Wireless communication device using adaptive beamforming

• US 20070037528A1
• Filed: 08/12/2005
• Published: 02/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: SiBEAM, Inc. (Lattice Semiconductor Corporation)
• Inventors: Marshall, John, Doan, Chinh, Williams, Tim, Shung, Bernard, Emami, Sohrab
• Granted Patent: US 7,904,117 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/101
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0615 of weighted versions of same signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0619 using feedback from receiving side feedback signaling for adaptive modulation/coding H04L1/0001

Abstract

A method and apparatus is disclosed herein for wireless communication with adaptive beamforming. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a processor, a radio frequency (RF) transmitter having a digitally controlled phased array antenna coupled to and controlled by the processor to transmit content using adaptive beamforming, and an interface to a wireless communication channel coupled to the processor to communicate antenna information relating to the use of the phased array antenna and to communicate information to facilitate playing the content at another location.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a radio frequency (RF) transmitter having a digitally controlled phased array antenna coupled to and controlled by the processor to transmit content using adaptive beamforming; and

an interface to a wireless communication channel coupled to the processor to communicate antenna information relating to the use of the phased array antenna and to communicate information to facilitate playing the content at another location.

2. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the information to facilitate playing the content comprises content protection information.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 2 wherein the content protection information comprises one or more of a group consisting of encryption keys sent by the processor and one or more acknowledgments from a receiver of one or more encryption keys received from the processor.

4. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the processor receives information via the wireless communication channel interface when the phased array antenna is being initialized to enable the processor to select a direction to steer a beam formed by the phased array antenna and receives an indication of the status of communication path from the RF transmitter to the receiver of the content when the phased array antenna is operating in a mode during which the content may be transferred.

5. The apparatus defined in claim 4 wherein the information to enable the processor to select a direction to steer the beam formed by the phased array antenna comprises antenna location information and performance information corresponding to the antenna location.

6. The apparatus defined in claim 5 wherein the antenna location information and the performance information comprises one or more pairs that include an antenna position and the signal strength of the channel for that antenna position.

7. The apparatus defined in claim 4 wherein the information to enable the processor to select a direction to steer the beam formed by the phased array antenna comprises information identifying one or more channels to be used by the processor.

8. The apparatus defined in claim 4 wherein the indication of the status of communication from the RF transmitter comprises an indication to prompt the processor to steer the beam in another direction.

9. The apparatus defined in claim 8 wherein the indication to prompt the processor to steer the beam in another direction is generated in response to interference with transmission of portions of the content.

10. The apparatus defined in claim 8 wherein the indication to prompt the processor to steer the beam in another direction includes information specifying one or more alternative channels.

11. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the antenna information comprises information specifying one or more characteristics of a receiver to receive the content.

12. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the wireless communication channel is bi-directional.

13. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the antenna information comprises information sent by the processor to specify a location to which a receiver designated to receive the content is to direct itself.

14. The apparatus defined in claim 13 wherein the location specifying the location indicates the receiver it to direct itself to the next location in a predetermined location order.

15. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the antenna information indicates the quality of one or more channels and an indication from a receiver of the content to the processor to steer the beam to a different location.

16. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the processor sends digital control information to the phased array antenna to indicate an amount to shift one or more phase shifters in the phased array antenna.

17. The apparatus defined in claim 16 wherein the digital control information comprises a set of coefficients.

18. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the processor comprises a digital signal processor.

19. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the processor generates baseband signals.

20. The apparatus defined in claim 19 wherein the baseband signals are orthogonal frequency division multiplex (OFDM) signals.

21. The apparatus defined in claim 1 further comprising:

a digital-to-analog converter to convert baseband signals into analog signals at a first frequency; and

a mixer to mix the analog signals with a signal from a local oscillator to produce adjusted analog signals with a second frequency higher than first frequency, the adjusted analog signals being sent to the phased array antenna for transmission thereby.

22. The apparatus defined in claim 21 wherein the phased array antenna comprises:

a demultiplexer coupled to receive the adjusted analog signals;

a plurality of phase shifters coupled to the demultiplexer to shift the phase of the adjusted analog signals based on control signals from the processor;

a plurality of amplifiers, wherein each of the plurality of amplifiers is coupled to an output of one of plurality of phase shifters; and

a plurality of antennas, wherein each of the plurality of antennas is coupled to an output of one of plurality of amplifiers.

23. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the content adheres to the HDMI standard.

24. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the content adheres to the DVI standard.

25. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the transmitter is part of a transceiver.

26. An apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a radio frequency (RF) receiver having a digitally controlled phased array antenna coupled to and controlled by the processor to receive content from a transmitter using adaptive beamforming; and

an interface to a wireless communication channel coupled to the processor to communicate antenna information related to use of the phased array antenna and to communicate information to facilitate playing the content received from the transmitter.

