Antenna system for reducing interference

Abstract

An antenna system is described. A main antenna can be used to receive a first signal, a first auxiliary antenna can be used to receive a second signal from a first intended interference direction. An adjustment unit receives the second signal and is used to adjust the second signal. A combiner unit receives the first signal and the adjusted second signal and is used to combine the adjusted second signal with the first signal to reduce any impact of the second signal on the first signal.

Description

[0001] Cross-references

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Serial No. 16 / 585,132, filed on September 27, 2019, entitled “AN ANTENNA SYSTEM,” the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Technical Field

[0003] The present application relates to an antenna system capable of achieving full-duplex operation. Background Art

[0004] In an antenna system, one goal of the main antenna is typically to receive the desired signal with as high a signal strength as possible.

[0005] In practice, multiple antenna systems are often co-located on a single antenna tower (e.g., a single base station). Consequently, the primary antenna of one antenna system may receive unwanted interference from other antenna systems co-located on the tower. In some cases, the multiple antenna systems may be associated with different carriers. The primary antenna may also receive unwanted signals from other sources not located on the tower.

[0006] Modern antenna systems already incorporate various techniques to filter unwanted signals from the signal received by the primary antenna. Traditional methods for achieving this include signal processing techniques on the digitized signal, which often require complex algorithms to remove any interference, and techniques such as beamforming to steer the primary antenna's beam in the direction of the desired signal to avoid unwanted interference.

[0007] A more accurate and / or efficient method is needed to remove unwanted signal content from the signal received by the primary antenna. Summary of the Invention

[0008] In a first aspect, the present application describes an antenna system, comprising: a main antenna for receiving a first signal; a first auxiliary antenna for receiving a second signal from a first expected interference direction; an adjustment unit, communicating with the first auxiliary antenna to receive the second signal and for adjusting the second signal; a combiner unit, communicating with the main antenna to receive the first signal and communicating with the adjustment unit to receive the adjusted second signal, the combiner unit being configured to combine the adjusted second signal with the first signal to reduce any impact of the second signal on the first signal.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present application, the antenna system may configure the first auxiliary antenna to be positioned relative to the main antenna at a position for receiving a stronger second signal.

[0010] In any of the above embodiments, the antenna system may further include a second adjustment unit, wherein the second adjustment unit communicates with the main antenna to receive the first signal and adjusts the first signal before providing the signal to the combiner unit.

[0011] In any of the above embodiments, the antenna system may include: the main antenna is an antenna array, and the first auxiliary antenna is an array element of the main antenna.

[0012] In any of the above embodiments, the main antenna of the antenna system may be a duplex transceiver, and the first auxiliary antenna may be a receiving antenna.

[0013] In any of the foregoing embodiments, the antenna system may further include a second auxiliary antenna configured to receive a third signal from a second expected interference direction. The adjustment unit communicates with the second auxiliary antenna to receive and adjust the third signal, and the combiner unit communicates with the adjustment unit to receive the adjusted third signal and further to reduce any impact of the third signal on the first signal.

[0014] In any of the above embodiments, the second auxiliary antenna of the antenna system may be positioned relative to the main antenna and the first auxiliary antenna to receive a stronger third signal.

[0015] In any of the above embodiments, the antenna system may include: the adjustment unit is configured to adjust the second signal by applying a phase shift according to a distance between the main antenna and the first auxiliary antenna.

[0016] In any of the above embodiments, the antenna system may include: the adjustment unit is configured to adjust the second signal by applying a gain adjustment to the second signal according to a distance between the main antenna and the first auxiliary antenna.

[0017] In any of the above embodiments, the antenna system may include: the adjusting unit is configured to adjust the second signal by applying a time delay to the second signal according to a distance between the main antenna and the first auxiliary antenna.

[0018] In any of the above embodiments, the antenna system adjustment unit may include a gain unit, a phase shifter, and a delay unit.

[0019] In any of the above embodiments of the antenna system, the adjustment unit is configured to adjust the second signal according to a distance between the main antenna and the first auxiliary antenna.

[0020] In any of the above embodiments, the antenna system may include: the first signal is transmitted to the combiner through a connector of a certain length, and the connector of a certain length causes the first signal to be received at the combiner as a delayed first signal with a time delay, and the time delay of the delayed first signal is selected so that the adjusted second signal is subtracted from the delayed first signal when combining.

[0021] In any of the above embodiments, the first auxiliary antenna of the antenna system may point in the first expected interference direction, away from the expected source of the first signal.

[0022] In any of the above embodiments, the antenna system adjustment unit may be collocated with the combiner unit.

[0023] In any of the above embodiments, the antenna system auxiliary antenna may be connected to a side port of the main antenna.

[0024] In a second aspect, an antenna system may include an antenna array and a control unit in communication with the antenna array. The antenna array may be configured by the control unit to generate a main receive lobe and an interference receive lobe; the main receive lobe is directed to receive a first signal; and the interference receive lobe is directed to receive a second signal from a first expected interference direction. An adjustment unit may be in communication with the antenna array and configured to receive and adjust the second signal; and a combiner unit may be in communication with the adjustment unit and the antenna array and configured to combine the adjusted second signal with the first signal to reduce any impact of the second signal on the first signal.

[0025] In one embodiment of the present application, the antenna adjustment unit may be co-located with the control unit and the combiner unit.

[0026] In another embodiment, the antenna adjustment unit may include at least a gain unit. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Reference will now be made by way of example to the accompanying drawings which show exemplary embodiments of the present application, in which:

[0028] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary communication system suitable for implementing the examples described herein;

[0029] Figure 2 An exemplary antenna tower with a jammer transmitter and a first signal to be received by a primary antenna is shown;

[0030] Figure 3 An exemplary antenna system provided by examples described herein located on an antenna tower having a jammer, and a first signal are shown;

[0031] Figure 4A is a schematic diagram of an exemplary architecture of an antenna system having a first auxiliary antenna;

[0032] Figure 4B is a schematic diagram of an exemplary architecture of an antenna system having a first auxiliary antenna and a second auxiliary antenna;

[0033] Figure 5 An exemplary antenna system located on a building suitable for implementing the examples described herein is shown;

[0034] Figure 6 and Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary architecture of an adjustment unit of an antenna system;

[0035] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary antenna system polarization architecture and associated radiation pattern;

[0036] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary antenna system polarization architecture and associated radiation patterns.

