Receiver device and transmitter device

Abstract

Examples of the present disclosure relate to receiver devices and corresponding transmitter devices that can be configured to different operating states at different times. An example receiver device includes multiple down-conversion components for down-converting separated antenna signals, one or more analog-to-digital converters, and one or more multiplexing components that can be configured to at least a first configuration and a second configuration. When the multiplexing component is configured to the first configuration, the multiple down-conversion components and the one or more analog-to-digital converters are configured so that the separated antenna signals are combined to provide hybrid beamforming or analog beamforming. Hybrid beamforming or analog beamforming can be provided over the bandwidth of the device. When the multiplexing component is configured to the second configuration, the multiple down-conversion components and the one or more analog-to-digital converters are configured so that the separated antenna signals are used to enable digital beamforming. Digital beamforming can be provided over a sub-portion of the bandwidth.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Examples of the present disclosure relate to receiver devices and transmitter devices. Some examples relate to receiver devices and transmitter devices that can be used for ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) or other types of wireless communication.

[0002] The project leading to this application has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No 861222. Background Art

[0003] Compared to analog and low-rank hybrid beamforming, digital beamforming provides reliable and robust communication. However, digital beamforming requires a large number of expensive components, such as analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) and digital-to-analog converters (DACs). ADCs and DACs consume high power and generate a large amount of raw data that needs to be processed. Summary of the invention

[0004] According to various but not necessarily all examples of the present disclosure, there is provided a receiver device, the receiver device comprising:

[0005] A plurality of downconverting means for downconverting the separated antenna signals;

[0006] one or more analog-to-digital converters; and

[0007] One or more multiplexing components configurable in at least a first configuration and a second configuration, wherein:

[0008] When the multiplexing component is configured in the first configuration, the plurality of down-conversion components and the one or more analog-to-digital converters are configured to enable the separated antenna signals to be combined to provide hybrid beamforming or analog beamforming, and when the multiplexing component is configured in the second configuration, the plurality of down-conversion components and the one or more analog-to-digital converters are configured to enable the separated antenna signals to be used to enable digital beamforming.

[0009] Hybrid beamforming or analog beamforming may be enabled over the bandwidth of the receiver device, and digital beamforming may be enabled over a sub-section of the bandwidth.

[0010] The receiver arrangement may comprise one or more down-conversion components for down-converting the combined antenna signal.

[0011] The receiver device can be configured such that when the multiplexing component is configured in the first configuration, only the down-converted combined antenna signal is provided to the one or more analog-to-digital converters, and when the multiplexing component is configured in the second configuration, at least a subset of the down-converted separated antenna signals are sampled and provided to the one or more analog-to-digital converters.

[0012] The receiver device may include a plurality of analog-to-digital converters configured to convert the down-converted separated antenna signals such that when the multiplexing component is in a first configuration, the outputs of the plurality of analog-to-digital converters are combined to provide hybrid beamforming or analog beamforming, and when the multiplexing component is in a second configuration, the down-converted separated antenna signals are used to provide digital beamforming.

[0013] The multiplexing component may be configured to use time interleaving.

[0014] The multiplexing component may be configured to use frequency interleaving.

[0015] The one or more multiplexing components and the one or more analog-to-digital converters may be configured to enable analog beamforming to be provided in parallel with digital beamforming.

[0016] One or more multiplexing components may be configured to enable the rank of the digital beamforming to be changed.

[0017] The multiplexing component may include one or more switches.

[0018] The multiplexing component may be configured to control the rank of the digital beamforming by controlling the number of separate antenna signals that are sampled.

[0019] The down-conversion components may include one or more mixers.

[0020] The receiver device may comprise one or more multiplexers configured to multiplex the separated antenna signals before they are provided to a plurality of down-conversion components for down-converting the separated antenna signals.

