Tuning method for an antenna device

Abstract

A method for adjusting an antenna device is provided. The antenna device includes an antenna, an impedance matching tuner (IMT), and a radio frequency front-end (RFFE). The antenna device is coupled to an RF transmitter / receiver (RF transceiver). In a characterization phase, the antenna device is characterized to obtain multiple mapping data, which are mappings between a first load impedance at a transmit (TX) frequency and a second load impedance at a receive (RX) frequency, the mappings being related to multiple configurations of the impedance matching tuner and multiple operating conditions of the antenna device. In an adjustment phase, a first load impedance under the current configuration of the impedance matching tuner is estimated. Based on the mapping data, the first load impedance is mapped to obtain a second load impedance under the current configuration. The impedance matching tuner is adjusted based on the first and second load impedances under the current configuration of the impedance matching tuner.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to an antenna device, and more particularly to a method for adjusting an antenna device. Prior Technology

[0002] With the advancement of wireless communication technology, electronic devices (such as smartphones and laptops) are equipped with antenna devices for wireless communication. In an antenna device, an impedance matching tuner (IMT) is used to match the impedance between the antenna and the radio frequency front end (RFFE) of the antenna device.

[0003] To achieve optimal matching under various conditions, impedance measurements are obtained at different transmit (TX) frequencies, and the results are provided to set the impedance matching tuner. However, when only the impedance at the transmit frequency is considered, the influence of the receiver (RX) components of the antenna setup may be neglected, and the impedance matching tuner settings may not be optimized.

[0004] In view of the above problems, it is desirable to have an improved impedance matching tuner adjustment mechanism in antenna devices that can take into account the impedance at both the transmit and receive frequencies. Summary of the Invention

[0005] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, an adjustment method for an antenna device is provided. The antenna device includes an antenna, an impedance matching tuner (IMT), and a radio frequency front end (RFFE). The antenna device is coupled to a radio frequency transmitter / receiver (RF transceiver), the antenna is coupled to the RF front end via the impedance matching tuner, and the RF front end is coupled to the RF transceiver. The adjustment method includes the following steps:

[0006] During the characterization phase, the antenna device is characterized to obtain a set of mapping data, which is a mapping between a first load impedance group and a second load impedance group of the antenna device. This mapping is related to a plurality of configurations of the impedance matching tuner and a plurality of operating conditions of the antenna device. The first load impedance corresponds to a set of transmitting (TX) frequencies, and the second load impedance corresponds to a set of receiving (RX) frequencies.

[0007] During the adjustment phase, the first load impedance is estimated under the current configuration of the impedance matching tuner. The first load impedance is mapped to the mapping data to obtain the second load impedance under the current configuration of the impedance matching tuner. Based on each of the first load impedances corresponding to the transmit frequency and each of the second load impedances corresponding to the receive frequency, the impedance matching tuner is adjusted under the current configuration. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0008] Figure 1 is a circuit diagram of an antenna device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2A is a schematic diagram illustrating the positive signal provided by the radio frequency transceiver 400. Figure 2B is a schematic diagram illustrating the reverse signal provided by the radio frequency transceiver 400. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the impedance matching tuner 200 set based on transmission and reception conditions. Figures 4A and 4B are flowcharts of setting an impedance matching tuner 200 in an adjustment method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosed embodiments. However, it will be apparent that one or more embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and apparatuses are shown schematically for the purpose of simplifying the illustrations. Implementation

[0009] Figure 1 is a circuit diagram of an antenna device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 1, the antenna device 1000 includes an antenna 100, an impedance matching tuner (IMT) 200, and a radio frequency front end (RFFE) 300. Furthermore, the antenna device 1000 is coupled to a radio frequency transmitter / receiver (RF transceiver) 400.

[0010] The RF front-end 300 includes an antenna network 31, a coupler 32, a duplexer 33, a power amplifier (PA) 34, and a low-noise amplifier (LNA) 35. The antenna 100 is coupled to the antenna network 31 of the RF front-end 300 via an impedance matching tuner 200. The antenna network 31, coupler 32, and duplexer 33 are coupled in series.

