Antenna system and method of operating an antenna system

Abstract

An antenna system for a mobile communication base station and a method of operating a communication network comprising a base station are described. The antenna system comprises an antenna array for beamforming and is configured as a radar sensor, a communication antenna or a combined radar sensor and communication antenna. Radar images can be used to determine a map of objects in the vicinity of the antenna system and to adjust the beam control or beamforming of the antenna system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to an antenna system for a mobile communication network base station and a method for operating a mobile communication network including the base station. Background Technology

[0002] For example, mobile cellular networks that support 4G or 5G mobile communication standards can use base transceiver stations (BTS) or base stations that include antenna systems to improve network capacity and coverage. These antenna systems use beamforming technology to support multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication.

[0003] These antenna systems include antenna arrays, typically implemented as patch antennas arranged in a regular rectangular grid. The spacing or interval of the patch antennas is determined by the wavelength of the communication frequency used for transmission or reception. The patch antennas can be dual-polarized antennas with orthogonal polarization to improve antenna diversity and allow antenna elements to be doubled within a given area.

[0004] In operation, beamforming and / or beam control can be used in transmit mode to focus the direction of the transmitted RF signal toward another BTS or user equipment receiver (UE), such as a mobile phone; and in receive mode to improve the sensitivity of the signal transmitted from the user equipment transmitter.

[0005] Beamforming requires two or more antennas operating in transmit (TX) or receive (RX) mode. In transmit mode, the phase and amplitude of the signal are adjusted for each of the relevant antennas to form the desired beam direction. In receive mode, signal processing techniques are used to combine the received signals from multiple antenna patches to selectively receive signals from the desired beam direction and suppress unwanted signals.

[0006] The antenna system can be configured to use different numbers of patch antennas in transmit and receive modes. In transmit mode, this involves a trade-off between the power of the transmitted signal and the narrowness of the transmitted beam. Using more patch antennas results in higher power and a narrower beam. In receive mode, using more patch antennas results in higher sensitivity in a specific direction and a narrower beam.

[0007] Such antenna systems can be used to establish multiple communication channels between different user equipment and the rest of the mobile communication network. In the 5G communication standard, Time Division Duplex (TDD) is used for communication on the channel. In TDD, the same frequency is used for both transmission and reception. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The appended claims define all aspects of this disclosure.

[0009] In a first aspect, an antenna system for a mobile communication network base station is provided, the antenna system comprising: an antenna array for beamforming, the antenna array including at least one of a plurality of dual-polarized patch antennas and a plurality of waveguide antennas; and a controller coupled to the antenna array for configuring each antenna to transmit or receive an RF signal; wherein the controller is configured to: (i) configure at least two of the plurality of antennas to transmit and / or receive RF communication signals, and configure at least one of the plurality of antennas to transmit a radar signal and configure one of the plurality of antennas to receive a reflected radar signal, or (ii) in a first mode configure at least two of the plurality of antennas to transmit and / or receive RF communication signals, and in a second mode configure at least one of the plurality of antennas to transmit a radar signal and configure at least one other of the plurality of antennas to receive the reflected radar signal.

[0010] In some embodiments, the antenna array includes two patch antennas, and wherein the controller, in the first mode, is configured to: configure the first patch antenna to a first polarization and the second patch antenna to a second polarization, and to receive or transmit a detected communication signal via the first and second patch antennas.

[0011] In some embodiments, the antenna array includes two patch antennas, and wherein the controller is configured in a first mode to: configure the first patch antenna and the second patch antenna to be in one of a first polarization and a second polarization, and to receive or transmit communication signals via the first and second patch antennas.

[0012] In some embodiments, the antenna array includes two patch antennas, wherein the controller in a second mode is configured to: configure the first patch antenna to be in the first polarization and the second patch antenna to be in the second polarization, and transmit a radar signal via one of the first and second patch antennas, and receive the reflected radar signal via the other of the first and second patch antennas.

[0013] In some embodiments, the antenna array includes four patch antennas, wherein the controller is configured in a first mode to transmit and / or receive two RF communication signals, and the controller is configured in a second mode to transmit two radar signals and receive two reflected radar signals.

[0014] In some embodiments, in the first mode, the controller is configured to: configure the two patch antennas to be in a first polarization to transmit and receive a first RF communication signal, respectively, and configure the two patch antennas to be in a second polarization to transmit and receive a second RF communication signal, respectively.

[0015] In some embodiments, in the second mode, the controller is configured to: configure the two patch antennas to be in a first polarization to transmit a first radar signal and receive a first reflected radar signal, respectively, and configure the two patch antennas to be in a second polarization to transmit a second radar signal and receive a second reflected radar signal, respectively. The second reflected radar signal is typically a reflection from the first radar signal. However, in other embodiments, the second reflected radar signal may be a reflection from the first radar signal.

[0016] In some embodiments, the antenna array includes: tiles of a plurality of patch antennas arranged in an array having m rows and n columns, wherein the controller is configured to configure each patch antenna to be in the same polarization in a first polarization and a second polarization.

[0017] In some embodiments, the antenna array comprises an array of four tiles, and the controller is configured to: (i) configure a first tile to transmit RF communication signals under the first polarization and configure a second tile to transmit RF communication signals under the second polarization; and (ii) configure all tiles to transmit or receive RF communication signals under one of the first polarization and the second polarization; and (iii) configure two tiles to transmit RF communication signals under the first polarization and configure two tiles to transmit RF communication signals under the second polarization; and (iv) configure two tiles to receive RF communication signals under the first polarization and configure two tiles to receive RF communication signals under the second polarization.

[0018] In some embodiments, the antenna array comprises an array of four tiles, and the controller is configured to: (i) configure all tiles to be in one of the first polarization and the second polarization, and further configure two tiles to transmit radar signals and configure the other two tiles to receive radar signals; and (ii) configure a first tile to transmit a first radar signal in the first polarization, configure a second tile to receive the first radar signal in the first polarization, configure a third tile to transmit a second radar signal in the second polarization and configure a fourth tile to receive the first radar signal in the second polarization, each radar signal having the same frequency; and (iii) configure all tiles to be in one of the first polarization and the second polarization, configure a first tile to transmit a first radar signal, configure a second tile to receive the first radar signal, configure a third tile to transmit a second radar signal and configure a fourth tile to receive the first radar signal, wherein the first and second radar signals have different frequencies.

