Radio frequency (RF) amplifier circuit for an antenna system having a modal antenna

Abstract

An antenna system is provided. The antenna system includes a modal antenna disposed on a circuit board. The modal antenna includes a driven element and a parasitic element. The modal antenna is capable of operating in multiple different modes. Each of the multiple modes has a different radiation pattern. The antenna system also includes a radio frequency amplifier circuit disposed on the circuit board. The radio frequency amplifier circuit is coupled between the driven element of the modal antenna and a transmission line.

Description

[0001] Priority Declaration

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 965,385, filed January 24, 2020, and entitled “RF AMPLIFIER CIRCUIT FOR ANTENNA SYSTEM WITH MODAL ANTENNA,” which is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates generally to antenna systems and, more particularly, to an RF amplifier circuit for an antenna system having a modal antenna. Background Art

[0004] Modal antennas are increasingly used in wireless communications, such as in smartphones. Compared to traditional passive antennas, such antennas generally offer improved signal quality and a more compact form factor. Modal antennas include a parasitic element that is configured to alter the radiation pattern associated with a driven element. In this way, modal antennas can be configured in a variety of different modes. Furthermore, each of these multiple modes can have a different radiation pattern and / or polarization. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Various aspects and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be learned from the description, or may be learned through practice of the embodiments.

[0006] In one aspect, an antenna system is provided. The antenna system includes a modal antenna disposed on a circuit board. The modal antenna includes a driven element and a parasitic element. The modal antenna is capable of operating in multiple different modes. Each of the multiple modes has a different radiation pattern. The antenna system also includes a radio frequency amplifier circuit disposed on the circuit board. The radio frequency amplifier circuit is coupled between the driven element of the modal antenna and a transmission line.

[0007] In another aspect, an antenna system is provided. The antenna system includes a modal antenna disposed on a first circuit board. The modal antenna includes a driven element and a parasitic element. The modal antenna is capable of operating in multiple different modes. Each of the multiple modes has a different radiation pattern. The antenna system also includes a radio frequency amplifier circuit disposed on the first circuit board. The radio frequency amplifier circuit is coupled between the driven element and a transmission line coupling the first circuit board to a second circuit board.

[0008] In yet another aspect, a method for controlling the operation of an antenna system is provided, the antenna system comprising a modal antenna and a radio frequency amplifier circuit disposed on a common circuit board. The method includes obtaining a radio frequency signal via a driven element of the modal antenna. The method also includes amplifying the radio frequency signal via the radio frequency amplifier circuit coupled between the driven element and a single coaxial transmission line to generate an amplified radio frequency signal. The method also includes providing the amplified radio frequency signal to the radio frequency circuit of the antenna system via the single coaxial transmission line.

[0009] These and other features, aspects and advantages of the embodiments will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims.The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the relevant principles. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] For those skilled in the art, the embodiments are discussed in detail in the specification with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0011] Figure 1 A block diagram depicting various components of an antenna system according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0012] Figure 2 depicts an RF amplifier circuit according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0013] Figure 3 A flow chart depicting a method for controlling operation of an antenna system according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0014] Figure 4 depicts a modal antenna according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0015] Figure 5 depicts a two-dimensional radiation pattern associated with a modal antenna according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0016] Figure 6 Depicted is a frequency diagram of a modal antenna according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of these embodiments, not limitation of the present disclosure. Indeed, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations may be made to these embodiments without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. For example, features shown or described as part of one embodiment may be used with another embodiment to produce yet another embodiment. Therefore, it is intended that aspects of the present disclosure encompass such modifications and variations.

[0018] Example aspects of the present disclosure are directed to an antenna system. The antenna system may include a modal antenna disposed on a circuit board. The modal antenna may include a parasitic element and a driven element. The modal antenna may be configured in a plurality of different modes. Each of the plurality of modes may have a different radiation pattern. As will be discussed below, the antenna system may also include a radio frequency (RF) amplifier circuit disposed on the circuit board to amplify RF signals received by the driven element of the modal antenna.

