Configurable antenna assembly

• US 8,185,062 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2011
• Issued: 05/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rofougaran, Ahmadreza (Reza), Rofougaran, Maryam
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Tuan A
• Application Number:
  US13/073,877
• Publication Number:
  US 20110169714A1
• Time in Patent Office: 421 Days
• Field of Search: 455 78- 83, 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 455/561, 455/562.1, 455/101, 455/121, 455123-125, 4551931-1933, 455280-282, 455/334, 343820-823, 343850-853, 343860-861, 375/219
• US Class Current: 455/80
• 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 7/0613 using simultaneous transmission H04B7/0686 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0837 using pre-detection combining H04B7/0868 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/10 Polarisation diversity; Directional diversity

Abstract

A configurable antenna assembly includes an antenna structure and a configurable antenna interface. The antenna structure is operable, in a first mode, to provide a first antenna structure and a second antenna structure, wherein the first antenna structure receives an inbound radio frequency (RF) signal and the second antenna structure transmits an outbound RF signal. The configurable antenna interface is operable in the first mode to provide a first antenna interface and a second antenna interface, wherein the first antenna interface is configured in accordance with a receive adjust signal to adjust at least one of phase and amplitude of the inbound RF signal, and wherein the second antenna interface is configured in accordance with a transmit adjust signal to adjust at least one of phase and amplitude of the outbound RF signal.

Claims

1. A configurable antenna assembly comprises:

an antenna structure operable, in a first mode, to provide a first antenna structure and a second antenna structure, wherein the first antenna structure receives an inbound radio frequency (RF) signal and the second antenna structure transmits an outbound RF signal; and

a configurable antenna interface operable in the first mode to provide a first antenna interface and a second antenna interface, wherein the first antenna interface is configured in accordance with a receive adjust signal to adjust at least one of phase and amplitude of the inbound RF signal and coupled to transmit the inbound RF signal to an input of a low noise amplifier, and wherein the second antenna interface is coupled to receive the outbound RF signal from an output of a power amplifier and configured in accordance with a transmit adjust signal to adjust at least one of phase and amplitude of the outbound RF signal.

2. The configurable antenna assembly of claim 1 comprises:

the antenna structure, in another mode, to provide a third antenna structure and a fourth antenna structure, wherein the third antenna structure receives a second representation of the inbound RF signal and the first antenna structure receives a first representation of the inbound RF signal and the fourth antenna structure transmits a second outbound RF signal and the second antenna structure transmits a first outbound RF signal; and

the configurable antenna interface operable in the another mode to provide a third antenna interface and a fourth antenna interface, wherein the first and third antenna interfaces are configured in accordance with the receive adjust signal to adjust at least one of phase and amplitude of at least one of the first and second representations of the inbound RF signal, and wherein the second and fourth antenna interfaces are configured in accordance with the transmit adjust signal to adjust at least one of phase and amplitude of at least one of the first and second outbound RF signals.

3. The configurable antenna assembly of claim 1 comprises:

the antenna structure operable, in a second mode, to provide a first receive antenna structure and a second receive antenna structure, wherein the first receive antenna structure receives a first representation of the inbound RF signal and the second receive antenna structure receives a second representation of the inbound RF signal; and

the configurable antenna interface operable in the second mode to provide a first receive antenna interface and a second receive antenna interface, wherein the first and second receive antenna interfaces are configured in accordance with the receive adjust signal to adjust at least one of phase and amplitude of at least one of the first and second representations of the inbound RF signal.

4. The configurable antenna assembly of claim 1 comprises:

the antenna structure operable, in a third mode, to provide a first transmit antenna structure and a second transmit antenna structure, wherein the first transmit antenna structure transmits a first outbound RF signal and the second transmit antenna structure transmits a second outbound RF signal; and

the configurable antenna interface operable in the second mode to provide a first transmit antenna interface and a second transmit antenna interface, wherein the first and second transmit antenna interfaces are configured in accordance with the transmit adjust signal to adjust at least one of phase and amplitude of at least one of the first and second outbound RF signal.

5. The configurable antenna assembly of claim 1 wherein the first antenna interface of the configurable antenna interface comprises:

a first transformer balun coupled to the antenna structure; and

a first configurable antenna interface coupled to the first transformer balun and the low noise amplifier, wherein the first configurable interface is configured in accordance with the receive adjust signal to adjust at least one of phase and amplitude of the inbound RF signal.

6. The configurable antenna assembly of claim 5 wherein the first configurable antenna interface includes one or more adjustable components coupled to the transformer balun and the low noise amplifier, wherein the one or more adjustable components includes at least one of:

a variable resistor, a variable inductor and a variable capacitor.

7. The configurable antenna assembly of claim 6 wherein the first configurable interface is configured in accordance with the receive adjust signal to adjust at least one of phase and amplitude of the inbound RF signal by adjusting at least one antenna interface characteristic, wherein the at least one antenna interface characteristic includes at least one of:

bandwidth quality factor, inductance, resistance, frequency bandpass, gain, capacitance, resonant frequency and effective standing wavelength properties.

8. The configurable antenna assembly of claim 5 wherein the second antenna interface of the configurable antenna interface comprises:

a second transformer balun coupled to the antenna structure; and

a second configurable antenna interface coupled to the second transformer balun and the power amplifier, wherein the second configurable interface is configured in accordance with the transmit adjust signal to adjust at least one of phase and amplitude of the outbound RF signal.

