TECHNIQUES FOR MAXIMIZING THE SIZE OF AN ANTENNA ARRAY PER RADIO MODULE

• US 20130293420A1
• Filed: 12/28/2012
• Published: 11/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Wilocity, Ltd. (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: YEHEZKELY, Alon
• Application Number:
  US13/729,553
• Publication Number:
  US 20130293420A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/372
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0025 Modular arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0093 Monolithic arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/061 Two dimensional planar arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/067 using endfire radiating aerial units transverse to the plane of the array
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/205 providing an omnidirectional coverage turnstile aerials H01Q21/26
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 23/00 Antennas with active circuits or circuit elements integrated within them or attached to them
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/00 Arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern of the waves radiated from an antenna or antenna system means for positioning H01Q1/125

Abstract

An active antenna array of a millimeter-wave radio frequency (RF) module is disclosed. The active antenna array comprises a multilayer substrate having at least a front layer, a back layer, and a plurality of middle layers; a first antenna sub-array implemented in the front layer; a second antenna sub-array implemented in the back layer; and a plurality of middle antenna sub-arrays implemented in the plurality of the middle layers, wherein each of the first antenna, the second antenna, and the plurality of middle antenna sub-arrays is configured to radiate millimeter-wave signals at a different direction.

Claims

1. An active antenna array of a millimeter-wave radio frequency (RF) module, comprising:

a multilayer substrate having at least a front layer, a back layer, and a plurality of middle layers;

a first antenna sub-array implemented in the front layer;

a second antenna sub-array implemented in the back layer; and

a plurality of middle antenna sub-arrays implemented in the plurality of the middle layers, wherein each of the first antenna sub-array, the second antenna sub-array, and the plurality of middle antenna sub-arrays is configured to radiate millimeter-wave signals at a different direction.

2. The active antenna array of claim 1, wherein each of the first antenna sub-array, the second antenna sub-array, and the plurality of middle antenna sub-arrays is configured to receive and transmit millimeter-wave radio signals.

3. The active antenna array of claim 1, wherein each of the first antenna sub-array, the second antenna sub-array, and the plurality of middle antenna sub-arrays is independently controlled.

4. The active antenna array of claim 1, wherein the plurality of middle antenna sub-arrays includes four antenna sub-arrays, each implemented in a different layer of the plurality of layers.

5. The active antenna array of claim 4, wherein two of the four antenna sub-arrays are implemented in a center of their respective middle layers, and the other two antenna sub-arrays are implemented in an edge of their respective middle layers.

6. The active antenna array of claim 5, wherein each of the two antenna sub-arrays implemented in the edge of a middle layer includes end-fire antenna elements.

7. The active antenna array of claim 1, wherein the multilayer substrate includes at least one ground layer, wherein the first antenna, the second antenna, and the plurality of middle antenna sub-arrays share the ground layer.

8. The active antenna array of claim 1, wherein each of the first antenna, the second antenna, and the plurality of middle antenna sub-arrays includes a number of radiating elements, wherein the number of radiating elements is greater than eight.

9. The active antenna array of claim 8, wherein a distance between each radiating element in the same antenna sub-array is between a half wavelength and a full wavelength of a millimeter-wave signal.

10. The active antenna array of claim 8, wherein the radiating elements of each of the antenna sub-arrays are at least printed on the substrate of their respective layer.

11. The active antenna array of claim 8, wherein each of the antenna sub-arrays is a phased array antenna.

12. The active antenna array of claim 11, wherein the millimeter-wave RF module further includes RF circuitry.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the RF circuitry is configured to independently control the first antenna sub-array, the second antenna sub-array, and each of the plurality of middle antenna sub-arrays.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the RF circuitry is further configured to control the phase per antenna in order to establish a beam-forming operation for the phased-array antenna.

15. The active antenna array of claim 12, wherein the millimeter-wave RF module further includes discrete electronic components providing a chip-board transition structure.

16. The active antenna array of claim 15, wherein the RF circuitry and the discrete electronic components are mounted on the front layer of the multi-layer substrate.