[0037] The same reference numbers may be used in different drawings to identify the same components. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] This application describes examples that can be used to implement antenna systems. The examples described herein can help improve signal quality when operating a duplex transceiver by more effectively canceling over-the-air interference from jammers in a more cost-effective manner.

[0039] A typical antenna tower or other physical structure for antenna installation may include multiple physically adjacent base station antenna arrays. These antenna arrays, for example, are operated by different service providers and may generate interfering transmission signals, thereby making full-duplex operation impossible or difficult to achieve.

[0040] Full-duplex technology allows wireless signals to be transmitted and received using a shared antenna and transceiver. In full-duplex communication, the transmitted and received signals are communicated using the same time-frequency resources (for example, using the same carrier frequency at the same time). Full-duplex communication has the potential to double the communication capacity within a given bandwidth. However, in full-duplex communication, the management and mitigation of interfering signals is crucial to maintaining an acceptable signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for the received signal.

[0041] When the primary antenna of one antenna system can access the interfering signal caused by another antenna system, various conventional techniques can be used to achieve full-duplex cancellation (e.g., in the analog or digital domain). In other cases, the primary antenna cannot access the interfering signal (e.g., as described above, where the transmitting antennas are operated by different service providers), or the primary antenna is inconvenient to provide or access the interfering signal. In such cases, there are currently no conventional methods for reducing the interfering signal.

[0042] In such scenarios, interfering signals may prevent full-duplex communications and may be of particular concern in the presence of adjacent frequency channel interference.

[0043] This application describes an example of an antenna system that is suitable for sampling interference signals transmitted over the air by an adjacent base station antenna array. The sampled interference signals may be interference signals in frequency channels adjacent to the full-duplex frequency channel of the primary antenna.

[0044] In the examples described herein, the antenna system samples over-the-air interference signals and may include one or more auxiliary antenna elements in addition to the primary antenna. The antenna system may sample over-the-air interference signals using the auxiliary antennas, which have higher gain in the direction of the interference signals. The samples of the interference signals are sent to a nulling circuit to reduce the amplitude of the interference signals present in the desired signal received by the primary antenna.

[0045] Figure 1 An exemplary wireless communication system 100 (also referred to as wireless system 100) in which embodiments of the present application may be implemented is shown. Generally, wireless system 100 enables multiple wireless or wired elements to transmit data and other content. Wireless system 100 enables content (e.g., voice, data, video, text, etc.) to be transmitted between entities of system 100 (e.g., via broadcast, narrowcast, user device to user device, etc.). Wireless system 100 may be suitable for wireless communications using 5G technology and / or next generation wireless technologies (e.g., 6G or higher). In some examples, wireless system 100 may also be compatible with some legacy wireless technologies (e.g., 3G or 4G wireless technologies). Wireless communications may be implemented using an antenna system, as described below.

[0046] In the illustrated example, wireless system 100 includes electronic devices (EDs) 110a-110c (generally referred to as EDs 110), radio access networks (RANs) 120a-120b (generally referred to as RANs 120), a core network 130, a public switched telephone network (PSTN) 140, the Internet 150, and other networks 160. In some examples, one or more of these networks may be omitted or replaced with a different type of network. Other networks may be included in wireless system 100. Although Figure 1 A certain number of these components or elements are shown, but any reasonable number of these components or elements may be included in the wireless system 100 .

[0047] The ED 110 is used to operate, communicate, or both in the wireless system 100. For example, the ED 110 can be used to transmit, receive, or both transmit and receive through a wireless communication channel. Each ED 110 represents any suitable end-user device for wireless operation, and may include (or may be referred to as) user equipment / device (UE), wireless transmit / receive unit (WTRU), mobile station, fixed or mobile subscriber unit, cellular phone, workstation (STA), machine type communication (MTC) device, personal digital assistant (PDA), smartphone, laptop, computer, tablet computer, wireless sensor, or consumer electronic device. The next generation of ED 110 may be referred to using other terms.

[0048] exist Figure 1 In the embodiment, RAN 120 includes base stations (BSs) 170a-170b (generally referred to as BSs 170). Each BS 170 is configured to wirelessly connect to one or more EDs in ED 110 to enable access to any other BSs 170, core network 130, PSTN 140, Internet 150, and / or other networks 160.

[0049] For example, BS 170 may include (or be) one or more of several well-known devices, such as a base transceiver station (BTS), a wireless base station, a NodeB, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB / eNB), a home eNodeB, a gNodeB (sometimes referred to as a next-generation NodeB or gNB), a transmission point (TP), a transmit and receive point (TRP), a site controller, an access point (AP), or a wireless router. Next-generation BS 170 may be referred to using other terms. Alternatively or in addition, ED 110 may be configured to connect, access, or communicate with any other BS 170, the Internet 150, the core network 130, the PSTN 140, other networks 160, or any combination thereof using the antenna system of the present disclosure. Wireless system 100 may include a RAN, such as RAN 120b, where the corresponding BS 170b accesses the core network 130 via the Internet 150, as shown.

[0050] BS 170 is an example of a communication device that can be used to implement some or all of the functionality and / or embodiments of the antenna system described herein. Figure 1In the illustrated embodiment, BS 170a forms part of RAN 120a, which may include other BSs, one or more base station controllers (BSCs), one or more radio network controllers (RNCs), relay nodes, elements, and / or devices. Any BS 170 may be a single element, as shown, or multiple elements distributed across a corresponding RAN, and so on. Additionally, BS 170b forms part of RAN 120b, which may include other BSs, elements, and / or devices. Each BS 170 transmits and / or receives wireless signals within a specific geographic area or region (sometimes referred to as a "cell" or "coverage area"). Cells may be further divided into cell sectors; for example, a BS 170 may use multiple transceivers to provide service to multiple sectors. In some embodiments, there may be established pico or femto cells, which may be supported by the radio access technology. A macro cell may include one or more smaller cells. In some embodiments, multiple transceivers may be used for each cell using multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology, etc. The number of RANs 120 shown is merely exemplary. Any number of RANs may be considered when designing the wireless system 100.