[0019] In some embodiments, the RF amplifier circuit may include a low noise amplifier. The low noise amplifier may be electrically connected to the driving element. In this way, the RF signal received by the driving element of the modal antenna may be provided to the low noise amplifier. The low noise amplifier may be configured to amplify the RF signal. The amplified RF signal may then be provided to the RF circuit of the antenna system (e.g., an RF front-end module) for further processing. In some embodiments, the amplified RF signal may be provided to the RF circuit via a transmission line (e.g., a coaxial cable). For example, in some embodiments, the RF circuit may be provided on a circuit board different from the circuit board on which the RF amplifier circuit is provided. In these embodiments, the transmission line may provide a communication link between the two circuit boards. In these embodiments, the transmission line may facilitate communication between the RF amplifier circuit and the RF circuit. In alternative embodiments, the RF circuit and the RF amplifier circuit may be provided on the same circuit board.

[0020] In some embodiments, the antenna system may include one or more control devices. The one or more control devices may be operably coupled to the RF amplifier circuit via a transmission line. In this manner, the one or more control devices may provide one or more control signals to the RF amplifier circuit via the transmission line. For example, in some embodiments, the one or more control signals may be associated with controlling the operation of a low-noise amplifier. In this manner, the operation of the low-noise amplifier may be controlled without requiring a separate communication line to provide the one or more control signals.

[0021] In some embodiments, the RF amplifier circuit may include a first switching device and a second switching device. The first switching device may be coupled between a low-noise amplifier and a driven element of a modal antenna. In this manner, the low-noise amplifier may be selectively coupled to the driven element of the modal antenna via the first switching device. The second switching device may be coupled between the low-noise amplifier and a transmission line. In this manner, the low-noise amplifier may be selectively coupled to the transmission line via the second switching device.

[0022] In some embodiments, the RF amplifier circuit may include a third switching device coupled between the transmission line and the driven element of the modal antenna. For example, the RF circuit may be coupled to the driven element of the modal antenna via the third switching device. In this manner, one or more RF signals provided by the RF circuit to the driven element of the modal antenna may bypass a low-noise amplifier of the RF amplifier circuit. In some embodiments, the one or more control signals provided by the one or more control devices to the RF amplifier circuit may be associated with controlling the operation of at least one of the aforementioned switching devices (e.g., the first switching device, the second switching device, and the third switching device) of the RF amplifier circuit.

[0023] The antenna system according to various exemplary aspects of the present disclosure can have many technical effects and advantages. For example, because the RF amplifier circuit is located on the same circuit board as the modal antenna, the RF signal received by the driven element of the modal antenna is not provided to the RF amplifier circuit via a transmission line (e.g., a coaxial cable). In this regard, attenuation of the RF signal caused at least in part by the noise figure associated with the transmission line (e.g., approximately 1 decibel (dB) to approximately 1.5 dB) can be eliminated. In this way, the performance of the antenna system (e.g., receiver sensitivity) can be improved. Moreover, the use of a transmission line to transmit one or more control signals associated with controlling the operation of the RF amplifier circuit eliminates the need to have two separate transmission lines (one for providing the output of the low noise amplifier (e.g., the amplified RF signal) and the other for providing one or more control signals associated with controlling the operation of the low noise amplifier).

[0024] As used herein, the terms “first,” “second,” and “third” are used interchangeably to distinguish one component from another and are not intended to indicate the position or importance of each individual component.

[0025] Referring now to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 An antenna system 100 according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is depicted. As shown, the antenna system 100 may include a modal antenna 200 disposed on a first circuit board 102 (e.g., an antenna board). The modal antenna 200 may include a driven element 202 and a parasitic element 204. The parasitic element 204 may be positioned proximate to the driven element 202 on the first circuit board 102. The modal antenna 200 may be configured in a variety of different modes. Each of the multiple modes may be associated with a different radiation pattern and / or polarization. In this manner, the modal antenna 200 may provide beam steering functionality to improve the link quality of one or more remote devices (e.g., routers, cellular towers, etc.) communicating with the antenna system 100.

[0026] Although the antenna system 100 is depicted as having only one modal antenna 200, it should be understood that the antenna system 100 may include any suitable number of modal antennas. For example, in some embodiments, the antenna system 100 may include two or more modal antennas.