[0019] In some embodiments, the radar signal may include the same frequency as the RF communication carrier signal.

[0020] In some embodiments, the radar signal may include a frequency that is half the frequency of the RF communication carrier signal.

[0021] In some embodiments, the antenna system may be included in an RF communication device, wherein the antenna system may be configured as an imaging radar sensor, an RF communication antenna, or a combination of an imaging radar sensor and an RF communication antenna.

[0022] The antenna system may be included in a mobile communication base station for a communication network, which may be based on the 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project). TM Operate according to the standards developed.

[0023] In a second aspect, a method is provided for operating an RF device in a mobile communication network, the RF device including an antenna system for beamforming, the antenna system including a plurality of antenna patches and configurable as an imaging radar sensor, an RF communication beamforming antenna, or a combination of an imaging radar sensor and an RF communication beamforming antenna, the method comprising: configuring at least a portion of the antenna system to transmit radar signals and receive reflected radar signals; determining at least one parameter from the received reflected radar signals for channel estimation; configuring at least a portion of the antenna system as a beamforming antenna to transmit and / or receive communication signals; and receiving and / or transmitting signals for at least one communication channel between a network element and a user equipment.

[0024] In a third aspect, a method is provided for operating a mobile network including a base station, the base station including an antenna system comprising an antenna array for beamforming, the antenna array being configurable as any one of an imaging radar sensor, an RF communication antenna, or a combination of an imaging radar sensor and an RF communication antenna, the method comprising: configuring at least a portion of the antenna system as an imaging radar sensor; transmitting radar signals and receiving reflected radar signals to determine a radar image of the surrounding environment of the mobile communication base station from the reflected radar signals; determining at least one of the location of an object and the classification of the object based on the radar image; configuring at least a portion of the antenna system as an RF communication antenna; and transmitting and / or receiving at least one communication signal. The reflected radar signals may include at least one reflection from the transmitted radar signals.

[0025] In some embodiments, the method further includes determining at least one parameter from the received radar signal based on the classification and location of the object for channel estimation.

[0026] In some embodiments, the method further includes: determining that a user equipment is associated with at least one object; determining at least one channel communication path based on the location of the user equipment and the locations of other objects in the radar image; and adapting beam control of at least a portion of the antenna system to the direction of the at least one channel communication path.

[0027] In some embodiments, the method further includes: configuring the antenna system to reduce power consumption in response to the absence of a person among the objects.

[0028] In some embodiments, the method further includes: adjusting the transmit power of the antenna system according to the location of the person in response to classifying at least one of the objects as a person.

[0029] In some embodiments, the method further includes: in response to classifying at least one of the objects as a person, activating at least one of a light and a camera in response to the person being within a predetermined range of the mobile communication base station.

[0030] In some embodiments, the method further includes: classifying at least one object as a vehicle; determining whether a user device is associated with the vehicle; and transmitting a predetermined dataset to the user device by means of the communication signal in response to determining that the user device is associated with the vehicle. In some embodiments, the predetermined dataset includes at least one of: an advertisement, a map of objects identified in the radar image, and a hazard notification.

[0031] In some embodiments, the method further includes: determining, based on the radar image, whether to initiate a handover of the user equipment to a neighboring mobile communication base station. Doppler measurements using radar can be used to determine the velocity of an object, and the velocity and location information of the object can be used to determine whether the base station should initiate a handover to the next cell.

[0032] In some embodiments, the method further includes storing the location of each switch.

[0033] In some embodiments, the method further includes determining whether to initiate a switch by comparing the current location identified from the radar image with a previously stored location.

[0034] In some embodiments, the method further includes combining a radar image determined from a first base station with a radar image determined from another base station.

[0035] In some embodiments, the method further includes providing a map of objects from the radar image to a user device.

[0036] In a fourth aspect, a mobile communication base station is provided, comprising an antenna system including an antenna array for beamforming and a controller coupled to the antenna array, the controller being configured to: configure at least a portion of the antenna system as an imaging radar sensor; transmit radar signals and receive reflected radar signals; transmit reflected radar signal information to a network device; configure at least a portion of the antenna system as an RF communication antenna; and transmit and / or receive at least one communication signal. The reflected radar signal information may be reflected radar signal data and / or information extracted from the reflected radar signals.

[0037] In some embodiments, the mobile communication base station is further configured to receive, from the network device, parameters for beamforming or beam control of the antenna system based on at least one of the location and classification of an object determined from the reflected radar signal.

[0038] In a fourth aspect, a mobile communication network device is provided, the mobile communication network device being configured to: receive detected radar signals from a mobile communication base station; determine a radar image of the surrounding environment of the mobile communication base station from the detected radar signals; and determine the location and classification of an object based on the radar image.

[0039] In some embodiments, the network device is configured to transmit parameters for beamforming or beam control of an antenna system to the mobile communication base station based on at least one of the location of the object and the classification of the object.

[0040] Embodiments of the mobile communication network equipment and the mobile communication base station may be included in a mobile cellular communication network. Attached Figure Description

[0041] In the figures and description, the same reference numerals refer to the same features. Embodiments will now be described in detail only by way of examples shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0042] Figure 1 A mobile communication network including a base station with an antenna system is shown according to an embodiment.

[0043] Figure 2A It shows Figure 1 The antenna system is configured to operate in radar mode.

[0044] Figure 2B It shows Figure 1 The antenna system is configured to operate in radar mode.

[0045] Figure 2C It shows Figure 1 The antenna system is configured to be in communication operation mode.

[0046] Figure 2D It shows Figure 1 The antenna system is configured to be in communication operation mode.

