RF transmitter with adjustable antenna assembly

• US 20080280574A1
• Filed: 05/11/2007
• Published: 11/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rofougaran, Maryam, Rofougaran, Ahmadreza (Reza)
• Application Number:
  US11/803,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20080280574A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/126
• 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: H01Q 9/285 Planar dipole H01Q9/065 takes precedence; patch antenna H01Q9/0407
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/10 Polarisation diversity; Directional diversity

Abstract

A radio frequency (RF) transmitter includes a baseband processing module, an up conversion module, a power amplifier module, and an antenna assembly. The baseband processing module is coupled to convert outbound data into a first outbound symbol stream and a second outbound symbol stream and to generate an adjust signal. The up conversion module is coupled to convert the first outbound symbol stream into a first up converted signal and to convert the second outbound symbol stream into a second up converted signal. The power amplifier module is coupled to amplify the first and second up converted signals to produce first and second outbound RF signals. The antenna assembly is coupled to transmit the first and second outbound RF signals, wherein the antenna assembly adjusts at least one of amplitude and phase of at least one of the first and second outbound RF signals based on the adjust signal.

Claims

1. A radio frequency (RF) transmitter comprises:

a baseband processing module coupled to convert outbound data into a first outbound symbol stream and a second outbound symbol stream and to generate an adjust signal;

an up conversion module coupled to convert the first outbound symbol stream into a first up converted signal and to convert the second outbound symbol stream into a second up converted signal;

a power amplifier module coupled to amplify the first and second up converted signals to produce first and second outbound RF signals; and

an antenna assembly coupled to transmit the first and second outbound RF signals, wherein the antenna assembly adjusts at least one of amplitude and phase of at least one of the first and second outbound RF signals based on the adjust signal.

2. The RF transmitter of claim 1 comprises:

the baseband processing module coupled to;

convert outbound training data into a first outbound training symbol stream and a second outbound training symbol stream;

generate a training adjust signal; and

interpret a response to the first and second outbound training symbol streams to generate the adjust signal;

the up conversion module coupled to convert the first outbound training symbol stream into a first up converted training signal and to convert the second outbound training symbol stream into a second up converted training signal;

the power amplifier module coupled to amplify the first and second up converted training signals to produce first and second outbound RF training signals; and

the antenna assembly coupled to transmit the first and second outbound RF training signals in accordance with the training adjust signal.

3. The RF transmitter of claim 2, wherein the response comprises at least one of:

a received signal strength indication;

first and second inbound training symbol streams;

a phase adjustment indication;

a channel response; and

an amplitude adjustment indication.

4. The RF transmitter of claim 1, wherein the antenna assembly comprises:

an antenna structure having a first configurable antenna and a second configurable antenna, wherein the first configurable antenna transmits the first outbound RF signal and the second configurable antenna transmits the second outbound RF signal, wherein the first configurable antenna adjusts the at least one of the amplitude and phase of the first outbound RF signal in accordance with the adjust signal and the second configurable antenna adjusts the at least one of the amplitude and phase of the second outbound RF signal in accordance with the adjust signal; and

an antenna interface having a first antenna coupling circuit and a second antenna coupling circuit, wherein the first antenna coupling circuit couples the first configurable antenna to the power amplifier module and the second antenna coupling circuit couples the second configurable antenna to the power amplifier module.

5. The RF transmitter of claim 1, wherein the antenna assembly comprises:

an antenna structure having a first antenna and a second antenna, wherein the first antenna transmits the first outbound RF signal and the second antenna transmits the second outbound RF signal; and

an antenna interface having a first configurable antenna coupling circuit and a second configurable antenna coupling circuit, wherein the first configurable antenna adjusts the at least one of the amplitude and the phase of the first outbound RF signal in accordance with the adjust signal and the second configurable antenna coupling circuit adjusts the at least one of the amplitude and the phase of the second outbound RF signal in accordance with the adjust signal.

6. The RF transmitter of claim 1, wherein the baseband processing module generates the adjust signal to provide at least one of:

in-air beamforming;

antenna polarization adjustment; and

antenna polarization.

7. The RF transmitter of claim 1, wherein the baseband processing module is further coupled to:

convert first outbound data of the outbound data into the first outbound symbol stream; and

convert second outbound data of the outbound data into the second outbound symbol stream.

8. A radio frequency (RF) transmitter comprises:

a baseband processing module coupled to convert outbound data into a first outbound symbol stream and a second outbound symbol stream and to generate an adjust signal;

an up conversion module coupled to;

process the first outbound symbol stream, a first local oscillation, and a first phase adjust component to produce a phase adjusted first up converted signal;

process the second outbound symbol stream, a second local oscillation, and a second phase adjust component to produce a phase adjusted second up converted signal, wherein the first and second phase adjust components are in accordance with the adjust signal;

adjust amplitude of at least one of the phase adjusted first up converted signal and the phase adjusted second up converted signal based on the adjust signal to produce an adjusted first up converted signal and an adjusted second up converted signal; and

a power amplifier module coupled to amplify the adjusted first and second up converted signals to produce first and second outbound RF signals; and

an antenna assembly coupled to transmit the first and second outbound RF signals.

