated signal and the coupled signal are attenuated and a detector offset is determined and the standing wave ratio detector is also configured to operate in a comparison phase where the detector offset is used to generate a return value.

11. The arrangement of claim 10 , further comprising an auto-zeroing component configured to attenuate the isolated signal and the coupled signal during the auto-zeroing phase.

12. A standing wave ratio detection arrangement comprising:
a standing wave ratio detector configured to receive an isolated signal and a coupled signal and to generate a multi-bit return loss signal based on the isolated signal and the coupled signal in the analog domain using successive attenuation of the coupled signal; and
a controller configured to determine a standing wave ratio from the multi-bit return loss signal and to generate an antenna tuner control signal using the standing wave ratio;
a directional coupler configured to receive an incoming RF signal and generate the isolated signal and the coupled signal using coupling; and
wherein the directional coupler includes a first cell and a second cell, wherein the first cell and the second cell have an adjustable termination impedance and wherein the standing wave ratio detector is configured to generate a first return loss based on a first termination impedance and a second return loss based on a second termination impedance, wherein the first termination impedance is varied from the second termination impedance.

13. An antenna tuner arrangement comprising:
a directional coupler configured to generate an isolated signal and a coupled signal from an RF input signal;
a standing wave ratio detector having:
an attenuator configured to attenuate the coupled signal by an attenuation amount;
a first power detector configured to measure an isolated voltage of the isolated signal;
a second power detector configured to measure a coupled voltage of the coupled signal;
a comparator configured to provide a comparison of the isolated voltage and the coupled voltage as an output; and

a register configured to store the comparison and one or more additional comparisons as a return loss having a plurality of bits; and
an antenna tuner configured to adjust an antenna impedance based on the return loss.

14. The arrangement of claim 13 , wherein the register is configured to adjust the attenuation amount according to the return loss.

15. The arrangement of claim 13 , further comprising a controller configured to successively adjust the attenuation amount until the return loss is within a selected accuracy.

16. The arrangement of claim 13 , wherein the comparator is an auto-zeroing comparator and is configured to apply an offset to the comparison.

17. A method of operating a standing wave ratio detector, the method comprising:
receiving a first coupled signal and a second coupled signal;
attenuating the second coupled signal by an attenuation amount;
measuring a power of the first coupled signal to obtain a first voltage;
measuring a power of the second coupled signal to obtain a second voltage;
comparing the first voltage with the second voltage to generate a comparison value;
adjusting the attenuation amount based on the comparison value and storing the attenuation amount; and
providing the attenuation amount as a return loss from a reference plane.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising generating a voltage standing wave ratio based on the return loss.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising attenuating the first coupled signal by a second attenuation amount.

20. The method of claim 17 , further comprising generating the first coupled signal and the second coupled signal from an incoming RF signal.

Assignees

• Infineon Technologies Ag

Inventors

• Solomko Valentyn
• Bauder Ruediger
• Bakalski Winfried
• Thomas Anthony

Classifications

• G01R27/06 Primary

  Measuring reflection coefficients; Measuring standing-wave ratio · CPC title

• H04B5/0037

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04B1/0458 Primary

  Arrangements for matching and coupling between power amplifier and antenna or between amplifying stages (matching circuits in general H03H) · CPC title

• H04B17/101 Primary

  for measurement of specific parameters of the transmitter or components thereof · CPC title

• H03H7/38

  Impedance-matching networks · CPC title