Apparatus and methods for communicating utilizing an antenna array

• US 10,587,048 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2018
• Issued: 03/10/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Johnson, Shikik, Henry, Paul Shala, Bennett, Robert, Barzegar, Farhad, Gerszberg, Irwin, Willis, III, Thomas M., Barnickel, Donald J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trinh, Sonny
• Application Number:
  US16/161,687
• Publication Number:
  US 20190089063A1
• Time in Patent Office: 511 Days
• Field of Search: 455 25, 455 634, 4555621, 4555757, 343720, 343725, 343785
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 1/2138 using hollow waveguide filters H01P1/2131 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/18 consisting of two coupled guides, e.g. directional couplers
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/188 the guides being dielectric waveguides
• 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 13/24 constituted by a dielectric or ferromagnetic rod or pipe H01Q13/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/00 Antenna arrays or systems arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern of the waves radiated from an antenna or antenna system H01Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/061 Two dimensional planar arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/067 using endfire radiating aerial units transverse to the plane of the array
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/30 varying the relative phase between the radiating elements of an array H01Q3/2605, H01Q3/2658, H01Q3/2682, H01Q3/44 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/58 Repeater circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, a system having a polyrod antenna array. Beam steering can be performed according to a first subset of elements of the polyrod antenna array generating first electromagnetic waves with a first phase that is different from a second phase of the first electromagnetic waves being generated by a second subset of elements of the polyrod antenna array. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

an antenna array including a group of elements, wherein each element of the group of elements comprises;

a polyrod antenna; and

a waveguide that facilitates inducing an electromagnetic wave at an interface of a first region of the polyrod antenna,

wherein the waveguide facilitates confining the electromagnetic wave at least in part within the polyrod antenna in the first region, and

wherein a distal end of the polyrod antenna outside of the waveguide is tapered and facilitates transmitting a wireless signal based on the electromagnetic wave, and

wherein a beam steering, by the antenna array, is performed via a phase adjustment associated with a first subset of the group of elements of the antenna array relative to a second subset of the group of elements of the antenna array.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the beam steering is performed according to each element of the first subset of the group of elements generating each electromagnetic wave with a first phase that is different from a second phase of each electromagnetic wave being generated by each element of the second subset of the group of elements.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein each waveguide along a second region of the polyrod antenna is tapered and is configured to reduce a radiation loss.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein each element of the group of elements further comprises a generator, and wherein each generator facilitates generation of the electromagnetic wave.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein each generator is coupled to a radiating element in a dielectric material of the first region of the polyrod antenna.

6. The device of claim 4, wherein each generator is coupled with a corresponding dielectric cable.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein each waveguide includes an opening for insertion of the dielectric cable.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein each electromagnetic wave is guided by the dielectric cable towards the interface of the first region of the polyrod antenna.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein each dielectric cable includes a tapered end, and wherein the interface of the first region of the polyrod antenna is tapered in an opposite direction to tapering of the tapered end of the dielectric cable.

10. A method, comprising:

transmitting, via an array of polyrod antennas, a plurality of wireless signals based on a plurality of electromagnetic waves, wherein each one of the plurality of electromagnetic waves propagates and is guided by a corresponding one of a plurality of dielectric cores without requiring an electrical return path, wherein the plurality of electromagnetic waves conveys at least one communication signal, wherein each polyrod antenna of the array of polyrod antennas is coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of dielectric cores, and wherein each polyrod antenna converts a corresponding one of the plurality of electromagnetic waves supplied by the corresponding one of the plurality of dielectric cores into a corresponding one of the plurality of wireless signals,

wherein at least one transmitter is coupled to the array of polyrod antennas via the plurality of dielectric cores,

wherein the plurality of wireless signals conveys the at least one communication signal, and

wherein the at least one transmitter is configurable to perform a beam steering of the plurality of wireless signals.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the beam steering is based on providing a phase adjustment to at least one wireless signal of the plurality of wireless signals.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one wireless signal having the phase adjustment is a group of the plurality of wireless signals that is transmitted by adjacent polyrod antennas in the array of polyrod antennas.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein each polyrod antenna of the array of polyrod antennas is connected with a corresponding waveguide, and wherein the method further comprises confining a portion of the plurality of electromagnetic waves at least in part within a corresponding first region of each corresponding polyrod antenna utilizing each corresponding waveguide.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising reducing a radiation loss of the plurality of electromagnetic waves utilizing a tapered portion of each corresponding polyrod antenna as a portion of the plurality of electromagnetic waves propagates along each corresponding polyrod antenna.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein each polyrod antenna is connected with a corresponding waveguide, and wherein the method further comprises reducing a radiation loss of the plurality of electromagnetic waves utilizing a tapered portion of each corresponding waveguide as a portion of the plurality of electromagnetic waves propagates along each corresponding polyrod antenna.

16. A system, comprising:

a processor;

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations; and

a group of elements forming an antenna array, each element of the group of elements comprising;

a polyrod antenna; and

a waveguide that facilitates inducing an electromagnetic wave at an interface of a first region of the polyrod antenna;

wherein each waveguide is configured to confine each respective electromagnetic wave at least in part within each respective polyrod antenna in each respective first region; and

wherein a distal end of each polyrod antenna outside of each respective waveguide is tapered and facilitates transmitting a respective wireless signal based on each respective electromagnetic wave;

wherein the operations comprise facilitating a beam steering by the antenna array; and

wherein the beam steering is performed via a phase adjustment associated with a first subset of the group of elements relative to a second subset of the group of elements.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise, for the beam steering:

facilitating a first generating by each element of the first subset of the group of elements each respective electromagnetic wave with a first phase; and

facilitating a second generating by each element of the second subset of the group of elements each respective electromagnetic wave with a second phase;

wherein the first phase is different from the second phase.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor comprises a plurality of processors operating in a distributed computing environment.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein:

each element of the group of elements further comprises a generator that facilitates generation of a respective electromagnetic wave; and

each generator provides the respective electromagnetic wave to each respective polyrod antenna.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein each generator provides each respective electromagnetic wave to each respective polyrod antenna via each respective waveguide.