[0051] BS 170 utilizes the antenna system described herein to communicate with one or more EDs in ED 110 via one or more air interfaces 190a using wireless communication links (e.g., radio frequency (RF), microwave, infrared (IR), etc.). ED 110 can also communicate directly with each other via one or more sidelink air interfaces 190b. Interfaces 190a and 190b can generally be referred to as air interfaces 190. BS-ED communication via interface 190a and ED-ED communication via interface 190b can use similar communication technologies. For example, the polarized flow architecture disclosed herein can be used for BS-ED communication as well as for ED-ED communication. Air interfaces 190 can use any suitable wireless access technology. For example, the wireless system 100 may implement one or more channel access methods, such as code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA), or single-carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA), in the air interface 190. According to the examples described herein, the air interface 190 may utilize other high-dimensional signal spaces, which may involve a combination of orthogonal and / or non-orthogonal dimensions.

[0052] RAN 120 communicates with core network 130 to provide various services, such as voice, data, and other services, to ED 110. RAN 120 and / or core network 130 may communicate directly or indirectly with one or more other RANs (not shown), which may or may not be directly served by core network 130 and may or may not utilize the same radio access technology as RAN 120a, RAN 120b, or both. Core network 130 may also serve as a gateway for (i) between RANs 120, between EDs 110, or both, and (ii) between other networks (e.g., PSTN 140, Internet 150, and other networks 160). Furthermore, some or all EDs 110 may include functionality to communicate with different wireless networks over different wireless links using different wireless technologies and / or protocols. ED 110 may communicate with a service provider or switch (not shown) and with Internet 150 via wired communication channels, rather than wireless communication (or in addition to wireless communication). PSTN 140 may include a circuit-switched telephone network used to provide plain old telephone service (POTS). Internet 150 may include a network of computers and subnets (intranets), or both, incorporating protocols such as Internet Protocol (IP), Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), and User Datagram Protocol (UDP). ED 110 may be a multimode device capable of operating according to multiple wireless access technologies, incorporating multiple transceivers required to support such technologies.

[0053] Figure 2 An exemplary embodiment of an antenna tower 200 is shown supporting a conventional primary antenna and a nearby interfering antenna. Figure 2 An antenna tower 200 is shown, but it should be understood that antennas can be supported by any physical structure (including buildings or poles), and adjacent antennas do not need to be supported by the same physical structure. In the example shown, the antenna tower 200 supports a first jammer antenna 204a, a second jammer antenna 204b, a third jammer antenna 204c, a fourth jammer antenna 204d, and a fifth jammer antenna 204e (hereinafter collectively referred to as the jammers 204), as well as a conventional main antenna 202.

[0054] Figure 2Each antenna described in may comprise a conventional array of antenna elements arranged atop a single reflector, with relatively high gain near boresight (eg, toward a cell sector) and relatively low gain near the plane of the radome.

[0055] The jammer 204 can be configured to operate in a channel adjacent to the channel used by the primary antenna 202, thereby generating interference. The primary antenna 202 is configured to acquire the desired signal 206. This configuration can include any combination of positions relative to the source of the desired signal, and in the case where the legacy primary antenna 202 is an antenna array, the configuration can include using beamforming to steer the legacy primary antenna 202 in a direction of higher path gain for the desired signal 206.

[0056] In the exemplary embodiment, third and fifth jammers 204c and 204e generate unwanted signals, shown as second and third signals 208c and 208e, respectively. Desired signal 206, second and third signals 208c and 208e can all be received by legacy primary antenna 202 and collectively form a "first signal." The first signal can be comprised of any number of desired signals (e.g., desired signal 206) and unwanted signals (e.g., second and third signals 208c and 208e) received by legacy primary antenna 202.

[0057] Figure 3 An exemplary embodiment of an antenna tower 200 is shown, in which an example antenna system of the present application is installed. Antenna system 300 includes a main antenna 302. In an exemplary embodiment, antenna system 300 includes a first auxiliary antenna 310 (also known as a peripheral antenna) for receiving a second signal 208c from the direction of a jamming transmitter 204c. For clarity, this first auxiliary antenna is shown in bold. In an exemplary embodiment where the location of jamming transmitter 204 is unknown, first auxiliary antenna 310 is used to receive a possible second signal 208c from the expected direction of jamming transmitter 204c.

[0058] In the illustrated embodiment, the position of the jammer 204 relative to the conventional main antenna 302, and therefore the direction of one or more jamming signals (e.g., signals 208c, 208e) from the jammer, can be known before the main antenna 302 is installed on the antenna tower 200. The operator of the main antenna 302 can also know the geometry of the main antenna 302 relative to the jammer 204, including the distance between the main antenna 302 and adjacent jammers 204, the relative angle between the main antenna 302 and adjacent jammers 204, the frequency at which the jammer 204 operates, and so on. These values ​​can be used to configure the adjustment unit and the combiner unit (described below).

[0059] In exemplary embodiments, the location of the jamming transmitter 204 relative to the primary antenna 302 may not be known when the primary antenna 302 is installed. In these embodiments, the expected interference direction may be the direction in which the jamming transmitter is expected to be installed relative to the primary antenna 302. In exemplary embodiments, there may be predefined fixed slots for mounting antennas on the antenna tower 200, such that the location of any jamming transmitter 204 is one of a limited number of predetermined locations. In exemplary embodiments, the expected interference direction can be determined by identifying possible locations where the jamming transmitter may be installed to serve customers in the area. For example, by knowing that a large number of mobile users are active on the northwest side of the antenna tower 200 and that the jamming transmitter is likely to be installed in one of the available locations on the antenna tower 200 closest to the northwest direction, the expected interference direction can be determined.

