Patent ID: 7598838

Claim:
A variable inductor comprising: a first inductor; a second inductor in physical arrangement with said first inductor for permitting inductive coupling with said first inductor, said second inductor having a first front-end node at its front end and a first back-end node at its back end, said second inductor being formed above said first inductor; a third inductor in physical arrangement with said first inductor for permitting inductive coupling with said first inductor, said third inductor having a second front-end node at its front end and a second back-end node at its back end, said third inductor being formed below said first inductor; and a switching network for selectively interconnecting the first front-end and back-end nodes of said second inductor so as to create a closed current loop through a said second inductor, and for selectively interconnecting the second front-end and back-end nodes of said third inductor so as to create a closed current loop through a said third inductor.