[0011] The radio frequency transceiver 400 includes a transmitting unit (TX unit) 41, a receiving unit (RX unit) 42, and a feedback receiver (FBRX) 43. The transmitting unit 41 is coupled to the duplexer 33 of the radio frequency front-end 300 via a power amplifier 34. The receiving unit 42 is coupled to the duplexer 33 via a low-noise amplifier 35. The feedback receiver 43 is coupled to the coupler 32 of the radio frequency front-end 300.

[0012] In operation, the impedance matching tuner 200 is used to match the impedance between the antenna 100 and the RF front-end 300. The impedance matching tuner 200 has a set of codewords to perform impedance matching. The antenna device 1000 can perform an adjustment method to adjust the codeword settings of the impedance matching tuner 200. This adjustment method includes a first stage and a second stage. The first stage is a "characterization stage", and the second stage is an "adjustment stage".

[0013] During the characterization phase, antenna 100, impedance matching tuner 200, and RF front-end 300 are characterized to obtain "performance data." The performance data may include a set of metrics used to evaluate the transmit performance (TX performance) and receive performance (RX performance) of antenna device 1000. For example, the metrics in the performance data may indicate the transmit power (TX power), receive power (RX power), and reference signal received power (RSRP) of antenna 100.

[0014] Impedance matching tuner 200 has multiple configurations (also referred to as "tuner states"), including, for example, a reference configuration and several current configurations. In the reference configuration, impedance matching tuner 200 operates in bypass mode. The current configuration refers to the configuration in which impedance matching tuner 200 is currently operating. Furthermore, antenna device 1000 has multiple operating conditions, including, for example, free space conditions and interference conditions. Under free space conditions, antenna device 1000 is not subject to any interference. Under interference conditions, antenna device 1000 may be placed near materials that may interfere with antenna device 1000. Performance data for antenna 100, impedance matching tuner 200, and RF front-end 300 are characterized for each configuration of impedance matching tuner 200 and each operating condition of antenna device 1000.

[0015] Furthermore, during the characterization phase, the impedance matching tuner 200, the RF front-end 300, and the feedback receiver 43 are characterized to obtain "characterization data." The characterization data may include a set of S-parameters for the impedance matching tuner 200, the RF front-end 300, and the feedback receiver 43. The S-parameters may include parameters such as S21 and S22. Additionally, the characterization data may include the impedance of the feedback receiver 43, referred to as the "first impedance." The characterization data for the impedance matching tuner 200, the RF front-end 300, and the feedback receiver 43 are characterized for each configuration of the impedance matching tuner 200 and each operating condition of the antenna device 1000.

[0016] The characteristic data of the impedance matching tuner 200, RF front-end 300, and feedback receiver 43, characterized during the characterization phase, combined with the impedance of the feedback receiver 43, are used to estimate the load impedance of the antenna 100 at each transmit (TX) frequency. Load impedance at each transmission frequency This is called the "first load impedance". Load impedance The reflection coefficient of the antenna load can be estimated using the characteristic data and the impedance of the feedback receiver 43 through a closed-form equation that uses the forward and reverse signals to calculate the reflection coefficient of the antenna load, which will be further described in the following paragraphs in conjunction with Figures 2A and 2B.

[0017] Figure 2A is a schematic diagram illustrating a positive signal provided by the radio frequency transceiver 400. Referring to Figure 2A, in the radio frequency transceiver 400, the transmitting unit 41 can be configured to generate a positive signal that is transmitted through a first path P1 in the radio frequency transceiver 400 and the antenna device 1000. The first path P1 is a "positive path" that starts from the transmitting unit 41, passes through the power amplifier 34, the duplexer 33, and the coupler 32, and finally reaches the feedback receiver 43. The positive signal is sent by the transmitting unit 41 and then returns to the feedback receiver 43 through the first path P1.

[0018] Next, referring to Figure 2B, which is a schematic diagram illustrating the reverse signal provided by the RF transceiver 400, similar to the forward signal, the reverse signal is also generated by the transmitting unit 41. The reverse signal is transmitted through a second path P2 in the RF transceiver 400 and the antenna assembly 1000. The second path P2 is a "reverse path" that starts from the transmitting unit 41, passes through the power amplifier 34, duplexer 33, coupler 32, antenna network 31, impedance matching tuner 200, then returns to the antenna network 31 and coupler 32, and finally reaches the feedback receiver 43.

