RECONFIGURABLE ANTENNA STRUCTURE WITH RECONFIGURABLE ANTENNAS AND APPLICATIONS THEREOF

• US 20150070216A1
• Filed: 09/30/2013
• Published: 03/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Alexopoulos, Nicolaos Georgiou, Yoon, Seunghwan, Grau Besoli, Alfred
• Granted Patent: US 9,537,201 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/368
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/36 Structural form of radiating elements, e.g. cone, spiral, umbrella; Particular materials used therewithH01Q1/08, H01Q1/14 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/247 by switching different parts of a primary active element
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/14 Length of element or elements adjustable telescopic elements H01Q1/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/27 Spiral antennas

Abstract

A reconfigurable antenna structure includes first and second reconfigurable antennas, a configuration module, and an antenna processing circuit. The first reconfigurable antenna is configured, in response to a first configuration signal, to have a first radiation pattern and to have a first frequency bandwidth and the second reconfigurable antenna is configured, in response to a second configuration signal, to have a second radiation pattern and to have a second frequency bandwidth. The configuration module is configured to generate the first and second configuration signals. The antenna processing circuit is configured to send one or more transmit signals to one or more of the first and second reconfigurable antennas for transmission via one or more of the channels of interest and receive one or more receive signals from the one or more of the first and second reconfigurable antennas.

Claims

1. A reconfigurable antenna structure comprising:

a first reconfigurable antenna configured, in response to a first configuration signal, to have a first radiation pattern and to have a first frequency bandwidth;

a second reconfigurable antenna configured, in response to a second configuration signal, to have a second radiation pattern and to have a second frequency bandwidth, wherein the first and second frequency bandwidths at least partially overlap and wherein channels of interest are within the at least partially overlapping first and second frequency bandwidths;

a configuration module configured to generate the first and second configuration signals; and

an antenna processing circuit configured to;

send one or more transmit signals to one or more of the first and second reconfigurable antennas for transmission via one or more of the channels of interest; and

receive one or more receive signals from the one or more of the first and second reconfigurable antennas.

2. The reconfigurable antenna structure of claim 1 further comprising:

the first reconfigurable antenna is further configured, in response to the first configuration signal, to have a first geometric shape to provide the first radiation pattern and the first frequency bandwidth;

the second reconfigurable antenna is further configured, in response to the second configuration signal, to have a second geometric shape to provide the second radiation pattern and the second frequency bandwidth, wherein each of the first and second geometric shapes comprising one of;

a line, a polygon, a circle, an ellipse, a hyperbola, a parabola, a spiral, and an eccentric spiral.

3. The reconfigurable antenna structure of claim 1 further comprising:

the first reconfigurable antenna including a plurality of interwoven spiral antenna sections, wherein each of the plurality of interwoven spiral antenna sections includes excitation points, wherein the first configuration signal enables the excitations points of one or more of the plurality of interwoven spiral antenna sections to produce the first radiation pattern, and wherein spacing of the excitation points and circumference of the one or more of the plurality of interwoven spiral antenna sections establishes the first frequency bandwidth; and

the second reconfigurable antenna including a second plurality of interwoven spiral antenna sections, wherein each of the second plurality of interwoven spiral antenna sections includes excitation points, wherein the second configuration signal enables the excitations points of one or more of the second plurality of interwoven spiral antenna sections to produce the second radiation pattern, and wherein spacing of the excitation points and circumference of the one or more of the second plurality of interwoven spiral antenna sections establishes the second frequency bandwidth.

4. The reconfigurable antenna structure of claim 1, wherein the first reconfigurable antenna comprising:

an inner interwoven spiral antenna section having a first pair of excitation points at a first spacing and a second pair of excitation points at a second spacing;

an outer interwoven spiral antenna section; and

one or more high frequency switches, wherein, when the first configuration signal is in;

a first state, the first pair of excitation points are selected and the one or more high frequency switches are enabled to couple the outer interwoven spiral antenna section to the inner interwoven spiral antenna section to provide a first version of the first frequency bandwidth;

a second state, the second pair of excitation points are selected and the one or more high frequency switches are enabled to couple the outer interwoven spiral antenna section to the inner interwoven spiral antenna section to provide a second version of the first frequency bandwidth;

a third state, the first pair of excitation points are selected and the one or more high frequency switches are disabled such that the outer interwoven spiral antenna section is not coupled to the inner interwoven spiral antenna section to provide a third version of the first frequency bandwidth; and

a fourth state, the second pair of excitation points are selected and the one or more high frequency switches are disabled such that the outer interwoven spiral antenna section is not coupled to the inner interwoven spiral antenna section to provide a fourth version of the first frequency bandwidth.

