Integrated beamformer/modem architecture
First Claim
1. An apparatus for modulating and demodulating signals transmitted and received via an electronically steerable phased array antenna comprising a plurality of antenna elements, the apparatus comprising:
- a baseband modulator configured to modulate signals to be transmitted via the phased array antenna;
a baseband demodulator configured to demodulate signals received via the phased array antenna; and
a shared baseband processor configured to receive baseband signals including the modulated signals from said baseband modulator and the signals received via the phased array antenna which are destined for said baseband demodulator, said shared baseband processor adjusting phases of the baseband signals to jointly account for beamforming phase rotation of individual antenna elements and carrier phase rotation, and adjusting amplitudes of the baseband signals to jointly perform power control and antenna element beam scaling.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A transceiver employing a steerable phased-array antenna includes a modem architecture in which signals from each antenna element in the array are independently processed down to the individual baseband channel level, and digital beamforming is performed at baseband. The data rate reduction from IF to baseband permits parallel signal data from multiple antenna elements to be time multiplexed and serially processed at acceptable data rates at baseband with minimal modem hardware requirements. Both for transmit signal modulation and received signal demodulation, the computation of carrier tracking, automatic gain control (AGC)/power-control, and beamforming are shared by the same processing circuitry for all channels when performed at baseband. The resulting baseband circuitry is only incrementally larger than that required for carrier tracking and AGC alone, yet accomplishes independent beamforming for each antenna element on each user channel.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. An apparatus for modulating and demodulating signals transmitted and received via an electronically steerable phased array antenna comprising a plurality of antenna elements, the apparatus comprising:
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a baseband modulator configured to modulate signals to be transmitted via the phased array antenna;
a baseband demodulator configured to demodulate signals received via the phased array antenna; and
a shared baseband processor configured to receive baseband signals including the modulated signals from said baseband modulator and the signals received via the phased array antenna which are destined for said baseband demodulator, said shared baseband processor adjusting phases of the baseband signals to jointly account for beamforming phase rotation of individual antenna elements and carrier phase rotation, and adjusting amplitudes of the baseband signals to jointly perform power control and antenna element beam scaling. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification