JP6580561B2 - Techniques for operating phased array antennas in millimeter wave radio modules. - Google Patents

Description

Cross-reference of related applications
[0001] This application claims the benefit of US Provisional Application No. 61 / 843,741, filed Jul. 8, 2013.

  [0002] The present invention relates generally to millimeter wave radio frequency (RF) systems, and more particularly to the operation of a phased array antenna in a wireless module that enables efficient signal propagation.

  [0003] The 60 GHz band is an unlicensed band that employs a large amount of bandwidth and a wide global overlap. Large bandwidth means that a very large amount of information can be transmitted wirelessly. As a result, multiple applications can be developed, each requiring transmission of a large amount of data to enable wireless communication around the 60 GHz band. Examples for such applications include, but are not limited to, wireless high-definition TV (HDTV), wireless docking stations, wireless Gigabit Ethernet (R) , And many others.

  [0004] To enable such applications, it is necessary to develop integrated circuits (ICs) such as amplifiers, mixers, radio frequency (RF) analog circuits, and active antennas that operate in the 60 GHz frequency range. An RF system generally comprises an active module and a passive module. Active modules (eg, phased array antennas) require control and power signals for their operation that are not required by passive modules (eg, filters). The various modules are made and packaged as radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs) that can be assembled on a printed circuit board (PCB). The RFIC package size can range from a few square millimeters to a few hundred square millimeters.

  [0005] In the consumer electronics market, the design of electronic equipment, and thus the design of the RF modules incorporated therein, should meet minimum cost, size, power consumption, and weight constraints. The RF module design should also take into account the current assembling configuration of handheld devices, such as electronic devices, particularly laptops and tablet computers, to allow efficient transmission and reception of millimeter wave signals. . Furthermore, the design of the RF module should take into account the minimum power loss of the received and transmitted RF signals and the maximum radio coverage.

  [0006] A schematic diagram of an RF module 100 designed for transmitting and receiving millimeter wave signals is shown in FIG. The RF module 100 includes an array of active antennas 110-1 through 110 -N connected to an RF circuit or IC 120. Each of the active antennas 110-1 to 110-N may operate as a transmit (TX) and / or receive (RX) antenna. The active antenna may be controlled to receive / transmit radio signals in a direction, perform beamforming, and switch from receive mode to transmit mode. For example, the active antenna can be a phased array antenna where each radiating element can be individually and independently controlled to allow the use of beamforming techniques.

  [0007] In transmit mode, the RF circuit 120 typically uses a mixer (not shown in FIG. 1) to convert an intermediate frequency (IF) signal to a radio frequency (RF) signal, Perform up-conversion. Then, the RF circuit 120 transmits an RF signal through the TX antenna according to the control signal. In receive mode, the RF circuit 120 receives an RF signal through an active RX antenna, uses a mixer to perform a down conversion to an IF signal using a local oscillator (LO) signal, and converts the IF signal to baseband. Send to module (not shown in FIG. 1).

  [0008] In both receive and transmit modes, the operation of the RF circuit 120 is controlled by the baseband module using control signals. The control signal is used for functions such as gain control, RX / TX switching, power level control, and beam steering operation. In some configurations, the baseband module also generates LO signals and power signals and forwards such signals to the RF circuit 120. The power signal is a DC voltage signal that powers the various components of the RF circuit 120. Normally, the IF signal is also transferred between the baseband module and the RF circuit 120.

  [0009] In a typical design technique, the array of active antennas 110-1 to 110-N is mounted on a substrate on which the IC of the RF circuit 120 is also mounted. ICs are fabricated on multilayer substrates and metal vias that connect the various layers. The multilayer substrate can be a combination of a metal layer and a dielectric layer, such as a laminate (eg, FR4 glass epoxy, bismaleimide triazine), ceramic (eg, low temperature co-fired ceramic LTCC), polymer (eg, polyimide), PTFE. Materials such as (polytetrafluoroethylene) based compositions (eg, PTFE / ceramic, PTFE / woven glass fiber), and woven glass reinforced materials (eg, woven glass reinforced resin), wafer level packaging, and other packages , Technology and materials. The cost of the multilayer substrate is a function of the area of the layer, i.e., the larger the area of the layer, the higher the cost of the substrate.

  [0010] The antenna elements of the array of active antennas 110-1 to 110-N are generally implemented by having a metal pattern in a multilayer substrate. Each antenna element can utilize several substrate layers. In conventional implementations for millimeter wave communications, the antenna elements are designed to occupy a single plane of the multilayer substrate surface. This is done to allow the antenna radiation to propagate properly.

  [0011] In conventional designs of RF systems, the active antennas 110-1 to 110-N are phased arrays. Phased array antennas provide the ability to focus the beams of many antenna elements in a particular direction. That is, phased array antennas act as if they are a single antenna.

  [0012] Connections between phased array antenna elements are typically performed by using an adder component that combines the feeds from all antenna elements into a single feed. The adder component can function at various locations along the feed. The feed path from the baseband to the RF module, and thus the frequency of the signal along the feed path, may change from the IF frequency to the RF frequency.

