Antenna structures and methods thereof for determining a frequency offset based on a measured data

• US 9,627,753 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2014
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SkyCross Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Achilles Technology Management Co Ii, Inc.
• Inventors: Caimi, Frank M., Montgomery, Mark T., Rabe, Duane, Chen, Li, Kishler, Mark W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Lee
• Application Number:
  US14/285,262
• Publication Number:
  US 20150116163A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,062 Days
• Field of Search: 4551151-1152, 455120-121, 455125-126, 4551931-1932
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 23/02 Arrangements for measuring frequency, e.g. pulse repetition rate; Arrangements for measuring period of current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 25/00 Arrangements for measuring phase angle between a voltage and a current or between voltages or currents
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/0807 characterised by the application
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/10 Radiation diagrams of antennas
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0009 Transmission of position information to remote stations involving assistance data G01S5/0236
• 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 1/243 with built-in antennas
• 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 1/50 Structural association of antennas with earthing switches, lead-in devices or lightning protectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/521 reducing the coupling between adjacent antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/10 Resonant slot antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/103 with variable reactance for tuning the antenna tuning resonant circuits H03J
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/00 Antenna arrays or systems arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern of the waves radiated from an antenna or antenna system H01Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0006 Particular feeding systems
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/12 Parallel arrangements of substantially straight elongated conductive units travelling-wave antennas comprising transmission line loaded with transverse elements H01Q11/02; Yagi antennas H01Q19/30
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/29 Combinations of different interacting antenna units for giving a desired directional characteristic H01Q25/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/24 varying the orientation by switching energy from one active radiating element to another, e.g. for beam switching
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/34 by electrical means active lenses or reflecting arrays H01Q3/46
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/00 : Arrangements for simultaneous operation of antennas on two or more different wavebands, e.g. dual-band or multi-band arrangements combinations of separate active antenna units operating in different wavebands and connected to a common feeder system H01Q21/30
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/22 : RF wavebands combined with non-RF wavebands, e.g. infrared or optical
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/371 : Branching current paths
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/40 : Imbricated or interleaved structures; Combined or electromagnetically coupled arrangements, e.g. comprising two or more non-connected fed radiating elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/48 : Combinations of two or more dipole type antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/04 : Resonant antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0442 : with particular tuning means
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/145 : by varying the electrical length
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/16 : with feed intermediate between the extremities of the antenna, e.g. centre-fed dipole H01Q9/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/28 : Conical, cylindrical, cage, strip, gauze, or like elements having an extended radiating surface; Elements comprising two conical surfaces having collinear axes and adjacent apices and fed by two-conductor transmission lines waveguide horns or mouths H01Q13/00; slot antennas H01Q13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/30 : with feed to end of elongated active element, e.g. unipole H01Q9/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/40 : Element having extended radiating surface
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/42 : with folded element, the folded parts being spaced apart a small fraction of the operating wavelength
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 2200/15 : Tuning of resonator by means of digitally controlled inductor bank
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 5/0245 : Discontinuous tuning using an electrical variable impedance element, e.g. a voltage variable reactive diode, in which no corresponding analogue value either exists or is preset, i.e. the tuning information is only available in a digital form microprocessor tuning H03J1/0008
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 5/242 : used exclusively for band selection
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 5/244 : using electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0053 : with common antenna for more than one band
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/38 : Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/401 : for selecting or indicating operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/024 : Co-operative use of antennas of several sites, e.g. in co-ordinated multipoint or co-operative multiple-input multiple-output [MIMO] systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0404 : the mobile station comprising multiple antennas, e.g. to provide uplink diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0413 : MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0417 : Feedback systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0608 : Antenna selection according to transmission parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0628 : Diversity capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0632 : Channel quality parameters, e.g. channel quality indicator [CQI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0691 : using subgroups of transmit antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 : Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 : Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/12 : using signalling between network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00692 : using simultaneous multiple data streams, e.g. cooperative multipoint [CoMP], carrier aggregation [CA] or multiple input multiple output [MIMO] allocation of physical resources in CoMP or in CA H04L5/0035
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/085 : involving beams of access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/322 : by location data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/026 : using orientation information, e.g. compass
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/12 : based on transmission quality or channel quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 : locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 : Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/52 : based on load
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 : using measured or perceived quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 : adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices

