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.

Claims

1. It is a device, circuit board and An antenna array disposed on or within the substrate, the antenna array comprising at least two antennas, A radio frequency integrated circuit is disposed on the substrate, and the radio frequency integrated circuit comprises at least two amplification circuits. At least two antenna tuners, and each of the at least two antenna tuners is coupled between the at least two antennas and the at least two amplification circuits, and each of the at least two antenna tuners is, An inductive component disposed on or within the substrate, and the inductive component is separated from the radio frequency integrated circuit. Capacitive components implemented within the aforementioned radio frequency integrated circuit, Equipped with, A device equipped with the following features.

2. The inductive component is configured to provide positive reactance, Capacitive components are configured to provide negative reactance, or The capacitive component is connected in parallel with the inductive component, The apparatus according to claim 1.

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

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein each of the at least two antenna tuners is configured to change the negative reactance of the varactor, or the inductive component comprises a transmission line.

5. Each of the two antenna tuners mentioned above is: Matching the output impedance of a corresponding amplifier circuit among the at least two amplifier circuits to the input impedance of a corresponding antenna among the at least two antennas, Matching the output impedance of the corresponding antenna to the input impedance of the corresponding amplification circuit, The apparatus according to claim 1, configured to selectively perform the following.

6. Each of the at least two antennas is Transmitting a first radio frequency signal having a first signal characteristic, It is configured to transmit a second radio frequency signal having second signal characteristics different from the first signal characteristics, Each of the two antenna tuners mentioned above is: A first impedance is provided based on the fact that a corresponding antenna among the at least two antennas transmits the first radio frequency signal, and the first impedance is based on the positive reactance of the inductive component and the 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, Changing at least one of the following, Based on the corresponding antenna transmitting the second radio frequency signal, a second impedance is provided, and the second impedance is different from the first impedance. The apparatus according to claim 1, configured to perform the following:

7. The first signal characteristic has a first phase, The second signal characteristic has a second phase different from the first phase, or The first signal characteristic has a first frequency, The second signal characteristic has a second frequency different from the first frequency, or The first radio frequency signal and the second radio frequency signal each comprise at least one frequency that is 24 gigahertz or higher. The apparatus according to claim 6.

8. The inductive component comprises a first inductive component, The capacitive component comprises a first capacitive component, Each of the two antenna tuners mentioned above is: A second inductive component disposed on or within the substrate, the second inductive component being separated from the radio frequency integrated circuit, A second capacitive component implemented within the aforementioned radio frequency integrated circuit, A third capacitive component implemented within the aforementioned radio frequency integrated circuit, It is equipped with, preferably, Each of the two antenna tuners mentioned above is: An antenna node coupled to a corresponding antenna among the at least two antennas, Shared node and A transceiver node coupled to a corresponding amplifier circuit among the at least two amplifier circuits, 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 connected between the shared node and the transceiver node, The third capacitive component is coupled between the shared node and ground, The apparatus according to claim 1.

9. A mixer mounted within the radio frequency integrated circuit, A first phase shifter is implemented within the radio frequency integrated circuit, and the first phase shifter is coupled between the mixer and the first amplifier circuit among the at least two amplifier circuits. A second phase shifter is implemented within the radio frequency integrated circuit, and the second phase shifter is coupled between the mixer and the second amplifier circuit among the at least two amplifier circuits. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

10. Each of the at least two amplification circuits is: A power amplifier configured to amplify radio frequency signals for transmission, or A low-noise amplifier configured to amplify other radio frequency signals for reception. The apparatus according to claim 1, comprising at least one of the following.

11. Equipped with an additional antenna module, The substrate, the at least two antennas, the radio frequency integrated circuit, and the at least two antenna tuners are packaged together as part of the antenna module, preferably Display screen and, 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 according to claim 1, further comprising:

12. A method for operating a first antenna tuner and a second antenna tuner, The first antenna tuner provides a first impedance between a first amplification circuit of a radio frequency integrated circuit and a first antenna disposed on or in the substrate, wherein the first impedance is based on the positive reactance of a first inductive component of the first antenna tuner and the negative reactance of a first capacitive component of the first antenna tuner, the first inductive component is disposed on or in the substrate, the first inductive component is isolated from the radio frequency integrated circuit, the first capacitive component is mounted within the radio frequency integrated circuit, and the radio frequency integrated circuit is mounted on the substrate. The first radio frequency signal is transmitted from the first amplification circuit to the first antenna via the first antenna tuner having the first impedance, Transmitting the first radio frequency signal via the first antenna, The second antenna tuner provides a second impedance between a second amplification circuit of a radio frequency integrated circuit and a second antenna disposed on or in the substrate, wherein the second impedance is based on the positive reactance of a second inductive component of the second antenna tuner and the negative reactance of a second capacitive component of the second antenna tuner, the second inductive component is disposed on or in the substrate, the second inductive component is isolated from the radio frequency integrated circuit, and the second capacitive component is mounted within the radio frequency integrated circuit. The second radio frequency signal is transmitted from the second amplification circuit to the second antenna via the second antenna tuner having the second impedance, Transmitting the second radio frequency signal via the second antenna, A method that includes [a certain feature].

13. Changing at least one of the positive reactance of the first inductive component or the negative reactance of the first capacitive component, In response to the aforementioned change, a third impedance is provided between the first amplification circuit and the first antenna via the first antenna tuner, and the third impedance is different from the first impedance. The third radio frequency signal is transmitted from the first amplification circuit to the first antenna via the first antenna tuner having the third impedance, Transmitting the third radio frequency signal via the first antenna, The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

14. Providing the first impedance includes matching the output impedance of the first amplification circuit to the first input impedance of the first antenna. Providing the third impedance involves matching the output impedance of the first amplification circuit to the second input impedance of the first antenna, wherein the second input impedance of the first antenna is different from the first input impedance, or The third radio frequency signal has a different phase from the first radio frequency signal, or The third radio frequency signal has a different frequency from the first radio frequency signal. The method according to 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 according to claim 14.

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