JP2014529976A - Antenna array structure, device, and transmission / reception method - Google Patents

Abstract

The antenna structure includes a dielectric material with antenna array elements installed on both sides. The elements on either side of the dielectric material overlap or interleave with the opposing elements. The dielectric material can further include co-located antenna arrays or array elements that radiate in different directions. The antenna array element can be formed using a conformal shield that has been applied and selectively removed to create the antenna structure. A device that includes an antenna structure can include a casing that is a shaped lens to increase antenna aperture size and improve antenna performance.

Description

  The present invention relates to an antenna array structure, a device, a transmission / reception method, and the like.

  Ongoing transmission specifications, such as the Wireless Gigabit Alliance (WGA), or WiGig specification, are implemented in various transmission devices. The WiGig specification is defined by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11ad specification. In particular, antennas and antenna arrays used in various devices will implement such specifications. Devices using one or more antenna arrays can transmit using a WiGig radio that operates in the 60 GHz frequency spectrum (also known as “DBand”) as defined by the WiGig specification. .

  The antenna array can be connected to separate transmit and receive chains, or combination transmit / receive switches. The antenna array can include a number of elements, and the antenna array elements can be arranged to form a one-dimensional array or a two-dimensional array. The antenna array can be designed to radiate or transmit radio waves perpendicular to the array orientation (eg, radiate in the z-axis for an antenna array arranged in the y-axis, or x− radiates in the z-axis for planar antenna arrays arranged in the y-plane). Such radiation is referred to as broadside radiation. In some implementations, the antenna array can be designed to radiate or transmit radio waves in the same direction as the array orientation (eg, radiating on the y-axis for antenna arrays arranged on the y-axis). Or radiate in the xy plane in the case of a planar antenna array arranged in the xy plane). Such radiation is referred to as end fire radiation.

  Regardless of what specifications are implemented on the device, such as the WiGig specification, minimizing the space occupied by the antenna array in the device, lossy power transmission from the various power sources of the device to the antenna array ) And the effective transmission generally from the antenna array of the device to the receiving device / station, etc.

The structure according to the embodiment is
A dielectric material having two flat surfaces;
A first set of antenna array elements arranged on one side of the dielectric material;
A structure of an antenna array comprising a second set of antenna array elements arranged on the other face of the dielectric material facing the elements of the first set of antenna array elements. .

  The detailed description is described with reference to the accompanying figures. In the figure, the leftmost digit of the reference number indicates the figure in which the reference number first appears. The same numbers are used throughout the drawings to reference like features and components.

FIG. 5 is an illustration of an exemplary dielectric with overlapping antenna array elements. FIG. 4 is an exemplary dielectric with interleaved antenna array elements. FIG. 6 is an illustration of an example configuration for a separate transmit antenna chain and array and a receive antenna chain and array. 1 is a diagram of an example system wireless device. FIG. 1 is a diagram of an example system that includes co-located antenna array elements. FIG. FIG. 3 is an illustration of an exemplary broadside antenna formed with a conformal shield. 1 is a diagram of an exemplary endfire antenna formed with a conformal shield. FIG. FIG. 3 is an exemplary shaping lens for improving antenna performance. 6 is an exemplary flow diagram for transmitting and receiving with overlapping or interleaved antenna arrays.

<Overview>
Described herein are configurations, platforms, and methods for forming overlapping and interleaved transmit and receive antenna arrays on a wireless device. Some embodiments provide a dielectric material in which an antenna array is placed on both sides of the dielectric material. In some embodiments, antenna arrays or array elements that radiate in different directions are arranged or co-located together on the same substrate or module. In some embodiments, a conformal shield or a conformal shield is applied and removed to create the antenna structure. In some embodiments, the device uses the casing as a shaping lens to increase the antenna aperture size and improve antenna performance.

  Unless otherwise specified, as will be apparent from the following description, throughout the present specification, descriptions using terms such as “process”, “calculate”, “calculate”, and “determine” Or an operation and / or process of a computing system or similar electronic computing device, by which the physical quantity such as electronic data in a register and / or memory of the computing system And / or convert the data to other data that is also indicated as a physical quantity in a memory, register or other such information storage or transmitting device of the computing system. Please understand that. As used herein, the term “a” or “an” is defined as one, or more than one. As used herein, the term “plurality” is defined as two or more than two. As used herein, the term “another” is defined as at least a second, or a third or later. As used herein, the term “including” and / or “having” is defined as, but not limited to, “comprising”. As used herein, the term “coupled” operates in any desired form, eg, mechanically, electronically, digitally, directly, by software, by hardware, etc. Defined as possible connected.

