KR102424395B1 - Antenna tuning device and tuning method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

An antenna tuning apparatus and an antenna tuning method are provided. An antenna tuning method of a wireless communication device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: multi-sampling the transmission signal and a reception signal corresponding to the transmission signal during a measurement period in which a first frequency is allocated to a transmission signal provided to an antenna; calculating parameters for antenna tuning based on the sampling data obtained by the multi-sampling; and tuning the antenna based on the parameter.

Description

Antenna tuning device and tuning method {Antenna tuning device and tuning method thereof}

The technical idea of the present disclosure relates to a wireless communication device, and more particularly, to an antenna tuning device and a tuning method of the antenna tuning device provided in the wireless communication device.

In a wireless communication device, the performance of an antenna affects the transmission efficiency of a wireless signal. The performance of the antenna may change from moment to moment depending on the use environment of a wireless communication device such as a terminal. For example, in the case of a terminal to which a metal case is applied, impedance mismatch of the antenna may occur due to changes in the external environment such as hand-grip, use of USB, connection of earphone jack, etc., and the resonance frequency of the antenna is changed, The efficiency of the output may be reduced. For this reason, the terminal fails to deliver the maximum power, so power consumption increases, and a total radiated power (TRP) is dropped, which may cause a call drop at the cell boundary. Therefore, in order to improve antenna performance, antenna tuning is required to compensate for impedance mismatch and resonant frequency by measuring antenna impedance in real time.

The problem to be solved by the technical idea of the present disclosure is to provide an antenna tuning apparatus and an antenna tuning method that can improve antenna output efficiency by increasing the accuracy of antenna tuning in a communication environment in which the frequency of a signal transmitted through an antenna changes periodically is doing

According to the antenna tuning method of a wireless communication device according to the technical concept of the present disclosure, the step of multi-sampling the transmission signal and the reception signal corresponding to the transmission signal during a measurement period in which a first frequency is allocated to the transmission signal provided to the antenna ; calculating parameters for antenna tuning based on the sampling data obtained by the multi-sampling; and tuning the antenna based on the parameter.

According to a method of operating an antenna tuning apparatus according to the technical spirit of the present disclosure, the method includes: acquiring first sampling data by sampling a forward reception signal corresponding to a transmission signal allocated to a first frequency provided to an antenna; obtaining second sampling data by sampling a reverse reception signal corresponding to a reflection signal of the transmission signal; calculating a reflection coefficient based on the first sampling data and the second sampling data; compensating the reflection coefficient based on a reference frequency; and

The method may include setting a tuning value for compensating for an impedance mismatch of the antenna based on the reflection coefficient.

An antenna tuning apparatus according to the technical idea of the present disclosure multi-samples the transmission signal and a reception signal corresponding to the transmission signal in a measurement period in which a frequency allocated to a transmission signal provided to an antenna is kept constant, and by multi-sampling a tuning control circuit for setting a tuning value based on the obtained sampling data; an RF front-end that modulates the transmission signal based on the frequency and provides a feedback signal corresponding to the transmission signal or a reflected signal output by reflection of the transmission signal by the antenna as the reception signal; and an antenna tuner that adjusts an impedance or a resonance frequency of the antenna according to the tuning value.

According to the antenna tuning apparatus and the antenna tuning method according to the technical concept of the present disclosure, parameters for antenna tuning are measured in a time period in which the frequency of a transmission signal is constant, so that the parameters can accurately reflect the frequency characteristics of the antenna. Accordingly, it is easy to compensate for the frequency of the parameter, and an optimal tuning value can be set based on the parameter that reflects the frequency characteristic.

In order to more fully understand the drawings recited in the Detailed Description of the present disclosure, a brief description of each drawing is provided.
1 is a block diagram illustrating an antenna tuning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
2 is a flowchart illustrating an antenna tuning method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the control circuit of FIG. 1 .
4 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of an antenna tuning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
5 is a flowchart illustrating an impedance tuning method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
6 illustrates an example of multiple sampling according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining signals transmitted through the bidirectional coupler of FIG. 4 .
8A is a graph showing an ideal reflection coefficient of a load impedance applied to an antenna.
8B is a graph showing a pseudo reflection coefficient corresponding to each of the ideal reflection coefficients.
9 is a graph illustrating a change in a pseudo-reflection coefficient according to a frequency.
10 is a flowchart illustrating a method of compensating a phase of a reflection coefficient according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
11A is a graph illustrating a result of compensating a phase difference by a residual delay offset.
11B is a graph illustrating a result of compensating a phase difference according to a frequency characteristic of an antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
12 is a flowchart illustrating a method of compensating for a phase difference according to frequency characteristics of an antenna based on a frequency offset between a representative frequency and a carrier frequency.
13 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of an antenna tuning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
14 is a graph illustrating a change in VSWR according to an aperture tuner setting value.
15 is a flowchart illustrating an aperture tuning method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
16 illustrates an example of multiple sampling according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
17 shows an antenna including an impedance tuner and an aperture tuner.
18 illustrates an example of multiple sampling according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
19 shows an implementation of a multi-sampling module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
20 is a block diagram illustrating an antenna tuning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
21 shows a block diagram of a wireless communication device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a block diagram illustrating an antenna tuning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

The antenna tuning apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be mounted on a wireless communication device. The wireless communication device may include a mobile electronic device such as a smart phone, a tablet PC (Personal Computer), a mobile medical device, a camera, or a wearable device. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the wireless communication device may include various electronic devices operating in an environment in which the impedance and/or resonant frequency of an antenna used for wireless communication change.

Referring to FIG. 1 , the antenna tuning apparatus 10 may include a control circuit 100 , an RF front-end 200 , and an antenna tuner 300 .

The antenna tuner 300 may dynamically adjust the internal impedance according to the control of the control circuit 100 in order to minimize the signal reflected from the antenna ANT. In an embodiment, the antenna tuner 300 may include an impedance tuner (or referred to as an impedance matching circuit) and/or an aperture tuner. The aperture tuner may be formed as a part of the antenna ANT. In an embodiment, an impedance tuner may also be included in the antenna ANT.

The RF front-end 200 may include an RF modulator 210 , a power amplifier 220 , and a directional coupler 230 . The RF front-end 200 may further include other components (eg, filters, phase shifters, duplexers, etc.). The RF modulator 210 may up-convert the frequency of the transmission signal S to generate the RF transmission signal RFin. The power amplifier 220 may amplify the power of the RF transmission signal RFin. The directional coupler 230 may provide the power amplified RF transmission signal RFin to the antenna ANT through the antenna tuner 300 . Also, the directional coupler 230 may provide a feedback signal of the RF transmission signal RFin to the RF modulator 210 . For example, a reflected signal from the antenna ANT or a return signal of the RF transmission signal RFin may be provided to the RF modulator 210 . The RF modulator 210 down-converts a frequency of a signal received from the directional coupler 230 to generate a received signal R, and provides the received signal R to the control circuit 100 . have.

The control circuit 100 is configured to tune the antenna ANT, eg, impedance matching and/or resonant frequency adjustment, based on the transmission signal S provided to the antenna ANT and the reception signal R corresponding to the transmission signal S. A tuning control signal TCS may be generated for , and the tuning control signal TCS may be provided to the antenna tuner 300 . The reception signal R is a feedback signal corresponding to the transmission signal S, and may be one of a forward signal and a reverse signal of the transmission signal S.

The forward signal is a return signal of the transmission signal S, which is returned from a path through which the transmission signal S is transmitted to the antenna ANT, and the reverse signal is a reflection output from the transmission signal S reflected from the antenna ANT. It could be a signal. As described above, the reception signal R may include a signal in which the frequency of the feedback signal of the RF transmission signal RFin is down-converted. The transmit signal S and the receive signal R may be baseband signals.

Meanwhile, when antenna ANT tuning is required or periodically, the control circuit 100 may measure parameters related to antenna ANT tuning in real time. The control circuit 100 may calculate a parameter related to the antenna ANT by multi-sampling the transmission signal S and the reception signal R within a predetermined measurement interval (time interval). To this end, the control circuit 100 may include a multi-sampling module 110 .

