EXTENDED ANTENNA MODULE AND APPLICATIONS THEREOF

• US 20100144285A1
• Filed: 12/04/2008
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: ERCEG, VINKO, KARAOGUZ, JEYHAN, IBRAHIM, BRIMA B., ROSMANN, DAVID, WALLEY, JOHN, BEHZAD, ARYA REZA
• Granted Patent: US 8,270,925 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/40 Circuits

Abstract

An extended antenna module includes an antenna section and an extended wireless interface. The antenna section is operable to receive an inbound radio frequency (RF) signal when an antenna select signal is in a first state and/or transmit an outbound RF signal when the antenna select signal is in the first state. The extended wireless interface is operable to wirelessly receive the outbound RF signal from a unit wireless interface when the antenna select signal is in the first state and wirelessly transmit the inbound RF signal to the unit wireless interface when the antenna select signal is in the first state.

Claims

1. A device comprises:

an extended antenna module that includes;

an antenna section operable for at least one of;

receiving an inbound radio frequency (RF) signal when an antenna select signal is in a first state; and

transmitting an outbound RF signal when the antenna select signal is in the first state;

an extended wireless interface operable for at least one of;

wirelessly receiving the outbound RF signal from a unit wireless interface when the antenna select signal is in the first state; and

wirelessly transmitting the inbound RF signal to the unit wireless interface when the antenna select signal is in the first state; and

a wireless communication unit that includes;

the unit wireless interface operable for at least one of;

wirelessly transmitting the outbound RF signal to the extended wireless interface when the antenna select signal is in a first state; and

wirelessly receiving the inbound RF signal from the extended wireless interface when the antenna select signal is in the first state;

a unit antenna section operable for at least one of;

transmitting the outbound RF signal when the antenna select signal is in a second state; and

receiving the inbound RF signal when the antenna select signal is in the second state;

a radio frequency transceiver operable for at least one of;

converting the inbound RF signal into the inbound symbol stream; and

converting an outbound symbol stream into the outbound RF signal; and

a baseband processing module operable for;

generating the antenna selection signal and for at least one of;

converting outbound data into the outbound symbol stream; and

converting the inbound symbol stream into inbound data.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the antenna section comprises:

a plurality of antenna units, wherein an antenna unit includes one or more antennas having antenna properties for operation in a specific frequency band of a plurality of frequency bands, wherein the antenna unit includes one or more of a transmission line, an impedance matching circuit, and a transformer balun, and wherein selection of one of the plurality of antenna units is in accordance with a frequency band selection portion of the antenna select signal.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the antenna section comprises:

a plurality of configurable antenna elements, wherein at least some of the plurality of antenna elements are configured into one or more antenna units, wherein an antenna unit of the one or more antenna units includes one or more antennas having antenna properties for operation in a specific frequency band of a plurality of frequency bands, wherein the antenna unit includes one or more of a transmission line, an impedance matching circuit, and a transformer balun, and wherein configuring the at least some of the plurality of antenna elements is in accordance with a frequency band selection portion of the antenna select signal.

4. The device of claim 1 further comprises when the antenna select signal is in the first state:

the antenna section operable for at least one of;

receiving the inbound RF signal having a carrier frequency in a first frequency band of a plurality of frequency bands; and

transmitting the outbound RF signal having a carrier frequency in the first frequency band;

the extended wireless interface operable for at least one of;

wirelessly receiving the outbound RF signal from the unit wireless interface via a wireless communication resource in a second frequency band of the plurality of frequency bands; and

wirelessly transmitting the inbound RF signal to the unit wireless interface via a wireless communication resource in a second frequency band of the plurality of frequency bands.

5. The device of claim 1 further comprises:

the extended wireless interface includes a first 60 GHz transceiver; and

the unit wireless interface includes a second 60 GHz transceiver.

6. The device of claim 1 further comprises:

the extended wireless interface includes a first repeater unit; and

the unit wireless interface includes a second repeater unit.

7. The device of claim 1 further comprises:

the extended wireless interface includes a first RF to intermediate frequency (IF) unit; and

the unit wireless interface includes a second RF to IF unit.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the baseband processing module is further operable to:

determine signal properties of at least one of the inbound RF signal received by the unit antenna section and the outbound RF signal transmitted by the device antenna section;

compare the signal properties with desired signal properties; and

when the signal properties compares unfavorably with the desired signal properties, generate the first state of the antenna select signal.

