Distributed radio frequency communication systems for automotive

Abstract

This document discloses a distributed radio frequency (RF) communication system for vehicles. In some embodiments, an RF communication system for a vehicle includes an RF module positioned close to an antenna to meet a specified output power with low insertion loss. Additionally, a baseband processor is placed away from the RF module in a different area of ​​the vehicle to provide a lower temperature environment. Furthermore, the RF module communicates with the baseband processor in a digital format, thereby eliminating the need for higher-cost cabling (e.g., due to the higher noise immunity resulting from the use of digital communications) and the use of digital transmission cables already present in the vehicle for other purposes. The RF module may include an RF front end (RFFE) and a transceiver for providing, for example, frequency conversion between RF and baseband frequencies.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of the present invention relate to electronic systems, and more specifically, to radio frequency (RF) electronic devices. Prior Technology

[0002] Radio frequency (RF) communication systems transmit and receive RF signals via antennas. RF signals have a frequency ranging from about 30 kHz to 300 GHz (e.g., for frequency range 1 (FR1) of the fifth generation (5G) communication standard, ranging from about 400 MHz to about 7.125 GHz, or for frequency range 2 (FR2) of the 5G communication standard, ranging from about 24.250 GHz to about 71.000 GHz). Summary of the Invention

[0003] In some embodiments, the present invention relates to a distributed radio frequency communication system for an automobile, the distributed radio frequency communication system comprising a digital processing circuit, a cable, a first serializer / deserializer circuit electrically connected between the digital processing circuit and the cable, a first radio frequency module, and a second serializer / deserializer circuit electrically connected between the first radio frequency module and the cable. The first serializer / deserializer circuit and the second serializer / deserializer circuit are configured to transmit digital data via the cable.

[0004] In various embodiments, the cable comprises a twisted pair.

[0005] In several embodiments, the cable includes an Ethernet cable.

[0006] In several embodiments, the digital processing circuit includes a baseband processor.

[0007] In some embodiments, the first radio frequency module includes at least one transceiver and at least one radio frequency front end. According to several embodiments, the distributed radio frequency communication system further includes at least one antenna coupled to the at least one radio frequency front end. According to several embodiments, the distributed radio frequency communication system further includes a second radio frequency module, the second serializer / deserializer circuit being electrically connected between the second radio frequency module and the cable.

[0008] In several embodiments, the distributed radio frequency communication system further includes a second radio frequency module and a third serializer / deserializer circuit electrically connected between the second radio frequency module and the cable. According to several embodiments, the cable includes a common cable shared by the second serializer / deserializer circuit and the third serializer / deserializer circuit. According to various embodiments, the cable includes a first cable connected between the second serializer / deserializer circuit and the first serializer / deserializer circuit, and a second cable connected between the third serializer / deserializer circuit and the first serializer / deserializer circuit.

[0009] In various embodiments, the distributed radio frequency communication system further includes at least one automotive system configured to communicate with the digital processing circuitry via the second serializer / deserializer circuit, the cable, and the first serializer / deserializer circuit.

[0010] In some embodiments, the digital data includes in-phase and quadrature phase data representing a radio frequency transmission signal.

[0011] In some embodiments, the present invention relates to an automobile. The automobile includes: a digital processing circuit located in a first position of the automobile; a cable; a first serializer / deserializer circuit electrically connected between the digital processing circuit and the cable and co-located with the digital processing circuit; a first radio frequency (RF) module located in a second position of the automobile; and a second serializer / deserializer circuit electrically connected between the first RF module and the cable and co-located with the first RF module, the first serializer / deserializer circuit and the second serializer / deserializer circuit being configured to transmit digital data via the cable.

[0012] In several embodiments, the cable includes a twisted pair.

[0013] In various embodiments, the cable includes an Ethernet cable.

[0014] In several embodiments, the digital processing circuitry includes a baseband processor.

[0015] In some embodiments, the first radio frequency module includes at least one transceiver and at least one radio frequency front end.

[0016] In several embodiments, the vehicle further includes at least one antenna coupled to and co-located with the at least one radio frequency front end. According to several embodiments, the at least one antenna includes an antenna positioned on a roof, a bumper, a trunk, or a mirror of the vehicle.

[0017] In various embodiments, the first position has a temperature lower than one of the second positions.

[0018] In some embodiments, the vehicle further includes a second radio frequency module, the second serializer / deserializer circuit being electrically connected between the second radio frequency module and the cable.

[0019] In several embodiments, the vehicle further includes a second radio frequency module and a third serializer / deserializer circuit electrically connected between the second radio frequency module and the cable. According to several embodiments, the cable includes a common cable shared by the second serializer / deserializer circuit and the third serializer / deserializer circuit. According to various embodiments, the cable includes a first cable connected between the second serializer / deserializer circuit and the first serializer / deserializer circuit, and a second cable connected between the third serializer / deserializer circuit and the first serializer / deserializer circuit.

[0020] In some embodiments, the vehicle further includes at least one vehicle system configured to communicate with the digital processing circuitry via the second serializer / deserializer circuit, the cable, and the first serializer / deserializer circuit. According to several embodiments, the at least one vehicle system includes a radar or a camera.

[0021] In several embodiments, the digital data includes in-phase and quadrature phase data representing a radio frequency transmission signal.

[0022] In some embodiments, the present invention relates to a method for radio frequency communication in a vehicle. The method includes generating digital data using a digital processing circuit located in a first position of the vehicle; serializing the digital data using a first serializer / deserializer circuit co-located with the digital processing circuit; transmitting the serialized digital data via a cable to a second serializer / deserializer circuit, and deserializing the serialized digital data to generate restored digital data; and processing the restored digital data using a radio frequency module co-located with the second serializer / deserializer circuit in a second position of the vehicle to generate a radio frequency transmission signal. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0023] Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of non-limiting examples with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0024] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of one example of a communication network.

[0025] Figure 2A is a schematic diagram of one example of a communication link using carrier aggregation.

[0026] Figure 2B illustrates various examples of uplink carrier aggregation used in the communication link of Figure 2A.

[0027] Figure 2C illustrates various examples of downlink carrier aggregation used in the communication link of Figure 2A.

[0028] Figure 3A is a schematic diagram of one example of a downlink channel using multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication.

[0029] Figure 3B is a schematic diagram of an example of an uplink channel using MIMO communication.

[0030] Figure 3C is a schematic diagram of another example of an uplink channel using MIMO communication.

[0031] Figure 4A is a schematic diagram of one example of a communication system using beamforming operations.

[0032] Figure 4B is a schematic diagram of one example of beamforming for providing a transmission beam.

[0033] Figure 4C is a schematic diagram of one example of beamforming for providing a receiving beam.

[0034] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a car.

[0035] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a distributed radio used in a car.

[0036] Figure 7A is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of a distributed radio for use in a car.

[0037] Figure 7B is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of a distributed radio for use in a car.