[0060] The first auxiliary antenna 310 is generally positioned to receive the second signal 208c before the primary antenna 302 receives the second signal 208c. The first auxiliary antenna 310 can be positioned relative to the primary antenna 302 to receive the second signal 208c with a higher path gain. In some embodiments, for example, the first auxiliary antenna 310 can receive the second signal 208c with a lower gain (e.g., the first auxiliary antenna 310 may not be pointed directly at the jammer 204c), but the first auxiliary antenna 310 can still be positioned to receive the second signal 208c before the primary antenna 302, and the first auxiliary antenna 310 can still receive the second signal 208c with a higher signal strength than the primary antenna 302. In the illustrated embodiment, the first auxiliary antenna 310 is located between the primary antenna 302 and the jammer 204c and is in a direct path to the second signal 208c.

[0061] In an exemplary embodiment, the primary antenna 302 is mounted within a full-duplex transceiver. In an exemplary embodiment, the first auxiliary antenna 310 (and possibly one or more additional auxiliary antennas, in other embodiments, such as those described further below) is a simplex receiver and, due to its limited functionality, can be relatively inexpensive, thereby enabling a low-cost approach to improving unwanted signal mitigation / cancellation.

[0062] In some embodiments, the second auxiliary antenna 320 (shown as a dashed line, bold box for clarity) is collocated with the main antenna 302, as shown in FIG. Figure 3 As shown. For example, the second auxiliary antenna 320 can be located on the same reflector as the main antenna 302. The relative position of the second auxiliary antenna 320 within the housing of the main antenna 302 can be configured so that the second auxiliary antenna 320 is positioned relative to the main antenna 302 to receive a stronger third signal 208e from the jammer 204e. In an exemplary embodiment, the second auxiliary antenna 320 is attached to a side port (not shown) of the main antenna 302.

[0063] exist Figure 3 In the exemplary embodiment shown, the second auxiliary antenna 320 is positioned to receive the third signal 208e from the second expected interference direction (in this case, the direction of the interfering transmitter 204e). In the exemplary embodiment, the second auxiliary antenna 320 is positioned relative to the main antenna 302 and the first auxiliary antenna 310 to receive a stronger third signal 208e. For example, this can be achieved through physical proximity, or it can be achieved through beamforming, wherein the second auxiliary antenna 320 is pointed toward the third signal 208e.

[0064] The antenna system described herein may utilize a primary antenna 302 and any number of auxiliary antennas. In an exemplary embodiment, the operator of the antenna system 300 may not be able to access the interfering signal (e.g., where the transmitting antenna is operated by a different service provider), or the primary antenna 302 may not be readily available or accessible to the interfering (or unwanted) signal. This application does not require that the antenna system be able to access the content of the interfering (or unwanted) signal.

[0065] Figure 4A An exemplary embodiment of an antenna system 400 is shown. The antenna system 400 is Figure 3 1. Antenna system 400 includes a primary antenna 302 and a first auxiliary antenna 310. Second signal 208c is generated by jammer 204c and received by primary antenna 302 and first auxiliary antenna 310. The primary antenna also receives desired signal 206. The sum of all signals received by primary antenna 302 is referred to herein as the "first signal," which can be comprised of any combination of second signal 208c and one or more desired signals 206. In some embodiments, the first signal is comprised of the effects of reflected signals from desired signal 206, second signal 208c, and a signal transmitted by primary antenna 302 operating in full-duplex mode.

[0066] The first auxiliary antenna 310 communicates with the adjustment unit 402 and transmits the second signal 208c to the adjustment unit 402 after receiving the second signal 208c. The first auxiliary antenna 310 can communicate with the adjustment unit 402 via a wired connection or wirelessly. In an exemplary embodiment, the wired connection between the first auxiliary antenna 310 and the adjustment unit 402 is a conductor (not shown) having a certain length. Based on the length of the conductor, the conductor causes the second signal 208c to be received at the adjustment unit 402 as a delayed second signal 208c having a time delay. The adjustment unit 402 applies further adjustments to the second signal 208c (as further discussed below) to output an adjusted second signal 208c-1.

[0067] In the illustrated embodiment, the primary antenna 302 transmits the received first signal 207 (which may include a component interfering with the second signal 208c and the desired signal 206) to a second adjustment unit 412 (e.g., a time delay unit). In an exemplary embodiment, the primary antenna 302 is configured to transmit the received first signal to a combiner unit 410, which may include a second adjustment unit 412. In an exemplary embodiment, the second adjustment unit 412 is a conductor having a length that, based on the length of the conductor, causes the first signal 207 to be received at the combiner unit 410 as a delayed first signal 207-1 having a time delay.

[0068] The second adjustment unit 412 is configured to apply a time delay to the first signal 207 based on the relative positions of the primary antenna 202 and the first auxiliary antenna 310, and based on any time delay introduced by the processing performed at the adjustment unit 402 (discussed further below). For example, when the primary antenna 302 and the first auxiliary antenna 310 are positioned such that the primary antenna 302 is expected to receive the second signal 208c 10 milliseconds after the first auxiliary antenna 310 receives the second signal 208c, the adjustment unit 402 may time-shift the second signal 208c received from the first auxiliary antenna 310 by 10 milliseconds (in addition to the known delay of transmitting the second signal 208c from the first auxiliary antenna 310 to the adjustment unit 402). When the optional second adjustment unit 412 applies a time delay to the first signal 207, the adjustment unit 402 may not need to perform a time delay adjustment on the second signal 208c, and vice versa.

