Low power very high-data rate device

• US 8,155,712 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2007
• Issued: 04/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: SiBEAM, Inc. (Lattice Semiconductor Corporation)
• Inventors: Gilbert, Jeffrey M., Li, Sheung, Nassiri-Toussi, Karim, Gilb, James P. K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Nguyen
• Application Number:
  US11/726,874
• Publication Number:
  US 20070224951A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,846 Days
• Field of Search: 455/562.1, 455/574, 455/575.7, 455/103, 455/127.1, 455/127.2, 455/127.3, 455/127.5, 455/343.1
• US Class Current: 455/574
• 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: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0691 using subgroups of transmit antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/287 when the channel is in stand-by
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/42 in systems with time, space, frequency or polarisation diversity
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A radio frequency (RF) transmitter has a plurality of digitally controlled phased array antennas coupled to and controlled by the processor to transmit data. The processor is to enable one or more antennas to be turned off during a use of the apparatus to reduce a power consumption of the apparatus.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a radio frequency (RF) transmitter having a plurality of digitally controlled phased array antennas coupled to and controlled by the processor to transmit data,

wherein the processor is to enable one or more antennas to be turned off during a use of the apparatus to reduce power consumption of the apparatus, the one or more antennas turned off based on at least one of i) a data rate at the apparatus being above a first predetermined threshold and a signal quality of data at the apparatus being above a second predetermined threshold, and ii) a feedback of a data rate at another location being above a third threshold and a signal quality at a device at another location being above a fourth predetermined threshold.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of power amplifiers corresponding to the plurality of digitally controlled phased array antennas.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the processor is to turn off a power amplifier associated with an antenna to be turned off.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein one or more antennas are turned off when the power source of the apparatus is a battery.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein all antennas are turned on when the power source of the apparatus is an AC power supply.

6. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a radio frequency (RF) transmitter having a plurality of digitally controlled phased array antennas coupled to and controlled by the processor to transmit data, wherein the processor is to enable one or more antennas to be turned off during a use of the apparatus to reduce power consumption of the apparatus, wherein the number of antennas to be turned off is based on a data rate at the apparatus being above a first predetermined threshold and a signal quality of data at the apparatus being above a second predetermined threshold.

7. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a radio frequency (RF) transmitter having a plurality of digitally controlled phased array antennas coupled to and controlled by the processor to transmit data, wherein the processor is to enable one or more antennas to be turned off during a use of the apparatus to reduce power consumption of the apparatus, wherein the number of antennas to be turned off is based on a feedback of a data rate at a device at another location being above a first predetermined threshold and a signal quality at the device at the another location being above a second predetermined threshold.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a radio frequency (RF) transmitter having a plurality of digitally controlled phased array antennas coupled to and controlled by the processor to transmit data, wherein the processor is to enable one or more antennas to be turned off during a use of the apparatus to reduce power consumption of the apparatus, wherein one or more selected antennas to be turned off are based on a data rate at the apparatus being above a first predetermined threshold and a signal quality of data at the apparatus being above a second predetermined threshold.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a radio frequency (RF) transmitter having a plurality of digitally controlled phased array antennas coupled to and controlled by the processor to transmit data, wherein the processor is to enable one or more antennas to be turned off during a use of the apparatus to reduce power consumption of the apparatus, wherein one or more selected antennas to be turned off are based on a feedback of a data rate at a device at another location being above a first predetermined threshold and a signal quality at the device at the another location being above a second predetermined threshold.

10. A method comprising:

detecting a power source of a wireless device, the wireless device comprising a processor and a radio frequency (RF) transmitter having a plurality of digitally controlled phased array antennas coupled to and controlled by the processor to transmit data; and

enabling one or more antennas to be turned off during a use of the wireless device based on the power source to reduce power consumption of the wireless device, the one or more antennas turned off based on at least one of i) a data rate at the wireless device being above a first predetermined threshold and a signal quality of data at the wireless device being above a second predetermined threshold, and ii) a feedback of a data rate at another wireless device at another location being above a third predetermined threshold and a signal quality at another wireless device at another location being above a fourth predetermined threshold.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the wireless device further comprises a plurality of power amplifiers corresponding to the plurality of digitally controlled phased array antennas.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

turning off a power amplifier associated with an antenna to be turned off.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

turning off one or more antennas when the power source of the wireless device is a battery.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

turning on all antennas when the power source of the wireless device is an AC power supply.