  [0013] Conventional implementations of phased arrays generally include the same array of antenna elements. Each antenna element is controlled independently by an adjustable control that adjusts the feed of the antenna element to coordinate with the rest of the antenna element. Thus, the entire beam is focused in a specific direction or creates a specific beam shape.

  [0014] Since the antenna elements are the same, adjustable control is known to be optimal with independent phase control for each element feed.

  [0015] As shown in FIG. 2, conventional phased array antennas use the same elements 210-1 to 210-4 (hereinafter individually referred to as elements 210 or collectively referred to as elements 210). The direction in which the signal propagates provides approximately the same gain for each element 210, but the phase of element 210 is different.

  [0016] At very high frequencies, for example, between 30 GHz and 300 GHz, conventional phased array antennas are implemented using the same principles as at lower frequencies.

  [0017] There is a fundamental limitation at very high frequencies to produce an antenna element with a nearly omni-radiation pattern. This means that each element of a conventional phased array antenna is characterized by a narrow beam width. For example, patch antenna elements greater than 4 dBi or dipole over ground elements greater than 2 dBi may not focus well. A conventional phased array antenna with N identical elements with 10 log (N) +5 dBi gain is obtained using a phased array that can be configured to focus well within an individual 5 dBi element pattern.

  [0018] High frequency diffracted waves cause more loss than low frequency transmission. Thus, the ability to transmit efficiently in all directions is an important design criterion for antenna arrays operating at high frequencies. Thus, conventional designs for phased array antennas are inefficient, for example, for transmitting mm wave signals in the 60 GHz frequency band.

  [0019] Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a solution that improves the operation of a phased array antenna.

  [0020] A summary of some exemplary aspects of the disclosure is as follows. This summary is provided for the convenience of the reader to provide a basic understanding of such aspects and may not fully define the scope of the disclosure. This summary is not an extensive overview of all contemplated aspects and does not identify key or critical elements of all aspects or delineate the scope of any or all aspects. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more aspects in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later. For convenience, the term several aspects may be used herein to refer to a single aspect or multiple aspects of the disclosure.

  [0021] The present disclosure, in various aspects, relates to a method for operating a plurality of radiating elements. In some implementations, the method measures the phase and gain of each of the plurality of radiating elements, and each of the plurality of radiating elements based on the measured phase and measured gain of each radiating element. Determining a feed gain and a feed phase for each of the plurality of radiating elements and independently setting each of the plurality of radiating elements based on the determined feed gain and feed phase.

  [0022] The present disclosure further relates, in various aspects, to an apparatus configured for communication. The apparatus measures a plurality of radiating elements and the phase and gain of each of the plurality of radiating elements and feeds for each of the plurality of radiating elements based on the measured phase and gain of each radiating element. A processing system configured to determine a gain and a feed phase and independently set a feed gain and a feed phase of each of the plurality of radiating elements based on the determined feed gain and the feed phase With.

  [0023] Various aspects of the present disclosure also provide an apparatus for operating a plurality of radiating elements. The apparatus includes means for measuring the phase and gain of each of the plurality of radiating elements, and a feed gain for each of the plurality of radiating elements based on the measured phase and measured gain of each radiating element. And means for determining the feed phase and means for independently setting each of the plurality of radiating elements based on the determined feed gain and feed phase.

  [0024] Various aspects of the present disclosure are based on a plurality of radiating elements, measuring the phase and gain of each of the plurality of radiating elements, and based on the measured phase and measured gain of each radiating element. Determining a feed gain and a feed phase for each of the plurality of radiating elements, and independently setting each of the plurality of radiating elements for the determined feed gain and feed phase. There is further provided an access terminal comprising a processing system and a transmitter configured to transmit a signal via a configured radiating element.

  [0025] Various aspects of the disclosure further provide a computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium measures the phase and gain of each of the plurality of radiating elements and feeds gain for each of the plurality of radiating elements based on the measured phase and measured gain of each radiating element. Instructions executable to determine the feed phase and independently set each of the plurality of radiating elements based on the determined feed gain and feed phase.

  [0026] The subject matter disclosed herein is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion of the specification. The above and other objects, features and advantages of the aspects disclosed herein will become apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0027] FIG. 6 illustrates an RF module having an array of active antennas. [0028] FIG. 8 illustrates signal propagation in a conventional implementation of a phased array antenna. [0029] FIG. 7 illustrates a radiation pattern of an RFIC configured according to one aspect. [0030] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of an RFIC illustrating the configuration of an antenna array, according to one aspect. [0031] FIG. 5 is a phased array antenna schematic utilized to describe various disclosed aspects. [0032] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the use of adjustable feed gain for non-identical elements, according to one aspect.

