Tunable microwave devices with auto-adjusting matching circuit

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention provides a power amplifier, comprising tunable impedance matching circuit including a plurality of tunable dielectric varactors and a DC voltage source interface capable of providing voltage to said plurality of saud tunable dielectric varactors.

1 . An apparatus, comprising: 
 a power amplifier with a tunable impedance matching circuit including a plurality of tunable dielectric varactors; and    a DC voltage source interface capable of providing voltage to said plurality of saud tunable dielectric varactors.    
     
     
         2 . An auto-adjusting matching circuit, comprising: 
 a conducting matching network supported by a non-tunable dielectric substrate, said non-tunable dielectric substrate supported by a first ground conductor;    at least one conducting partial-stage supported by a voltage-tunable dielectric layer, said voltage-tunable dielectric layer is supported by a second ground conductor; and    a biasing electrode capable of connection to an external variable DC voltage source.    
     
     
         3 . The auto-adjusting matching circuit of  claim 2 , wherein said biasing electrode is connected to said auto-adjusting matching circuit by way of a microwave choke.  
     
     
         4 . An apparatus, comprising: 
 a phase shifter; and    a matching network coupled to said phase shifter, said matching network including a plurality of voltage tunable dielectric varactors.    
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein said phase shifter is a tunable phase shifter.  
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , further comprising a voltage source supplied to said phase shifter and said matching network.  
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein said voltage source supplying said phase shifter and wherein said voltage source supplying said matching network is controlled by two differene extemarl DC voltage sources.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , further comprising a load coupled to said phase shifter, wherein the impedance of said matching network changes to maximize power transfer to and from said phase shifter.  
     
     
         9 . An apparatus, comprising: 
 a power amplifier; and    a matching network coupled to said power amplifer, said matching network including a plurality of voltage tunable dielectric varactors.    
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein said power amplifier is a tunable power amplifier.  
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , further comprising a voltage source supplied to said power amplifier and said matching network.  
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein said voltage source supplying said power amplifier and wherein said voltage source supplying said matching network is controlled by two differene externarl DC voltage sources.  
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , further comprising a load coupled to said power amplifier, whrein the impedance of said matching network changes to maximize power transfer to and from said power amplifier.  
     
     
         14 . An apparatus, comprising: 
 a delay line; and    a matching network coupled to said delay line, said matching network including a plurality of voltage tunable dielectric varactors.    
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein said delay line is a tunable delay line.  
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , further comprising a voltage source supplied to said delay line and said matching network.  
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein said voltage source supplying said delay line and wherein said voltage source supplying said matching network is controlled by two different externarl DC voltage sources.  
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , further comprising a load coupled to said delay line, whrein the impedance of said matching network changes to maximize power transfer to and from said delay line.  
     
     
         19 . An apparatus, comprising: 
 a filter; and    a matching network coupled to said filter, said matching network including a plurality of voltage tunable dielectric varactors.    
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein said filter is a tunable filter.  
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , further comprising a voltage source supplied to said phase shifter and said matching network.  
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein said voltage source supplying said phase shifter and wherein said voltage source supplying said matching network is controlled by two differene externarl DC voltage sources.  
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , further comprising a load coupled to said phase shifter, whrein the impedance of said matching network changes to maximize power transfer to and from said phase shifter.  
     
     
         24 . An apparatus, comprising: 
 an antenna; and    a matching network coupled to said antenna, said matching network including a plurality of voltage tunable dielectric varactors.    
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein said antenna is an RF antenna.  
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein said matching network is an auto-adjusting matching circuit capable of contributing to the tunable range of said apparatus.  
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein said apparatus is a microwave device.  
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of  claim 25 , matching network is a multi-stage impedance matching circuit that includes both non-tunable and tunable dielectric material.  
     
     
         29 . The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein said matching network facilitates the capability of operation by said apparatus in the frequency range between 500 MHz to 40 GHz.  
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of  claim 28 , wherein said matching circuit has minimal reflection loss and reduced insertion loss over the tuning range of said apparatus.  
     
     
         31 . A method of impedance matching in a device, comprising: 
 interposing a multi-stage impedance matching circuit between a conductor line and an entry point of said device, wherein the multi-stage impedance matching circuit reduces the signal reflection of a signal propagating through a tunable impedance transformer into said device, by matching the wave impedance of a signal at said entry point, to the source impedance.    
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the device is a microwave device and said signal is a microwave signal.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein said device is a handset and said source impedance is provided by an antenna coupled to said handset.