5. The reconfigurable antenna structure of claim 1, wherein the first reconfigurable antenna comprising:

a plurality of reconfigurable interwoven spiral antenna sections, wherein each of the plurality of interwoven spiral antenna sections includes;

an inner interwoven spiral antenna section having a first pair of excitation points at a first spacing and a second pair of excitation points at a second spacing;

an outer interwoven spiral antenna section; and

one or more high frequency switches that, when enabled, couples the outer interwoven spiral antenna section to the inner interwoven spiral antenna section;

wherein the first configuration signal indicates;

enablement of one or more of the plurality of reconfigurable interwoven spiral antenna sections; and

for each of the one or more of the plurality of reconfigurable interwoven spiral antenna sections that are enabled, whether the one or more high frequency switches are enable and whether the first or the second pair of excitation points are to be used.

6. The reconfigurable antenna structure of claim 1, wherein the first reconfigurable antenna comprising:

a random shaped metal radiator; and

a plurality of excitation points distributed on the random shaped metal element, wherein the first configuration signal selects a pair of excitation points from the plurality of excitation points.

7. The reconfigurable antenna structure of claim 1 further comprising:

a third reconfigurable antenna configured, in response to a third configuration signal, to have a third radiation pattern and to have a third frequency bandwidth;

a fourth reconfigurable antenna configured, in response to a fourth configuration signal, to have a fourth radiation pattern and to have a fourth frequency bandwidth, wherein the third and fourth frequency bandwidths at least partially overlap and wherein second channels of interest are within the at least partially overlapping third and fourth frequency bandwidths;

the configuration module is further configured to generate the third and fourth configuration signals; and

the antenna processing circuit is further configured to;

send one or more transmit signals to one or more of the first and second reconfigurable antennas for transmission via one or more of the channels of interest; and

receive one or more receive signals from the one or more of the first and second reconfigurable antennas.

8. The reconfigurable antenna structure of claim 1, wherein the antenna processing circuit further comprising:

a first antenna tuning circuit operable to adjust at least one of;

shape of the first radiation pattern;

direction of the first radiation pattern; and

a second antenna tuning circuit operable to adjust at least one of;

shape of the second radiation pattern; and

direction of the second radiation pattern.

9. The reconfigurable antenna structure of claim 1, wherein the antenna processing circuit further comprising at least one of:

coupling for multiple input multiple output (MIMO) operation;

coupling for diversity antenna operation; and

coupling for diversity antenna MIMO operation.

10. A reconfigurable antenna structure comprises:

a random shaped metallic radiator on a layer of a substrate;

a plurality of excitation points distributed on the random shaped metallic radiator; and

an antenna processing circuit operable to enable one or more of the plurality of excitation points such that the random shaped metallic radiator functions to;

transmit, via one or more channels of interest, one or more outbound signals; and

receive, via the one or more channels of interest, one or more inbound signals.

11. The reconfigurable antenna structure of claim 10 further comprising:

the random shaped metallic radiator being one or more layers of a substrate and having a shape of one of a random circular based shape, a random square based shape, a random triangular based shape, a random meandering trace based shape, a random Polya curve based shape, and a random abstract based shape.

12. The reconfigurable antenna structure of claim 10 further comprising:

the plurality of excitation points located on the random shaped metallic radiator at asymmetric locations, wherein a first excitation point of the plurality of excitation points is a first distance from a second excitation point of the plurality of excitations points, and wherein the first distance corresponds to a resonant frequency of a frequency band that encompasses the one or more channels of interest.

13. The reconfigurable antenna structure of claim 10 further comprising:

a second random shaped metallic radiator on the layer or another layer of the substrate;

a second plurality of excitation points distributed on the second random shaped metallic radiator; and

the antenna processing circuit operable to enable one or more of the second plurality of excitation points such that the second random shaped metallic radiator functions to;

transmit one or more second outbound signals; and

receive one or more second inbound signals.

14. A radio frequency (RF) front-end circuit comprising:

a plurality of power amplifiers;

a plurality of low noise amplifiers;

a reconfigurable antenna structure configured, in response to a configuration signal, to have a radiation pattern and to have a frequency bandwidth;

a configuration module operable to generate the configuration signal; and

an antenna processing circuit operable to;

receive one or more transmit signals from one or more of the plurality of power amplifiers;

send the one or more transmit signals to the reconfigurable antenna structure for transmission via one or more channels of interest;

receive one or more receive signals from the reconfigurable antenna structure; and

send the one or more receive signals to one or more of the plurality of low noise amplifiers.