  [0033] Various aspects of the disclosure are described below. It will be apparent that the teachings herein may be implemented in a wide variety of forms and that the specific structures, functions, or both disclosed herein are merely representative. Based on the teachings herein, the aspects disclosed herein can be implemented independently of other aspects, and two or more of these aspects can be combined in various ways, Those skilled in the art would like to understand. For example, an apparatus can be implemented or a method can be implemented using any number of aspects described herein. Further, such devices may be implemented using other structures, functions, or structures and functions in addition to or instead of one or more of the aspects described herein, or Or such a method may be implemented. Moreover, any aspect disclosed herein may be implemented by one or more elements of a claim.

  [0034] As an example of the above, in some aspects, a method for operating a phased array antenna includes measuring a phase and gain of each of a plurality of radiating elements of the phased array antenna; Determining the feed gain and feed phase for each of the plurality of radiating elements of the phased array antenna based on the measured phase and gain; and determining the feed gain and feed phase of each of the plurality of radiating elements of the phased array antenna. Setting independently. Further, in some aspects, each of the plurality of radiating elements of the phased array antenna is different.

  [0035] The disclosed aspects are examples of the many possible advantageous uses and implementations of the inventive teaching presented herein. In general, statements made in the specification of the present application do not necessarily limit any of the various disclosed aspects. Further, some descriptions may apply to some inventive features but may not apply to other inventive features. In general, unless otherwise specified, singular elements may be plural and vice versa without loss of generality. In the drawings, like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

  [0036] The proposed aspect avoids the disadvantages of prior art solutions for operating phased array antennas by controlling non-identical antenna elements of the antenna array. Such aspects allow for efficient operation of the underlying unbalanced array by further customizing the direction and power applied to each independent element.

  [0037] According to various aspects disclosed herein, non-identical antenna elements of an array of antennas operate independently to provide good coverage in all directions using various polarizations. Be made. The disclosed technique may be utilized in an RF module having an array of active antennas comprised of multiple subarrays.

  [0038] FIG. 3 semantically illustrates a radiation pattern of an RF module 300 that may be utilized to perform the disclosed aspects. The RF module 300 packages at least six antenna subarrays (not shown in FIG. 3), an RF circuit 320 (eg, in the form of an integrated circuit), and individual electronic components 330, all of which are RF It is manufactured on the multilayer substrate 310 of the module 300. The antenna sub-arrays that form the active antenna array of module 300 are designed to receive and transmit millimeter wave signals propagating from the four sides 301, 302, 303, and 304 of RF module 300. Further, the signal propagates upward through the upper surface 305 of the RF module 300 and propagates downward through the lower surface 306 of the RF module 300.

  [0039] In one configuration, the RF module 300 is installed in an electronic device to provide a millimeter wave application in the 60 GHz frequency band. Examples for such applications include, but are not limited to, wireless docking, wireless video transmission, and wireless connectivity to storage appliances. Electronic devices can include, for example, smart phones, mobile phones, tablet computers, access points, access terminals, access gateways, electronic kiosks, laptop computers, and the like.

  [0040] According to one implementation, each element in each antenna sub-array 310 may be independently controlled by the RF circuit 320. Such control is performed to provide good coverage in all directions using various polarizations, as described in more detail below. As a result, signals can be received and / or transmitted through any combination of six antenna subarrays in the RF module 300. Thus, such a signal can be received from any combination of directions. For example, both the antenna sub-array in the upper layer and the antenna sub-array in the lower layer of the substrate 310 are required to allow reception and transmission of signals through the upward and downward directions and the like. As described below, each radiating element in any of the antenna sub-arrays can be independently controlled to further improve and optimize the antenna array in module 300. Note that each antenna sub-array is configured to transmit and receive millimeter wave signals. In one aspect, each antenna subarray is configured to transmit and receive wireless signals in the 60 GHz frequency band.

  [0041] FIG. 4 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an RF module 300 illustrating an antenna array configuration, according to one aspect. As shown in FIG. 4, the multilayer substrate 310 of the RF module 300 comprises six antenna sub-arrays 421, 422, 423, 424 that comprise an active antenna array of modules and are mounted on different layers of the multilayer substrate 310. 425, and 426. The exemplary multilayer substrate 310 includes eight layers 411-418. Each such layer includes sublayers of dialectic, metallic, and semiconductor materials that adhere to each other.

  [0042] Specifically, the antenna sub-array 421 is mounted (eg, printed or fabricated) on the front layer 411 of the substrate 310 and radiates upward (305). The antenna sub-array 422 is mounted in the back layer 416 of the substrate 310 and radiates downward (306). Antenna subarrays 423, 424, 425, and 426 are mounted in intermediate layers of 412, 413, 414, and 415 of substrate 310.

  [0043] In one aspect, each of the antenna sub-arrays 423, 424, 425, and 426 is implemented in a different one of the intermediate layers 412, 413, 414, and 415. In another aspect, two or more of the antenna subarrays 423, 424, 425, and 426 may share the same layer of the intermediate layers 412, 413, 414, and 415. In one exemplary configuration, antenna subarrays 423, 424, 425, and 426 radiate through sides 301, 302, 303, and 304 of RF module 300, respectively.