  As used herein, the term “wireless device” refers to, for example, a device capable of wireless communication, a communication device capable of wireless communication, a communication station capable of wireless communication, a portable or non-portable device capable of wireless communication. Etc. In some embodiments, the wireless device may be or include a peripheral device integrated with the computer, or a peripheral device attached to the computer. In some embodiments, the term “wireless device” can optionally include wireless services.

  Some embodiments include various devices and systems, such as video devices, audio devices, audio video (A / V) devices, set top boxes (STB), Blu-ray Disc (BD) players, BD recorder, digital video disc (DVD) player, high definition (HD) DVD player, DVD recorder, HD DVD recorder, personal video recorder (PVR), broadcast HD receiver, video source, audio source, Video sync, audio sync, stereo tuner, broadcast radio receiver, display, flat panel display, personal media player (PMP), digital video camera (DVC), digital audio Player, speaker, audio receiver, audio amplifier, data source, data sink, digital still camera (DSC), personal computer (PC), desktop computer, mobile computer, laptop computer, notebook Computers, tablet computers, server computers, handheld computers, handheld devices, personal digital assistant (PDA) devices, handheld PDA devices, onboard devices, offboard devices, hybrid devices, vehicle devices , Non-vehicle devices, mobile or portable devices, consumer devices, non-mobile or non-portable devices, wireless communication stations Wireless communication device, wireless access point, wired or wireless router, wired or wireless modem, wired or wireless network, wireless area network, wireless video area network (WVAN), local area network (LAN), Devices and / or networks that operate in accordance with WLAN, PAN, WPAN, existing WirelessHD ™ and / or Wireless Gigabit Alliance (WGA) specifications and / or future versions and / or derivatives thereof, existing IEEE 802.11 ( IEEE 802.11-19992007: Wireless LAN Media Access Control (MAC) and Physical Layer (PHY) specifications) standards and amendments ("IEEE 802.11 standards"), IEEE 802.16 Devices and / or networks that operate according to quasi and / or future versions and / or derivatives thereof, units and / or devices that are part of the networks mentioned above, one-way and / or two-way radio communication systems, cellular radiotelephones Communication system, wireless display (WiDi) device, cellular phone, wireless phone, personal communication system (PCS) device, PDA device incorporating wireless communication device, mobile or portable global positioning system (GPS) device, GPS receiver or transceiver Or a device incorporating a chip, a device incorporating an RFID element or chip, a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) transceiver or device, a single input multiple output (SIMO) transceiver or device, Input single output (MISO) transceiver or device, device having one or more internal and / or external antennas, digital video broadcast (DVB) device or system, multi-standard wireless device or system, wired or wireless handheld device Can be used with wireless application protocol (WAP) devices, etc.

  Some embodiments may include one or more types of wireless communication signals and / or systems, eg, radio frequency (RF), infrared (IR), frequency division multiplexing (FDM), orthogonal FDM (OFDM), time division Multiplex (TDM), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Extended TDMA (E-TDMA), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Extended GPRS, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband CDMA (WCDMA), CDMA2000, Single Carrier CDMA, multicarrier CDMA, multicarrier modulation (MDM), discrete multitone (DMT), Bluetooth (registered trademark), global positioning system (GPS), Wi-Fi, Wi-Max, ZigBee (trademark), ultra-wideband (UWB), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) 2G, it is possible to use 2.5G, 3G, 3.5G, etc. with GSM Evolution high data rate (EDGE). Other embodiments may be used with a variety of other devices, systems and / or networks.

  Some embodiments may be used with a suitable wireless communication network with limited range or short range, eg, a “piconet”, eg, wireless area network, WVAN, WPAN, etc.

  The described antennas and antenna arrays can comply with the WiGig specification operating in the 60 GHz spectrum. The described antennas and antenna arrays can be beam scanning or directional beam antennas or antenna arrays. Such antennas and antenna arrays can be planar, three-dimensional, or other configurations, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. In addition, the described antennas and antenna arrays can enable broadside and / or endfire radiation.

<Overlapped antenna array and interleaved antenna array>
FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary structure 100 of a separate overlapping antenna array. There is an antenna array on one side or side 102-1 and another side or side 102-2 of the material or dielectric material 104, each having a plurality of antenna array elements 106 and 108. . A typical antenna array structure can be mounted in the same plane, but incorporates an antenna array on both sides of the material 104 to minimize space. In this embodiment, the antenna array elements overlap each other. As shown in FIG. 1, this overlap is understood as the element 106 is directly above the element 108.

  As described further below, the antenna array can be implemented as a separate transmit or Tx chain and a separate receive or Rx chain. A typical antenna array can be used for both transmitted and received radio waves. However, such arrays utilize Tx / Rx switches, which can cause loss of power and sensitivity to the Tx chain lineup and Rx chain lineup. In other words, if each antenna element is used as a transceiver antenna element, a Tx / Rx switch is required to route the Tx and Rx signals separately to the antenna element. This Tx / Rx switch has an associated “insertion loss” that appears in both the Tx chain lineup and the Rx chain lineup. Ultimately, this loss reduces Tx output power and reduces Rx sensitivity. By implementing separate Tx antenna chains and arrays and Rx antenna chains and arrays, such losses related to power and sensitivity can be reduced or eliminated.

  In an antenna array, the elements should be separated by a value approximately derived as λ / 2 “wavelength divided by 2”. The antenna elements are separated from each other by λ / 2 for optimal antenna array performance. Implementations that use the WiGig specification utilize the 60 GHz spectrum. Therefore, the wavelength λ of the 60 GHz radio wave is 5 mm. The spacing λ / 2 between the array elements is 2.5 mm. In general, the total area of the array is a function of the number of elements in the X and Y directions multiplied by λ / 2. By implementing WiGig, the antenna array can be significantly smaller than an antenna array operating at a lower frequency.

  FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary structure 200 of separate alternating antenna arrays. There is an antenna array on one side 202-1 and another side 202-2 of the material or dielectric material 204, each having a plurality of antenna array elements 206 and 208. In this embodiment, the antenna array elements are staggered with respect to each other. As shown in FIG. 2, this alternating arrangement is understood as the elements 206 being interleaved or spaced apart with respect to the elements 208. The elements of one array can be slightly interleaved or offset in the XY direction from the elements of the other array so that the total area is slightly larger than the area of a single antenna array. Alternating is implemented specifically to address potential interference of antenna array elements, as defined by the separation equalization λ / 2.

  Considerations can be made regarding boundary conditions of dielectric materials (eg, dielectric materials 104 and 204), including material thickness. In particular, consideration can be given to the operation of the antenna element with respect to other antenna elements. In addition, arrays are considered three-dimensional (3D), and elements of one array can act as reflectors or directors to other arrays, thus taking into account the directional differences in the radiation patterns of the two arrays be able to.

  As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the antenna array can be arranged in various forms including, but not limited to, straight lines, hexagons, stars, rings, and the like. Furthermore, the antenna array can be two-dimensional or three-dimensional.

  FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of a configuration 300 for separate transmit antenna array 302 and receive antenna array 304. As described above, the transmit and receive single antenna arrays utilize Tx / Rx switches, which cause loss of power and sensitivity to the Tx chain lineup and Rx chain lineup There is. To address this, a separate transmit antenna array 302 is placed on one side of the dielectric material 306 and a separate receive antenna array 304 is placed on the other side of the dielectric 306. A separate transmit chain 308 controls the transmit antenna array 302 and a separate receive chain 310 controls the receive antenna array 304. One skilled in the art will appreciate that by routing from chains 308 and 310 to antenna arrays 302 and 304, each antenna array element can utilize an efficient (eg, shortest) path. I will.

  FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of a system wireless device 400 (wireless device 400 can be a station in a network), which can be a laptop computer, desktop computer, tablet computer as described above. , Docking stations, network interface cards, mobile devices, handheld devices, smartphones, and the like.

