Antenna tuner for terminal equipment and terminal equipment

Abstract

The invention relates to an antenna tuner for terminal equipment and the terminal equipment. The first port is configured to be connected to an antenna. The plurality of second ports are configured to be connected to the plurality of matching paths, respectively. The plurality of control paths are respectively connected between the first port and the plurality of second ports, and are used for respectively controlling the conduction state between the plurality of second ports and the first port. The plurality of control paths includes an adjustable control path including a plurality of impedance elements and a plurality of control switches associated with the plurality of impedance elements, respectively, the control switch is configured to control whether an impedance element associated therewith is connected between the first port and the second port associated with the adjustable control path. The antenna tuner can support more matching states through a built-in adjustable control path, and the impedance state of the antenna can be flexibly adjusted.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of communications, and in particular to an antenna tuner for a terminal device and the terminal device. Background Art

[0002] Terminal devices (such as mobile terminals) usually need to use one antenna to cover multiple frequency bands to meet different communication needs.

[0003] However, the frequency ranges of different frequency bands are different, which means that if an antenna only uses one common matching to cover multiple frequency bands, it cannot ensure that the same antenna can obtain good antenna performance in different frequency bands.

[0004] Therefore, an antenna tuner is needed to tune the matching of the same antenna in different frequency bands to improve the antenna performance of the same antenna in each frequency band. Summary of the invention

[0005] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an antenna tuner for a terminal device and the terminal device.

[0006] According to a first aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided an antenna tuner for a terminal device, comprising: a first port configured to be connected to an antenna; a plurality of second ports configured to be respectively connected to a plurality of matching paths; and a plurality of control paths respectively connected between the first port and the plurality of second ports, for respectively controlling the conduction states between the plurality of second ports and the first port, wherein the plurality of control paths comprise an adjustable control path, the adjustable control path comprising a plurality of impedance elements and a plurality of control switches respectively associated with the plurality of impedance elements, the control switches being used to control whether the impedance elements associated therewith are connected between the first port and the second port associated with the adjustable control path.

[0007] Optionally, the adjustable control circuit further includes a bypass switch connected between the first port and the second port, and when the bypass switch is turned on, the first port and the second port associated with the adjustable control path are directly connected.

[0008] Optionally, the multiple impedance elements are multiple capacitors, the adjustable control circuit includes multiple control branches connected in parallel between the first port and the second port associated with the adjustable control path, each control branch includes a capacitor and a control switch associated with it; or the multiple impedance elements are multiple resistors, the multiple resistors are connected in series between the first port and the second port associated with the adjustable control path, and both ends of each control switch are respectively connected to both ends of the resistor associated with it.

[0009] Optionally, corresponding hardware matching schemes are configured for each of the multiple frequency bands supported by the antenna. In each hardware matching scheme, at least one matching path is connected to the antenna, and in each hardware matching scheme for the multiple frequency bands, a matching path corresponding to the adjustable control path is connected to the antenna.

[0010] According to the second aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a terminal device is provided, comprising: an antenna; multiple matching paths; and the antenna tuner according to the first aspect of the embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the first port of the antenna tuner is connected to the antenna, and the multiple second ports of the antenna tuner are respectively connected to the multiple matching paths.

[0011] Optionally, the terminal device also includes: a radio frequency chip, configured to enable at least one control path in the antenna tuner including the adjustable control path to be in a conductive state according to a hardware matching scheme configured for a frequency band currently used by the antenna, and the radio frequency chip is also configured to adjust the conductive state of multiple control switches on the adjustable control path to adjust the antenna performance parameters.

[0012] Optionally, a frequency band includes multiple channels, and the RF chip is also configured to adjust the conduction state of multiple control switches on the adjustable control path for the channels of the frequency band currently used by the antenna, so as to adjust the antenna performance parameters for each channel respectively.

[0013] Optionally, the RF chip is also configured to obtain antenna performance parameters of the antenna, and adjust the antenna performance parameters by adjusting the conduction state of multiple control switches on the adjustable control path; and / or the RF chip is also configured to adjust the conduction state of multiple control switches on the adjustable control path in response to a change in the antenna state to adjust the antenna performance parameters.

[0014] Optionally, the radio frequency chip is further configured to adjust the conduction state of multiple control switches on the adjustable control path in response to the terminal device being covered with a shell or removed from a shell, so as to adjust the antenna performance parameters.