15. The RF front end circuit of claim 14 further comprising:

the reconfigurable antenna structure including;

a first reconfigurable antenna configured, in response to a first configuration signal, to have a first radiation pattern and to have a first frequency bandwidth;

a second reconfigurable antenna configured, in response to a second configuration signal, to have a second radiation pattern and to have a second frequency bandwidth, wherein the first and second frequency bandwidths at least partially overlap and wherein channels of interest are within the at least partially overlapping first and second frequency bandwidths; and

the configuration module operable to generate the first and second configuration signals.

16. The RF front end circuit of claim 15 further comprising:

the first reconfigurable antenna is further configured, in response to the first configuration signal, to have a first geometric shape to provide the first radiation pattern and the first frequency bandwidth;

the second reconfigurable antenna is further configured, in response to the second configuration signal, to have a second geometric shape to provide the second radiation pattern and the second frequency bandwidth, wherein each of the first and second geometric shapes comprising one of;

a line, a polygon, a circle, an ellipse, a hyperbola, a parabola, a spiral, and an eccentric spiral.

17. The RF front end circuit of claim 15 further comprising:

the first reconfigurable antenna including a plurality of interwoven spiral antenna sections, wherein each of the plurality of interwoven spiral antenna sections includes excitation points, wherein the first configuration signal enables the excitations points of one or more of the plurality of interwoven spiral antenna sections to produce the first radiation pattern, and wherein spacing of the excitation points and circumference of the one or more of the plurality of interwoven spiral antenna sections establishes the first frequency bandwidth; and

the second reconfigurable antenna including a second plurality of interwoven spiral antenna sections, wherein each of the second plurality of interwoven spiral antenna sections includes excitation points, wherein the second configuration signal enables the excitations points of one or more of the second plurality of interwoven spiral antenna sections to produce the second radiation pattern, and wherein spacing of the excitation points and circumference of the one or more of the second plurality of interwoven spiral antenna sections establishes the second frequency bandwidth.

18. The RF front end circuit of claim 15, wherein the first reconfigurable antenna comprising:

an inner interwoven spiral antenna section having a first pair of excitation points at a first spacing and a second pair of excitation points at a second spacing;

an outer interwoven spiral antenna section; and

one or more high frequency switches, wherein, when the first configuration signal is in;

a first state, the first pair of excitation points are selected and the one or more high frequency switches are enabled to couple the outer interwoven spiral antenna section to the inner interwoven spiral antenna section to provide a first version of the first frequency bandwidth;

a second state, the second pair of excitation points are selected and the one or more high frequency switches are enabled to couple the outer interwoven spiral antenna section to the inner interwoven spiral antenna section to provide a second version of the first frequency bandwidth;

a third state, the first pair of excitation points are selected and the one or more high frequency switches are disabled such that the outer interwoven spiral antenna section is not coupled to the inner interwoven spiral antenna section to provide a third version of the first frequency bandwidth; and

a fourth state, the second pair of excitation points are selected and the one or more high frequency switches are disabled such that the outer interwoven spiral antenna section is not coupled to the inner interwoven spiral antenna section to provide a fourth version of the first frequency bandwidth.

19. The RF front end circuit of claim 15, wherein the first reconfigurable antenna comprising:

a plurality of reconfigurable interwoven spiral antenna sections, wherein each of the plurality of interwoven spiral antenna sections includes;

an inner interwoven spiral antenna section having a first pair of excitation points at a first spacing and a second pair of excitation points at a second spacing;

an outer interwoven spiral antenna section; and

one or more high frequency switches that, when enabled, couples the outer interwoven spiral antenna section to the inner interwoven spiral antenna section;

wherein the first configuration signal indicates;

enablement of one or more of the plurality of reconfigurable interwoven spiral antenna sections; and

for each of the one or more of the plurality of reconfigurable interwoven spiral antenna sections that are enabled, whether the one or more high frequency switches are enable and whether the first or the second pair of excitation points are to be used.

20. The RF front end circuit of claim 14 further comprising:

the reconfigurable antenna structure including;

a random shaped metallic radiator on a layer of a substrate;

a plurality of excitation points distributed on the random shaped metallic radiator;

the antenna processing circuit operable to enable two or more of the plurality of excitation points based on the configuration signal.