[0038] Figure 7C is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of a distributed radio for use in a car.

[0039] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of a distributed radio for use in a car. Implementation

[0040] The following detailed description of certain embodiments presents various descriptions of particular embodiments. However, the innovations described herein can be embodied in a multitude of different ways, for example, as defined and covered by the claims of the invention. In this description, reference is made to the drawings, where the same element symbols may indicate the same or functionally similar elements. It will be understood that the elements drawn in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Furthermore, it will be understood that some embodiments may include more elements than are drawn in one drawing and / or a subset of the elements drawn in one drawing. In addition, some embodiments may incorporate any suitable combination of features from two or more drawings.

[0041] The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) responsible for global issues related to information and communication technologies, including the shared global use of radio spectrum.

[0042] The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is a collaborative effort among telecommunications standards bodies around the world, such as the Radio Industry and Commerce Association (ARIB), the Telecommunications Technology Committee (TTC), the China Communications Standards Association (CCSA), the Telecommunications Industry Solutions Alliance (ATIS), the Telecommunications Technology Association (TTA), the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), and the Telecommunications Standards Development Institute of India (TSDSI).

[0043] Working within the ITU framework, 3GPP develops and maintains technical specifications for various mobile communication technologies, including (for example) second-generation (2G) technologies (e.g., Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) and Enhanced GSM Evolution Data Rate (EDGE)), third-generation (3G) technologies (e.g., Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) and High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA)) and fourth-generation (4G) technologies (e.g., Long Term Evolution (LTE) and LTE-Advanced).

[0044] Technical specifications controlled by 3GPP can be expanded and revised through specification versions, which can span multiple years and specify new features and the breadth of evolution.

[0045] In one instance, 3GPP introduced carrier aggregation (CA) for LTE in Release 10. While initially two downlink carriers were introduced, 3GPP expanded carrier aggregation in Release 14 to include up to five downlink carriers and up to three uplink carriers. Other examples of new features and evolutions provided by 3GPP releases include (but are not limited to) Licensed Assisted Access (LAA), Enhanced LAA (eLAA), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X), and High Power User Equipment (HPUE).

[0046] 3GPP introduced Phase 1 of fifth-generation (5G) technology in Release 15 and Phase 2 of 5G technology in Release 16. Subsequent 3GPP releases will further evolve and expand 5G technology. 5G technology is also referred to herein as 5G New Radio (NR).

[0047] 5G NR supports or plans to support various features such as millimeter-wave spectrum communication, beamforming capabilities, high spectral efficiency waveforms, low-latency communication, multiple radio digitization, and / or non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA). While these RF functionalities provide flexibility to the network and enhance user data rates, supporting these features presents several technical challenges.

[0048] The teachings in this document are applicable to a wide variety of communication systems, including (but not limited to) those using advanced cellular technologies such as LTE-Advanced, LTE-Advanced Pro, and / or 5G NR.

[0049] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of one example of a communication network 10. The communication network 10 includes a giant cell base station 1, a small cell base station 3, and various examples of user equipment (UE), including a first mobile device 2a, a wirelessly connected car 2b, a laptop computer 2c, a fixed wireless device 2d, a wirelessly connected train 2e, a second mobile device 2f, and a third mobile device 2g.

[0050] Although specific examples of base stations and user equipment are shown in Figure 1, a communication network may include a wide variety of types and / or numbers of base stations and user equipment.

[0051] For example, in the illustrated example, communication network 10 includes a giant cell base station 1 and a small cell base station 3. Compared to the giant cell base station 1, the small cell base station 3 can operate with relatively lower power, shorter range, and / or fewer concurrent users. The small cell base station 3 may also be referred to as a microcell, a picocell, or a microcell. Although communication network 10 is illustrated as including two base stations, communication network 10 can be implemented to include more or fewer base stations and / or other types of base stations.

[0052] While various examples of user devices are shown, the teachings herein are applicable to a wide range of user devices, including (but not limited to) mobile phones, tablets, laptops, IoT devices, wearable electronics, customer premises equipment (CPE), wirelessly connected vehicles, wireless repeaters, and / or a wide variety of other communication devices. Furthermore, user devices include not only currently available communication devices operating in a cellular network, but also subsequently developed communication devices that can be readily implemented with the systems, procedures, methods, and apparatus of the present invention as described and claimed herein.

[0053] The communication network 10 illustrated in Figure 1 supports communication using various cellular technologies, including (e.g.) 4G LTE and 5G NR. In some implementations, the communication network 10 is further adapted to provide a wireless local area network (WLAN), such as WiFi. While various examples of communication technologies have been provided, the communication network 10 can be adapted to support a wide range of communication technologies.

[0054] Figure 1 illustrates various communication links of communication network 10. A wide variety of duplex communication links are possible, including (for example) using Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) and / or Time Division Duplex (TDD). FDD is a type of radio frequency communication that uses different frequencies for transmitting and receiving signals. FDD offers several advantages, such as high data rates and low latency. In contrast, TDD is a type of radio frequency communication that uses approximately the same frequency for transmitting and receiving signals, with time-separated transmission and reception. TDD offers several advantages, such as efficient use of spectrum and variable allocation of transmission capacity between the transmission and reception directions.

[0055] In some implementations, a user device may communicate with a base station using one or more of 4G LTE, 5G NR, and WiFi technologies. In some implementations, enhanced licensed assisted access (eLAA) is used to aggregate one or more licensed frequency carriers (e.g., licensed 4G LTE and / or 5G NR frequencies) with one or more unlicensed carriers (e.g., unlicensed WiFi frequencies).

[0056] As shown in Figure 1, the communication link includes not only the communication link between the UE and the base station, but also communication between UEs and between base stations. For example, the communication network 10 may be implemented to support self-forwarding and / or self-reload (e.g., between mobile device 2g and mobile device 2f).

[0057] In some implementations, a base station and / or user equipment uses beamforming for communication. For example, beamforming can be used to focus signal strength to overcome path loss, such as the high loss associated with communication via high signal frequencies. In some embodiments, cellular user equipment can use beamforming and / or other techniques to communicate over a wide frequency range, including (e.g.) FR2-1 (24 GHz to 52 GHz), FR2-2 (52 GHz to 71 GHz), and / or FR1 (400 MHz to 7125 MHz).

[0058] Different users of communication network 10 can share available network resources, such as available spectrum, in a wide range of ways.

[0059] In one instance, Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) is used to divide a frequency band into multiple frequency carriers. Additionally, one or more carriers are assigned to a specific user. Examples of FDMA include (but are not limited to) Single-Carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA) and Orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA). OFDMA is a multi-carrier technique that subdivides the available bandwidth into multiple mutually orthogonal narrow-band subcarriers (which can be individually assigned to different users).

