EP0372430A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Automatic antenna tuning
Assignee: Seiko Epson Corp
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Filing: 1989-12-01
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2009-12-01
Abstract
Abstract A wristwatch paging receiver is provided with an antenna matching network that automatically retunes the network at the beginning of a listening interval. During the retuning operation, a control signal is applied to a variable tuning element in the matching network, such as a varactor diode, and is swept from a minimum value to a maximum value. This sweeping is desirably performed in discrete voltage steps that correspond to unit increments of varactor capacitance. A feedback signal from the receiver, such as an AGC signal, is monitored during this operation to note which varactor bias signal yields the maximum AGC signal. After the sweep is concluded, the apparatus applies to the varactor the bias voltage that yielded the maximum AGC signal during the sweeping operation. This bias voltage is maintained through the end of the listening interval. At the beginning of the next listening interval, the process may be repeated.
Inventors
- 👤 Garold B. Gaskill
- 👤 Larry H. Mukai
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 04:29
CPC Classifications
H; H03; H03J; H03J1/00; H03J1/0008; H03J1/0033; H01; H01Q; H01Q1/00; H01Q1/27; H03J7/00; H03J7/18; H03J7/20; H03J7/28
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
157 words
A radio receiver which is periodically activated to receive a packet of information, comprising: an antenna connected to said receiver; an antenna tuning element coupled to said antenna for tuning said antenna; means coupled to said antenna for producing a first signal which indicates the strength of a signal received by said radio receiver; tuning means for sweeping said antenna tuning element through a predetermined range of values, for detecting when said first signal has a maximum and for setting said tuning element to the value that produces the maximum first signal value; means for automatically activating said tuning means when said radio receiver is activated and prior to the receipt of a packet of information; whereby said antenna is automatically tuned to the value that produces the maximum first signal prior to the time that said radio receiver receives a packet of information and whereby said receiver thereby reliably and accurately receives said packet of information.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
157 words
A radio receiver which is periodically activated to receive a packet of information, comprising: an antenna connected to said receiver; an antenna tuning element coupled to said antenna for tuning said antenna; means coupled to said antenna for producing a first signal which indicates the strength of a signal received by said radio receiver; tuning means for sweeping said antenna tuning element through a predetermined range of values, for detecting when said first signal has a maximum and for setting said tuning element to the value that produces the maximum first signal value; means for automatically activating said tuning means when said radio receiver is activated and prior to the receipt of a packet of information; whereby said antenna is automatically tuned to the value that produces the maximum first signal prior to the time that said radio receiver receives a packet of information and whereby said receiver thereby reliably and accurately receives said packet of information.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
143 words
A wristwatch paging receiver operative during recurrent time slots for receiving paging messages, comprising: an antenna for intercepting transmitted paging signals; an antenna tuning element coupled to the antenna for tuning the same; a receiver subsystem coupled to the antenna and the antenna tuning element for receiving a transmitted signal and for producing a feedback signal related to the received strength thereof; a tuning element controller having means for automatically tuning the antenna tuning element over an entire tuning range thereof once each time slot and for noting which tuning condition produces the maximum feedback signal, said controller further including means for returning the tuning element to said noted tuning condition for the remainder of the time slot; and a band for adapting the receiver to be worn on a user's body, said band further including at least a portion of the antenna.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
143 words
A wristwatch paging receiver operative during recurrent time slots for receiving paging messages, comprising: an antenna for intercepting transmitted paging signals; an antenna tuning element coupled to the antenna for tuning the same; a receiver subsystem coupled to the antenna and the antenna tuning element for receiving a transmitted signal and for producing a feedback signal related to the received strength thereof; a tuning element controller having means for automatically tuning the antenna tuning element over an entire tuning range thereof once each time slot and for noting which tuning condition produces the maximum feedback signal, said controller further including means for returning the tuning element to said noted tuning condition for the remainder of the time slot; and a band for adapting the receiver to be worn on a user's body, said band further including at least a portion of the antenna.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
56 words
The apparatus of claim 2 in which the tuning element controller comprises: a clock; a sequencer responsive to the clock for providing a sequence of binary output states; a digital to analog converter for converting the binary output states of the sequencer to analog signals; and means for controlling the tuning element with said analog signals.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
71 words
