Massively multi-user MIMO using space time holography

• US 10,439,715 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2017
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Black, Eric J., Deutsch, Brian Mark, Katko, Alexander Remley, Machado, Melroy, McCandless, Jay Howard, Urzhumov, Yaroslav A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kretzer, Casey L
• Application Number:
  US15/409,394
• Publication Number:
  US 20180006376A1
• Time in Patent Office: 993 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/002 said selective devices being reconfigurable or tunable, e.g. using switches or diodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/007 using two or more primary active elements in the focal region of a focusing device for operation on different wavebands H01Q5/22
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/116 Visible light communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0452 Multi-user MIMO systems

Abstract

Disclosed are antenna systems, wireless antenna controllers, and related methods. An antenna system includes a configured to receive an electromagnetic (EM) signal and propagate the EM signal as an EM reference wave. The antenna system also includes a tunable EM scattering elements, and a wireless controller. A wireless antenna controller includes an EM emitter configured to emit EM radiation to EM filters. The EM filters are configured to pass different sub-ranges of a frequency range of the EM radiation to the tunable EM scattering elements. A method includes wirelessly controlling the tunable EM scattering elements to deliver a different information streams to different far-end locations. A method includes controlling the EM emitter to modulate frequency content of the EM radiation to cause the tunable EM scattering elements to operate collectively according to different modulation patterns.

Claims

1. An antenna system, comprising:

one or more feeds configured to receive an electromagnetic (EM) signal and propagate the EM signal as an EM reference wave;

a plurality of tunable EM scattering elements spaced at sub-wavelength distances compared to the EM reference wave, the plurality of tunable EM scattering elements configured to operate in at least two different operational states to selectively scatter the EM reference wave as a radiated wave; and

a wireless controller configured to wirelessly control the plurality of tunable EM scattering elements and modulate the radiated wave over time to deliver a plurality of different information streams to a plurality of different far-end locations by modulating the plurality of tunable EM scattering elements between the plurality of different operational states over time;

a plurality of EM filters corresponding to the plurality of tunable EM scattering elements, wherein;

the wireless controller includes an EM emitter configured to emit EM radiation encompassing a wide frequency range;

each of the plurality of EM filters is configured to pass only a portion of the EM radiation encompassing the wide frequency range;

the plurality of tunable EM scattering elements is configured to switch between the at least two different operational states responsive to receiving the portion of the EM radiation passed by the corresponding ones of the plurality of EM filters; and

the wireless controller is configured to vary frequency content of the EM radiation to control the plurality of tunable EM scattering elements to deliver the plurality of different information streams to the plurality of different far-end locations.

2. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein the portion of the EM radiation passed by each of the plurality of EM filters is orthogonal to each other portion of the EM radiation passed by others of the plurality of EM filters.

3. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein the portion of the EM radiation passed by each of the plurality of EM filters comprises a continuous frequency segment of the wide frequency range.

4. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein the portion of the EM radiation passed by each of the plurality of EM filters comprises an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) defined portion of the EM radiation.

5. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein the portion of the EM radiation passed by each of the plurality of EM filters comprises a code division multiplexing (CDM) defined portion of the EM radiation.

6. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein a lowest frequency in the wide frequency range is at least about twice a frequency of the reference wave.

7. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein a lowest frequency in the wide frequency range is at least about one terahertz (1 THz).

8. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein a lowest frequency in the wide frequency range is at least about one hundred terahertz (100 THz).

9. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of tunable EM scattering elements includes a plurality of optically tunable EM scattering elements tunable by the portions of the EM radiation passed by the corresponding ones of the plurality of EM filters.

10. The antenna system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of optically tunable EM scattering elements comprises a plurality of photodiodes.

11. The antenna system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of optically tunable EM scattering elements comprises a plurality of phototransistors.

12. The antenna system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of optically tunable EM scattering elements comprises a plurality of photoconductive or photoresistive elements.

13. The antenna system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of optically tunable EM scattering elements comprises a plurality of phase-change elements configured to reversibly change phase responsive to heat deposition of optical radiation.

14. The antenna system of claim 9, wherein the wireless controller is configured to modulate the plurality of optically tunable EM scattering elements at a frequency of at least about one (1) gigahertz.

15. A wireless antenna controller, comprising:

an electromagnetic (EM) emitter configured to controllably emit EM radiation of a frequency range to a plurality of tunable EM scattering elements through a plurality of EM filters configured to pass different sub-ranges of the frequency range to different ones of the plurality of tunable EM scattering elements, the plurality of tunable EM scattering elements configured to operate in a plurality of different scattering states responsive to the sub-ranges of the frequency range; and

control circuitry operably coupled to the EM emitter, the control circuitry comprising at least one data storage device including computer-readable instructions stored thereon and at least one processor operably coupled to the at least one data storage device and configured to execute the computer-readable instructions, wherein the computer-readable instructions are configured to instruct the at least one processor to control the EM emitter to modulate frequency content of the EM radiation to cause the plurality of tunable EM scattering elements to operate collectively according to a plurality of different modulation patterns.