[0027] The antenna system 100 may include a tuning circuit 110 disposed on a first circuit board 102. The tuning circuit 110 may be configured to control electrical characteristics associated with a parasitic element 204 to enable the modal antenna 200 to operate in a plurality of different modes. In some embodiments, the antenna system 100 may include a tunable component 120 disposed on the first circuit board 102. As shown, the tunable component 120 may be coupled between the tuning circuit 110 and the parasitic element 204 of the modal antenna 200. The tuning circuit 110 may be configured to control the operation of the tunable component 120 to change the electrical connectivity of the parasitic element 204 to a voltage or current source or sink, for example, to couple the parasitic element 204 to electrical ground.

[0028] Now refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The antenna system 100 may include an RF amplifier circuit 300 disposed on the first circuit board 102. The RF amplifier circuit 300 may be in electrical communication with the driven element 202 of the modal antenna 200. As shown, the RF amplifier circuit 300 may include a low-noise amplifier 310. The low-noise amplifier 310 may be configured to amplify an RF signal received by the driven element 202 of the modal antenna 200.

[0029] In some embodiments, the RF amplifier circuit 300 may include a first switching device 330 and a second switching device 332. As shown, the first switching device 330 may be coupled between the low-noise amplifier 310 and the driven element 202 of the modal antenna 200. In this manner, the low-noise amplifier 310 may be selectively coupled to the driven element 202 of the modal antenna 200 via the first switching device 330. The second switching device 332 may be coupled between the low-noise amplifier 310 and the transmission line 130. In some embodiments, the transmission line 130 may be a coaxial cable.

[0030] It should be appreciated that locating the RF amplifier circuit 300 and the modal antenna 200 on the same circuit board (e.g., the first circuit board 102) can improve the performance (e.g., noise figure) of the antenna system 100. For example, the RF signal received by the driven element 202 of the modal antenna 200 is not provided to the RF amplifier circuit 300 via the transmission line 130. In this manner, the sensitivity of the antenna system 100 can be improved because, since the RF signal is not provided to the RF amplifier circuit 300 via the transmission line 130, attenuation of the RF signal caused at least in part by losses associated with the transmission line 130 is eliminated.

[0031] As shown, in some embodiments, the transmission line 130 can be coupled between the first circuit board 102 and the second circuit board 104 of the antenna system 100. In this manner, the second switching device 332 can selectively couple the low noise amplifier 310 to the transmission line 130 to facilitate transmission of the output of the low noise amplifier 310 (e.g., an amplified RF signal) to one or more components disposed on the second circuit board 104.

[0032] The antenna system 100 may include an RF circuit 140. As shown, in some embodiments, the RF circuit 140 may be disposed on the second circuit board 104. In alternative embodiments, the RF circuit 140 may be disposed on the first circuit board 102 (e.g., an antenna board). The RF circuit 140 may include a front-end module. For example, the front-end module may include one or more power amplifiers, low-noise amplifiers, impedance matching circuits, etc. In some embodiments, the RF circuit 140 may be configured to process the output of the low-noise amplifier 310 (e.g., the amplified RF signal). As will be discussed below, the RF circuit 140 may also be configured to transmit an RF signal to the modal antenna 200 via the transmission line 130.

[0033] In some embodiments, the RF signal transmitted by the RF circuit 140 can be provided to the driven element 202 of the modal antenna 200 via the low noise amplifier 310. In this manner, the low noise amplifier 310 can amplify the RF signal before the RF signal is transmitted through the driven element 202 of the modal antenna 200. As will be discussed below, in some embodiments, the RF signal transmitted by the RF circuit 140 can bypass the low noise amplifier 310.

[0034] In some embodiments, the RF amplifier circuit 300 may include a third switching device 334 coupled between the transmission line 130 and the driven element 202 of the modal antenna 200. In these embodiments, the RF signal transmitted by the RF circuit 140 may be provided to the driven element 202 of the modal antenna 200 via the third switching device 334, for example. In this manner, the RF signal transmitted by the RF circuit 140 may bypass the low-noise amplifier 310 of the RF amplifier circuit 300, such that the RF signal is not amplified by the low-noise amplifier 310 before being transmitted through the driven element 202 of the modal antenna 200.

