Tracking system with orthogonal polarizations and a retro-directive array

• US 9,026,040 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2012
• Issued: 05/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Silicon Image, Inc. (Lattice Semiconductor Corporation)
• Inventors: Aryanfar, Farshid
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Duc M
• Application Number:
  US14/002,353
• Publication Number:
  US 20140134963A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,175 Days
• Field of Search: 455/7, 455/12, 455/14, 455/15, 455/18, 455/25
• US Class Current: 455/7
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/2647 Retrodirective arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/198 A hybrid coupler being used as coupling circuit between stages of an amplifier circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/204 A hybrid coupler being used at the output of an amplifier circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/44 Transmit/receive switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/061 using feedback from receiving side
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0671 using different delays between antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0854 using error minimizing algorithms, e.g. minimum mean squared error [MMSE], "cross-correlation" or matrix inversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/10 Polarisation diversity; Directional diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/12 Modulator circuits; Transmitter circuits

Abstract

The disclosed embodiments relate to a retro-directive array that facilitates a tracking operation. This retro-directive array includes a first antenna configured to receive an input signal which is substantially circularly polarized from a tracking device. The first antenna separates the input signal into two signal components (e.g., E_x and E_y) associated with different orthogonal polarizations, wherein the two signal components comprise a quadrature signal wherein E_y=j·E_x. The retro-directive array also includes a bi-directional quadrature gain (BQG) module coupled to the first antenna which is configured to boost the quadrature signal. It additionally includes a second antenna which configured to transmit the boosted quadrature signal to the tracking device. The disclosed embodiments also relate to a transceiver switch, which includes: an input configured to receive a signal to be transmitted, and two phase mixers configured to receive the signal to be transmitted and phase inputs I and Q, and to produce a signal comprising two quadrature signal components S_I and S_Q, respectively, wherein S_Q=j S_I. The transmit switch also includes a hybrid coupler, which is configured to combine S_I phase shifted by 180° with S_Q phase shifted by 90° to produce a transmit output which is proportionate to S; and a switching mechanism configured to turn off the transmit output by swapping the phase inputs I and Q to the phase mixers.

Claims

1. A method for operating a retro-directive array, comprising:

receiving a first input signal at a first antenna in the retro-directive array, wherein the first input signal is substantially circularly polarized, the first input signal comprising two signal components associated with different orthogonal polarizations, and wherein the two signal components comprise a first quadrature signal;

feeding the two signal components through a bi-directional quadrature gain (BQG) module, the BQG module to boost the first quadrature signal; and

transmitting the boosted first quadrature signal through an associated second antenna in the retro-directive array.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first antenna includes two elements having different spatial orientations to receive the two signal components associated with the different orthogonal polarizations.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising introducing a delay into at least one of the first quadrature signal and the boosted first quadrature signal.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising concurrently to receiving the first input signal at the first antenna:

receiving a second input signal at the second antenna, wherein the second input signal is substantially circularly polarized, the second antenna to separate the second input signal into two signal components associated with different orthogonal polarizations, and wherein the two signal components comprise a second quadrature signal;

concurrently to feeding the quadrature signal through the BQG module, feeding the second quadrature signal through the BQG module, the BQG module to boost the second quadrature signal, wherein the second quadrature signal feeds through the BQG module in an opposite direction to the first quadrature signal; and

concurrently to transmitting the boosted quadrature signal through the BQG module, transmitting the boosted second quadrature signal through the first antenna.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein feeding a quadrature signal having two signal components through the BQG module comprises:

feeding the two signal components through a first hybrid coupler H₁ to produce a first output which is zero and a second output;

feeding the second output through a first gain element to produce a boosted second output; and

feeding the boosted second output through a second hybrid coupler Hz, which produces two signal components that comprise the boosted quadrature signal.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising using one of a down-conversion and a self-mixing/zero IF technique within the BQG module to facilitate down-link data transfers.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising modulating gain elements within the BQG module to facilitate up-link data transfers.