[0060] Other examples of shared access include (but are not limited to): Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), in which a specific time slot for using a frequency resource is allocated to a user; Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), in which a frequency resource is shared among different users by assigning a unique code to each user; Spatial Division Multiple Access (SDMA), in which beamforming is used to provide shared access through spatial division; and Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access (NOMA), in which a power domain is used for multiple access. For example, NOMA can be used to serve multiple users with the same frequency, time, and / or code but using different power levels.

[0061] Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) refers to technologies used to increase the system capacity of LTE networks. For example, eMBB can refer to communication with a peak data rate of at least 10 Gbps and a minimum data rate of 100 Mbps per user. Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communication (uRLLC) refers to technologies used for communication with very low latency (e.g., less than 2 milliseconds). uRLLC can be used for mission-critical communications, such as for autonomous driving and / or remote surgery applications. Massive Machine-Type Communication (mMTC) refers to low-cost and low-data-rate communication associated with wireless connectivity to everyday objects, such as low-cost and low-data-rate communication associated with Internet of Things (IoT) applications.

[0062] The communication network 10 in Figure 1 can be used to support a wide range of advanced communication features, including (but not limited to) eMBB, uRLLC and / or mMTC.

[0063] Figure 2A is a schematic diagram of one example of a communication link using carrier aggregation. Carrier aggregation can be used to widen the bandwidth of a communication link by supporting communication on multiple frequency carriers, thereby increasing user data rates and enhancing network capacity through segmented spectrum allocation.

[0064] In the illustrated example, a communication link is established between a base station 21 and a wirelessly connected vehicle 22. As used herein, a vehicle includes not only sedans but also other vehicles, including (but not limited to) SUVs and trucks. As shown in Figure 2A, the communication link includes a downlink channel for RF communication from base station 21 to vehicle 22 and an uplink channel for RF communication from vehicle 22 to base station 21.

[0065] Although Figure 2A illustrates carrier aggregation in the context of FDD communication, carrier aggregation can also be used in TDD communication.

[0066] In some implementations, a communication link may provide asymmetric data rates for a downlink channel and an uplink channel. For example, a communication link may be used to support a relatively high downlink data rate to enable high-speed streaming of multimedia content to vehicle 22, while providing a relatively slow data rate for uploading data from vehicle 22 to the cloud.

[0067] In the illustrated example, base station 21 and vehicle 22 communicate via carrier aggregation, which can be used to selectively increase the bandwidth of the communication link. Carrier aggregation includes contiguous aggregation, where consecutive carriers within the same operating frequency band are aggregated. Carrier aggregation can also be discontinuous and can include carriers with separated frequencies within a common frequency band or in different frequency bands.

[0068] In the example shown in Figure 2A, the uplink channel comprises three aggregated component carriers fUL1, fUL2, and fUL3. Additionally, the downlink channel comprises five aggregated component carriers fDL1, fDL2, fDL3, fDL4, and fDL5. While this illustrates one example of component carrier aggregation, more or fewer carriers can be aggregated for the uplink and / or downlink. Furthermore, the number of aggregated carriers can vary over time to achieve the desired uplink and downlink data rates.

[0069] For example, the number of aggregated carriers used for uplink and / or downlink communication may change over time. For example, the number of aggregated carriers may change as the vehicle 22 moves through the communication network and / or as network usage changes over time.

[0070] Figure 2B illustrates various examples of uplink carrier aggregation used in the communication link of Figure 2A. Figure 2B includes a first carrier aggregation example 31, a second carrier aggregation example 32, and a third carrier aggregation example 33, which schematically depict three types of carrier aggregation.

[0071] Carrier aggregation examples 31 to 33 illustrate different spectral allocations for a first component carrier fUL1, a second component carrier fUL2, and a third component carrier fUL3. Although Figure 2B is illustrated in the background of aggregating three component carriers, carrier aggregation can be used to aggregate more or fewer carriers. Furthermore, although illustrated in the background of the uplink, the aggregation examples are also applicable to the downlink.

[0072] First carrier aggregation example 31 illustrates the aggregation of consecutive carriers within a frequency band, wherein component carriers that are frequency-adjacent and in a common frequency band are aggregated. For example, first carrier aggregation example 31 depicts the aggregation of consecutive component carriers fUL1, fUL2, and fUL3 located within a first frequency band BAND1.

[0073] Referring again to Figure 2B, Second Carrier Aggregation Example 32 illustrates the aggregation of discontinuous carriers within a frequency band, wherein two or more component carriers that are not adjacent in frequency and are located within a common frequency band are aggregated. For example, Second Carrier Aggregation Example 32 depicts the aggregation of discontinuous component carriers fUL1, fUL2, and fUL3 located within a first frequency band BAND1.

[0074] Third carrier aggregation example 33 illustrates inter-band discontinuous carrier aggregation, wherein component carriers that are not adjacent in frequency and are in multiple frequency bands are aggregated. For example, third carrier aggregation example 33 depicts the aggregation of component carriers fUL1 and fUL2 of a first frequency band BAND1 with component carrier fUL3 of a second frequency band BAND2.

[0075] Figure 2C illustrates various examples of downlink carrier aggregation used in the communication link of Figure 2A. The examples depict various carrier aggregation cases 34 to 38 with different spectrum allocations for a first component carrier f DL1, a second component carrier f DL2, a third component carrier f DL3, a fourth component carrier f DL4, and a fifth component carrier f DL5. Although Figure 2C is illustrated in the background of aggregating five component carriers, carrier aggregation can be used to aggregate more or fewer carriers. Furthermore, although illustrated in the background of the downlink, the aggregation examples are also applicable to the uplink.

[0076] First carrier aggregation example 34 depicts the aggregation of contiguous component carriers located within the same frequency band. Second carrier aggregation example 35 and third carrier aggregation example 36 illustrate two instances of aggregation that are not contiguous but located within the same frequency band. Furthermore, fourth carrier aggregation example 37 and fifth carrier aggregation example 38 illustrate two instances of aggregation of component carriers that are not frequency-adjacent and exist in multiple frequency bands. As the number of aggregated component carriers increases, the complexity of one possible carrier aggregation case also increases.

[0077] Referring to Figures 2A to 2C, the individual component carriers used in carrier aggregation can have various frequencies, including, for example, frequency carriers in the same frequency band or in multiple frequency bands. Furthermore, carrier aggregation is applicable to embodiments where the individual component carriers have approximately the same bandwidth and embodiments where the individual component carriers have different bandwidths.

[0078] Some communication networks allocate one primary component carrier (PCC) or anchor carrier for the uplink and one PCC for the downlink to a specific user device (in this example, corresponding to vehicle 22). Alternatively, a PCC is used when communicating using a single frequency carrier for either the uplink or downlink. To enhance bandwidth for uplink communication, the uplink PCC may be aggregated with one or more uplink secondary component carriers (SCCs). Similarly, to enhance bandwidth for downlink communication, the downlink PCC may be aggregated with one or more downlink SCCs.

