Method and system for controlling a modal antenna

• US 10,587,438 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2019
• Issued: 03/10/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera AVX Components San Diego Inc (Kyocera Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AVX Antenna, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: Roe, Michael, Anzil, Claudio, Shah, Jatan
• Primary Examiner(s): Kassa, Zewdu A
• Application Number:
  US16/294,262
• Publication Number:
  US 20190394072A1
• Time in Patent Office: 370 Days
• Field of Search: 375257, 375295, 375316, 375219
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/242 specially adapted for hand-held use
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/247 by switching different parts of a primary active element
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/28 varying the amplitude
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/385 Two or more parasitic elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0414 in a stacked or folded configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/0002 analog front ends; means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line duplex arrangements H04L5/143
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/02 Amplitude-modulated carrier systems, e.g. using on-off keying; Single sideband or vestigial sideband modulation H04L27/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/04 Modulator circuits; Transmitter circuits

Abstract

An antenna system is provided. In one example implementation, the antenna system may include a modal antenna that is operable in a plurality of different modes, and each mode may be associated with a different radiation pattern. The antenna system may include a tuning circuit configured to operate the modal antenna in the plurality of different modes. A transmission line may couple a radio frequency circuit to the modal antenna. The radio frequency circuit may be configured to modulate a control signal onto an RF signal using amplitude-shift keying modulation to generate a transmit signal for communication over the transmission line to the tuning circuit. The tuning circuit may be configured to demodulate the control signal such that the radio frequency circuit can adjust a mode of the modal antenna via the control signal. In some embodiments, the amplitude-shift keying modulation may include on-off keying modulation.

Claims

1. An antenna system, comprising:

a modal antenna comprising a driven element and a parasitic element positioned proximate to the driven element, the modal antenna operable in a plurality of different modes, each mode associated with a different radiation pattern;

a radio frequency circuit; and

a transmission line coupling the radio frequency circuit to the modal antenna;

wherein the radio frequency circuit is configured to modulate a control signal onto an RF signal to generate a transmit signal for communication over the transmission line to control the antenna system

wherein the RF signal is defined within a first frequency band, and the control signal is defined within a second frequency band that is distinct from the first frequency band.

2. The antenna system of claim 1, further comprising a tuning circuit configured to demodulate the control signal such that the radio frequency circuit can adjust a mode of the modal antenna via the control signal to control the antenna system.

3. The antenna system of claim 2, further comprising a first circuit board and a second circuit board that is physically separate from the first circuit board, and wherein the radio frequency circuit is disposed on the first circuit board, and at least one of the tuning circuit or modal antenna is disposed on the second circuit board.

4. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein the radio frequency circuit is configured to modulate the control signal onto the RF signal using amplitude-shift keying modulation.

5. The antenna system of claim 4, wherein the radio frequency circuit is configured to modulate the control signal onto the RF signal using on-off keying modulation.

6. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein the radio frequency circuit is configured to modulate the control signal onto the RF signal by selectively varying an amplitude associated with a carrier signal.

7. The antenna system of claim 6, wherein the radio frequency circuit is configured to selectively vary the amplitude between about zero and a non-zero value.

8. The antenna system of claim 6, wherein the carrier signal comprises a sinusoidal wave having a generally constant frequency.

9. The antenna system of claim 6, wherein the carrier signal comprises a repeating pattern.

10. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein the transmission line is a single coaxial cable.

11. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein the first frequency band ranges from about 500 MHz to about 50 GHz.

12. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein the second frequency band ranges from about 10 MHz to about 1 GHz.

13. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein the transmit signal is associated with a first clock frequency, and wherein the tuning circuit is configured to synchronize a local clock frequency with the first frequency.

14. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein the radio frequency circuit comprises a front end module configured to generate the RF signal and a control circuit configured to modulate the control signal onto the RF signal using amplitude-shift keying modulation to generate the transmit signal.

15. The antenna system of claim 14, further comprising at least one additional modal antenna including a parasitic element;

wherein;

the radio frequency circuit comprises at least one additional front end module that is configured to transmit an RF signal to the driven element of the at least one additional modal antenna; and

the control circuit of the radio frequency circuit is configured to adjust a mode of the at least one additional modal antenna by modulating a control signal onto the RF signal that is transmitted to the driven element of the at least one additional modal antenna.

16. A method for controlling an antenna system:

modulating, at a radio frequency circuit, a control signal onto an RF signal to generate a transmit signal;

communicating the transmit signal via a single coaxial transmission line to a modal antenna comprising a driven element and a parasitic element positioned proximate to the driven element, the modal antenna operable in a plurality of different modes;

demodulating, at a tuning circuit, the control signal to adjust a mode of the modal antenna via the control signal to control the antenna system; and

controlling, from the radio frequency circuit, the antenna system via the control signal.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein modulating, at the radio frequency circuit, the control signal onto the RF signal at the radio frequency circuit comprises modulating the control signal onto the RF signal using amplitude-shift keying modulation.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein modulating, at the radio frequency circuit, the control signal onto the RF signal at the radio frequency circuit comprises modulating the control signal onto the RF signal using on-off keying modulation.

19. An antenna system, comprising:

a modal antenna comprising a driven element and a parasitic element positioned proximate to the driven element, the modal antenna operable in a plurality of different modes, each mode associated with a different radiation pattern;

a radio frequency circuit; and

a transmission line coupling the radio frequency circuit to the modal antenna;

wherein the radio frequency circuit is configured to modulate a control signal onto an RF signal to generate a transmit signal for communication over the transmission line to control the antenna system;

wherein the transmit signal is associated with a first clock frequency, and wherein the tuning circuit is configured to synchronize a local clock frequency with the first frequency.

20. An antenna system, comprising:

a modal antenna comprising a driven element and a parasitic element positioned proximate to the driven element, the modal antenna operable in a plurality of different modes, each mode associated with a different radiation pattern;

a radio frequency circuit;

a transmission line coupling the radio frequency circuit to the modal antenna;

a tuning circuit;

wherein;

the radio frequency circuit is configured to modulate a control signal onto an RF signal to generate a transmit signal for communication over the transmission line to control the antenna system; and

the tuning circuit is configured to demodulate the control signal such that the radio frequency circuit can adjust a mode of the modal antenna via the control signal to control the antenna system.