Modular antenna array with RF and baseband beamforming

• US 9,397,740 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2012
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Maltsev, Alexander, Sadri, Ali S., Nicholls, Richard B., Arefi, Reza, Davydov, Alexei, Sergeyev, Vadim
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Tuan
• Application Number:
  US13/994,223
• Publication Number:
  US 20150288438A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,317 Days
• Field of Search: 455/73, 455/67.16, 455/562.1, 455/103, 455/110, 455/272, 455/277.1, 455/102
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0006 Particular feeding systems
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/205 providing an omnidirectional coverage turnstile aerials H01Q21/26
• 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 3/40 with phasing matrix
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/18 Phase-modulated carrier systems, i.e. using phase-shift keying H04L27/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering

Abstract

Generally, this disclosure provides systems and methods for a modular antenna array using radio frequency (RF) and baseband (BB) beamforming. A system may include a plurality of antenna modules, each of the antenna modules further including an array of antenna elements coupled to an RF beamforming circuit, the RF beamforming circuit to adjust phase shifts associated with the antenna elements to generate an antenna beam associated with the antenna module; and a central beamforming module coupled to each of the antenna modules, the central beamforming module to control the antenna beam associated with each of the antenna modules and to generate signal adjustments relative to each of the antenna modules, wherein the arrays of antenna elements of the antenna modules combine to operate as a composite antenna beamforming array.

Claims

1. A system for antenna beamforming, said system comprising:

at least one antenna comprising an array of antenna elements coupled to a radio frequency (RF) beamforming circuit, said RF beamforming circuit to adjust phase shifts associated with said antenna elements to generate a plurality of antenna beams, each of said antenna beams defining a corresponding sector having a sector beamwidth, wherein said plurality of sector beamwidths collectively define a wide sector, said wide sector having a wide sector beamwidth that is wider than a respective one of said sector beamwidths; and

central beamforming circuitry coupled to said at least one antenna, said central beamforming circuitry to control said plurality of antenna beams such that said arrays of antenna elements of said at least one antenna combine to operate as a composite antenna beamforming array;

wherein;

said central beamforming circuitry is further configured to control said composite antenna beamforming array to generate a composite antenna beam comprising said plurality antenna beams, said composite antenna beam having a higher gain than each of said antenna beams associated with said antenna and a composite beamwidth that is narrower than said respective one of said sector beamwidths; and

said antenna is configured to operate in a millimeter wave frequency range.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said signal adjustments comprise signal magnitude adjustments and signal phase adjustments.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said central beamforming circuitry is included in a processor selected from the group consisting of a baseband processor, an intermediate frequency processor and an RF processor.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said central beamforming circuitry is configured to generate said composite antenna beam at least in part by applying phase adjustments such that signal phases across the array of antenna elements are aligned.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said central beamforming circuitry is further configured to control said composite antenna beamforming array to generate said composite antenna beam with a wider beamwidth than said respective one of said sector beamwidths.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said central beamforming circuitry is further configured to steer said composite antenna beam from a first direction to a second direction.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said central beamforming circuitry is further configured to:

segment said composite antenna beamforming array into a plurality of composite sub-arrays, wherein each composite sub-array comprises a plurality of said antennas; and

to generate an independently steerable antenna beam with each of said plurality of composite sub-arrays.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said central beamforming circuitry is further configured to apply a plurality of said signal adjustments; and

each of said plurality of signal adjustments corresponds to one of a plurality of signal frequency components.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said antenna elements are disposed in a plurality of planes, said planes oriented in different directions relative to each other.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said antenna elements and said antenna are arranged in a linear end-fire pattern.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein a gain of said composite antenna beam is at least about 30 dB.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of antenna elements are coupled to said RF beamforming circuit by micro-strip feeding lines.

