Method and apparatus for wireless communication utilizing electrical and magnetic polarization

• US 20020190908A1
• Filed: 07/09/2002
• Published: 12/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Michael James Gans, Michael R. Andrews, Partha Pratim Mitra
• Inventors: Andrews, Michael R., Mitra, Partha Pratim, Gans, Michael James
• Granted Patent: US 6,844,858 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/726
• 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 21/26 Turnstile or like antennas comprising arrangements of three or more elongated elements disposed radially and symmetrically in a horizontal plane about a common centre
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/29 Combinations of different interacting antenna units for giving a desired directional characteristic H01Q25/00 takes precedence

Abstract

A method of wireless communication is disclosed, in which polarization diversity can be utilized to improve fading performance or to increase the capacity of the communication channel in a scattering environment. Complementary signal information is impressed upon, or derived from, corresponding electric and magnetic polarized field components of a transmitted or intercepted electromagnetic wave. Four, five, or even six independent signal channels can thereby be utilized for communication using a localized antenna arrangement.

Claims

1. A method of wireless communication, comprising:

(a) obtaining four or more outputs from an antenna arrangement selected to be responsive to both the electric component and the corresponding magnetic component of at least one incident electromagnetic wave; and

(b) as a function of the four or more outputs, recovering signal information in one or more signal channels, the recovering step carried out such that said electric component and said magnetic component make independent contributions to a total capacity for recovering signal information from the outputs of the antenna arrangement.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising demodulating the four or more antenna outputs, and wherein the recovering step comprises combining the four or more demodulated outputs that result from the demodulating step.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least two of said outputs are tapped from respective electric dipole elements that together define a plane, and a further one of said current outputs is tapped from a loop element oriented substantially parallel to said plane.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least two of said outputs are tapped from respective non-parallel electric dipole elements, and at least two of said outputs are tapped from respective non-parallel loop elements.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication is carried out at least at one radiofrequency transmission wavelength, and the antenna arrangement has a maximum dimension that is no more than said wavelength.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication is carried out at least at one radiofrequency transmission wavelength, and the antenna arrangement has a maximum dimension that is no more than one-half said wavelength.

7. A method of wireless communication, comprising:

(a) modulating signal information in one or more signal channels onto a radiofrequency carrier so as to provide four or more carrier-level signals; and

(b) applying each carrier-level signal to a respective input of an antenna arrangement of a kind that, when operated in reception, is responsive to both the electric component and the corresponding magnetic component of at least one incident electromagnetic wave,

wherein (b) is carried out so as to impress at least partially independent signal information on, respectively, the electric and corresponding magnetic components of the outgoing counterpart of said incident electromagnetic wave.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein at least two of said carrier-level signals are applied to respective electric dipole elements that together define a plane, and a further one of said carrier-level signals is applied to a loop element oriented substantially parallel to said plane.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein at least two of said carrier-level signals are applied to respective non-parallel electric dipole elements, and at least two of said carrier-level signals are applied to respective non-parallel loop elements.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the communication is carried out at least at one radiofrequency transmission wavelength, and the antenna arrangement has a maximum dimension that is no more than said wavelength.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the communication is carried out at least at one radiofrequency transmission wavelength, and the antenna arrangement has a maximum dimension that is no more than one-half said wavelength.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the two dipole elements and the loop element together occupy a space no greater than one-tenth a communication wavelength in extent perpendicular to said plane.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the two dipole elements and the loop element together occupy a space no greater than one-tenth a communication wavelength in extent perpendicular to said plane.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the two dipole elements and the loop element together occupy a space no greater than one-tenth a communication wavelength in extent perpendicular to said plane.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the two dipole elements and the loop element together occupy a space no greater than one-tenth a communication wavelength in extent perpendicular to said plane.

12. A method of wireless communication at least at one communication wavelength, comprising:

(a) demodulating a first and a second current output from two respective electric dipole elements that together define a plane, and demodulating a third current output from a loop element oriented substantially parallel to said plane; and

(c)combining the first, second, and third demodulated outputs, thereby to recover signal information in one or more signal channels,

wherein the two dipole elements and the loop element together occupy a space no greater than one communication wavelength in maximum extent parallel to said plane, and no greater than one-fourth a communication wavelength in extent perpendicular to said plane.

14. A method of wireless communication at least at one communication wavelength, comprising:

(a) modulating signal information in three signal channels onto a radiofrequency carrier so as to provide first, second, and third carrier-level signals; and

(b) applying the first and second carrier-level signals to respective electric dipole elements of an antenna arrangement wherein said dipole elements together define a plane, and applying the third carrier-level signal to a loop element of the antenna arrangement oriented substantially parallel to said plane,

wherein the two dipole elements and the loop element together occupy a space no greater than one communication wavelength in maximum extent parallel to said plane, and no greater than one-fourth a communication wavelength in extent perpendicular to said plane.

16. A communication device, comprising:

in an antenna arrangement, two dipole elements that together define a plane, and a loop element oriented substantially parallel to said plane; and

transmitter circuitry that in operation is effective for applying a distinct carrier-level signal to each of said dipole and loop elements, thereby to transmit information from the antenna arrangement at least at one communication wavelength;

wherein the two dipole elements and the loop element together occupy a space no greater than one communication wavelength in maximum extent parallel to said plane, and no greater than one-fourth a communication wavelength in extent perpendicular to said plane.

18. A communication device for wireless communication at least at one communication wavelength, comprising:

in an antenna arrangement, two dipole elements that together define a plane, and a loop element oriented substantially parallel to said plane; and

receiver circuitry that in operation is effective for obtaining a demodulated signal from each of said dipole and loop elements and for recovering from said demodulated signals information in at least one communication channel;

wherein the two dipole elements and the loop element together occupy a space no greater than one communication wavelength in maximum extent parallel to said plane, and no greater than one-fourth a communication wavelength in extent perpendicular to said plane.