[0019] The S-parameters associated with antenna 100 (e.g., parameters S21 and S22) can be calculated based on the amplitude and phase relationships of the forward and reverse signals. The calculated S-parameters are then combined with the impedance of the feedback receiver 43 at each transmit frequency (in terms of "..."). (represented by ""), used to estimate the load impedance of antenna 100 at each transmission frequency. In one example, coupler 32 can sample forward and reverse signals to generate S-parameters and other characterization data.

[0020] Furthermore, the calculated S-parameters (e.g., parameters of S21 and S22), combined with performance data (e.g., RSRP, a metric for evaluating receiver performance), are used to estimate the load impedance of antenna 100 at each receiving frequency. For example, parameters for the index RSRPk and S21,k and S22,k with index "k" are provided. In all configurations of the IMT 200, index "k" represents the current configuration of the antenna device 1000. Similarly, parameters for another index RSRPj and S21,j and S22,j with index "j" are provided. Index "j" represents the reference configuration of the IMT 200. Given the parameters for the index RSRPk and S21,k and S22,k with index "k", and the parameters for the index RSRPj and S21,j and S22,j with index "j", the load impedance at the receiving frequency can be calculated according to the following equation (1). :

[0021] eq. (1)

[0022] In equation (1), the relative transmission gain (RTG) with index “k” can be expressed as the parameters of RTGk and the load impedance. The relationship function. Similarly, the relative transmission gain with index "j" can be expressed as the parameters of RTGj and the load impedance. The relational function.

[0023] Several load impedances obtained at several corresponding receiving frequencies This is referred to as the "second load impedance". On the other hand, at several corresponding transmit frequencies, several load impedances are obtained based on characteristic data (e.g., S-parameters) and the impedance of the FBRX 43. This is referred to as the "first load impedance". Then, a set of load impedances at the transmission frequency is obtained. and load impedance at the receiving frequency Mapping data between them.

[0024] An entry in the mapping data set might be the load impedance. and corresponding load impedance The offset or gain value between them. For example, load impedance. It can be added to the offset value OF to form the corresponding load impedance. As shown in equation (2-1):

[0025] eq. (2-1)

[0026] Or, load impedance It can be multiplied by the gain value G to form the corresponding load impedance. As shown in equation (2-2):

[0027] eq. (2-2)

[0028] Mapped data set represents load impedance and load impedance The mapping relationships between them correspond to the various configurations of the IMT 200 and the various operating conditions of the antenna device 1000.

[0029] Following the characterization phase of the adjustment method, the antenna device 1000 performs an adjustment phase, in which the codeword settings of the IMT 200 are adjusted to correspond to the current configuration of the IMT 200. During the adjustment phase, the impedance of the FBRX 43 of the RF transceiver 400 is first measured, corresponding to the current configuration of the IMT 200 and the operating conditions of the antenna device 1000.

[0030] In addition, estimate the load impedance at each transmission frequency. This load impedance corresponds to the current configuration of the IMT 200 and the operating conditions of the antenna device 1000. For example, the load impedance... Estimates can be made based on the impedance of the FBRX 43 (i.e., the impedance of the FBRX 43 was measured early in the adjustment phase) and the characterization data (i.e., the characterization data, including, for example, S-parameters, was obtained in the characterization phase).

[0031] Furthermore, given the estimated load impedance as described above... The load impedance at each receiving frequency can be obtained from the mapping dataset. This load impedance corresponds to the current configuration of the IMT 200 and the operating conditions of the antenna device 1000. That is, for the current configuration of the IMT 200 and the operating conditions of the antenna device 1000, the load impedance... Load impedance can be obtained by mapping. Based on the mapped dataset (where the mapped data was obtained in the characterization stage). For example, according to equation (2-1), the load impedance... The load impedance can be obtained by adding the offset value OF. Alternatively, according to equation (2-2), the load impedance It can be multiplied by the gain value G to obtain the load impedance. .

[0032] Given the estimated load impedance as described above and mapped load impedance The codeword settings for the IMT 200, corresponding to the current configuration of the IMT 200 and the operating conditions of the antenna device 1000, can be based on the load impedance. and impedance Adjustments were made based on a combination of factors, including load impedance. and impedance All of these factors are taken into account, so when adjusting the codeword settings of IMT 200, the performance degradation caused by the receiving components sharing the same antenna can be analyzed fairly.

