Antenna Tuner

Abstract

An apparatus for implementing an antenna tuner is disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, the apparatus includes a substrate, an antenna disposed on or in the substrate, a radio frequency integrated circuit disposed on the substrate, and an antenna tuner. The radio frequency integrated circuit includes an amplifier circuit. The antenna tuner is coupled between the antenna and the amplifier circuit. The antenna tuner includes an inductive component disposed on or in the substrate and a capacitive component implemented within the radio frequency integrated circuit.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to wireless communications, and more particularly to antenna tuners for wireless devices. [Background technology]

[0002]

[0002] Electronic devices may use radio frequency integrated circuits and antennas to transmit or receive wireless communication signals. The radio frequency integrated circuits and antennas may be designed to have matching impedances that allow power to be efficiently transferred between the radio frequency integrated circuits and the antennas without significant loss. However, maintaining the matched impedances may be difficult during operation, resulting in some power being reflected. This reflected power may reduce the transmitting signal strength or receiving sensitivity of the electronic device, making it difficult for the electronic device to communicate with other entities over greater distances. Summary of the Invention

[0003]

[0003] An apparatus for implementing an antenna tuner is disclosed. Instead of implementing a separate antenna tuner on a substrate and coupling the separate antenna tuner between an antenna and a radio frequency integrated circuit, the components of the described antenna tuner are distributed between the substrate and the radio frequency integrated circuit of a module. In particular, the antenna tuner can include at least one inductive component disposed on the substrate and at least one capacitive component embedded in the radio frequency integrated circuit, all packaged in a module. With this architecture, the antenna tuner can have a space-saving design that can meet the size constraints of a given electronic device. This architecture also allows the incorporation of multiple antenna tuners into an electronic device (e.g., into a single antenna module) to dynamically tune the impedance associated with individual antenna elements of an antenna array.

[0004]

[0004] In an exemplary aspect, an apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes a substrate, an antenna disposed on or in the substrate, a radio frequency integrated circuit disposed on the substrate, and an antenna tuner. The radio frequency integrated circuit includes an amplifier circuit. The antenna tuner is coupled between the antenna and the amplifier circuit. The antenna tuner includes an inductive component disposed on the substrate and a capacitive component implemented within the radio frequency integrated circuit.

[0005]

[0005] In an exemplary aspect, an apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes a substrate and antenna means for transmitting and receiving radio frequency signals. The antenna means is disposed on or in the substrate. The apparatus also includes an integrated circuit including means for tuning the radio frequency signals. The integrated circuit is disposed on the substrate. The apparatus further includes tuning means for providing an impedance match between the antenna means and the tuning means. The tuning means includes inductive means for providing a positive reactance and capacitive means for providing a negative reactance. The inductive means is disposed on or in the substrate and the capacitive means is implemented as part of the integrated circuit.

[0006] In an exemplary aspect, a method for operating an antenna tuner is disclosed. The method includes providing an impedance between an amplifier circuit of a radio frequency integrated circuit and an antenna disposed on or in a substrate via the antenna tuner. The impedance is based on a positive reactance of an inductive component of the antenna tuner and a negative reactance of a capacitive component of the antenna tuner. The inductive component is disposed on the substrate and the capacitive component is implemented in the radio frequency integrated circuit. The radio frequency integrated circuit is disposed on the substrate. The method also includes passing a radio frequency signal from the amplifier circuit to the antenna via the antenna tuner having an impedance. The method further includes transmitting a first radio frequency signal via the antenna. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1]

[0007] FIG. 1 illustrates an example operating environment for a device including an antenna tuner. [Diagram 2]

[0008] FIG. 1 illustrates an example implementation of an antenna module with an antenna tuner. [Diagram 3]

[0009] FIG. 1 illustrates an example implementation of an antenna module having multiple antennas, multiple antenna tuners, and a radio frequency integrated circuit. [Figure 4-1]

[0010] FIG. 4 is an exemplary sequence flow diagram for adjusting the impedance of an antenna tuner. [Figure 4-2]

[0011] FIG. 11 is another exemplary sequence flow diagram for adjusting the impedance of an antenna tuner. [Figure 5-1]

[0012] FIG. 1 illustrates an example implementation of an antenna tuner. [Figure 5-2]

[0013] FIG. 1 illustrates another exemplary implementation of an antenna tuner. [Figure 5-3]

[0014] FIG. 13 illustrates an additional example implementation of an antenna tuner. [Figure 6]

[0015] 4 is a flow diagram illustrating an example process for operating an antenna tuner. [Figure 7]

[0016] 4 is another flow diagram illustrating another exemplary process for operating an antenna tuner. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008]

[0017] An electronic device may use a radio frequency integrated circuit and an antenna to transmit or receive wireless communication signals. The radio frequency integrated circuit and the antenna may be designed to have matching impedances that allow power to be efficiently transferred between the radio frequency integrated circuit and the antenna without significant loss. However, the impedance of the antenna may vary due to changes in operating or environmental conditions. As a result, the impedance of the radio frequency integrated circuit and the antenna may become mismatched and some power may be reflected. This reflected power may reduce the transmitting signal strength or receiving sensitivity of the electronic device, making it difficult for the electronic device to communicate with other entities over a greater distance.

[0009]

[0018] Some techniques may directly connect an antenna tuner between each antenna and a radio frequency integrated circuit of an electronic device. Each antenna tuner may be used to adjust the impedance of a corresponding antenna, but some antenna tuner architectures are bulky and require a significant amount of space. As a result, it may be difficult to equip an antenna array with multiple antenna tuners while meeting the size constraints of a given electronic device, especially in portable electronic devices such as smartphones or wearable devices.

[0010]

[0019] To address such difficulties, techniques for antenna tuners are described herein. The described techniques implement an antenna module in a compact design that co-packages at least one antenna and at least one radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) on a substrate. The antenna module also includes at least one antenna tuner that serves as an impedance matching circuit. The antenna tuner is coupled between the antenna and an amplifier circuit of the radio frequency integrated circuit. The antenna tuner has a variable impedance that can be adjusted to match the input (or output) impedance of the antenna to the output (or input) impedance of the amplifier circuit. By varying the impedance of the antenna tuner, the antenna tuner can maintain similar impedance matching performance over different beamforming operations (e.g., over signals with different phases), different frequency bands (e.g., over signals with different frequencies), and different distances between the user and the antenna.

[0011]

[0020] Instead of implementing a separate antenna tuner on a substrate and coupling the separate antenna tuner between the antenna and the radio frequency integrated circuit, the antenna tuner components are distributed between the radio frequency integrated circuit and the substrate of the module on which the radio frequency integrated circuit is implemented. In particular, the antenna tuner may include at least one inductive component disposed on the substrate and coupled to the antenna and the radio frequency integrated circuit. The antenna tuner may also include at least one capacitive component embedded within the radio frequency integrated circuit and coupled to the inductive component and the amplifier circuit of the radio frequency integrated circuit. With this architecture, the antenna tuner may have a space-saving design that allows the antenna module to meet the size constraints of the electronic device. This architecture also allows the incorporation of multiple antenna tuners into the antenna module to dynamically tune the impedance associated with individual antenna elements of the antenna array.

[0012]

[0021] 1 illustrates an exemplary environment 100 for operating a device including an antenna tuner. In the environment 100, a computing device 102 communicates with a base station 104 via a wireless communication link 106 (wireless link 106). In this example, the computing device 102 is depicted as a smartphone. However, the computing device 102 may be implemented as any suitable computing or electronic device, such as a modem, a cellular base station, a broadband router, an access point, a cellular phone, a gaming device, a navigation device, a media device, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a tablet computer, a wearable computer, a server, a network-attached storage (NAS) device, a smart appliance or other Internet of Things (IoT) device, a medical device, a vehicle-based communication system, a radar, a wireless device, or the like.

[0013]

[0022] The base station 104 communicates with the computing device 102 via a wireless link 106, which may be implemented as any suitable type of wireless link. Although depicted as a tower of a cellular network, the base station 104 may represent or be implemented as another device, such as a satellite, a server device, a terrestrial television broadcast tower, an access point, a peer-to-peer device, a mesh network node, a fiber optic line, etc. Thus, the computing device 102 may communicate with the base station 104 or another device via a wired connection, a wireless connection, or a combination thereof.