9. The configurable antenna assembly of claim 5 wherein the second configurable antenna interface includes one or more adjustable components coupled to the transformer balun and the power amplifier, wherein the one or more adjustable components includes at least one of:

a variable resistor, a variable inductor and a variable capacitor.

10. The configurable antenna assembly of claim 9 wherein the second configurable interface is configured in accordance with the transmit adjust signal to adjust at least one of phase and amplitude of the outbound RF signal by adjusting at least one antenna interface characteristic, wherein the at least one antenna interface characteristic includes at least one of:

bandwidth quality factor, inductance, resistance, frequency bandpass, gain, capacitance, resonant frequency and effective standing wavelength properties.

11. The configurable antenna assembly of claim 1, wherein the first antenna structure is operable in the first mode to adjust at least one of phase and amplitude of the inbound RF signal in accordance with the receive adjust signal and wherein the second antenna structure is operable in the first mode to adjust at least one of phase and amplitude of the outbound RF signal in accordance with the transmit adjust signal.

12. The configurable antenna assembly of claim 11, wherein the first antenna structure in the first mode provides coarse distortion compensation to the inbound RF signal in accordance with the receive adjust signal and wherein the first configurable interface in the first mode provides fine distortion compensation to the inbound RF signal in accordance with the receive adjust signal.

13. The configurable antenna assembly of claim 12, wherein the second antenna structure in the first mode provides coarse distortion compensation to the outbound RF signal in accordance with the transmit adjust signal and wherein the second configurable interface provides fine distortion compensation to the outbound RF signal in accordance with the transmit adjust signal.

14. A configurable antenna assembly comprises:

an antenna structure operable, in a first mode, to provide a first antenna structure and a second antenna structure, wherein the first antenna structure is operable in the first mode to provide a first adjustment to at least one of phase and amplitude of an inbound RF signal in accordance with a receive adjust signal and wherein the second antenna structure is operable in the first mode to provide a first adjustment to at least one of phase and amplitude of an outbound RF signal in accordance with a transmit adjust signal; and

a configurable antenna interface operable in the first mode to provide a first antenna interface and a second antenna interface, wherein the first antenna interface is configured in accordance with the receive adjust signal to provide a second adjustment to at least one of phase and amplitude of the inbound RF signal, and wherein the second antenna interface is configured in accordance with the transmit adjust signal to provide a second adjustment to at least one of phase and amplitude of the outbound RF signal.

15. The configurable antenna assembly of claim 14, wherein the first antenna structure in the first mode provides coarse distortion compensation to the inbound RF signal in accordance with the receive adjust signal and wherein the first configurable interface in the first mode provides fine distortion compensation to the inbound RF signal in accordance with the receive adjust signal.

16. The configurable antenna assembly of claim 15, wherein the second antenna structure in the first mode provides coarse distortion compensation to the outbound RF signal in accordance with the transmit adjust signal and wherein the second configurable interface provides fine distortion compensation to the outbound RF signal in accordance with the transmit adjust signal.

17. The configurable antenna assembly of claim 14 wherein the first antenna structure is operable in the first mode is configured in accordance with the receive adjust signal to adjust at least one of phase and amplitude of the inbound RF signal by adjusting at least one antenna interface characteristic;

wherein the second antenna interface is configured in accordance with the transmit adjust signal to adjust at least one of phase and amplitude of the outbound RF signal by adjusting at least one antenna characteristic; and

wherein the at least one antenna characteristic includes at least one of;

antenna bandwidth, antenna quality factor, inductance, resistance, frequency bandpass, gain, capacitance, center frequency and effective wavelength.

18. The configurable antenna assembly of claim 14 wherein the first configurable interface is configured in accordance with the receive adjust signal to adjust at least one of phase and amplitude of the inbound RF signal by adjusting at least one antenna interface characteristic;

and

wherein the second configurable interface is configured in accordance with the transmit adjust signal to adjust at least one of phase and amplitude of the outbound RF signal by adjusting at least one antenna interface characteristic; and

wherein the at least one antenna interface characteristic includes at least one of;

bandwidth quality factor, inductance, resistance, frequency bandpass, gain, capacitance, resonant frequency and effective standing wavelength properties.

19. A configurable antenna assembly comprises:

an antenna structure operable, in a first mode, to provide a first antenna structure, wherein the first antenna structure is operable in the first mode to provide a first adjustment to at least one of phase and amplitude of an inbound RF signal in accordance with a receive adjust signal; and

a configurable antenna interface operable in the first mode to provide a first antenna interface, wherein the first antenna interface is configured in accordance with the receive adjust signal to provide a second adjustment to at least one of phase and amplitude of the inbound RF signal.

20. The configurable antenna assembly of claim 19, wherein the antenna structure is further operable, in a first mode, to provide a second antenna structure, wherein the second antenna structure is operable in the first mode to provide a first adjustment to at least one of phase and amplitude of an outbound RF signal in accordance with a transmit adjust signal;

and

wherein the configurable antenna interface is further operable in the first mode to provide a second antenna interface, wherein the second antenna interface is configured in accordance with the transmit adjust signal to provide a second adjustment to at least one of phase and amplitude of the outbound RF signal.