[0069] The adjustments performed by adjustment unit 402 are intended to generate a signal that can be used to mitigate the effects of interference associated with signal 208c. In some embodiments, the output of adjustment unit 402 is used to cancel a portion of the signal received by primary antenna 302 that corresponds to the unwanted interfering signal (in the exemplary embodiment, second signal 208c) received by first auxiliary antenna 310. For example, adjustment unit 402 can adjust second signal 208c so that the adjusted second signal 208c-1 received at combiner 410 (discussed below) is 180° out of phase with delayed first signal 207-1, also received at combiner 410. In other embodiments, adjustment unit 402 can introduce a time delay to compensate for the time difference associated with receiving the interfering signal at primary antenna 302. It should also be understood that adjustment unit 402 can ensure that the adjusted second signal 208c-1 is attenuated compared to the received signal to account for differences in known or assumed distances between interfering transmitter 204c and first auxiliary antenna 310 and primary antenna 302, respectively.

[0070] In an exemplary embodiment, the adjustment unit 402 adjusts the second signal 208c by applying a phase shift. For example, the adjustment unit 402 may include a phase shifter (discussed further below). The phase shifter can adjust the second signal 208c received by the first auxiliary antenna 310 based on the relative positions of the main antenna 302 and the first auxiliary antenna 310, similar to the scenario described above with respect to the second adjustment unit 412. For example, the position of the first auxiliary antenna 310 relative to the main antenna 202 is known, such that the time difference between the time when the second signal 208c arrives at the first auxiliary antenna 310 and the time when the second signal 208c arrives at the main antenna 302 is known. The time required for the signal to travel to the combiner unit 410 and any time delay introduced by the adjustment units 402, 412 may also be known (e.g., through empirical measurement). Therefore, the appropriate amount of phase shift that the adjustment unit 402 should apply can be determined so that the adjusted second signal 208c-1 is aligned with or 180° out of phase with the interfering component in the delayed first signal 207-1, thereby canceling or mitigating the interfering component in the combiner unit 410.

[0071] In an exemplary embodiment, the adjustment unit 402 includes a gain unit (not shown). The gain unit can adjust the second signal 208c received by the first auxiliary antenna 310 based on the relative positions of the main antenna 202 and the first auxiliary antenna 310. As described above, this gain adjustment is generally attenuation. The strength of the received signal is generally associated with the distance the signal propagated. Since the interfering signal (e.g., the second signal 208c) propagates a known distance between the main antenna 302 and the first auxiliary antenna 310, this information can be used to calculate an approximate value of the drop in signal strength of the interfering signal received at the main antenna 302 compared to the signal strength received at the first auxiliary antenna 310.

[0072] The adjustment unit 402 can be used to receive signals from any number of auxiliary antennas and apply adjustments to the signals. Figure 4B In an exemplary embodiment described herein, each auxiliary antenna can be coupled to an independent respective adjustment unit to apply adjustments as described above, or in an exemplary embodiment, multiple auxiliary antennas can be coupled to a signal adjustment unit. The adjustments applied to the signal received by each respective auxiliary antenna can be customized for each auxiliary antenna.

[0073] The output of the adjustment unit 402 is the adjusted second signal 208c-1, i.e., the second signal 208c adjusted by the adjustment unit 402 (e.g., using one or any combination of the above-mentioned phase shifter, gain shifter, or second adjustment unit). The adjusted second signal 208c-1 is provided to the combiner unit 410. The combiner unit 410 also receives the delayed first signal 207-1 output by the second adjustment unit 412.

[0074] In an exemplary embodiment, at least one of the signals received by auxiliary antenna 402 is not adjusted, for example, when the configuration of antenna system 400 is such that an interfering signal received by auxiliary antenna 402 will arrive at combiner unit 410 out of phase with an interfering component of the signal from primary antenna 302 .

[0075] For simplicity, the embodiment shown is described with reference to the first auxiliary antenna 310. Figure 4A As described above, the first auxiliary antenna 310 receives the second signal 208c. However, the first auxiliary antenna 310 may also receive some portion of the desired signal 206 (for simplicity, Figure 4A Receipt of the desired signal 206 at the first auxiliary antenna 310 is not shown. Using the signal received at the first auxiliary antenna 310 to cancel / mitigate components of the signal received at the main antenna 302, as described above, carries the risk of potentially removing some of the desired signal 206. However, the positions of the first auxiliary antenna 310 and the main antenna 302 relative to the interfering second signal 208c and the desired signal 206 can be such that the ratio of the interfering signal received at the first auxiliary antenna 310 to the desired signal 206 received at the first auxiliary antenna 310 is sufficiently high to avoid any unintended nulling or reduction of the desired signal 206 by combining the delayed first signal 207-1 with the adjusted second signal 208c-1 in the combiner unit 410. It should also be understood that implementations can provide physical shielding that further attenuates reception of the signal 206 by the first auxiliary antenna 310.

[0076] Now describe in detail Figure 4A4. An exemplary implementation of an antenna system 400 is shown. It should be understood that this is for illustration only and is not intended to be limiting. Consider an exemplary arrangement: a main antenna 302 is used to primarily receive a desired signal 206 from a service provider (or user equipment (UE)) (not shown), and a first auxiliary antenna 310 is used to primarily receive an interfering second signal 208c from an adjacent interfering transmitter 204c, which is offset by 90° relative to the service provider from the perspective of the antenna system 400. In the exemplary implementation, the main antenna 302 is configured with a +6dBi gain at a 0° reception angle (in the direction of the service provider) and a –15dBi gain at a 90° reception angle (in the direction of the interfering transmitter 204c); the first auxiliary antenna 310 is configured with a –20dBi gain at a 0° reception angle (in the direction of the service provider) and a +10dBi gain at a 90° reception angle (in the direction of the interfering transmitter 204c). Consider the following scenario: the distance between primary antenna 302 and the service provider is 32 meters, the distance between primary antenna 302 and interfering transmitter 204c is 2 meters, the service provider's transmit power is 27 dBm, and the interfering transmitter 204c's transmit power is 40 dBm. In this scenario, simulation results show that primary antenna 302 receives interfering second signal 208c at a power 25 dB lower than that of first auxiliary antenna 310. Furthermore, simulation results show that primary antenna 302 receives desired signal 206 at a power 27 dB higher than that of first auxiliary antenna 310. In other words, the power of interfering second signal 208c received at first auxiliary antenna 310 is greater than the power of interfering second signal 208c received at primary antenna 302; conversely, the power of desired signal 206 received at primary antenna 302 is greater than the power of desired signal 206 received at first auxiliary antenna 310. As described above, this eliminates / mitigates the interference component at combiner unit 410 without unacceptably degrading the power of desired signal 206.