[0015] Optionally, the terminal device also includes: two first conductive contacts, which are arranged on the back cover of the terminal device; an impedance detector, connected to the two first conductive contacts, and used to detect the impedance value between the two first conductive contacts, wherein whether the terminal device is covered with a shell is determined based on the impedance value detected between the two first conductive contacts, wherein two second conductive contacts are arranged at positions on the shell corresponding to the two first conductive contacts, and an impedance element with a predetermined impedance value is connected between the two second conductive contacts. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent through a more detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals generally represent like components in the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 1 The internal structure and usage diagram of an antenna tuner for a mobile terminal are exemplarily shown.

[0018] Figure 2 A structural schematic diagram of an antenna tuner for a terminal device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is exemplarily shown.

[0019] Figure 3 The internal structure and usage scheme of an antenna tuner for a mobile terminal according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure are exemplarily shown.

[0020] Figure 4 The diagram exemplarily shows a schematic diagram of identifying whether a mobile phone is in a case according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure can be implemented in various forms and should not be limited by the embodiments described herein. On the contrary, these embodiments are provided to make the present disclosure more thorough and complete, and to fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0022] Those skilled in the art should understand that the terms "first", "second", etc. in the present disclosure are used to distinguish similar objects, rather than to describe a specific order or sequence, and have no additional limiting effect.

[0023] Antenna impedance matching refers to matching the input impedance of the antenna with the characteristic impedance of the feeder. When the impedances of the two are well matched, the reflection loss encountered by the signal during transmission will be very small. Reflection loss is the reflection and attenuation of signal energy on the transmission line due to impedance mismatch, which will lead to signal energy loss and reduced transmission efficiency.

[0024] The input impedance of an antenna is the impedance state of the antenna at the feed point, which is affected by many factors such as the antenna's geometry, size, feed point location, operating wavelength, and surrounding environment. For antennas that support multi-band signal transmission and / or signal reception, the input impedance of the same antenna in different frequency bands is different.

[0025] Therefore, an antenna tuner is needed to adjust the impedance state of the antenna in different frequency bands to match it with the characteristic impedance of the feeder, thereby improving the antenna performance of the same antenna in each frequency band.

[0026] Figure 1 The internal structure and usage diagram of an antenna tuner for a mobile terminal are exemplarily shown.

[0027] Figure 1 The interior of the antenna tuner shown is composed of a plurality of switches.

[0028] In actual operation, the RF transceiver of the mobile terminal controls the working state of the internal switch of the antenna tuner to select a match or a matching combination to obtain a preset matching value according to an actual working frequency band among the multiple frequency bands supported by the current antenna. When the antenna is in different working frequency bands, different matches or matching combinations can be selected to obtain different matching states. Each matching state corresponds to a preset matching value. The preset matching value is the impedance value provided by the matching state for adjusting the antenna impedance state. Using an antenna tuner can improve the antenna performance of the same antenna in each frequency band.

[0029] Figure 1 The matching state determination and working process of the antenna tuner of the illustrated scheme can be described as follows.

[0030] For the frequency band 1 supported by the antenna, debug and determine the first hardware matching during the development process (such as Figure 1 When the antenna actually operates in frequency band 1, the RF transceiver of the mobile terminal controls the internal switch of the antenna tuner to operate in the first hardware matching mode. Controlling the internal switch of the antenna tuner to operate in a certain hardware matching mode means that by controlling the conduction state of the internal switch of the antenna tuner, all the matches or matching combinations included in a certain hardware matching can be connected to the antenna to participate in adjusting the impedance state of the antenna.

[0031] For the frequency band 2 supported by the antenna, the second hardware match (except the first hardware match, any remaining match and combination) is debugged and determined during the development process. When the antenna actually works in frequency band 2, the mobile terminal RF transceiver controls the internal switch of the antenna tuner to work in the second hardware matching mode.

[0032] For the frequency band 3 supported by the antenna, the third hardware match (except the first hardware match, the second hardware match, and any other matching and combination) is debugged and determined during the development process. When the antenna actually works in frequency band 3, the mobile terminal RF transceiver controls the internal switch of the antenna tuner to work in the third hardware matching mode.

[0033] For the frequency band 4 supported by the antenna, the fourth hardware match (except the first hardware match, the second hardware match, the third hardware match, and any other matching and combination state) is debugged and determined during the development process. When the antenna actually works in frequency band 4, the mobile terminal RF transceiver controls the internal switch of the antenna tuner to work in the fourth hardware matching mode.

[0034] The hardware matching determined for each frequency band supported by the antenna is used to adjust the impedance state of the antenna in the corresponding frequency band to improve the matching degree between the input impedance of the antenna in the corresponding frequency band and the characteristic impedance of the feeder.

[0035] Figure 1 The limitations of the scheme shown are mainly reflected in the following aspects.

[0036] 1. The preset matching value is the hardware status determined during the development of the mobile terminal and cannot be modified once determined.

