The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 09, 1996
Filed:
Jan. 22, 1993
James D English, Aloha, OR (US);
Bruce C Nepple, Portland, OR (US);
Abstract
An improved method and apparatus for automatically tuning an antenna includes adaptive antenna tuning based on a current radio reception frequency and on prior antenna tuning cycles to establish a predictor value. The predictor value establishes an antenna tuning voltage sub-range most likely to contain the optimum antenna tuning voltage, but is a smaller range than the full antenna tuning voltage range. The antenna tuning voltage sub-range is then traversed while monitoring a signal strength indicator to identify an antenna tuning voltage providing optimum tuning conditions. Because only a sub-range of the full antenna tuning voltage range need be traversed, by virtue of the predictor value, relatively small increments in antenna tuning voltage may be used in traversing this sub-range. As a result, the execution time and accuracy of the antenna tuning method of the present invention is improved relative to prior automatic antenna tuning methods.