Wireless antenna array system architecture and methods to achieve 3D beam coverage

• US 10,096,891 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2017
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Choudhury, Debabani, Roberts, Richard D., Karacaoglu, Ulun
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HOANG V
• Application Number:
  US15/437,330
• Publication Number:
  US 20170237154A1
• Time in Patent Office: 596 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2283 mounted in or on the surface of a semiconductor substrate as a chip-type antenna or integrated with other components into an IC package
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2291 used in bluetooth or WI-FI devices of Wireless Local Area Networks [WLAN] H01Q1/241 takes precedence; WLAN in general H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/065 Patch antenna array
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/067 using endfire radiating aerial units transverse to the plane of the array
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/205 providing an omnidirectional coverage turnstile aerials H01Q21/26
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/24 Combinations of antenna units polarised in different directions for transmitting or receiving circularly and elliptically polarised waves or waves linearly polarised in any direction circularly polarised patch antennas H01Q9/0428; circularly polarised horns H01Q13/0241; cross-polarised horns H01Q13/0258; polarisation converters H01Q15/242; cross-polarised rear feeds H01Q19/136; crossed polarisation dual antenna H01Q25/001
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/00 Antennas or antenna systems providing at least two radiating patterns arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern H01Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/04 Multimode antennas corrugated horns H01Q13/0208
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/26 varying the relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of energy across a radiating aperture H01Q3/12, H01Q3/22, H01Q3/24 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/34 by electrical means active lenses or reflecting arrays H01Q3/46
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0407 Substantially flat resonant element parallel to ground plane, e.g. patch antenna dipole H01Q9/285; monopole H01Q9/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0682 using phase diversity (e.g. phase sweeping)

Abstract

Embodiments of wireless antenna array systems to achieve three-dimensional beam coverage are described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.

Claims

1. A multilayer package for high frequency communications, comprising:

a plurality of patch antennas disposed on a first substrate;

a plurality of Yagi antennas disposed on a third substrate, wherein the first substrate and the third substrate are disposed on opposing sides of a second substrate; and

an integrated circuit coupled to the plurality of Yagi antennas and the plurality of patch antennas.

2. The multilayer package of claim 1, further comprising a first interconnect coupling a first patch antenna to the integrated circuit through the second substrate;

and

a second interconnect coupling a second patch antenna to the integrated circuit through the second substrate.

3. The multilayer package of claim 2, further comprising a third interconnect coupling a metal layer of the second substrate to the integrated circuit, through the second substrate.

4. The multilayer package of claim 3, further comprising a fourth interconnect and a fifth interconnect, each coupling one of the plurality of Yagi antennas to the integrated circuit.

5. The multilayer package of claim 4, further comprising a sixth interconnect coupling a metal layer of the third substrate to the integrated circuit.

6. The multilayer package of claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit is disposed on the third substrate.

7. The multilayer package of claim 1, wherein the plurality of patch antennas are configured to operate in a 60 GHz band and radiate in a broadside direction and wherein the plurality of Yagi antennas are configured to operate in the 60 GHz band and radiate in an end-fire direction.

8. A multilayer package for high frequency communications, comprising:

a plurality of patch antennas disposed on a first substrate;

a plurality of Yagi antennas disposed on a third substrate, wherein the first substrate and third substrate are disposed on opposing sides of a second substrate;

a first interconnect coupling a first patch antenna to an integrated circuit second substrate;

a second interconnect coupling a second patch antenna to the integrated circuit through the second substrate;

a third interconnect coupling the integrated circuit to a metal layer of the second substrate;

a fourth interconnect coupling a first Yagi antenna to the integrated circuit; and

a fifth interconnect coupling a second Yagi antenna to the integrated circuit.

9. The multilayer package of claim 8, wherein the integrated circuit is disposed on the third substrate.

10. The multilayer package of claim 8, further comprising a sixth interconnect coupling the integrated circuit to a metal layer of the third substrate.

11. The multilayer package of claim 8, wherein the integrated circuit is configured to:

transmit signals to the first patch antenna through the first interconnect and receive signals from the second patch antenna through the second interconnect; and

transmit signals to the first Yagi antenna through the fourth interconnect and receive signals from the second Yagi antenna through the fifth interconnect.