[0033] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the impedance matching tuner (IMT) 200 configured based on transmit (Tx) and receive (Rx) conditions. Referring to Figure 3, the codeword settings of the IMT 200 are based on the current configuration of the IMT 200 and the operating conditions of the antenna device 1000, taking into account the load impedance. and impedance Adjustments are made. The relative transmission gain RTG0 of IMT 200 is set based on a comprehensive consideration of the relative transmission gain RTGTX of the transmit frequency and the relative transmission gain RTGRX of the receive frequency. For example, the relative transmission gain RTG0 of IMT 200 is set as a weighted sum of the relative transmission gain RTGTX and the relative transmission gain RTGRX, weighted by weighting factors α and β, respectively, as shown in equation (3):

[0034] eq. (3)

[0035] In other examples, the relative transmission gain RTGTX and relative transmission gain RTGRX may be multidimensional vectors. Accordingly, the weighting factors α and β in equation (3) are expanded into a first weighted vector and a second weighted vector, in the form of weighted vectors, the relative transmission gain RTGTX and relative transmission gain RTGRX.

[0036] Figures 4A and 4B are flowcharts illustrating the IMT 200 setup in a tuning method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 4A, the steps of the characterization phase of the tuning method are described. First, step S400 is performed: characterizing the performance data of the antenna 100, IMT 200, and radio frequency front-end (RFFE) 300 for each configuration of the IMT 200 and each operating condition of the antenna device 1000. Then, step S402 is performed: characterizing the feature data of the antenna 100, IMT 200, RFFE 300, and feedback receiver (FBRX) 43 of the radio frequency transceiver 400 for each configuration of the IMT 200 and each operating condition of the antenna device 1000.

[0037] Next, step S404 is executed: the load impedance for each transmission frequency is estimated based on the characterization data. Then, step S406 is performed: the load impedance for each receiving frequency is estimated based on the performance data and characterization data. Next, step S408 is executed: obtain the load impedance. and corresponding load impedance The mapping data set between them.

[0038] Next, referring to Figure 4B, the steps of the tuning phase of the tuning method are explained. First, step S410 is performed: the impedance of the feedback receiver 43 of the RF transceiver 400 is measured, corresponding to the current configuration of the IMT 200 and the operating conditions of the antenna device 1000. Then, step S412 is performed: the load impedance for each transmit frequency is estimated. This corresponds to the current configuration of IMT 200 and the operating conditions of antenna device 1000.

[0039] Next, step S414 is executed: Based on the current configuration of the IMT 200 and the operating conditions of the antenna device 1000, the load impedance is determined according to the mapping data set (the mapping data is obtained in step S408 of Figure 4A). Mapping to obtain load impedance Then, step S416 is executed: the codeword setting of the IMT 200, corresponding to the current configuration of the IMT 200 and the operating conditions of the antenna device 1000, possibly based on the load impedance. and impedance Adjustments were made based on comprehensive considerations.

[0040] Based on the various examples provided above, the tuning method disclosed herein utilizes runtime load impedance measurements to determine the settings of the IMT 200. The load impedance is obtained during the characterization phase. and impedance The mapping data between them. Then, during the tuning phase, the impedance of the IMT 200 at its current configuration is obtained based on the mapping data. Subsequently, when adjusting the codeword settings of the IMT 200 in the current configuration, the load impedance of the IMT 200 in the current configuration should be taken into account. and impedance Therefore, it is possible to fairly analyze the performance degradation caused by receiver elements sharing the same antenna.

[0041] Those skilled in the art will readily recognize that various modifications and variations can be made to the disclosed embodiments. The specifications and examples are for illustrative purposes only, and the true scope of the disclosure is indicated by the following claims and their equivalents.