[0014]

[0023] The wireless link 106 may include a downlink of data or control information communicated from the base station 104 to the computing device 102, an uplink of other data or control information communicated from the computing device 102 to the base station 104, or both a downlink and an uplink. The wireless link 106 may be implemented using any suitable communications protocol or standard, such as second generation (2G), third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), or fifth generation (5G) cellular, IEEE 802.11 (e.g., Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.15 (e.g., Bluetooth), IEEE 802.16 (e.g., WiMAX), etc. In some implementations, the wireless link 106 may provide power wirelessly and the base station 104 may include a power source.

[0015]

[0024] As shown, the computing device 102 includes a processor 108 and a computer-readable storage medium 110 (CRM 110). The processor 108 may include any type of processor, such as a multi-core processor, that executes processor-executable code stored by the CRM 110. The CRM 110 may include any suitable type of data storage medium, such as volatile memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM)), non-volatile memory (e.g., flash memory), optical media, magnetic media (e.g., disks), etc. In the context of the present disclosure, the CRM 110 is implemented to store instructions 112, data 114, and other information for the computing device 102, and thus does not include a transitory propagating signal or carrier wave.

[0016]

[0025] The computing device 102 may also include input / output ports 116 (I / O ports 116) and a display 118. The I / O ports 116 allow for data exchange or interaction with other devices, networks, or users. The I / O ports 116 may include serial ports (e.g., Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports), parallel ports, audio ports, infrared (IR) ports, user interface ports such as a touch screen, and the like. The display 118 presents graphics of the computing device 102, such as a user interface associated with an operating system, programs, or applications. Alternatively or additionally, the display 118 may be implemented as a display port or virtual interface through which the graphical content of the computing device 102 is presented.

[0017]

[0026] The antenna module 120 of the computing device 102 provides connectivity to the respective network and to other electronic devices connected to the network. The antenna module 120 may facilitate communication over any suitable type of wireless network, such as a wireless local area network (WLAN), a peer-to-peer (P2P) network, a mesh network, a cellular network, a wireless wide area network (WWAN), and / or a wireless personal area network (WPAN). In the context of the exemplary environment 100, the antenna module 120 enables the computing device 102 to communicate with the base station 104 and the network connected thereto. However, the antenna module 120 may also enable the computing device 102 to communicate "directly" with other devices or networks.

[0018]

[0027] The antenna module 120 includes circuitry and logic for transmitting and receiving communication signals. In particular, the illustrated antenna module 120 includes a substrate 122 (e.g., one or more substrate layers), at least one antenna 124, and at least one radio frequency integrated circuit 126 (RFIC 126) (e.g., a radio frequency front-end integrated circuit (RFFE IC)). The antenna 124 and the radio frequency integrated circuit 126 may be packaged together as part of the antenna module 120 and disposed on the substrate 122.

[0019]

[0028] The antenna 124 may include a patch antenna, a cross-patch antenna element (e.g., a patch antenna in the shape of a cross), a slot antenna element, a dipole antenna, a bowtie antenna, an inverted-F antenna, another type of microstrip antenna, or another type of wire antenna. The antenna 124 may be horizontally polarized, vertically polarized, circularly polarized, or some combination thereof. In some implementations, the antenna module 120 includes an antenna array with multiple antennas 124 operating as antenna elements of the antenna array.

[0020]

[0029] The radio frequency integrated circuit 126 includes circuits and logic for conditioning (e.g., generating and / or processing) signals transmitted and received via the antenna 124. The components of the radio frequency integrated circuit 126 may include amplifiers, phase shifters, switches, mixers, filters, and the like. In particular, the radio frequency integrated circuit 126 includes at least one amplifier circuit 128. The amplifier circuit 128 includes one or more amplifiers, such as a power amplifier (PA) or a low noise amplifier (LNA). In some cases, the components of the radio frequency integrated circuit 126 are implemented as separate transmitter and receiver entities. Additionally or alternatively, the radio frequency integrated circuit 126 may be realized using multiple or different sections (e.g., separate transmit and receive chains) to implement the respective transmit and receive operations.

[0021]

[0030] The radio frequency integrated circuit 126 may form part of a wireless transceiver (not shown). The wireless transceiver may include other integrated circuits and / or a processor. Although not shown, the radio frequency integrated circuit 126 may be connected to another integrated circuit within the wireless transceiver, such as an intermediate frequency integrated circuit or a baseband integrated circuit. The radio frequency integrated circuit 126 may also be connected (indirectly or directly) to a processor, such as the processor 108, another processor, or a modem of the wireless transceiver.

[0022]

[0031] In some implementations, the antenna 124 and the radio frequency integrated circuit 126 are configured together to transmit and receive radio frequency signals having one or more frequencies within a millimeter wave (mmW) frequency band that includes frequencies that are 24 gigahertz (GHz) or higher. Exemplary mmW frequency bands include mmW frequency bands for the 5G standard, such as the low mmW frequency band (e.g., a frequency band that includes at least a subset of frequencies between about 24 and 35 GHz), the mid mmW frequency band (e.g., a frequency band that includes at least a subset of frequencies between about 35 and 50 GHz), or the high mmW frequency band (e.g., a frequency band that includes at least a subset of frequencies between about 50 and 300 GHz).

[0023]

[0032] 1, the antenna module 120 can include at least one antenna tuner 130 and at least one impedance control circuit 132. The antenna tuner 130 provides impedance matching between the antenna 124 and the amplifier circuit 128. In particular, the antenna tuner 130 has an impedance that can be varied to maintain similar impedance matching performance across different beamforming operations (e.g., across signals with different phases), different frequency bands (e.g., across signals with different frequencies), and / or different environmental conditions that change the impedance of the antenna 124, such as a change in the distance between a portion of a user (e.g., a user's finger or limb) and the antenna 124.

[0024]

[0033] The antenna tuner 130 may include at least one substrate tuning circuit 134 and at least one integrated circuit (IC) tuning circuit 136. The antenna tuner 130 may represent a distributed antenna tuner because portions of the antenna tuner 130 are distributed among (e.g., integrated within) separate components of the antenna module 120. In particular, the substrate tuning circuit 134 is disposed on the substrate 122, and the IC tuning circuit 136 is integrated within the radio frequency integrated circuit 126. By implementing some of the components within the radio frequency integrated circuit 126, the antenna tuner 130 may have a compact design that allows the antenna module 120 to meet the size constraints of the computing device 102. This compact design also allows multiple antenna tuners 130 to be implemented within the antenna module 120 to support dynamic tuning of multiple antenna elements of an antenna array, as will be further described with respect to FIG. 3.

[0025]

[0034] The impedance control circuit 132 controls the impedance of the antenna tuner 130. In some implementations, the impedance control circuit 132 can indirectly measure the impedance of the antenna 124 and / or detect changes in the impedance of the antenna 124. For example, the impedance control circuit 132 can determine and monitor the magnitude of a reflection coefficient by measuring the amount of power reflected between the antenna 124 and the amplifier circuit 128. This reflection coefficient is indicative of the impedance of the antenna 124. Additionally or alternatively, the impedance control circuit 132 can measure the signal strength of the received signal or a signal-to-noise ratio associated with the received signal.

[0026]

[0035] The impedance control circuit 132 may be implemented within the radio frequency integrated circuit 126 between the amplifier circuit 128 and the antenna tuner 130. Based on measured or detected changes in the impedance of the antenna 124, the impedance control circuit 132 dynamically adjusts the impedance of the antenna tuner 130 an appropriate amount to facilitate impedance matching.

[0027]

[0036] In other implementations, the impedance control circuit 132 may be coupled to a processor within the computing device 102 (e.g., processor 108, a communications processor, a modem, etc.) and may set the impedance of the antenna tuner 130 to a predetermined value based on an operational configuration of the computing device 102 indicated by the processor. The substrate 122, the antenna 124, the radio frequency integrated circuit 126, the antenna tuner 130, and the impedance control circuit 132 may be packaged together as part of the antenna module 120, as further described with respect to FIG.

