JP2014187647A - Antenna controller, antenna control method, program and communication device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an antenna controller for determining an optimum antenna characteristic at the time of performing transmission and reception of a radio signal, modulated using carriers on a plurality of frequency bands, using the same antenna.SOLUTION: An antenna controller includes: a circuit for generating a first radio signal modulated with a carrier wave at a frequency in a first frequency band, and a second radio signal modulated with a carrier wave at a frequency in a second frequency band; a tuner for adjusting a resonant frequency of an antenna for transmitting and receiving the first and second radio signals; a calculation part for calculating characteristic values of the first and second radio signals; and a control part for controlling the resonant frequency so as to an antenna characteristic at the first frequency band becomes better than an antenna characteristic at the second frequency band, according to an adjustment policy regarding the antenna characteristics and calculation results by the calculation part.

Description

  The present invention relates to an antenna control device, an antenna control method, a program, and a communication device. In particular, the present invention relates to an antenna control apparatus that performs antenna tuning, an antenna control method, a program, and a communication apparatus.

  In recent years, communication devices such as mobile phones and smartphones are required to support communication standards using a plurality of frequency bands (bands) in order to secure a network line bandwidth by increasing data traffic. For example, in the case of the LTE (Long Term Evolution) communication method, support communication using a plurality of bands among the bands specified in TS36.101 Table5.5-1 of 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project). Is required.

  Therefore, in order to ensure antenna characteristics while performing data transmission / reception in a plurality of bands with the same antenna, a semiconductor integrated circuit called an antenna tuner is often used. In the antenna tuner, the antenna characteristic in each band is ensured by changing the capacitance value (capacitor value) inside the antenna tuner according to the band used for data transmission / reception and optimizing the resonance frequency.

  Furthermore, in LTE-Advanced, which is being standardized toward the fourth generation mobile phone standard, a technology called carrier aggregation (CA) that uses a plurality of carriers (carriers) and transmits and receives data with the same antenna is used. The specification is advancing (LTE Rel. 10 and beyond).

  For example, the following may be considered as the form of carrier aggregation defined by LTE-Advanced. First, carrier aggregation is realized by bundling carriers having frequencies included in the same band (see FIG. 19A). Second, carrier aggregation is realized by bundling carriers having frequencies included in different bands (see FIG. 19B). Third, the carriers having frequencies included in isolated bands are bundled to be asymmetric in the uplink and downlink (see FIG. 19C). By performing carrier aggregation, a plurality of carriers are bundled and the frequency bandwidth can be expanded. For example, if five carriers are bundled, data can be transmitted and received using a maximum frequency bandwidth of 100 MHz. In addition, as described above, in carrier aggregation defined by LTE-Advanced, it is possible to bundle dispersed carriers, and therefore, it is possible to effectively use the frequency (carrier) of the cut. In the following description, a carrier having a frequency included in a specific band is referred to as a carrier belonging to the specific band.

  Here, Patent Document 1 discloses a wireless communication terminal that transmits a plurality of uplink modulated transmission signals simultaneously and receives a plurality of downlink modulated reception signals simultaneously.

International Publication No. 2011/068063

  The disclosure of the above prior art document is incorporated herein by reference. The following analysis was made by the present inventors.

  As described above, in carrier aggregation, the frequency bandwidth is expanded by bundling a plurality of carriers. However, if it is intended to cope with such carrier aggregation, it becomes difficult to ensure the antenna characteristics of the communication device. In particular, by bundling carriers belonging to different bands, it is difficult to ensure antenna characteristics in the second mode for realizing carrier aggregation.

  Even in the second mode in which carriers belonging to different bands are bundled, it is necessary to ensure the antenna characteristics of the communication device in each of the plurality of bands. At this time, even if the antenna tuner is used to optimize the antenna characteristics in a specific band, the problem arises that the antenna characteristics in other bands deteriorate. More specifically, if antenna characteristics in a specific band are optimized, antenna characteristics in other bands must be sacrificed. On the other hand, if the antenna characteristics in the two bands are optimized, the overall antenna characteristics are deteriorated. That is, when transmitting and receiving a radio signal (RF signal) modulated using carriers in a plurality of bands using the same antenna, such as carrier aggregation defined by LTE-Advanced, the antenna characteristics optimal for the communication apparatus Is difficult to determine.

  The present invention relates to an antenna control apparatus, an antenna control method, and a program that contribute to determining optimal antenna characteristics when transmitting and receiving radio signals modulated using carriers of a plurality of bands using the same antenna. And a communication device.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the first radio signal modulated by the carrier wave having the frequency included in the first band and the second radio signal modulated by the carrier wave having the frequency included in the second band. A radio signal, a tuner that varies a resonance frequency of an antenna that transmits and receives the first and second radio signals, and a calculation unit that calculates characteristic values of the first and second radio signals And the resonance frequency is controlled so that the antenna characteristic in the first band is higher than the antenna characteristic in the second band according to the adjustment policy regarding the antenna characteristic of the antenna and the calculation result of the calculation unit. And an antenna control apparatus including the control unit.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the first radio signal modulated by the carrier having the frequency included in the first band and the second radio signal modulated by the carrier having the frequency included in the second band. A radio signal, a calculation step for calculating characteristic values of the first and second radio signals, an adjustment policy regarding antenna characteristics of an antenna that transmits and receives the first and second radio signals, and Controlling the resonance frequency of the antenna so that the antenna characteristic in the first band is higher than the antenna characteristic in the second band according to the calculation result of the calculation step. A method is provided.
The method is associated with a specific machine called an antenna.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the first radio signal modulated by the carrier wave having the frequency included in the first band and the second radio signal modulated by the carrier wave having the frequency included in the second band. A program for causing a computer to control an antenna control apparatus comprising: a circuit for generating a radio signal; and a tuner that varies a resonance frequency of an antenna that transmits and receives the first and second radio signals, According to the calculation process for calculating the characteristic values of the first and second radio signals, the adjustment policy regarding the antenna characteristic of the antenna, and the calculation result of the calculation process, the antenna characteristic in the first band is a second value. And a process for controlling the resonance frequency so as to be higher than the antenna characteristic in the band.
This program can be recorded on a computer-readable storage medium. The storage medium can be non-transient such as a semiconductor memory, a hard disk, a magnetic recording medium, an optical recording medium, or the like. The present invention can also be embodied as a computer program product.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a housing for storing the antenna control device, and an input unit for inputting information on the left and right of a user's hand holding the housing, In addition to the adjustment policy and the calculation result of the calculation unit, the antenna characteristics in the first band are higher than the antenna characteristics in the second band according to the left and right of the user's hand holding the housing. Thus, a communication device for controlling the resonance frequency is provided.