[0047] Figure 3A A method of operating an RF device in a mobile network communication system according to an embodiment is shown.

[0048] Figure 3B A method of operating a mobile network according to an embodiment is illustrated.

[0049] Figure 4 A method of operating a mobile network according to an embodiment is illustrated.

[0050] Figure 5 A method of operating a mobile network according to an embodiment is illustrated.

[0051] Figure 6 A method of operating a mobile network according to an embodiment is illustrated.

[0052] Figure 7 A method of operating a mobile network according to an embodiment is illustrated.

[0053] Figure 8 A method of operating a mobile network according to an embodiment is illustrated.

[0054] Figure 9A A method of operating a mobile network according to an embodiment is illustrated.

[0055] Figure 9B A method of operating a mobile network according to an embodiment is illustrated.

[0056] Figure 9C A method of operating a mobile network according to an embodiment is illustrated.

[0057] Figure 10A An antenna system according to an embodiment is shown.

[0058] Figure 10B It shows the use of Figure 10A Detailed diagram of the transmit / receive chain of the antenna system.

[0059] Figure 10C It shows Figure 10A A plan view of the alternative arrangement of antenna patches for the antenna system.

[0060] Figure 11A An antenna system according to an embodiment is shown.

[0061] Figure 11B It shows the use of Figure 11A Detailed diagram of the transmit / receive chain of the antenna system.

[0062] Figure 12A , 12B Figures 12C and 12C illustrate different operating configurations of an antenna system with two patch antennas according to an embodiment.

[0063] Figure 13A , 13B Figures 13C, 13D, and 13E illustrate different operating configurations of an antenna system with four patch antennas according to an embodiment.

[0064] Figure 14A The tile of the patch antenna of the antenna system according to an embodiment is shown.

[0065] Figure 14B , 14C 14D, 14E, 14F and 14G illustrate embodiments including Figure 14A Different operating configurations of the four-tile antenna system. Detailed Implementation

[0066] Figure 1 A mobile communication network 100 including a base station 120 is shown. The mobile communication network 100 may include a central network element 118 forming part of a wide area network (WAN) 116. The central network element 118 may communicate with the base station or radio remote unit 120 via link 108. The base station 120 includes a reconfigurable antenna system 110.

[0067] The communication network 100 can be a time-division duplex (TDD) communication network using millimeter-wave communication. The antenna system 110 can be configured to form an imaging radar sensor, which can provide information via a data link 108 used by the central network element 118 to create a computational model 104.

[0068] The antenna system 110 can also be configured as a beamforming antenna, which constructs one or more spatially selective communication channels 112 between the central network element 118 and various components of the user equipment 114 or other base stations.

[0069] Computational model 104 can provide a quasi-static physical model of the surrounding environment, as well as a map of people and / or vehicles and other objects (e.g., buildings and trees) within the transmission range of base station 120. Computational model 104 can include channel estimation of the physical communication link between base station 120 and user equipment 114, and can also determine the location of user equipment by, for example, deriving x, y, z coordinates through triangulation using multiple (three or more) base station scans. This allows user equipment to correlate with objects in radar imagery, enabling accurate tracking of people and / or vehicles. These channel estimates can be used by central network element 118 as input to beam control algorithm 106. The beam control algorithm can be used to control antenna system 110 to drive spatial beam control elements, enabling efficient use of line-of-sight characteristics, i.e., the direct path between base station 120 and user equipment 114 without physical obstacles, and in particular, the non-line-of-sight propagation path (reflection) of millimeter-wave communication system 100. For example, as shown, channel 112 utilizes a non-line-of-sight path via buildings. Central network element 118 can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and software.

[0070] Example beam control algorithms that can be used to control beamforming may include delay-sum (Bartlett) or minimum variance beamforming algorithms. Antenna system 110 can be configured to optimize maximum data throughput while using the lowest possible electrical power.

[0071] The computational model 104 may also include quasi-static parameters obtainable from the mobile communication network, which may be stored in the database 102. These parameters may include, for example, user subscription types that can limit expected data needs and may also provide channel priority for specific user equipment. Other parameters may include the time of day and weather conditions, or other environmental data that can be used as complementary elements to optimize the beam control algorithm 106.

[0072] Antenna system 110 can be reconfigured between radar operating mode and communication operating mode during the time slot between (radar) image sensing and actual network-to-UE communication. Minimal time can be allocated within the time slot to create a sufficiently accurate image of the surrounding environment needed to determine the parameters for the channel estimation portion of model 104. The channel estimation can then be used to optimize the channel link. In some examples, a portion of antenna system 110 can be used simultaneously for radar image sensing, while other portions of antenna system 110 remain for network-to-UE communication.

[0073] The inventors of this disclosure understand that, for millimeter-wave communication systems, especially TDD millimeter-wave communication systems using, for example, 5G mobile communication networks, the antenna array used for communication can also be configured as a radar image sensor. Furthermore, this reconfiguration may not require any physical changes to the antenna array, but according to embodiments, it can be achieved by providing appropriate signals to one or more antennas in the antenna array. The radar image provided by this radar image sensor can provide information to reduce power consumption or improve communication quality and / or data throughput by improving channel estimation. The antenna system 110 can be configured such that at least a portion of the array is in transmit mode and another portion is in receive mode. The frequency used for radar sensing can be the same as or different from the carrier frequency used for RF communication. In some examples, the frequency used for radar sensing can include any multiple of half the RF communication frequency, such as 1 / 2 or 1 / 4 of the RF communication frequency. In some millimeter-wave systems with frequencies between 92 GHz and 100 GHz, the bandwidth of the signal can be 8 GHz. The radar signal can be a linear frequency modulated (LFM) signal or a LFM signal modulated by code. In other words, the frequency of the radar signal can vary over time or be fixed.