[0077] Figure 4BAnother exemplary antenna system 400A is shown, comprising a main antenna 302, a first auxiliary antenna 310, and a second auxiliary antenna 320. It should be understood that the illustrated geometry is provided for illustrative purposes and should not be considered limiting. The second auxiliary antenna 320 can be used to primarily receive an interfering signal from another interfering transmitter 502. In the exemplary embodiment shown, another adjustment unit 402A communicates with the second auxiliary antenna 320 to receive a third signal 208e from the second auxiliary antenna 320 and output an adjusted third signal 208e-1. Although not shown, the signal received by the second auxiliary antenna 320 may include a combination of the third signal 208e and the desired signal 206. As described above, the ratio of the received interfering signal (in this case, the third signal 208e) to the desired signal 206 received by the second auxiliary antenna 320 is sufficiently high to avoid unintentional nulling of the desired signal 206 when the adjusted third signal 208e-1 is combined with the adjusted second signal 208c-1 and the delayed first signal 207-1 at the combiner unit 410.

[0078] The adjustment unit 402A may be configured similarly to the adjustment unit 402. The adjustment performed by the adjustment unit 402A is intended to mitigate / cancel the portion of the signal received by the primary antenna 202 that corresponds to the unwanted third signal 208c received by the second auxiliary antenna 320.

[0079] In general, the combiner unit 410 may receive any number of adjustment signals for combining with the time-delayed first signal from the primary antenna 202. For example, referring to Figure 4B , the combiner unit 410 may receive the adjusted signal (ie, the adjusted third signal 208e-1) from the adjustment unit 402A and the adjusted second signal 208c-1 from the adjustment unit 402, similar to the above Figure 4A In addition, the combiner unit 410 further receives the delayed first signal 207 - 1 output by the second adjustment unit 412 .

[0080] The combiner unit 410 combines all the signals received from the various sources. For example, if the adjusted second signal 208c-1 has been adjusted to be out of phase with the unwanted interference 180 in the first signal, the combiner unit 410 can add the adjusted second signal 208c-1 to the delayed first signal 207-1. For another example, if the adjusted second signal 208c-1 has been adjusted to align its phase with the interference in the first signal, the combiner unit 410 can subtract the adjusted second signal 208c-1 from the delayed first signal 207-1. For example, Figure 4BIn an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the combiner unit 410 combines (e.g., by adding) the adjustment signals received from the main antenna 302, the first auxiliary antenna 310, and the second auxiliary antenna 320. The output of the combiner unit 410 is a combined signal in which the content affected by the unwanted interfering second signal 208c and the third signal 208e has been reduced. The output of the combiner unit 410 can be provided as an input to another cancellation system (e.g., a cancellation system that can be used to implement full-duplex communication). In such cases, the output of the combiner unit 410 is typically an analog signal. In other implementations, such as implementations in which further cancellation is not required, the combiner unit 410 can provide a digitized combined signal as its output for further transmission.

[0081] In an exemplary embodiment, the adjustment units of the auxiliary antennas can be collocated with the combiner unit and / or the auxiliary antenna. For example, adjustment units 402 and 402A can be collocated with combiner unit 410, such that only conductors are required from each of the auxiliary antennas 310 and 320 to combiner unit 410. In an exemplary embodiment, some, but not all, adjustment units are collocated with combiner unit 410. Antenna system 400A may have space limitations that require adjustment unit 402 and combiner unit 410 to be collocated, or adjustment unit 402A and a second auxiliary antenna 320 to be collocated, with a conductor connecting the second auxiliary antenna 320 to combiner unit 410.

[0082] Figure 5 Another example of the disclosed antenna system 400A is shown. In this example, the main antenna 302 is shown located on top of a building 510. The main antenna 302, the first auxiliary antenna 310, and the second auxiliary antenna 320 can be located on any structure suitable for mounting antennas. In the illustrated embodiment, the first auxiliary antenna 310 is located on a building 520 that is different from the building 510 on which the main antenna 302 and the second auxiliary antenna 320 are mounted. It should be understood that the distances between the main antenna, the first auxiliary antenna, and the interference signal source should be known to coordinate the adjustment function. The distance between the main antenna and the remote auxiliary antenna is limited by the ability to provide an interference signal or a cancellation signal associated with the received interference signal to the adjustment unit or combiner without excessive delay at the antenna system 400. In the exemplary embodiment, the first and second auxiliary antennas 310, 320, and the main antenna 302 are located on different buildings but are in communication with the adjustment unit 402 and / or combiner unit 410 (not shown).

[0083] The interfering third signal 208e may originate from a structure other than the one or more structures supporting the primary antenna 302 and the auxiliary antennas 310, 320. Figure 5In the illustrated embodiment, third signal 208e originates from interference source 502 located on a structure not adjacent to primary antenna 302. Second auxiliary antenna 320 is mounted on building 510, but is not in the direct signal path between interference source 502 and primary antenna 302. Second auxiliary antenna 320 communicates with adjustment unit 402, either wired or wirelessly, which may be located on building 510 or 520. Second signal 208c generated by interfering transmitter 204c is received by first auxiliary antenna 310. First auxiliary antenna 310 communicates with adjustment unit 402, either wired or wirelessly. The operation of adjustment unit 402 and combiner unit 410 to cancel / mitigate interference is similar to that described above. It should be understood that the auxiliary antenna associated with the interfering signal should be positioned so that the signal strength of the received interfering signal is significantly higher than the signal strength of the received desired signal. If the auxiliary antenna is collocated with the primary antenna, it relies on directivity to ensure sufficiently strong signal strength. The further the auxiliary antenna is from the interference source, the more difficult it is to implement the adjustment unit.