[0037] 2. Few matching states. Moreover, each frequency band only supports one fixed matching state (i.e., supports one fixed preset matching value). In application scenarios where multiple matching states are required in one frequency band (such as a frequency band with a wide frequency range and multiple channels), flexible scheduling cannot be performed.

[0038] 3. When the antenna impedance state of the mobile terminal changes due to various reasons, the original preset matching value cannot match the current antenna impedance state, resulting in impedance mismatch. The original preset matching value cannot match the current antenna impedance state, which means that the current antenna impedance state is adjusted based on the original preset matching value, and a good impedance matching effect cannot be obtained.

[0039] In view of this, the present disclosure proposes an antenna tuner for a terminal device, which can support a greater number of matching states by having at least one built-in adjustable control path, and can flexibly adjust the impedance state of the antenna.

[0040] The terminal device may be any device with an antenna structure (such as at least one antenna), such as but not limited to mobile phones, tablet computers, wearable devices, vehicle-mounted devices, augmented reality (AR) / virtual reality (VR) devices, laptop computers, ultra-mobile personal computers (UMPC), netbooks, personal digital assistants (PDA), Internet of Things devices, smart TVs, and other terminal devices. The embodiments of the present disclosure do not impose any restrictions on the specific types of terminal devices.

[0041] For example, the terminal device can be a station (STATION, ST) in a WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network), a cellular phone, a cordless phone, a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phone, a Wireless Local Loop (WLL) station, a personal digital processing (PDA) device, a handheld device with wireless communication function, a computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, a computer, a laptop computer, a handheld communication device, a handheld computing device, and / or other devices for communicating on a wireless system and a next-generation communication system, such as a mobile terminal in a 5G (the Fifth Generation mobile communication technology) network, a mobile terminal in a future evolved public land mobile network (Public Land Mobile Network, PLMN) or a mobile terminal in a future evolved non-terrestrial network (Non-terrestrial Network, NTN), etc.

[0042] As an example but not limitation, when the terminal device is a wearable device, the wearable device can also be a general term for wearable devices that are intelligently designed and developed using wearable technology for daily wear, such as gloves and watches equipped with near-field communication modules. A wearable device is a portable device that is worn directly on the body or integrated into the user's clothes or accessories. It is attached to the user and performs payment, authentication and other operations through a pre-bound electronic card. Wearable devices are not only hardware devices, but also powerful functions achieved through software support, data interaction, and cloud interaction. Broadly speaking, wearable smart devices include those that are fully functional, large in size, and can achieve complete or partial functions without relying on smartphones, such as smart watches or smart glasses, as well as those that only focus on a certain type of application function and need to be used in conjunction with other devices such as smartphones, such as various types of smart watches and smart bracelets with display screens.

[0043] Figure 2 A structural schematic diagram of an antenna tuner for a terminal device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is exemplarily shown.

[0044] See also Figure 2 , the antenna tuner includes a first port 11, a plurality of second ports 12 and a plurality of control paths.

[0045] The first port 11 is configured to be connected to the antenna 20. The first port 11 may also be referred to as a common port.

[0046] The plurality of second ports 12 are configured to be connected to a plurality of matching paths, respectively. Different second ports 12 may be connected to different matching paths. The matching path may include an impedance circuit. The impedance circuit may include a series and / or parallel circuit of one or at least two of a resistor, a capacitor, and an inductor. The impedance circuits of different matching paths may or may not have common circuit elements. Different matching paths may have the same or different impedances.

[0047] The plurality of control paths are respectively connected between the first port 11 and the plurality of second ports 12, and are used to respectively control the conduction states between the plurality of second ports 12 and the first port 11. The number of control paths may be equal to the number of second ports 12. That is, each control path may be associated with one second port 12. Each control path may be connected between the first port 11 and the second port 12 associated with the control path.

[0048] The control path can control whether the matching path can be connected to the antenna 20 and participate in adjusting the impedance state of the antenna 20 by controlling the conduction state between the first port 11 and the second port 12 associated therewith. Specifically, if the second port 12 associated with the control path is conductive with the first port 11, the matching path connected to the second port 12 can be connected to the antenna, and thus the matching path participates in adjusting the impedance state of the antenna 11. On the contrary, if the second port 12 associated with the control path is not conductive with the first port 11, the matching path connected to the second port 12 cannot be connected to the antenna, and thus the matching path does not participate in adjusting the impedance state of the antenna 11.

[0049] The second port 12 associated with the control path is conductive with the first port 11, which is equivalent to the control path being in a conductive state. By controlling the conductive state of the control path inside the antenna tuner, the matching path involved in adjusting the impedance state of the antenna 20 can be controlled. The impedance of the matching path itself is usually fixed, and the number of matching paths is limited. The number of matching states obtained by combining a limited number of matching paths is still limited, and the impedance value in each matching state cannot be modified. This is also the reason why Figure 1 The main reasons why the scheme shown has many limitations mentioned above.

