Wireless antenna array system architecture and methods to achieve 3D beam coverage

• US 9,070,977 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2010
• Issued: 06/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Choudhury, Debabani, Roberts, Richard D., Karacaoglu, Ulun
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hoang V
• Application Number:
  US12/888,645
• Publication Number:
  US 20110014878A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,741 Days
• Field of Search: 343/700.MS, 343/725, 343/727, 343/729, 343/730
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2283 mounted in or on the surface of a semiconductor substrate as a chip-type antenna or integrated with other components into an IC package
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2291 used in bluetooth or WI-FI devices of Wireless Local Area Networks [WLAN] H01Q1/241 takes precedence; WLAN in general H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/065 Patch antenna array
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/067 using endfire radiating aerial units transverse to the plane of the array
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/205 providing an omnidirectional coverage turnstile aerials H01Q21/26
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/24 Combinations of antenna units polarised in different directions for transmitting or receiving circularly and elliptically polarised waves or waves linearly polarised in any direction circularly polarised patch antennas H01Q9/0428; circularly polarised horns H01Q13/0241; cross-polarised horns H01Q13/0258; polarisation converters H01Q15/242; cross-polarised rear feeds H01Q19/136; crossed polarisation dual antenna H01Q25/001
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/00 Antennas or antenna systems providing at least two radiating patterns arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern H01Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/04 Multimode antennas corrugated horns H01Q13/0208
• 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: H01Q 3/34 by electrical means active lenses or reflecting arrays H01Q3/46
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0407 Substantially flat resonant element parallel to ground plane, e.g. patch antenna dipole H01Q9/285; monopole H01Q9/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0682 using phase diversity (e.g. phase sweeping)

Abstract

Embodiments of wireless antenna array systems to achieve three-dimensional beam coverage are described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.

Claims

1. A millimeter-wave (mm-wave) communications device, comprising:

a first mm-wave antenna on a substrate, wherein the first mm-wave antenna is configured to provide an elevation coverage;

a second mm-wave antenna on another substrate, wherein the second mm-wave antenna is configured to provide an azimuth coverage;

an interface structure configured to provide an interconnect routing between the said substrates through a via;

an integrated circuit that is disposed in the other substrate that includes the second mm-wave antenna, wherein the integrated circuit is connected to the first and second mm-wave antennas through the via and a microfeed line, respectively, wherein the integrated circuit is configured to communicate using mm-wave signals.

2. The millimeter-wave communications device of claim 1, wherein the first mm-wave antenna is a planar antenna.

3. The millimeter-wave communications device of claim 2, wherein the second mm-wave antenna is an endfire antenna.

4. The millimeter-wave communications device of claim 1, further including a plurality of first mm-wave antennas on the substrate and a plurality of second mm-wave antennas on the another substrate.

5. The millimeter-wave communications device of claim 1, wherein the millimeter-wave communications device is an omnidirectional antenna.

6. The millimeter-wave communications device of claim 1, wherein the substrates comprise Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramic antenna grade core material.

7. An apparatus for 60 GHz band wireless communication, comprising:

a planar antenna on a first substrate and an endfire antenna on a third substrate, wherein the planar antenna is connected to an integrated circuit through an interconnect in a second substrate to carry a millimeter wave (mm-wave) signal from the planar antenna to the integrated circuit.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the endfire antenna is selected from the group consisting of a quasi-Yagi-Uda antenna, slot antenna, Vivaldi antenna, dipole antenna, and low-profile-horn antenna.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the planar antenna is selected from the group consisting of a patch antenna, slot antenna, spiral antenna, monopole antenna, and a dipole antenna.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, further including a plurality of planar antennas on the first substrate and a plurality of endfire antennas on the third substrate.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the endfire antenna is connected to the integrated circuit through a microfeed line.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the apparatus is an omnidirectional antenna.

13. A multipoint wireless communications device, comprising:

a plurality of planar antennas configured to operate in a 60 GHz band;

a plurality of endfire antennas configured to operate in the 60 GHz band;

an integrated circuit connected to the plurality of planar antennas through a number of vias and to the plurality of endfire antenna through a number of microfeed lines, wherein the plurality of planar and endfire antennas provide an omnidirectional antenna array.

14. The multipoint wireless communications device of claim 13, wherein the plurality of endfire antennas is selected from the group consisting of a quasi-Yagi-Uda antenna, slot antenna, Vivaldi antenna, dipole antenna, and a low-profile-horn antenna.

15. The multipoint wireless communications device of claim 13, wherein the plurality of planar antennas is selected from the group consisting of a patch antenna, slot antenna, spiral antenna, monopole antenna, and a dipole antenna.

16. The multipoint wireless communications device of claim 13, wherein the integrated circuit comprises a transceiver to process millimeter-wave signals.

17. The multipoint wireless communications device of claim 13, wherein the antennas are situated on substrates comprising antenna grade core material.

18. The multipoint wireless communications device of claim 13, wherein the endfire antennas are configured to provide an azimuth coverage.

19. A multipoint wireless communications device, comprising:

a plurality of planar antennas configured to operate in a 60 GHz band;

a plurality of endfire antennas configured to operate in the 60 GHz band;

an integrated circuit connected to the plurality of planar antennas through a number of vias to provide an omnidirectional antenna array; and

a second integrated circuit.

20. A multipoint wireless communications device, comprising:

a plurality of planar antennas configured to operate in a 60 GHz band;

a plurality of endfire antennas configured to operate in the 60 GHz band;

an integrated circuit connected to the plurality of planar antennas through a number of vias that provide routing using shielded stripline transmission structures.