[0074] Figure 2AAn antenna system 110 configured as a radar image sensor is shown. The antenna system 110 includes a controller 130 and an antenna array 140 comprising an array of patch antennas 122, which may be dual-polarized. As shown, the patch antennas 122 are circular, as this has been found to achieve ideal performance. However, in other examples, patch antennas 122 may use patches of different shapes. The antenna array 140 shows a 4×6 array of antenna patches 122. However, it should be understood that in other examples, fewer or more antenna patches may be used. In other examples, instead of patch antennas or in addition to patch antennas, an array of waveguide antennas may be used, which may be referred to as transmitter antennas. The controller 130 can control a transmitter / receiver chain (not shown) connected to each antenna patch 122. The controller 130 is connected to the antenna array via a connection 126, which may include multiple individual connections, with each antenna patch 122 having two connections. The controller 130 may be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and software. The controller 130 can send or receive control and communication data via connection 128, which can be sent to and / or received from the central network element 118.

[0075] Controller 130 can configure a subset 124 of patch antennas 122 to transmit radar signals or receive (reflected) radar signals. In other examples, controller 130 can configure half of the patch antennas 122 to each transmit radar signals, which may be the same or different signals, and configure the other half of the patch antennas 122 to detect one or more reflected radar signals. In other examples, the number of patch antennas 122 used for transmission and detection can be different. In a radar configuration, antenna system 110 can use beamforming and beam control to scan the environment to map objects. In other examples, antenna system 110 can determine a radar image of the surrounding environment in all directions without using beamforming. In other examples, beamforming can be used to scan the environment to map objects using a relatively narrow beamwidth. For example, a narrower beamwidth can have a divergence angle of 5 degrees or less with the transmitting antenna. A wider beamwidth can have a divergence angle of 30 degrees or more with the transmitting antenna. Figure 2B An antenna system 110 is shown, which transmits radar signals 132 and detects reflected radar signals 134 from various objects near the antenna system 110.

[0076] Figure 2C and Figure 2DAn antenna system 110 configured for communication is shown. A controller 130 can configure a first beamforming antenna 142, which, in the illustrated non-limiting example, has two antenna patches 122 forming a first communication channel 146. The controller 130 can configure beamforming antennas 144 of an antenna array 140, and, in the illustrated non-limiting example, the beamforming antenna 144 has four antenna patches 122 for forming a second communication channel 148. Each of the first beamforming antenna 142 and the second beamforming antenna 144 can transmit and receive communication signals.

[0077] Figure 3A A method 200 for operating an RF device in a mobile network communication system according to an embodiment is illustrated. In step 202, at least a portion of a beamforming antenna can be configured to transmit and receive radar signals. In step 204, at least one parameter can be determined from the received radar signals for channel estimation. In step 206, the antenna system can be reconfigured to transmit and / or receive communication signals. In step 208, the antenna system can be used to receive or transmit signals through at least one communication channel between a network element and a user equipment.

[0078] Figure 3B A method of operation 210 for a mobile network communication system according to an embodiment is illustrated. In step 212, at least a portion of the antennas in the base station can be configured to transmit and receive radar signals, thereby acting as a radar sensor. In step 214, the classification and location of objects can be determined based on a radar image derived from the detected radar signals. In step 216, the antenna system of the mobile base station can be reconfigured to transmit and / or receive communication signals. Reconfiguration may include updating beam control and beamforming parameters using location and object information derived from the radar image. In step 218, the antenna system can be used to receive or transmit signals through at least one communication channel between the network element and the user equipment.

[0079] Figure 4 A method 220 for operating a mobile network including an antenna system according to an embodiment is illustrated. The antenna system may be included in one or more base stations. In step 222, at least a portion of a beamforming antenna may be configured to transmit and receive radar signals. In step 224, a radar image of the environment surrounding the antenna system may be created. In step 226, a check may be performed to see if a person has been detected based on the created radar image. If no person is detected, the method proceeds to step 228, and the antenna system may enter a low-power mode and the radar imaging duty cycle decreases.

[0080] Alternatively, instead of reducing the radar imaging duty cycle, radar patterns can be used to track moving objects using progressive algorithms. For example, a Radio Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) can be used in conjunction with location algorithms such as Fingerprint Corrected Weighted Centroid (FCWC) used in Wi-Fi access points that utilize beacon signals to determine location in a timely manner. This algorithm can be performed progressively to dynamically track the user's location based on continuous radar imagery.

[0081] In this way, by configuring the antenna as a radar sensor and using information provided by the detected radar signals, the power consumption of base stations or radio frequency remote units in mobile communication networks, including antenna systems, can be reduced. After step 228, the method can return to step 222. If a person has been detected in step 226, the method can proceed to step 230, and the beamforming antenna can be configured to transmit and receive communication signals.

[0082] Figure 5 A method 240 for operating a mobile network including an antenna system according to an embodiment is illustrated. The antenna system may be included in a base station. In step 242, at least a portion of a beamforming antenna may be configured to transmit and receive radar signals. In step 244, a radar image of the surrounding environment may be created. In step 246, based on the determined radar image, a channel including all possible line-of-sight and non-line-of-sight paths with the lowest path loss may be determined. In step 248, the beamforming antenna may be reconfigured to transmit and / or receive communication signals. Beamforming parameters used to configure beamforming may be determined by the determined channel characteristics. Method 240 may produce an ideally selected channel path that can improve the quality and / or data rate of the communication channel.

[0083] Figure 6 A method 250 for operating a mobile network including an antenna system according to an embodiment is illustrated. The antenna system may be included in a base station. In step 252, at least a portion of the beamforming antenna may be configured to transmit radar signals and receive reflected radar signals. In step 254, a radar image of the surrounding environment may be created from the reflected radar signals. In step 256, a maximum transmit power may be determined based on a human safety parameter that is closest to a predetermined safety parameter detected. In step 258, the beamforming antenna may be reconfigured to transmit and / or receive communication signals using the maximum power determined in step 256.