  The wireless device 400 can operate, for example, a wireless network controller, access point, piconet controller (PNC), station, multiband station, source and / or destination DBand station, initiator, responder, etc. It can be a communication device.

  According to some exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the wireless device 400 may include, for example, a radio or radio unit 402. Radio 402 can be operatively coupled to two or more antennas or antenna arrays, such as those described above. For example, radio 402 can be operatively coupled to antennas 404 and 406. As described above, antennas 404 and 406 can be separate transmit and receive antennas or antenna arrays. Accordingly, the radio 402 can include at least a transmitter (Tx) 408 and a receiver (Rx) 410. In addition, although the radio 402 can include a beamforming (BF) controller 410, the scope of the present invention is not limited in this respect.

  Further, according to some embodiments of the present invention, the radio 402 can operate in DBand, eg, 60 GHz frequency band. Wireless device 400 can further include one or more processors 412 and memory 414. The processor 412 may include a station management entity (SME) module 416. Processor 414 may, if desired, implement IEEE 802.11 TAGad and / or IEEE 802.15.3c and / or WirelessHD ™ and / or ECMA-387 and / or ISO / IEC 13156: 2009 and / or Bluetooth ™ and / or Alternatively, the MAC protocol according to WGA or WiGig specifications can be operated.

  The memory 414 can include one or more of volatile memory, non-volatile memory, removable or non-removable memory, erasable or non-erasable memory, writable or rewritable memory, and the like. For example, the memory 414 may include one or more random access memories (RAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), double data rate DRAM (DDR-DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), static RAM (SRAM). Read-only memory (ROM), programmable ROM (PROM), erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), compact disk ROM (CD-ROM), compact disk recordable (CD) -R), compact disk rewritable (CD-RW), flash memory (eg, NOR or NAND flash memory), content addressable memory (CAM), polymer memory, phase Memory, ferroelectric memory, silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide-silicon (SONOS) memory, disk, floppy disk, hard drive, optical disk, magnetic disk, card, magnetic card, optical Cards, tapes, cassettes, etc. can be included.

  A computer storage medium is a volatile and non-volatile, removable or non-removable medium implemented in any method or technique for storage of information such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data including. Computer storage media include but are not limited to RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disc (DVD) or other optical storage device, magnetic cassette, magnetic tape, magnetic It includes a disk storage device or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium that can be used to store information and is accessed by a computing device.

  In some exemplary embodiments, antennas 404 and 406 are, for example, phased array antennas, internal and / or external RF antennas, dipole antennas, monopole antennas, omnidirectional antennas, end feed antennas. (End-fed antenna), circularly polarized antenna, microstrip antenna, diversity antenna, or transmitting and / or receiving radio communication signals, blocks, frames, transmission streams, packets, messages, and / or data Other types of antennas suitable for can be included, but the scope of the invention is not limited to these examples.

  In some exemplary embodiments of the invention, the BF controller 410 may include a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) controller and / or a beam former processor, if desired.

<Colocated antenna array and / or element>
In some embodiments, in order to improve spatial coverage using antenna arrays and / or antenna array elements that radiate in a plurality of directions, the antenna array or antenna element may be a substrate or dielectric material as described above. Can be co-located on a single platform or plane.

  Such an implementation can be used in mobile wireless devices, notebook computers, tablet computers, handheld devices, and the like. This embodiment can also be used in fixed communication devices that cover multiple radiation directions, such as televisions, set top boxes, APs, residential gateways, and the like.

  FIG. 5 shows a schematic diagram of a system 500 that includes co-located antenna array elements. Module 502 may include other devices such as RF module 504 and MAC + IF module 506. An antenna array including ten array elements 508 radiates in direction 510. There are two antenna array elements 512 in the same module and belong to the same module 502. The two antenna array elements 512 radiate in different directions 514. It is intended that the co-located antenna array and elements can operate independently of each other. However, such co-located antenna arrays and elements can operate simultaneously.

  Co-arranging antennas or antenna arrays can save space and improve the spatial coverage of the wireless communication device / system. These different antenna arrays are essentially independent and radiate in different directions. By co-locating an antenna or antenna array on the same module or same substrate, the space used can be reduced, and the antenna array and elements are compatible with smaller form factor devices. This can be particularly useful for devices that are continually shrinking in size.