[0084] Generally, the adjustment unit 402 may be implemented digitally or using analog components, for example. Figure 6 An exemplary adjustment unit 402 is shown for performing the adjustment using a digital processor. Figure 7 An exemplary trimming unit 402 is shown for performing the trimming using analog circuitry.

[0085] like Figure 6 As shown, in an exemplary digital implementation, the adjustment unit 402 includes at least one processing unit 601. The processing unit 601 implements various processing operations of the adjustment unit 402. For example, the processing unit 601 can perform gain adjustment, signal phase shift and / or signal time delay shift on the received signal, or any other function of the adjustment unit 402. The processing unit 601 can also be used to implement some or all of the functions and / or embodiments described in detail herein. Each processing unit 601 includes any suitable processing or computing device for performing one or more operations. For example, each processing unit 601 can include a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a digital signal processor, a field programmable gate array, or an application-specific integrated circuit. It should be understood that this digital implementation is suitable for use in systems that do not implement further analog cancellation (e.g., analog cancellation applicable to many full-duplex cancellation methods).

[0086] Figure 6The exemplary adjustment unit 402 also includes at least one communication interface 602 for wired and / or wireless communication. Each communication interface 602 includes any suitable structure for generating a signal for wireless or wired transmission, and / or for processing a signal received wirelessly or wired. In this example, the adjustment unit 402 includes at least one input connection 606, which is a wired connection, shown as a dotted line (in other examples, an antenna can be used). Each connection 606 can include any suitable structure for sending and / or receiving wireless or wired signals. One or more communication interfaces 602 can be used in the adjustment unit 402, for example, leading to the first auxiliary antenna 310 and the second auxiliary antenna 320, respectively. One or more connections 606 can be used in the adjustment unit 402.

[0087] The adjustment unit 402 may also include one or more output connectors 604. The one or more output connectors 606 support interaction with the combiner unit 410, which may be collocated with the adjustment unit 402 on the main antenna.

[0088] Adjustment unit 402 includes at least one memory 608. Memory 608 stores instructions and data used, generated, or collected by adjustment unit 402. For example, memory 608 can store software instructions or modules that implement some or all of the functionality and / or embodiments described herein and are executed by one or more processing units 601. Each memory 608 includes any suitable volatile and / or non-volatile storage and retrieval device. Any suitable type of memory can be used, such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), a hard disk, an optical disk, a subscriber identity module (SIM) card, a memory stick, a secure digital (SD) memory card, etc.

[0089] like Figure 7 As shown, in an exemplary analog implementation, adjustment unit 402 can be configured to perform adjustments using analog circuitry. In the exemplary embodiment shown, adjustment unit 402 includes a phase adjuster 702, a gain adjuster 704, and a time delay adjuster 706. Adjustment unit 402 can include any circuit element that performs predefined adjustments on received signals, whether received via communication interface 602 or otherwise. Adjustment unit 402 can include any one or any combination of the aforementioned elements. For example, adjustment unit 402 can include only phase adjuster 702.

[0090] In an exemplary embodiment, the adjustment unit 402 may not include the communication interface 602, and the received signal may be directly transmitted to the adjustment element (eg, the phase adjuster 702) via the connector 604; similarly, the signal output by the adjustment unit 402 may be directly output from the adjustment element via the connector 606.

[0091] Figure 8 The jammer 204c, the first auxiliary antenna 310, and the primary antenna 302 are shown. Figure 8 Polar plots 802, 804, and 806 representing the radiation pattern gains of the respective antennas are also shown.In the illustrated embodiment, the jammer 204c transmits a second signal (unwanted jammer) 208c that is received by both the first auxiliary antenna 310 and the primary antenna 302.

[0092] In the exemplary embodiment shown, the gain of the primary antenna 302 in the direction of the interfering signal is lower than the gain of the desired signal received in the 0° direction, as shown in plot 806. However, in addition to the desired first signal 206, the primary antenna 302 also receives some interference from the second signal 208c. The primary antenna 302 can receive unwanted signals from any direction other than the direction of the primary antenna 302's highest gain and still operate in accordance with the present application. In contrast to the primary antenna 302, the first auxiliary antenna 310 has its maximum gain directed toward the expected interference from the second signal 208c, as shown in plot 804. In the illustrated configuration, the first auxiliary antenna 310 receives a stronger second signal 208c (also referred to as having a greater path gain) than the primary antenna 302. In an exemplary embodiment, the gain of the first auxiliary antenna 310 may not be directed toward the second signal 208c (not shown), but the first auxiliary antenna 310 is still able to receive the second signal 208c with a higher path gain than the primary antenna 302.

[0093] The main antenna 302 and the first auxiliary antenna 310 can be configured in such a way that the first auxiliary antenna 310 has the highest gain or most of its gain in a direction away from the desired first signal 206, while the main antenna 302 is pointed in a direction away from the interfering second signal 208c, thereby minimizing or avoiding unintentional cancellation of the first signal that may occur by combining with the adjusted second signal as described above.

[0094] In some embodiments, for example, the path gain of the first auxiliary antenna 310 in the direction of the second signal 208c is greater than the path gain of the main antenna 302. In this scenario, the adjustment unit 402 is configured to adjust the second signal 208c received at the first auxiliary antenna 310 by reducing the amplitude of the second signal 208c, so that when the adjusted second signal 208c is combined with the first signal received by the main antenna 302 in the combiner unit 412 (as described above), there is no overcorrection.

[0095] In exemplary embodiments, the main antenna 302 may be an antenna array, and the first auxiliary antenna 310 may be an array element of the main antenna 302. The antenna array may be used to perform beamforming and beamsteering operations. In these embodiments, the antenna system may omit the first auxiliary antenna 310. Instead, the functionality of the first auxiliary antenna 310 may be implemented using the side lobes formed by the beamforming operation, as described below.

[0096] Now refer to Figure 9 In an exemplary embodiment, the antenna system 900 may include a single antenna array as the main antenna 302. The antenna system 900 includes a Figure 4A The adjustment unit and the combiner unit (not shown) of the main antenna 302 described in Figure 4A and Figure 4B The primary antenna 302 may be used to generate a primary receive lobe 910 and an interfering receive lobe 912 directed toward different locations through beamforming, as shown in the polar plot 902 .