8. An apparatus which includes a retro-directive array, wherein the retro-directive array comprises:

a first antenna to receive a first input signal which is substantially circularly polarized from a tracking device, the first input signal comprising two signal components associated with different orthogonal polarizations, and wherein the two signal components comprise a first quadrature signal;

a bi-directional quadrature gain (BQG) module coupled to the first antenna and configured to boost the first quadrature signal; and

a second antenna configured to transmit the boosted first quadrature signal to the tracking device.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first antenna includes two elements having different spatial orientations to receive the two signal components associated with the different orthogonal polarizations.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a delay element to introduce a delay into one of the first quadrature signal and the boosted first quadrature signal.

11. The apparatus of claim 8,

wherein concurrently with the first antenna receiving the first input signal, the second antenna is to receive a second input signal which is substantially circularly polarized, the second antenna to separate the second input signal into two signal components associated with different orthogonal polarizations, wherein the two signal components comprise a second quadrature signal;

wherein concurrently with boosting the first quadrature signal, the BQG module is to boost the second quadrature signal, which feeds through the BQG module in an opposite direction to the first quadrature signal; and

wherein the first antenna is to transmit the boosted second quadrature signal to the tracking device.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the BQG module comprises:

a first hybrid coupler H₁ to receive the two signal components from the first antenna and to produce a first output which is zero and a second output;

a first gain element to receive the second output and to produce a boosted second output; and

a second hybrid coupler H₂ to receive the second boosted output and to produce two outputs that comprise the boosted first quadrature signal.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the BQG module is to use one of a down-conversion and a self-mixing/zero IF technique within the BQG module to facilitate down-link data transfers.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the BQG module is configured to modulate gain elements within the BQG module to facilitate up-link data transfers.

20. The method of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

alternating between the transmit cycle and a receive cycle;

wherein during the transmit cycle, the transmitter is turned on and the receiver is turned off; and

wherein during the receive cycle, the receiver is turned on and the transmitter is turned off.

15. A method for implementing a transmit switch, comprising:

feeding a signal to be transmitted through two phase mixers with phase inputs I and Q to produce a quadrature signal comprising S_Q and S_I;

combining S_Q phased shifted by 90°

with S_I phase shifted by 180°

to produce a transmit output; and

turning off the transmit output by,

swapping the phase inputs I and Q at the two phase mixers, and

combining S_Q phase shifted by 180°

with S_I phase shifted by 90°

to produce a null transmit output.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising transmitting the transmit output through an antenna to produce a transmitted signal which is directed to a target device.

17. The method of claim 16,

wherein the transmit signal is transmitted through the antenna with a first polarization;

wherein the target device includes a retro-directive array which receives the transmitted signal and generates a return signal with a second polarization that is orthogonal to the first polarization; and

wherein the method further comprises receiving the return signal at the antenna.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the retro-directive array comprises:

a first dual-polarized antenna with a first element and a second element, which are associated with different polarizations; and

a second dual-polarized antenna with a first element and a second element, which are associated with different polarizations;

wherein a first signal received through the first element of the first dual-polarized antenna feeds through a gain element G₁ and a delay element D₁, and is returned through the second element of the second dual-polarized antenna; and

wherein a second signal received through the first element of the second dual-polarized antenna feeds through a gain element G₂ and a delay element D₂, and is returned through the second element of the first dual-polarized antenna.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the antenna is shared between a transmitter and a receiver, wherein the target device includes a retro-directive array which receives the transmitted signal and generates a return signal, and wherein the method further comprises:

during a transmit cycle, turning off the receiver by,

feeding the receiver'"'"'s input signal through two phase mixers with phase inputs Q and I to produce quadrature signals R_Q and R_I;

combining R_Q phase shifted by 180°

with R_I phase shifted by 90°

to produce a null receive input; and

after the transmit cycle, turning on the receiver by,

swapping the phase inputs Q and I of the phase mixers, and

combining R_I phase shifted by 180°

with R_Q phase shifted by 90°

to receive the return signal.