[0035] It should be appreciated that the switching devices (e.g., first switching device 330, second switching device 332, and third switching device 334) of the RF amplifier circuit 300 may include any suitable type of switching device. For example, in some embodiments, the switching devices may include one or more contactors. Alternatively, the switching devices may include one or more transistors, one or more silicon controlled rectifiers (SCRs), or one or more triacs.

[0036] The antenna system 100 may include one or more control devices 150. As shown, in some embodiments, the one or more control devices 150 may be disposed on the second circuit board 104. In alternative embodiments, the one or more control devices 150 may be disposed on the first circuit board 102. The one or more control devices 150 may be operatively coupled to the tuning circuit 110 via the transmission line 130. In this manner, the one or more control devices 150 may be configured to control the operation of the tuning circuit 110 to configure the modal antenna 200 in a plurality of different modes. Alternatively and / or additionally, the one or more control devices 150 may be in electrical communication with the RF circuit 140. In this manner, RF signals received by the driven element 202 of the modal antenna 200 may be provided to the one or more control devices 150 via the RF circuit 140. Furthermore, the one or more control devices 150 may provide data to be modulated onto the RF signal transmitted by the RF circuit 140.

[0037] In some embodiments, the one or more control devices 150 can be operatively coupled to the RF amplifier circuit 300 via the transmission line 130. In this manner, the one or more control devices 150 can be configured to provide one or more control signals to the RF amplifier circuit 300 via the transmission line 130. For example, in some embodiments, the one or more control signals can be associated with controlling the operation of the low noise amplifier 310 of the RF amplifier circuit 300. Alternatively or additionally, the one or more control signals can be associated with controlling the operation of the switching devices (e.g., the first switching device 330, the second switching device 332, and the third switching device 334) of the RF amplifier circuit 300.

[0038] As shown, the one or more control devices 150 may include one or more processors 152 and one or more storage devices 154. The one or more processors 152 may include any suitable processing device, such as a microprocessor, a microcontroller, an integrated circuit, a logic device, or other suitable processing device. The one or more storage devices 154 may include one or more computer-readable media, including but not limited to non-transitory computer-readable media, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), a hard drive, a flash drive, or other storage device.

[0039] The one or more storage devices 154 may store information accessible by the one or more processors 152, including computer-readable instructions executable by the one or more processors 152. Computer-readable instructions may be any set of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors 152 to perform operations. The computer-readable instructions may be software written in any suitable programming language or may be implemented in hardware. In some embodiments, the computer-readable instructions may be executable by the one or more processors 152 to cause the one or more processors 152 to perform operations such as controlling the operation of the modal antenna 200 and / or the RF amplifier circuit 300.

[0040] In some embodiments, the transmission line 130 may be coupled to various components configured to facilitate combining and / or separating signals occupying various frequency bands (e.g., using bias tee circuits). For example, the transmission line 130 may be coupled to the RF circuit 140 and the one or more control devices 150 via a first bias tee circuit 160. As shown, the first bias tee circuit 160 may include a capacitor 162 and an inductor 164. The transmission line 130 may be coupled to the RF circuit 140 via the capacitor 162 of the first bias tee circuit 160. In this manner, the RF signal transmitted by the RF circuit 140 may be provided to the transmission line 130 via the capacitor 162 of the first bias tee circuit 160. The transmission line 130 may be coupled to the one or more control devices 150 via the inductor 164 of the first bias tee circuit 160. In this manner, one or more control signals sent by the one or more control devices 150 may be provided to the transmission line 130 via the inductor 164 of the first bias tee circuit 160 .