The multi-sampling module 110 may multi-sample the transmission signal S and the reception signal R within the measurement period. In this case, a frequency-upconverted transmission signal RFin, that is, an interval in which the RF transmission signal RFin maintains the same frequency may be set as the measurement interval. For example, when the antenna tuning device 10 is mounted on an electronic device that communicates through LTE ^TM (Long Term Evolution) or 3G ( ^3rd Generation) scheme, one slot may correspond to a tuning section. have.

The control circuit 100 calculates a parameter such as a pseudo reflection coefficient or a voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) based on data obtained by multiple sampling, and sets a tuning value or generates a tuning control signal (TCS) based on this. can do. In this case, the pseudo-reflection coefficient is an approximate value to the reflection coefficient. In the present disclosure, the pseudo-reflection coefficient may be used interchangeably with the reflection coefficient or the measured reflection coefficient.

On the other hand, parameters related to the antenna (ANT), such as a reflection coefficient or voltage standing wave rate (VSWR), change in magnitude and phase according to frequency. At this time, the frequency of the parameter means the frequency of the RF transmission signal (RFin) that is the basis of parameter calculation. Hereinafter, the frequency related to one configuration described in the present disclosure means the frequency of the RF transmission signal (RFin) related to the configuration do. When the parameters are calculated based on data sampled at different frequencies, it is difficult for the calculated parameters to accurately reflect the frequency characteristics of the antenna ANT.

In a communication method using a multi-carrier frequency such as orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), a frequency to which data is allocated, that is, a frequency of an RF transmission signal RFin, may change with time. For example, a subcarrier frequency allocated to a transmission signal may change with time. Accordingly, since magnitudes and phases of measured parameters may have a deviation according to frequency, the parameters may be compensated based on a representative frequency (or referred to as a reference frequency).

However, when the parameter is calculated based on data sampled at different frequencies, the parameter does not accurately reflect the frequency characteristic of the antenna ANT, so it is difficult to compensate for the parameter. Furthermore, when a parameter calculated at one frequency is compared with a parameter calculated at another frequency, an erroneous tuning value may be set due to different frequency conditions, which may result in degradation of the performance of the antenna ANT.

Therefore, the control circuit 100 of the antenna tuning apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure multi-samples the transmission signal S and the reception signal R within the measurement period in which the frequency is maintained, and by multi-sampling By calculating the parameter based on the obtained sampling data, the parameter can accurately reflect the frequency characteristic of the antenna ANT. Accordingly, the antenna tuning apparatus 10 can easily perform parameter compensation. In addition, even when a plurality of parameter values are generated based on data obtained by multi-sampling and a tuning value is found through comparison between the plurality of parameter values, the antenna tuning apparatus 10 generates a plurality of parameter values generated at the same frequency. By comparing , an optimal tuning value can be found.

2 is a flowchart illustrating an antenna tuning method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The antenna tuning method of FIG. 2 may be performed in a wireless communication device, for example, an antenna tuning apparatus of a mobile terminal (eg, 10 in FIG. 1 ).

Referring to FIG. 2 , the antenna tuning apparatus may set a configuration for multi-sampling ( S100 ). The antenna tuning apparatus may set operation timings of components in the antenna tuning apparatus for multi-sampling. For example, the sampling start time, the sampling period, the timing of the RF front-end 200 components, etc. may be set.

The antenna tuning apparatus may perform multiple sampling during a measurement period in which a frequency of a transmission signal is constant according to a set configuration (S100). The antenna tuning apparatus may acquire and store data for antenna tuning by sampling the transmission signal and the reception signal a plurality of times during the measurement period. In this case, the measurement period is a period in which the frequency assigned to the transmission signal, that is, the frequency of the frequency-modulated transmission signal (eg, RFin of FIG. 1 ) is constant. At least two samplings may be performed during the measurement period.

The antenna tuning apparatus may calculate a parameter for antenna tuning based on data obtained by multi-sampling (S130). For example, parameters such as reflection coefficient, VSWR, etc. can be calculated.

The antenna tuning apparatus may set a tuning value based on the calculated parameter (S140). In an embodiment, the antenna tuning apparatus may set a tuning value by referring to a look-up table including a tuning value corresponding to each of a plurality of parameter values, based on the calculated parameter. In another embodiment, the antenna tuning apparatus may derive a lowest parameter value based on a plurality of parameter values and set a tuning value corresponding to the lowest parameter value.

The antenna tuning apparatus may apply a tuning value to the antenna tuner (300 of FIG. 1 ) ( S150 ). The antenna tuning apparatus may generate a tuning control signal (TCS) corresponding to the tuning value and provide it to the antenna tuner 300 . Accordingly, by adjusting the internal impedance of the antenna tuner 300, the antenna may be tuned.

3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the control circuit of FIG. 1 .

Referring to FIG. 3 , the control circuit 100 may include a multi-sampling module 110 , a parameter calculation module 120 , a tuning value setting module 130 , a transmitter 140 , and a receiver 150 . In an embodiment, the control circuit 100a may be implemented as part of a modem.

The transmitter 140 may include an encoder 141 , a transmit filter 142 , and a digital-to-analog converter 143 . The encoder 141 may output encoded data by encoding the received data according to a set encoding method. The encoded data may be filtered based on a specific frequency band through the transmission filter 142 and output as transmission data S _D (or referred to as digital transmission data). The digital-to-analog converter 143 may convert the transmission data S _D into an analog signal and output it as the transmission signal S.

The receiver 150 may include a decoder 151 , a reception filter 152 , and an analog-to-digital converter 153 . The analog-to-digital converter 153 may convert the received signal R into an analog signal and output the received data R _D (or referred to as a digital received signal). The received data R _D may be filtered and output based on a specific frequency band through the reception filter 152 . The decoder 151 may decode the reception signal output through the reception filter 152 , that is, the digital reception signal according to a set decoding method, and output decoded data.

The multi-sampling module 110 may receive and store the transmitted data S _D from the transmitter 140 a plurality of times within the measurement period, and may receive and store the received data R _D a plurality of times from the receiver 150 . Accordingly, the multi-sampling module 110 may multi-sample the transmission signal S and the reception signal R within the measurement period, and obtain data according to the multi-sampling.

The parameter calculation module 120 may calculate a parameter for antenna tuning based on data obtained according to multiple sampling. In an embodiment, the parameter calculation module 120 may compensate for the phase and/or magnitude of the calculated parameter.

The tuning value setting module 130 may set a tuning value based on the calculated parameter and output a tuning control signal TCS according to the set tuning value. In an embodiment, the tuning value setting module 130 may include a look-up table including tuning values corresponding to a plurality of parameter values.

Meanwhile, at least one of the multi-sampling module 110 , the parameter calculation module 120 , and the tuning value setting module 130 may be implemented as hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. In an embodiment, the parameter calculation module 120 and the tuning value setting module 130 are implemented as program codes, are mounted in a memory, and are executed by a processor (eg, a microprocessor of a modem, an application processor of an electronic device, etc.) can be executed

4 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of an antenna tuning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The antenna tuning apparatus 10a of FIG. 4 may tune the antenna by compensating for the impedance mismatch of the antenna based on the reflection coefficient.

Referring to FIG. 4 , the antenna tuning apparatus 10a may include a control circuit 100a, an RF front-end 200a, and an impedance tuner 300a.

The impedance tuner 300a may include elements such as a capacitor and an inductor, and the capacitor may have a variable capacity according to an applied voltage. By changing the voltage provided to the impedance tuner 300a based on the impedance control signal ICS, at least one of a magnitude and a phase of the impedance may be changed.

The RF front-end 200a may include an RF modulator 210a, a power amplifier 220a, a bidirectional coupler 230a, and a switch 240a. The configuration of the RF front-end 200a is similar to that of the RF front-end 200 of FIG. 1, except that the RF front-end 200a is a directional coupler and may include a bidirectional coupler 230a, A switch 240 may be further included.

The bidirectional coupler 230a may be connected between the power amplifier 220a and the impedance tuner 300a to output a signal provided to the antenna ANT or a signal received from the antenna ANT. The bidirectional coupler 230a may output a received signal through a port according to direction setting. For example, the bidirectional coupler 230a may output a signal input through the first port P1 as a forward reception signal through the third port P3 according to the forward direction setting. In addition, the bidirectional coupler 230a may output a signal reflected from the antenna ANT as a reverse reception signal through the fourth port P4 according to a reverse direction setting. The direction of the bidirectional coupler 230a may be set according to a coupler setting signal CSS provided from the control circuit 100a.