[0021] According to various but not necessarily all examples of the present disclosure, a transmitter device may be provided, the transmitter device comprising:

[0022] A plurality of up-conversion components, used for up-converting the separated signals from different antennas;

[0023] one or more digital-to-analog converters; and

[0024] One or more demultiplexing components configurable in at least a first configuration and a second configuration, wherein:

[0025] When the demultiplexing component is configured in the first configuration, the plurality of upconversion components and the one or more digital-to-analog converters are configured to enable the antenna signals to be combined to provide hybrid beamforming or analog beamforming, and when the demultiplexing component is configured in the second configuration, the plurality of upconversion components and the one or more digital-to-analog converters are configured to enable the separated antenna signals to be used to enable digital beamforming.

[0026] Hybrid beamforming or analog beamforming may be provided over the bandwidth of the transmitter device, and digital beamforming may be provided over a sub-portion of the bandwidth.

[0027] The transmitter arrangement may comprise one or more up-conversion components for up-converting the signals of the multiple antennas.

[0028] The demultiplexing component may be configured in a first configuration, where only signals from one or more digital-to-analog converters are provided to multiple up-conversion components for up-converting signals for multiple antennas, and when the demultiplexing component is configured in a second configuration, at least sub-samples of the signals from one or more digital-to-analog converters are provided to multiple up-conversion components for up-converting separate signals for different antennas.

[0029] The one or more demultiplexing components and the one or more analog-to-digital converters may be configured to enable hybrid beamforming or analog beamforming to be provided in parallel with digital beamforming.

[0030] The one or more demultiplexing components may be configured to enable the rank of the digital beamforming to be changed.

[0031] The demultiplexing component may include one or more switches.

[0032] The demultiplexing component may be configured to control the rank of the digital beamforming by controlling a sampling rate of a signal provided to the demultiplexing component.

[0033] The up-conversion components may include one or more mixers.

[0034] According to various but not necessarily all examples of the present disclosure, an electronic device may be provided, the electronic device comprising at least one transmitter device and / or at least one receiver device as in any of the aforementioned examples.

[0035] According to various but not necessarily all examples of the present disclosure, there may be provided a receiver device, the receiver device comprising:

[0036] One or more down-conversion components for down-converting the added antenna signal;

[0037] A plurality of down-conversion components for down-converting the separated antenna signals;

[0038] one or more analog-to-digital converters; and

[0039] One or more multiplexing components configurable into at least a first configuration and a second configuration, wherein:

[0040] When the multiplexing component is configured in the first configuration, only the down-converted additional antenna signals are provided to one or more analog-to-digital converters, and when the multiplexing component is configured in the second configuration, at least a sub-set of the down-converted separated antenna signals are sampled and provided to one or more analog-to-digital converters.

[0041] According to various but not necessarily all examples of the present disclosure, a transmitter device may be provided, the transmitter device comprising:

[0042] One or more up-conversion components, used to up-convert signals from multiple antennas;

[0043] A plurality of up-conversion components, used for up-converting the separated signals from different antennas;

[0044] one or more digital-to-analog converters; and

[0045] One or more demultiplexing components configurable in at least a first configuration and a second configuration, wherein:

[0046] When the demultiplexing component is configured in the first configuration, only the signals from the one or more digital-to-analog converters are provided to the up-conversion component for up-converting the signals for the multiple antennas, and when the demultiplexing component is configured in the second configuration, at least sub-samples of the signals from the one or more digital-to-analog converters are provided to the one or more up-conversion components for up-converting the separated signals for the different antennas.

[0047] According to various but not necessarily all examples of the present disclosure, there may be provided a receiver device, the receiver device comprising:

[0048] A plurality of downconverters for downconverting the separated antenna signals;

[0049] one or more analog-to-digital converters; and

[0050] One or more multiplexers configurable in at least a first configuration and a second configuration, wherein:

[0051] When the multiplexer is configured in a first configuration, the multiple downconverters and the one or more analog-to-digital converters are configured to enable the separated antenna signals to be combined to provide hybrid beamforming or analog beamforming, and when the multiplexer is configured in a second configuration, the multiple downconverters and the one or more analog-to-digital converters are configured to enable the separated antenna signals to be used to enable digital beamforming.