<Conformal shield to form antenna>
In general, the antenna can be outside the package, such as a transceiver, in the device. Some embodiments may place the antenna as part of a laminate material, where the laminate material includes a die. Other implementations can be set up so that the antenna is a separate component integrated into the package.

  A conformal shield can be applied to the package as a shielding process. Conformal shielding is a method of applying / depositing a thin metallization layer on a molded package or mold package to form a shielded package. For example, the wireless transceiver can be provided as a die in a conformally shielded package. By selectively removing the conformal shield, an antenna structure can be created that integrates the radio transceiver and antenna into the same package. Direct proximity and / or coupling of the die (eg, wireless transceiver) and antenna structure within the package can improve performance because losses are minimized.

  As described below, conformal shield metallization removal can be used to generate a variety of antenna types including “slots”, “slot horns”, “slot patches”, and the like. In addition, different radiation patterns and radiation directions (ie broadside, endfire) can be provided. By integrating the antenna into such a package, a small form factor can be achieved that can be used for devices such as cellular telephones and other handheld devices. In addition, various frequencies such as the WiGig 60 GHz frequency can be supported. As mentioned above, the higher frequency spectrum tends to allow for smaller antennas and smaller packages.

  FIG. 6A shows a schematic diagram of a broadside antenna formed with a conformal shield. A die 600, such as a wireless transceiver, is packaged in a package 602 with a conformal shield. The antenna 604 is created by selectively removing the metallization of the conformal shield. In this example, antenna 604 is a patch antenna, allowing broadside radiation as indicated by directional arrow 606.

  FIG. 6B shows a schematic diagram of an end fire antenna formed with conformal shielding. A die 608 such as a wireless transceiver is packaged in a package 610 with a conformal shield. The conformal shield metallization is selectively removed to produce the antenna 612. In this example, antenna 612 is a slotted horn antenna and allows end-fire radiation as indicated by directional arrow 614.

  Thus, since the antenna is part of the shield above the die, external antenna components can be avoided. Furthermore, the antenna feeder can be directly connected to the die.

<Shaping lens to improve antenna performance>
Devices and wireless devices can be encased in plastic or dielectric materials, particularly to protect internal components such as circuit boards. In general, such encased components can include antennas, antenna arrays, and antenna array elements as described above. Radio waves radiating from such antennas, antenna arrays, and antenna array elements can bend and bend again as it passes through plastic or dielectric housing materials. Although the associated path loss may increase as radio waves pass through the material, the effective aperture remains the same with or without material.

  FIG. 7 shows a schematic diagram of a shaping lens for improving antenna performance. The wireless device 700 includes a housing 702 that can be made of plastic, dielectric material, or other deformable material to produce a shaped lens casing 704. Within the housing 702 is one or more antenna elements 706 having an effective aperture 708 for each radio wave 710. The shaped lens casing can effectively increase the antenna aperture size, as shown by the effective aperture 712. Thereby, a large amount of radio waves can be converged toward and from a physically smaller antenna. The advantage is that the effective antenna gain is increased and link budget can be improved even though there is still dielectric loss associated with the passage of radio waves through the encasing material 702.

  Such an implementation is particularly applicable to devices that implement the WiGig specification and operate in the 60 GHz frequency spectrum. This takes into account that the loss of radio waves passing through the encasing material may be more pronounced at relatively higher frequencies such as 60 GHz. Thus, increasing the effective aperture can help compensate for material losses when calculating the link budget.

  This approach is not limited to platforms and can be done at the package or die level where applicable, such as those described above. Consideration can be given to the material of the encasing, the thickness of the encasing, the radio wavelength, and the like.

<Process example>
FIG. 8 shows a flowchart of an exemplary process 800 for transmitting and receiving radio waves using overlapping or alternating antenna arrays. The order in which the methods are described is not intended to be construed as limiting, and any number of the described method blocks may be combined in any order to implement the method or alternative methods. In addition, individual blocks may be deleted from this method without departing from the spirit and scope of the subject matter described herein.

  At block 802, the antenna array and elements are placed on one side of the dielectric material. In some embodiments, antenna arrays and elements can share one side or plane of dielectric material with other antenna arrays and elements. Antenna arrays and elements and other antenna arrays and elements can radiate in the same or different directions.