  In the semantic diagram shown in FIG. 4, layers 417 and 418 are the ground layers of RF module 300. In one aspect, all antenna subarrays share ground layers 417 and 418. This sharing of the ground layer allows the RF module 300 to maintain a compact stackup and shorten vertical signal routing, thereby reducing signal loss due to various antenna arrays.

  [0045] Each of the antenna subarrays 421, 422, 423, 424, 425, and 426 is active, such as a phased array antenna, where each radiating element can be independently controlled to allow use of beamforming techniques. It can be an antenna. Further, the active antenna can be a phased array antenna where each radiating element can be controlled individually and independently to allow the use of beamforming techniques. In particular aspects, each of antenna sub-arrays 421, 422, 423, 424, 425, and 426 can be utilized to receive and transmit millimeter wave signals in the 60 GHz frequency band. As described in detail below, the radiating elements of the “side” antenna sub-arrays 423, 424, 425, and 426 are generally the radiating elements of the antenna sub-arrays 421 and 422 of the front and back layers (411, 416). It is configured differently.

  [0046] As shown in FIG. 4, an RF circuit (RFIC) 440 and discrete electronic components 450 may also be implemented on the multilayer substrate 310. The RF circuit 440 typically performs upconversion using a mixer (not shown in FIG. 1) to convert the intermediate frequency (IF) signal to a radio frequency (RF) signal. Next, the RF circuit 440 transmits the RF signal through the TX antenna according to the control of the control signal.

  [0047] In receive mode, the RF circuit 440 receives an RF signal through an active RX antenna, performs a down-conversion to an IF signal using a local oscillator (LO) signal using a mixer, and an IF signal. To the baseband module. Further, according to one aspect, the RF circuit 440 can control the antenna sub-arrays 421, 422, 423, 424, 425, and 426 independently of each other. This independent control makes it possible to achieve higher antenna diversity and optimal coverage in a particular direction.

  [0048] As a non-limiting example, the RF circuit 440 can switch on the antenna sub-array 421 at the same time as switching off other antenna arrays and / or switching on side antenna arrays. Note that in addition to controlling each antenna subarray independently, the radiating elements in each antenna subarray can also be controlled independently. The RF circuit 440 also controls the phase for each antenna to establish beamforming operations for the phased array antenna.

  [0049] Individual electronic components 450 include the components described above. In one aspect, the RF circuit 440 component 450 is packaged within a metal shield (not shown) of the RF module 300. The metal shield attaches to the front layer 411 so that the RF circuit 440 component 450 is also mounted on the front layer. It should be appreciated that the configuration of antenna sub-arrays 421-426 allows maximizing the number of antennas and thus the size of the active antenna array in millimeter wave RF modules without increasing the area of the RF module. . Therefore, in an aspect employing such a configuration, the area of the RF module can be kept to a minimum despite the increase in the number of antennas.

  [0050] FIG. 5 is a diagram of a phased array antenna 500 utilized to describe various disclosed aspects. In one aspect, the antenna 500 can be any of the antenna sub-arrays 421-426 described above with respect to FIG. In another aspect, the antenna 500 includes one or more of six subarrays, which may serve as an active antenna array for the RF module.

  [0051] The phased array antenna 500 includes a number N of radiating elements 510-1 to 510-N, each of which is designed to receive and transmit mm-wave signals, for example, over a 60 GHz frequency band. Note that the different sub-arrays 421-426 forming the antenna 500, as well as the radiating elements 510-1-510-N, can be configured using different types of antenna elements. For example, the first set of radiating elements can be a dipole, while the second set of radiating elements can be Yagi-Uda.

  [0052] In the receive direction, each of the radiating elements 510-1 to 510-N is respectively LNA 520-1 to 520-N (hereinafter generically referred to as LNA 520 for simplicity only and without limitation to the disclosed aspects. Or individually referred to as a low noise amplifier (LNA) 520) and phase shifters 525-1 through 525-N (for simplicity only and without limitation to the disclosed aspects, hereinafter collectively referred to as phase shifters). 525 or individually referred to as phase shifter 525) and further connected to an adder component 550 that adds the received signals.

  [0053] In the transmit direction, each of the radiating elements 510-1 to 510-N is respectively referred to as a power amplifier (PA) 540-1 to 540N (for simplicity only and without limitation to the disclosed aspects, hereinafter generically Are referred to as power amplifiers 540 or individually referred to as power amplifiers 540) and phase shifters 545-1 to 545 -N (hereinafter collectively referred to as phase shifters 545, or individually referred to as phase shifters 545). ) And is further connected to a distributor 560 for distributing the incoming RF signal to the radiating elements.

  [0054] According to the disclosed aspects, the phase θi of each phase shifter 525 or 545 is controlled individually or independently during signal reception or transmission. Further, the gain Ai of each of the LNA 520 or PA 540 is controlled independently during signal reception or transmission. Thus, according to the disclosed aspects, the gain and phase (Ai; θi, i = 1,..., N) of the signal feed to the element are individually controlled, so that in all directions and in all polarizations Optimize performance for phased array antenna 500.