The switch 240 may provide signals output through the third port P3 and the fourth port P4 of the bidirectional coupler 230a, for example, a forward reception signal and a reverse reception signal to the RF modulator 210a. In an embodiment, the switch 240a may alternately provide a forward reception signal and a reverse reception signal to the RF modulator 210a according to the switch signal SWS. The switch signal SWS may be provided from the control circuit 100a and may be synchronized with the coupler setting signal CSS.

The RF modulator 210a may down-convert the forward reception signal and the reverse reception signal provided through the switch 240a and provide it to the control circuit 100a. The operations of the RF modulator 210a and the power amplifier 220a have been described with reference to FIG. 1 , and overlapping descriptions will be omitted.

The control circuit 100a may include a multi-sampling module 110a, a parameter calculation module 120a, a tuning value setting module 130a, and a look-up table 160a. In addition, the antenna tuning apparatus 10a may further include other components (eg, the transmitter 140 and the receiver 150 of FIG. 3 ). The configuration and operation of the control circuit 100a are similar to those of the control circuit 100 of FIG. 3 , and the contents described with reference to FIG. 3 may also be applied to the control circuit 100a of the present embodiment.

The multi-sampling module 110a transmits the transmit signal S and the receive signal R at least twice in a measurement period in which the frequency to which the transmit signal S is assigned is constant, that is, in a period in which the frequency of the RF transmit signal RFin is constant. can be sampled individually.

For example, the multi-sampling module 110a controls the bidirectional coupler 230a so that the direction setting of the bidirectional coupler is changed at least once within the measurement period. The multi-sampling module 110a may sample the transmission signal S and the reception signal R when the bidirectional coupler 230a is set in the forward direction. This may be referred to as first sampling. Thereafter, the multi-sampling module 110a may sample the transmission signal S and the reception signal R when the bidirectional coupler 230a is set in the reverse direction. This may be referred to as second sampling. Accordingly, the multi-sampling module 110a may perform sampling at least twice within the measurement period.

The parameter calculation module 120a may calculate a reflection coefficient based on data obtained through at least two samplings. The parameter calculation module 120a may calculate a reflection coefficient through a correlation operation between the transmission signal S and the reception signal R.

Also, the parameter calculation module 120a may compensate for the magnitude and/or phase of the calculated reflection coefficient based on the representative frequency. As described above, the frequency to which the transmission signal S is allocated may be continuously changed according to the communication method, and the magnitude and phase of the reflection coefficient may be changed according to the frequency. Accordingly, the calculated reflection coefficient may be compensated based on the representative frequency, for example, the frequency of the look-up table 160a.

The tuning value setting module 130a may set a tuning value based on the reflection coefficient provided from the parameter calculating module 120a and generate an impedance control signal ICS according to the tuning value. The tuning value setting module 130a may set the tuning value by referring to the look-up table based on the reflection coefficient.

The look-up table 160a may include tuning values corresponding to various values of reflection coefficients, that is, impedance tuning values. The tuning value may be a setting value for adjusting the impedance setting of the antenna ANT so that the reflection coefficient has the maximum matching state of the reflection coefficient based on the corresponding reflection coefficient value. Tuning values corresponding to values of reflection coefficients measured according to various conditions of impedance at a representative frequency may be calculated in advance and stored in the look-up table 160a. In this case, the representative frequency may be a center frequency of a frequency section in which the impedance tuning value is relatively constant.

The tuning value setting module 130a may search the look-up table 160a based on the reflection coefficient. The tuning value setting module 130a may set the tuning value by selecting a tuning value corresponding to the reflection coefficient from the look-up table 160a.

5 is a flowchart illustrating an impedance tuning method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The impedance tuning method of FIG. 5 may be performed by the antenna tuning apparatus 10a of FIG. 4 , and the contents described with reference to FIG. 4 may be applied to the impedance tuning method of FIG. 5 .

5 and 4 , the control circuit 100a may set a configuration for multiple sampling ( S200 ). The control circuit 100a may set operation timings of components in the antenna tuning apparatus 10a so that multiple sampling can be performed. For example, at least two sampling start time points, a sampling period, a switch signal SWS, and a value change time point of the coupler setting signal CSS may be set.

The multi-sampling module 110a may perform sampling at least twice during a measurement period in which a frequency is constant according to a set configuration (S210 and S220). The transmission signal S may include a first transmission signal and a second transmission signal sequentially provided to the antenna ANT during the measurement period. The multi-sampling module 110a may perform the first sampling by sampling the first transmission signal and the first reception signal corresponding to the feedback signal of the first transmission signal, for example, the forward reception signal ( S210 ). The first sampling data including the sampling data of the first transmission signal and the sampling data of the forward reception signal may be obtained through the first sampling.

The multi-sampling module 110a may perform the second sampling by sampling the second transmission signal and the second reception signal corresponding to the reflected signal that is reflected by the antenna and output from the second transmission signal, for example, the reverse reception signal (S220). ). Second sampling data including the sampling data of the second transmission signal and the sampling data of the forward reception signal may be obtained by the second sampling.

Although FIG. 5 illustrates that the reverse reception signal is sampled after sampling the forward reception signal, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the forward reception signal may be sampled after sampling the reverse reception signal. In other words, step S220 may be performed before step S210.

The parameter calculation module 120a may calculate a reflection coefficient based on the first sampling data and the second sampling data obtained by the first sampling and the second sampling ( S230 ). Each of the first sampling data and the second sampling data may include sampling data of a transmission signal and a reception signal.

The parameter calculation module 120a may also compensate for the reflection coefficient (S240). The parameter calculation module 120a may compensate for the reflection coefficient based on a frequency difference between the frequency of the transmission signal and the frequency of the look-up table 160a, that is, the representative frequency.

The tuning value setting module 130a may set a tuning value corresponding to the compensated reflection coefficient based on the look-up table 160a (S250) and apply the tuning value to the impedance tuner 300a (S260). ). The tuning value setting module 130a may generate an impedance control signal ICS corresponding to the tuning value and provide the impedance control signal ICS to the impedance tuner 300a. The impedance tuner 300a may compensate for the impedance mismatch by changing the internal capacitance or inductance based on the impedance control signal ICS.

6 illustrates an example of multiple sampling according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The multi-sampling of FIG. 6 may be performed by the antenna tuning apparatus 10a of FIG. 4 .

6 and 4 , sampling may be performed at least twice during a measurement period, for example, a first period T1. Although it is illustrated in FIG. 6 that two samplings, for example, the first sampling SAMP1 and the second sampling SAMP2 are performed, the present invention is not limited thereto, and an even number of samplings may be performed during the measurement period T1. In the first period T1, the frequency RFin(f) of the modulated transmission signal is the same, and may be set to, for example, the first frequency f1. Thereafter, in the second period T2 , the frequency RFin(f) of the modulated transmission signal may be set as the second frequency f2. The first period T1 may correspond to, for example, one slot.

Configurations for multiple sampling before the start of the first period T1 may be set. A sampling delay time (eg, Tx_S1, Rx_S1, Tx_S2, Rx_S2), a sampling length (eg, Tx_L1, Rx_L1, Tx_L2, Rx_L2), a direction change time of the directional coupler 230a may be set for the transmission signal and the reception signal. In an embodiment, values for the configurations are stored in a register, and when performing antenna tuning, the configurations may be set according to the register values.

When the triggering signal is applied, the transmission signal S and the reception signal R may be sampled according to set configurations. Initially, the directional coupler 230a is set in the forward direction, and when the first sampling SAMP1 is performed, the first transmission signal and the forward reception signal may be sampled. Thereafter, the directional coupler 230a is changed to the reverse direction, and when the second sampling SAMP2 is performed, the second transmission signal and the reverse reception signal may be sampled. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the directional coupler 230a may be set in the reverse direction when the first sampling SAMP1 is performed, and then the directional coupler 230a may be set in the forward direction when the second sampling SAMP2 is performed. . The difference (d1) of the sampling delay time between the transmission signal and the reception signal when the first sampling (SAMP1) is performed and the difference (d2) of the sampling delay time between the transmission signal and the reception signal when the second sampling (SAMP2) is performed are the same Or it may be set differently.

Hereinafter, the above-described parameter calculation method and parameter compensation method will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 7 to 11B .

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining signals transmitted through the bidirectional coupler of FIG. 4 .

