Apparatus and method for low power amplification in a wireless communication system

• US 8,942,653 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2008
• Issued: 01/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Ahn, Cheol-Woo, Na, Kweon, Sun, Kae-Oh
• Primary Examiner(s): HANNON, CHRISTIAN A
• Application Number:
  US12/109,720
• Publication Number:
  US 20080268797A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,468 Days
• Field of Search: 455/101, 455/129, 455121-124, 455/127.1
• US Class Current: 455/129
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0025 Modular arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/30 varying the relative phase between the radiating elements of an array H01Q3/2605, H01Q3/2658, H01Q3/2682, H01Q3/44 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for beamforming with less heat in a wireless communication system including multiple antennas are provided. The apparatus includes a digital signal processor for processing at least one baseband digital signal, and at least one Radio Frequency (RF) signal processor for converting a respective baseband digital signal of the at least one baseband digital signal into an RF analog signal and for amplifying a power of the RF analog signal for one or more antenna elements constituting a respective antenna of the at least one antenna.

Claims

1. A transmitter of a wireless communication system which comprises at least one antenna, the transmitter comprising:

a digital signal processor for processing at least one baseband digital signal; and

at least one Radio Frequency (RF) signal processor for converting a respective baseband digital signal of the at least one baseband digital signal into an RF analog signal and for amplifying a power of the RF analog signal for at least two antenna elements of the RF signal processor through which the respective baseband signal is transmitted,

wherein each of the at least two antenna elements includes;

a calibrator for calibrating transmission paths of the at least two antenna elements;

a beamformer for changing a phase and a gain of a corresponding divided signal to form a beam;

a power amplifier for amplifying a power of a signal output from the beamformer; and

an antenna part for radiating the power-amplified signal.

2. The transmitter of claim 1, wherein the RF signal processor comprises:

a digital interface for converting the respective baseband digital signal into a baseband analog signal;

an RF processor for converting the baseband analog signal into an RF analog signal;

a divider for dividing the RF analog signal on the basis of the at least two antenna elements; and

the at least two antenna elements.

3. The transmitter of claim 1, wherein the beamformer changes the phase of the signal sent over the antenna part into a phase for a horizontal beamforming, and

the beamformer changes the phase of the signal sent over the at least two antenna elements, into a phase for a vertical beamforming.

4. The transmitter of claim 1, wherein the digital signal processor changes the phase of the signal sent over the at least one antenna into a phase for a horizontal beamforming, and

the RF signal processor changes the phase of the signal sent over the at least two antenna elements, into a phase for a vertical beamforming.

5. The transmitter of claim 1, wherein the calibrator comprises:

a controller for providing a compensation signal generated to calibrate the transmission path, to the RF signal processor, and for generating a phase and a gain for compensating for the transmission path by comparing a compensation signal provided through a calibration receiver with the generated compensation signal;

a combiner for combining at least two compensation signals coupled at the at least two antenna elements of the RF signal processor; and

the calibration receiver for converting the combined signal into a baseband digital signal.

6. The transmitter of claim 5, wherein the combiner comprises:

one or more combining parts for combining compensation signals coupled at the at least two antenna elements as a single signal for the at least one antenna.

7. The transmitter of claim 6, wherein the calibrator further comprises:

a switch for connecting a signal provided from a combining part connected to the calibrated antenna among the combining parts, to the calibration receiver.

8. The transmitter of claim 1, wherein the beamformer changes a phase and a gain of a transmission signal using the phase and the gain generated at the calibrator.

9. A method for forming a beam in a wireless communication system which comprises at least one antenna having at least two antenna elements, the method comprising:

for each of the at least two antenna elements, generating a phase for the beamforming by calibrating a transmission signal corresponding to each of the at least two antenna elements;

changing a phase for forming at least one of a horizontal beam and a vertical beam of a signal to be transmitted over each of the at least two antenna elements using the generated phase; and

amplifying a power of the phase-changed signal corresponding to each of the at least two antenna elements,

wherein the calibration of the transmission signal comprises calibrating a transmission path and a reception path with respect to each of the at least two antenna elements.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the phase changing comprises:

changing a phase for forming a horizontal beam of a signal to be transmitted over each of the at least two antenna elements using the generated phase; and

changing a phase for forming a vertical beam of a signal for each of the at least two antenna elements using the generated phase.

11. The receiver of claim 10, wherein the changing of the phase for forming a vertical beam comprises:

dividing the phase-changed transmission signal for horizontal beamforming to each of the at least two antenna elements; and

changing the phase for vertical beamforming of the signal on the basis of each of the at least two antenna elements.

12. The receiver of claim 9, wherein the amplifying of the power comprises:

amplifying the phase-changed signal for each of the at least two antenna elements.