  [0055] In one aspect, controllable components, ie, amplifiers 520 and 540 and phase shifters 525 and 545, are controlled by processing system 570. Processing system 570 is configured to operate antenna 500 by adjusting the feed gain and feed phase of element 510. Various aspects and other implementation dependent aspects for controlling gain and phase (Ai; θi) as a function of direction and polarization are described in more detail herein below with respect to FIG.

  [0056] The processing system 570 may comprise or be a component of a larger processing system implemented with one or more processors. One or more processors can be general purpose microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors (DSPs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), controllers, state machines, gate logic, discrete hardware components May be implemented using any combination of dedicated hardware finite state machines or any other suitable entity capable of performing information calculations or other operations.

  [0057] The processing system 570 may also include a machine-readable medium for storing software. Software should be broadly interpreted to mean any type of instruction, regardless of name such as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, etc. The instructions may include code (eg, in source code format, binary code format, executable code format, or any other suitable code format). The instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the processing system to perform various functions described herein.

  [0058] In an aspect, the processing system 570 may be incorporated into an RF circuit (eg, FIG. 4, RF circuit 440). In another aspect, the processing system 570 can be part of a baseband module (not shown).

  [0059] In some aspects, the radiating elements 510-1 to 510-N are based on balanced feed antennas, such as dipole antennas or Yagi-Uda antennas. In general, a balanced feed antenna is coupled to a “balun” element that generates a balanced (differential) signal from the input signal to be transmitted. The receiving operation is reciprocal, i.e., the antenna generates a balanced signal that is coupled to a single line via a transition from balanced to unbalanced.

  [0060] According to the disclosed aspects, phase shifters 525 and 545 can be configured to perform a balun function. That is, the phase shifters 525 and 545 can be set to generate a balanced differential signal by setting a 180 degree phase difference between two feeds (not shown in FIG. 5) of the antenna elements. Specifically, when the balun function is required, the phase feed of the first feed is set to θi and the phase feed of the other feeds is set to θi + 180 °. It should be appreciated that in this aspect, there is no need for an explicit balun as part of the RF module design.

  [0061] FIG. 6 is a flowchart 600 illustrating a method for operating a phased array antenna 500, according to one aspect. The method adjusts the feed gain and feed phase of non-equilibrium non-balanced radiating elements.

  [0062] At S610, the gain Gi and phase Φi of each radiating element 510 are measured. In one aspect, the measurement is performed during the beam forming process. In order to measure the gain Gi and the phase Φi, the transmitter continuously transmits a signal (repetitive sequence) to a receiver having a phased array antenna (eg, antenna 500) to be controlled. The gain Gi and phase Φi can be measured as a function of the physical direction D and polarization on the other side of the communication link. The physical direction D and polarization change due to movement and rotation in either the transmitter or the receiver.

  [0063] The receiver turns on one radiating element (eg, element 510-1) and turns off the other radiating elements (eg, elements 510-2 to 510-N). This is performed for each radiating element. For each element that is on, the receiver measures the phase and amplitude of the received signal. The measured information serves as the gain Gi and phase Φi of each element. In one aspect, measured gain Gi and phase Φi for all elements are stored in controller 570. Furthermore, these measurements can also be sent to the transmitter.

  [0064] Also, an exemplary process for measuring gain Gi and phase Φi was approved and published on May 20, 2010, IEEE 802.11ad standard PHY / MAC (also known as WiGi). This is explained in the specification. In one aspect, gain Gi and phase Φi are utilized in controlling the feed of each element during signal reception or transmission.

  [0065] In S620, two configurable parameters α and β are selected. The parameters α and β are used in the calculation of the feed gain Ai and the feed phase θi that are proportional to the measured antenna gain Gi and phase Φi. In one aspect, the values of α and β are selected randomly. In another aspect, the values of α and β are determined to minimize phase quantization error. In general, beam steering accuracy and other characteristics of the radiation pattern depend on the phase feed of the radiating element. Phase quantization error affects the phase feed, and reducing this error allows for improved antenna performance.

  [0066] In one aspect, the α and β values are set to various preconfigured values and the phase quantization error is measured. The set of α and β values that gives the smallest error is selected.

  [0067] At S630, based on the parameters and measured antenna gain and phase (Gi; Φi, i = 1,..., N), the feed gain and feed phase (Ai; θi for each radiating element). , I = 1,..., N) are determined individually. In one aspect, feed gain and feed phase are determined using configurable parameters α and β.

[0068] In one aspect, individual element feed gain values Ai and feed phase values θi may be determined to be proportional to the feed gain and feed phase for the array. In one aspect, optimal values for array feed gain Ai and array feed phase θi may be determined as a function of direction. This determination can be accomplished, for example, by using predetermined equations such as Equation 1 and Equation 2, shown below.

Gi, Φi, α, and β are as defined above.

[0069] The feed gain and feed phase calculated using Equations 1 and 2 shown above make an optimal allocation for maximum power efficiency at the transmitter and minimum noise at the receiver. In one aspect, the phase can be observed by the following inequality.