[0028]

[0037] 2 shows an example implementation of an antenna module 120 with an antenna tuner 130. In the depicted configuration, the antenna module 120 includes an antenna 124 and a radio frequency integrated circuit 126. In other implementations, the antenna module 120 can include two or more antennas 124 and / or two or more radio frequency integrated circuits 126.

[0029]

[0038] As shown in FIG. 2, the antenna 124, the radio frequency integrated circuit 126, and the substrate tuning circuit 134 of the antenna tuner 130 are disposed on the surface 202 of the substrate 122. In other implementations, one or more of these entities (e.g., the antenna 124 and / or the substrate tuning circuit 134) may be disposed on another surface of the substrate 122, in / on a layer within the substrate 122, and / or distributed among multiple layers or internal layers and surfaces of the substrate 122. For example, the radio frequency integrated circuit 126 may instead be mounted on the underside of the substrate 122 (e.g., disposed on another surface opposite the surface 202 and not visible in FIG. 2). The antenna 124 may be formed on the surface 202 and / or in a layer of the substrate 122 closer to the surface 202 than the surface to which the radio frequency integrated circuit 126 is mounted. This may result in the boresight of the antenna 124 facing away from the radio frequency integrated circuit 126, which may help mitigate undesired coupling. In other embodiments, the boresight of the antenna 124 may be approximately perpendicular to the surface 202 .

[0030]

[0039] The radio frequency integrated circuit 126 is implemented on a die 204. The amplifier circuit 128, the impedance control circuit 132, and the IC tuning circuit 136 of the antenna tuner 130 are disposed on the die 204. The die 204 may be attached to a surface 202 of the substrate 122 via an interface 206. The interface 206 disposed on the surface 202 is configured to receive and connect to the die 204. Although not explicitly depicted, the interface 206 may include terminals for connecting the radio frequency integrated circuit 126 to the substrate tuning circuit 134 or to other components external to the antenna module 120, such as another integrated circuit or a processor.

[0031]

[0040] 2, the components of the antenna tuner 130 (e.g., the substrate tuning circuit 134 and the IC tuning circuit 136) may be distributed between the substrate 122 and the radio frequency integrated circuit 126. In particular, the substrate tuning circuit 134 is disposed directly on the substrate 122 (e.g., placed on at least one layer of the substrate 122), and the IC tuning circuit 136 is disposed directly on the die 204 of the radio frequency integrated circuit 126. Because the IC tuning circuit 136 is implemented within the radio frequency integrated circuit 126 (e.g., disposed on the die 204), the IC tuning circuit 136 is not disposed directly on the substrate 122. The antenna 124, the substrate tuning circuit 134, and the radio frequency integrated circuit 126 are electrically connected to one another, as will be further described with respect to FIG.

[0032]

[0041] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary implementation of an antenna module 120 having multiple antennas 124-1-124-N, multiple antenna tuners 130-1-130-N, and a radio frequency integrated circuit 126. The variable N represents a positive integer. The radio frequency integrated circuit 126 includes amplifier circuits 128-1-128-N. Each amplifier circuit 128-1-128-N may include one or more power amplifiers, one or more low noise amplifiers, or some combination thereof. For example, the amplifier circuit 128-1 may be configured as a transmit amplifier and may include a power amplifier and / or a driver amplifier having an output coupled to the antenna 124-1, and may omit the receive circuit. In another example, the amplifier circuit 128-1 may be configured as a receive amplifier and may include a low noise amplifier having an input coupled to the antenna 124-1, and may omit the transmit circuit. In yet another example, the amplifier circuit 128-1 may be configured for both transmit and receive operations and may include a power amplifier having an output coupled to the antenna 124-1 and a low noise amplifier having an input coupled to the antenna 124-1.

[0033]

[0042] In the depicted configuration, antennas 124-1 through 124-N represent antenna elements of antenna array 302. Each antenna 124-1 through 124-N is coupled to a respective antenna tuner 130-1 through 130-N. For example, antenna 124-1 is coupled to antenna tuner 130-1 and antenna 124-N is coupled to antenna tuner 130-N. In some such embodiments, antennas 124-1 through 124-N have a single feed. In implementations in which antennas 124-1 through 124-N have multiple feeds, each feed may be coupled to a separate antenna tuner 130. For example, a first feed of antenna 124-1 is coupled to a first one of antenna tuners 130-1 through 130-N and a second feed of antenna 124-2 is coupled to a second one of antenna tuners 130-1 through 130-N. In some cases, the feeds may be associated with different frequencies, phases, and / or polarizations.

[0034]

[0043] Each antenna tuner 130 includes an IC tuning circuit 136 (also of FIGS. 1 and 2), a substrate tuning circuit 134 (also of FIGS. 1 and 2), an antenna node 304, and a transceiver node 306. For example, antenna tuner 130-1 includes a substrate tuning circuit 134-1, an IC tuning circuit 136-1, an antenna node 304-1, and a transceiver node 306-1. The substrate tuning circuit 134-1 is disposed on the substrate 122, and the IC tuning circuit 136-1 is integrated within the radio frequency integrated circuit 126. The antenna node 304-1 is coupled to the antenna 124-1, and the transceiver node 306-1 is coupled (indirectly or directly) to the amplifier circuit 128-1. Similarly, the antenna tuner 130-N includes a substrate tuning circuit 134-N, an IC tuning circuit 136-N, an antenna node 304-N, and a transceiver node 306-N. The substrate tuning circuit 134-N is disposed on the substrate 122, and the IC tuning circuit 136-N is integrated in the radio frequency integrated circuit 126. The antenna node 304-N is coupled to the antenna 124-N, and the transceiver node 306-N is coupled (indirectly or directly) to the amplifier circuit 128-N. The substrate tuning circuits 134-1 to 134-N and the IC tuning circuits 136-1 to 136-N are coupled to each other between the antenna nodes 304-1 to 304-N and the transceiver nodes 306-1 to 306-N, respectively.

[0035]

[0044] In an exemplary implementation, the IC tuning circuits 136-1 to 136-N each include at least one capacitive component 308. The substrate tuning circuits 134-1 to 134-N each include at least one inductive component 310. The capacitive component 308 has a negative reactance and the inductive component 310 has a positive reactance. The exemplary capacitive component 308 may include at least one varactor, at least one switched or variable capacitor, at least one capacitor, or some combination thereof. The exemplary inductive component 310 may include at least one transmission line, at least one variable inductor, at least one inductor, or some combination thereof. At least one component of each antenna tuner 130-1 to 130-N has a tunable (e.g., variable) impedance. Thus, the positive reactance of the inductive component 310 and / or the negative reactance of the capacitive component 308 may be varied by the impedance control circuit 132.

[0036]

[0045] In the depicted configuration, the impedance control circuit 132 is coupled between the antenna tuners 130-1 through 130-N and the amplifier circuits 128-1 through 128-N. For example, respective portions of the impedance control circuit 132 may be electrically connected in series between each of the antenna tuners 130 and the respective amplifier circuits 128. In other embodiments, one or more of the amplifier circuits 128 are connected directly to the respective antenna tuners 130 (e.g., directly to the transceiver node 306). In such embodiments, the impedance control circuit 132 (or portions thereof) may be coupled in a parallel or shunt path. In some embodiments, the impedance control circuit 132 includes one or more couplers configured to magnetically couple a portion of a signal communicated between the antenna tuner 130 and the respective amplifier circuit 128 to a circuit configured to measure the magnitude of the impedance and / or reflection coefficient of the antenna 124, as described above.

[0037]

[0046] Although not shown, the amplifier circuits 128-1 through 128-N may be coupled to other components (not shown) of the radio frequency integrated circuit 126, such as phase shifters, mixers, amplifiers, or combining circuits (e.g., combiners or splitters). For example, one or more mixers may be implemented in the radio frequency integrated circuit 126 and configured to upconvert intermediate frequency communication signals to mmW frequencies for transmission and / or downconvert mmW frequency signals to intermediate frequencies for reception. Additionally, at least one phase shifter may be coupled to each amplifier circuit 128 and implemented in the radio frequency integrated circuit 126. For example, a phase shifter may be coupled between one or more mixers and a respective amplifier circuit 128. In such an embodiment, the antenna 124 may be configured as a phased array.