[0084] Figure 7A method 260 for operating a mobile network including an antenna system according to an embodiment is illustrated. The antenna system may be included in a base station. In step 262, at least a portion of a beamforming antenna may be configured to transmit and receive radar signals. In step 264, a radar image of the surrounding environment may be created. In step 266, it may be determined whether someone is nearby and whether it is nighttime based on time information. If someone is nearby and it is nighttime, the method proceeds to step 268 and lights and / or cameras may be activated. When the antenna system is included in a base station, this can be used to provide security for the antenna system. After step 268, the method may proceed to step 270, where the beamforming antenna is reconfigured to transmit and / or receive communication signals. Returning to step 246, if no one is detected nearby, the step proceeds directly to step 250.

[0085] Figure 8 A method 280 for a mobile network including an antenna system, according to an embodiment, is illustrated. The antenna system may be included in a base station. In step 282, at least a portion of a beamforming antenna may be configured to transmit and receive radar signals. In step 284, a radar image of the surrounding environment may be created. In step 286, the beamforming antenna may be reconfigured to transmit and / or receive communication signals. In step 288, a specific message or advertisement may be uploaded to or downloaded from the communication network. Alternatively or additionally, in some examples, a map of objects determined based on the radar image may be transmitted, which may be used for navigation by a driver or autonomous vehicle. If a car or other vehicle is detected and any user equipment in the vehicle is enabled, these messages may be transmitted to the user equipment.

[0086] Figure 9A A method 500 for operating a mobile network, including an antenna system, according to an embodiment is illustrated. The antenna system may be included in a base station. In step 502, at least a portion of a beamforming antenna may be configured to transmit and receive radar signals. In step 504, a radar image of the surrounding environment may be created. In step 506, objects in the radar image, such as people or vehicles, may be associated with mobile user equipment (UE). In step 508, it may be determined that a UE is moving out of a cell in the cellular network. In a non-limiting example, this can be achieved by comparing the radar image with a previous radar image. If the UE is moving out of the cell, in step 510, the UE's path is determined, for example, using the UE's speed and angular position. This information can then be used to identify the next cell for cell handover. The method then proceeds to step 512, and the beamforming antenna is reconfigured to transmit and / or receive communication signals. Returning to step 508, if the UE has not moved out of the cell, the method proceeds directly to step 512.

[0087] Figure 9B A method 520 for operating a mobile network, including an antenna system, according to an embodiment is illustrated. The antenna system may be included in a base station. In step 522, the cell edge, i.e., the maximum distance from the antenna system, can be determined by monitoring the power strength of the UE signal, at which the UE can still effectively communicate with the antenna system. In step 524, the velocity and direction of an object can be determined. The velocity value can be determined by the Doppler shift of the frequency of the reflected radar signal compared to the transmitted radar signal. If the UE is associated with an object that can be determined by the correlation between the object's location and the UE's location, which is determined based on a radar image, the object can be checked in step 526, and thus whether the UE is moving out of the cell. If the UE is moving out of the cell, a handover message can be transmitted in step 528 to an identified base station, which is another base station in the network, typically near the location the UE is moving towards when leaving the cell, to indicate that the base station is responsible for communication with the UE. In step 532, the handover location in the radar image can be stored. The method then proceeds to step 530, and the beamforming antenna is reconfigured to transmit and / or receive communication signals. Returning to step 526, if the UE has not moved out of the cell, the method proceeds directly to step 530.

[0088] Figure 9C A method 540 for operating a mobile network, including an antenna system, according to an embodiment is illustrated. The antenna system may be included in a base station. In step 542, a predetermined preferred handover location may be determined based on a previously stored location as described in method 520. In step 544, the speed and direction of an object may be determined, for example, using the previously described method. If the UE is associated with an object that can be determined by the correlation between the UE's location and the object's location, the object may be checked in step 546, and thus it may be checked whether the UE is moving out of the cell. This check may be done, for example, by determining that the object is located at the edge of a predetermined cell, such as a person or vehicle associated with the UE via a communication network. If the UE is moving out of the cell, in step 548, the object's current location is compared with a list of predetermined locations for handover. If the current location is in the list of predetermined locations, in step 554, a handover message may be transmitted to the identified base station. The method then proceeds to step 552, and the beamforming antenna is reconfigured to transmit and / or receive communication signals. Returning to step 546, if the UE has not moved out of the cell, the method proceeds directly to step 552. Returning to step 548, if the current position is not in the list of predetermined positions, the position of the current object can be stored for subsequent estimation in step 550 to determine whether the position of the current object is a candidate for switching. The method then returns to step 542.

[0089] In some cases, radar images detected from multiple adjacent base stations can be combined to construct a more detailed image.

[0090] Antenna systems can be reconfigured from long-range radar to short-range radar. Longer-range radars can use lower frequencies, but still maintain a wide bandwidth for time resolution. Short-range radars can use higher frequencies and / or larger bandwidths to limit self-interference from other radar transmitters. For example, an embodiment of the antenna system can be configured as a long-range radar using frequencies from 76 GHz to 77 GHz, corresponding to a bandwidth of 1 GHz. An embodiment of the antenna system can be configured as a short-range radar using frequencies from 76 GHz to 81 GHz, corresponding to a bandwidth of 4 GHz.

[0091] In some cases, the antenna panel can be configured to operate in 'sparse operation' mode to avoid using adjacent antenna patches and / or to use fewer patches. This can be achieved by changing the frequency to maintain half-λ (wavelength) spacing, for example by halving the frequency and then using patches one after another.

[0092] Figure 10A An antenna system 300 for a cellular network according to an embodiment is shown. The antenna system 300 includes a controller 310, an antenna array 340, and a beamformer 312, which may be an analog or digital beamformer, or a hybrid analog and digital beamformer. In some examples, the beamformer may be part of the controller. The controller 310 may have a terminal 302, which may be a single-wire or bus connection configured to receive communication signals and control parameters from or transmit communication signals and control parameters to a central network element (not shown). The controller 310 may have a connection 308 to the beamformer 312 for transmitting or receiving communication or radar signals. The connection 308 may be a single-wire or bus connection. The controller 310 may have a first control output 304 connected to the control inputs of the RF transmit / receive chains 320a-d. The controller 306 may have a second control output connected to the control inputs of the beamformer 312. Beamformer 312 can be connected to the corresponding RF terminals 314a-d of each of the transmit / receive chains 320a-d. Antenna array 340 includes dual-polarized patch antennas 330a-d. A corresponding first feed point of each of the patch antennas 330a-d is connected to the corresponding transmitter output 322a-d of the RF transmitter / receiver chain 320a-d. A corresponding second feed point of each of the patch antennas 330a-d is connected to the corresponding receiver input 324a-d of the RF transmitter / receiver chain 320a-d.