A radio receiving apparatus comprising: an antenna for intercepting transmitted signals; an antenna tuning element coupled to the antenna for tuning the same; a receiver coupled to the antenna and the antenna tuning element for receiving a transmitted signal and for producing a feedback signal related to the received strength thereof; and a tuning element controller having means for automatically retuning the antenna tuning element periodically to maximize said feedback signal.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
71 words
A radio receiving apparatus comprising: an antenna for intercepting transmitted signals; an antenna tuning element coupled to the antenna for tuning the same; a receiver coupled to the antenna and the antenna tuning element for receiving a transmitted signal and for producing a feedback signal related to the received strength thereof; and a tuning element controller having means for automatically retuning the antenna tuning element periodically to maximize said feedback signal.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
The apparatus of claim 4 in which the receiving apparatus further includes a wristband for adapting the apparatus to be worn on a user's body.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
17 words
The apparatus of claim 5 in which the wristband includes at least a portion of the antenna.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
44 words
The apparatus of claim 4 in which the receiver is operative during recurrent time slots for receiving a paging message and in which the tuning element includes means for automatically retuning the antenna tuning element at the beginning of each of said time slots.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
56 words
The apparatus of claim 4 in which the tuning element controller comprises: a clock; a sequencer responsive to the clock for providing a sequence of binary output states; a digital to analog converter for converting the binary output states of the sequencer to analog signals; and means for controlling the tuning element with said analog signals.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
30 words
The apparatus of claim 8 in which the sequence of binary output states provided by the sequencer corresponds to analog signals that vary non-uniformly from one state to the next.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
71 words
In a method of operating a paging receiver that includes a matching network for optimizing signal transfer between an antenna and the receiver and a phase locked loop circuit for locking to a spectral component within the paging signal, an improvement comprising: phase locking the phase locked loop circuit to said spectral component while the matching network is being automatically tuned for optimum signal transfer between the antenna and the receiver.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
71 words
In a method of operating a paging receiver that includes a matching network for optimizing signal transfer between an antenna and the receiver and a phase locked loop circuit for locking to a spectral component within the paging signal, an improvement comprising: phase locking the phase locked loop circuit to said spectral component while the matching network is being automatically tuned for optimum signal transfer between the antenna and the receiver.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
50 words
In a method of operating a receiver that is operative during recurrent time slots to receive a message modulated on a signal, the receiver including an antenna tuning circuit, an improvement comprising the step: retuning the antenna tuning circuit once each time slot to optimize reception of the paging signal.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
50 words
In a method of operating a receiver that is operative during recurrent time slots to receive a message modulated on a signal, the receiver including an antenna tuning circuit, an improvement comprising the step: retuning the antenna tuning circuit once each time slot to optimize reception of the paging signal.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
58 words
The invention of claim 11 in which the retuning step further includes: monitoring a signal from the receiver that is indicative of received signal strength; automatically retuning the antenna tuning circuit over an entire tuning range thereof and noting which tuning condition produces the maximum received signal strength; and returning the tuning circuit to said noted tuning condition.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
31 words
The invention of claim 12 in which the retuning step further includes tuning a tuning element in said tuning circuit by applying a sequence of non-uniformly incrementing discrete analog signals thereto.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
63 words
The invention of claim 11 in which the paging receiver further includes a phase locked loop circuit for locking to a spectral component within the paging signal, and in which the method further includes the step: phase locking the phase locked loop circuit to said spectral component while the antenna tuning circuit is being automatically retuned to optimize reception of the paging signal.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
46 words
In an antenna matching/tuning network that includes a varactor diode and a device for biasing the diode successively at a number of different bias levels during a tuning operation, an improvement comprising the step: biasing the diode successively at a number of non-uniformly spaced bias levels.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
46 words
In an antenna matching/tuning network that includes a varactor diode and a device for biasing the diode successively at a number of different bias levels during a tuning operation, an improvement comprising the step: biasing the diode successively at a number of non-uniformly spaced bias levels.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
18 words
The invention of claim 15 in which the non-uniformly spaced bias levels correspond to uniformly spaced varactor capacitances.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
22 words
The invention of claim 15 in which the non-uniformly spaced bias levels correspond to uniformly spaced resonant frequencies of the matching network.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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