[0052] According to various but not necessarily all examples of the present disclosure, a transmitter device may be provided, the transmitter device comprising:

[0053] A plurality of up-converters for up-converting separated signals from different antennas;

[0054] one or more digital-to-analog converters; and

[0055] One or more demultiplexers configurable in at least a first configuration and a second configuration, wherein:

[0056] When the demultiplexer is configured in a first configuration, the plurality of upconverters and the one or more digital-to-analog converters are configured to enable antenna signals to be combined to provide hybrid beamforming or analog beamforming, and when the demultiplexer is configured in a second configuration, the plurality of upconverters and the one or more digital-to-analog converters are configured to enable separated antenna signals to be used to enable digital beamforming.

[0057] According to various but not necessarily all examples of the present disclosure, there is provided a receiver device, the receiver device comprising:

[0058] A plurality of down-conversion components for down-converting the separated antenna signals;

[0059] one or more analog-to-digital converters; and

[0060] One or more multiplexing components configurable into at least a first configuration and a second configuration, wherein:

[0061] In a first configuration, a plurality of down-conversion components and one or more analog-to-digital converters are configured to enable separate antenna signals to be combined to provide hybrid beamforming or analog beamforming, and,

[0062] In a second configuration, a plurality of down-conversion components and one or more analog-to-digital converters are configured to enable separated antenna signals to be used to enable digital beamforming.

[0063] According to various but not necessarily all examples of the present disclosure, a transmitter device may be provided, the transmitter device comprising:

[0064] A plurality of up-conversion components, used for up-converting the separated signals from different antennas;

[0065] one or more digital-to-analog converters; and

[0066] One or more demultiplexing components configurable in at least a first configuration and a second configuration, wherein:

[0067] In a first configuration, a plurality of up-conversion components and one or more digital-to-analog converters are configured to enable antenna signals to be combined to provide hybrid beamforming or analog beamforming, and,

[0068] In a second configuration, a plurality of up-conversion components and one or more digital-to-analog converters are configured to enable separate antenna signals for enabling digital beamforming. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0069] Some examples will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0070] Figure 1 An example receiver device is shown;

[0071] Figure 2 An example receiver device is shown;

[0072] Figure 3 An example receiver device is shown;

[0073] Figure 4 An example receiver device is shown;

[0074] Figure 5 An example transmitter arrangement is shown;

[0075] Figure 6 An example transmitter device is shown; and

[0076] Figure 7 An example phase shifter is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0077] Examples of the present disclosure relate to a receiver device and a corresponding transmitter device that can be configured into different operating states at different times. In a first operating state, hybrid beamforming or analog beamforming can be provided over the bandwidth of the device. In a second operating state, the device can be configured to provide digital beamforming over a sub-portion of the bandwidth. The receiver device and the corresponding transmitter device are dynamic so that they can switch between different operating states as appropriate.

[0078] Figure 1 A receiver device 100 according to an example of the present disclosure is schematically shown. In other examples of the present disclosure, other arrangements of components within the receiver device 100 may be used.

[0079] exist Figure 1In the example of FIG. 1 , the receiver device 100 includes a first down converter 107, a second down converter 115, one or more ADCs 111, and at least one multiplexer 119. The receiver device 100 may include Figure 1 Additional components not shown.

[0080] exist Figure 1 In the example shown, the receiver device 100 also includes a plurality of adders 103. The plurality of adders 103 are configured to add the plurality of antenna signals 101. The plurality of antenna signals 101 may include a plurality of signals received from a plurality of different antennas. Some processing may be performed on the antenna signals 101 before they are provided to the adders 103. For example, a phase shift may be performed on the antenna signals 101 before they are provided to the adders 103.