13. A method for antenna beamforming, comprising:

generating a plurality of antenna beams, wherein each of said plurality antenna beams is produced by one of a plurality of antenna elements forming an array, each of said antenna beams define a corresponding sector having a sector beamwidth, wherein said plurality of sector beamwidths collectively define a wide sector, said wide sector having a wide sector beamwidth that is wider than a respective one of said sector beamwidths, wherein said plurality of antenna elements form at least one antenna and a radio frequency (RF) beamforming circuit is coupled to the plurality of antenna elements, said generating comprising adjusting, with the RF beamforming circuit, phase shifts associated with the plurality of antenna elements;

controlling said plurality of antenna beams with central beamforming circuitry coupled to said plurality antenna elements; and

generating and applying, with said central beamforming circuitry, signal adjustments for each of said antenna elements so as to cause said plurality of antenna elements to operate as a composite beamforming array to produce a composite antenna beam comprising said antenna beams, said composite antenna beam having a higher gain than said plurality of antenna beams and a composite beamwidth that is narrower than said respective one of said sector beamwidths;

wherein said antenna elements are configured to operate in a millimeter wave frequency range.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said signal adjustments comprise signal magnitude adjustments and signal phase adjustments.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein generating and applying said signal adjustments comprises applying phase adjustments such that signal phases across the array of antenna elements are aligned.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising controlling, with said central beamforming circuitry, said composite antenna beamforming array so as to produce said composite antenna beam with a wider beamwidth than said respective one of said sector beamwidths.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising steering said composite antenna beam from a first direction to a second direction.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

segmenting said composite antenna beamforming array into a plurality of composite sub-arrays, each composite sub-array comprising a plurality of said antennas; and

generating an independently steerable antenna beam with each of said plurality of composite sub-arrays.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

applying a plurality of said signal adjustments with said central beamforming circuitry, wherein each of said plurality of signal adjustments corresponds to one of a plurality of signal frequency components.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein said plurality of antenna elements are disposed in a plurality of planes and oriented in different directions relative to each other.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein a gain of said composite antenna beam is at least about 30 dB.

22. A platform comprising:

a processor;

input/output circuitry coupled to said processor;

a memory coupled to said processor; and

a wireless communication interface coupled to said processor, said interface comprising;

at least one antenna comprising an array of antenna elements coupled to a radio frequency (RF) beamforming circuit, said RF beamforming circuit to adjust phase shifts associated with said antenna elements to generate a plurality of antenna beams, each of said antenna beams defining a corresponding sector having a sector beamwidth, wherein said plurality of sector beamwidths collectively define a wide sector, said wide sector having a wide sector beamwidth that is wider than a respective one of said sector beamwidths; and

central beamforming circuitry coupled to said at least one antenna, said central beamforming circuitry to control said plurality of antenna beams such that said arrays of antenna elements of said at least one antenna combine to operate as a composite antenna beamforming array;

wherein;

said central beamforming circuitry is further configured to control said composite antenna beamforming array to generate a composite antenna beam comprising said plurality antenna beams, said composite antenna beam having a higher gain than each of said antenna beams associated with said antenna and a composite beamwidth that is narrower than a respective one of said respective one of said sector beamwidths; and

said antenna is configured to operate in a millimeter wave frequency range.

23. The platform of claim 22, wherein said central beamforming circuitry is configured to generate said composite antenna beam at least in part by applying phase adjustments such that signal phases across the array of antenna elements are aligned.

24. The platform of claim 22, wherein said central beamforming circuitry is further configured to control said composite antenna beamforming array to generate said composite antenna beam with a wider beamwidth than said respective one of said sector beamwidths.

25. The platform of claim 22, wherein said central beamforming circuitry is further configured to steer said composite antenna beam from a first direction to a second direction.

26. The platform of claim 22, wherein said central beamforming circuitry is further configured to:

segment said composite antenna beamforming array into a plurality of composite sub-arrays, wherein each composite sub-array comprises a plurality of said antennas; and

to generate an independently steerable antenna beam with each of said plurality of composite sub-arrays.

27. The platform of claim 22, wherein:

said central beamforming circuitry is further configured to apply a plurality of said signal adjustments; and

each of said plurality of signal adjustments corresponds to one of a plurality of signal frequency components.

28. The platform of claim 22, wherein said antenna elements are disposed in a plurality of planes, said planes oriented in different directions relative to each other.

29. The platform of claim 22, wherein said antenna elements and said antenna are arranged in a linear end-fire pattern.

30. The platform of claim 22, wherein a gain of said composite antenna beam is at least about 30 dB.

31. The platform of claim 22, wherein said platform is selected from the group consisting of a smartphone, a laptop computing device and a tablet.

32. The platform of claim 22, wherein said platform is a wireless base station.