12. The multilayer package of claim 11, wherein the integrated circuit is configured to modify a radiation pattern of the plurality of patch antennas in a broadside direction and to modify a radiation pattern of the plurality of Yagi antennas in an end-fire direction.

13. The multilayer package of claim 12, wherein the integrated circuit is configured to modify the radiation pattern of the plurality of patch antennas and the radiation pattern of the plurality of Yagi antennas according to a switched-beam configuration.

14. The multilayer package of claim 11, wherein the integrated circuit is configured to:

transmit 60 GHz band signals to the first patch antenna and receive 60 GHz band signals from the second patch antenna; and

transmit 60 GHz band signals to the first Yagi antenna and receive 60 GHz band signals from the second Yagi antenna.

15. The multilayer package of claim 8, wherein the integrated circuit is a complimentary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) radio frequency integrated chip (RFIC).

16. A wireless communication device for high frequency communications comprising:

a multilayer package, including a plurality of patch antennas disposed on a first substrate and a plurality of Yagi antennas disposed on a third substrate, wherein the first substrate and third substrate are disposed on opposing sides of a second substrate; and

an integrated circuit, wherein each of the plurality of Yagi antennas and each of the plurality of patch antennas are coupled to the integrated circuit.

17. The wireless communication device of claim 16, further comprising a first interconnect coupling a first patch antenna to the integrated circuit through the second substrate;

and

a second interconnect coupling a second patch antenna to the integrated circuit through the second substrate.

18. The wireless communication device of claim 17, further comprising a third interconnect coupling the integrated circuit to a metal layer of the second substrate, through e second substrate.

19. The wireless communication device of claim 18, further comprising a fourth interconnect and a fifth interconnect, the fourth and fifth interconnects each coupling the integrated circuit to one of the plurality of Yagi antennas.

20. The wireless communication device of claim 19, further comprising a sixth interconnect coupling the integrated circuit to a metal layer of the third substrate.

21. The wireless communication device of claim 16, wherein the plurality of patch antennas are configured to operate in a 60 GHz band and radiate in a broadside direction and wherein the plurality of Yagi antennas are configured to operate in the 60 GHz band and radiate in an end-fire direction.

22. The wireless communication device of claim 16, wherein the integrated circuit is configured to:

process radio frequency (RF) signals received by one or more patch antennas and process RF signals received by one or more Yagi antennas; and

process communication signals for transmission through one or more patch antennas and process communication signals for transmission through one or more Yagi antennas.

23. The wireless communication device of claim 16, further comprising switching circuitry to:

switch receiving of radio frequency (RF) signals between one or more patch antennas and one or more Yagi antennas; and

switch transmitting of RF signals between one or more patch antennas and one or more Yagi antennas.

24. The wireless communication device of claim 16, further comprising baseband processing circuitry to provide baseband signals to the integrated circuit.

25. A method of operating a multilayer package for high frequency communications that is configured to include:

a plurality of patch antennas disposed on a first substrate and a plurality of Yagi antennas disposed on a third substrate, wherein the first substrate and third substrate are disposed on opposing sides of a second substrate;

a first interconnect coupling a first patch antenna to an integrated circuit through the second substrate, a second interconnect coupling a second patch antenna to the integrated circuit through the second substrate, a third interconnect coupling the integrated circuit to a metal layer of the second substrate, a fourth interconnect coupling a first Yagi antenna to the integrated circuit, and a fifth interconnect coupling a second Yagi antenna to the integrated circuit, the method comprising;

transmitting, by the integrated circuit, signals to the first patch antenna through the first interconnect and receiving signals from the second patch antenna through the second interconnect; and

transmitting signals, by the integrated circuit, to the first Yagi antenna through the fourth interconnect and receiving signals from the second Yagi antenna through the fifth interconnect.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the integrated circuit is configured to modify the radiation of the plurality of patch antennas in a broadside direction and to modify the radiation of the plurality of Yagi antennas in an end-fire direction.