[0050] In view of this, the present disclosure proposes that the multiple control paths include an adjustable control path. That is, at least one of the multiple control paths may be an adjustable control path. The adjustable control path includes multiple impedance elements and multiple control switches respectively associated with the multiple impedance elements.

[0051] The control switch and the impedance element associated therewith may be connected in series or in parallel. The control switch is used to control whether the impedance element associated therewith is connected between the first port 11 and the second port 12 associated with the adjustable control path. By controlling the on-state of the control switch, it is possible to control whether the impedance element associated with the control switch is connected between the first port 11 and the second port 12 associated with the adjustable control path. Taking the case where the control switch and the impedance element associated therewith are connected in series as an example, when the control switch is turned on (i.e. closed), the impedance element associated therewith is connected between the first port 11 and the second port 12 associated with the adjustable control path; conversely, when the control switch is not turned on (i.e. disconnected), the impedance element associated therewith is not connected between the first port 11 and the second port 12 associated with the adjustable control path.

[0052] By controlling the conduction state of multiple control switches in the adjustable control path, the impedance on the adjustable control path can be flexibly adjusted, and the impedance on the adjustable control path can participate in adjusting the impedance state of the antenna 20 when the adjustable control path is in the conduction state (when the adjustable control path also includes the bypass switch described below, the bypass switch needs to be disconnected).

[0053] Since the impedance on the adjustable control path is flexibly adjustable and the impedance can participate in adjusting the impedance state of the antenna, the antenna tuner can support a greater number of matching states through the built-in adjustable control path, and can flexibly adjust the impedance state of the antenna 20, thereby providing support for various application scenarios such as flexible scheduling when the antenna impedance state changes, providing different matching states for different channels of a channel, and supporting a greater number of frequency bands with the same antenna.

[0054] In some embodiments, the multiple impedance elements included in the adjustable control path may be multiple capacitors. The adjustable control circuit includes multiple control branches connected in parallel between a first port 11 and a second port 12 associated with the adjustable control path, each control branch including a capacitor and a control switch associated therewith. The capacitor and the control switch associated therewith are in series. The capacitors associated with the multiple conductive control switches are connected together in parallel, and the equivalent capacitance value of the parallel capacitors is equal to the result of adding the capacitance values ​​of each capacitor. Exemplarily, the capacitance values ​​of the multiple capacitors may be configured to conform to an arithmetic progression, so that the impedance state of the antenna can be flexibly adjusted with a specific capacitance value (i.e., the tolerance of the arithmetic progression) as the adjustment granularity. The minimum capacitance value of the multiple capacitors may be equal to the tolerance of the arithmetic progression.

[0055] In some embodiments, the multiple impedance elements included in the adjustable control path may also be multiple resistors. Multiple resistors are connected in series between the first port 11 and the second port 12 associated with the adjustable control path, and the two ends of each control switch are respectively connected to the two ends of the resistor associated with it. The control switch and the resistor associated with it are in parallel. When the control switch is closed, the resistor associated with it is short-circuited. When the control switch is disconnected, the resistor associated with it is connected between the first port 11 and the second port 12 associated with the adjustable control path. The equivalent resistance value of the series resistor is equal to the result of adding the resistance values ​​of each resistor. Exemplarily, the resistance values ​​of the multiple resistors can be configured to conform to an arithmetic progression so that the impedance state of the antenna can be flexibly adjusted with a specific resistance value (i.e., the tolerance of the arithmetic progression) as the adjustment granularity. The minimum resistance value of the multiple resistors can be equal to the tolerance of the arithmetic progression.

[0056] In some embodiments, the adjustable control path may further include a bypass switch. The bypass switch is connected between the first port 11 and the second port 12 associated with the adjustable control path. When the bypass switch is turned on, the first port 11 and the second port 12 associated with the adjustable control path are directly connected. When the bypass switch is turned on, even if there is an impedance element connected between the first port 11 and the second port 12 associated with the adjustable control path, the impedance element will be short-circuited and will not participate in adjusting the impedance state of the antenna. Therefore, theoretically, the range of variation of the impedance on the adjustable control path includes zero impedance.

[0057] Figure 3 The internal structure and usage scheme of an antenna tuner for a mobile terminal according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure are exemplarily shown, wherein the common port corresponds to the first port mentioned above, and port 1, port 2, port 3, and port 4 correspond to the second port mentioned above.