27. The apparatus defined in claim 26 wherein the information to facilitate playing the content comprises content protection information.

28. The apparatus defined in claim 27 wherein the content protection information comprises one or more of a group consisting of encryption keys sent by the transmitter and one or more acknowledgments from a receiver of one or more encryption keys received from the transmitter.

29. The apparatus defined in claim 26 wherein the processor sends information via the wireless communication channel interface when the phased array antenna is being initialized to enable the transmitter to select a direction to steer a beam formed by its phased array antenna and sends an indication of the status of communication on being received by the phased array antenna via the interface when the phased array antenna is operating in a mode during which content may be transferred.

30. The apparatus defined in claim 29 wherein the information to enable the transmitter to select a direction to steer the beam formed by the phased array antenna comprises antenna location information and performance information corresponding to the antenna location.

31. The apparatus defined in claim 30 wherein the antenna location information and the performance information comprises one or more pairs that include an antenna position and the signal strength of the channel for that antenna position.

32. The apparatus defined in claim 29 wherein the information to enable the transmitter to select a direction to steer the beam formed by the phased array antenna comprises information identifying one or more channels to be used by the transmitter.

33. The apparatus defined in claim 29 wherein the indication of the status of communication between the transmitter and the RF receiver comprises an indication to prompt the transmitter to steer the beam in another direction.

34. The apparatus defined in claim 33 wherein the indication to prompt the transmitter to steer the beam in another direction is generated in response to interference with transmission of portions of the content.

35. The apparatus defined in claim 33 wherein the indication to prompt the transmitter to steer the beam in another direction includes information specifying one or more alternative channels.

36. The apparatus defined in claim 26 wherein the antenna information comprises information specifying one or more characteristics of a receiver.

37. The apparatus defined in claim 26 wherein the wireless communication channel is bi-directional.

38. The apparatus defined in claim 26 wherein the antenna information comprises information sent by the processor to specify a location to which a receiver designated to receive the content is to direct itself.

39. The apparatus defined in claim 38 wherein the location specifying the location indicates the receiver it to direct itself to the next location in a predetermined location order.

40. The apparatus defined in claim 26 wherein the antenna information indicates the quality of one or more channels and an indication from a receiver of the content to the processor to steer the beam to a different location.

41. The apparatus defined in claim 26 wherein the processor sends digital control information to the phased array antenna to indicate an amount to shift one or more phase shifters in the phased array antenna.

42. The apparatus defined in claim 41 wherein the digital control information comprises a set of coefficients.

43. The apparatus defined in claim 26 wherein the processor comprises a digital signal processor.

44. The apparatus defined in claim 26 wherein signals from the phased array antenna are processed by the processor as baseband signals.

45. The apparatus defined in claim 44 wherein the baseband signals are orthogonal frequency division multiplex (OFDM) signals.

46. The apparatus defined in claim 26 further comprising:

an amplifier coupled to receive signals received by the phased array antenna;

a mixer to combine the analog signals with a signal from a local oscillator to produce adjusted analog signals a frequency lower than the frequency of the analog signals;

an analog-to-digital converter coupled to the mixer to convert the adjusted analog signals to digital signals that are processed by the processor.

47. The apparatus defined in claim 26 wherein the content adheres to the HDMI standard.

48. The apparatus defined in claim 26 wherein the content adheres to the DVI standard.

49. The apparatus defined in claim 26 wherein the receiver is part of a transceiver.

50. A method comprising:

receiving, via a wireless communication channel, antenna information and content protection information;

sending control information to a digitally controlled phased array antenna based on the antenna information while the content protection information is valid; and

transmitting the content using the phased array antenna.

51. A method comprising:

sending, via a wireless communication channel, antenna information and content protection information corresponding to content;

adapting the beam formed by a beam forming antenna controlling via a digitally controlled phased array antenna based on the antenna information while the content protection information is valid; and

playing the content using the phased array antenna.

52. A peripheral comprising:

a receiver comprising

a processor,

a radio frequency (RF) receiver having a digitally controlled phased array antenna coupled to and controlled by the processor to receive content from a transmitter using adaptive beamforming, and

an interface to a wireless communication channel coupled to the processor to communicate antenna information related to use of the phased array antenna and to communicate information to facilitate playing the content received from the transmitter;

a display screen;

a display controller coupled to receive the content and to cause the content to be displayed on the display screen.

53. A peripheral comprising:

a receiver comprising

a processor,

a radio frequency (RF) receiver having a digitally controlled phased array antenna coupled to and controlled by the processor to receive content from a transmitter using adaptive beamforming, and

an interface to a wireless communication channel coupled to the processor to communicate antenna information related to use of the phased array antenna and to communicate information to facilitate playing the content received from the transmitter; and

a DVD device coupled to receive and play the content.