  According to each aspect of the present invention, an antenna control device and an antenna that contribute to determining optimal antenna characteristics when transmitting and receiving a radio signal modulated using carriers of a plurality of bands using the same antenna Control method, program, and communication apparatus are provided.

It is a figure for demonstrating the outline | summary of one Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the internal structure of the antenna control apparatus 1 which concerns on 1st Embodiment. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of an internal configuration of an RF unit 30. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of an internal configuration of an antenna unit 70. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows an example of an internal structure of the antenna tuner 701-1. It is a figure which shows an example of the setting value of the antenna tuners 701-1 and 701-2 which the memory | storage part 40 memorize | stores. It is a figure which shows an example of an antenna characteristic view. It is a figure which shows an example of an antenna characteristic view. It is a figure which shows an example of an antenna characteristic view. It is a figure which shows an example of an antenna characteristic view. It is a figure which shows an example of an antenna characteristic view. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the antenna control device 1. It is a flowchart which shows an example of operation | movement of the antenna control apparatus 2 which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of an antenna characteristic view. It is a figure which shows an example of the aspect at the time of a user holding the antenna control apparatus 3 which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the setting value of the antenna tuners 701-1 and 701-2 which the memory | storage part 40 memorize | stores. It is a flowchart which shows an example of operation | movement of the antenna control apparatus 3 which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is an example of the flowchart which concerns on step S02a (holding hand determination and tuning process) shown in FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating a carrier aggregation.

  First, an outline of an embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Note that the reference numerals of the drawings attached to the outline are attached to the respective elements for convenience as an example for facilitating understanding, and the description of the outline is not intended to be any limitation.

  As described above, there is a demand for an antenna control apparatus that determines optimal antenna characteristics when transmitting and receiving radio signals modulated using carriers in a plurality of bands using the same antenna.

  Therefore, the antenna control apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 is provided as an example. The antenna control device 100 includes a first radio signal modulated by a carrier wave having a frequency included in the first band, a second radio signal modulated by a carrier wave having a frequency included in the second band, , A tuner 102 that varies the resonance frequency of the antenna that transmits and receives the first and second radio signals, a calculation unit 103 that calculates characteristic values of the first and second radio signals, and antenna characteristics The control unit 104 controls the resonance frequency so that the antenna characteristic in the first band is higher than the antenna characteristic in the second band according to the adjustment policy relating to the calculation and the calculation result of the calculation unit 103.

  For example, the antenna control apparatus 100 transmits and receives radio signals modulated by carriers belonging to different bands using the same antenna, such as carrier aggregation defined by LTE-Advanced. At that time, the antenna control apparatus 100 calculates the transmission power of the radio signal modulated by the carrier belonging to each band as a characteristic value. The antenna control device 100 adjusts the resonance frequency of the antenna based on the characteristic value of the radio signal and an adjustment policy (for example, a policy of reducing power consumption) regarding a predetermined antenna characteristic. Change the set value. For example, if the policy is to reduce power consumption, the antenna characteristics of a band including a radio signal with high transmission power are increased. If the antenna characteristics are good, the transmission power required for transmitting a radio signal can be reduced. That is, when transmitting and receiving radio signals modulated by carriers belonging to a plurality of bands using the same antenna, necessary antenna characteristics can be ensured while reducing power consumption. That is, the control unit 104 can determine optimal antenna characteristics.

  Hereinafter, specific embodiments will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

[First Embodiment]
The first embodiment will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of an internal configuration of the antenna control device 1 according to the present embodiment. Referring to FIG. 2, the antenna control apparatus 1 includes a control unit 10, a digital signal processing unit 20, an RF (Radio Frequency) unit 30, a storage unit 40, a power supply unit 50, a power supply unit 60, an antenna. Part 70. The antenna control device 1 is connected to an antenna of a communication device including the antenna control device 1. The solid line in FIG. 2 indicates a data line for transmitting data. 2 indicates a power supply line for supplying power from the power supply unit 50 to each unit. Further, a dotted line in FIG. 2 indicates a control line for transmitting a control signal.

  The antenna control device 1 performs antenna tuning using the digital signal processing unit 20 and the RF unit 30, thereby optimizing antenna characteristics at the time of carrier aggregation required for LTE-Advanced. More specifically, the antenna control device 1 changes the antenna characteristics by executing antenna tuning in accordance with a predetermined antenna characteristic adjustment policy.

  The control unit 10 controls each of the digital signal processing unit 20, the RF unit 30, and the power supply unit 50. The control unit 10 outputs transmission data generated by an application executed by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) to the digital signal processing unit 20. Further, the control unit 10 receives received data from the digital signal processing unit 20. Further, the control unit 10 controls activation and termination of the digital signal processing unit 20.

  The control unit 10 determines the antenna tuning control signal ATCS based on the antenna characteristic adjustment policy stored in the storage unit 40 and information obtained from the RF unit 30 (information obtained from a radio signal characteristic signal RFCS described later). Output to the RF unit 30. Further, the control unit 10 can access the storage unit 40 and update the data stored in the storage unit 40. The control unit 10 can also be realized by a computer program that causes a computer mounted on the antenna control apparatus 1 to execute processing that will be described in detail later using the hardware thereof.