[0093] Figure 10B Transmitter / receiver circuitry 320, which can be used in each of transmit / receive channels 320a-d, is shown. Transmitter / receiver circuitry 320 includes an RF terminal 314 connected to an RF switch 332. A control input to the RF switch 332 can be connected to a control terminal 304 to select between transmit and receive paths. An input 334 of a transmit amplifier 338 is connected to the RF switch 332. An output 336 of a receiver amplifier 342 is connected to the RF switch 332. The output of the transmitter amplifier 338 is connected to a transmitter output 322. An input of the receiver amplifier 342 is connected to a receiver input 324.

[0094] Figure 10C An alternative arrangement of the patch antenna 330a, which is arranged in a grid rather than a nonlinear array, is shown.

[0095] In operation, controller 310 can receive beam control parameters via communication interface 302. The controller can use these parameters to control beamformer 312 to generate one or more beams for the communication channel using a subset of patch antennas 322a-d. Alternatively, for example, when using radar operating mode, controller 310 can configure beamformer 312 so that beamforming is not performed, i.e., no modification is made to the gain and / or phase of different channels. Controller 310 can control whether the patch antennas are configured to transmit or receive signals via control output 304. As shown, a single control output is used to configure all patch antennas 330a-d to be in transmit or receive mode. However, it should be understood that in other examples, controller 310 can be configured to independently control each transmit / receive channel 320a-d, for example, by replacing the single control connection 304 with a bus connection. In communication mode, for a given communication channel, controller 310 can configure a set of patch antennas 330a-d to time-multiplex between transmit and receive to support TDD communication. The patch antenna 330 is typically dual-polarized, with polarization determined by which feed point is used for transmission and reception. In radar mode, the controller 360 can configure a first subset of the patch antennas 330a-d to transmit radar signals that can be generated by the controller 360, and a second subset of the patch antennas 330a-d to detect reflected radar signals.

[0096] Figure 11AAn antenna system 350 for a cellular network according to an embodiment is shown. The antenna system 350 includes a controller 360, an antenna array 390, and a beamformer 362, which may be an analog or digital beamformer. In some examples, the beamformer may be part of the controller. The controller 360 may have an end 352, which may be a single-wire or bus connection configured to receive communication signals and control parameters from or transmit communication signals and control parameters to a central network element (not shown). The controller 360 may have a connection 358 to the beamformer 362 for transmitting or receiving communication or radar signals. The connection 358 may be a single-wire or bus connection. The controller 360 may have control outputs 354, 354' connected to corresponding control inputs of the RF transmit / receive chains 370a-d. The controller 360 may have a control output 356 connected to the control inputs of the beamformer 312. Beamformer 312 can be connected to the corresponding RF terminals 364a-d, 364a′-364d′ of each of the transmit / receive chains 370a-d. Antenna array 390 includes dual-polarized patch antennas 380a-d. A corresponding first feed point of each of the patch antennas 380a-d is connected to the corresponding transmitter / receiver terminal 372a-d of the RF transmitter / receiver chain 370a-d. A corresponding second feed point of each of the patch antennas 380a-d is connected to the corresponding transmitter / receiver terminal 374a-d of the RF transmitter / receiver chain 370a-d.

[0097] Figure 11B Transmitter / receiver circuitry 370, which can be used in each of the transmit / receive channels 370a-d, is shown. Transmitter / receiver circuitry 370 allows each feed point of patch antennas 380a-d to be connected for either transmission or reception. Transmitter / receiver circuitry 370 includes two RF terminals 364, 364' connected to corresponding RF switches 382, ​​382'. Control inputs of RF switches 382, ​​382' can be connected to control terminals 354, 354' to select between transmit and receive paths for each channel. Inputs 384, 384' of each transmit amplifier 388, 388' are connected to corresponding RF switches 382, ​​382'. Outputs 386, 386' of each receiver amplifier 392, 392' are connected to corresponding RF switches 382, ​​382'. Outputs of each transmitter amplifier 388, 388' are connected to corresponding second RF switches 398, 398'. The inputs of each receiver amplifier 392, 392' are connected to the corresponding second RF switches 398, 398″. The first transmitter / receiver 372 is connected to the second RF switch 398. The second transmitter / receiver 374 is connected to the second RF switch 398″.

[0098] In operation, controller 360 can receive beam control parameters via communication interface 352. The controller can use the received beam control parameters to control beamformer 362 to generate one or more beams for the communication channels using a subset of patch antennas 372a-d. Alternatively, for example, when using radar operating mode, controller 360 can configure beamformer 362 to not perform beamforming. Controller 360 can control whether the patch antennas are configured to transmit or receive signals via control outputs 354, 354'. As shown, for each feed point, control outputs 354, 354' are used to configure all patch antennas 380a-d to the same mode in both transmit and receive modes. However, it should be understood that in other examples, the controller can be configured to independently control each transmit / receive channel 370a-d, for example, by replacing individual control connections 354, 354' with a bus connection. In communication mode, for a given communication channel, controller 360 can configure a set of patch antennas 380a-d to time-multiplex between transmission and reception to support TDD communication. The patch antennas 380a-d are typically dual-polarized, the polarization of which is determined by which feed point is used for transmission and reception. In other examples, the patch antennas 380a-d can be configured to transmit in both horizontal and vertical polarization or receive in both horizontal and vertical polarization. In radar mode, controller 360 can configure the set of patch antennas 380a-d to transmit or detect radar signals that can be generated by controller 360.

