Millimeter-wave communications on a multifunction platform

• US 10,381,730 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2017
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gu, Xiaoxiong, Liu, Duixian, Sadhu, Bodhisatwa, Valdes Garcia, Alberto
• Primary Examiner(s): Talukder, Md K
• Application Number:
  US15/817,152
• Publication Number:
  US 20180108995A1
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/242 specially adapted for hand-held use
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/48 Earthing means; Earth screens; Counterpoises
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/08 the units being spaced along or adjacent to a rectilinear path waveguide fed H01Q21/0037
• 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 2001/0408 with power amplifiers

Abstract

A millimeter-wave (MMW) communication system may include an antenna array structure operating within a MMW band, having both a first antenna coupling point and a second antenna coupling point, whereby the first and the second location of the antenna coupling points are within a coplanar surface on which the antenna array structure is formed. The system may further include a first MMW transmitter that couples a first data modulated MMW signal to the first antenna coupling point and a second MMW transmitter that couples a second data modulated MMW signal to the second antenna coupling point. Coupling the first data modulated MMW signal to the first antenna coupling point generates a first MMW radio signal transmitted at a first propagation direction and coupling the second data modulated MMW signal to the second antenna coupling point generates a second MMW radio signal transmitted at a second propagation direction.

Claims

1. A method of millimeter-wave (MMW) communications, comprising:

generating a first data modulated MMW signal from a first baseband signal generator and a first MMW source operating at a first MMW frequency;

generating a second data modulated MMW signal from a second baseband signal generator and a second MMW source operating at a second MMW frequency;

coupling, via a first switch, the first data modulated MMW signal to a first antenna coupling point of an antenna array structure operating within a MMW band; and

coupling, via a second switch, the second data modulated MMW signal to a second antenna coupling point of the antenna array structure, wherein the first and the second location of the antenna coupling points are within a coplanar surface on which the antenna array structure is formed, and

generating, responsive to actuating the first switch, a first MMW radio signal corresponding to the first data modulated MMW signal, the first MMW radio signal transmitted at a first propagation direction by the antenna array structure at the first MMW frequency, wherein the first propagation direction and a second propagation direction are located within a plane that is perpendicular to the coplanar surface.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, responsive to actuating the first switch, a first MMW radio signal corresponding to the first data modulated MMW signal, the first MMW radio signal transmitted at a first propagation direction by the antenna array structure at the first MMW frequency; and

generating, responsive to actuating the second switch, a second MMW radio signal corresponding to the second data modulated MMW signal, the second MMW radio signal transmitted at a second propagation direction by the antenna array structure at the second MMW frequency.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the first propagation direction and the second propagation direction are located within a plane that is perpendicular to the coplanar surface;

the first propagation direction has a first altitude angle and the second propagation direction has a second altitude angle; and

the second altitude angle includes an angle value that is different than the first altitude angle.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the first switch, the first MMW data modulated signal;

switching, by the first switch, the first MMW data modulated signal to a first antenna feed line coupled to a first antenna probe; and

receiving, by the first antenna probe, the first MMW data modulated signal switched to the first antenna feed line by the first switch; and

receiving, by the first antenna coupling point, the first MMW data modulated signal from the first antenna probe.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first antenna feed line includes a length of n/2 from the first end of the first antenna feed line to the second end of the first antenna feed line, being an effective carrier frequency wavelength corresponding to the first MMW data modulated signal and n being an integer value.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving, by the second switch, the second MMW data modulated signal;

switching, by the second switch, the second MMW data modulated signal to a second antenna feed line coupled to a second antenna probe; and

receiving, by the second antenna probe, the second MMW data modulated signal switched to the second antenna feed line by the second switch; and

receiving, by the second antenna coupling point, the second MMW data modulated signal from the second antenna probe.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second antenna feed line includes a length of m/2 from the first end of the second antenna feed line to the second end of the second antenna feed line, being the effective carrier frequency wavelength corresponding to the second MMW data modulated signal and m being an integer value.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first antenna feed line includes a length of n/2 from the first end of the first antenna feed line to the second end of the first antenna feed line, being an effective carrier frequency wavelength corresponding to the first MMW data modulated signal and n being an integer value.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

forming the antenna array structure on an outer surface area, wherein the antenna array structure includes radiator elements that are all formed directly on the outer surface area.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the outer surface comprises an outer surface of a table.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the outer surface comprises an outer surface of a portable electronic device.

12. A method of millimeter-wave (MMW) communications, comprising:

generating a first data modulated MMW signal from a first baseband signal generator and a first MMW source operating at a first MMW frequency;

generating a second data modulated MMW signal from a second baseband signal generator and a second MMW source operating at a second MMW frequency;

coupling, via a first switch, the first data modulated MMW signal to a first antenna coupling point of an antenna array structure operating within a MMW band;

coupling, via a second switch, the second data modulated MMW signal to a second antenna coupling point of the antenna array structure;

generating, responsive to actuating the first switch, a first MMW radio signal corresponding to the first data modulated MMW signal, the first MMW radio signal transmitted at a first propagation direction by the antenna array structure at the first MMW frequency; and

generating, responsive to actuating the second switch, a second MMW radio signal corresponding to the second data modulated MMW signal, the second MMW radio signal transmitted at a second propagation direction by the antenna array structure at the second MMW frequency, wherein the first propagation direction and the second propagation direction are located within a plane that is perpendicular to the coplanar surface.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first propagation direction has a first altitude angle and the second propagation direction has a second altitude angle.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second altitude angle includes an angle value that is different than the first altitude angle.