  The digital signal processing unit 20 encodes transmission data output from the control unit 10 and outputs the encoded transmission data to the RF unit 30. In addition, the digital signal processing unit 20 executes a decoding process, an error correction process, and the like of the radio signal received from the RF unit 30 and outputs the decoded received data to the control unit 10. Furthermore, the digital signal processing unit 20 instructs the RF unit 30 to use a band. Specifically, the digital signal processing unit 20 outputs a use band notification signal BNS to the RF unit 30 to instruct the RF unit 30 of a band to be used for transmission / reception of a radio signal. For example, the digital signal processing unit 20 instructs the RF unit 30 to transmit / receive a radio signal modulated by a carrier belonging to the LTE band 1 (B1) or the band 5 (B5) (the used band notification signal BNS including the information is transmitted). Output). Alternatively, the digital signal processing unit 20 instructs the RF unit 30 to perform carrier aggregation by carriers belonging to the LTE band 1 (B1) and the band 5 (B5).

  The RF unit 30 demodulates the radio signal, performs AD (Analog to Digital) conversion on the demodulated radio signal, and outputs it to the digital signal processing unit 20 as received data. In addition, the RF unit 30 receives transmission data from the digital signal processing unit 20, performs DA (Digital To Analog) conversion on the transmission data, and modulates the transmission data.

  The RF unit 30 outputs an antenna tuning setting signal ATSS to the antenna unit 70 based on the antenna tuning control signal ATCS output from the control unit 10. Further, the RF unit 30 detects a characteristic value of the radio signal and outputs a radio signal characteristic signal RFCS including information on the detected characteristic value to the control unit 10. Further, the RF unit 30 switches the internal antenna switch according to the use band notification signal BNS output from the digital signal processing unit 20.

  The storage unit 40 stores an antenna characteristic adjustment policy that the control unit 10 refers to when performing antenna tuning, an adjustment value related to transmission / reception of a radio signal, and the like.

  The power supply unit 50 supplies power to each unit (for example, the control unit 10, the digital signal processing unit 20, the RF unit 30, and the storage unit 40) of the antenna control device 1 in accordance with an instruction from the control unit 10 or the digital signal processing unit 20. I do.

  The power supply unit 60 is a secondary battery such as a lithium battery, for example. The power supply unit 60 supplies power necessary for the operation of the antenna control device 1 via the power supply unit 50.

  The antenna unit 70 includes an antenna and an antenna tuner. The antenna unit 70 receives a radio signal output from the base station, or transmits a radio signal toward the base station.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the internal configuration of the RF unit 30. Referring to FIG. 3, the RF unit 30 includes a diplexer 301, antenna switches 302-1 and 302-2, duplexers 303-1 to 303-4, power amplifiers 304-1 to 304-4, and radio frequency integration. And a circuit (RFIC; Radio Frequency Integrated Circuit) 305.

  The diplexer 301 is means for electrically separating a radio signal (received signal) received from the antenna and a radio signal (transmitted signal) transmitted from the antenna.

  The antenna switches 302-1 and 302-2 are means for switching a band to be used when transmitting / receiving a radio signal. The radio frequency integrated circuit 305 switches the connection destination of the antenna switches 302-1 and 302-2 in accordance with the use band notification signal BNS.

  The duplexers 303-1 to 303-4 are filters that separate received signals and transmitted signals and attenuate frequency bands other than a desired band. The duplexers 303-1 to 303-4 are provided for each band that the antenna control device 1 can use.

  The power amplifiers 304-1 to 304-4 are amplifiers that amplify the transmission signal. The power amplifiers 304-1 to 304-4 are provided for each band that the antenna control apparatus 1 can use. Each of the power amplifiers 304-1 to 304-4 includes a coupler, branches a part of a transmission signal (amplified transmission signal), and outputs the branched signal to the radio frequency integrated circuit 305 as a detection voltage.

  The radio frequency integrated circuit 305 is an integrated circuit that processes high frequency radio signals. The radio frequency integrated circuit 305 is a circuit that generates a radio signal modulated by a carrier belonging to each of a plurality of bands. For example, the radio frequency integrated circuit 305 includes a radio signal modulated by a carrier having a frequency included in the LTE band 1 (B1) and a radio signal modulated by a carrier having a frequency included in the LTE band (B5). Signal can be generated. As described above, the radio frequency integrated circuit 305 supports generation of radio signals in a plurality of bands.

  The radio frequency integrated circuit 305 includes a signal modulation / demodulation circuit, a variable gain amplifier for transmission and reception, a baseband filter, an AD converter, a DA converter, an LVDS (Low Voltage Differential Signaling), an amplifier, and a PLL (phase locked). Loop) includes a synthesizer and a linear amplifier.

  The radio frequency integrated circuit 305 generates a radio signal from a carrier wave (carrier) generated by dividing the oscillation frequency of the oscillator by a predetermined frequency division ratio and a baseband signal. The radio signal generated by the radio frequency integrated circuit 305 is sent to the power amplifiers 304-1 to 304-4 and output to the antenna unit 70. The radio frequency integrated circuit 305 amplifies a radio signal input via the duplexers 303-1 to 303-4 using a linear amplifier, thereby performing signal amplification with as little noise as possible. The radio frequency integrated circuit 305 transmits the amplified radio signal to the digital signal processing unit 20.

  The radio frequency integrated circuit 305 calculates the transmission power of the radio signal (transmission signal) of each band from the detection voltage output from the power amplifiers 304-1 to 304-4. The radio frequency integrated circuit 305 outputs the calculated transmission power as a characteristic value of the radio signal to the control unit 10 (outputs a radio signal characteristic signal RFCS including information on transmission power to the control unit 10). Alternatively, the radio frequency integrated circuit 305 calculates the reception level of the radio signal (reception signal) of each band. Radio frequency integrated circuit 305 outputs the calculated reception level as a characteristic value of the radio signal to control unit 10 (outputs radio signal characteristic signal RFCS including information related to the reception level to control unit 10). As described above, the radio frequency integrated circuit 305 has a function of calculating a characteristic value of a radio signal. Note that even if the radio frequency integrated circuit 305 has a function of calculating the characteristic value of the radio signal, the control unit 10 may have a function of calculating the characteristic value of the radio signal.

