MM-Wave multiple-input multiple-output antenna system with polarization diversity

• US 10,116,065 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2011
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Pan, Helen K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chuong P
• Application Number:
  US13/993,510
• Publication Number:
  US 20150214633A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,539 Days
• Field of Search: 342372, 342359, 342361
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 11/001 Manufacturing waveguides or transmission lines of the waveguide type
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/20 Resilient mountings
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2266 disposed inside the computer
• 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 13/085 Slot-line radiating ends
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/16 Folded slot antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0087 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing antenna arrays manufacturing waveguides H01P11/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/064 using horn or slot aerials slotted waveguides arrays H01Q21/005
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/067 using endfire radiating aerial units transverse to the plane of the array
• 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 3/34 by electrical means active lenses or reflecting arrays H01Q3/46
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/36 with variable phase-shifters
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0413 MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/10 Polarisation diversity; Directional diversity
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49016 Antenna or wave energy "plumbing" making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49018 with other electrical component

Abstract

A system according to one embodiment includes a first antenna element configured to communicate a first signal, the first signal polarized in a first orientation; a second antenna element co-located with the first antenna element, the second antenna element configured to communicate a second signal, the second signal polarized in a second orientation, the second orientation orthogonal to the first orientation; and driver circuitry coupled to the first antenna element and the second antenna element, the driver circuitry configured to process the first signal and the second signal to achieve signal diversity in a wireless communication link.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a first antenna element configured to communicate a first signal, said first signal polarized in a first orientation;

a second antenna element co-located with said first antenna element, said second antenna element configured to communicate a second signal, said second signal polarized in a second orientation, said second orientation orthogonal to said first orientation;

driver circuitry coupled to said first antenna element and said second antenna element, said driver circuitry configured to process said first signal and said second signal to achieve signal diversity in a wireless communication link;

a first transmission path between the driver circuitry and the first antenna element to provide a first channel for the first signal polarized in the first orientation; and

a second transmission path between the driver circuitry and the second antenna element to provide a second channel for the second signal polarized in the second orientation,

wherein the first transmission path and the first channel are at least partially electromagnetically isolated from the second transmission path and the second channel to enable multiple input multiple output (“

MIMO”

) operations for the system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said first orientation is horizontal and said second orientation is vertical.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said first orientation is right-hand circular polarization and said second orientation is left-hand circular polarization.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said system is configured to operate in a millimeter wave frequency range.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said system is configured to provide at least 15 dB isolation between said first signal and said second signal.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said driver circuitry is a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC).

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising a platform including a processor coupled to said driver circuitry, memory coupled to said processor and user interface coupled to said processor.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said platform is one of a smartphone, a tablet or a laptop computing device.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein said user interface is a touchscreen.

10. A system, comprising:

a phased array antenna comprising a plurality of dual polarization antenna elements, wherein each of said plurality of dual polarization antenna elements comprises a horizontal polarization element and a vertical polarization element; and

driver circuitry coupled to each of said horizontal polarization elements and said vertical polarization elements, said driver circuitry configured to provide a phase offset between each of said horizontal polarization elements and between each of said vertical polarization elements;

first transmission paths coupled between the driver circuitry and the horizontal polarization element of the plurality of dual polarization antenna elements to provide first channels for horizontally polarized signals; and

second transmission paths between the driver circuitry and the vertical polarization element of the plurality of dual polarization antenna elements to provide second channels for vertically polarized signals,

wherein the first transmission paths and the first channels are at least partially electromagnetically isolated from the second transmission paths and the second channels to enable multiple input multiple output (“

MIMO”

) operations for each of the plurality of dual polarization antenna elements.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said driver circuitry further comprises a plurality of transceivers, said plurality of transceivers configured to provide independently adjustable phase delay to each of said horizontal polarization elements and each of said vertical polarization elements.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said plurality of transceivers implement a first phased array beam scanning by controlling said adjustable phase delay to each of said horizontal polarization elements and said plurality of transceivers implement a second phased array beam scanning by controlling said adjustable phase delay to each of said vertical polarization elements.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said first phased array beam scanning and said second phased array beam scanning provide signal diversity in a wireless communication link.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein said system is configured to operate in a millimeter wave frequency range.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein said system is configured to provide at least 15 dB isolation between said horizontal polarization element and said vertical polarization element.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein said driver circuitry is an RFIC.

17. The system of claim 10 further comprising a platform including a processor coupled to said driver circuitry memory coupled to said processor and user interface coupled to said processor.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein said platform is one of a smartphone, a tablet or a laptop computing device.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein said user interface is a touchscreen.

20. The system of claim 17 further comprising a plurality of said platforms each configured to communicate over a Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN).

21. The system of claim 17 further comprising a plurality of said platforms each configured to communicate over a Wireless Metropolitan Area Network (WMAN).

22. A method, comprising:

configuring a first antenna element to communicate a first signal, said first signal polarized in a first orientation;

co-locating a second antenna element with said first antenna element, said second antenna element configured to communicate a second signal, said second signal polarized in a second orientation, said second orientation orthogonal to said first orientation;

coupling driver circuitry to said first antenna element and said second antenna element, said driver circuitry configured to process said first signal and said second signal to achieve signal diversity in a wireless communication link;

configuring a plurality of said first antenna elements and a plurality of said second antenna elements in a phased array antenna; and

configuring said driver circuitry to provide a phase offset between each of said plurality of first antenna elements and between each of said plurality of second antenna elements.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said first orientation is horizontal and said second orientation is vertical.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein said first orientation is right-hand circular polarization and said second orientation is left-hand circular polarization.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising configuring said first antenna element, said second antenna element and said driver circuitry to operate in a millimeter wave frequency range.

26. The method of claim 22, further comprising configuring said first antenna element and said second antenna element to provide at least 15 dB isolation between said first signal and said second signal.

27. The method of claim 22, further comprising configuring a plurality of transceivers associated with said driver circuitry to provide independently adjustable phase delay to each of said plurality of first antenna elements and each of said plurality of second antenna elements.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising implementing a first phased array beam scanning by controlling said adjustable phase delay to each of said plurality of first antenna elements and implementing a second phased array beam scanning by controlling said adjustable phase delay to each of said plurality of second antenna elements.

29. A diversity antenna comprising:

a first antenna element configured to communicate a first signal, said first signal polarized in a first orientation;

a second antenna element co-located with said first antenna element, said second antenna element configured to communicate a second signal, said second signal polarized in a second orientation, said second orientation orthogonal to said first orientation; and

a first antenna feed line coupled to said first antenna element; and

a second antenna feed line coupled to said second antenna element, wherein said second antenna feed line is routed to maintain a distance from said first antenna feed line that exceeds a pre-determined threshold.

30. The diversity antenna of claim 29 wherein said pre-determined threshold corresponds to achieving at least 15 dB isolation between said first antenna element and said second antenna element.

31. The diversity antenna of claim 29, wherein said first orientation is horizontal and said second orientation is vertical.

32. The diversity antenna of claim 29, wherein said first orientation is right-hand circular polarization and said second orientation is left-hand circular polarization.

33. The diversity antenna of claim 29, wherein said diversity antenna is configured to operate in a millimeter wave frequency range.