Time-variant antenna module for wireless communication devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9947994-B2
Application number	US-201615236050-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 12, 2016
Priority date	Sep 5, 2012
Publication date	Apr 17, 2018
Grant date	Apr 17, 2018

Abstract

A plug-and-play antenna may be used with many different types of wireless communication devices. An antenna may be coupled to an impedance tuning component and a waveform generator. A calibration control module receives radio status information, controls the waveform generator to vary a response of the antenna, and tunes the impedance tuning component to match impedances between a radio and the antenna.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
an antenna;
tuning circuitry coupled with the antenna, the tuning circuitry to include an array of capacitors and switch circuitry to control the array of capacitors; and
control circuitry coupled with the tuning circuitry, the control circuitry to provide a control waveform to the antenna and the tuning circuitry and to control the switch circuitry to selectively activate one or more capacitors of the array of capacitors, to vary a resonance response of the antenna.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is to vary the resonance response to tune the antenna from a first band to a second band.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a waveform generator coupled with the antenna, the waveform generator to excite the control waveform to the antenna and the tuning circuitry.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the waveform generator is to generate a voltage waveform.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the waveform generator is to generate a capacitance waveform.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the waveform generator, the control circuitry, and the tuning circuitry are monolithically integrated in a common die.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising: sensor circuitry to sense changes in a signal power on a transmission line based on the control waveform and provide feedback to the control circuitry based on the sensed changes.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the control circuitry is to compare the signal power to a predetermined threshold and to vary the resonance response based on said comparison.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is to vary the resonance response based on pre-programmed tuning parameters.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is to selectively provide the control waveform based on operational parameters.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the antenna comprises a passive antenna structure designed under mobile device boundary conditions for one or more wireless communication frequencies.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises an antenna module to be coupled with a transceiver to receive a radio frequency signal.

13. One or more non-transitory, computer-readable media having instructions that, when executed, cause a device to:
provide a control waveform to an antenna to vary a resonance response of the antenna;
process feedback related to an electrical characteristic of a signal on a transmission line coupled with the antenna; and
control, based on said feedback, an array of capacitors to match impedances between the antenna and a radio module at a selected operating frequency.

14. The one or more non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 13 , wherein the feedback is based on a signal power of the signal on the transmission line.

15. The one or more non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 13 , wherein the feedback is a result of a comparison of the electrical characteristic and a predetermined threshold.

16. The one or more non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 15 , wherein the predetermined threshold is associated with a mobile device form factor.

17. The one or more non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 13 , wherein the electrical characteristic is based on environmental effects.

18. A wireless communication device, comprising:
a radio module; and
an antenna module, coupled with the radio module, the antenna module to convey a radio-frequency (RF) signal, the antenna module to include:
an antenna;
tuning circuitry coupled with the antenna, the tuning circuitry to include a switchable impedance module with an array of capacitors and switch circuitry to control the array of capacitors;
a waveform generator coupled with the antenna, the waveform generator to provide a control waveform to the antenna to vary a resonance response of the antenna; and
control circuitry coupled with the tuning circuitry and the waveform generator, the control circuitry to control the waveform generator to selectively provide the control waveform and to control the switch circuitry to selectively control the array of capacitors.

19. The wireless communication device of claim 18 , wherein the control circuitry is to control the waveform generator to tune the resonance response of the antenna from a first band to a second band.

20. The wireless communication device of claim 18 , wherein the antenna module further comprises: sensor circuitry to sense changes in a signal power on a transmission line based on the control waveform and provide feedback to the control circuitry based on the sensed changes.

21. The wireless communication device of claim 20 , wherein the control circuitry is to compare the signal power to a predetermined threshold and to control the waveform generator or the switch circuitry based on said comparison.

22. The wireless communication device of claim 18 , wherein the waveform generator is configured to generate a capacitance waveform.

23. The wireless communication device of claim 18 , further comprising a coaxial cable to couple the antenna module with the radio module.

24. The wireless communication device of claim 18 , wherein the control circuitry and the tuning circuitry are coupled via a serial interface.

25. An apparatus comprising:
an antenna;
tuning circuitry coupled with the antenna, the tuning circuitry to include an array of capacitors and switch circuitry to control the array of capacitors;
a waveform generator coupled with the antenna, the waveform generator to excite a control waveform to the antenna and the tuning circuitry to vary a resonance response of the antenna; and
control circuitry coupled with the tuning circuitry and the waveform generator, the control circuitry to control the waveform generator to selectively provide the control waveform and to control the switch circuitry to selectively control the array of capacitors.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the control circuitry is to control the waveform generator to tune the resonance response of the antenna from a first band to a second band.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 , further comprising: sensor circuitry to sense changes in a signal power on a transmission line based on the control waveform and provide feedback to the control circuitry based on the sensed changes.

28. The apparatus of claim 25 , further comprising: sensor circuitry to sense changes in a signal power on a transmission line and provide feedback to the control circuitry based on the sensed changes.

29. The apparatus of claim 28 , wherein the control circuitry is to compare the signal power to a predetermined threshold and to control the waveform generator or the switch circuitry based on said comparison.

30. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the waveform generator is to generate a voltage waveform.

31. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the waveform generator is to generate a capacitance waveform.

32. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the waveform generator, the control circuitry, and the tuning circuitry are monolithically integrated in a common die.

33. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the control circuitry is to control the waveform generator base

Assignees

• Intel Corp
• Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties Inc
• Virgina Tech Intellectual Properties Inc

Inventors

• Suh Seong-Youp
• Skinner Harry G
• Kesling W Dawson
• Manteghi Majid

Classifications

• H04B17/22

  for calibration of the receiver components · CPC title

• H04B1/40

  Circuits · CPC title

• H04L41/0809

  Plug-and-play configuration · CPC title

• H04B17/12

  of transmit antennas, e.g. of the amplitude or phase · CPC title

• H04B1/401

  for selecting or indicating operating mode · CPC title