[0079] In some implementations, a communication network provides a network cell for each component carrier. Additionally, a primary cell may use a PCC operation, while a secondary cell may use an SCC operation. For example, due to differences in carrier frequency and / or network environment, the primary and secondary cells may have different coverage areas.

[0080] Licensed Assisted Access (LAA) refers to downlink carrier aggregation where one licensed frequency carrier associated with a mobile operator is aggregated with one frequency carrier in unlicensed spectrum (such as WiFi). LAA uses one downlink PCC in the licensed spectrum carrying control and communication information associated with the communication link, while unlicensed spectrum, when available, is aggregated for wider downlink bandwidth. LAA can operate with dynamic adjustments to secondary carriers to avoid WiFi users and / or coexistence with WiFi users. Enhanced Licensed Assisted Access (eLAA) is an evolution of LAA that aggregates licensed and unlicensed spectrum for both downlink and uplink. Furthermore, NR-U can operate based on LAA / eLAA within a 5 GHz band (5150 to 5925 MHz) and / or a 6 GHz band (5925 MHz to 7125 MHz).

[0081] Figure 3A is a schematic diagram of one example of a downlink channel using Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) communication. Figure 3B is a schematic diagram of one example of an uplink channel using MIMO communication.

[0082] MIMO communication uses multiple antennas to simultaneously transmit multiple data streams over a common spectrum. In some implementations, the data streams operate with different reference signals to enhance data reception at the receiver. Due to the spatial multiplexing differences in the radio environment, MIMO communication benefits from higher SNR, improved coding, and / or reduced signal interference.

[0083] MIMO order refers to the number of individual data streams transmitted or received. For example, the MIMO order used for downlink communication can be described by the number of transmit antennas of a base station and the number of receive antennas of the UE (in this example, corresponding to a wirelessly connected vehicle 42). For example, 2x2 DL MIMO refers to MIMO downlink communication using two base station antennas and two UE antennas. Conversely, 4x4 DL MIMO refers to MIMO downlink communication using four base station antennas and four UE antennas.

[0084] In the example shown in Figure 3A, downlink MIMO communication is provided by using M antennas 43a, 43b, 43c, ..., 43m of base station 41 for transmission and N antennas 44a, 44b, 44c, ..., 44n of vehicle 42 for reception. Therefore, Figure 3A illustrates an example of m × n DL MIMO.

[0085] Similarly, the MIMO order used for uplink communication can be described by the number of transmit antennas of the UE (e.g., vehicle 42 in this example) and the number of receive antennas of a base station. For example, 2x2 UL MIMO refers to MIMO uplink communication using two UE antennas and two base station antennas. Additionally, 4x4 UL MIMO refers to MIMO uplink communication using four UE antennas and four base station antennas.

[0086] In the example shown in Figure 3B, uplink MIMO communication is provided by using N antennas 44a, 44b, 44c, ..., 44n of vehicle 42 for transmission and M antennas 43a, 43b, 43c, ..., 43m of base station 41 for reception. Therefore, Figure 3B illustrates an example of n × m UL MIMO.

[0087] By increasing the level or order of MIMO, the bandwidth of an uplink channel and / or a downlink channel can be increased.

[0088] MIMO communication is suitable for various types of communication links, such as FDD and TDD communication links.

[0089] Figure 3C is a schematic diagram of another example of an uplink channel using MIMO communication. In the example shown in Figure 3C, uplink MIMO communication is provided by using N antennas 44a, 44b, 44c, ..., 44n of vehicle 42 for transmission. Additionally, a first portion of the uplink transmission is received using M antennas 43a1, 43b1, 43c1, ..., 43m1 of a first base station 41a, while a second portion of the uplink transmission is received using M antennas 43a2, 43b2, 43c2, ..., 43m2 of a second base station 41b. Furthermore, the first base station 41a and the second base station 41b communicate with each other via wired, optical, and / or wireless links.

[0090] Figure 3C illustrates one example of multiple base stations cooperating to facilitate MIMO communication.

[0091] Figure 4A is a schematic diagram of one example of a communication system 110 that uses beamforming for operation. The communication system 110 includes a transceiver 105, signal conditioning circuits 104a1, 104a2, ..., 104an, 104b1, 104b2, ..., 104bn, 104m1, 104m2, ..., 104mn, and an antenna array 102 including antenna elements 103a1, 103a2, ..., 103an, 103b1, 103b2, ..., 103bn, 103m1, 103m2, ..., 103mn.

[0092] Communication systems that use millimeter-wave carriers (e.g., 30 GHz to 300 GHz), centimeter-wave carriers (e.g., 3 GHz to 30 GHz), and / or other frequency carriers for communication may employ an antenna array to provide beamforming and directionality for transmitting and / or receiving signals.

[0093] For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the communication system 110 includes an array 102 of m × n antenna elements (in this embodiment, each antenna element is controlled by a separate signal conditioning circuit). As indicated by the ellipsis, the communication system 110 can be implemented using any suitable number of antenna elements and signal conditioning circuitry. The signal conditioning circuitry may be included as part of an RF front end.

[0094] Regarding signal transmission, the signal conditioning circuit can provide the transmission signal to the antenna array 102, so that the signal radiated from the antenna element uses a combination of constructive and destructive interference to produce a converged transmission signal that exhibits beamforming quality with greater signal strength and propagates in a given direction away from the antenna array 102.

[0095] In the context of signal reception, a signal conditioning circuit (e.g., by individually controlling the phase of the received signal) processes the received signal so that when the signal arrives at the antenna array 102 from a specific direction, greater signal energy is received. Therefore, the communication system 110 also provides directionality for receiving signals.

[0096] The signal energy can be relatively concentrated into a transmit beam or a receive beam by increasing the size of the array. For example, with more signal energy focused into a transmit beam, the signal can propagate over a longer distance while providing a sufficient signal level for RF communication. For example, a signal with a large proportion of signal energy focused into a transmit beam can exhibit highly efficient isotropic radiated power (EIRP).

[0097] In the illustrated embodiment, transceiver 105 provides the transmitted signal to the signal conditioning circuit and processes the signal received from the signal conditioning circuit. As shown in FIG4A, transceiver 105 generates control signals for the signal conditioning circuit. The control signals can be used for various functions, such as controlling the gain and phase of the transmitted and / or received signals to control beamforming.

[0098] Figure 4B is a schematic diagram of one example of beamforming for providing a transmission beam. Figure 4B illustrates a part of a communication system, which includes a first signal conditioning circuit 114a, a second signal conditioning circuit 114b, a first antenna element 113a, and a second antenna element 113b.

[0099] Although illustrated as including two antenna elements and two signal conditioning circuits, a communication system may include additional antenna elements and / or signal conditioning circuits. For example, Figure 4B illustrates one embodiment of a portion of the communication system 110 of Figure 4A.