[0038]

[0047] During transmission and / or reception, impedance control circuit 132 generates and provides configuration signals 312-1-312-N to antenna tuners 130-1-130-N, respectively. Configuration signals 312-1-312-N specify particular configurations or target impedances for antenna tuners 130-1-130-N, respectively. Antenna tuners 130-1-130-N accept configuration signals 312-1-312-N and adjust (e.g., change) the impedances of substrate tuning circuits 134-1-134-N and / or IC tuning circuits 136-1-136-N accordingly. In particular, antenna tuners 130-1-130-N tune the reactance of capacitive components 308 in IC tuning circuits 136-1-136-N, tune the reactance of inductive components 310 in substrate tuning circuits 134-1-134-N, or some combination thereof. In this manner, antenna tuners 130-1-130-N provide a specified impedance in accordance with impedance control circuit 132.

[0039]

[0048] In some implementations, the impedance control circuit 132 configures the impedance of the antenna tuners 130-1-130-N based on the operating configuration of the computing device 102 (e.g., the beamforming configuration and / or the selected frequency band). During transmission, the impedance control circuit 132 can additionally or alternatively measure a reflection coefficient and set the impedance of the antenna tuners 130-1-130-N to reduce the reflection coefficient. During reception, the impedance control circuit 132 can additionally or alternatively measure a signal strength associated with the radio frequency signals 318-1-318-N and set the impedance of the antenna tuners 130-1-130-N to increase a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) associated with the radio frequency signals 318-1-318-N. In general, the impedance control circuit 132 appropriately configures the antenna tuners 130-1-130-N to improve impedance matching between the antennas 124-1-124-N and the amplifier circuits 128-1-128-N during transmission and / or reception.

[0040]

[0049] During transmission, amplifier circuits 128-1 through 128-N receive respective radio frequency signals 314-1 through 314-N from other components within radio frequency integrated circuit 126 or from another integrated circuit or component within or external to module 120. Amplifier circuits 128-1 through 128-N amplify radio frequency signals 314-1 through 314-N to generate amplified radio frequency signals 316-1 through 316-N.

[0041]

[0050] Antenna tuners 130-1 through 130-N provide corresponding impedances specified by impedance control circuit 132. In some cases, impedance control circuit 132 adjusts the impedances provided by antenna tuners 130-1 through 130-N to cause the magnitude (or absolute value) of each reflection coefficient associated with antenna tuners 130-1 through 130-N to be less than a predetermined threshold. By providing these impedances, antenna tuners 130-1 through 130-N substantially match the output impedances of amplifier circuits 128-1 through 128-N, respectively, to the input impedances of antennas 124-1 through 124-N. Furthermore, antenna tuners 130-1 to 130-N receive amplified radio frequency signals 316-1 to 316-N at transceiver nodes 306-1 to 306-N, and pass the amplified radio frequency signals 316-1 to 316-N to antennas 124-1 to 124-N via antenna nodes 304-1 to 304-N.

[0042]

[0051] In the depicted configuration, the antenna tuners 130-1-130-N receive the amplified radio frequency signals 316-1-316-N indirectly from the amplifier circuits 128-1-128-N via the impedance control circuit 132. In other implementations (not shown) in which the impedance control circuit 132 is not electrically coupled between the antenna tuners 130-1-130-N and the amplifier circuits 128-1-128-N, the antenna tuners 130-1-130-N can receive the amplified radio frequency signals 316-1-316-N "directly" from the amplifier circuits 128-1-128-N (e.g., without propagating through the impedance control circuit 132, although there could be other intervening circuitry).

[0043]

[0052] Antennas 124-1 through 124-N transmit amplified radio frequency signals 316-1 through 316-N. The amplified radio frequency signals 316-1 through 316-N may form uplink signals that are transmitted, for example, by computing device 102 to base station 104 (of FIG. 1).

[0044]

[0053] During reception, the antennas 124-1-124-N receive radio frequency signals 318-1-318-N, which may represent portions of a downlink signal transmitted by the base station 104 (of FIG. 1) and received at the computing device 102. The antenna tuners 130-1-130-N provide corresponding impedances specified by the impedance control circuit 132. In some cases, the impedance control circuit 132 adjusts the impedances provided by the antenna tuners 130-1-130-N to cause a signal-to-noise ratio associated with the radio frequency signals 318-1-318-N to be greater than a predetermined threshold. By providing these impedances, the antenna tuners 130-1-130-N substantially match the output impedances of the antennas 124-1-124-N, respectively, to the input impedances of the amplifier circuits 128-1-128-N. Furthermore, antenna tuners 130-1 to 130-N receive radio frequency signals 318-1 to 318-N at antenna nodes 304-1 to 304-N, and transfer the radio frequency signals 318-1 to 318-N to amplifier circuits 128-1 to 128-N via transceiver nodes 306-1 to 306-N.

[0045]

[0054] The amplifier circuits 128-1 to 128-N amplify the radio frequency signals 318-1 to 318-N to generate amplified radio frequency signals 320-1 to 320-N. The radio frequency integrated circuit 126 passes these amplified radio frequency signals 320-1 to 320-N to other components within the radio frequency integrated circuit 126 or to another integrated circuit or component within or external to the antenna module 120. The impedance control circuit 132 can dynamically adjust the impedance of the antenna tuners 130-1 to 130-N to maintain similar impedance matching performance for a variety of different types of signals (e.g., signals with different frequencies and / or phases) and for a variety of different environments, as will be further described with respect to FIGS. 4-1 and 4-2.

[0046]

[0055] 4-1 and 4-2 show example sequence flow diagrams 400-1 and 400-2 for adjusting the impedance of an antenna tuner 130 (e.g., antenna tuner 130-1 or 130-N of FIG. 3) as time progresses downward. The impedance of the antenna tuner 130 is adjusted according to one or more events that change the impedance of the antenna 124 (e.g., antenna 124-1 or 124-N of FIG. 3). These events can include changes in the operating configuration of the computing device 102, as shown at 402, 404, and 406 in FIG. 4-1, or changes in the external environment, as shown at 408 and 410 in FIG. 4-2.

[0047]

[0056] In 402 of FIG. 4-1, the computing device 102 is in a first operating configuration 412-1, transmitting a first radio frequency (RF) signal 414-1 via the antenna 124. The first radio frequency signal 414-1 represents the amplified radio frequency signal 316-1 or 316-N (of FIG. 3) and has a first signal characteristic 416-1, such as a particular phase and / or frequency. The phase can be based on a selected beamforming operation performed as part of the first operating configuration 412-1. This beamforming operation enables the antenna array 302 (of FIG. 3) to steer the main lobe of its radiation pattern in a particular direction. The frequency can be based on a selected frequency band associated with the first operating configuration 412-1. The first signal characteristic 416-1 causes the antenna 124 to have a particular impedance.

[0048]

[0057] To improve impedance matching between the antenna 124 and the amplifier circuit 128 (e.g., amplifier circuit 128-1 or 128-N in FIG. 3), the impedance control circuit 132 causes the antenna tuner 130 to have a first impedance 418-1. This first impedance 418-1 is selected to reduce the magnitude of the reflection coefficient below a predetermined threshold in the first operating configuration 412-1. In this manner, the antenna tuner 130 facilitates transmission of the first radio frequency signal 414-1.

[0049]

[0058] In 404 of FIG. 4-1, the operating configuration of the computing device 102 changes to a second operating configuration 412-2, which transmits a second radio frequency signal 414-2 via the antenna 124. The second radio frequency signal 414-2 also represents the amplified radio frequency signal 316-1 or 316-N (of FIG. 3). The second radio frequency signal 414-2 has a second signal characteristic 416-2 that is different from the first signal characteristic 416-1. For example, the second radio frequency signal 414-2 can have a different phase and / or a different frequency than the first radio frequency signal 414-1. This change can occur because the second operating configuration 412-2 performs a different beamforming operation (e.g., steering the main lobe of the antenna array 302 in a different direction) than the first operating configuration 412-1. Additionally or alternatively, this change may occur because the second operating configuration 412-2 uses a different frequency band than the first operating configuration 412-1. Due to the second signal characteristic 416-2, the antenna 124 has a different impedance in the second operating configuration 412-2 than in the first operating configuration 412-1.