[0097] In the exemplary embodiment shown, the main receive lobe 910 is directed toward the desired signal to be received, while the interfering receive lobe 912 is directed toward the interfering second signal 208c.

[0098] The main antenna 302 and the adjustment unit 402 (see Figure 7 ) communications, wherein the gain adjuster 704 adjusts the gain of the second signal 208c received from the interfering receive lobe 912 so that the adjusted second signal 208c, when combined with the signal received by the main receive lobe 910, mitigates / cancels the interference content in the desired expected signal.

[0099] Adjustment unit 402 and primary antenna 302 may be collocated (eg, on the same antenna mount). In an exemplary embodiment, adjustment unit 402, combiner unit 412, and primary antenna 302 are all collocated.

[0100] The present application may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the subject matter of the claims. The described exemplary embodiments are to be considered in all respects as illustrative only and not restrictive. Selected features from one or more of the above-described embodiments may be combined to create alternative embodiments not explicitly described, and features suitable for such combinations are understood to fall within the scope of the present application.

[0101] All values ​​and subranges within the disclosed ranges are also disclosed. In addition, although the systems, devices, and processes disclosed and illustrated herein may include a specific number of elements / components, these systems, devices, and components may be modified to include more or fewer such elements / components. For example, although any disclosed element / component may be a single quantity, the embodiments disclosed herein may be modified to include multiple such elements / components. The subject matter described herein is intended to encompass and include all suitable modifications in the technology.

Claims

1. An antenna system, characterized in that: include: a main antenna, configured to receive a first signal; a first auxiliary antenna, configured to receive a second signal from a first expected interference direction; an adjustment unit, communicating with the first auxiliary antenna to receive the second signal and configured to adjust the second signal; a combiner unit, communicating with the main antenna to receive the first signal, and communicating with the adjustment unit to receive the adjusted second signal, the combiner unit being configured to combine the adjusted second signal with the first signal to reduce any impact of the second signal on the first signal; The adjustment unit is specifically configured to adjust the second signal by applying a phase shift, a gain adjustment, and a time delay to the second signal according to a distance between the main antenna and the first auxiliary antenna; The antenna system further includes a second adjustment unit, wherein the second adjustment unit is in communication with the primary antenna to receive the first signal and adjust the first signal before providing the signal to the combiner unit; The second adjustment unit is configured to perform a time delay on the first signal according to the relative positions of the main antenna and the first auxiliary antenna and the time delay introduced by the adjustment unit; The adjusted second signal is 180° out of phase with the time-delayed first signal.

2. The antenna system according to claim 1, wherein The first auxiliary antenna is positioned relative to the main antenna at a position to receive a stronger second signal.

3. The antenna system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The main antenna is an antenna array, and the first auxiliary antenna is an array element of the main antenna.

4. The antenna system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The main antenna is a duplex transceiver, and the first auxiliary antenna is a receiving antenna.

5. The antenna system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that Also includes: a second auxiliary antenna, configured to receive a third signal from a second expected interference direction; the adjustment unit communicates with the second auxiliary antenna to receive and adjust the third signal; The combiner unit communicates with the adjustment unit to receive the adjusted third signal and is further configured to reduce any effect of the third signal on the first signal.

6. The antenna system according to claim 5, characterized in that The second auxiliary antenna is positioned relative to the main antenna and the first auxiliary antenna at a position to receive a stronger third signal.

7. The antenna system according to any one of claims 1, 2 or 6, characterized in that: The adjustment unit includes a gain unit, a phase shifter and a delay unit.

8. The antenna system according to any one of claims 1, 2 or 6, characterized in that: The second adjustment unit is a connector of a certain length, and the first signal is transmitted to the combiner through the connector of a certain length. The connector of a certain length enables the first signal to be received at the combiner as a delayed first signal with a time delay, and the time delay of the delayed first signal is selected so that the adjusted second signal is subtracted from the delayed first signal when combining.

9. The antenna system according to any one of claims 1, 2 or 6, characterized in that: The first auxiliary antenna points to the first expected interference direction and is far away from an expected source of the first signal.

10. The antenna system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The adjustment unit and the combiner unit are juxtaposed.

11. The antenna system according to any one of claims 1, 2 or 6, characterized in that: The auxiliary antenna is attached to a side port of the main antenna.

12. An antenna, characterized in that: include: Antenna arrays; a control unit, communicating with the antenna array; The antenna array is configured by the control unit to generate a main receive lobe and an interference receive lobe; The main receive lobe is directed to receive a first signal; The interference receive lobe is directed to receive a second signal from a first expected interference direction; an adjustment unit, communicating with the antenna array and configured to receive and adjust the second signal; a combiner unit, communicating with the adjustment unit and the antenna array, and configured to combine the adjusted second signal with the first signal to reduce any impact of the second signal on the first signal; The adjustment unit is specifically configured to adjust the second signal by applying a phase shift, a gain adjustment, and a time delay to the second signal according to a distance between the main antenna and the first auxiliary antenna; a second adjustment unit, wherein the second adjustment unit is in communication with the primary antenna to receive the first signal and adjust the first signal before providing the signal to the combiner unit; The second adjustment unit is configured to perform a time delay on the first signal according to the relative positions of the main antenna and the first auxiliary antenna and the time delay introduced by the adjustment unit; wherein the adjusted second signal is 180° out of phase with the time-delayed first signal; The main antenna is the antenna array, the first auxiliary antenna is an array element of the main antenna, the main antenna is used to generate the main receiving lobe and the interference receiving lobe pointing to different positions through beamforming, and the function of the first auxiliary antenna is realized using the side lobe formed by the beamforming operation.

13. The antenna according to claim 12, wherein: The adjustment unit, the control unit and the combiner unit are arranged in parallel.

14. The antenna according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that: The adjustment unit at least includes a gain unit.

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