[0041] In some embodiments, the transmission line 130 can be coupled to the RF amplifier circuit 300 and the tuning circuit 110 via a second bias tee circuit 170. As shown, the second bias tee circuit 170 can include a capacitor 172 and an inductor 174. The transmission line 130 can be coupled to the RF amplifier circuit 300 via the capacitor 172 of the second bias tee circuit 170. In this manner, the RF signal transmitted by the RF circuit 140 can be provided to the RF amplifier circuit 300 via the capacitor 172 of the second bias tee circuit 170. Similarly, one or more control signals sent by the one or more control devices 150 can be provided to the RF amplifier circuit 300 via the capacitor 172 of the second bias tee circuit 170. Furthermore, the output of the RF amplifier circuit 300 (e.g., the amplified RF signal) can be provided to the transmission line 130 via the capacitor 172 of the second bias tee circuit 170. Furthermore, the transmission line 130 may be coupled to the tuning circuit 110 via the inductor 174 of the second bias tee circuit 170. In this manner, the one or more control signals sent by the one or more control devices 150 may be provided to the tuning circuit 110 via the inductor 174 of the second bias tee circuit 170.

[0042] Figure 3 Depicted is a flow chart of an example method 400 for controlling operation of an antenna system according to an example embodiment of the disclosure. Figure 3The steps are depicted as being performed in a particular order for purposes of illustration and discussion. One of ordinary skill in the art using the disclosure provided herein will appreciate that the various steps of the method 400 described herein may be omitted, expanded, performed simultaneously, rearranged, and / or modified in various ways without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, various steps (not shown) may be performed without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Additionally, the method 400 is a method described with reference to the aforementioned references. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The antenna system 100 is discussed generally.

[0043] At (402), the method 400 may include: obtaining an RF signal via a driving element of a modal antenna disposed on a circuit board. At (404), the method 400 may include: amplifying the RF signal via an RF amplifier circuit disposed on the circuit board and coupled between the driving element and the single coaxial transmission line to generate an amplified RF signal. In some embodiments, the RF amplifier circuit may include a low-noise amplifier. The RF signal obtained at (402) may be provided as an input to the RF amplifier circuit. Furthermore, an output of the low-noise amplifier may be the amplified RF signal.

[0044] At 406, the method 400 may include providing the amplified RF signal to the RF circuit of the antenna system via the single coaxial transmission line. At 408, the method 400 may include modulating the control signal onto the RF signal at the RF circuit of the antenna system to generate a transmission signal. In some embodiments, the control signal may be associated with controlling the operation of the RF amplifier circuit.

[0045] At 410, the method 400 may include transmitting the transmission signal to the RF amplifier circuit via the single coaxial transmission line. In some embodiments, the transmission signal may be provided to the RF amplifier circuit via a tee circuit coupling the single coaxial transmission line to the RF amplifier circuit. At 412, the method 400 may include demodulating the transmission signal to obtain the control signal.

[0046] At 414, method 400 may include controlling the operation of the RF amplifier circuit based at least in part on the control signal. For example, in some embodiments, controlling the operation of the RF amplifier circuit may include controlling the operation of one or more switching devices of the RF amplifier circuit based at least in part on the control signal. Alternatively or additionally, controlling the operation of the RF amplifier circuit may include controlling the operation of a low noise amplifier of the RF amplifier circuit based at least in part on the control signal.

[0047] Figure 4An example embodiment of a modal antenna 200 according to the present disclosure is shown. As shown, a driven element 202 of the modal antenna 200 can be disposed on a first circuit board 102. An antenna volume can be defined between the first circuit board 102 (e.g., a ground plane) and the driven element 202. The modal antenna 200 can include a first parasitic element 206 disposed at least partially within the antenna volume. The modal antenna 200 can also include a first tuning element 208 coupled to the first parasitic element 206. The first tuning element 208 can be a passive or active component, or a series of components, and can be configured to vary the reactance of the first parasitic element 206, either by a variable reactance or by a short circuit to ground. It should be appreciated that varying the reactance of the first parasitic element 206 can cause a frequency shift in the modal antenna 200. It should also be appreciated that the first tuning element 208 may include at least one of a tunable capacitor, a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) device, a tunable inductor, a switch, a tunable phase shifter, a field effect transistor, or a diode.

[0048] In some embodiments, the modal antenna 200 can include a second parasitic element 210 disposed proximate to the driven element 202 and outside the antenna volume. The modal antenna 200 can also include a second tuning element 212. In some embodiments, the second tuning element 212 can be a passive or active component, or a series of components, and can be configured to vary the reactance of the second parasitic element 210 via a variable reactance or a short to ground. It should be appreciated that varying the reactance of the second parasitic element 210 can cause a frequency shift in the modal antenna 200. It should also be appreciated that the second tuning element 212 can include at least one of a tunable capacitor, a MEMS device, a tunable inductor, a switch, a tunable phase shifter, a field effect transistor, or a diode.