[0099] Figures 12A to 12C Different configurations of an antenna system 400 having two dual-polarized patch antennas 402a, 402b according to an embodiment are shown. The antenna system 400 can be configured by a controller (not shown). Figure 12A The communication mode is illustrated, in which antenna 400 is configured with two antenna patches having one stream and two polarizations, where H and V represent horizontal and vertical polarization, respectively. It should be understood that the terms horizontal and vertical polarization are used in a relative sense to indicate orthogonal polarization streams. As shown, antenna patches 402a and 402b can be configured to receive or transmit under corresponding horizontal and vertical polarizations. Figure 12B An alternative configuration in the communication mode is shown, in which the antenna system 400 can receive or transmit under a single polarization, which can be horizontal or vertical. Figure 12CIn the radar operating mode shown, antenna patch 402b is configured to receive only and antenna patch 402a is configured to transmit only. It should be noted that, as shown in the figures below, the arrows indicate the direction of electrical feed to / from the antenna, not the electrical feed to a signal propagating in the air. Antenna patch 402a can therefore transmit radar signals, and antenna patch 402b can receive reflected radar signals. Both antenna patches 402a and 402b can be configured to be in the same polarization.

[0100] Figures 13A to 13E Different configurations of an antenna system 410 with four dual-polarized patch antennas 412a-d according to an embodiment are shown. The antenna system 410 can be configured by a controller (not shown).

[0101] Figure 13A The diagram illustrates a communication operation mode with four antenna patches 412a-d configured for two streams under two orthogonal polarizations. Patch antennas 412a and 412c can be configured to transmit or receive horizontally polarized signals. Patch antennas 412b and 412d can be configured to transmit and receive vertically polarized signals. In this configuration, antenna system 410 can receive horizontally and vertically polarized beams, one beam using antenna patches 412a and 412c, and another beam using antenna patches 412b and 412d.

[0102] Figure 13B Alternative communication operation modes for two streams of antenna system 410 are shown under two orthogonal polarizations, the two orthogonal polarizations having horizontal polarization for antenna patches 412a and 412b and vertical polarization for antenna patches 412c and 412d.

[0103] Figure 13C The radar operating modes of antenna system 410 are shown, wherein patch antenna 412a is configured to transmit in horizontal polarization, patch antenna 412b is configured to transmit in vertical polarization, patch antenna 412c is configured to receive in horizontal polarization, and patch antenna 412d is configured to receive in vertical polarization. This allows for two different radar streams, one in horizontal polarization and one in vertical polarization, to improve the resolution of the radar image. Alternatively, in addition to using different polarizations, different frequencies can be used for the two radar streams.

[0104] Figure 13D An alternative configuration for radar operation modes of antenna system 410 is shown for transmitting and detecting two radar streams under two different polarizations. Patch antenna 412a is configured to transmit under horizontal polarization, patch antenna 412b is configured to receive under horizontal polarization, patch antenna 412c is configured to transmit under vertical polarization, and patch antenna 412d is configured to receive under vertical polarization.

[0105] Figure 13E An alternative configuration for radar operation modes of antenna system 410 is shown, for transmitting and detecting two radar streams under two different polarizations, wherein the radar streams are positioned diagonally. Patch antenna 412a is configured to transmit under horizontal polarization, patch antenna 412b is configured to receive under vertical polarization, patch antenna 412c is configured to transmit under vertical polarization, and patch antenna 412d is configured to receive under horizontal polarization. It should be noted that in this case, the effective spacing between antenna patches is larger than the spacing between directly adjacent patches (a multiple of the square root of two), and therefore the optimal frequency is correspondingly reduced by a multiple of the square root of two.

[0106] Figure 14A A tile 420 is shown having m×n antenna patches 422 arranged in a grid of n columns and m rows connected to an RF terminal 424. Each patch is polarized for both transmit (TX) and receive (RX), so the tile 420 can be enabled to be in one polarization and operate as either transmit or receive. The size of the tile 420 can be efficiently adjusted by individually setting the transmit or receive mode of each antenna patch.

[0107] Figures 14B to 14G Different configurations of an antenna system 430 with four tiles 420a-d and corresponding RF connections 424a-d according to an embodiment are shown. The antenna system 430 can be configured by a controller (not shown).

[0108] Figure 14B The communication modes of the antenna system 430 are shown, wherein tile 420a has m×n patches in transmit mode and horizontal polarization, and tile 420b has m×n patches in transmit mode and vertical polarization. Tile 420a can form one beam and tile 420b can form another beam. In other examples (not shown), tile 420a can be configured in receive mode and horizontal polarization, and tile 420b can be configured in receive mode and vertical polarization.

[0109] Figure 14C The communication modes of the antenna system 430 are shown, in which all tiles 420a-d are in transmit or receive mode and are in the same (horizontal) polarization.

[0110] Figure 14D The communication modes of the antenna system 430 are shown, wherein two tiles 420a and 420c are in transmit or receive mode and are in the same (horizontal) polarization, and two other tiles 420b and 420d are configured to be in another (vertical) polarization.

[0111] Figure 14EThe radar mode of the antenna system 430 is shown, in which two tiles 420a and 420c are in transmit mode, and two other tiles 420b and 420d are configured in receive mode and are in the same (horizontal) polarization.

[0112] Figure 14F The radar modes of antenna system 430 are shown, where tile 420a is in transmit mode, tile 420b is in receive mode and is in one (horizontal) polarization, tile 420c is in transmit mode, and tile 420d is configured to be in receive mode and is in another (vertical) polarization. Alternatively, tiles 420c and 420d can be configured to be in the same polarization as tiles 420a and 420b, but using different frequencies.

[0113] Figure 14G The combined operating mode is shown. In this mode, the radar frequency can typically differ from the communication frequency to avoid interference. Tiles 420a and 420b can be configured to transmit or receive communication signals. Tile 420c can be configured to transmit radar signals. Tile 420d can be configured to detect reflected radar signals.