9. The device of claim 1 further comprises:

the baseband processing module generating the antenna select signal in a third state;

the antenna section operable for;

receiving the inbound RF signal; and

the extended wireless interface operable for;

wirelessly transmitting the inbound RF signal to the device wireless interface; and

the unit wireless interface operable for;

wirelessly receiving the inbound RF signal from the extended wireless interface; and

the unit antenna section operable for;

transmitting the outbound RF signal.

10. The device of claim 1 further comprises:

a plurality of extended antenna modules that includes the extended antenna module; and

wherein the baseband processing module generates one or more of a plurality of antenna select signals to select one or more of the plurality of extended antenna modules, wherein the plurality of antenna select signals includes the antenna select signal.

13. The extended antenna module of claim 11, wherein the antenna section comprises:

a plurality of configurable antenna elements, wherein at least some of the plurality of antenna elements are configured into one or more antenna units, wherein an antenna unit of the one or more antenna units includes one or more antennas having antenna properties for operation in a specific frequency band of a plurality of frequency bands, wherein the antenna unit includes one or more of a transmission line, an impedance matching circuit, and a transformer balun, and wherein configuring the at least some of the plurality of antenna elements is in accordance with a frequency band selection portion of the antenna select signal.

11. An extended antenna module comprises:

an antenna section operable for at least one of;

receiving an inbound radio frequency (RF) signal when an antenna select signal is in a first state; and

transmitting an outbound RF signal when the antenna select signal is in the first state; and

an extended wireless interface operable for at least one of;

wirelessly receiving the outbound RF signal from a unit wireless interface when the antenna select signal is in the first state; and

wirelessly transmitting the inbound RF signal to the unit wireless interface when the antenna select signal is in the first state.

12. The extended antenna module of claim 11, wherein the antenna section comprises:

a plurality of antenna units, wherein an antenna unit includes one or more antennas having antenna properties for operation in a specific frequency band of a plurality of frequency bands, wherein the antenna unit includes one or more of a transmission line, an impedance matching circuit, and a transformer balun, and wherein selection of one of the plurality of antenna units is in accordance with a frequency band selection portion of the antenna select signal.

14. The extended antenna module of claim 11, wherein the extended wireless interface comprises at least one of:

a 60 GHz transceiver;

a repeater unit; and

an RF to intermediate frequency (IF) unit.

15. A wireless communication unit comprises:

a unit wireless interface operable for at least one of;

wirelessly transmitting an outbound radio frequency (RF) signal to an extended wireless interface when an antenna select signal is in a first state; and

wirelessly receiving an inbound RF signal from the extended wireless interface when the antenna select signal is in the first state;

a unit antenna section operable for at least one of;

transmitting the outbound RF signal when the antenna select signal is in a second state; and

receiving the inbound RF signal when the antenna select signal is in the second state;

a radio frequency transceiver operable for at least one of;

converting the inbound RF signal into the inbound symbol stream; and

converting an outbound symbol stream into the outbound RF signal; and

a baseband processing module operable for at least two of;

converting outbound data into the outbound symbol stream;

converting the inbound symbol stream into inbound data; and

generating the antenna selection signal.

16. The wireless communication unit of claim 15 further comprises when the antenna select signal is in the first state:

the unit antenna section operable for at least one of;

receiving the inbound RF signal having a carrier frequency in a first frequency band of a plurality of frequency bands; and

transmitting the outbound RF signal having a carrier frequency in the first frequency band; and

the unit wireless interface operable for at least one of;

wirelessly receiving the outbound RF signal from the extended wireless interface via a wireless communication resource in a second frequency band of the plurality of frequency bands; and

wirelessly transmitting the inbound RF signal to the extended wireless interface via a wireless communication resource in a second frequency band of the plurality of frequency bands.

17. The wireless communication unit of claim 15, wherein the unit wireless interface comprises at least one of:

a 60 GHz transceiver;

a repeater unit; and

an RF to intermediate frequency (IF) unit.

18. The wireless communication unit of claim 15, wherein the baseband processing module is further operable to:

determine signal properties of at least one of the inbound RF signal received by the unit antenna section and the outbound RF signal transmitted by the device antenna section;

compare the signal properties with desired signal properties; and

when the signal properties compares unfavorably with the desired signal properties, generate the first state of the antenna select signal.

19. The wireless communication unit of claim 15 further comprises:

the baseband processing module generating the antenna select signal in a third state;

the unit wireless interface operable for;

wirelessly receiving the inbound RF signal from the extended wireless interface; and

the unit antenna section operable for;

transmitting the outbound RF signal.