[0081] Antenna signal 101 may be received from any suitable type of antenna. In some examples, the antenna may include a phased array. The phased array may include multiple antenna elements with phase shifters and power combiners / adders and / or any other suitable components.

[0082] The adder 103 may include any suitable components. The adder 103 may include any suitable circuitry or other components that enable the multiple antenna signals 101 to be added together. The adder 103 receives the multiple antenna signals 101 as input and provides a summed antenna signal 105 as output.

[0083] In some examples, the receiver device 100 may include components that also enable the antenna signals to be phase shifted and / or amplified. This may enable the provision of a combined antenna signal. The combined antenna signal may include antenna signals that have been added and / or phase shifted and / or amplified and / or any other suitable processing has been performed.

[0084] The first down converter 107 may include any component that can be configured to convert a high frequency signal into a low frequency signal. The first down converter 107 may be configured to convert a high radio frequency signal into a low radio frequency signal. The first down converter 107 may include a circuit system or any other suitable component. In some examples, the first down converter 107 may include a mixer and a local oscillator or any other suitable component.

[0085] The first downconverter 107 is configured to receive the summed antenna signal 105 as input and to provide a low frequency signal 109 as output.

[0086] The low frequency signal 109 is provided as an input to the ADC 111. The ADC 111 may include any component or circuitry that may be configured to convert the analog low frequency signal 109 to a digital output.

[0087] exist Figure 1 In the example of , the receiver device 100 includes a plurality of adders 103 and a first down converter 107. This can enable different outputs of the first down converter 107 to be provided to different ADCs 111. Figure 1 In the illustrative example of , a multiplexer 119 is provided between at least one of the first down converters 107 and the ADC 111 .

[0088] The receiver device 100 also includes a plurality of second down converters 115. The second down converters 115 may include any component that can be configured to convert a high frequency signal into a low frequency signal. The second down converters 115 may be configured to convert a high radio frequency signal into a low radio frequency signal. The second down converters 115 may include circuitry or any other suitable component. In some examples, the second down converters 115 may include a mixer and a local oscillator or any other suitable component.

[0089] The second downconverter 115 is configured to receive as input the separated antenna signal 113. The separated antenna signal 113 comprises antenna signals that have not been added together. Different second downconverters 115 may be configured to receive different separated antenna signals 113 as input.

[0090] exist Figure 1 In an example of , the receiver device 100 includes a plurality of second downconverters 115. Each of the different second downconverters 115 is associated with a different antenna, so that each of the second downconverters 115 receives a different separate antenna signal 113. For example, the receiver device 100 may include a second downconverter 115 for each available antenna, so that all signals from the antennas can be downconverted individually.

[0091] The second downconverter 115 is configured to receive the separated antenna signal 113 as input and to provide a low frequency signal 117 as output.

[0092] The low frequency signal 117 may be provided as an input to a multiplexer 119. The multiplexer 119 may include any suitable multiplexing components. The multiplexer 119 may be configured to enable selection of different signals. In some examples, the multiplexer 119 may include a switch.

[0093] The multiplexer 119 can be configured in a first configuration in which only the down-converted summed antenna signal 109 is provided to the ADC 111. In this configuration, only the signal from the first down-converter 107 is provided to the ADC 111, and the signal from the second down-converter 115 is not provided to the ADC 111. When the multiplexer 119 is in this configuration, the receiver device 100 provides hybrid beamforming or analog beamforming over the entire bandwidth. If only one radio frequency (RF) chain is used over the full bandwidth, the beamforming can be analog beamforming. If multiple RF chains are used over the full bandwidth, the beamforming can be hybrid beamforming. When the multiplexer 119 is in this configuration, the second down-converter 115 can be turned off to reduce power consumption.