[0050]

[0059] To improve the impedance match between the antenna 124 and the amplifier circuit 128 for the second operating configuration 412-2, the impedance control circuit 132 causes the antenna tuner 130 to have a second impedance 418-2 different from the first impedance 418-1. The second impedance 418-2 is selected to reduce the magnitude of the reflection coefficient below a predetermined threshold for the second operating configuration 412-2. In this manner, the antenna tuner 130 facilitates the transmission of the second radio frequency signal 414-2.

[0051]

[0060] In 406 of FIG. 4-1, the operating configuration of the computing device 102 changes to a third operating configuration 412-3, which receives a third radio frequency signal 414-3 via the antenna 124. The third radio frequency signal 414-3 represents the radio frequency signal 318-1 or 318-N (of FIG. 3). The third radio frequency signal 414-3 has a third signal characteristic 416-3, which may be similar or different to the first signal characteristic 416-1 or the second signal characteristic 416-2. When the antenna 124 receives instead of transmits, the antenna 124 has a different impedance in the third operating configuration 412-3 than in the first operating configuration 412-1 and the second operating configuration 412-2.

[0052]

[0061] To improve impedance matching between the antenna 124 and the amplifier circuit 128 for the third operating configuration 412-3, the impedance control circuit 132 causes the antenna tuner 130 to have a third impedance 418-3 different from the first impedance 418-1 and the second impedance 418-2. The third impedance 418-3 is selected to increase the signal-to-noise ratio of the radio frequency signal 414-3 above a predetermined threshold in the third operating configuration 412-3. In this manner, the antenna tuner 130 facilitates reception of the third radio frequency signal 414-3.

[0053]

[0062] In 408 of FIG. 4-2, the computing device 102 operates in a first environment 420-1 in which the user's thumb is positioned away from the antenna 124. In this example, the user's thumb does not obstruct (or minimally obstructs) the antenna 124. To improve the impedance match between the antenna 124 and the amplifier circuit 128, the impedance control circuit 132 can measure a reflection coefficient or a signal-to-noise ratio and, based on this measurement, cause the antenna tuner 130 to have a fourth impedance 418-4. In some cases, the fourth impedance 418-4 can be the first impedance 418-1 in 402, the second impedance 418-2 in 404, the third impedance 418-3 in 406, or another impedance different from the impedances 418-1 to 418-3. The fourth impedance 418-4 may be selected to reduce the magnitude of the reflection coefficient below a predetermined threshold for the environment 420-1 and / or to increase the signal-to-noise ratio above a predetermined threshold for the environment 420-1.

[0054]

[0063] In 410, the computing device 102 operates in a second environment 420-2 in which the user's thumb is placed near the antenna 124. In this example, the user's thumb blocks (or at least partially blocks) the antenna 124. To improve the impedance match between the antenna 124 and the amplifier circuit 128, the impedance control circuit 132 measures a reflection coefficient or a signal-to-noise ratio and, based on this measurement, can cause the antenna tuner 130 to have a fifth impedance 418-5. Due to the proximity of the user's thumb to the antenna 124, the measured reflection coefficient (or measured signal-to-noise ratio) in 410 may be different from the measured reflection coefficient (or measured signal-to-noise ratio) in 408. Thus, the fifth impedance 418-5 of the antenna tuner 130 in 410 may be different from the fourth impedance 418-4 in 408. The fifth impedance 418-5 may be selected by the impedance control circuit 132 to reduce the magnitude of the reflection coefficient below a predetermined threshold for the environment 420-2 and / or to increase the signal-to-noise ratio above a predetermined threshold for the environment 420-2.

[0055]

[0064] The impedances 418-1 through 418-5 and / or the settings of the substrate tuning circuit 134 and / or IC tuning circuit 136 applied to implement such impedances may be different or substantially the same, or may overlap in one or more ways. For example, a subset of the settings used to realize a first of the impedances 418-1 through 418-5 may also be used to realize a second of the impedances 418-1 through 418-5.

[0056]

[0065] At 408 and 410, the antenna 124 may be transmitting and / or receiving radio frequency signals. In some circumstances, the impedance control circuit 132 causes the antenna tuner 130 to have a particular impedance based on both the operating configuration and the environment. An example implementation of the antenna tuner 130 is further described with respect to FIG. 5-1.

[0057]

[0066] FIG. 5-1 illustrates an exemplary implementation of an antenna tuner 130. In the depicted configuration, the antenna tuner 130, which may represent antenna tuner 130-1 or 130-N of FIG. 3, includes a substrate tuning circuit 134 and an IC tuning circuit 136. The substrate tuning circuit 134 and the IC tuning circuit 136 are coupled to a shared node 502, an antenna node 304 (e.g., antenna node 304-1 or 304-N of FIG. 3), and a transceiver node 306 (e.g., transceiver node 306-1 or 306-N of FIG. 3).

[0058]

[0067] In an exemplary implementation, the substrate tuning circuit 134 includes a first inductive component 310-1 and a second inductive component 310-2. Although not explicitly shown in FIG. 5-1, the first inductive component 310-1 and the second inductive component 310-2 are disposed on or in the substrate 122. The first inductive component 310-1 is coupled between the antenna node 304 and the shared node 502. The second inductive component 310-2 is coupled between the shared node 502 and the transceiver node 306.

[0059]

[0068] The IC tuning circuit 136 includes a first capacitive component 308-1, a second capacitive component 308-2, and a third capacitive component 308-3. Although not explicitly shown in FIG. 5-1, the capacitive components 308-1 to 308-3 are incorporated in the radio frequency integrated circuit 126 (e.g., disposed on the die 204 of FIG. 2). The first capacitive component 308-1 is coupled between the antenna node 304 and the shared node 502. Thus, the first capacitive component 308-1 and the first inductive component 310-1 are coupled to each other in parallel. The second capacitive component 308-2 is coupled between the shared node 502 and the transceiver node 306. Thus, the second capacitive component 308-2 and the second inductive component 310-2 are coupled to each other in parallel. The third capacitive component 308-3 is coupled between the shared node 502 and a ground 504. The ground 504 may be a local ground of the radio frequency integrated circuit 126 or the antenna module 120.

[0060]

[0069] To conserve space within the radio frequency integrated circuit 126, the capacitive components 308-1 through 308-3 may be designed to have a smaller impedance than the inductive components 310-1 through 310-2. Thus, the impedance of the inductive components 310-1 through 310-2 may contribute to a larger portion of the impedance of the antenna tuner 130, while the impedance of the capacitive components 308-1 through 308-3 may contribute to a smaller portion of the impedance of the antenna tuner 130. In this case, the inductive components 310-1 through 310-2 may provide the majority of the impedance of the antenna tuner 130, while the capacitive components 308-1 through 308-3 may be used to fine-tune the impedance of the antenna tuner 130. As an example, the IC tuning circuit 136 may have a tunable capacitance between about 0 and 150 femtofarads (fF). In other embodiments, one or more of the capacitive components 308-1-308-3 each have a tunable capacitance between about 0-150 fF. In some embodiments, the substrate tuned circuit 134 has an impedance that is about 50 ohms (or is variable around 50 ohms and includes about 50 ohms) at one or more operating frequencies (e.g., one or more mmW frequencies). In other embodiments, one or both of the inductive components 310-1 and 310-2 each have an impedance that is about 50 ohms (or is variable around 50 ohms and includes about 50 ohms) at one or more operating frequencies (e.g., one or more mmW frequencies).

[0061]

[0070] In some cases, as further described with respect to FIG. 5-2, it may be cheaper and easier to design capacitive components 308-1 through 308-3 to have variable impedances and inductive components 310-1 and 310-2 to have fixed impedances.

[0062]

[0071] FIG. 5-2 illustrates another exemplary implementation of the antenna tuner 130. In the depicted configuration, the capacitive components 308-1 to 308-3 are implemented using respective varactors 506-1 to 506-3. The varactors 506-1 to 506-3 have variable impedance. The inductive components 310-1 and 310-2 are implemented using respective transmission lines 508-1 and 508-2. In this case, the impedance of the transmission lines 508-1 and 508-2 is fixed. In some embodiments, the design of the transmission line 508 may be used to compensate for constraints inherent in the varactor 506 and / or its design. For example, in some embodiments, the size (e.g., length) of the transmission line 508 may be increased to reduce the tuning range required for the varactor 506. Disposing the transmission line 508 on or in the substrate 122 may enable such an implementation in some embodiments. Other implementations can have an inductive component 310 with variable impedance, as further described with respect to FIG. 5-3.