  The radio frequency integrated circuit 305 illustrated in FIG. 3 corresponds to a plurality of bands of LTE band 1 (B1), LTE band 2 (B2), LTE band 5 (B5), and LTE band 17 (B17). More specifically, the RF unit 30 shown in FIG. 3 corresponds to four bands, LTE band 1 (B1), LTE band 2 (B2), LTE band 5 (B5), and LTE band 17 (B17). Yes. Note that the LTE band 1 (B1) has a reception (RX) frequency of 2110-2170 MHz and a transmission (TX) frequency of 1920-1980 MHz. The LTE band 2 (B2) has a reception (RX) frequency = 1930-1990 MHz and a transmission (TX) frequency = 1850-1910 MHz. In LTE band 5 (B5), reception (RX) frequency = 869-894 MHz and transmission (TX) frequency = 824-849 MHz. The LTE band 17 (B17) has a reception (RX) frequency = 734-746 MHz and a transmission (TX) frequency = 704-716 MHz.

In FIG. 3, the following combinations of bands at the time of carrier aggregation for simultaneously transmitting and receiving radio signals modulated by carriers belonging to a plurality of bands can be considered.
A combination of LTE band 1 (B1) and band 5 (B5).
A combination of LTE band 1 (B1) and band 17 (B17).
A combination of LTE band 2 (B2) and band 5 (B5).
A combination of LTE band 2 (B2) and band 17 (B17).

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the internal configuration of the antenna unit 70. Referring to FIG. 4, the antenna unit 70 includes antenna tuners 701-1 and 701-2. The antenna control device 1 is connected to an antenna via an antenna unit 70.

  As the antenna connected to the antenna control device 1, a helical antenna wound in a coil shape or a plate-like inverted F-type antenna made of a dielectric and a magnetic material can be used. The antenna transmits and receives a radio signal generated by the RF unit 30.

  The antenna tuners 701-1 and 701-2 include a plurality of capacitors (capacitors). The antenna tuners 701-1 and 701-2 change the combined capacitance of the plurality of capacitors by switching the combination of these capacitors with a built-in switch. The combined capacitance of the capacitors included in the antenna tuners 701-1 and 701-2 is changed according to the antenna tuning setting signal ATSS supplied from the outside, thereby changing the resonance frequency of the antenna.

  FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating an example of an internal configuration of the antenna tuner 701-1. Note that there is no difference between the configurations of the antenna tuners 701-1 and 701-2, and thus the description of the antenna tuner 701-2 is omitted. Referring to FIG. 5, the antenna tuner 701-1 includes a control circuit 702, switches SW1 to SW5, and capacitors C1 to C5.

  The control circuit 702 controls on / off of the switches SW1 to SW5 in accordance with an antenna tuning setting signal ATSS supplied from the outside (radio frequency integrated circuit 305 in the present embodiment). As the switches SW1 to SW5 are turned on / off, the combined capacitance of the capacitors C1 to C5 existing in the antenna tuner 701-1 changes.

  Next, setting to the antenna tuners 701-1 and 701-2 will be described.

  As described above, the storage unit 40 stores an antenna characteristic adjustment policy necessary for performing antenna tuning. Furthermore, in addition to the antenna characteristic adjustment policy, the storage unit 40 stores setting values for the antenna tuners 701-1 and 701-2 as table information.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of setting values of the antenna tuners 701-1 and 701-2 stored in the storage unit 40. FIG. 6 shows a setting example when LTE band 1 (B1) and band 5 (B5) are used. For example, when only using the LTE band 1 (B1) (that is, when carrier aggregation is not performed), setting 1 is applied to the antenna tuners 701-1 and 701-2. Similarly, setting 2 is applied when using only in the LTE band 5 (B5). In addition, when performing carrier aggregation of LTE band 1 (B1) and band 5 (B5), any one of setting 3 to setting 5 is applied to antenna tuners 701-1 and 701-2.

  Settings 3 to 5 are selected according to how the antenna characteristics change as a result of the antenna tuning. For example, if it is intended to secure the antenna characteristics in both the LTE band 1 (B1) and the LTE band 5 (B5) with good balance, the setting 3 is applied.

  On the other hand, setting 4 is applied when carrier aggregation of LTE band 1 (B1) and band 5 (B5) is executed and priority is given to antenna characteristics in LTE band 1 (B1). Similarly, setting 5 is applied when performing carrier aggregation of LTE band 1 (B1) and band 5 (B5) and giving priority to antenna characteristics in LTE band 5 (B5). Note that giving priority to antenna characteristics in each band means that antenna characteristics in a specific band are made higher than antenna characteristics in other bands.

  A specific example of switching control of the switches SW1 to SW5 included in the antenna tuners 701-1 and 701-2 when applying the settings 1 to 5 is as shown in FIG. For example, when setting 1 is applied, the switch SW5 of the antenna tuner 701-1 is turned on, and the switches SW4 and SW5 of the antenna tuner 701-2 are turned on. In other words, the capacitance of the capacitors included in the antenna tuners 701-1 and 701-2 and the combination thereof are determined so as to satisfy the antenna characteristics to be realized by each setting.

  Further, FIG. 6 shows an example of an antenna characteristic diagram corresponding to each setting. For example, the antenna characteristic diagram in the case of setting 1 is FIG. FIG. 7 shows antenna characteristics when antenna tuning is performed so that the antenna characteristics in the 2 GHz band are optimized. On the other hand, FIG. 8 shows antenna characteristics when antenna tuning is performed so that the antenna characteristics in the 800 MHz band are optimized.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, when carrier aggregation is not executed, antenna characteristics can be optimized in each band. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 9, if an attempt is made to optimize the antenna characteristics in both the 800 MHz band and the 2 GHz band, the overall performance is deteriorated, or one of the antenna characteristics is avoided to deteriorate. I can't.