[0042] 1000: Antenna device 100: Antenna 200: Impedance Matching Tuner 300: Radio Frequency Front End 400: Radio Frequency Transceiver 31: Antenna Network 32: Coupler 33: Duplexer 34: Power Amplifier 35: Low-noise amplifier 41: Launching Unit 42: Receiving Unit 43: Feedback Receiver S400~S416: Steps

Claims

1. A method for adjusting an antenna device, wherein the antenna device includes an antenna, an impedance matching tuner (IMT), and a radio frequency front-end (RFFE), and the antenna device is coupled to a radio frequency transmitter / receiver (RF transceiver), the antenna is coupled to the RF front-end through the impedance matching tuner, and the RF front-end is coupled to the RF transceiver, the adjustment method comprising: In the characterization phase, the antenna device is characterized to obtain a set of mapping data, which is a mapping between a first load impedance group and a second load impedance group of the antenna device. This mapping is related to multiple configurations of the impedance matching tuner and multiple operating conditions of the antenna device, wherein the first load impedance corresponds to a set of transmit (TX) frequencies and the second load impedance corresponds to a set of receive (RX) frequencies. In the adjustment phase, the first load impedance is estimated under the current configuration of the impedance matching tuner; the first load impedance is mapped with the mapping data to obtain the second load impedance under the current configuration of the impedance matching tuner; and the impedance matching tuner is adjusted under the current configuration of the impedance matching tuner based on each first load impedance corresponding to the transmit frequency and each second load impedance corresponding to the receive frequency, and a set of codewords for the impedance matching tuner is set based on the first load impedance and the second load impedance under the current configuration of the impedance matching tuner.

2. The adjustment method as described in claim 1, wherein an entry in the mapping dataset is an offset value corresponding to one in the first load impedance group and one in the second load impedance group.

3. The adjustment method as described in claim 1, wherein an entry in the mapping dataset is a gain value of one of the first load impedance groups relative to one of the second load impedance groups.

4. The adjustment method as described in claim 1, wherein the operating conditions of the antenna device include at least free space conditions and interference conditions.

5. The adjustment method as described in claim 1, wherein in the characterization stage, the step of characterizing the antenna device includes: The performance data of the antenna, the impedance matching tuner, and the RF front end are characterized under each configuration of the impedance matching tuner and under each operating condition of the antenna device; the feedback receiver (FBRX) of the impedance matching tuner, the RF front end, and the RF transceiver is characterized to obtain the characteristic data.

6. The adjustment method as described in claim 5, wherein the step of characterizing the antenna device further comprises: The first load impedance is estimated based on the characteristic data under each configuration of the impedance matching tuner and each operating condition of the antenna device. The second load impedance is estimated based on the characterization data and the performance data under each configuration of the impedance matching tuner and each operating condition of the antenna device.

7. The adjustment method as described in claim 6, wherein the second load impedance is estimated based on a relationship function between at least one of the characteristic data and the performance data.

8. The adjustment method as described in claim 7, wherein the at least one relational function is related to a reference configuration and the current configuration of the impedance matching tuner under the same operating conditions.

9. The adjustment method as described in claim 5, wherein the characterization data includes a set of S-parameters of the impedance matching tuner, the RF front end, and the feedback receiver, wherein the S-parameters include parameters of S21 and S22.

10. The adjustment method as described in claim 5, wherein the performance data includes a set of indicators of the antenna's transmit and receive performance.

11. The adjustment method as described in claim 10, wherein the receiver performance metric includes the reference signal received power (RSRP).

12. The adjustment method as described in claim 1, wherein in the adjustment stage, prior to the step of estimating the first load impedance, it further comprises: Measure the first impedance of a set of feedback receivers (FBRX) corresponding to the transmit frequency.

13. The tuning method as described in claim 12, wherein the antenna device is coupled to a radio frequency transmitter / receiver (RF transceiver) comprising a feedback receiver and a transmitting unit, and the tuning method further comprises: The transmitting unit provides a positive signal and a negative signal via a first path and a second path, respectively. The system also uses the feedback receiver to receive the positive signal and the negative signal, wherein the first path starts from the transmitting unit, passes through the coupler and returns to the feedback receiver, and the second path starts from the transmitting unit, passes through the coupler and the impedance matching tuner and returns to the feedback receiver.

14. The adjustment method as described in claim 13, further comprising: The forward and reverse signals are sampled using the coupler to generate the characterization data.

15. The adjustment method as described in claim 1, wherein the codeword is set based on a first weight vector of a first relative transducer gain (RTG) associated with a first load impedance and a second weight vector of a second relative transducer gain associated with a second load impedance, wherein each of the first weight vector and the second weight vector contains at least one weight value.

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