[0063]

[0072] FIG. 5-3 illustrates an additional exemplary implementation of antenna tuner 130. In the depicted configuration, capacitive components 308-1 through 308-3 are implemented using capacitors 510-1 through 510-3. Capacitors 510-1 through 510-3 can have fixed or variable impedances. Inductive components 310-1 and 310-2 are implemented using respective tunable inductors 512-1 and 512-2. Tunable inductors 512-1 and 512-2 have variable impedances.

[0064]

[0073] In general, implementations of antenna tuner 130 may provide impedance tuning using capacitive components 308-1 to 308-3 of IC tuning circuit 136, inductive components 310-1 to 310-2 of substrate tuning circuit 134, or both. In some embodiments, additional space and / or flexibility in design is available when implementing one or more of the inductive components 310 on or in substrate 122.

[0065]

[0074] Although the substrate tuning circuit 134 of FIGS. 5-1, 5-2, and 5-3 is shown to include two inductive components 310-1 and 310-2, it should be understood that the substrate tuning circuit 134 can include any amount of inductive components 310, including one inductive component or three or more inductive components. Similarly, the IC tuning circuit 136 of FIGS. 5-1, 5-2, and 5-3 can include any amount of capacitive components 308, including one capacitive component, two capacitive components, or four or more capacitive components. In some embodiments, three or more inductive components 310 are implemented, with the capacitive components 308 implemented in parallel with each of the inductive components 310, and each other capacitive component is coupled between each node coupling the capacitive and inductive component pair to each other and ground. In general, implementations of the substrate tuning circuit 134 and / or the IC tuning circuit 136 with a larger amount of components can allow a wider impedance range and finer control over the impedance 418 (of FIG. 4-1 or FIG. 4-2) of the antenna tuner 130.

[0066]

[0075] The inductive components 310 and capacitive components 308 of the antenna tuner 130 may be configured in any type of network between the antenna node 304, the transceiver node 306, and ground 504. Exemplary networks include a series network, a parallel network, a T-network, a π-network, a Δ-network, a Wye-network, or any combination thereof. In general, the architecture of the antenna tuner 130 is designed to enable the antenna tuner 130 to have a particular impedance tuning range and resolution to provide impedance matching for various operating configurations 412 of the computing device 102 and / or various environments 420 in which the computing device 102 may operate.

[0067]

[0076] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that configurations other than those shown in Figures 1-5-3 may be implemented in accordance with the concepts described herein. For example, in some embodiments, the antenna 124 is omitted from the antenna module 120. In such embodiments, the antenna 124 may be implemented in a separate module or on a substrate separate from the substrate 122 and coupled to the antenna node 304. In some embodiments, the amplifier circuit 128 is implemented in an IC different from the IC in which the IC tuning circuit 136 is implemented. Thus, the radio frequency integrated circuit 126 may be split into several ICs that may be disposed in the same module or in different modules. In some embodiments, the antenna module 120 is coupled to another module that includes an IC that includes a mixer configured to convert between intermediate frequencies and mmW frequencies and / or includes a phase shifter coupled to the amplifier circuit 128 through an interconnect. In some embodiments, the substrate tuning circuit 134 and the IC tuning circuit 136 are not contained within a module, but are implemented on a substrate, such as a flexible printed circuit, that couples the frequency conversion and / or phase shifting circuitry to a substrate or board on which the antenna 124 is implemented.

[0068]

[0077] FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating an example process 600 for operating an antenna tuner 130. The process 600 is described in the form of a set of blocks 602-606 that specify operations that may be performed. However, the operations are not necessarily limited to the order shown in FIG. 6 or described herein, as the operations may be implemented in alternative orders or in a fully or partially overlapping manner. Also, more, fewer, and / or different operations may be implemented to perform the process 600 or alternative processes. The operations represented by the illustrated blocks of the process 600 may be performed by the computing device 102 (e.g., of FIG. 1) or the antenna module 120 (e.g., of FIG. 1, FIG. 2, or FIG. 3). More specifically, the operations of the process 600 may be performed, in part, by the antenna tuner 130 shown in FIGS. 1-5-3.

[0069]

[0078] At block 602, an impedance is provided between an amplifier circuit of a radio frequency integrated circuit and an antenna. The antenna and radio frequency integrated circuit may be disposed on a substrate (or, for example, for the antenna, in the substrate). The impedance is provided by an antenna tuner and is based on the positive reactance of an inductive component of the antenna tuner and the negative reactance of a capacitive component of the antenna tuner. The inductive component may be disposed on or in the substrate and the capacitive component may be implemented within the radio frequency integrated circuit.

[0070]

[0079] For example, the antenna tuner 130 provides an impedance (e.g., one of impedances 418-1, 418-2, 418-4, or 418-5 in FIG. 4-1 and FIG. 4-2) between the amplifier circuit 128 of the radio frequency integrated circuit 126 and the antenna 124. The antenna 124 and the radio frequency integrated circuit 126 are disposed on the substrate 122 (or, for example, in the substrate 122 with respect to the antenna 124) as shown in FIG. 2. The impedance of the antenna tuner 130 is based on the positive reactance of one or more inductive components 310 of the antenna tuner 130 disposed on or in the substrate 122. Furthermore, the impedance is based on the negative reactance of one or more capacitive components 308 of the antenna tuner 130 implemented in the radio frequency integrated circuit 126 (e.g., disposed on the die 204 in FIG. 2). In some circumstances, the impedance allows the magnitude of the reflection coefficient between the antenna 124 and the amplifier circuit 128 to be below a predetermined threshold. In this manner, the antenna tuner provides an impedance match between the antenna 124 and the amplifier circuit 128.

[0071]

[0080] At block 604, the radio frequency signal is passed from the amplifier circuit to an antenna through an antenna tuner having an impedance. For example, the antenna tuner 130 passes an amplified radio frequency signal (e.g., amplified radio frequency signal 316-1 or 316-N of FIG. 3) from the amplifier circuit 128 (e.g., amplifier circuit 128-1 or 128-N of FIG. 3) to the antenna 124 (e.g., antenna 124-1 or 124-N of FIG. 3).

[0072]

[0081] At block 606, a radio frequency signal is transmitted via an antenna. For example, antenna 124 transmits a radio frequency signal, such as radio frequency signal 414-1 or 414-2 of FIG. 4-1. Although described with respect to transmission, similar operations may be performed for reception, as further described with respect to FIG.

[0073]

[0082] FIG. 7 is another flow diagram illustrating an example process 700 for operating the antenna tuner 130. The process 700 is described in the form of a set of blocks 702-706 that specify operations that may be performed. However, the operations are not necessarily limited to the order shown in FIG. 7 or described herein, as the operations may be implemented in alternative orders or in a fully or partially overlapping manner. Also, more, fewer, and / or different operations may be implemented to perform the process 700 or alternative processes. The operations represented by the illustrated blocks of the process 700 may be performed by the computing device 102 (e.g., of FIG. 1) or the antenna module 120 (e.g., of FIG. 1, FIG. 2, or FIG. 3). More specifically, the operations of the process 700 may be performed, in part, by the antenna tuner 130 shown in FIG. 1-FIG. 5-3.

[0074]

[0083] In block 702, a radio frequency signal is received via an antenna disposed on or in a substrate. For example, antenna 124 receives radio frequency signal 414-3 of FIG. 4-1. Antenna 124 may be disposed on or in substrate 122 as shown in FIG.

[0075]

[0084] At block 704, an impedance is provided between an amplifier circuit of a radio frequency integrated circuit and an antenna. The radio frequency integrated circuit may be disposed on a substrate. The impedance is provided by an antenna tuner and is based on a positive reactance of an inductive component of the antenna tuner and a negative reactance of a capacitive component of the antenna tuner. The inductive component may be disposed on or in the substrate and the capacitive component may be implemented within the radio frequency integrated circuit.