[0094] Multiplexer 119 may also be configured in a second configuration in which one or more of the down-converted separated antenna signals 117 are provided to ADC 111. In some examples, multiplexer 119 may be configured to enable multiple down-converted separated antenna signals 117 to be sampled and provided to ADC 111. When multiplexer 119 is in this configuration, receiver device 100 provides digital beamforming over a sub-portion of the bandwidth.

[0095] The multiplexer 119 may thus enable the receiver device 100 to switch between hybrid beamforming or analog beamforming and digital beamforming. Hybrid beamforming or analog beamforming is provided over the bandwidth of the receiver device, while digital beamforming is provided over a sub-portion of the bandwidth. The rank of the digital beamforming may be as high as the number of separated antenna signals 113. The digital beamforming may be a high rank digital beamforming.

[0096] Figure 2 An example receiver device 100 is schematically shown in more detail.

[0097] The example receiver device 100 includes multiple antennas 201 and multiple low noise amplifiers 203. In this example, the receiver device 100 includes N antennas 201 and N low noise amplifiers 203. N can be any integer equal to or greater than 2. Figure 1 In the example of , the number of low noise amplifiers 203 is the same as the number of antennas 201 , so that each of the antenna signals from the corresponding antenna 201 can be amplified individually.

[0098] The example device also includes a plurality of phase shifters 205. A phase shifter may include any component or circuitry that can be configured to add delay to a signal from an antenna 201. In this example, the receiver device 100 includes N phase shifters 205. Figure 1In the example of , the number of phase shifters 205 is the same as the number of antennas 201, so that each of the antenna signals from the corresponding antenna 201 can be individually phase shifted. The phase shifter 205 can perform multiple phase shifting operations, so that the phase shifter provides multiple outputs, where different outputs have different phases. Figure 7 It is schematically shown in FIG.

[0099] The receiving device 100 further includes a plurality of adders 103 and a plurality of first down converters 107 .

[0100] In this example, the receiver device 100 includes M adders 103 and M first down converters 107. The M adders 103 are configured to add the phase-shifted antenna signals. The added antenna signals are provided as input to the first down converter 107.

[0101] The first down converter 107 may include a mixer and a local oscillator. Figure 2 In the example of FIG. 1 , only the mixer is shown for clarity.

[0102] The receiver device 100 further comprises M ADCs 111 . The ADCs 111 are configured to convert the signal from the first down converter 107 .

[0103] A multiplexer 119 is provided between at least one of the first down-converters 107 and the ADC 111 .

[0104] The receiver device 100 also includes a plurality of second down converters 115. In this example, the receiver device 100 includes N-1 second down converters 115. In other examples, the receiver device 100 may include any number of second down converters 115 between 1 and N-1. In other examples, other numbers of second down converters 115 may be used.

[0105] The second down converter 115 may include a mixer and a local oscillator. Figure 2 In the example of , only the mixer is shown for clarity. The local oscillator used to provide an input signal to the mixer in the second down converter 115 may be different from the local oscillator used to provide an input signal to the mixer in the first down converter 107. The local oscillator used to provide an input signal to the mixer in the second down converter 115 may provide an input signal of a different frequency to the local oscillator used to provide an input signal to the mixer in the first down converter 107.

[0106] The second downconverter 115 is configured to receive the separated antenna signal as input. That is, the second downconverter 115 does not receive the added antenna signal.

[0107] The receiver device 100 further comprises a plurality of low pass filters 207. In this example, the receiver device 100 comprises N-1 low pass filters 207. The receiver device 100 comprises the same number of low pass filters 207 as the second down converter 115.

[0108] The multiplexer 119 is provided between the second down converter 115 and the ADC 111. M In this example, the multiplexer 119 includes a switch that functions in the time domain. In other examples of the present disclosure, other types of multiplexers 119 may be used, such as but not limited to frequency domain multiplexers.

[0109] exist Figure 2 In the example of FIG. 1 , only one multiplexer 119 is shown, however in other examples of the present disclosure, more than one multiplexer 119 may be provided.