[0100] The first signal conditioning circuit 114a includes a first phase shifter 130a, a first power amplifier 131a, a first low-noise amplifier (LNA) 132a, and a switch for selecting between the power amplifier 131a and the LNA 132a. The second signal conditioning circuit 114b includes a second phase shifter 130b, a second power amplifier 131b, a second LNA 132b, and a switch for selecting between the power amplifier 131b and the LNA 132b.

[0101] While one embodiment of the signal conditioning circuit is shown, other embodiments of the signal conditioning circuit are possible. For example, in one instance, a signal conditioning circuit includes one or more band filters, duplexers, and / or other components.

[0102] In the illustrated embodiment, the first antenna element 113a and the second antenna element 113b are separated by a distance d. Additionally, Figure 4B shows an angle θ. In this example, angle θ has a value of approximately 90° when the transmission beam direction is substantially perpendicular to a plane of the antenna array, and a value of approximately 0° when the transmission beam direction is substantially parallel to the plane of the antenna array.

[0103] By controlling the relative phase of the transmitted signals supplied to antenna elements 113a and 113b, a desired transmission beam angle θ can be achieved. For example, when the first phase shifter 130a has a reference value of 0°, the second phase shifter 130b can be controlled to provide a phase shift of approximately -2πf(d / ν)cosθ radians, where f is the fundamental frequency of the transmitted signal, d is the distance between the antenna elements, ν is the velocity of the radiated wave, and π is a mathematical constant pi.

[0104] In some embodiments, the distance d is implemented as approximately ½λ, where λ is the wavelength of the fundamental component of the transmitted signal. In these embodiments, the second phase shifter 130b can be controlled to provide a phase shift of approximately -πcosθ radians to achieve a transmission beam angle θ.

[0105] Therefore, the relative phase of phase shifters 130a and 130b can be controlled to provide transmission beamforming. In some embodiments, a baseband processor and / or a transceiver (e.g., transceiver 105 of FIG. 4A) controls the phase values ​​of one or more phase shifters and the gain values ​​of one or more controllable amplifiers to control beamforming.

[0106] Figure 4C is a schematic diagram of one example of beamforming for providing a receiving beam. Figure 4C is similar to Figure 4B, except that the beamforming in Figure 4C is drawn against a background of a receiving beam rather than a transmitting beam.

[0107] As shown in Figure 4C, one of the relative phase differences between the first phase shifter 130a and the second phase shifter 130b can be selected to be approximately equal to -2πf(d / ν)cosθ radians to achieve a desired receive beam angle θ. In an embodiment where the distance d corresponds to approximately ½λ, the phase difference can be selected to be approximately equal to -πcosθ radians to achieve a receive beam angle θ.

[0108] While various equations have been provided for providing phase values ​​for beamforming, other phase selection values ​​are feasible, such as those based on antenna array implementations, signal conditioning circuit implementations, and / or phase values ​​selected by a radio environment. [Automotive Distributed Radio Frequency Communication System] []

[0109] To provide automotive cellular connectivity, a network access device (NAD) and its associated radio frequency front-end (RFFE) can be placed inside a passenger compartment of a vehicle. Additionally, RF cables can extend from the RFFE to various antennas positioned around the vehicle. For example, these antennas may include one in a fin on the roof of the vehicle, one on the rear side of the trunk, one at the end of an exterior rearview mirror, and / or other antennas.

[0110] When implementing an automotive RF communication system in this manner, the RF signal travels through a long RF cable to reach a specific antenna. To achieve effective low noise, these RF cables suffer from significant losses, are expensive, and / or cause performance degradation. For example, for an RF communication system containing a 23 dBm transmitter, an RFFE can generate an RF signal with 31 dBm power to overcome cable losses. However, such high signal power levels are very inefficient and generate a large amount of heat, increasing device interface temperatures. Alternatively, an RFFE can generate an RF signal with 23 dBm power to improve efficiency and reduce heat generation. However, lower signal power reduces the power from the antenna to 15 dBm, which degrades the communication link (especially at the edge of a cell) and can lead to call failures.

[0111] To address losses caused by long RF cables, an RF signal booster can be placed between the RFFE and the antenna. For example, the RF signal booster may correspond to a second or booster RFFE. However, this approach is inefficient because the required power (e.g., 23 dBm) is generated twice (once at the main RFFE and again at the booster RFFE) and does not solve the problem of expensive cables.

[0112] This document discloses a distributed RF communication system for vehicles. In some embodiments, an RF communication system for a vehicle includes an RF module positioned close to an antenna to meet a specified output power with minimal insertion loss. Additionally, a baseband processor is placed away from the RF module in a different area of ​​the vehicle to provide a lower temperature environment. Furthermore, the RF module communicates with the baseband processor in a digital format, thereby eliminating the need for higher-cost cabling (e.g., due to the higher noise immunity resulting from digital communication) and the use of digital transmission cables already present in the vehicle for other purposes. The RF module may include an RF front end (RFFE) and a transceiver for providing, for example, frequency conversion between RF and baseband frequencies.

[0113] By implementing the automotive RF communication system in this way, the loss between the RFFE and the antenna is reduced (e.g., to a minimum or near minimum) to provide a high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and support longer coverage distances and / or higher data rates.

[0114] In some implementations, serializers and deserializers are placed at opposite ends of a digital transmission cable to support data transmission between the RF module and the baseband processor. For example, a serializer can convert all in-phase (I) and quadrature-phase (Q) data (collectively referred to as IQ data) and control data from the baseband processor and application processor into a serial data stream, which can be transmitted via a digital transmission cable (e.g., a twisted-pair cable or an Ethernet cable). At the other end, where the RFFE and antenna are located, a deserializer can be used to convert the serial data back into IQ data and control data. Furthermore, serializer / deserializer (SERDES) circuitry can be included at both ends of the cable to support bidirectional communication between the RF module and the baseband processor.

[0115] Multiple RF modules can also be placed in the vehicle and communicate with the baseband processor via the same or different cables. Therefore, RF modules can support antennas deployed in different locations throughout a vehicle.

[0116] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a car 210. The car 210 includes various electronic components for enhancing the performance of the car 210, including, for example, a roof-mounted fin antenna 201, a rear camera 202, a bumper antenna 203, a radar sensor 205, and a laser collision avoidance sensor 206.

[0117] Although one example of the electronic components of a car 210 is depicted, a car may include antennas, sensors and / or other components implemented in a wide variety of ways.

[0118] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a distributed radio 260 for use in a vehicle. The distributed radio 260 includes a digital processing circuit 251, a source-side SERDES 252, CC SERDES 253a, 253b, ..., 253n, a digital cable 254, (a plurality of) radio transceivers / (a plurality of) front-ends 255a, 255b, ..., 255n, (a plurality of) antennas 257a, 257b, ..., 257n, and (a plurality of) vehicle systems 259a, 259b, ..., 259n.