[0058] See also Figure 3In addition to conventional switches (switch 1, switch 2, switch 3), an adjustable control circuit based on a combination of capacitors and switches (C1, C2, C3...Cn and SW1, SW2, SW3...SWn) is added inside the antenna tuner. Switch 1, switch 2, switch 3 are equivalent to non-adjustable control paths. The adjustable control circuit corresponds to the adjustable control path mentioned above. C1, C2, C3...Cn are capacitors. SW1, SW2, SW3...SWn correspond to the control switches mentioned above. Match 1, match 2, match 3, match 4 correspond to the matching path mentioned above. One end of match 1, match 2, match 3, match 4 is connected to port 1, port 2, port 3, port 4 respectively, and the other end of match 1, match 2, match 3, match 4 can be grounded. The antenna tuner can also include a power supply and control circuit and interface connected to the mobile terminal RF transceiver. The mobile terminal RF transceiver can control the opening and closing of each switch in the antenna tuner. The mobile terminal radio frequency transceiver may be connected to the antenna via a radio frequency circuit to receive signals from the antenna or transmit signals from the antenna.

[0059] SW1 controls the opening and closing of the C1 path, SW2 controls the opening and closing of the C2 path, and so on.

[0060] When the switch SW is closed, since the capacitors are connected in parallel, the equivalent capacitance of the parallel capacitor combination is equal to the sum of the capacitances of each capacitor. Therefore, by controlling the opening and closing combination of each switch SW, a wider capacitance adjustable range can be achieved.

[0061] For example, let's say C1=0.3pF, C2=0.6pF, C3=0.9pF, C4=1.2pF, C5=1.5pF. pF is the abbreviation of the capacitance unit picofarad. Through the adjustable control circuit, the equivalent capacitance that can be achieved is:

[0062] State 1: When SW1 is closed and other SWs are open, the equivalent capacitance is 0.3pF;

[0063] State 2: When SW2 is closed and other SWs are open, the equivalent capacitance is 0.6pF;

[0064] State 3: When SW3 is closed and other SWs are open, the equivalent capacitance is 0.9pF;

[0065] State 4: When SW4 is closed and other SWs are open, the equivalent capacitance is 1.2pF;

[0066] State 5: When SW5 is closed and other SWs are open, the equivalent capacitance is 1.5pF;

[0067] State 6: When SW1 and SW5 are closed and other SWs are open, the equivalent capacitance is 1.8pF;

[0068] State 7: When SW2 and SW5 are closed and other SWs are open, the equivalent capacitance is 2.1pF;

[0069] State 8: When SW3 and SW5 are closed and other SWs are open, the equivalent capacitance is 2.4pF;

[0070] State 9: When SW4 and SW5 are closed and other SWs are open, the equivalent capacitance is 2.7pF;

[0071] State 10: When SW1, SW4 and SW5 are closed and other SWs are open, the equivalent capacitance is 3pF;

[0072] State 11: When SW2, SW4 and SW5 are closed and other SWs are open, the equivalent capacitance is 3.3pF;

[0073] State 12: When SW3, SW4, and SW5 are closed and other SWs are open, the equivalent capacitance is 3.6pF;

[0074] State 13: When SW1, SW3, SW4 and SW5 are closed and other SWs are open, the equivalent capacitance is 3.9pF;

[0075] State 14: When SW2, SW3, SW4 and SW5 are closed and other SWs are open, the equivalent capacitance is 4.2pF;

[0076] State 15: When SW1, SW2, SW3, SW4, and SW5 are closed, the equivalent capacitance is 4.5 pF;

[0077] State 16: In addition, there is a Bypass switch (i.e. bypass switch). When the Bypass switch is closed, the above-mentioned parallel capacitor is short-circuited and the equivalent capacitance is 0. When the Bypass switch is opened, the above-mentioned parallel capacitor takes effect. Therefore, by controlling the closing and opening states of the Bypass switch and each SW switch, accurate and flexible scheduling from 0 to 4.5pF with a step (i.e., the minimum adjustment granularity) of 0.3pF can be achieved.

[0078] In some implementations, corresponding hardware matching solutions are configured for each of the multiple frequency bands supported by the antenna 20. That is, a hardware matching solution may be configured for each of the multiple frequency bands supported by the antenna 20.

[0079] During the R&D and production phase of the terminal device, the impedance state of the antenna is relatively stable and can be defined as the default antenna impedance. The hardware matching solution can be debugged and determined by relevant personnel during the R&D process to adapt to the default antenna impedance. Each hardware matching solution can have a default matching state. The hardware matching solution adapts to the default antenna impedance, which means that the default antenna impedance can be adjusted based on the impedance of the hardware matching solution in the default matching state to achieve better impedance matching.