Referring to FIG. 7 , the bidirectional coupler 230a may include a 4-port network, and may include first to fourth ports P1 to P4. b1 to b4 are output signals output through respective ports, and a1 and a2 indicate input signals input to the first port P1 and the second port P2, respectively.

An impedance tuner 300a may be connected to the second port P2 . The RF transmission signal may be received through the first port P1 , and the RF transmission signal may be output to the impedance tuner 300a through the second port P2 . A feedback signal of the RF transmission signal may be output as a forward reception signal Rfwd through the third port P3, and a reflected signal of the RF transmission signal may be output as a reverse reception signal Rrev through the fourth port P3. have.

A 4-port network can be expressed as in Equation (1) when expressed as an S parameter.

는 안테나의 반사 계수이다. At this time,

is the reflection coefficient of the antenna.

,

이고, 양방향성 커플러(230a)가 대칭적 구조를 갖는다(symmetry)고 가정하면

이므로,

,

는 수식 2와 같이 근사화 될 수 있다.It is assumed that the cross-talk of the bidirectional coupler 230a is small,

,

, and assuming that the bidirectional coupler 230a has a symmetrical structure (symmetry)

Because of,

,

can be approximated as in Equation 2.

는 수학식 3으로 근사화될 수 있다. Therefore, the reflection coefficient

can be approximated by Equation (3).

를 구할 수 있으며, 수학식 4로 나타낼 수 있다. from Equation 3

can be obtained, and can be expressed by Equation (4).

이 일정하므로, 수학식 4를 기초로 반사 계수

의 추정이 가능하다.

는 유사 반사 계수이다. 유사 반사 계수는 다중 샘플링에 따라 획득된 데이터를 기초로 산출될 수 있다. 수학식 5와 같이, 송신 신호(S)와 수신 신호(R)의 상관 연산의 최대값의 비에 따라 산출될 수 있다. If the carrier frequencies are the same,

is constant, so the reflection coefficient based on Equation 4

can be estimated.

is the pseudo-reflection coefficient. The pseudo-reflection coefficient may be calculated based on data obtained according to multiple sampling. As in Equation 5, it can be calculated according to the ratio of the maximum value of the correlation operation between the transmission signal S and the reception signal R.

In this case, P _fwd , _Prev is the power of the transmission signal S when the bidirectional coupler 230a is set in the forward and reverse directions, respectively. S _fwd , S _rev represents the transmission signal S when the bidirectional coupler 230a is set in the forward and reverse directions, respectively, and R _fwd and S _rev represents a forward reception signal and a reverse reception signal, respectively. The correlation operation may be defined as in Equation 6, and will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

와

는 각각 양방향성 커플러(230a)가 각각 포워드, 리버스 방향으로 설정되었을 때의, 송신 신호(S)에 할당된 주파수, 다시 말해 부반송 주파수와 반송 주파수 사이의 오프셋이다.

와

는 양방향성 커플러(230a)가 각각 포워드, 리버스 방향으로 설정되었을 때의 송신 신호(S)와 수신 신호(S) 간의 잔류 지연 오프셋(residual delay offset)이며, 최대 상관(correlation)을 가지는 지연 값(

,

)에서의 오프셋을 나타낸다. 잔류 지연 오프셋은 하드웨어의 기생 성분에 기인하여 발생할 수 있다.

Wow

are the frequencies assigned to the transmission signal S, that is, the offset between the subcarrier frequency and the carrier frequency, respectively, when the bidirectional coupler 230a is set in the forward and reverse directions, respectively.

Wow

is a residual delay offset between the transmission signal S and the reception signal S when the bidirectional coupler 230a is set in the forward and reverse directions, respectively, and the delay value having the maximum correlation (

,

) is the offset in Residual delay offset may occur due to parasitic components of hardware.

8A is a graph illustrating an ideal reflection coefficient of a load impedance applied to an antenna, and FIG. 8B is a graph illustrating similar reflection coefficients corresponding to each of the ideal reflection coefficients. 8a and 8b show the ideal reflection coefficients and pseudo reflection coefficients on the complex plane.

8A shows an ideal reflection coefficient under a condition in which parasitic components of hardware of the antenna tuning device (10a of FIG. 4) are not considered. Therefore, the ideal reflection coefficient may be equal to the magnitude and phase of the load impedance.

Referring to FIG. 8B , the pseudo-reflection coefficient exhibits a distribution similar to that of the ideal reflection coefficient of FIG. 8A . Therefore, the pseudo-reflection coefficient may be referred to as a reflection coefficient or a measured reflection coefficient. However, the pseudo reflection coefficient is a value measured while the load impedance of the antenna is changed in the manufacturing stage or initial setting stage of the antenna tuning device 10a ( 10a in FIG. 4 ), and is a value measured by the hardware of the antenna tuning device 10a reflect parasitic components. Accordingly, the magnitude and phase of the pseudo-reflection coefficient are different from the ideal reflection coefficient, and the central point of the pseudo-reflection coefficient may have a value biased with respect to the origin (0,0).

Since the pseudo-reflection coefficient shows a distribution similar to the ideal reflection coefficient, the antenna tuning apparatus 10a pre-stores each pseudo-reflection coefficient and its tuning values in a look-up table ( 160 of FIG. 4 ), and performs antenna tuning. city can use it. The tuning value setting module ( 130a in FIG. 4 ) selects a pseudo reflection coefficient closest to the real-time calculated pseudo reflection coefficient from the look-up table, and compensates for impedance mismatching with a tuning value corresponding to the selected pseudo reflection coefficient It can be set as the optimal tuning value for

However, as described above, the reflection coefficient may vary in magnitude and phase depending on the frequency. Therefore, this impedance mismatch compensation scheme may be performed when the frequency of the real-time calculated pseudo reflection coefficient, that is, the measured reflection coefficient, is the same as the frequency of the reflection coefficients of the look-up table.

9 is a graph illustrating a change in a pseudo-reflection coefficient according to a frequency.

In FIG. 9 , RB offset (Resource Block offset) indicates a relative position on a communication bandwidth of a frequency to which a resource block is allocated. The RB offset is an index indicating a position of each of the divided frequency sections when the communication bandwidth is divided into 100 in the same frequency unit. An RB offset of 50 may be allocated for the carrier frequency. As for the pseudo reflection coefficients shown in FIG. 9, for each RB offset, the magnitude of the reflection coefficient of the load impedance of the antenna is set to 0, 0.4, 0.8, and the phase of the reflection coefficient is set to 0, 90, 180, and 270 degrees. After being set, the measured pseudo reflection coefficients corresponding to the respective ideal reflection coefficients.

Referring to FIG. 9 , when the frequency allocated to the transmission signal TS is located at both edges of the communication bandwidth (when the RB offset is 0 or 99), the similar reflection coefficient is the frequency allocated to the transmission signal TS. It can be seen that the phase is rotated with respect to the pseudo-reflection coefficient in the case of the carrier frequency based on the center point of the pseudo-reflection coefficient.

As such, since the pseudoreflection coefficients change according to frequencies, in order to accurately compare the pseudoreflection coefficients, the pseudoreflection coefficients for all frequencies and their corresponding tuning values should be stored in a look-up table. However, it is impossible to generate and store a look-up table for all frequencies because it requires an excessively large storage space.

Therefore, the antenna tuning apparatus (10a in FIG. 4) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure stores a look-up table (160a in FIG. 4) generated at a representative frequency of a frequency section in which a tuning value is relatively constant, and performs impedance tuning of the antenna. city, you can use it. The parameter calculation module (120a of FIG. 4 ) compensates the reflection coefficient calculated in real time based on the representative frequency, and sets the tuning value by referring to the look-up table 160a based on the compensated reflection coefficient, so that the optimal Tuning values can be found.

On the other hand, when calculating the reflection coefficient, if the forward reception signal Rfwd and the reverse reception signal Rrev are sampled at different frequencies, the calculated reflection coefficient does not accurately reflect the change in the magnitude and phase of the reflection coefficient according to the frequency change. It is difficult to compensate for the reflection coefficient based on the representative frequency. Therefore, the antenna tuning apparatus 10a according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is configured such that the reflection coefficient reflects the change in magnitude and phase according to the frequency offset, and the forward reception signal Rfwd and The reverse reception signal Rrev is sampled.

