TECHNIQUES FOR OPERATING PHASED ARRAY ANTENNAS IN MILLIMETERWAVE RADIO MODULES

• US 20140320344A1
• Filed: 07/07/2014
• Published: 10/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm Atheros Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: YEHEZKELY, Alon, SANDEROVICH, Amichai
• Application Number:
  US14/325,346
• Publication Number:
  US 20140320344A1
• 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 21/067 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 3/2605 Array of radiating elements provided with a feedback control over the element weights, e.g. adaptive arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/086 using weights depending on external parameters, e.g. direction of arrival [DOA], predetermined weights or beamforming
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0865 Independent weighting, i.e. weights based on own antenna reception parameters

Abstract

A method and apparatus for operating a plurality of radiating elements are provided. In one aspect, the method includes measuring a phase and a gain of each of the plurality of radiating elements; determining a feed gain and a feed phase for each of the plurality of radiating elements based on the measured phase and the measured gain of a respective radiating element; and setting independently each of the plurality of radiating elements based on the determined feed gain and the feed phase.

Claims

1. A method for operating a plurality of radiating elements, comprising:

measuring a phase and a gain of each of the plurality of radiating elements;

determining a feed gain and a feed phase for each of the plurality of radiating elements based on the measured phase and the measured gain of a respective radiating element; and

setting independently each of the plurality of radiating elements based on the determined feed gain and the feed phase.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of radiating elements is different.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the gain and the phase of each of the plurality of radiating elements are measured as a function of a specific direction and rotation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each feed gain is proportional to the measured gain and each feed phase has opposite polarity to the measured phase of each respective radiating element.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determination comprises:

setting the feed gain (Ai) to Ai=∝

Gi and the feed phase (θ

i) to θ

i=−

φ

i+β

, wherein ∝ and

β

are configurable parameters and Gi and φ

i are the measured gain and the measured phase of the respective radiating element, respectively.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

randomly selecting values of the configurable parameters.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

selecting values for the configurable parameters based on a quantization error associated with either transmission of radio signals or reception of radio signals.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the radiating elements comprises first and second feeds and wherein the determination comprises:

setting a phase difference between the first and second feeds to 180 degrees.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the radiating elements transmits and receives signals in a 60 GHz or higher frequency band.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

arranging the plurality of radiating elements in at least one of;

a front antenna sub-array, a back antenna sub-array, or one or more middle antenna sub-arrays.

11. An apparatus for communication, comprising:

a plurality of radiating elements; and

a processing system configured to;

measure a phase and a gain of each of the plurality of radiating elements;

determine a feed gain and a feed phase for each of the plurality of radiating elements based on the measured phase and gain of a respective radiating element; and

independently set the feed gain and the feed phase of each of the plurality of radiating elements based on the determined feed gain and the feed phase.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of radiating elements is different.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the gain and the phase of each of the plurality of radiating elements are measured as a function of a specific direction and rotation.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein each feed gain is proportional to the measured gain and each feed phase has opposite polarity to the measured phase of each respective radiating element.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein processing system is further configured to set the feed gain (Ai) to Ai=∝

*Gi; and

the feed phase (θ

i) to θ

=−

φ

i+β

, wherein ∝ and

β

are configurable parameters, and Gi and φ

i are the measured gain and the measured phase of the respective radiating element, respectively.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processing system is further configured to randomly select values of the configurable parameters.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processing system is further configured to select values for the configurable parameters based on a quantization error associated with either transmission or reception of radio signals.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein each of the radiating elements comprises first and second feeds and wherein the processing system is further configured to set a phase difference between the first and second feeds to 180 degrees.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein each of the radiating elements transmits and receives signals in a 60 GHz or higher frequency band.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the plurality of radiating elements are arranged in at least one of:

a front antenna sub-array, a back antenna sub-array, or one or more middle antenna sub-arrays.

21. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium having instructions executable by an apparatus to:

measure a phase and a gain of each of the plurality of radiating elements;

determine a feed gain and a feed phase for each of the plurality of radiating elements based on the measured phase and the measured gain of a respective radiating element; and

independently set each of the plurality of radiating elements based on the determined feed gain and the feed phase.

22. An apparatus for operating a plurality of radiating elements comprising:

means for measuring a phase and a gain of each of the plurality of radiating elements;

means for determining a feed gain and a feed phase for each of the plurality of radiating elements based on the measured phase and the measured gain of a respective radiating element; and

means for independently setting each of the plurality of radiating elements based on the determined feed gain and the feed phase.

23. An access terminal comprising:

a plurality of radiating elements;

a processing system configured to;

measure a phase and a gain of each of the plurality of radiating elements;

determine a feed gain and a feed phase for each of the plurality of radiating elements based on the measured phase and the measured gain of a respective radiating element; and

independently set each of the plurality of radiating elements based on the determined feed gain and the feed phase; and

a transmitter configured to transmit signals via the set radiating elements.