[0049] In some embodiments, the operation of at least one of the first tuning element 208 and the second tuning element 212 can be controlled to adjust (e.g., move) the antenna radiation pattern of the driven element 202. For example, the reactance of at least one of the first tuning element 208 and the second tuning element 212 can be controlled to adjust the antenna radiation pattern of the driven element 202. Adjusting the antenna radiation pattern can be referred to as "beam steering." However, in cases where the antenna radiation pattern includes a null, a similar operation, often referred to as "null steering," can be performed to shift the null to an alternate location around the driven element 202 (e.g., to reduce interference).

[0050] Figure 5 Depicted is a diagram of an exemplary embodiment according to the present disclosure. Figure 4. It should be appreciated that the operation of at least one of the first parasitic element 206 and the second parasitic element 210 can be controlled to configure the modal antenna 200 in a plurality of modes. It should also be appreciated that the modal antenna 200 can have a different antenna radiation pattern or antenna polarization when configured in each of the plurality of modes.

[0051] In some embodiments, when the modal antenna 200 is configured in a first mode among the multiple modes, the modal antenna 200 may have a first antenna radiation pattern 500. Furthermore, when the modal antenna 200 is configured in a second mode among the multiple modes, the modal antenna 200 may have a second antenna radiation pattern 502. Furthermore, when the modal antenna 200 is configured in a third mode among the multiple modes, the modal antenna 200 may have a third antenna radiation pattern 504. As shown, the first antenna radiation pattern 500, the second antenna radiation pattern 502, and the third antenna radiation pattern 504 may be different from each other. In this way, the modal antenna 200 may have a different radiation pattern when configured in each of the first, second, and third modes.

[0052] Figure 6 Describes some aspects of the present disclosure Figure 3 2. An example frequency plot of modal antenna 200 is shown. It should be understood that the electrical characteristics (e.g., reactance) of at least one of first parasitic element 206 and second parasitic element 210 can be controlled. In this manner, the electrical characteristics of at least one of first parasitic element 206 and second parasitic element 210 can be adjusted to change the frequency at which modal antenna 200 operates.

[0053] In some embodiments, the modal antenna 200 can be tuned to a first frequency f0 when the first parasitic element 206 and the second parasitic element 210 are deactivated (e.g., switched off). Alternatively and / or additionally, the modal antenna 200 can be tuned to a frequency f0 when the second parasitic element 210 is shorted to ground. L and f H Furthermore, when both first parasitic element 206 and second parasitic element 210 are shorted to ground, modal antenna 200 can be tuned to frequency f4. Furthermore, when each of first parasitic element 206 and second parasitic element 210 is shorted to ground, modal antenna 200 can be tuned to frequencies f4 and f0. It should be understood that other configurations are within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, more or fewer parasitic elements can be employed. The positions of the parasitic elements can be varied to achieve additional modes that can exhibit different frequencies and / or frequency combinations.

[0054] Figure 4-Figure 6An example modal antenna having multiple modes is depicted for purposes of illustration and discussion. One of ordinary skill in the art, using the disclosure provided herein, will appreciate that other modal antennas and / or antenna configurations may be used without departing from the scope of this disclosure. As used herein, a "modal antenna" refers to an antenna capable of operating in multiple modes, each of the multiple modes being associated with a different radiation pattern.

[0055] Although the subject matter has been described in detail with respect to specific exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be appreciated that those skilled in the art, upon gaining an understanding of the foregoing, may readily make changes, modifications, and equivalents to these embodiments. Accordingly, the scope of the present disclosure is by way of example and not limitation, and the present disclosure does not exclude such modifications, variations, and / or additions to the subject matter as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art.