[0076]

[0085] For example, the antenna tuner 130 provides an impedance (e.g., one of the impedances 418-3 to 418-5 in FIG. 4-1 and FIG. 4-2) between the amplifier circuit 128 of the radio frequency integrated circuit 126 and the antenna 124. The radio frequency integrated circuit 126 is disposed on the substrate 122 as shown in FIG. 2. The impedance of the antenna tuner 130 is based on the positive reactance of one or more inductive components 310 of the antenna tuner 130 disposed on or in the substrate 122. Furthermore, the impedance is based on the negative reactance of one or more capacitive components 308 of the antenna tuner 130 implemented within the radio frequency integrated circuit 126 (e.g., disposed on the die 204 in FIG. 2). In some circumstances, the impedance allows the signal-to-noise ratio of the received radio frequency signal 414-3 to be equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. In this manner, the antenna tuner provides an impedance match between the antenna 124 and the amplifier circuit 128.

[0077]

[0086] At block 706, the radio frequency signal is passed from the antenna to the amplifier circuitry via an antenna tuner having an impedance. For example, the antenna tuner 130 passes the radio frequency signal 414-3 (e.g., the radio frequency signal 318-1 or 318-N of FIG. 3) from the antenna 124 (e.g., the antenna 124-1 or 124-N of FIG. 3) to the amplifier circuitry 128 (e.g., the amplifier circuitry 128-1 or 128-N of FIG. 3).

[0078]

[0087] Unless the context dictates otherwise, use of the word "or" herein may be deemed to be "inclusive or" or use of a term allowing for the inclusion or application of one or more items linked by the word "or" (e.g., the phrase "A or B" may be interpreted as simply allowing for "A", as simply allowing for "B", or as allowing for both "A" and "B"). Additionally, items depicted in the accompanying figures and terms discussed herein may refer to one or more items or terms, and thus may be referred to interchangeably in this written description in the singular or plural of the items and terms. Finally, although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features or methodological acts, it will be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts set forth above, including not necessarily limited to the composition in which the features are arranged or the order in which the acts are performed.

[0079]

[0088] Included below are several aspects that describe several configurations in accordance with the concepts described herein.

[0080]

[0089] Aspect 1: An apparatus comprising: A substrate; an antenna disposed on or in the substrate; a radio frequency integrated circuit disposed on the substrate, the radio frequency integrated circuit comprising an amplifier circuit; an antenna tuner coupled between the antenna and the amplifier circuit; an inductive component disposed on the substrate; a capacitive component implemented within a radio frequency integrated circuit; Equipped with Device.

[0081]

[0090] Aspect 2: the inductive component is configured to provide a positive reactance; the capacitive component is configured to provide a negative reactance; 2. The apparatus of embodiment 1.

[0082]

[0091] Example 3: The apparatus of example 1 or 2, wherein a capacitive component is connected in parallel with the inductive component.

[0083]

[0092] Aspect 4: The apparatus of any preceding aspect, wherein the capacitive component comprises a varactor.

[0084]

[0093] Example 5: The apparatus of example 4, wherein the antenna tuner is configured to vary a negative reactance of the varactor.

[0085]

[0094] Example 6: The apparatus of any preceding example, wherein the inductive component comprises a transmission line.

[0086]

[0095] Aspect 7: The antenna tuner selectively includes: Matching the output impedance of the amplifier circuit to the input impedance of the antenna; Matching the output impedance of the antenna to the input impedance of the amplifier circuit 4. The apparatus of any preceding aspect, configured to:

[0087]

[0096] Aspect 8: The antenna, Transmitting a first radio frequency signal having a first signal characteristic; transmitting a second radio frequency signal having a second signal characteristic different from the first signal characteristic; The antenna tuner is configured to providing a first impedance based on the antenna transmitting a first radio frequency signal, the first impedance being based on a positive reactance of the inductive component and a negative reactance of the capacitive component; Before the second radio frequency signal is transmitted, The positive reactance of the inductive component, or Negative reactance of capacitive components and varying at least one of providing a second impedance based on the antenna transmitting a second radio frequency signal, the second impedance being different from the first impedance; 4. The apparatus of any preceding aspect, configured to:

[0088]

[0097] Aspect 9: the first signal characteristic comprises a first phase; the second signal characteristic comprises a second phase different from the first phase; The apparatus of embodiment 8.

[0089]

[0098] Aspect 10: the first signal characteristic comprises a first frequency; the second signal characteristic comprises a second frequency different from the first frequency; The apparatus of embodiment 8.

[0090]

[0099] Example 11: The apparatus of example 8, wherein the first radio frequency signal and the second radio frequency signal each have at least one frequency that is equal to or greater than 24 gigahertz.

[0091]

[0100] Aspect 12: the inductive component comprises a first inductive component; the capacitive component comprises a first capacitive component; The antenna tuner a second inductive component disposed on or in the substrate; a second capacitive component implemented within the radio frequency integrated circuit; a third capacitive component implemented within the radio frequency integrated circuit; Equipped with The apparatus of any preceding aspect.

[0092]

[0101] Aspect 13: The antenna tuner an antenna node coupled to an antenna; A shared node; a transceiver node coupled to an amplifier circuit; Equipped with a first inductive component coupled between the antenna node and the shared node; a second inductive component coupled between the shared node and the transceiver node; a first capacitive component coupled between the antenna node and the shared node; a second capacitive component coupled between the shared node and the transceiver node; a third capacitive component coupled between the shared node and ground; The apparatus of embodiment 12.

[0093]

[0102] Aspect 14: the antenna comprises a first antenna; the amplifier circuit comprises a first amplifier circuit; the antenna tuner comprises a first antenna tuner; the radio frequency integrated circuit comprises a second amplifier circuit; The device is A first antenna, and A second antenna disposed on or in the substrate. an antenna array comprising: a second antenna tuner coupled between the second antenna and the second amplifier circuit; an inductive component disposed on or in the substrate; and Capacitive components implemented in radio frequency integrated circuits - Patents.com Equipped with Equipped with The apparatus of any preceding aspect.

[0094]

[0103] Aspect 15: a mixer implemented in a radio frequency integrated circuit; a first phase shifter implemented in a radio frequency integrated circuit, the first phase shifter being coupled between the mixer and the first amplifier circuit; a second phase shifter implemented in the radio frequency integrated circuit; and the second phase shifter coupled between the mixer and the second amplifier circuit. 15. The apparatus of embodiment 14, further comprising:

[0095]

[0104] Aspect 16: An amplifier circuit comprising: a power amplifier configured to amplify a radio frequency signal for transmission; or A low noise amplifier configured to amplify other radio frequency signals for reception.

[0023] The apparatus of any preceding aspect, comprising at least one of:

[0096]

[0105] Aspect 17: Further comprising an antenna module; wherein the substrate, antenna, radio frequency integrated circuit, and antenna tuner are packaged together as part of an antenna module; The apparatus of any preceding aspect.

[0097]

[0106] Aspect 18: A display screen; a processor operably coupled to the display screen and the antenna module, the processor configured to present one or more graphical images on the display screen based on radio frequency signals communicated by the antenna module; 18. The apparatus of embodiment 17, further comprising:

[0098]

[0107] Aspect 19: An apparatus, comprising: A substrate; an antenna means for transmitting and receiving radio frequency signals, the antenna means being disposed on or in the substrate; an integrated circuit having means for conditioning a radio frequency signal; the integrated circuit disposed on a substrate; tuning means for providing impedance matching between the antenna means and the means for tuning; an inductive means for providing a positive reactance, the inductive means being disposed on or in the substrate; a capacitive means for providing a negative reactance, the capacitive means being implemented as part of an integrated circuit; Equipped with An apparatus comprising:

[0099]

[0108] Example 20: The apparatus of example 19, wherein the capacitive means is coupled in parallel with the inductive means.

[0100]

[0109] Example 21: The apparatus of example 19 or 20, wherein the capacitive means is further configured to selectively provide a first negative reactance and a second negative reactance.

[0101]

[0110] Example 22: The apparatus of any one of Examples 19-21, wherein the inductive means is further configured to selectively provide a first positive reactance and a second positive reactance.