[0110] The multiplexer 119 may be configured in a first configuration to cause the receiver device 100 to provide hybrid beamforming across the entire bandwidth. Figure 2 0. In this configuration, the receiver device 100 provides a hybrid beamforming system with N antennas and rank M.

[0111] The multiplexer 119 may also be configured in a second configuration to cause the receiver device 100 to provide high rank digital beamforming on a sub-portion of the bandwidth. In the second configuration, the multiplexer 119 may be configured to enable the ADC 111 to receive the high rank digital beamforming signal. M Each sample of samples one of the K antennas in a subset of all N antennas.

[0112] exist Figure 2 In the example, for ADC 111 M Each of the K antennas 201 in the subset of antennas 201 is sampled once for every K samples of . This allows ADC 111 to M The ADC 111 can support 1 / K of the bandwidth of the receiver device 100. M The digitized bandwidth portion will also be digitized by M-1 ADCs 111, such as Figure 2 ADC 1111 that performs hybrid beamforming in . Therefore, this enables the receiver device 100 to provide rank K+M-1 digital beamforming when the multiplexer 119 is in the second configuration.

[0113] exist Figure 2In the example of , only one ADC 1111 is shown for hybrid beamforming. The number of ADCs 1111 may be M-1. If M is greater than 2, more than one ADC 1111 may be provided for hybrid beamforming. This provides a rank M-1 system provided over the full bandwidth of the receiver device. This rank M-1 system may be provided simultaneously with high rank low bandwidth beamforming.

[0114] As an example, without the examples of the present disclosure, a receiver device 100 with a 300Mhz bandwidth, N=64 and M=4 would be a rank 4 system. However, the additional second downconverter 115 and multiplexer 119 can enable the receiver device 100 to switch to a rank 3 system with a 300Mhz bandwidth and a rank 16 system with a 23Mhz bandwidth by setting K=13.

[0115] Figure 2 The example of FIG. 1 shows a single radio frequency (RF) chain for the receiver device 100. Examples of the present disclosure may be provided over any number of RF chains within the receiver device 100.

[0116] In some examples, a different local oscillator signal having a different frequency may be used for the second downconverter 115 compared to the first downconverter 107. This may enable the receiver apparatus 100 to be configured to provide rank K+M-1 beamforming over any portion of the hybrid system bandwidth, or to provide rank K beamforming outside of that bandwidth.

[0117] ADC 111 M The multiplexing can be done in the time domain or the frequency domain. To enable the multiplexing to be done in the frequency domain, each mixer in the second down converter 115 can use a different frequency for the local oscillator. In such an example, a bandpass filter can be used instead of a lowpass filter. Once the signal has been ADC 111 M The signal from each antenna 201 can be filtered and further down-converted in the digital domain. This further down-conversion can bring all antenna signals to the same baseband frequency. In such an example, different local oscillators for different down-converters can be generated by a phase locked loop (phase locked loop) from the same base lock. This can provide predictable phase shifts between different local oscillators. The receiver device 100 can be configured so that different phase shifts can be compensated in the digital domain.

[0118] Figure 3 Another example receiver device 100 is schematically shown. Figure 3The example receiver device 100 includes multiple antennas 201, multiple low noise amplifiers 203, multiple phase shifters 205, multiple adders 103, multiple first down converters 107, multiple second down converters 115, low pass filters 207, and multiple ADCs 111. These components can be similar to Figure 2 Corresponding reference numerals are used for corresponding features. The receiver device 100 may include Figure 3 Additional components not shown.

[0119] Figure 3 The example receiver device 100 further comprises at least one multiplexer 119. In this example, the multiplexer 119 comprises an interleaver 301 and a plurality of switches 303.

[0120] In this example, a switch 303 is provided for each output of the second down converter 115 and the low pass filter 207. In this example, N-1 switches 303 are provided. In other examples, other numbers of switches 303 may be provided.