[0119] Digital processing circuitry 251 may include one or more digital integrated circuits (ICs) for processing data associated with various automotive systems. For example, regarding cellular communication on antenna(s) 257a, 257b, ..., 257n, digital processing circuitry 251 may provide functionality associated with baseband processing and / or application processing. Digital processing circuitry 251 may also be used for other functions, such as processing associated with cameras, radar, LiDAR, and / or other functions of automotive systems(s) 259a, 259b, ..., 259n. In one embodiment, digital processing circuitry 251 corresponds to a single processor IC, and the baseband and application processing functions are executed by software running on the processor IC. Implementing multiple automotive systems on a single processor reduces the number of electronic control units (ECUs) and associated software domains / programs.

[0120] As shown in Figure 6, source-side SERDES 252 communicates with source-side SERDES 253a, 253b, ..., 253n via digital cable 254. Although shown using a shared cable, in another embodiment, a separate cable is provided between source-side SERDES 252 and one or more of destination-side SERDES 253a, 253b, ..., 253n. Digital cable 254 can be implemented in a wide variety of ways, including (but not limited to) a twisted-pair cable or an Ethernet cable.

[0121] The source-side SERDES 252 communicates with the destination-side SERDES 253a, 253b, ..., 253n using digital data streaming, and vice versa. Therefore, the digital cable 254 carries digital signals, resulting in high noise immunity, which allows the digital cable 254 to be implemented at low cost and / or in long lengths.

[0122] Furthermore, in this example, the digital cable 254 and associated SERDES are shared among multiple automotive systems, which reduces cable costs compared to an implementation where dedicated cables are used in some automotive systems (e.g., a cellular communication system).

[0123] In the illustrated embodiment, the digital processing circuitry 251 and the source-side SERDES 252 may be remotely located relative to one or more of the destination-side SERDES 253a, 253b, ..., 253n and associated components (e.g., in a cooling section of an automobile). Therefore, the destination-side SERDES 253a, 253b, ..., 253n and associated components (e.g., including a radio transceiver for antenna communication and an RF module at the front end) may be deployed in a harsher / higher temperature environment, while the digital processing circuitry 251 may be placed in a less harsh / lower temperature environment.

[0124] Figure 7A is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of a distributed radio 310 for use in a vehicle. The distributed radio 310 includes a baseband processor 301, a baseband-side SERDES 302, a twisted-pair cable 303, a first antenna-side SERDES 304a, a first transceiver (also referred to herein as an RFIC) 305a1, a first RFFE 306a1, a first antenna 307a1, a second transceiver 305a2, a second RFFE 306a2, a second antenna 307a2, a second antenna-side SERDES 304b, a third transceiver 305b1, a third RFFE 306b1, a third antenna 307b1, a fourth transceiver 305b2, a fourth RFFE 306b2, and a fourth antenna 307b2.

[0125] Although the distributed radio 310 is described as containing a baseband processor, it is possible to have one baseband-side SERDES, two antenna-side SERDES, four transceivers, four RFFEs, and four antennas, or any number of components. Furthermore, the correspondence between components (e.g., the number of antennas associated with one RFFE, the number of RFFEs associated with one transceiver, and / or the number of transceivers associated with one SERDES) can be different. Additionally, one or more antenna-side SERDES can communicate with the baseband SERDES via separate cables, and / or (some) other automotive systems can share SERDES and digital cables to reduce component and / or cable costs.

[0126] As shown in Figure 7A, regarding transmission, the baseband-side SERDES 302 converts all IQ and control data from the baseband processor and application processor (not shown in Figure 7A) into a serial data stream that can be transmitted via twisted pair 202 to one of the antenna-side SERDES 304a to 304b. SERDES 304a to 304b convert the serial data back into IQ and control data for the transceiver. Regarding reception, SERDES 304a to 304b converts the IQ data (and any other data, such as feedback data) from the transceiver into a serial data stream provided to the baseband-side SERDES 302, which restores the IQ data (and any other data) and provides the restored data to the baseband processor 301.

[0127] In one embodiment, the distributed radio 310 uses an emergency (eCall) functionality implementation, and the RFFE and antenna are implemented to transmit an emergency signal requesting rapid assistance for a road traffic accident on a sufficient number of frequency bands.

[0128] Figure 7B is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of a distributed radio 320 for use in a vehicle. The distributed radio 320 includes a baseband processor 301, a baseband-side SERDES 302, a twisted-pair cable 303, a first antenna-side SERDES 304a, a first transceiver 305a, a first RFFE 306a1, a first antenna 307a1, a second RFFE 306a2, a second antenna 307a2, a second antenna-side SERDES 304b, a second transceiver 305b, a third RFFE 306b1, a third antenna 307b1, a fourth RFFE 306b2, and a fourth antenna 307b2.

[0129] The distributed radio 320 in Figure 7B is similar to the distributed radio 310 in Figure 7A, except that each transceiver in the distributed radio 320 communicates with the two RFFEs.

[0130] While the embodiments described herein depict a specific number of components and the correspondence between them, other numbers of components and / or correspondences between them (e.g., the number of antennas associated with an RFFE, the number of RFFEs associated with a transceiver, and / or the number of transceivers associated with a SERDES) are possible.

[0131] Figure 7C is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of a distributed radio 330 for use in a vehicle. The distributed radio 330 includes a baseband processor 301, a baseband-side SERDES 302, a first twisted-pair cable 303a, a second twisted-pair cable 303b, a first antenna-side SERDES 304a, a first transceiver 305a, a first RFFE 306a, a first antenna 307a1, a second antenna 307a2, a second antenna-side SERDES 304b, a second transceiver 305b, a second RFFE 306b, a third antenna 307b1, and a fourth antenna 307b2.

[0132] In this embodiment, a separate twisted-pair cable is used between each antenna-side SERDES and the baseband-side SERDES. Additionally, in this example, two antennas are associated with each RFFE. The distributed radio described herein can use any suitable number of components and / or correspondences between components.

[0133] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of a portion of a distributed radio 1620 used in a vehicle. A portion of the distributed radio 1620 includes a module 1603 and antennas 1601a, 1601b, ..., 1601n.

[0134] Module 1603 may include a substrate having one or more chips and one or more components attached thereto. The chips / components operate to provide SERDES 1605, a digital circuit 1606 (implemented in this example using power control 1623, digital predistortion 1621, and digital filtering 1622), a data conversion circuit 1607 (including a digital-to-analog converter 1626 for digitizing digital transmission data to generate an analog transmission signal for transmission and an analog-to-digital converter 1622 for digitizing an analog reception signal to generate digital reception data), a mixing circuit 1608 (in this example, also referred to as up-conversion / down-conversion and including a mixer 1627 and a local oscillator (LO) 1613 for up-converting the analog transmission signal to generate an RF transmission signal and down-converting the RF reception signal to generate an analog reception signal), and an amplifier circuit 1609. (It may include a power amplifier, a low-noise amplifier, a variable gain amplifier and / or other amplifiers for amplifying RF transmitted signals and RF received signals) and / or a filter / switching circuit 1610 (for filtering RF transmitted signals and RF received signals before and / or after amplification).