Claims

1. An antenna system, comprising: A modal antenna, the modal antenna being disposed on a circuit board, the modal antenna comprising a driven element and a parasitic element, the modal antenna being capable of operating in multiple modes, each of the multiple modes having a different radiation pattern; a radio frequency (RF) amplifier circuit, the RF amplifier circuit being disposed on the circuit board and coupled between the transmission line and the driving element of the modal antenna; as well as One or more control devices are configured to transmit one or more control signals to the RF amplifier circuit via the transmission line.

2. The antenna system according to claim 1, wherein The RF amplifier circuit includes a low noise amplifier.

3. The antenna system according to claim 2, wherein: The low noise amplifier is configured to amplify an RF signal received by the driven element of the modal antenna.

4. The antenna system according to claim 2, wherein: The transmission line includes a coaxial cable.

5. The antenna system according to claim 1, wherein: The one or more control devices are disposed on a circuit board different from the circuit board on which the modal antenna and the RF amplifier circuit are disposed.

6. The antenna system according to claim 1, wherein: The RF amplifier circuit comprises: a first switching device coupled between a low noise amplifier of the RF amplifier circuit and the driven element of the modal antenna, the first switching device configured to selectively couple the low noise amplifier to the driven element of the modal antenna; and A second switching device is coupled between the low noise amplifier and the transmission line, the second switching device being configured to selectively couple the low noise amplifier to the transmission line.

7. The antenna system according to claim 6, wherein: The RF amplifier circuit further includes: A third switching device is coupled between the transmission line and the driving element, and is configured to selectively couple the driving element to the transmission line to bypass the low noise amplifier.

8. The antenna system according to claim 7, wherein: The one or more control signals are associated with controlling operation of at least one of the first switching device, the second switching device, or the third switching device.

9. An antenna system comprising: a modal antenna, the modal antenna being disposed on the first circuit board, the modal antenna comprising a driven element and a parasitic element, the modal antenna being capable of operating in multiple modes, each of the multiple modes having a different radiation pattern; a radio frequency (RF) amplifier circuit, the RF amplifier circuit being disposed on the first circuit board and coupled between the driven element of the modal antenna and a transmission line, the transmission line coupling the first circuit board to the second circuit board; as well as One or more control devices are disposed on the second circuit board, and the one or more control devices are configured to transmit one or more control signals to the RF amplifier circuit via the transmission line.

10. The antenna system according to claim 9, wherein: The transmission line includes a coaxial cable.

11. The antenna system according to claim 9, wherein: The RF amplifier circuit comprises: Low noise amplifier; a first switching device coupled between the low noise amplifier and the driven element of the modal antenna, the first switching device configured to selectively couple the low noise amplifier to the driven element of the modal antenna; and A second switching device is coupled between the low noise amplifier and the transmission line, the second switching device being configured to selectively couple the low noise amplifier to the transmission line.

12. The antenna system according to claim 11, wherein: The RF amplifier circuit further includes: A third switching device is coupled between the transmission line and the driving element, and is configured to selectively couple the driving element to the transmission line.

13. The antenna system according to claim 12, wherein: The one or more control signals are associated with controlling operation of at least one of the first switching device, the second switching device, or the third switching device.

14. The antenna system of claim 12, further comprising: An RF circuit is configured to transmit an RF signal to the driving element of the modal antenna via the RF amplifier circuit provided on the first circuit board.

15. The antenna system according to claim 14, wherein: The RF circuit is disposed on the second circuit board.

16. The antenna system according to claim 14, wherein: The RF signal is transmitted to the driving element via the third switching device of the RF amplifier circuit, such that the RF signal bypasses the low noise amplifier of the RF amplifier circuit.

17. A method for controlling operation of an antenna system, the antenna system comprising a modal antenna and a radio frequency (RF) amplifier circuit, the modal antenna and the RF amplifier circuit both being disposed on a circuit board, the method comprising: acquiring an RF signal through a driving element of the modal antenna disposed on the circuit board; amplifying the RF signal by the RF amplifier circuit disposed on the circuit board and coupled between the driving element and the single coaxial transmission line to generate an amplified RF signal; providing the amplified RF signal to the RF circuit of the antenna system via the single coaxial transmission line; as well as One or more control signals are provided to the RF amplifier circuit via the single coaxial transmission line.

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