9. The RF transmitter of claim 8, wherein the up conversion module comprises:

a local oscillation module coupled to generate the first and second local oscillations in accordance with the adjust signal to produce a phase adjusted first local oscillation and a phase adjusted second local oscillation;

a first mixing module coupled to mix the phase adjusted first local oscillation with the first outbound symbol stream to produce the phase adjusted first up converted signal;

a first gain module coupled to adjust the amplitude of the phase adjusted first up converted signal based on the adjust signal to produce the adjusted first up converted signal;

a second mixing module coupled to mix the phase adjusted second local oscillation with the second outbound symbol stream to produce the phase adjusted second up converted signal; and

a second gain module coupled to adjust the amplitude of the phase adjusted second up converted signal based on the adjust signal to produce the adjusted second up converted signal.

10. The RF transmitter of claim 8, wherein the up conversion module comprises:

a local oscillation module coupled to generate the first and second local oscillations;

a first phase adjust module coupled to adjust phase of the first outbound symbol stream in accordance with the adjust signal to produce a phase adjusted first outbound symbol stream;

a second phase adjust module coupled to adjust phase of the second outbound symbol stream in accordance with the adjust signal to produce a phase adjusted second outbound symbol stream;

a first mixing module coupled to mix the first local oscillation with the phase adjusted first outbound symbol stream to produce the phase adjusted first up converted signal;

a first gain module coupled to adjust the amplitude of the phase adjusted first up converted signal based on the adjust signal to produce the adjusted first up converted signal;

a second mixing module coupled to mix the second local oscillation with the phase adjusted second outbound symbol stream to produce the phase adjusted second up converted signal; and

a second gain module coupled to adjust the amplitude of the phase adjusted second up converted signal based on the adjust signal to produce the adjusted second up converted signal.

11. The RF transmitter of claim 8, wherein the up conversion module comprises:

a local oscillation module coupled to generate the first and second local oscillations;

a first mixing module coupled to mix the first local oscillation with the first outbound symbol stream to produce a mixed first signal;

a first phase adjust module coupled to adjust phase of the mixed first signal in accordance with the adjust signal to produce a phase adjusted first up converted signal;

a first gain module coupled to adjust the amplitude of the phase adjusted first up converted signal based on the adjust signal to produce the adjusted first up converted signal;

a second mixing module coupled to mix the second local oscillation with the second outbound symbol stream to produce a mixed.second signal;

a second phase adjust module coupled to adjust phase of the mixed second signal in accordance with the adjust signal to produce a phase adjusted second up converted signal; and

a second gain module coupled to adjust the amplitude of the phase adjusted second up converted signal based on the adjust signal to produce the adjusted second up converted signal.

12. The RF transmitter of claim 8, wherein the baseband processing module generates the adjust signal to provide at least one of:

in-air beamforming;

antenna polarization adjustment; and

antenna polarization.

13. The RF transmitter of claim 8, wherein the baseband processing module is further coupled to:

convert first outbound data of the outbound data into the first outbound symbol stream; and

convert second outbound data of the outbound data into the second outbound symbol stream.

14. A radio frequency (RF) transmitter comprises:

a baseband to RF section coupled to convert a plurality of outbound symbol streams into a plurality of outbound RF signals; and

processing module coupled to;

determine a desired signal property for an outbound RF signal of the plurality of outbound RF signals based on a desired relationship between the plurality of outbound RF signals; and

provide an adjust signal to the baseband to RF section such that, when transmitted, the outbound RF signal has the desired signal property.

15. The RF transmitter of claim 14, wherein the baseband to RF section comprises:

a plurality of up conversion modules coupled to convert the plurality of outbound symbol streams into a plurality of up converted signals;

a plurality of power amplifier modules coupled to amplify the plurality of up converted signals to produce the plurality of outbound RF signals; and

a plurality of configurable antenna assemblies coupled to transmit the plurality of outbound RF signals, wherein an antenna characteristic of at least one of the plurality of configurable antenna assemblies is adjusted in accordance with the adjust signal.

16. The RF transmitter of claim 15, wherein the plurality of configurable antenna assemblies comprises:

a plurality of antennas; and

a plurality of antenna interfaces coupled to the plurality of antennas, wherein at least one of the plurality of antenna interfaces is adjusted in accordance with the adjust signal.

17. The RF transmitter of claim 15, wherein the plurality of configurable antenna assemblies comprises:

a plurality of adjustable antennas, wherein at least one of the plurality of adjustable antenna is adjusted in accordance with the adjust signal; and

a plurality of antenna interfaces coupled to the plurality of adjustable antennas.

18. The RF transmitter of claim 14, wherein the baseband to RF section comprises:

a plurality of up conversion modules coupled to convert the plurality of outbound symbol streams into a plurality of up converted signals, wherein an up conversion characteristic of at least one of the plurality of up conversion modules is adjusted in accordance with the adjust signal;

a plurality of power amplifier modules. coupled to amplify the plurality of up converted signals to produce the plurality of outbound RF signals; and

a plurality of antenna assemblies coupled to transmit the plurality of outbound RF signals.