  7 to 11 show the VSWR (Voltage Standing Wave Ratio) characteristics of the antenna on the vertical axis. VSWR is a characteristic value used when evaluating antenna characteristics. The smaller the value of VSWR, the better the antenna characteristics. VSWR shows a minimum value “1” at the resonance frequency of the antenna. Normally, when evaluating the antenna characteristics, if the value of VSWR is 1.5 or less, the ideal antenna characteristics, and 3 or less are practical limits. The antenna characteristics of LTE band 1 (B1) may be in the order of FIG. 7, FIG. 10, and FIG. Further, the antenna characteristics of LTE band 5 (B5) may be in the order of FIG. 8, FIG. 11, and FIG.

  Next, the operation of the antenna control device 1 according to this embodiment will be described. Here, the operation of the antenna control apparatus 1 will be described on the premise that carrier aggregation of LTE band 1 (B1) and band 5 (B5) is executed. The antenna characteristic adjustment policy when performing antenna tuning is “reducing power consumption”. More specifically, the antenna control device 1 performs antenna tuning that prioritizes antenna characteristics of a band with high transmission power.

  FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the antenna control device 1.

  The digital signal processing unit 20 instructs the radio frequency integrated circuit 305 of the RF unit 30 to perform carrier aggregation using the LTE band 1 (B1) and the band 5 (B5) (step S01). More specifically, the digital signal processing unit 20 outputs a use band notification signal BNS that specifies the execution of carrier aggregation to the RF unit 30 while designating the LTE band 1 (B1) and the band 5 (B5). .

  At that time, the control unit 10 instructs the radio frequency integrated circuit 305 to apply the setting 3 shown in FIG. More specifically, the control unit 10 outputs to the radio frequency integrated circuit 305 an antenna tuning control signal ATCS that designates a switch to be turned on for each of the antenna tuners 701-1 and 701-2. Here, the control unit 10 instructs the antenna tuners 701-1 and 701-2 to turn on the switches SW1 and SW5.

  Thereafter, the radio frequency integrated circuit 305 that has received an instruction from the control unit 10 outputs an antenna tuning setting signal ATSS that realizes the instructed setting to the antenna tuners 701-1 and 701-2 (step S02). .

  In step S03, the radio frequency integrated circuit 305 transmits the radio signal transmission power modulated by the carrier belonging to the LTE band 1 (B1) and the radio signal transmission power modulated by the carrier belonging to the LTE band 5 (B5). , Is calculated. More specifically, the radio frequency integrated circuit 305 outputs the detection voltage output from the power amplifier 304-1 corresponding to the LTE band 1 (B1) and the power amplifier 304-3 corresponding to the LTE band 5 (B5). The transmission power is calculated from the detected voltage. The radio frequency integrated circuit 305 outputs a radio signal characteristic signal RFCS including information regarding the calculated transmission power to the control unit 10. The control unit 10 calculates the transmission power of the radio signal modulated by the carrier belonging to the LTE band 1 (B1) and the transmission power of the radio signal modulated by the carrier belonging to the LTE band 5 (B5).

  In step S03, the transmission power of the radio signal modulated by the carriers belonging to LTE band 1 (B1) and LTE band 5 (B5) is calculated by specifying the transmission power that the digital signal processing unit 20 instructs the radio frequency integrated circuit 305. May be substituted. The radio frequency integrated circuit 305 outputs the calculation result to the control unit 10. In the following description, the transmission power of a radio signal modulated by a carrier belonging to each LTE band is referred to as the transmission power of the band. For example, the transmission power of a radio signal modulated by a carrier belonging to LTE band 1 (B1) is expressed as the transmission power of LTE band (B1). Similarly, a reception level of a radio signal modulated by a carrier belonging to each LTE band is expressed as a reception level of the band. For example, a reception level of a radio signal modulated by a carrier belonging to LTE band 1 (B1) is expressed as a reception level of LTE band (B1).

  When the transmission power of the LTE band 1 (B1) is equal to or higher than the transmission power of the LTE band 5 (B5) (step S03, Yes branch), the process according to step S04 is executed. On the other hand, when the transmission power of LTE band 5 (B5) is higher than the transmission power of LTE band 1 (B1) (step S03, No branch), the process which concerns on step S05 is performed.

  In step S04, the control unit 10 instructs the radio frequency integrated circuit 305 to apply setting 4 illustrated in FIG. 6 to the antenna tuners 701-1 and 701-2. Thereafter, the radio frequency integrated circuit 305 outputs an antenna tuning setting signal ATSS that realizes the instructed setting.

  In step S05, the control unit 10 instructs the radio frequency integrated circuit 305 to apply setting 5 shown in FIG. 6 to the antenna tuners 701-1 and 701-2. Thereafter, the radio frequency integrated circuit 305 outputs an antenna tuning setting signal ATSS that realizes the instructed setting.

  In step S06, the control unit 10 inquires of the digital signal processing unit 20 whether to continue carrier aggregation of the LTE band 1 (B1) and the LTE band 5 (B5).

  When the carrier aggregation of the LTE band 1 (B1) and the LTE band 5 (B5) is continued (step S06, Yes branch), the process returns to step S03 and continues. On the other hand, when the carrier aggregation of LTE band 1 (B1) and LTE band 5 (B5) is not continued (step S06, No branch), the process which concerns on step S07 is performed.

  In step S07, the control unit 10 inquires of the digital signal processing unit 20 which of the LTE band 1 (B1) and the band 5 (B5) is not used.

  When the LTE band 1 (B1) is not used (band 1 is turned off) (step S07, Yes branch), the control unit 10 sets the setting 2 illustrated in FIG. 6 to the antenna tuners 701-1 and 701-2. An instruction to apply is given to the radio frequency integrated circuit 305 (step S08). On the other hand, when LTE band 5 (B5) is not used (band 5 is turned off) (step S07, No branch), control unit 10 sets setting 1 shown in FIG. 6 to antenna tuners 701-1 and 701-. 2 is instructed to the radio frequency integrated circuit 305 (step S09).

  Thereafter, the digital signal processing unit 20 instructs the radio frequency integrated circuit 305 to end the carrier aggregation of the LTE band 1 (B1) and the LTE band 5 (B5) (step S10).

  As described above, in the antenna control device 1 according to the present embodiment, immediately after the carrier aggregation is performed, antenna tuning is performed without biasing antenna characteristics in the two bands (setting 3 in FIG. 6 is applied). Thereafter, the transmission powers in the two bands are compared, and the band having a higher transmission power is prioritized to improve the antenna characteristics.

  For example, when the transmission power of LTE band 1 (B1) is higher than the transmission power of LTE band 5 (B5), antenna tuning is performed by applying setting 4. As a result, the antenna characteristic shows the characteristic value shown in FIG. The antenna characteristic diagram of FIG. 10 shows that the antenna characteristic of LTE band 1 (B1) with high transmission power is prioritized over the antenna characteristic of LTE band 5 (B5).

  On the other hand, when the transmission power of LTE band 5 (B5) is higher than the transmission power of LTE band 1 (B1), antenna tuning is performed by applying setting 5. As a result, the antenna characteristic shows the characteristic value shown in FIG. The antenna characteristic diagram of FIG. 11 shows that the antenna characteristic of LTE band 5 (B5) with high transmission power is prioritized over the antenna characteristic of LTE band 1 (B1).

  In any case, if the antenna characteristics are good, the transmission power required for transmitting a radio signal is reduced. In other words, even if the transmission power is reduced, the antenna characteristics are improved, so that the communication quality can be kept at the same level before and after the antenna tuning. That is, as the antenna characteristics become better, the transmission power of the radio frequency integrated circuit 305 and the power amplifiers 304-1 to 304-4 arranged in front of the antenna can be reduced. As a result, an antenna characteristic adjustment policy of reducing power consumption while ensuring communication characteristics can be realized.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  In the present embodiment, the antenna characteristic adjustment policy when executing carrier aggregation is “improvement of reception characteristics”. More specifically, the antenna control device 2 performs antenna tuning that prioritizes antenna characteristics of a band with a low reception level.

  The difference between the antenna control devices 1 and 2 is control related to antenna tuning in the control unit 10. Since there is no difference between the internal configurations of the antenna control devices 1 and 2, descriptions of the antenna control device 2 corresponding to FIGS. 2 to 5 are omitted.

  FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the antenna control device 2. In FIG. 13, the same processes as those in FIG. The difference between FIG. 13 and FIG. 12 is the processing according to step S03a.

  In step S03a, the radio frequency integrated circuit 305 calculates the reception level of the LTE band 1 (B1) and the reception level of the LTE band 5 (B5). The radio frequency integrated circuit 305 outputs the calculation result to the control unit 10. The control unit 10 compares the reception level of the LTE band 1 (B1) with the reception level of the LTE band 5 (B5).

  When the reception level of the LTE band 1 (B1) is equal to or lower than the reception level of the LTE band 5 (B5) (step S03a, Yes branch), the process according to step S04 is executed. On the other hand, when the reception level of LTE band 5 (B5) is lower than the reception level of LTE band 1 (B1) (step S03a, No branch), the process according to step S05 is executed.

  As described above, in the antenna control device 2 according to the present embodiment, the antenna characteristics of the band having a low reception level are preferentially improved. As a result, an antenna characteristic adjustment policy for improving reception characteristics can be realized.

[Third Embodiment]
Next, a third embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  The antenna control device 3 according to the present embodiment performs antenna tuning in consideration of a user's hand holding the communication device including the antenna control device 3 when performing carrier aggregation.

  The difference between the antenna control devices 1 and 3 is control related to antenna tuning in the control unit 10. Since there is no difference between the internal configurations of the antenna control apparatuses 1 and 3, descriptions of the antenna control apparatus 3 corresponding to FIGS.

  In the first and second embodiments, the user's hand holding the communication device is not considered. However, as a result of intensive studies by the inventors, it has been found that the setting for optimizing the antenna characteristics differs depending on the position of the antenna and the hand holding the communication device. More specifically, it has been found that the resonance frequency and the VSWR characteristic shift depending on the positional relationship between the hand holding the communication device and the antenna (see FIG. 14).

  Therefore, in the antenna control device 3 according to the present embodiment, the user grips the communication device including the antenna control device 3 with the right hand (see FIG. 15A) and the user grips with the left hand (FIG. 15B). The antenna characteristics are improved by applying different settings to the antenna tuners 701-1 and 701-2. That is, the antenna control device 3 (the control unit 10) sets the housing of the communication device in addition to the antenna characteristic adjustment policy and the characteristic value (transmission power or reception level) of the radio signal calculated by the radio frequency integrated circuit 305. Antenna tuning is performed according to the left and right of the user's hand.

  The antenna control device 3 has table information that defines settings when the communication device including the antenna control device 3 is gripped with the right hand and settings when the communication device including the antenna control device 3 is gripped with the left hand. Store in the storage unit 40 in advance.

  FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of setting values of the antenna tuners 701-1 and 701-2 stored in the storage unit 40. The table information shown in FIG. 16 is a setting corresponding to carrier aggregation of LTE band 1 (B1) and band 5 (B5). The setting shown in FIG. 16 is a setting that allows a user to correct a slight shift in the antenna characteristics that is caused by holding the communication device with the right hand or the left hand. For example, even if the antenna characteristic is shifted by the user holding the communication device with the right hand, the setting for shifting the antenna characteristic in a direction to correct the deviation is stored in the storage unit 40. The communication device including the antenna control device 3 includes a setting menu for inputting which hand the user normally uses to hold the communication device. Prior to using the communication device, the user inputs a hand holding the communication device in advance. The communication device including the antenna control device 3 includes a housing that stores the antenna control device 3 and an input unit that inputs information regarding the left and right of the user's hand that holds the housing. In addition, the control unit or the like of the communication device registers the input information regarding the handle in the storage unit 40 of the antenna control device 3.

