WIRELESS DEVICE WITH ANTENNA ARRAY AND SEPARATE ANTENNA

• US 20140242918A1
• Filed: 02/26/2013
• Published: 08/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Weissman, Haim Mendel, Raviv, Lior
• Granted Patent: US 9,490,548 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/67.14
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/002 providing at least two patterns of different beamwidth; Variable beamwidth antennas
• 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 3/267 Phased-array testing or checking devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0689 using different transmission schemes, at least one of them being a diversity transmission scheme
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0871 using different reception schemes, at least one of them being a diversity reception scheme
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering

Abstract

An apparatus (e.g., a wireless device) with an antenna array and a separate antenna is disclosed. The antenna array includes a plurality of antenna elements having a first antenna beam. The separate antenna includes an antenna element having a second antenna beam. The antenna element of the separate antenna is separate from the antenna elements of the antenna array. The antenna array and the separate antenna are active at different times in an operational mode. The antenna array may transmit and the separate antenna may be inactive in a transmit mode. The separate antenna may receive and the antenna array may be inactive in a receive mode. The antenna array may receive and the separate antenna may transmit in a test mode. Alternatively, the antenna array may transmit and the separate antenna may receive in the test mode.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an antenna array comprising a plurality of antenna elements having a first antenna beam; and

a separate antenna comprising an antenna element having a second antenna beam, the antenna element being separate from the plurality of antenna elements of the antenna array, and the antenna array and the separate antenna being active at different times in an operational mode.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, the antenna array configured to transmit and the separate antenna being inactive in a transmit configuration of the operating mode.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, the separate antenna configured to receive and the antenna array being inactive in a receive configuration of the operating mode.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, the antenna array configured to transmit and the separate antenna configured to receive in a test mode.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, the separate antenna configured to transmit and the antenna array configured to receive in a test mode.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, the plurality of antenna elements of the antenna array being arranged in a grid of M rows and N columns, where M and N are each one or greater, and the antenna element of the separate antenna being separate from the grid.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, the second antenna beam for the antenna element of the separate antenna corresponding to an antenna beam for one antenna element of the antenna array without coupling from remaining antenna elements of the antenna array.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, the second antenna beam for the antenna element of the separate antenna being an omni-directional antenna beam or a quasi omni-directional antenna beam.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, the plurality of antenna elements of the antenna array being coupled to a receiver via at least one signal splitter/combiner, and the antenna element of the separate antenna being coupled to the receiver without going through the at least one signal splitter/combiner.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a first transmit/receive (TX/RX) chain coupled to a first antenna element on a wireless device, the first TX/RX chain being disabled in an operational mode and enabled in a test mode of the wireless device; and

at least one TX/RX chain coupled to at least one antenna element on the wireless device, the at least one TX/RX chain being enabled in the operational mode, the first antenna element being separate from the at least one antenna element.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, the first TX/RX chain comprising:

a power amplifier (PA) configurable to receive an output radio frequency (RF) signal and provide a transmit RF signal to the first antenna element; and

a low noise amplifier (LNA) configurable to receive a received RF signal from the first antenna element and provide an input RF signal.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, the first antenna element having a first antenna beam, and the at least one antenna element comprising an array of antenna elements having a second antenna beam.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, the first TX/RX chain being configurable to provide a test signal for transmission via the first antenna element in the test mode, and the at least one TX/RX chain being configurable to receive the test signal via the at least one antenna element in the test mode.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, the at least one TX/RX chain being configurable to provide a test signal for transmission via the at least one antenna element in the test mode, and the first TX/RX chain being configurable to receive the test signal via the first antenna element in the test mode.

15. A method comprising:

transmitting an output radio frequency (RF) signal via an antenna array comprising a plurality of antenna elements having a first antenna beam; and

receiving an input RF signal from a separate antenna comprising an antenna element having a second antenna beam, the antenna element being separate from the plurality of antenna elements of the antenna array, and the antenna array and the separate antenna being active at different times in an operational mode.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

transmitting a test signal via the separate antenna in a test mode; and

receiving the test signal via the antenna array in the test mode.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

transmitting a test signal via the antenna array in a test mode; and

receiving the test signal via the separate antenna in the test mode.

18. An apparatus comprising:

means for generating an output radio frequency (RF) signal for transmission via an antenna array comprising a plurality of antenna elements having a first antenna beam; and

means for receiving an input RF signal from a separate antenna comprising an antenna element having a second antenna beam, the antenna element being separate from the plurality of antenna elements of the antenna array, and the antenna array and the separate antenna being active at different times in an operational mode.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising:

means for generating a test signal for transmission via the separate antenna in a test mode; and

means for receiving the test signal via the antenna array in the test mode.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising:

means for generating a test signal for transmission via the antenna array in a test mode; and

means for receiving the test signal via the separate antenna in the test mode.