Direct downlink RF module

• US 20050057421A1
• Filed: 09/16/2004
• Published: 03/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Farrokh Mohamadi
• Original Assignee: Farrokh Mohamadi
• Inventors: Mohamadi, Farrokh
• Granted Patent: US 7,610,064 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/853
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 11/105 using a dielectric support
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0025 Modular arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0087 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing antenna arrays manufacturing waveguides H01P11/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/26 varying the relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of energy across a radiating aperture H01Q3/12, H01Q3/22, H01Q3/24 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15528 Control of operation parameters of a relay station to exploit the physical medium

Abstract

A downlink module is provided that includes a sensor interface operable to provide digital sensor signals. It also includes a GPS receiver for receiving GPS timing and location signals. The downlink module may be configured to form packets of digital sensor signals and GPS timing and location signals according to a desired protocol.

Claims

1. A downlink module, comprising:

a sensor interface operable to provide digitized sensor signals;

a GPS receiver operable to provide GPS timing and location signals

a digital signal processor and coding modulator for forming baseband packets of the digitized sensor signals and the GPS timing and location signals according to a desired protocol;

an IF stage for converting the baseband packets into an RF packet signal;

a beamforming controller; and

an array of integrated antenna circuits, each integrated antenna circuit including an antenna operable to phase shift and/or attenuate the RF packet signal according to a beamforming command from the beamforming controller such that a transmitted RF packet signal from the array of integrated antenna circuit is directed into a desired beam direction.

2. The downlink module of claim 1, wherein the downlink module is integrated onto a single semiconductor substrate.

3. The downlink module of claim 1, wherein the desired protocol is an 802.11-based protocol, the baseband packets thereby being 802.11 packets.

4. The downlink module of claim 3, wherein the digital signal processor and coding modulator is configured to integrate the GPS timing and location signals and the digitized sensor information into the user data field of the 802.11 packets.

5. The downlink module of claim 4, wherein the digital signal processor and coding modulator is configured to integrate a classification of the digitized sensor data into the packet class field.

6. The downlink module of claim 4, wherein the digitized sensor information comprises Electronic Product Code (EPC) information.

7. The downlink module of claim 1, wherein the desired protocol is a GPRS-based protocol, the baseband packets thereby being GSM packets.

8. The downlink module of claim 7, wherein the digital signal processor and coding modulator is configured to integrate the GPS timing and location signals and the digitized sensor information into the packet data channel (PDCH) field of the GSM packets.

9. A directional RF repeater, comprising:

a beamforming controller; and

a first array of integrated antenna circuits, each integrated antenna circuit including an antenna operable to phase shift and/or attenuate a received RF signal according to a beamforming command from the beamforming controller such that the received RF signal is received in a first desired beam direction;

an RF combiner for combining the received RF signals from the first array of integrated antenna circuits into a combined RF signal; and

a second array of integrated antenna circuits, each integrated antenna circuit in the second array including an antenna operable to phase shift and/or attenuate the combined RF signal according to a beamforming command from the beamforming controller such that the combined RF signal is transmitted in a second desired beam direction.

10. The directional RF repeater of claim 9, wherein the antennas are T-shaped dipoles.

11. The directional RF repeater of claim 9, wherein the antennas are patch antennas.

12. An integrated antenna array, comprising:

a semiconductor wafer having a first surface and an opposing second surface;

heavily-doped contact regions extending from the first surface to the second surface;

a metallic layer on the second surface;

an insulating layer on the metallic layer;

a first periodic array of T-shaped dipole antenna elements formed on the insulating layer;

wherein each arm of each T-shaped dipole has a first segment and a second segment coupled at an offset angle to the first segment; and

electrical conductors formed in vias in the insulating layer, the electrical conductors coupling the antenna elements through the contact regions to driving circuitry formed on the first surface of the substrate, the separation between the driving circuitry and the T-shaped antenna elements thereby aiding electrical isolation of the driving circuitry.

13. The integrated antenna array of claim 12, wherein for each T-shaped dipole antenna element, the offset angle is approximately 45 to 60 degrees.

14. The integrated antenna array of claim 13, wherein for each T-shaped dipole antenna element, the ratio of length of the first segment with respect to the length of the second segment is approximately 5/95.

15. The integrated antenna of claim 14, wherein the substrate comprises silicon.

16. An integrated array, comprising:

a substrate;

a linear array of loop dipole elements arranged on a surface of the substrate;

and driving circuitry for phasing the linear array such that conical beamshaping is achieved.

17. The integrated array of claim 16, wherein the substrate is glass.

18. The integrated array of claim 16, wherein the substrate is silicon.