Equation 3 becomes an equation when θi = −Φi + β.

[0070] Another aspect for setting the values of Ai and θi may be determined using the following equation:

  [0071] Equation 4 becomes an equation when Ai = αGt. In one aspect, setting the array gain using Equation 3 or Equation 4 minimizes side lobes. In another aspect, the side lobes of the radiating element may be minimized by, for example, a non-convex optimization algorithm. Such an algorithm can maximize the gain for the required direction while minimizing other directions or disabling other specific directions. Since the radiating elements (510) are different and therefore their respective gain Gi values are different, non-convex optimization and operation of similar algorithms is effective. Furthermore, the feed gain Ai is controlled independently.

[0072] In another aspect, the values for feed gain Ai and feed phase θi may be determined to be the possible values closest to the optimal values. The closest possible optimal value of θi is

Can be determined based on

[0073] The closest possible optimal value of Ai is

It can be determined as follows.

  [0074] In one aspect, a Monte Carlo method or exhaustive search can be used to solve Equation 5, Equation 6, or both.

  [0075] In such an aspect, if the implemented control is inefficient or in some cases the optimal values for feed gain Ai and feed phase θi cannot be achieved, feed gain Ai and feed The value for phase θi can be determined to be the possible value closest to the optimal value. Such failure to achieve optimal values may occur, for example, due to control quantization, amplifier structure, gain mismatch in the chain, and the like.

  [0076] In yet another aspect, one or more complete chains in the array may be turned off to conserve power. Preferably, such an off chain is a chain with the lowest gain value Gi. Turning off several chains with lower gains can save power while minimizing performance degradation. In such an aspect, in S640, it is determined which one or more chains are turned off. The chain to be turned off may be determined by, but not limited to, a predetermined number of chains with the lowest gain value Gi, any number of chains with a total gain value below a threshold, and so on.

  [0077] In yet another aspect, the feed gain Ai in any or all of the elements may be altered by changing the arbitrary gain constant α for the altered element. This change can be made, for example, by changing the gain amplification of the element. In such an aspect, reducing the parameter α reduces power consumption in the array because amplifiers tend to consume less power because of lower gain values.

  [0078] In S650, the gain and phase of each element in the array are independently set based on the feed gain value Ai and feed phase value θi of each element. Note that in all of the above aspects, when the balun function is to be implemented, one of the antenna feeds is set to θi and the other feed is set to θi + 180 °.

  [0079] It is important to note that these aspects are examples of the many advantageous uses of the inventive teachings herein. In particular, the inventive teachings disclosed herein can be applied in any type of consumer electronics where reception and transmission of millimeter wave signals is required. Further, some descriptions may apply to some inventive features but may not apply to other inventive features. In general, it should be understood that unless otherwise specified, singular elements may be plural and vice versa without loss of generality.

  [0080] The various components and functions expressed and described herein may be implemented using any suitable means. Such means are implemented, at least in part, using the corresponding structure taught herein. For example, the components described above in connection with processing system 570 correspond to similarly designated “means for” functions. Thus, in some implementations, one or more of such means uses one or more of the processor components, integrated circuits, or other suitable structures taught herein. And implemented.

  [0081] In some implementations, communication equipment structures such as transceivers or RF modules are configured to perform the functions of means for receiving and transmitting signals, such as millimeter wave signals. For example, in some implementations, this structure is programmed or designed to receive and process signals received as a result of receive operations. Further, in some implementations, this structure is programmed or designed to process and transmit signals that are transmitted as a result of transmission operations. In general, the communication equipment structure comprises a wireless base transceiver equipment.

  [0082] In some implementations, a processing system structure, such as an ASIC or programmable processor, is configured to perform the function of a means for measuring the gain and phase of each radiating element. In some implementations, this structure is further programmed or designed to determine the feed gain and feed phase of each radiating element based on the respective measured gain and phase of each radiating element. In some implementations, this structure is further programmed or designed to set the feed gain and feed phase of each radiating element independently.

  [0083] The method or algorithm steps described with respect to the aspects disclosed herein may be implemented directly in hardware, implemented in software modules executed by a processor, or implemented in combination of the two. obtain. Software modules (eg, including executable instructions and associated data) and other data include RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM® memory, registers, hard disk, removable disk, CD-ROM Or any other form of computer-readable storage medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is, for example, a computer / processor (for convenience, referred to herein as a “processor”) so that the processor can read information (eg, code) from the storage medium and write information to the storage medium. May be coupled to a machine. An exemplary storage medium may be integral to the processor. The processor and the storage medium can reside in an ASIC. The ASIC may reside in user equipment. In the alternative, the processor and the storage medium may reside as discrete components in user equipment. Further, in some aspects, any suitable computer program product is executable to provide functionality related to one or more of the aspects of the present disclosure (eg, executable by at least one computer). A computer-readable medium comprising the code. In some aspects, the computer program product may comprise packaging material. In addition, non-transitory computer readable media is any computer readable media except for temporary propagated signals.

  [0084] In one or more exemplary aspects, the functions described may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, the functions may be stored on or transmitted over as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media includes both computer storage media and communication media including any medium that enables transfer of a computer program from one place to another. Computer readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example, and not limitation, such computer readable media can be RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage device, or a desired program in the form of instructions or data structures. Any other medium that can be used to carry or store the code and that can be accessed by a computer can be provided. Any connection is also properly termed a computer-readable medium. For example, software transmits from a website, server, or other remote source using coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, wireless, and microwave Where applicable, coaxial technology, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave are included in the definition of media. The disc and disc used in this specification are a compact disc (CD), a laser disc (registered trademark) (disc), an optical disc (disc), and a digital versatile disc (DVD). ), Floppy (R) disk, and blu-ray (R) disk, the disk normally reproducing data magnetically, and the disk Reproduce optically with a laser. Thus, in some aspects computer readable media may comprise non-transitory computer readable media (eg, tangible media, computer readable storage media, computer readable storage devices, etc.). Such non-transitory computer readable media (eg, computer readable storage devices) are any of the tangible forms of media described herein or otherwise known (eg, memory devices, media disks, etc.). Can be provided. Further, in some aspects computer readable medium may comprise transitory computer readable medium (eg, comprising a signal). Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media. It should be appreciated that the computer-readable medium may be implemented in any suitable computer program product. Although particular aspects are described herein, many variations and permutations of these aspects fall within the scope of the disclosure.

  [0085] It should also be understood that references to elements using the names "first", "second", etc. herein do not generally limit the quantity or order of those elements. . Rather, these names are generally used herein as a convenient way to distinguish between two or more elements or examples of an element. Thus, reference to the first and second elements does not mean that only two elements can be employed there, or that the first element must precede the second element in some way. Absent. Also, unless otherwise stated, a set of elements comprises one or more elements. Further, as used in the specification or claims, “at least one of A, B, or C” or “one or more of A, B, or C” or “A, B, and A term of the form “at least one of the group consisting of C” or “at least one of A, B, and C” means “A or B or C or any combination of these elements”. . For example, the term may include A, or B, or C, or A and B, or A and C, or A and B and C, or 2A, 2B, or 2C.

  [0086] While some benefits and advantages of the preferred aspects are described, the scope of the disclosure is not limited to particular benefits, uses, or objectives. Rather, aspects of the present disclosure are broadly applicable to various wireless technologies, system configurations, networks, and transmission protocols, some of which are shown in the figures and description as examples.

[0087] The previous description of the disclosed aspects is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present disclosure. Various modifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other aspects without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.
The invention described in the scope of the claims at the beginning of the present application is added below.
[1] A method for operating a plurality of radiating elements, measuring the phase and gain of each of the radiating elements, and measuring the measured phase and gain of each radiating element And determining each of the plurality of radiating elements independently based on the determined feed gain and the feed phase. A method comprising:
[2] The method according to [1], wherein each of the plurality of radiating elements is different.
[3] The method according to [1], wherein the gain and the phase of each of the plurality of radiating elements are measured according to a specific direction and rotation.
[4] The method of [1], wherein each feed gain is proportional to the measured gain, and each feed phase has a polarity opposite to the measured phase of each respective radiating element.
[5] The determination comprises setting the feed gain (Ai) to Ai = αGi and setting the feed phase (θi) to θi = −Φi + β, where α and β are configurable parameters The method according to [1], wherein Gi and Φi are the measured gain and the measured phase of the respective radiating element, respectively.
[6] The method of [5], further comprising randomly selecting a value of the configurable parameter.
[7] The method of [5], further comprising selecting a value for the configurable parameter based on a quantization error associated with either transmitting a wireless signal or receiving a wireless signal.
[8] Each of the radiating elements comprises first and second feeds, and the determination comprises setting a phase difference between the first feed and the second feed to 180 degrees. The method according to [1].
[9] The method according to [1], wherein each of the radiating elements transmits and receives a signal in a frequency band of 60 GHz or higher.
[10] The method of [1], further comprising configuring the plurality of radiating elements into at least one of a front antenna subarray, a back antenna subarray, or one or more intermediate antenna subarrays.
[11] Measuring a plurality of radiating elements, and a phase and gain of each of the plurality of radiating elements, and for each of the plurality of radiating elements based on the measured phase and gain of each radiating element And determining the feed gain and the feed phase of each of the plurality of radiating elements independently based on the determined feed gain and the feed phase. An apparatus for communication comprising a processing system configured as described above.
[12] The apparatus according to [11], wherein each of the plurality of radiating elements is different.
[13] The apparatus according to [11], wherein the gain and the phase of each of the plurality of radiating elements are measured according to a specific direction and rotation.
[14] The apparatus of [11], wherein each feed gain is proportional to the measured gain, and each feed phase has a polarity opposite to the measured phase of each respective radiating element.
[15] The processing system is further configured to set the feed gain (Ai) to Ai = α * Gi and the feed phase (θi) to θi = −Φi + β, where α and β are The apparatus according to [11], wherein the configurable parameters are Gi and Φi are the measured gain and the measured phase of the respective radiating element, respectively.
[16] The apparatus of [15], wherein the processing system is further configured to randomly select a value for the configurable parameter.
[17] The method of [15], wherein the processing system is further configured to select a value for the configurable parameter based on a quantization error associated with either transmission or reception of a wireless signal. apparatus.
[18] Each of the radiating elements further comprises first and second feeds, and the processing system further sets the phase difference between the first feed and the second feed to 180 degrees. The device according to [11], configured.
[19] The apparatus according to [11], wherein each of the radiating elements transmits and receives a signal in a frequency band of 60 GHz or higher.
[20] The apparatus according to [11], wherein the plurality of radiating elements are configured in at least one of a front antenna subarray, a back antenna subarray, and one or more intermediate antenna subarrays.
[21] Measuring the phase and gain of each of the plurality of radiating elements and feeding for each of the plurality of radiating elements based on the measured phase and the measured gain of each radiating element Instructions executable by the apparatus to determine a gain and feed phase and to independently set each of the plurality of radiating elements based on the determined feed gain and feed phase A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium.
[22] An apparatus for operating a plurality of radiating elements, the means for measuring the phase and gain of each of the plurality of radiating elements, and the measured phase and measured of each radiating element Means for determining a feed gain and a feed phase for each of the plurality of radiating elements based on the gain, and independent each of the plurality of radiating elements based on the determined feed gain and the feed phase. And means for setting.
[23] Measuring the phase and gain of each of the plurality of radiating elements and the plurality of radiating elements, and the plurality of radiating elements based on the measured phase and the measured gain of each radiating element Determining a feed gain and a feed phase for each of the plurality, and independently setting each of the plurality of radiating elements based on the determined feed gain and the feed phase. An access terminal comprising a processing system and a transmitter configured to transmit a signal through the configured radiating element.