  At block 804, another antenna array and element is placed on the other side of the dielectric material. The element can overlap the element on the opposite side of the dielectric material. In some embodiments, the elements can be interleaved with elements on the opposite side of the dielectric. Alternating and positioning can be determined based on the possible interference of the elements, as determined by a spacing of approximately λ / 2.

  At block 806, transmission of radio waves is performed by a separate transmission chain using one of the antenna arrays. Transmission can be by radio operating at 60 GHz as defined by the WiGig specification.

  At block 808, radio wave reception is performed by a separate receive chain using one of the antenna arrays. Reception can be by radio operating at 60 GHz as defined by the WiGig specification.

  At block 810, the transmitted and received radio waves are bent to increase the effective aperture of the antenna array. This can be done by using a shaping lens as described above.

  An implementation according to the invention has been described in the context of a particular embodiment. These embodiments are meant to be exemplary and not limiting. Many changes, variations, additions, and improvements are possible. Thus, multiple cases can be provided for the components described herein as a single case. The boundaries between the various components, operations, and data stores are somewhat arbitrary, and specific operations are shown in the context of special exemplary configurations. Other assignments of functions are envisioned and can fall within the scope of the claims. Finally, structures and functions presented as individual components in various configurations can be implemented as a combined structure or component. These and other changes, modifications, additions and improvements may be within the scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

Claims (22)

A dielectric material having two flat surfaces;
A first set of antenna array elements arranged on one side of the dielectric material;
An antenna array structure comprising: a second set of antenna array elements arranged on the other face of the dielectric material facing the elements of the first set of antenna array elements.   The structure of claim 1, wherein the second set of antenna array elements overlaps the elements of the first set of antenna array elements.   The structure of claim 1, wherein the second set of antenna array elements are interleaved with respect to the elements of the first set of antenna array elements.   The structure of claim 1, wherein the elements of the first and second antenna arrays are separated from each other by a distance of λ / 2.   The structure of claim 4, wherein λ is defined by a 60 GHz operating frequency.   The structure of claim 1, wherein the first set of antenna array elements is part of a transmit chain and the second set of antenna array elements is part of a receive chain.   The structure of claim 1, wherein the antenna array of the first and second sets of antenna array elements operates at 60 GHz.   The structure of claim 1, wherein the antenna array element is shaped using a conformal shield process.   The structure of claim 1, wherein the antenna array element is part of a broadside or endfire antenna array.   The structure of claim 1, wherein the antenna array element radio waves are bent to increase the effective aperture of the element.   2. The structure of claim 1 further comprising other antenna array elements that radiate in different directions located on either or one side of the structure. One or more processors;
A radio unit formed for one or more processors, the transmitter connected to a first antenna array having a plurality of elements arranged on one side of a dielectric material, and said dielectric A radio comprising a receiver connected to a second antenna array having a plurality of elements arranged on the other side of the body material.   The device of claim 12, wherein elements on either side of the dielectric material are arranged overlapping the opposing elements.   13. A device according to claim 12, wherein the elements on either side of the dielectric material are arranged in an alternating fashion relative to the opposing elements.   The device of claim 12, wherein the elements are arranged to be separated from each other by a distance of λ / 2.   13. The device of claim 12, wherein the antenna element is part of a package that includes either or both of the transmitter and the receiver and is formed using a conformal shield.   The device of claim 12, wherein the device operates at 60 GHz.   13. The device of claim 12, further comprising an encasing shaped to bend the transmitted and received radio waves to increase the effective aperture of the element.   13. The device of claim 12, further comprising antenna elements and / or arrays arranged together to increase spatial coverage. A method for transmitting and receiving radio waves,
Placing the first antenna array and elements on one side of the dielectric material;
Placing a second antenna array and elements on the other side of the dielectric material;
Transmitting via a transmit chain using the first antenna array and elements;
Receiving with a receive chain using said second antenna array and elements.   21. The method of claim 20, further comprising shaping a radio wave transmitted and received to increase an effective aperture of the antenna array.   21. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of placing antenna arrays and / or elements together to increase spatial coverage.

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