,

)이 존재할 경우, 주파수 오프셋(

,

)과의 곱만큼, 위상 변화(수학식 5에서 에서 지수항(exponential term) 부분 참조)가 발생한다. 반사 계수는 복소 평면 상의 원점(0,0)을 중심으로 위상 변화만큼 회전할 수 있다. 이를 보상하기 위해서는, 잔류 지연 오프셋(

,

)이 정확하게 측정되어야 하나, 잔류 지연 오프셋(

,

)을 정확하게 측정하는 것은 용이하지 않다. Furthermore, the antenna tuning apparatus 10a according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may compensate a phase error due to a residual delay offset through multiple sampling. Referring to Equation 5, a residual delay offset value (

,

), if present, the frequency offset (

,

), a phase change (refer to the exponential term in Equation 5) occurs. The reflection coefficient can be rotated by a phase change about the origin (0,0) on the complex plane. To compensate for this, the residual delay offset (

,

) must be accurately measured, but the residual delay offset (

,

) is not easy to measure accurately.

과

이 동일하므로, 반사 계수, 즉 유사 반사 계수를 산출하기 위한 수학식 5는 수학식 7로 나타낼 수 있다. However, according to multi-sampling, if the forward receive signal (R _fwd ) and the reverse receive signal (R _rev ) are sampled at the same frequency, the frequency offset

class

Since Equation 5 for calculating the reflection coefficient, that is, the pseudo reflection coefficient, is the same, Equation 7 can be expressed as Equation 7.

,

) 각각을 측정할 필요 없이, 단위 주파수 당 잔류 지연 오프셋 차이를 산출하거나 또는 오프셋 주파수

에 따른 위상 변화 값을 측정하고, 이를 이용하여 잔류 지연 오프셋에 의한 반사 계수의 위상 차이를 보상할 수 있다. 안테나 튜닝 장치(10a)는 단위 주파수 당 잔류 지연 오프셋 차이 또는 위상 변화 값을 미리 저장하고, 반사 계수 보상 시, 이를 기초로 반사 계수의 위상을 보상할 수 있다. Therefore, the antenna tuning device 10a is the residual delay offset (

,

) to calculate the residual delay offset difference per unit frequency or offset frequency without having to measure each

It is possible to measure the phase change value according to , and compensate for the phase difference of the reflection coefficient due to the residual delay offset by using the measurement. The antenna tuning apparatus 10a may store a residual delay offset difference or a phase change value per unit frequency in advance, and compensate the phase of the reflection coefficient based on this when compensating the reflection coefficient.

Phase compensation of the reflection coefficient will be described later in detail with reference to FIGS. 10 to 12 .

10 is a flowchart illustrating a method of compensating a phase of a reflection coefficient according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 10 , the method for compensating the phase of the reflection coefficient includes compensating for a phase difference (or phase error) due to a residual delay offset ( S310 ) and compensating for a phase difference according to a frequency characteristic of an antenna ( S320 ). can do. It means that the phase difference of the reflection coefficients in steps S310 and S320 is due to a frequency offset.

First, compensating for a phase difference due to a residual delay offset ( S310 ) may be performed. The parameter calculating module ( 120a of FIG. 4 ) of the antenna tuning apparatus ( 10a of FIG. 4 ) may calculate a frequency offset Δf1 between the carrier frequency and the frequency allocated to the transmission signal ( S311 ). The parameter calculation module 120a may receive the RB offset information before transmitting the transmission signal, and calculate the frequency offset Δf1 between the frequency to which the transmission signal is allocated and the carrier frequency based on this.

The parameter calculation module 120a may calculate the first phase compensation value CV1 based on the previously measured and stored unit phase compensation value N1 and the frequency offset Δf1 ( S312 ). At this time, the unit phase compensation value N1 is a value obtained by normalizing the phase value in which the center point of the look-up table (160a in FIG. 4) is rotated by Δf1 based on the frequency, and the effect of the residual delay offset is measured. is the value The center point of the look-up table 160a is the reflection coefficient of the maximum impedance matching state at the representative frequency. The parameter calculation module 120a may calculate the product of the unit phase compensation value N1 and the frequency offset Δf1 as the first phase compensation value CV1.

The parameter calculation module 120a may apply the first phase compensation value CV1 to the reflection coefficient based on the origin (S313). The parameter calculation module 120a may compensate for the phase difference due to the residual delay offset by rotating the phase of the reflection coefficient by the first phase compensation value CV1 based on the origin.

According to the above, the phase difference due to the residual delay offset may be compensated. On the other hand, compensation of the phase difference due to the residual delay offset may be performed in a communication method in which a transmission signal is allocated to a specific frequency region of a communication bandwidth, such as LTE, and in a communication method using the entire bandwidth such as 3G, the residual delay offset Compensating for the phase difference by ( S310 ) may be omitted.

Next, compensating for a phase difference according to the frequency characteristic of the antenna ( S320 ) may be performed.

The parameter calculation module 120a may calculate the second phase compensation value CV2 based on the frequency offset Δf1 and the unit phase compensation value N2 ( S321 ). The unit phase compensation value N2 is a value obtained by normalizing a phase value in which the phase of the reflection coefficient is rotated based on the center point of the look-up table 160a by the frequency characteristic of the antenna based on the frequency. The parameter calculation module 120a may calculate the product of the frequency offset Δf1 and the unit phase compensation value N2 as the second phase compensation value CV2.

The parameter calculation module 120a may apply the second phase compensation value CV2 to the reflection coefficient based on the center of the look-up table 160a ( S322 ). The parameter calculation module 120a may compensate for a phase difference according to the frequency characteristic of the antenna by rotating the phase of the reflection coefficient by the second phase compensation value CV2 based on the center point of the look-up table 160a.

11A is a graph illustrating a result of compensating a phase difference by a residual delay offset, and FIG. 11B is a graph illustrating a result of compensating a phase difference according to a frequency characteristic of an antenna. 11A and 11B show a change in the pseudo-reflection coefficient according to the phase compensation under the same conditions as in FIG. 9 . In this case, it is assumed that the look-up table generation frequency is the same as the carrier frequency.

Comparing FIG. 11A with FIG. 9 , when the RB offset is 0 or 99, the pseudo reflection coefficient may be close to the pseudo reflection coefficient having the RB offset 50. However, due to the frequency characteristic of the antenna, the phase error of rotation based on the center point of the look-up table 160a still remains.

Referring to FIG. 11B , according to compensation for a phase change difference according to a frequency characteristic of an antenna, similar reflection coefficients may be gathered into one point regardless of an RB offset.

As such, in order to compensate for the phase difference according to the frequency of the reflection coefficient, the data measured for calculating the reflection coefficient, that is, the sampled data, should be based on the transmission signal of the same frequency. In the case of LTE, the RB offset may be changed for each TTI (Physical Uplink Shared Channel) and PUCCH (Physical Uplink Control Channel) for each slot. Accordingly, when the LTE communication method is applied, the parameter calculation module 120a may perform sampling according to the forward direction setting of the bidirectional coupler 230a and sampling according to the reverse direction setting within one slot.

On the other hand, when the look-up table 160a generation frequency, that is, the representative frequency and the carrier frequency are different, compensation for the frequency offset between the representative frequency and the carrier frequency should be performed in the phase difference compensating step S320 according to the frequency characteristic of the antenna. do. This will be described with reference to FIG. 12 .

12 is a flowchart illustrating a method for compensating for a phase difference according to a frequency characteristic of an antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 12 , the parameter calculating module ( 120a of FIG. 4 ) may calculate a frequency offset Δf2 between the carrier frequency and the look-up table 160a generation frequency ( S323 ). The parameter calculation module 120a may calculate the frequency offset Δf2 based on the frequency difference between the previously measured and stored look-up table 160a generation frequency and the set carrier frequency.

The parameter calculation module 120a may calculate the third phase compensation value CV3 based on the unit phase compensation value N1 and the frequency offset Δf2 ( S324 ). The parameter calculation module 120a may calculate the product of the unit phase compensation value N1 and the frequency offset Δf2 as the third phase compensation value CV3.

The parameter calculation module 120a may apply the third phase compensation value CV3 to the reflection coefficient based on the center point of the look-up table 160a ( S325 ). The parameter calculation module 120a rotates the phase of the reflection coefficient by the third phase compensation value CV3 based on the center point of the look-up table 160a, thereby compensating for the phase difference due to the frequency offset between the representative frequency and the carrier frequency. have.