Claims (16)

A method for operating a plurality of radiating elements, wherein the plurality of radiating elements comprises a plurality of subarrays including a front antenna subarray, a back antenna subarray, and one or more intermediate antenna subarrays, the method comprising: ,
Measuring the phase and gain of each of the plurality of radiating elements;
Determining a feed gain and a feed phase for each of the plurality of radiating elements based on the measured phase and measured gain of each radiating element;
Independently setting each of the plurality of radiating elements based on the determined feed gain and the feed phase;
With
In the determination, the feed gain (Ai) is set to Ai = αGi and the feed phase (θi) is set to θi = −Φi + β for each radiating element of at least one of the plurality of subarrays. Where α and β are configurable parameters for the at least one subarray, and Gi and Φi are the measured gain and measured phase of the respective radiating elements, respectively. ,Method.   The method of claim 1, further comprising randomly selecting a value for the configurable parameter. Each of the radiating elements comprises first and second feeds, and the determination is
The method of claim 1, comprising setting a phase difference between the first feed and the second feed to 180 degrees. A plurality of radiating elements, wherein the plurality of radiating elements are disposed in a plurality of subarrays including a front antenna subarray, a back antenna subarray, and one or more intermediate antenna subarrays;
Measuring the phase and gain of each of the plurality of radiating elements;
Determining a feed gain and feed phase for each of the plurality of radiating elements based on the measured phase and gain of each radiating element;
A processing system configured to independently set the feed gain and the feed phase of each of the plurality of radiating elements based on the determined feed gain and the feed phase; and
The determining includes setting the feed gain (Ai) to Ai = αGi and the feed phase (θi) to θi = −Φi + β for each radiating element of at least one of the plurality of subarrays. Where α and β are configurable parameters for the at least one sub-array, and Gi and Φi are the measured gain and measured phase of the respective radiating element, respectively. Is a device for communication.   The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of radiating elements is configured using a different type of antenna element.   The method of claim 1, wherein the gain and the phase of each of the plurality of radiating elements are measured in response to a particular direction and rotation.   The method of claim 1, wherein each feed gain is proportional to the measured gain, and each feed phase has a polarity opposite to the measured phase of each respective radiating element. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the processing system is further configured to randomly select a value for the configurable parameter. Each of the radiating elements comprises first and second feeds, and the processing system is further configured to set a phase difference between the first feed and the second feed to 180 degrees. The apparatus according to claim 4 .   The method of claim 1, wherein each of the radiating elements transmits and receives signals in a 60 GHz or higher frequency band. A computer readable storage medium having instructions executable by an apparatus to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 3 . An apparatus according to claim 4 ;
An access terminal comprising: a transmitter configured to transmit a signal via a configured radiating element. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein each of the plurality of radiating elements is configured using a different type of antenna element. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the gain and the phase of each of the plurality of radiating elements are measured in response to a particular direction and rotation. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein each feed gain is proportional to the measured gain, and each feed phase has a polarity opposite to the measured phase of each respective radiating element. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein each of the radiating elements transmits and receives a signal in a 60 GHz or higher frequency band.

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