Antenna control

• US 8,755,454 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2012
• Issued: 06/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ParkerVision, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ParkerVision, Inc.
• Inventors: Sorrells, David F., Rawlins, Gregory
• Primary Examiner(s): Puente, Eva
• Application Number:
  US13/487,956
• Publication Number:
  US 20130077708A1
• Time in Patent Office: 743 Days
• Field of Search: 375/295, 375/221, 330/185, 330/127
• US Class Current: 375/295
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/061 Two dimensional planar arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/267 Phased-array testing or checking devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/04 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0483 Transmitters with multiple parallel paths
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/12 of transmit antennas, e.g. of the amplitude or phase
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0413 MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0621 Feedback content
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/10 Polarisation diversity; Directional diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/42 in systems with time, space, frequency or polarisation diversity

Abstract

An energy converter based transmitter, a method, a multi-element antenna array are provided for a radio frequency (RF) transmission. For example, the energy converter based transmitter can include a control circuit, a multiple input single output (MISO) operator, and an antenna. The control circuit is configured to receive input information and generate amplitude control signals and phase control signals. The MISO operator is configured to receive the amplitude control signals and the phase control signals and to generate an RF output signal. Further, the antenna is configured to receive and transmit the RF output signal.

Claims

1. A method for generating a radio frequency (RF) output signal from a plurality of signal paths comprising:

generating, with a control circuit, amplitude control signals and phase control signals based on input information in each signal path of the plurality of signal paths;

generating, with a multiple input single output (MISO) operator, the RF output signal based on the amplitude control signals and the phase control signals in each signal path of the plurality of signal paths; and

transmitting, with an antenna, the RF output signal in each signal path of the plurality of signal paths.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing phase control information and output power control information to the MISO operator.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the providing comprises generating the amplitude control signals and the phase control signals based on the phase control information and the output power control information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the generating the amplitude control signals and the phase control signals based on the phase control information and the output power control information comprises determining a phase and an output power of the RF output signal.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

controlling, with a power supply, an amount of power provided to the MISO operator.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

forming a multi-element electronically steerable antenna (MESA) array with the plurality of signal paths.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

forming a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antenna with the plurality of signal paths.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

forming a plurality of multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antennas with the plurality of signal paths.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

forming a plurality of antenna elements for use in at least one of a cellular phone, a satellite phone, a handset device, or a combination thereof with the plurality of signal paths.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

calibrating the phase of the antenna in each signal path of the plurality of signal paths.

6. A multi-element antenna array comprising:

a plurality of signal paths, each signal path of the plurality of signal paths comprising;

a control circuit configured to receive input information and generate amplitude control signals and phase control signals;

a multiple input single output (MISO) operator configured to receive the amplitude control signals and the phase control signals and to generate a radio frequency (RF) output signal; and

an antenna element configured to receive and transmit the RF output signal.

7. The array of claim 6, further comprising:

mixed-signal circuitry configured to provide phase control information and output power control information to the MISO operator.

8. The array of claim 7, wherein the control circuit is configured to generate the amplitude control signals and the phase control signals based on the phase control information and the output power control information provided by the mixed-signal circuitry.

9. The array of claim 8, wherein the phase control information and output power control information determine a phase and an output power of the RF output signal.

10. The array of claim 6, wherein the plurality of signal paths forms a multi-element electronically steerable antenna (MESA) array.

11. The array of claim 6, wherein the plurality of signals paths forms a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antenna.

12. The array of claim 6, wherein the plurality of signal paths forms a plurality of multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antennas.

13. The array of claim 6, wherein the plurality of signal paths forms a plurality of antenna elements for use in at least one of a cellular phone, a satellite phone, a handset device, or a combination thereof.

14. The array of claim 6, further comprising:

a calibration path configured to phase calibrate the antenna element in each signal path of the plurality of signal paths.

15. The array of claim 6, wherein at least one of a gain, a radiation pattern, a direction of operation of each signal path of the plurality of signal paths, or a combination thereof is adjustable by adjusting at least one of relative phase shifts between output signals of the plurality of signal paths, amplitudes of the output signals of the plurality of signal paths, or a combination thereof.

16. The array of claim of claim 6, further comprising:

a power supply configured to control an amount of power provided to the MISO operator.