[0080] In each hardware matching solution, at least one matching path is connected to the antenna. In each hardware matching solution for multiple frequency bands, the matching path corresponding to the adjustable control path is connected to the antenna. The impedance on the adjustable control path in the default matching state can be zero or a specific non-zero value. That is, the impedance element in the adjustable control path in the default matching state can participate in adjusting the impedance state of the antenna, or may not participate in adjusting the impedance state of the antenna.

[0081] By connecting the matching path corresponding to the adjustable control path to the antenna in each hardware matching solution, each hardware matching solution can flexibly adjust the default matching state by controlling the conduction state of multiple control switches in the adjustable control path on the basis of adapting the default antenna impedance to obtain a new matching state. In this way, it can provide support for the terminal device to flexibly adjust the impedance state of the antenna when the antenna impedance state changes due to various reasons (that is, the antenna impedance changes from matching to mismatching). In addition, it can also meet the impedance matching requirements of the antenna in single-band multi-channel application scenarios.

[0082] For example, for frequency band 1 supported by the antenna, based on the hardware matching solution configured for frequency band 1, for the low channel of frequency band 1, the conduction state of the control switch in the adjustable control path can be controlled so that the adjustable control path works in state 1, so as to meet the impedance state adjustment requirements for the low channel of frequency band 1; for the middle channel of frequency band 1, the conduction state of the control switch in the adjustable control path control can be controlled so that the adjustable control path works in state 2, so as to meet the impedance state adjustment requirements for the middle channel of frequency band 2; for the high channel of frequency band 1, the conduction state of the control switch in the adjustable control path control can be controlled so that the adjustable control path works in state 3, so as to meet the impedance state adjustment requirements for the high channel of frequency band 1. By analogy, the impedance state adjustment requirements of different channels in different frequency bands supported by the antenna can be met, so that each channel in each frequency band supported by the antenna has good antenna performance.

[0083] The present disclosure also proposes a terminal device. The terminal device includes an antenna, a plurality of matching paths, and the above-mentioned Figure 2The antenna tuner described herein. The first port of the antenna tuner is connected to the antenna, and the plurality of second ports of the antenna tuner are respectively connected to the plurality of matching paths. The antenna may support one or more frequency bands. Furthermore, a frequency band supported by the antenna may include one or more channels.

[0084] In some embodiments, the terminal device further includes a radio frequency chip. The radio frequency chip is configured to make at least one control path including an adjustable control path in the antenna tuner in a conductive state according to a hardware matching scheme configured for the frequency band currently used by the antenna. The radio frequency chip is also configured to adjust the conductive state of multiple control switches on the adjustable control path to adjust the antenna performance parameters. By adjusting the conductive state of multiple control switches in the adjustable control path, the impedance value involved in adjusting the impedance state of the antenna on the adjustable control path can be adjusted, thereby adjusting the impedance state of the antenna, and then adjusting the antenna performance parameters. Exemplarily, the conductive state of multiple control switches on the adjustable control path can be adjusted with the goal of optimizing the antenna performance parameters. Antenna performance parameters refer to performance parameters related to the degree of antenna impedance matching, for example, including but not limited to antenna efficiency. Antenna efficiency refers to the ability of the antenna to convert the received electromagnetic wave energy into a usable electrical signal. When the antenna impedance matches the characteristic impedance of the feeder well, the antenna efficiency will increase because less energy will be reflected or lost during transmission. Conversely, if the impedance matching deteriorates, the reflection loss will also increase, and the antenna efficiency will naturally decrease.

[0085] A frequency band may include multiple channels. The RF chip may also be configured to adjust the conduction state of multiple control switches on the adjustable control path for the channel of the frequency band currently used by the antenna, so as to adjust the antenna performance parameters for each channel. This can meet the antenna performance adjustment requirements for different channels in each frequency band it supports.

[0086] Exemplarily, the RF chip may also be configured to obtain antenna performance parameters of the antenna, and adjust the antenna performance parameters by adjusting the conduction states of multiple control switches on the adjustable control path; and / or, the RF chip may also be configured to adjust the conduction states of multiple control switches on the adjustable control path in response to a change in the antenna state to adjust the antenna performance parameters. In other words, the RF chip may determine whether the antenna performance parameters need to be adjusted based on the antenna performance parameters obtained (e.g., detected in real time), and may also adjust the antenna performance parameters when a change in the antenna state is detected.

[0087] When adjusting (such as optimizing) the antenna performance parameters by adjusting the conduction state of multiple control switches on the adjustable control path, the current input impedance of the antenna can be detected, and the impedance value that the adjustable control path needs to provide to achieve impedance matching to meet the antenna performance parameter adjustment requirements can be determined accordingly; it is also possible not to detect the current input impedance of the antenna, but to determine the final adjustment plan that meets the antenna performance parameter adjustment requirements based on the changes in the antenna performance parameters after each adjustment of the conduction state of multiple control switches on the adjustable control path.