[0102]

[0111] Aspect 23: The antenna means comprises: transmitting a first one of the radio frequency signals having a first signal characteristic; transmitting a second one of the radio frequency signals having a second signal characteristic different from the first signal characteristic; and the tuning means is configured to providing a first impedance based on the antenna means transmitting a first radio frequency signal, the first impedance being based on a positive reactance of the inductive means and a negative reactance of the capacitive means; Before the second radio frequency signal is transmitted, Positive reactance of inductive means, or Negative reactance of capacitive means and varying at least one of providing a second impedance based on the antenna means transmitting a second radio frequency signal, the second impedance being different from the first impedance; 23. The apparatus of any one of aspects 19 to 22, configured to perform the following:

[0103]

[0112] Aspect 24: A method for operating an antenna tuner, the method comprising: providing an impedance between an amplifier circuit of the radio frequency integrated circuit and an antenna disposed on or in the substrate via the antenna tuner, the impedance being based on a positive reactance of an inductive component of the antenna tuner and a negative reactance of a capacitive component of the antenna tuner, the inductive component being disposed on or in the substrate, the capacitive component being implemented within the radio frequency integrated circuit, and the radio frequency integrated circuit being disposed on the substrate; delivering the radio frequency signal from the amplifier circuit to an antenna via an antenna tuner having an impedance; Transmitting a radio frequency signal via an antenna; A method comprising:

[0104]

[0113] Aspect 25: the impedance comprises a first impedance; the radio frequency signal comprises a first radio frequency signal; The method is Varying at least one of a positive reactance of an inductive component or a negative reactance of a capacitive component; providing a second impedance between the amplifier circuit and the antenna via the antenna tuner in response to varying the first impedance, the second impedance being different from the first impedance. passing the second radio frequency signal from the amplifier circuit to an antenna through an antenna tuner having a second impedance; transmitting a second radio frequency signal via the antenna; The method of embodiment 24, comprising:

[0105]

[0114] Aspect 26: Providing the first impedance comprises matching an output impedance of the amplifier circuit to a first input impedance of the antenna; providing the second impedance comprises matching an output impedance of the amplifier circuit to a second input impedance of the antenna, the second input impedance of the antenna being different from the first input impedance; The method of embodiment 25.

[0106]

[0115] Example 27: The method of example 25 or 26, wherein the second radio frequency signal has a different phase than the first radio frequency signal.

[0107]

[0116] Example 28: The method of any one of Examples 25 to 27, wherein the second radio frequency signal has a different frequency than the first radio frequency signal.

[0108]

[0117] Example 29: The method of any one of Examples 24 to 28, wherein the capacitive component is connected in parallel with the inductive component.

[0109]

[0118] Aspect 30: the capacitive component comprises a varactor; the inductive component comprises a transmission line; The method of any one of aspects 24 to 29.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising: A substrate; an antenna disposed on or in the substrate; a die attached to a surface of the substrate; a radio frequency integrated circuit mounted on the die, the radio frequency integrated circuit comprising an amplifier circuit; an antenna tuner coupled between the antenna and the amplifier circuit, the antenna tuner comprising: an inductive component disposed on or in the substrate; a capacitive component implemented within the radio frequency integrated circuit; Equipped with An apparatus comprising:

2. the inductive component is configured to provide a positive reactance; The capacitive component is configured to provide a negative reactance, or the capacitive component is connected in parallel with the inductive component; 2. The apparatus of claim 1.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the capacitive component comprises a varactor.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the antenna tuner is configured to vary a negative reactance of the varactor or the inductive component comprises a transmission line.

5. The antenna tuner includes: matching an output impedance of the amplifier circuit to an input impedance of the antenna; matching an output impedance of the antenna to an input impedance of the amplifier circuit; The apparatus of claim 1 configured to selectively:

6. The antenna is Transmitting a first radio frequency signal having a first signal characteristic; transmitting a second radio frequency signal having a second signal characteristic different from the first signal characteristic; The antenna tuner includes: providing a first impedance based on the antenna transmitting the first radio frequency signal, the first impedance being based on a positive reactance of the inductive component and a negative reactance of the capacitive component; Before the second radio frequency signal is transmitted, the positive reactance of the inductive component; or the negative reactance of the capacitive component; and varying at least one of providing a second impedance based on the antenna transmitting the second radio frequency signal, the second impedance being different from the first impedance; The apparatus of claim 1 configured to:

7. the first signal characteristic comprises a first phase; the second signal characteristic comprises a second phase different from the first phase; or the first signal characteristic comprises a first frequency; the second signal characteristic comprises a second frequency different from the first frequency; or the first radio frequency signal and the second radio frequency signal each have at least one frequency that is equal to or greater than 24 gigahertz; 7. The apparatus of claim 6.

8. The inductive component comprises a first inductive component; The capacitive component comprises a first capacitive component; The antenna tuner includes: a second inductive component disposed on or in the substrate; a second capacitive component implemented within the radio frequency integrated circuit; a third capacitive component implemented within the radio frequency integrated circuit; and and preferably The antenna tuner includes: an antenna node coupled to the antenna; A shared node; a transceiver node coupled to the amplifier circuit; Equipped with the first inductive component is coupled between the antenna node and the shared node; the second inductive component is coupled between the shared node and the transceiver node; the first capacitive component is coupled between the antenna node and the shared node; the second capacitive component is coupled between the shared node and the transceiver node; the third capacitive component is coupled between the shared node and ground; 2. The apparatus of claim 1.

9. The antenna comprises a first antenna; The amplifier circuit includes a first amplifier circuit, the antenna tuner comprises a first antenna tuner; the radio frequency integrated circuit comprises a second amplifier circuit; The apparatus comprises: the first antenna, and a second antenna disposed on or in the substrate; an antenna array comprising: a second antenna tuner coupled between the second antenna and the second amplifier circuit, the second antenna tuner comprising: an inductive component disposed on or in the substrate; and a capacitive component implemented within said radio frequency integrated circuit; Equipped with and preferably a mixer implemented within the radio frequency integrated circuit; a first phase shifter implemented in the radio frequency integrated circuit, the first phase shifter being coupled between the mixer and the first amplifier circuit; a second phase shifter implemented in the radio frequency integrated circuit, the second phase shifter being coupled between the mixer and the second amplifier circuit; The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

10. The amplifier circuit includes: a power amplifier configured to amplify a radio frequency signal for transmission; or a low noise amplifier configured to amplify other radio frequency signals for reception; The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising at least one of:

11. Further comprising an antenna module; The substrate, the antenna, the radio frequency integrated circuit, and the antenna tuner are packaged together as part of the antenna module, preferably A display screen; a processor operably coupled to the display screen and the antenna module, the processor configured to present one or more graphical images on the display screen based on radio frequency signals communicated by the antenna module; The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

12. 1. A method for operating an antenna tuner, comprising: providing an impedance between an amplifier circuit of a radio frequency integrated circuit and an antenna disposed on or in a substrate via the antenna tuner, the impedance being based on a positive reactance of an inductive component of the antenna tuner and a negative reactance of a capacitive component of the antenna tuner, the inductive component being disposed on or in the substrate, the capacitive component being implemented within the radio frequency integrated circuit, the radio frequency integrated circuit being implemented on a die, the die being attached to a surface of the substrate; delivering a radio frequency signal from the amplifier circuit to the antenna via the antenna tuner having the impedance; transmitting the radio frequency signal via the antenna; A method comprising:

13. the impedance comprises a first impedance; the radio frequency signal comprises a first radio frequency signal; The method comprises: Varying at least one of the positive reactance of the inductive component or the negative reactance of the capacitive component; providing a second impedance between the amplifier circuit and the antenna via the antenna tuner in response to said varying, the second impedance being different from the first impedance; passing a second radio frequency signal from the amplifier circuit to the antenna through the antenna tuner having the second impedance; transmitting the second radio frequency signal via the antenna; and The method of claim 12 comprising:

14. providing the first impedance comprises matching an output impedance of the amplifier circuit to a first input impedance of the antenna; providing the second impedance comprises matching the output impedance of the amplifier circuit to a second input impedance of the antenna, the second input impedance of the antenna being different from the first input impedance; or the second radio frequency signal has a different phase than the first radio frequency signal; or the second radio frequency signal has a different frequency than the first radio frequency signal; The method of claim 13.

15. the capacitive component is connected in parallel with the inductive component, or the capacitive component comprises a varactor and the inductive component comprises a transmission line; The method of claim 14.

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