The phase difference compensation based on the frequency offset between the representative frequency and the carrier frequency may be performed after or before the phase difference compensation based on the frequency offset between the carrier frequency and the frequency of the transmission signal.

13 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of an antenna tuning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The antenna tuning apparatus 10b of FIG. 13 may compensate for the resonance frequency of the antenna by adjusting the aperture tuner of the antenna based on a parameter representing the normalized power of the received signal R, for example, VSWR.

Referring to FIG. 13 , the antenna tuning apparatus 10b may include a control circuit 100b, an RF front-end 200b, and an aperture tuner 300b. The aperture tuner 300b may be included in the antenna ANT as a part of the antenna ANT.

The configuration and operation of the RF front-end 200b of FIG. 13 is similar to that of the front-end 200b of FIG. 4 . However, the bidirectional coupler 230b may be set in a reverse direction, and the switch 240b may provide a reverse reception signal output from the fourth port P4 to the RF modulator 210b. In an embodiment, the reverse coupler is applied instead of the bidirectional coupler 230b and the switch 240b, and may provide a reverse reception signal to the RF modulator 210b. The RF modulator 210b may down-convert the reverse received signal and provide it to the control circuit 100b.

The control circuit 100b may include a multi-sampling module 110b, a parameter calculation module 120b, and a tuning value setting module 130b. In addition, the antenna tuning apparatus 10b may further include other components (eg, the transmitter 140 and the receiver 150 of FIG. 3 ). The configuration and operation of the control circuit 100b are similar to the configuration and operation of the control circuit 100 of FIG. 3 , and the contents described with reference to FIG. 3 may also be applied to the control circuit 100b of the present embodiment.

The multi-sampling module 110b performs the transmission signal S and the reception signal R at least three times in a measurement interval in which the frequency to which the transmission signal S is assigned is constant, that is, in the interval in which the frequency of the RF transmission signal RFin is constant. ) can be sampled. In this case, the reception signal R is a reverse reception signal. The multi-sampling module 110b may change the tuning code TNCD for changing the setting of the aperture tuner 300b, and sample the transmission signal S and the reverse reception signal whenever the tuning code TNCD is changed. .

The parameter calculation module 120b may calculate a plurality of VSWRs, that is, at least three VSWR values, based on data obtained according to at least three sampling times. The parameter calculation module 120b may calculate VSWR based on the power of the transmission signal S and the power of the reception signal R (specifically, the reverse reception signal). The smaller the VSWR, the lower the reflectance of the antenna ANT. Accordingly, the tuning value setting module 130b may compare a plurality of VSWRs to find the lowest value of VSWR, and may set a tuning value corresponding to the lowest VSWR, that is, a tuning code. The aperture tuner 300b may compensate for the resonance frequency of the antenna ANT by changing an internal capacitance based on the received tuning code TNCD.

Since the aperture tuner 300b is included in the antenna ANT, it is not easy to generate a look-up table by arbitrarily setting the reflection coefficient of the antenna ANT. Therefore, the antenna tuning apparatus 10b calculates a plurality of VSWRs while changing the tuning code TNCD for changing the setting of the aperture tuner 300b for tuning the antenna ANT, and compares the plurality of VSWRs. You can set the tuning code corresponding to the lowest VSWR.

In FIG. 13 , VSWR has been described as an example as a parameter representing the power of the received signal R, but this is only an example, and another type of parameter representing the normalized power of the received signal R is calculated, based on this The aperture tuner 300b may be controlled.

14 is a graph illustrating a change in VSWR according to an aperture tuner setting value.

Referring to FIG. 14 , between a plurality of VSWRs having the same RB offset and calculated at the same frequency, the VSWR variation tendency according to the tuning code, that is, the aperture tuner 300b setting value, is shown. Based on the VSWR variation tendency, the lowest VSWR and You can find the corresponding tuning code. Since it is difficult to find the tendency of VSWR change when the measurement frequency is different due to different RB offsets, it is not easy to find the lowest VSWR. Therefore, the antenna tuning device (10b in FIG. 14) calculates a plurality of VSWRs through multiple sampling at the same frequency, derives the lowest VSWR based on the calculated plurality of VSWRs, and sets a tuning code corresponding to the lowest VSWR. .

15 is a flowchart illustrating an aperture tuning method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The aperture tuning method of FIG. 15 may be performed by the antenna tuning apparatus 10b of FIG. 13 , and the contents described with reference to FIG. 13 may be applied to the aperture tuning method of FIG. 15 .

15 and 13 , the control circuit 100b may set a configuration for multiple sampling ( S400 ). The control circuit 100b may set operation timings of components in the antenna tuning apparatus 10b so that multiple sampling is performed. For example, n times (n is an integer greater than or equal to 3) sampling start time, sampling period, tuning code (TNCD) change time, unit change value, etc. may be set. Meanwhile, since more VSWRs can be compared as the number of sampling times increases during the measurement period, the antenna tuning apparatus 10b may set configurations so that sampling can be performed as much as possible within the measurement period.

The multi-sampling module 110b may sample n times during a measurement period in which a frequency is constant according to a changed tuning code (S410). The multi-sampling module 110b may change the tuning code n times (or n−1 times) and sample the transmission signal and the reverse reception signal whenever the tuning code is changed.

The parameter calculation module 120b may calculate n VSWRs based on the first to n-th data obtained by sampling n times ( S420 ). Each of the first to n-th data may include sampling data of a transmission signal and a reception signal. The parameter calculation module 120b may normalize the power of the transmitted signal and the power of the received signal, and calculate the VSWR based on the normalized power of the transmitted signal and the power of the received signal.

The tuning value setting module 130b may set a tuning code corresponding to the lowest VSWR value (S430). The tuning value setting module 130b may derive the lowest VSWR by comparing n VSWRs, and may set a tuning code corresponding to the lowest VSWR. For example, the tuning value setting module 130b may derive the lowest value among the n VSWRs as the lowest VSWR. As another example, the tuning value setting module 130b calculates a VSWR change trend (for example, a function representing a VSWR change according to the tuning code value) based on the n VSWRs, according to the calculated change trend. Based on this, the lowest VSWR can be calculated.

The tuning value setting module 130b may apply a tuning code to the aperture tuner 300b (S440). The tuning value setting module 130b may provide a tuning code to the aperture tuner 300b. The aperture tuner 300b may compensate for the impedance mismatch by changing the internal capacitance or inductance based on the tuning code.

16 illustrates an example of multiple sampling according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The multi-sampling of FIG. 16 may be performed by the antenna tuning apparatus 10b of FIG. 13 .

16 and 4 , sampling n times may be performed during a measurement period, for example, a first period T1. In the first period T1, the frequency RFin(f) of the modulated transmission signal is the same, and may be set to, for example, the first frequency f1. Thereafter, in the second period T2 , the frequency RFin(f) of the modulated transmission signal may be set as the second frequency f2. The first period T1 may correspond to, for example, one slot.

Configurations for multiple sampling before the start of the first period T1 may be set. Sampling delay time (eg Tx_S1, Rx_S1, Tx_S2, Rx_S2,..., Tx_Sn, Rx_Sn), sampling length (eg Tx_L1, Rx_L1, Tx_L2, Rx_L2, ..., Tx_Ln, Rx_Ln) for the transmit signal and the received signal; A change point of the tuning code, a unit change value of the tuning code, and the like may be set.

When the triggering signal is applied, the transmission signal S and the reception signal R may be sampled according to set configurations. The tuning code TNCD is changed whenever sampling is performed, and subsequent sampling may be performed according to the changed tuning code TNCD.

17 shows an antenna including an impedance tuner and an aperture tuner. The antenna 400c of FIG. 17 may include a planar inverted-F antenna.

The antenna 400c may include a shorting pin 401 , a radiating element 402 , a feed point 403 , a ground plane 404 , an impedance tuner 410 , and an aperture tuner 420 . . The shorting pin 401 connects the antenna 400c to the ground plate 404 . Radiating element 402 may receive or radiate free space waves. The feed point 403 may receive an input of an antenna, for example, an RF reception signal RFin through the impedance tuner 410 .