[0088] During the R&D and production stage of the terminal equipment, the impedance state of the antenna is relatively stable, and the antenna impedance state can be defined as the default antenna impedance. Since the antenna tuner adapts to the default antenna impedance during the R&D and production process, the antenna performance can be improved. However, during the use of the mobile terminal device, the antenna state may change due to aging, collision, external force, etc., and the impedance state of the antenna will change, which is defined as mismatched antenna impedance. Existing antenna tuners cannot adapt to mismatched antenna impedance, so the antenna performance at this time is not optimal. Using the antenna tuner disclosed in the present invention, the impedance state of the antenna can be flexibly adjusted as needed to optimize the antenna performance under mismatched antenna impedance. In other words, when the antenna impedance matching deteriorates due to changes in the antenna state, the antenna tuner can adjust the impedance state of the antenna to improve the antenna impedance matching effect by adjusting the conduction state of multiple control switches in the adjustable control path.

[0089] Taking the example that the antenna state change refers to the terminal device being put into or removed from the shell, the RF chip can also be configured to adjust the conduction state of multiple control switches on the adjustable control path in response to the terminal device being put into or removed from the shell to adjust the antenna performance parameters.

[0090] The terminal device may be configured to detect a change in the antenna state. The change in the antenna state may be characterized by antenna performance parameters, and when the antenna state changes, the impedance state of the antenna also changes accordingly. Therefore, in some embodiments, the terminal device may determine whether the antenna state has changed by detecting the antenna performance parameters and / or the impedance state of the antenna (such as input impedance). In some embodiments, the terminal device may also detect the change in the antenna state by other means.

[0091] The following is an exemplary explanation using the antenna state change of "the terminal device is covered with a shell or the shell is removed" as an example.

[0092] When the terminal device (such as a mobile phone) is not in a case, the antenna is in the default antenna impedance state and the antenna impedance is well matched. When the terminal device is in a case, the antenna is in a mismatched antenna impedance state due to the influence of the case medium, and the antenna impedance matching becomes worse. Existing antenna tuners cannot handle this scenario change and can only passively accept the degradation of antenna performance caused by antenna mismatch, such as the degradation of antenna efficiency.

[0093] If hardware identification is performed on the terminal device and the casing, when the terminal device is in a scenario without a casing, the antenna tuner is controlled by the RF chip (such as the RF transceiver) in the terminal device, and the default hardware matching state of the antenna tuner is called to adapt the default antenna impedance state. When the terminal device is in a casing scenario, the antenna tuner is controlled by the RF chip, and the new matching state of the antenna tuner is called by adjusting the impedance on the adjustable control path in the antenna tuner to adapt the mismatched antenna impedance state. In this way, the antenna can have better antenna performance regardless of whether the mobile phone is in a casing or not.

[0094] In view of this, the terminal device may further include two first conductive contacts and an impedance detector. The two first conductive contacts are arranged on the back cover of the terminal device. The impedance detector is connected to the two first conductive contacts and is used to detect the impedance value between the two first conductive contacts. Two second conductive contacts are arranged at positions corresponding to the two first conductive contacts on the shell, and an impedance element with a predetermined impedance value is connected between the two second conductive contacts. Based on the impedance value detected between the two first conductive contacts, it can be determined whether the terminal device is covered with a shell. Specifically, when the impedance value detected between the two first conductive contacts is equal to or not much different from the predetermined impedance value (such as the difference is less than the first value), it can be determined that the terminal device is covered with a shell. When the impedance value detected between the two first conductive contacts is not equal to or is greatly different from the predetermined impedance value (such as the difference is greater than the second value), it can be determined that the terminal device is removed from the shell.

[0095] Figure 4 The diagram exemplarily shows a schematic diagram of identifying whether a mobile phone is in a case according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0096] See also Figure 4 , the mobile phone motherboard is equivalent to the impedance detector mentioned above. The two metal contacts on the back cover of the mobile phone are equivalent to the two first conductive contacts mentioned above. The two metal contacts on the back cover of the mobile phone are equivalent to the two second conductive contacts mentioned above. There is a resistor with a specific resistance between the two contacts of the mobile phone case. When the contacts of the mobile phone case and the back cover of the mobile phone are connected to each other, the mobile phone motherboard recognizes the specific impedance resistor, and then determines that the mobile phone is in the state of the mobile phone case. On the contrary, if the mobile phone motherboard does not recognize the specific impedance resistor, it is determined that the mobile phone is in the state of not putting on the mobile phone case.