Abstract

A system that incorporates the subject disclosure may include, for example, a circuit for determining a magnitude difference between a first signal supplied to an antenna and a second signal radiated by the antenna, determining a phase difference between the first signal supplied to the antenna and the second signal radiated by the antenna, measuring a change in reactance of an antenna, detecting an offset in an operating frequency of the antenna based on one of the magnitude difference, the phase difference, the change in reactance, or any combination thereof, and adjusting a resonant frequency of the antenna to mitigate the offset in the operating frequency of the antenna. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining, by a circuit, a magnitude difference between a first signal supplied to an antenna and a second signal radiated by the antenna;

determining, by the circuit, a phase difference between the first signal supplied to the antenna and the second signal radiated by the antenna;

measuring, by the circuit, a change in reactance of the antenna;

detecting, by the circuit, an offset in an operating frequency of the antenna based on one of the magnitude difference, the phase difference, the change in reactance, or any combination thereof; and

adjusting, by the circuit, a resonant frequency of the antenna to mitigate the offset in the operating frequency of the antenna.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the change in the reactance of the antenna is measured with a reactive sensor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the resonant frequency of the antenna is adjusted by modifying an electrical length of the antenna.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the magnitude difference, the phase difference, and the change in reactance are proportional to the offset in the operating frequency of the antenna.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising measuring the first signal from a probe.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the probe comprises a directional coupler.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising measuring the second signal from a near field probe that detects radiated energy from the antenna.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the antenna comprises an aperture tuner to adjust a resonant frequency range of the antenna, and wherein the adjusting of the operating frequency of the antenna is performed by supplying a signal to the aperture tuner.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the aperture tuner comprises a switchable array of reactive elements to adjust the resonant frequency range of the antenna.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the aperture tuner comprises one of a variable capacitor, a variable inductor, or a combination thereof.

11. An antenna structure, comprising:

a first antenna element;

a first aperture tuner for adjusting a resonant frequency of the antenna element;

a probe;

a reactive sensor; and

a first near field sensor for sensing radiated energy from the first antenna element, wherein the first near field sensor and the first aperture tuner are coupled to a circuit that performs operations comprising;

measuring from the first near field sensor a first phase and a first magnitude of radiated energy by the first antenna element;

measuring from the probe a second phase and a second magnitude of a first signal supplied to the first antenna element;

comparing the first and the second phases to generate a phase differential;

comparing the first and the second magnitudes to generate a magnitude differential;

measuring a change in reactance of the first antenna;

detecting a change in an operating frequency of the first antenna element based on one of the phase differential, the magnitude differential, the change in reactance of the antenna, or any combination thereof; and

causing the first aperture tuner to adjust the resonant frequency of the first antenna element according to the change in the operating frequency of the first antenna.

12. The antenna structure of claim 11, wherein the probe comprises a directional coupler coupled to a path that supplies the first signal to the first antenna element.

13. The antenna structure of claim 11, wherein the detecting of the change in the operating frequency of the first antenna element comprises determining the change in the operating frequency of the first antenna according to a reactive profile of the antenna.

14. The antenna structure of claim 13, further comprising retrieving the reactive profile from a look-up table indexed according the operating frequency of the first antenna element.

15. The antenna structure of claim 11, wherein the magnitude differential, the phase differential, and the change in reactance of the first antenna are proportional to the change in the operating frequency of the first antenna element.

16. The antenna structure of claim 11, wherein the first antenna element is adjusted by modifying an electrical length of the antenna element using the first aperture tuner.

17. The antenna structure of claim 11, wherein the change in the operating frequency of the first antenna is detected from a comparison of averages of the phase differential, the magnitude differential, the change in reactance of the first antenna, or any combination thereof.

18. The antenna structure of claim 11, further comprising a second antenna element.

19. The antenna structure of claim 18, wherein the first antenna element is coupled to the second antenna element by way of a coupling element, and wherein the coupling element causes differential currents and common mode currents flowing through the first antenna element and the second antenna element to combine in a manner that increases signal isolation between a first port of the first antenna element and a second port of the second antenna element.

20. The antenna structure of claim 18, wherein the first antenna element and the second antenna element are configured for one of a multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) or a diversity antenna configuration.

21. A communication device, comprising:

an antenna structure;

a near field sensor;

a probe;

a reactive sensor; and

a circuit coupled to the near field sensor, probe and the reactive sensor, wherein the circuit performs operations comprising;

measuring from the near field sensor a first signal representing radiated energy from the antenna structure;

measuring from the probe a second signal supplied to the antenna structure;

measuring from the reactive sensor a reactive load of the antenna structure;

determining a phase differential from a first phase of the first signal and a second phase of the second signal;

determining a magnitude differential from a first magnitude of the first signal and a second magnitude of the second signal;

determining a change in reactance of the antenna structure from the reactive load;

detecting a frequency offset of the antenna structure based on the phase differential, the magnitude differential, the change in reactance, or any combination thereof; and

adjusting an operating frequency of the antenna structure to mitigate the frequency offset.

22. The communication device of claim 21, wherein the operating frequency of the antenna structure is adjusted by modifying an electrical length of the antenna structure.

23. The communication device of claim 22, wherein the electrical length is modified with one of a first device having tunable capacitance, a second device having a tunable inductance, or a combination thereof.

24. The communication device of claim 21, wherein the probe comprises a directional coupler coupled to a signal path of the signal.

25. The communication device of claim 21, wherein the communication device comprises one of a cellular telephone or a wireless access point.