[0114] An antenna system for a mobile communication base station and a method for operating a communication network including the base station are described. The antenna system includes an antenna array for beamforming and is configured as a radar sensor, a communication antenna, or a combination of radar sensors. Radar images can be used to determine a map of objects near the antenna system and to adjust the beam control or beamforming of the antenna system.

[0115] The described example embodiments may be included in base stations and other network devices for mobile and / or wireless communication networks. For example, embodiments may operate in mobile radio access networks (RANs) such as WCDMA or LTE, which operate according to standards including but not limited to those mandated by 3GPP. TM Limited standards. The example embodiments described herein may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0116] In some example embodiments, the instruction set / method steps described above are implemented as functional and software instructions embodied in an executable instruction set implemented on a computer or a machine programmed and controlled with said executable instructions. Such instructions are loaded to execute on a processor (e.g., one or more CPUs). The term processor includes a microprocessor, microcontroller, processor module or subsystem (including one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers), or other control or computing device. A processor may refer to a single component or multiple components.

[0117] In other examples, the instruction sets / methods illustrated herein, along with their associated data and instructions, are stored in appropriate storage devices, which are implemented as one or more non-transitory machine- or computer-readable or computer-usable storage media. Such computer-readable or computer-usable storage media are considered part of an article (or article of manufacture). An article or article of manufacture may refer to any single or multiple components manufactured. Non-transitory machine- or computer-usable media as defined herein do not include signals, but such media are capable of receiving and processing information from signals and / or other transient media.

[0118] Example embodiments of the materials discussed in this specification may be implemented, wholly or in part, via a network, computer, or data-based device and / or service. These may include cloud, Internet, intranet, mobile device, desktop computer, processor, lookup table, microcontroller, consumer device, infrastructure, or other enabling devices and services. As may be used herein and in the claims, the following non-exclusive definitions are provided.

[0119] In one example, automating one or more instructions or steps discussed herein. The terms automation or automaticity (and similar variations) mean controlling the operation of equipment, systems, and / or processes using computers and / or mechanical / electrical devices without human intervention, observation, effort, and / or decision-making.

[0120] Although the appended claims are directed to specific combinations of features, it should be understood that the scope of the disclosure of this invention also includes any novel feature or combination of novel features or any generalization of such novel features as expressly or implicitly disclosed herein, regardless of whether such novel feature relates to the same invention as currently claimed in any of the claims or whether such novel feature alleviates any or all of the same technical problem as the technical problem alleviated by this invention.

[0121] Features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, for the sake of brevity, the various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be provided individually or in any suitable sub-combination.

[0122] The applicant hereby reminds that new claims may be made for such features and / or combinations thereof during the examination of this application or any other application derived therefrom.

[0123] For the sake of completeness, it is also stipulated that the term "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, the term "a" or "an" does not exclude multiple, a single processor or other unit can perform the functions of several components described in the claims, and the reference numerals in the claims should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An antenna system for a mobile communication network base station, characterized in that, The antenna system includes: An antenna array for beamforming, the antenna array comprising multiple patch antennas, the multiple patch antennas including two bipolar patch antennas, the bipolar patch antennas including a first patch antenna and a second patch antenna. A controller, coupled to the antenna array, is configured to transmit or receive radio frequency (RF) signals for each of the plurality of patch antennas; The controller is used to: In a first mode, at least two of the plurality of patch antennas are configured to transmit and / or receive RF communication signals, and in a second mode, at least one of the plurality of patch antennas is configured to transmit radar signals and at least one additional antenna of the plurality of patch antennas is configured to receive reflected radar signals, wherein the frequency used for radar sensing is half or a quarter of the RF communication frequency, wherein the controller configures the first patch antenna to a first polarization and configures the second patch antenna to a second polarization in the first mode, and receives or transmits communication signals through the first patch antenna and the second patch antenna.

2. The antenna system according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the second mode, the controller is configured to: configure the first patch antenna to be in the first polarization and the second patch antenna to be in the second polarization, and transmit a radar signal via one of the first and second patch antennas, and receive the reflected radar signal via the other of the first and second patch antennas.

3. An RF communication device comprising the antenna system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The antenna system can be configured as an imaging radar sensor, an RF communication antenna, or a combination of an imaging radar sensor and an RF communication antenna.

4. A mobile communication base station, characterized in that, Includes the RF communication device according to claim 3.

5. A method of operating an RF device in a mobile communication network, the RF device comprising an antenna system for beamforming, the antenna system comprising at least one of a plurality of patch antennas and a plurality of waveguide antennas, wherein the antenna system is and can be configured as an imaging radar sensor, an RF communication beamforming antenna, or a combination of an imaging radar sensor and an RF communication beamforming antenna, characterized in that, The method includes: At least a portion of the antenna system is configured to transmit radar signals and receive reflected radar signals; At least one parameter is determined from the received reflected radar signal for channel estimation; At least a portion of the antenna system is configured as a beamforming antenna to transmit and / or receive communication signals, wherein the frequency used for radar sensing is one-half or one-quarter of the RF communication frequency; Receive and / or transmit signals for at least one communication channel between the network element and the user equipment.

6. An antenna system for a mobile communication network base station, the antenna system comprising: An antenna array for beamforming, the antenna array comprising a plurality of bipolar patch antennas arranged in an array having m rows and n columns, where m and n are non-zero positive integers; as well as A controller, coupled to the antenna array, is configured to transmit or receive radio frequency (RF) signals for each of the plurality of bipolar patch antennas; The controller is used to: In a first mode, at least two of the plurality of bipolar patch antennas are configured to transmit and / or receive RF communication signals, and in a second mode, at least one of the plurality of bipolar patch antennas is configured to transmit radar signals and at least one additional antenna of the plurality of bipolar patch antennas is configured to receive reflected radar signals, wherein the frequency used for radar sensing is half or a quarter of the RF communication frequency; and The controller further configures each of the plurality of bipolar patch antennas to be the same one of the first polarization and the second polarization.

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