16. The wireless antenna controller of claim 15, wherein the computer-readable instructions are configured to instruct the at least one processor to control the EM emitter to modulate the frequency content of the EM radiation over time to vary the modulation patterns of the plurality of tunable EM scattering elements over time such that the plurality of tunable EM scattering elements scatter an EM reference wave to produce a radiated wave that carries a plurality of different information streams to a plurality of different far-end locations.

17. The wireless antenna controller of claim 15, wherein a sub-range of the EM radiation passed by each of the plurality of EM filters is orthogonal to other sub-ranges of the EM radiation passed by others of the plurality of EM filters.

18. The wireless antenna controller of claim 15, wherein a sub-range of the EM radiation passed by each of the plurality of EM filters comprises a continuous frequency segment of the frequency range.

19. The wireless antenna controller of claim 15, wherein the different sub-ranges of the EM radiation passed by each of the plurality of EM filters comprise orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) defined sub-ranges of the EM radiation.

20. The wireless antenna controller of claim 15, wherein the different sub-ranges of the EM radiation passed by each of the plurality of EM filters comprise code division multiplexing (CDM) defined sub-ranges of the EM radiation.

21. The wireless antenna controller of claim 15, wherein a lowest frequency in the frequency range is at least about twice a frequency of a reference wave the plurality of tunable EM scattering elements is configured to scatter to form a radiated wave.

22. The wireless antenna controller of claim 15, wherein a lowest frequency in the frequency range is at least about one terahertz (1 THz).

23. The wireless antenna controller of claim 15, wherein a lowest frequency in the frequency range is at least about one hundred terahertz (100 THz).

24. The wireless antenna controller of claim 15, wherein the plurality of tunable EM scattering elements includes a plurality of optically tunable EM scattering elements tunable by the sub-ranges of the EM radiation passed by corresponding ones of the plurality of EM filters.

25. The wireless antenna controller of claim 24, wherein the plurality of optically tunable EM scattering elements comprises a plurality of photodiodes.

26. The wireless antenna controller of claim 24, wherein the plurality of optically tunable EM scattering elements comprises a plurality of phototransistors.

27. The wireless antenna controller of claim 24, wherein the plurality of optically tunable EM scattering elements comprises a plurality of photoconductive or photoresistive elements.

28. The wireless antenna controller of claim 24, wherein the plurality of optically tunable EM scattering elements comprises a plurality of phase-change elements configured to reversibly change phase responsive to heat deposition of optical radiation.

29. A method of operating an antenna system, the method comprising:

applying an electromagnetic (EM) signal to one or more feeds configured to receive and propagate the EM signal as an EM reference wave;

scattering the EM reference wave as a radiated wave with a plurality of tunable EM scattering elements spaced at sub-wavelength distances compared to the EM reference wave, the plurality of tunable EM scattering elements configured to operate in at least two different operational states; and

wirelessly controlling the plurality of tunable EM scattering elements with a wireless controller to modulate the radiated wave over time to deliver a plurality of different information streams to a plurality of different far-end locations by modulating the plurality of tunable EM scattering elements between the plurality of different operational states over time;

wherein wirelessly controlling the plurality of tunable EM scattering elements comprises;

emitting EM radiation encompassing a wide frequency range with an EM emitter of the wireless controller;

passing only a portion of the EM radiation encompassing the wide frequency range with each of a plurality of EM filters corresponding to the plurality of tunable EM scattering elements;

switching the plurality of tunable EM scattering elements between the at least two different operational states responsive to receiving the portion of the EM radiation passed by the corresponding ones of the plurality of EM filters; and

varying frequency content of the EM radiation to control the plurality of tunable EM scattering elements to deliver the plurality of different information streams to the plurality of different far-end locations.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein passing only a portion of the EM radiation encompassing the wide frequency range comprises passing, with each of the plurality of EM filters, only a portion of the EM radiation that is orthogonal to each other portion of the EM radiation passed by others of the plurality of EM filters.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein passing only a portion of the EM radiation encompassing the wide frequency range comprises passing, with each of the plurality of EM filters, a continuous frequency segment of the wide frequency range.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein passing only a portion of the EM radiation encompassing the wide frequency range comprises passing, with each of the plurality of EM filters, an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) defined portion of the EM radiation.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein passing only a portion of the EM radiation encompassing the wide frequency range comprises passing, with each of the plurality of EM filters, a code division multiplexing (CDM) defined portion of the EM radiation.

34. The method of claim 29, wherein emitting EM radiation encompassing a wide frequency range comprises emitting the EM radiation with the wide frequency range having a lowest frequency that is at least about twice a frequency of the reference wave.

35. The method of claim 29, wherein emitting EM radiation encompassing a wide frequency range comprises emitting the EM radiation with the wide frequency range having a lowest frequency that is at least about one terahertz (1 THz).

36. The method of claim 29, wherein emitting EM radiation encompassing a wide frequency range comprises emitting the EM radiation with the wide frequency range having a lowest frequency that is at least about one hundred terahertz (100 THz).

37. The method of claim 29, wherein wirelessly controlling the plurality of tunable EM scattering elements comprises optically controlling a plurality of optically tunable EM scattering elements tunable by the portions of the EM radiation passed by the corresponding ones of the plurality of EM filters.