APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR VARYING THE COUPLING OF A RADIO FREQUENCY SIGNAL

摘要

An apparatus and method for varying coupling of a radio frequency (RF) signal (408). This is advantageously used for increasing the dynamic range of a power detector (406) in an automatic power level control loop (403) of a transmission unit (404), while maintaining transmission unit efficiency at higher power levels. This is accomplished by selecting between a first operating mode of the RF coupler (405) having strong coupling, responsive to a first predetermined power level, such that the RF coupler (405) produces a first coupled RF signal (509) responsive to the RF signal (408) and a second operating mode of the RF coupler (405) having weak coupling, responsive to a second predetermined power level, such that the RF coupler (405) produces a second coupled RF signal (510) responsive to the RF signal (408).