The antenna 400c is connected to the antenna tuning device 10a of FIG. 4 , and impedance and resonant frequency may be compensated according to the control of the control circuit 100a. A tuning value may be set according to the impedance tuning method through multiple sampling described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 12 , and the tuning value may be provided to the impedance tuner 410 as a tuning control signal (TCS of FIG. 4 ). The impedance tuner 410 may change the internal capacitance based on the tuning control signal.

Also, a tuning code may be set according to the aperture tuning method through multiple sampling described with reference to FIGS. 13 to 16 , and the tuning code may be provided to the aperture tuner 420 . The aperture tuner 420 may change the internal capacitance based on the tuning code.

Accordingly, the magnitude and phase of the impedance of the antenna 400c and the resonant frequency may be code-changed, and the output efficiency of the antenna 400c may be improved.

Meanwhile, impedance tuning and aperture tuning may be performed within a measurement period in which a frequency to which a transmission signal is allocated, for example, a frequency of the RF reception signal RFin is constant. This will be described with reference to FIG. 18 .

18 illustrates an example of multiple sampling according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Multiple sampling shown in FIG. 18 may be performed by an antenna tuning device connected to the antenna 400c of FIG. 17 , for example, the antenna tuning device 10a of FIG. 4 .

Referring to FIG. 18 , sampling may be performed a plurality of times (eg, n times) during the measurement period, for example, the first period T1, and at least two samplings for impedance matching are performed during the coarse tuning period, and fine tuning period At least two sampling times for aperture tuning may be performed during the period. In the coarse tuning section, after sampling is performed, the coupler direction may be changed. In the fine tuning section, the tuning code TNCD may be changed after sampling is performed. Accordingly, impedance matching may be performed in the coarse tuning section, and aperture tuning may be performed in the fine tuning section.

19 shows an implementation of a multi-sampling module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The multi-sampling module 110 of FIG. 19 may be applied to the antenna tuning apparatuses 10, 10a, and 10b of FIGS. 1, 4 and 13 .

Referring to FIG. 19 , the multi-sampling module 110 includes a timing controller 111 , a transmit dump unit 112 , a receive dump unit 113 , a buffer unit 114 , an RF front-end controller 115 , and a first It may include a register unit 116 and a second register unit 117 .

The timing controller 111 may control timing related to the multi-sampling operation. The timing controller 111 includes an antenna tuning device (10 in FIG. 1, 10A in FIG. 4, and FIG. 1) for performing multiple sampling based on various delay information stored in the first register unit 116 and the second register unit 117. The timing of each configuration of 10b) of 13 may be controlled.

The first register unit 116 may include a plurality of transmission/reception delay registers 116_1 to 116_n, and each of the plurality of registers 116_1 to 116_n includes sampling of the transmission signal S and the reception signal R; Related delay information, for example, delay information related to a sampling time point, a sampling length, and the like may be stored. Delay information for performing the first sampling may be stored in the first transmission/reception delay register 116_1 . Delay information for performing the second sampling may be stored in the second transmission/reception delay register 116_2 . As such, delay information related to sampling of a transmission signal and a reception signal according to a corresponding sampling order may be stored in each of the plurality of transmission/reception delay registers 116_1 to 116_n.

The second register unit 117 may include a plurality of front-end delay registers 117_1 to 117_m. Each of the plurality of front-end delay registers 117_1 to 117_m has an RF front-end (200 in FIG. 1 ). , 200a in Fig. 4 and 200b in Fig. 13) may be stored delay information related to the configuration change, for example, delay information related to the direction setting change of the bidirectional coupler (230a in Fig. 4), delay information related to the switch (Fig. 4) 240a) may include delay information related to setting change, delay information related to tuning code (TNCD in Fig. 13) change, etc. The first front-end delay register 117_1 contains the RF front-end after performing the first sampling. Delay information related to a configuration change of the configuration of the RF may be stored, and delay information related to a configuration change of the configuration of the RF front-end after performing the second sampling may be stored in the second front-end delay register 117_2 . , delay information related to configuration change of RF front-end configurations according to a corresponding sampling order may be stored in each of the plurality of front-end delay registers 117_1 to 117_m.

The timing controller 111 performs multiple sampling at the transmit dump unit 112 and the receive dump unit 113 based on the trigger signal TRGS received from the outside, for example, the microcontroller and the delay information stored in the first register unit 116 . It is possible to provide timing information related to Also, the timing controller 111 may provide timing information related to multiple sampling to the RF front-end controller 115 based on the trigger signal TRGS and delay information stored in the second register unit 117 .

The transmission dump unit 112 and the reception dump unit 113 multi-sample the transmission data (S _D ) and the reception data ( _RD ) based on the timing information provided from the timing controller 111, respectively, during the measurement period, The sampled data may be stored in the buffer unit 114 .

The buffer unit 114 may include a plurality of buffers BUF1, BUF2, - BUFn. The first buffer BUF1 may store transmission data and reception data according to the first sampling operation. The second buffer BUF2 may store transmission data and reception data according to the second sampling operation. Sampling data obtained according to a corresponding sampling order may be stored in each of the plurality of buffers BUF1, BUF2, - BUFn.

The RF front-end controller 115 may generate a front-end control signal FECS based on timing information provided from the timing controller 111 . For example, the front-end control signal FECS includes a coupler setting signal (CSS in FIG. 4), a switch signal (SWS in FIG. 4), and a tuning code (FIG. TNCD of 13) and the like.

20 is a block diagram illustrating an antenna tuning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 20 , the antenna tuning apparatus 10c may include a control circuit 100c, an RF front-end 200c, and a plurality of antenna tuners 301 to 30k. The plurality of antenna tuners 301 to 30k may be respectively connected to the plurality of antennas ANT1 to ANTk. The number of the plurality of antennas ANT1 to ANTk may vary according to uses such as RF band, radio access technology (RAT), multi-input multi-output (MIMO), beamforming, and the like.

Meanwhile, in FIG. 20 , the plurality of antenna tuners 301 to 30k are illustrated as being connected to one directional coupler 230c, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the plurality of antenna tuners 301 to 30k are connected to different directional couplers. Alternatively, the plurality of antenna tuners 301 to 30k may be connected to the plurality of directional couplers.

The configuration and operation of the control circuit 100c and the RF front-end 200c of FIG. 20 are similar to those of the control circuit 100 and the RF front-end 200 of FIG. 1 , so the overlapping description will be omitted. do it with

The antenna tuning apparatus 10c may perform impedance tuning or aperture tuning based on the multiple sampling described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 19 . In the embodiment, if the frequency allocated to each of the transmission signals transmitted through the plurality of antennas ANT1 to ANTk is the same, antenna tuning is performed for one of the plurality of antennas ANT1 to ANTk, and the antenna tuning is performed. The generated tuning control signal TCS may be provided to the plurality of antenna tuners 301 to 30k. In another embodiment, antenna tuning for the plurality of antennas ANT1 to ANTk may be performed simultaneously, and the same tuning control signal TCS may be provided to the plurality of antenna tuners 301 to 30k. In another embodiment, the antenna tuning for the plurality of antennas ANT1 to ANTk is respectively performed at the same time, and as a result, different tuning control signals TCS are provided to the plurality of antenna tuners 301 to 30k. can

Meanwhile, if frequencies allocated to each of the transmission signals transmitted through the plurality of antennas ANT1 to ANTk are different from each other, antenna tuning for the plurality of antennas ANT1 to ANTk may be sequentially performed. For example, antenna tuning for a plurality of antennas ANT1 to ANTk may be sequentially performed in a plurality of measurement sections, and a tuning control signal TCS according to the antenna tuning may be provided to a corresponding antenna tuning module. In another embodiment, the antenna tuning for the plurality of antennas ANT1 to ANTk is respectively performed at the same time, and as a result, different tuning control signals TCS may be provided to the plurality of antenna tuners 301 to 30k. have.

21 shows a block diagram of a wireless communication device 1000 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 21 , the wireless communication device 1000 includes an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) 1100, an Application Specific Instruction set Processor (ASIP) 1300, a memory 1500, a main processor 1700, and a main It may include a memory 1900 . Two or more of the ASIC 1100 , the ASIP 1300 , and the main processor 1700 may communicate with each other. In addition, at least two or more of the ASIC 1100 , the ASIP 1300 , the memory 1500 , the main processor 1700 , and the main memory 1900 may be embedded in one chip.

