How Smartphones Calibrate Their Radio Power Across Different Temperatures
A method for testing and calibrating a phone's wireless radio performance in a temperature-controlled chamber to ensure it stays accurate as the device heats up or cools down.
Original patent title: “Wireless communications circuitry with temperature compensation”
A method for testing and calibrating a phone's wireless radio performance in a temperature-controlled chamber to ensure it stays accurate as the device heats up or cools down. Granted to Apple Inc in 2014 with 22 claims and 47 forward citations.
Key facts
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent describes a factory-floor testing process that ensures a smartphone's radio remains consistent regardless of its internal temperature. During manufacturing, the device is placed in a temperature-controlled chamber and forced to transmit signals at various temperatures. The system measures how the power amplifier's output drifts at these different temperatures compared to a baseline. It then calculates specific offset values—essentially a correction table—that are stored on the device to help it adjust its power output dynamically during daily use.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover real-time, on-device temperature compensation that occurs without prior factory calibration data.
- Does not cover the physical design of the power amplifier circuitry itself.
- Does not cover software-based signal processing techniques that compensate for interference or noise.
- Does not cover calibration methods that rely solely on ambient room temperature without a specialized test chamber.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
What made this novel
Instead of trying to build a 'perfect' radio that doesn't change with heat, the inventors treat the radio's temperature-induced drift as a predictable variable that can be measured and neutralized with a simple lookup table.
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Factory calibration of iPhone radio components
Automated testing rigs for mobile device manufacturing
RF power amplifier characterization systems
Why it matters
The bigger picture
Wireless radios are sensitive to heat; as components warm up, their power output can fluctuate, which can lead to dropped calls or poor data speeds. This patent provides a standardized, repeatable way for manufacturers like Apple to ensure that every device leaving the factory has a custom 'map' of how its radio behaves across a wide temperature range, ensuring reliable performance for the end user.
Filed
April 30, 2012
Granted
September 9, 2014
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Apple continues to refine these calibration techniques for its cellular hardware. Major contract manufacturers like Foxconn and Pegatron implement these testing protocols on their assembly lines to meet the specifications set by companies like Apple, Qualcomm, and Samsung.
Market impact
This patent helped formalize the high-precision calibration standards required for modern 4G and 5G devices, where tight power control is essential for regulatory compliance and battery efficiency. By automating this calibration, manufacturers were able to maintain high throughput on assembly lines while ensuring consistent radio performance across millions of units.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent describes a factory-floor testing process that ensures a smartphone's radio remains consistent regardless of its internal temperature. During manufacturing, the device is placed in a temperature-controlled chamber and forced to transmit signals at various temperatures. The system measures how the power amplifier's output drifts at these different temperatures compared to a baseline. It then calculates specific offset values—essentially a correction table—that are stored on the device to help it adjust its power output dynamically during daily use.
The clever bit
Instead of trying to build a 'perfect' radio that doesn't change with heat, the inventors treat the radio's temperature-induced drift as a predictable variable that can be measured and neutralized with a simple lookup table.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover real-time, on-device temperature compensation that occurs without prior factory calibration data.
- Does not cover the physical design of the power amplifier circuitry itself.
- Does not cover software-based signal processing techniques that compensate for interference or noise.
- Does not cover calibration methods that rely solely on ambient room temperature without a specialized test chamber.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Strong
Citation count
34/40
Moderately cited
Claim breadth
15/20
Broad claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
5/20
Granted 10–20 years ago
Assignee scale
20/20
Major company or institution
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$115K – $367K
Midpoint $229K · 5.9 yr remaining · industry ×1.4
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
The original legal language
Original claims
22 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Toh, Y., & Luong, A. (2014). How Smartphones Calibrate Their Radio Power Across Different Temperatures (U.S. Patent No. 8,831,529). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/8831529/airplay-wireless-streaming
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How Smartphones Calibrate Their Radio Power Across Different Temperatures cover?
A method for testing and calibrating a phone's wireless radio performance in a temperature-controlled chamber to ensure it stays accurate as the device heats up or cools down.
Who owns patent US 8831529?
Apple Inc owns this patent, granted in 2014.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on September 9, 2034, when the invention enters the public domain.
What is patent US 8831529 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 47 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
Wireless radios are sensitive to heat; as components warm up, their power output can fluctuate, which can lead to dropped calls or poor data speeds. This patent provides a standardized, repeatable way for manufacturers like Apple to ensure that every device leaving the factory has a custom 'map' of how its radio behaves across a wide temperature range, ensuring reliable performance for the end user.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover real-time, on-device temperature compensation that occurs without prior factory calibration data.
Same assignee
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