[0097] Those skilled in the art will further appreciate that the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm steps described in connection with the disclosure herein may be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of both.

[0098] The flow charts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings show the possible architecture, functions and operations of the system and method according to multiple embodiments of the present disclosure. In this regard, each box in the flow chart or block diagram can represent a module, a program segment or a part of a code, and the module, a program segment or a part of the code contains one or more executable instructions for realizing the specified logical function. It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions marked in the box can also occur in a different order from the order marked in the accompanying drawings. For example, two consecutive boxes can actually be executed substantially in parallel, and they can sometimes be executed in the opposite order, depending on the functions involved. It should also be noted that each box in the block diagram and / or flow chart, and the combination of the boxes in the block diagram and / or flow chart can be implemented with a dedicated hardware-based system that performs the specified function or operation, or can be implemented with a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0099] The embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, and the above description is exemplary, not exhaustive, and is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and changes will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The selection of terms used herein is intended to best explain the principles of the embodiments, practical applications, or improvements to the technology in the market, or to enable other persons of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

1. An antenna tuner for a terminal device, comprising: a first port configured to be connected to an antenna; a plurality of second ports configured to be connected to the plurality of matching paths respectively; as well as a plurality of control paths, respectively connected between the first port and the plurality of second ports, for respectively controlling the conduction states between the plurality of second ports and the first port, The multiple control paths include an adjustable control path, the adjustable control path includes multiple impedance elements and multiple control switches respectively associated with the multiple impedance elements, and the control switches are used to control whether the impedance elements associated with them are connected between the first port and the second port associated with the adjustable control path.

2. The antenna tuner according to claim 1, wherein: The adjustable control path further includes a bypass switch connected between the first port and the second port. When the bypass switch is turned on, the first port and the second port associated with the adjustable control path are directly connected.

3. The antenna tuner according to claim 1, wherein: The plurality of impedance elements are a plurality of capacitors, the adjustable control circuit comprises a plurality of control branches connected in parallel between the first port and the second port associated with the adjustable control path, each control branch comprising a capacitor and a control switch associated therewith; or The plurality of impedance elements are a plurality of resistors connected in series between the first port and the second port associated with the adjustable control path, and both ends of each of the control switches are respectively connected to both ends of the resistor associated therewith.

4. The antenna tuner according to claim 1, wherein: For the multiple frequency bands supported by the antenna, corresponding hardware matching solutions are configured respectively, and in each hardware matching solution, at least one matching path is connected to the antenna respectively, and In each hardware matching solution for the multiple frequency bands, the matching path corresponding to the adjustable control path is connected to the antenna.

5. A terminal device, comprising: antenna; Multiple matching paths; as well as The antenna tuner according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a first port of the antenna tuner is connected to the antenna, and a plurality of second ports of the antenna tuner are respectively connected to the plurality of matching paths.

6. The terminal device according to claim 5, further comprising: a radio frequency chip configured to enable at least one control path including the adjustable control path in the antenna tuner to be in a conducting state according to a hardware matching solution configured for a frequency band currently used by the antenna, The radio frequency chip is also configured to adjust the conduction states of a plurality of control switches on the adjustable control path to adjust the antenna performance parameters.

7. The terminal device according to claim 6, wherein: A frequency band includes multiple channels. The radio frequency chip is also configured to adjust the conduction state of multiple control switches on the adjustable control path according to the channel of the frequency band currently used by the antenna, so as to adjust the antenna performance parameters respectively for each channel.

8. The terminal device according to claim 6, wherein: The radio frequency chip is further configured to obtain antenna performance parameters of the antenna, and adjust the antenna performance parameters by adjusting the conduction states of multiple control switches on the adjustable control path; and / or The radio frequency chip is also configured to adjust the conduction state of multiple control switches on the adjustable control path in response to a change in the antenna state, so as to adjust the antenna performance parameters.

9. The terminal device according to claim 6, wherein: The radio frequency chip is also configured to adjust the conduction state of multiple control switches on the adjustable control path in response to the terminal device being covered with a shell or removed from a shell, so as to adjust the antenna performance parameters.

10. The terminal device according to claim 9, further comprising: Two first conductive contacts, arranged on the back cover of the terminal device; an impedance detector connected to the two first conductive contacts and configured to detect an impedance value between the two first conductive contacts, Wherein, whether the terminal device is covered with a housing is determined based on the impedance value detected between the two first conductive contacts, Wherein, two second conductive contacts are arranged at positions on the housing corresponding to the two first conductive contacts, and an impedance element with a predetermined impedance value is connected between the two second conductive contacts.

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