Long range beamforming and steering in wireless communication links

• US 10,306,484 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2017
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Integrated Device Technology Incorporated (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Integrated Device Technology Incorporated (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
• Inventors: Akhter, Mohammad S., Deforge, John Bradley
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, Brandon J
• Application Number:
  US15/850,136
• Publication Number:
  US 20190059003A1
• Time in Patent Office: 523 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0408 using two or more beams, i.e. beam diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/26 Cell enhancers or enhancement, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/044 based on the type of the allocated resource
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/046 the resource being in the space domain, e.g. beams
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems

Abstract

An apparatus includes a transceiver circuit, an antenna and a focus array. The transceiver circuit may have a plurality of fed channels configured to generate a plurality of signals. The antenna may have a plurality of antenna arrays configured to generate one or more beams in response to the signals. Each antenna array may (i) have a plurality of subarrays and (ii) be coupled to the fed channels of the transceiver circuit. The focus array may have a plurality of focal zones configured to reflect the beams into a beam zone. Each beam may be steerable by the antenna to one of the focal zones at a time. The focal zones may redirect the beams to a plurality of locations within the beam zone.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a transceiver circuit comprising a plurality of fed channels configured to generate a plurality of signals;

an antenna comprising a plurality of antenna arrays configured to generate a plurality of beams in response to said signals, wherein each of said antenna arrays (i) comprises a plurality of subarrays and (ii) is coupled to said fed channels of said transceiver circuit; and

a focus array comprising a plurality of focal zones configured to reflect said beams into a beam zone, wherein (i) each of said beams is steerable by said antenna to one of said focal zones at a time, (ii) said focal zones redirect said beams to a plurality of locations within said beam zone, (iii) each of said focal zones is associated with a respective one of said locations within said beam zone, (iv) said transceiver circuit is further configured to steer one or more of said beams among different ones of said focal zones of said focus array to coarsely redirect said one or more beams to different ones of said locations in said beam zone and (v) adjust one or more respective phase centers of said one or more beams to finely steer said one or more beams within said locations.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transceiver circuit, said antenna and said focus array form a 5G wireless communications system.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said focal zones have a plurality of patterns that determine a geometry of said beams at said locations.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transceiver circuit is further configured to receive another signal transmitted from a device in said beam zone.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transceiver circuit is configured to operate a plurality of antenna elements of said antenna for one or more of (i) forming of said beams and (ii) shaping of said beams.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

each of said subarrays comprises a plurality of antenna elements; and

each of said antenna arrays has a relative spatial offset with respect to another of said antenna arrays.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of said subarrays is (i) frequency dependent and (ii) resonant based on a frequency band.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transceiver circuit comprises a lookup table configured to store a plurality of gain values, a plurality of amplitude values and a plurality of phase values used by said fed channels.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said fed channels use said gain values, said amplitude values and said phase values to control steering of said beams.

10. A system comprising:

a plurality of transceiver antenna array modules each comprising a transceiver circuit and an antenna, wherein (i) each of said transceiver circuits comprises a plurality of fed channels, (ii) each of said antenna is coupled to said fed channels of a corresponding one of said transceiver circuits, (iii) each of said antenna comprises a plurality of subarrays and (iv) each of said antenna is configured to generate a plurality of beams; and

a plurality of focus arrays each comprising a plurality of focal zones configured to reflect said beams into a beam zone, wherein (i) each of said beams is steerable by said antennas to one of said focal zones at a time, (ii) said focal zones redirect said beams to a plurality of locations within said beam zone, (iii) each of said focal zones is associated with a respective one of said locations within said beam zone, (iv) said transceiver antenna array modules are configured to steer said beams to different ones of said focal zones of said focus arrays to coarsely redirect said beams to different ones of said locations in said beam zone and (v) adjust a plurality of respective phase centers of said beams to finely steer said beams within said locations.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein said transceiver antenna array modules and said focus arrays are configured to form a long range communications link.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein said long range communications link is part of a 5G wireless communications system.

13. The system according to claim 10, wherein at least one of said focal zones in at least two of said focus arrays are configured to redirect said beams to a common one of said locations within said beam zone.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein said focus arrays are configured to redirect said beams in three dimensions within said beam zone.

15. The system according to claim 10, wherein said antenna are configured to steer said beams in two dimensions across said focus arrays.

16. The system according to claim 10, wherein at least one of said beams is received by at least one device that is mobile.

17. The system according to claim 10, wherein at least one of said beams is received by at least one device that is stationary.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein said at least one device is configured to transmit a signal that is received by a corresponding one of said transceiver circuits.

19. An apparatus comprising:

a transceiver circuit comprising a plurality of fed channels configured to generate a plurality of signals;

an antenna comprising a plurality of antenna arrays configured to generate a plurality of beams in response to said signals, wherein (i) each of said antenna arrays (a) comprises a plurality of subarrays and (b) is coupled to said fed channels of said transceiver circuit, (ii) each of said subarrays comprises a plurality of antenna elements, and (iii) each of said antenna arrays has a relative spatial offset with respect to another of said antenna arrays; and

a focus array comprising a plurality of focal zones configured to reflect said beams into a beam zone, wherein (i) each of said beams is steerable by said antenna to one of said focal zones at a time, (ii) said focal zones redirect said beams to a plurality of locations within said beam zone and (iii) each of said focal zones is associated with a respective one of said locations within said beam zone.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said transceiver circuit, said antenna and said focus array form a 5G wireless communications system.