[0121] The switch 303 is provided between the second down converter 115 and the ADC 111. Figure 3 In the example of , the switch 303 is disposed between the low-pass filter 207 and the ADC 111 .

[0122] The interleaver 301 is configured to receive an input from one of the plurality of first downconverters 107. The interleaver 301 may be configured to enable interleaving in the frequency domain or in the time domain. The interleaver may be configured to enable interleaving of the downconverted separated antenna signals.

[0123] The interleaver 301 may include any component that takes an input signal having broad frequency content and splits it into multiple narrower signals. The narrower signals may be digitized by a suitable ADC 111. The wideband signal may then be reconstructed in the digital domain.

[0124] When the switch 303 is in the first configuration, Figure 3 As shown, the output of the interleaver 301 is provided to a plurality of ADCs 111. M-1 -111 M This allows combining multiple ADCs 111 M-1 -111 M This enables the receiver device 100 to provide hybrid beamforming over the entire bandwidth of the receiver device 100. In this configuration, the receiver device 100 provides a hybrid beamforming system with N antennas and rank M.

[0125] When the switch 303 is in the second configuration, the outputs from the second down converter 115 and the low pass filter 207 are provided to the plurality of ADCs 111. M-1 -111 M This enables the receiver apparatus 100 to provide high rank digital beamforming over a sub-portion of the bandwidth.

[0126] The interleaver 301 and the plurality of switches 303 may thus enable the receiver device 100 to switch between hybrid beamforming or analog beamforming and digital beamforming.

[0127] Figure 4 Another example receiver device 100 is schematically shown. Figure 4 The example receiver device 100 is similar to Figure 2 Receiver device 100. Corresponding reference numerals are used for corresponding features. However, in Figure 4 In the example of , the receiver device 100 includes a plurality of additional multiplexers 401 .

[0128] The additional multiplexer 401 is arranged between the low noise amplifier 203 and the second down converter 115. The additional multiplexer 401 may comprise a switch or any suitable type of multiplexing component.

[0129] The additional multiplexer 401 may be configured to enable separate antenna signals to multiplex signals from a plurality of different antennas 201. This enables the input of the ADC 111 to switch between antenna signals.

[0130] The additional multiplexer 401 may reduce the number of required second downconverters 115. This may reduce the number of second downconverters 115 within the receiver device 100. This reduces the power required by the local oscillator used within the second downconverter 115.

[0131] exist Figure 4 In the example of , the additional multiplexer 401 may include a fast RF switch, and the mixer within the second down converter 115 may be configured to settle in a time shorter than a few samples of the ADC 111 .

[0132] Figure 5 An example transmitter device 501 is schematically shown. The transmitter device 501 is Figures 1 to 4 A device corresponding to the receiver device 100.

[0133] exist Figure 5 In the example of FIG. 5 , the transmitter device 501 includes a first up-converter 509, a second up-converter 519, one or more DACs 503, and at least one demultiplexing component 505. The transmitter device 501 may include Figure 5 For example, the transmitter device 501 may include a phase shifter or other suitable components. Figure 5 In the example of FIG. 5 , the phase shifter may be provided before the adder 513 .

[0134] DAC 503 may include any component or circuitry that may be configured to convert a digital input signal into an analog output signal 507. Transmitter device 501 may include any suitable number of DACs 503.

[0135] The transmitter device 501 is configured so that the output signal of the DAC 503 can be provided to the first up-converter 509. The first up-converter 509 may include any component that can be configured to convert a low frequency signal into a high frequency signal. The first up-converter 509 may be configured to convert a low radio frequency signal into a high radio frequency signal. The first up-converter 509 may include a circuit system or any other suitable component. In some examples, the first up-converter 509 may include a mixer and a local oscillator or any other suitable component.

[0136] The first up-converter 509 is configured to receive the analog output signal 507 from the DAC 503 and to provide an up-converted signal 511 as an output.