15. A method comprising:

detecting a power source of a wireless device, the wireless device comprising a processor and a radio frequency (RF) transmitter having a plurality of digitally controlled phased array antennas coupled to and controlled by the processor to transmit data;

enabling one or more antennas to be turned off during a use of the wireless device based on the power source to reduce power consumption of the wireless device; and

turning off a number of antennas based on a data rate at the wireless device being above a first predetermined threshold and a signal quality of data at the wireless device being above a second predetermined threshold.

16. A method comprising:

detecting a power source of a wireless device, the wireless device comprising a processor and a radio frequency (RF) transmitter having a plurality of digitally controlled phased array antennas coupled to and controlled by the processor to transmit data;

enabling one or more antennas to be turned off during a use of the wireless device based on the power source to reduce power consumption of the wireless device; and

turning off a number of antennas based on a feedback of a data rate at another wireless device being above a first predetermined threshold and a signal quality at the another wireless device at the another location being above a second predetermined threshold.

17. A method comprising:

detecting a power source of a wireless device, the wireless device comprising a processor and a radio frequency (RF) transmitter having a plurality of digitally controlled phased array antennas coupled to and controlled by the processor to transmit data;

enabling one or more antennas to be turned off during a use of the wireless device based on the power source to reduce power consumption of the wireless device; and

selecting one or more antennas to be turned off based on a data rate at the wireless device being above a first predetermined threshold and a signal quality of data at the wireless device being above a second predetermined threshold.

18. A method comprising:

detecting a power source of a wireless device, the wireless device comprising a processor and a radio frequency (RF) transmitter having a plurality of digitally controlled phased array antennas coupled to and controlled by the processor to transmit data;

enabling one or more antennas to be turned off during a use of the wireless device based on the power source to reduce power consumption of the wireless device; and

selecting one or more antennas to be turned off based on a feedback of a data rate at another location being above a first predetermined threshold and a signal quality at the another wireless device at the another location being above a second predetermined threshold.

19. A program non-transitory tangible storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method, the method including:

detecting a power source of a wireless device, the wireless device comprising a processor and a radio frequency (RF) transmitter having a plurality of digitally controlled phased array antennas coupled to and controlled by the processor to transmit data; and

enabling one or more antennas to be turned off during a use of the wireless device based on at least one of i) a data rate at the wireless device being above a first predetermined threshold and a signal quality of data at the wireless device being above a second predetermined threshold, and ii) a feedback of a data rate at another location being above a third predetermined threshold and a signal quality at a device at another location being above a fourth predetermined threshold to reduce a power consumption of the wireless device.

20. The program non-transitory tangible storage device of claim 19 wherein the wireless device further comprises a plurality of power amplifiers corresponding to the plurality of digitally controlled phased array antennas.

21. The program non-transitory tangible storage device of claim 19 wherein the method further comprises:

turning off a power amplifier associated with an antenna to be turned off.

22. An wireless transceiver comprising:

a plurality of adaptive beamforming antennas to transmit data; and

a processor coupled to the plurality of antennas to enable one or more antennas to be turned off to reduce power consumption of the wireless transceiver while maintaining a minimum predetermined signal quality threshold, the one or more antennas turned off based on at least one of i) a data rate at the wireless transceiver being above a first predetermined threshold and a signal quality of data at the wireless transceiver being above a second predetermined threshold, and ii) a feedback of a data rate at a device at another location being above a third predetermined threshold and a signal quality at a device at another location being above a fourth predetermined threshold.