The ASIC 1100 is an integrated circuit customized for a particular use, and may include, for example, an RFIC, a modulator, a demodulator, and the like. The ASIP 1300 may support a dedicated instruction set for a specific application, and may execute an instruction included in the instruction set. The memory 1500 may communicate with the ASIP 1300 and may store a plurality of instructions executed by the ASIP 1300 as a non-transitory storage device. The memory 1500 may also store data generated in the process of executing a plurality of instructions in the ASIP 1300 . For example, the memory 1500 may be a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), a tape, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a volatile memory, a non-volatile memory, and combinations thereof. In addition, the memory 1500 may include any type of memory accessible by the ASIP 1300 .

The main processor 1700 may control the wireless communication device 1000 by executing a plurality of instructions. For example, the main processor 1700 may control the ASIC 1100 and the ASIP 1300 , and may process data received through a wireless communication network or process a user's input to the wireless communication device 1000 . may be The main memory 1900 may communicate with the main processor 1700 and may store a plurality of instructions executed by the main processor 1900 as a non-transitory storage device. For example, the main memory 1900 may include a main processor (eg, random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), tape, magnetic disk, optical disk, volatile memory, non-volatile memory, and combinations thereof). 1700) and may include any type of memory accessible by

The components of the antenna tuning apparatus (10 in FIG. 1, 10A in FIG. 4, 10B in FIG. 13, and 10C in FIG. 20) according to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure described above are in the wireless communication device 1000 of FIG. It may be included in at least one of the included components, or the above-described antenna tuning method may be performed by at least one of the components included in the wireless communication device 1000 .

For example, at least one of the multi-sampling module 110 , the parameter calculation module 120 , and the tuning value setting module 130 of FIG. 3 may be implemented as a hardware block and included in the ASIC 1100 . As another example, at least one of the multi-sampling module 110 , the parameter calculation module 120 , and the tuning value setting module 130 may be implemented as a plurality of instructions and stored in the memory 1500 . As the ASIP 1300 executes a plurality of instructions stored in the memory 1500 , at least one function of the multi-sampling module 110 , the parameter calculation module 120 , and the tuning value setting module 130 may be performed. In addition, at least one step of the antenna tuning method according to the embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented as a plurality of instructions and stored in the memory 1500, and when tuning the antenna, the ASIP 1300 executes the stored instructions. , at least one of the antenna tuning methods may be performed.

As another example, at least one of the multiple sampling module 110, the parameter calculating module 120, and the tuning value setting module 130 of FIG. 4 or at least one of the steps of the antenna tuning method is performed in the main memory 1900 It may be implemented as a plurality of instructions stored in the multi-sampling module 110 , the parameter calculation module 120 , and the tuning value setting module 130 by the main processor 1700 executing the plurality of instructions stored in the main memory 1900 . ) of at least one function or at least one step of an antenna tuning method.

Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to the embodiment shown in the drawings, this is merely exemplary, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and equivalent other embodiments are possible therefrom. Accordingly, the true technical protection scope of the present disclosure should be defined by the technical spirit of the appended claims.

10, 10a, 10b, 10c: antenna tuning device
100, 100a, 100b, 100c: control circuit
110, 110a, 110b, 110c: multi-sampling module
120, 120a, 120b: parameter calculation module
130, 130a, 130b: tuning value setting module
160a: look-up table

Claims (20)

multi-sampling the transmission signal and a reception signal corresponding to the transmission signal during a measurement period in which a first frequency is allocated to a transmission signal provided to an antenna;
calculating parameters for antenna tuning based on the sampling data obtained by the multi-sampling; and
tuning the antenna based on the parameter;
The method for tuning an antenna of a wireless communication device, characterized in that the measurement period in which the multi-sampling is performed corresponds to one slot. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission signal comprises a first transmission signal and a second transmission signal sequentially provided to the antenna during the measurement period,
The multi-sampling step includes:
a first sampling step of sampling a first reception signal corresponding to the first transmission signal and a feedback signal of the first transmission signal; and
and a second sampling step of sampling the second transmission signal and a second reception signal corresponding to a reflected signal of the second transmission signal. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of setting a configuration for the multi-sampling, wherein, according to the configuration setting, a direction setting of a bidirectional coupler for providing a transmission signal to the antenna is set to a forward direction in the first sampling step; , An antenna tuning method of a wireless communication device, characterized in that set in the reverse direction in the second sampling step. The method of claim 2, wherein calculating the parameter comprises:
calculating a reflection coefficient based on the first sampling data obtained in the first sampling step and the second sampling data obtained in the second sampling step; and
and compensating for at least one of a magnitude and a phase of the reflection coefficient based on a reference frequency. According to claim 4, wherein the reflection coefficient,
Wireless communication device, characterized in that calculated based on the ratio of the maximum value of the correlation operation between the first transmission signal and the first reception signal and the maximum value of the correlation operation between the second transmission signal and the second reception signal How to tune the antenna. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein tuning the antenna comprises:
selecting a tuning value corresponding to the compensated reflection coefficient from a look-up table generated based on the reference frequency; and
and adjusting the impedance of the antenna based on an antenna impedance control signal corresponding to the tuning value. The method of claim 4, wherein the compensating comprises:
compensating for a first phase error of the reflection coefficient according to a residual delay offset difference between the first received signal and the second received signal; and
and compensating for a second phase error of the reflection coefficient according to the frequency characteristic of the antenna. The method of claim 7, wherein compensating for the first phase error comprises:
calculating a first phase compensation value by multiplying a first unit phase compensation value according to the residual delay offset by a first frequency offset between a carrier frequency and the first frequency; and
and changing the phase of the reflection coefficient by the first phase compensation value based on the origin on the complex coordinates. The method of claim 7, wherein compensating for the second phase error comprises:
calculating a second phase compensation value by multiplying a second unit phase compensation value according to the frequency characteristic of the antenna and a first frequency offset between a carrier frequency and the first frequency; and
An antenna tuning method for a wireless communication device, comprising changing the phase of the reflection coefficient by the second phase compensation value based on the center value of the reflection coefficient values included in the look-up table. The method of claim 7, wherein compensating for the second phase error comprises:
calculating a third phase compensation value by multiplying a second unit phase compensation value according to the frequency characteristic of the antenna and a second frequency offset between a reference frequency and the first frequency; and
The antenna tuning method of a wireless communication device further comprising changing the phase of the reflection coefficient by the third phase compensation value based on the center value of the reflection coefficient values included in the look-up table. The method of claim 1,
The received signal is a reflection signal of the transmitted signal,
The multi-sampling includes sampling the transmitted signal and the received signal at least three times. The antenna tuning method of claim 1, wherein the multi-sampling comprises changing a tuning code for adjusting the resonant frequency of the antenna every time sampling is performed. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein calculating the parameter comprises:
An antenna tuning method for a wireless communication device, characterized in that calculating a plurality of parameter values representing normalized power of the received signal based on the sampling data. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein tuning the antenna comprises:
An antenna tuning method for a wireless communication device, characterized in that a minimum value of the parameter is derived based on the plurality of parameter values and a tuning code corresponding to the minimum value of the parameter is set as a tuning value. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the parameter comprises a voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR). delete obtaining first sampling data by sampling a forward reception signal corresponding to a transmission signal allocated to a first frequency provided to an antenna;
obtaining second sampling data by sampling a reverse reception signal corresponding to a reflection signal of the transmission signal;
calculating a reflection coefficient based on the first sampling data and the second sampling data;
compensating the reflection coefficient based on a reference frequency; and
and setting a tuning value for compensating for an impedance mismatch of the antenna based on the reflection coefficient. 18. The method of claim 17,
the reference frequency is associated with a look-up table comprising tuning values corresponding to a plurality of reflection coefficient values;
The setting of the tuning value comprises selecting a tuning value corresponding to the reflection coefficient from the look-up table. The method of claim 17, wherein the compensating comprises:
The method of operating an antenna tuning apparatus, characterized in that the phase of the reflection coefficient is compensated for based on a preset unit phase compensation value and a phase compensation value calculated based on a frequency offset of the first frequency with respect to the reference frequency. The method of claim 17, wherein the compensating comprises:
Compensating based on the origin on the complex plane; and
A method of operating an antenna tuning apparatus comprising compensating based on a center value of reflection coefficients included in a look-up table.

Images