  FIG. 17 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the antenna control device 3. In FIG. 17, the same processes as those in FIG.

  The difference between FIG. 17 and FIG. 12 is that, when performing antenna tuning, the setting to be applied is changed according to whether the user's handle is the right hand or the left hand. Specifically, the processes related to step S02a, step S04a, step S05a, step 08a, and step S09a in FIG. 17 are different from the process shown in FIG.

  FIG. 18 is an example of a flowchart relating to step S02a (holding judgment and tuning process) shown in FIG.

  Referring to FIG. 18, when performing antenna tuning, the control unit 10 first confirms information regarding the handle input by the user (step S <b> 101).

  If the handle is the right hand (step S101, Yes branch), the control unit 10 instructs the radio frequency integrated circuit 305 to execute the antenna tuning to which the setting 3-1 shown in FIG. 16 is applied (step S102). If the handle is the left hand (step S101, No branch), the control unit 10 instructs the radio frequency integrated circuit 305 to execute the antenna tuning to which the setting 3-2 shown in FIG. 16 is applied (step S103).

  Similar processing is performed in step S04a, step S05a, step 08a, and step S09a shown in FIG.

  Specifically, in step S04a, execution of antenna tuning is applied to apply setting 4-1 if the right hand is a gripping hand and apply setting 4-2 if the hand is a left hand. In step S05a, if the right hand is a gripping hand, setting 5-1 is applied, and if it is the left hand, execution of antenna tuning is applied to apply setting 5-2. In step S08a, if the right hand is a gripping hand, setting 2-1 is applied, and if it is the left hand, execution of antenna tuning applying setting 2-2 is instructed. In step S09a, if the right hand is a gripping hand, setting 1-1 is applied, and if it is the left hand, execution of antenna tuning applying setting 1-2 is instructed.

  Note that the antenna characteristic adjustment policy of the antenna control device 3 according to the present embodiment is to reduce power consumption as in the first embodiment. However, as in the second embodiment, the improvement in reception characteristics is the same as the antenna characteristic. It may be an adjustment policy.

  As described above, in the antenna control device 3 according to the present embodiment, the antenna characteristics of the band having a high transmission power are preferentially improved while considering the antenna characteristics that change depending on the handle. As a result, the communication characteristics can be ensured and the transmission power can be further reduced according to the improvement of the antenna characteristics. This is because if the user's handle is not taken into account, the antenna characteristics are slightly shifted, but the antenna tuning is performed in consideration of such a shift.

  The antenna control devices 1 to 3 according to the first to third embodiments can be realized as a chip set corresponding to wireless communication such as LTE-Advanced.

  The communication device including the antenna control devices 1 to 3 according to the first to third embodiments is not limited to a mobile phone or a smartphone, but may be another device. For example, the communication device may be a game machine, a tablet PC (Personal Computer), a notebook PC, a PDA (Personal Data Assistants; personal digital assistant), a digital camera, or the like. In addition, the transmission / reception method of a radio signal modulated by carriers belonging to a plurality of bands is not limited to LTE-Advanced, but is a wireless LAN (Local) defined by IEEE (The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers) 802.11ac / ad or the like. (Area Network) may be used.

  A part or all of the above embodiments can be described as in the following supplementary notes, but is not limited thereto.

[Appendix 1]
This is the same as the antenna control apparatus according to the first aspect described above.
[Appendix 2]
When the adjustment policy is to reduce power consumption,
The calculating unit calculates transmission powers of the first and second radio signals;
When the transmission power of the first radio signal is higher than the transmission power of the second radio signal, the control unit sets the antenna characteristic in the first band to be higher than the antenna characteristic in the second band. The antenna control device according to supplementary note 1, wherein the resonance frequency is controlled to be higher.
[Appendix 3]
When the adjustment policy is to improve reception characteristics,
The calculation unit calculates reception levels of the first and second radio signals,
When the reception level of the first radio signal is lower than the reception level of the second radio signal, the control unit sets the antenna characteristic in the first band to be higher than the antenna characteristic in the second band. The antenna control device according to supplementary note 1, wherein the resonance frequency is controlled to be higher.
[Appendix 4]
The tuner includes a plurality of capacitors, and a plurality of switches for switching connection between the plurality of capacitors,
The antenna control device according to any one of appendices 1 to 3, wherein the control unit controls the plurality of switches to change a combined capacitance composed of the plurality of capacitors to control the resonance frequency.
[Appendix 5]
This is the same as the antenna control method according to the second aspect described above.
[Appendix 6]
When the adjustment policy is to reduce power consumption,
The calculating step calculates transmission powers of the first and second radio signals,
The step of controlling the resonance frequency includes: when the transmission power of the first radio signal is higher than the transmission power of the second radio signal, the antenna characteristic in the first band is changed in the second band. The antenna control method according to appendix 5, wherein the resonance frequency is controlled so as to be higher than an antenna characteristic.
[Appendix 7]
When the adjustment policy is to improve reception characteristics,
The calculating step calculates reception levels of the first and second radio signals;
The step of controlling the resonance frequency includes: when the reception level of the first radio signal is lower than the reception level of the second radio signal; The antenna control method according to appendix 5, wherein the resonance frequency is controlled so as to be higher than an antenna characteristic.
[Appendix 8]
The step of controlling the resonance frequency includes, in addition to the adjustment policy and the calculation result of the calculation step, the antenna characteristics in the first band according to the left and right of the user's hand holding the casing connected to the antenna. The method for controlling an antenna according to any one of appendices 5 to 7, wherein the resonance frequency is controlled so as to be higher than the antenna characteristic in the second band.
[Appendix 9]
It is as the program which concerns on the above-mentioned 3rd viewpoint.
[Appendix 10]
When the adjustment policy is to reduce power consumption,
The calculation process calculates transmission power of the first and second radio signals,
The process of controlling the resonance frequency is performed by converting the antenna characteristics in the first band in the second band when the transmission power of the first radio signal is higher than the transmission power of the second radio signal. The program according to appendix 9, wherein the resonance frequency is controlled to be higher than an antenna characteristic.
[Appendix 11]
When the adjustment policy is to improve reception characteristics,
The calculation processing calculates reception levels of the first and second radio signals,
When the reception level of the first radio signal is lower than the reception level of the second radio signal, the process of controlling the resonance frequency is performed by converting the antenna characteristics in the first band into the second band. The program according to appendix 9, wherein the resonance frequency is controlled to be higher than an antenna characteristic.
[Appendix 12]
The process for controlling the resonance frequency includes the antenna characteristics in the first band according to the left and right of the user's hand holding the casing connected to the antenna, in addition to the adjustment policy and the calculation result of the calculation process. Is a program according to any one of appendices 9 to 11 for controlling the resonance frequency so as to be higher than the antenna characteristic in the second band.
[Appendix 13]
It is as the communication apparatus which concerns on the above-mentioned 4th viewpoint.