[0135] Module 1603 may be included in any of the distributed radios described herein. Module 1603 may be used for communication using a wide range of communication technologies, including (but not limited to) 2G, 3G, 4G (including LTE, LTE-Advanced and LTE-Advanced Pro), 5G NR, WLAN (e.g., WiFi), WPAN (e.g., Bluetooth and ZigBee), WMAN (e.g., WiMax) and / or GPS technology.

[0136] SERDES circuit 1605 includes a deserializer for recovering digital transmitted data received from a digital cable and a serializer for transmitting digital received data via a digital cable.

[0137] The digital transmission circuit 1606 operates in combination with the data conversion circuit 1607 and the mixing circuit 1608 to process digital transmission data to generate RF signals for transmission and to process incoming RF signals received from the antenna to generate digital reception data. The digital transmission circuit 1606 can provide several functionalities, such as digital predistortion (DPD) 1621, digital filtering 1622, and / or digital power control 1623.

[0138] Amplifier circuit 1609 and filter / switching circuit 1610 can operate as part of a front-end to provide amplification, filtering, and selection of RF signals. Although examples of front-end components and functionalities are shown, a front-end system can provide several functionalities, including (but not limited to) amplifying signals for transmission, amplifying received signals, filtering signals, attenuating signals, switching between different frequency bands, switching between different power modes, switching between transmission and reception modes, signal duplexing, signal multiplexing (e.g., duplex or triplex), or a combination thereof.

[0139] In some implementations, module 1620 supports carrier aggregation, thereby providing flexibility to increase peak data rates. Carrier aggregation can be used in both Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) and Time Division Duplex (TDD), and can be used to aggregate multiple carriers or channels. Carrier aggregation includes contiguous aggregation, where consecutive carriers within the same operating frequency band are aggregated. Carrier aggregation can also be discontinuous, and can include carriers with separated frequencies within a common frequency band or in different frequency bands.

[0140] Antennas 1601a, 1601b, ..., 1601n may include antennas for a wide variety of types of communications. For example, antennas 1601a, 1601b, ..., 1601n may include antennas for transmitting and / or receiving signals associated with a wide variety of frequencies and communication standards.

[0141] In some implementations, antennas 1601a, 1601b, ..., 1601n support MIMO communication and / or switchable diversity communication. For example, MIMO communication uses multiple antennas to transmit multiple data streams over a single radio frequency channel. Due to the spatial multiplexing differences in the radio environment, MIMO communication benefits from a higher signal-to-noise ratio, improved coding, and / or reduced signal interference. Switchable diversity refers to communication in which a specific antenna is selected to operate at a specific time. For example, a switch can be used to select a specific antenna from an antenna group based on various factors, such as an observed bit error rate and / or a signal strength indicator.

[0142] In some implementations, a vehicle may operate using beamforming. For example, module 1620 may include an amplifier with controllable gain and a phase shifter with controllable phase to provide beamforming and directivity for transmitting and / or receiving signals using antennas 1601a, 1601b, ..., 1601n. For example, in the context of signal transmission, the amplitude and phase of the transmitted signals provided to antennas 1601a, 1601b, ..., 1601n are controlled such that the radiated signals from antennas 1601a, 1601b, ..., 1601n use constructive and destructive interference combinations to produce a converged transmission signal exhibiting beamforming quality that propagates in a given direction. In the context of signal reception, the amplitude and phase are controlled such that when a signal arrives at antennas 1601a, 1601b, ..., 1601n from a specific direction, greater signal energy is received. In some implementations, antennas 1601a, 1601b, ..., 1601n include one or more arrays of antenna elements to enhance beamforming. [in conclusion] []

[0143] Unless otherwise explicitly required by the background context, throughout the description and scope of the invention claim, the terms "comprise" and similar terms should be interpreted as inclusive rather than exclusive or exhaustive; that is, "including, but not limited to." As commonly used herein, the term "coupled" refers to two or more elements that can be directly connected or connected by one or more intermediate elements. Similarly, the term "connected" as commonly used herein refers to two or more elements that can be directly connected or connected by one or more intermediate elements. Furthermore, the terms "this article," "above," "below," and similar terms, when used in this application, should refer to the entirety of this application and not any specific part thereof. Where the background context permits, the use of singular or plural terms in the above embodiments may also include both singular and plural forms. The word "or" refers to one of two or more items in a list, and the word encompasses all of the following interpretations: any of the items in the list, all of the items in the list, and any combination of the items in the list.

[0144] Furthermore, unless otherwise specifically stated or understood within the context of the background used, conditional terms used herein, such as in particular "may," "can," "possibly," "able to," "for example," "likely," and the like, are generally intended to convey that certain embodiments include certain features, elements, and / or states that are not included in other embodiments. Therefore, these conditional terms are not generally intended to imply that features, elements, and / or states are required in any way in one or more embodiments, or that one or more embodiments necessarily include logic for determining whether such features, elements, and / or states are included or to be performed in any particular embodiment, with or without author input or prompting.

[0145] The detailed description of embodiments of the present invention above is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed above. While specific embodiments and examples of the invention have been described above for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the invention, as will be recognized by those skilled in the art. For example, although programs or blocks are presented in a given order, alternative embodiments may execute routines with steps in a different order or employ a system with blocks, and some programs or blocks may be deleted, moved, added, subdivided, combined, and / or modified. Such programs or blocks can be implemented in various different ways. Furthermore, although programs or blocks are sometimes shown to execute sequentially, such programs or blocks may alternatively execute in parallel or at different times.

[0146] The teachings of the present invention provided herein are applicable to other systems, not necessarily those described above. Elements and actions of the various embodiments described above may be combined to provide further embodiments.

[0147] While certain embodiments of the invention have been described, these embodiments are presented by way of example only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. In fact, the novel methods and systems described herein can be embodied in various other forms; furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, and changes can be made to the form of the methods and systems described herein without departing from the spirit of the invention. The appended claims and their equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications that fall within the scope and spirit of the invention.