  The disclosure of the cited patent document is incorporated herein by reference. Within the scope of the entire disclosure (including claims) of the present invention, the embodiments and examples can be changed and adjusted based on the basic technical concept. Various disclosed elements (including each element of each claim, each element of each embodiment or example, each element of each drawing, etc.) within the scope of the claims of the present invention, Selection is possible. That is, the present invention of course includes various variations and modifications that could be made by those skilled in the art according to the entire disclosure including the claims and the technical idea. In particular, with respect to the numerical ranges described in this document, any numerical value or small range included in the range should be construed as being specifically described even if there is no specific description.

1-3, 100 Antenna control device 10, 104 Control unit 20 Digital signal processing unit 30 RF unit 40 Storage unit 50 Power supply unit 60 Power supply unit 70 Antenna unit 101 Radio signal generation circuit 102 Tuner 103 Calculation unit 301 Diplexer 302-1, 302-2 Antenna switches 303-1 to 303-4 Duplexers 304-1 to 304-4 Power amplifier 305 Radio frequency integrated circuits 701-1 and 701-2 Antenna tuner 702 Control circuits C1 to C5 Capacitors SW1 to SW5 switches

Claims (10)

A circuit for generating a first radio signal modulated by a carrier wave having a frequency included in the first band and a second radio signal modulated by a carrier wave having a frequency included in the second band;
A tuner that varies a resonance frequency of an antenna that transmits and receives the first and second radio signals;
A calculation unit for calculating characteristic values of the first and second radio signals;
Control for controlling the resonance frequency so that the antenna characteristic in the first band is higher than the antenna characteristic in the second band according to the adjustment policy regarding the antenna characteristic of the antenna and the calculation result of the calculation unit. And
An antenna control device comprising: When the adjustment policy is to reduce power consumption,
The calculating unit calculates transmission powers of the first and second radio signals;
When the transmission power of the first radio signal is higher than the transmission power of the second radio signal, the control unit sets the antenna characteristic in the first band to be higher than the antenna characteristic in the second band. The antenna control device according to claim 1, wherein the resonance frequency is controlled to be higher. When the adjustment policy is to improve reception characteristics,
The calculation unit calculates reception levels of the first and second radio signals,
When the reception level of the first radio signal is lower than the reception level of the second radio signal, the control unit sets the antenna characteristic in the first band to be higher than the antenna characteristic in the second band. The antenna control device according to claim 1, wherein the resonance frequency is controlled to be higher. The tuner includes a plurality of capacitors, and a plurality of switches for switching connection between the plurality of capacitors,
4. The antenna control device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the plurality of switches to change a combined capacitance composed of the plurality of capacitors to control the resonance frequency. 5. Generating a first radio signal modulated by a carrier wave having a frequency included in the first band and a second radio signal modulated by a carrier wave having a frequency included in the second band;
A calculating step of calculating characteristic values of the first and second radio signals;
The antenna characteristic in the first band is higher than the antenna characteristic in the second band according to the adjustment policy regarding the antenna characteristic of the antenna that transmits and receives the first and second radio signals and the calculation result of the calculation step. So as to control the resonance frequency of the antenna;
An antenna control method including: When the adjustment policy is to reduce power consumption,
The calculating step calculates transmission powers of the first and second radio signals,
The step of controlling the resonance frequency includes: when the transmission power of the first radio signal is higher than the transmission power of the second radio signal, the antenna characteristic in the first band is changed in the second band. The antenna control method according to claim 5, wherein the resonance frequency is controlled to be higher than an antenna characteristic. When the adjustment policy is to improve reception characteristics,
The calculating step calculates reception levels of the first and second radio signals;
The step of controlling the resonance frequency includes: when the reception level of the first radio signal is lower than the reception level of the second radio signal; The antenna control method according to claim 5, wherein the resonance frequency is controlled to be higher than an antenna characteristic.   The step of controlling the resonance frequency includes, in addition to the adjustment policy and the calculation result of the calculation step, the antenna characteristics in the first band according to the left and right of the user's hand holding the casing connected to the antenna. The antenna control method according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the resonance frequency is controlled so as to be higher than antenna characteristics in the second band. A circuit for generating a first radio signal modulated by a carrier wave having a frequency included in the first band and a second radio signal modulated by a carrier wave having a frequency included in the second band;
A tuner that varies a resonance frequency of an antenna that transmits and receives the first and second radio signals;
A program for causing a computer to control an antenna control device comprising:
A calculation process for calculating characteristic values of the first and second radio signals;
A process of controlling the resonance frequency so that the antenna characteristic in the first band is higher than the antenna characteristic in the second band according to the adjustment policy regarding the antenna characteristic of the antenna and the calculation result of the calculation process. When,
A program that executes A housing for storing the antenna control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
An input unit for inputting information on the left and right of the user's hand holding the housing;
With
In addition to the adjustment policy and the calculation result of the calculation unit, the control unit determines that the antenna characteristic in the first band is the antenna characteristic in the second band according to the right and left of the user's hand holding the casing. A communication device for controlling the resonance frequency so as to be higher.

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