[0148] 1: Giant Community Base Station 2a: First Action Device 2b: Wireless connectivity for cars 2c: Laptop 2d: Fixed wireless device 2e: Wireless Connectivity for Trains 2f: Second Action Device 2g: Third Action Device 3: Small-scale community base station 10: Communication Network 21:Base station 22: Mobile Device 31: First Carrier Aggregation Case 32: Second Carrier Aggregation Case 33: Third Carrier Aggregation Case 34: First Carrier Aggregation Case 35: Second Carrier Aggregation Case 36: Third Carrier Aggregation Case 37: Case Study of Fourth Carrier Aggregation 38: Fifth Carrier Aggregation Case 41:Base station 41a: First Base Station 41b: Second base station 42: Mobile Device 43a to 43m: Antenna 43a1 to 43m1: Antenna 43a2 to 43m2: Antenna 44a to 44n: Antenna 102: Antenna Array 103a1 to 103an: Antenna elements 103b1 to 103bn: Antenna elements 103m1 to 103mn: Antenna elements 104a1 to 104an: Signal conditioning circuit 104b1 to 104bn: Signal conditioning circuit 104m1 to 104mn: Signal conditioning circuit 105: Transceiver 110: Communication System 113a: First antenna element 113b: Second antenna element 114a: First signal conditioning circuit 114b: Second signal conditioning circuit 130a: First phase shifter 130b: Second Phase Shifter 131a: First power amplifier 131b: Second power amplifier 132a: First Low Noise Amplifier (LNA) 132b: Second Low Noise Amplifier (LNA) 201: Roof-mounted fin antenna 202: Rear Camera 203: Bumper Antenna 205: Radar Sensor 206: Laser Collision Avoidance Sensor 210: Cars 251: Digital Processing Circuit 252: Source-side serializer / deserializer (SERDES) 253a to 253n: Destination-side serializers / deserializers (SERDES) 254: Digital cable 255a to 255n: Radio transceivers / front ends 257a to 257n: Antenna 259a to 259n: Automotive Systems 260: Distributed Radio 301: Baseband Processor 302: Baseband Side Serializer / Deserializer (SERDES) 303: Twisted pair cable 303a: First twisted pair cable 303b: Second twisted pair cable 304a: First Antenna Side Serializer / Deserializer (SERDES) 304b: Second-side serializer / deserializer (SERDES) 305a: First transceiver 305a1: First transceiver 305a2: Second transceiver 305b: Second transceiver 305b1: Third transceiver 305b2: Fourth Transceiver 306a: First matching radio frequency front-end (RFFE) 306a1: First matching radio frequency front-end (RFFE) 306a2: Second matching radio frequency front-end (RFFE) 306b: Second-Party RF Front-End (RFFE) 306b1: Third-Party RF Front-End (RFFE) 306b2: Fourth matching radio frequency front-end (RFFE) 307a1: First Antenna 307a2: Second Line 307b1: Third Antenna 307b2: Fourth Antenna 310: Distributed Radio 320: Distributed Radio 330: Distributed Radio 1601a to 1601n: Antenna 1603: Module 1605: Serializer / Deserializer (SERDES) 1606: Digital circuits / Digital transmission circuits 1607: Data Conversion Circuit 1608: Hybrid Circuits 1609: Amplifier Circuit 1610: Filtering / Switching Circuit 1613: Local Oscillator (LO) 1620: Distributed Radio 1621: Digital Predistortion (DPD) 1622: Digital Filtering / Analog to Digital Converter 1623: Digital Power Control 1626: Digital to Analog Converter 1627: Mixer d: distance θ: angle

Claims

1. A distributed radio frequency communication system for a vehicle, the distributed radio frequency communication system comprising: A digital processing circuit; cable; A first serializer / deserializer circuit is electrically connected between the digital processing circuit and the cable; A first radio frequency module; a second serializer / deserializer circuit electrically connected between the first radio frequency module and the cable, the first serializer / deserializer circuit and the second serializer / deserializer circuit being configured to transmit digital data via the cable; a second radio frequency module; and a third serializer / deserializer circuit electrically connected between the second radio frequency module and the cable, the cable including a common cable shared by the second serializer / deserializer circuit and the third serializer / deserializer circuit.

2. The distributed radio frequency communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cable includes a twisted pair.

3. The distributed radio frequency communication system of claim 1, wherein the digital processing circuitry includes a baseband processor.

4. The distributed radio frequency communication system of claim 1, wherein the first radio frequency module includes at least one transceiver and at least one radio frequency front end.

5. The distributed radio frequency communication system of claim 4, further comprising at least one antenna coupled to the at least one radio frequency front end.

6. The distributed radio frequency communication system of claim 1, further comprising a third radio frequency module, wherein the second serializer / deserializer circuit is electrically connected between the third radio frequency module and the cable.

7. The distributed radio frequency communication system of claim 1, further comprising at least one automotive system configured to communicate with the digital processing circuit via the second serializer / deserializer circuit, the cable, and the first serializer / deserializer circuit.

8. The distributed radio frequency communication system of claim 1, wherein the at least one automotive system includes a radar or a camera.

9. A distributed radio frequency communication system for a vehicle, the distributed radio frequency communication system comprising: A digital processing circuit; a cable; a first serializer / deserializer circuit electrically connected between the digital processing circuit and the cable; A first radio frequency module; a second serializer / deserializer circuit electrically connected between the first radio frequency module and the cable, the first serializer / deserializer circuit and the second serializer / deserializer circuit being configured to transmit digital data via the cable; a second radio frequency module; and a third serializer / deserializer circuit electrically connected between the second radio frequency module and the cable, the cable including a first cable connected between the second serializer / deserializer circuit and the first serializer / deserializer circuit and a second cable connected between the third serializer / deserializer circuit and the first serializer / deserializer circuit.

10. The distributed radio frequency communication system of claim 9, wherein the cable includes a twisted pair.

11. The distributed radio frequency communication system of claim 9, wherein the digital processing circuitry includes a baseband processor.

12. The distributed radio frequency communication system of claim 9, wherein the first radio frequency module includes at least one transceiver and at least one radio frequency front end.

13. The distributed radio frequency communication system of claim 12, further comprising at least one antenna coupled to the at least one radio frequency front end.

14. The distributed radio frequency communication system of claim 9, further comprising a third radio frequency module, wherein the second serializer / deserializer circuit is electrically connected between the third radio frequency module and the cable.

15. The distributed radio frequency communication system of claim 9, further comprising at least one automotive system configured to communicate with the digital processing circuit via the second serializer / deserializer circuit, the cable, and the first serializer / deserializer circuit.

16. The distributed radio frequency communication system of claim 15, wherein the at least one automotive system includes a radar or a camera.

17. An automobile comprising: A digital processing circuit is located in a first position in the vehicle. Cables; A first serializer / deserializer circuit electrically connected between the digital processing circuit and the cable and co-located with the digital processing circuit; a first radio frequency module in a second position in the vehicle, the first position having a temperature lower than that of the second position; and a second serializer / deserializer circuit electrically connected between the first radio frequency module and the cable and co-located with the first radio frequency module, the first serializer / deserializer circuit and the second serializer / deserializer circuit being configured to transmit digital data via the cable.

18. The vehicle of claim 17, further comprising at least one vehicle system configured to communicate with the digital processing circuit via the second serializer / deserializer circuit, the cable and the first serializer / deserializer circuit.

19. The vehicle of claim 18, wherein the at least one vehicle system includes a radar or a camera.

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