[0137] exist Figure 5 In the example shown, the transmitter device 501 also includes a plurality of adders 513. The plurality of adders 513 are configured to add the plurality of signals from the first up-converter 509 and the second up-converter 519. The added signals can then be provided to the plurality of antennas for transmission. The adders 513 may include any suitable circuit system or other device that enables the plurality of antenna signals 511 to be added together.

[0138] The transmitter device 501 also includes a plurality of second up-converters 519. The second up-converters 519 may include any component that can be configured to convert a low frequency signal into a high frequency signal. The second up-converters 519 may be configured to convert a low radio frequency signal into a high radio frequency signal. The second up-converters 519 may include circuitry or any other suitable component. In some examples, the second up-converters 519 may include a mixer and a local oscillator or any other suitable component.

[0139] The second up-converter 519 is coupled to the demultiplexing component 505 so that the output from the DAC 503 can be sampled and provided to the second up-converter 519. The output from the second up-converter can also be provided to the adder 513. Each output from the second up-converter 519 is provided to a single adder 513 so that the signal 521 from the second up-converter 519 is provided to only a single antenna within the transmitter device 501.

[0140] The transmitter apparatus 501 is configured such that the output 515 from the adder 513 is provided to a plurality of antennas for transmission. The transmitter apparatus 501 comprises a plurality of adders 513 and antennas such that the output from each adder 513 is provided to a single antenna.

[0141] The transmitter device 501 can therefore be configured in two different configurations. When the demultiplexing component 505 is configured in the first configuration, the transmitter device 501 is configured so that the second upconverter 519 is not used. In this configuration, the second upconverter can be turned off to reduce power consumption. In this configuration, the signals from the DAC 503 are combined to provide hybrid beamforming or analog beamforming. If only one RF chain is used over the full bandwidth, the beamforming can be analog beamforming. If multiple RF chains are used over the full bandwidth, the beamforming can be hybrid beamforming.

[0142] When the demultiplexing component 505 is configured in the second configuration, the transmitter device 501 is configured so that the second upconverter 519 is used. In this configuration, the signal from the DAC 503 is provided to the antenna as a separate signal to enable digital beamforming. Hybrid beamforming or analog beamforming is provided over the bandwidth of the transmitter device 501, and digital beamforming is provided over a sub-portion of the bandwidth.

[0143] Figure 6 An example transmitter arrangement 501 is shown in more detail.

[0144] The transmitter device 501 comprises M DACs 503. The DACs 503 are configured to provide analog output signals for up-converters 509,519.

[0145] A demultiplexing component 505 is provided between at least one of the DACs 513 and the upconverters 509, 519. The demultiplexing component 505 may include one or more switches or any other suitable component.

[0146] When the demultiplexing component 505 is configured in the first configuration, the output from the DAC 503 is provided to the first up-converter 509 to enable the transmitter device 501 to provide hybrid beamforming or analog beamforming. In this example, the transmitter device 501 includes M first up-converters 509. The transmitter device 501 includes the same number of first up-converters 509 as the DAC 503.

[0147] The transmitter device 501 also includes a plurality of antennas 607 and a plurality of power amplifiers 605 and a plurality of phase shifters 603. In this example, the transmitter device 501 includes N antennas 607, N power amplifiers 605 and N phase shifters 603. The output signal from the first up-converter 509 is provided to the plurality of phase shifters 603, and then the phase shifted signal is provided to the power amplifier 605 before being transmitted by the antenna 607. The phase shifter 603 can be configured to add a phase shift to the plurality of input signals and then combine the phase shifted signals into a single output. The phase shifter 603 can be a phase shifter with a phase shifter of the same type as the first up-converter 509. Figure 7 The examples shown correspond to phase shifters.

[0148] When the demultiplexing component 505 is configured in the second configuration, the output from the DAC 503 is provided to the second upconverter 519 to enable the transmitter apparatus 501 to provide high rank digital beamforming. In this example, the transmitter apparatus 501 includes N-1 second upconverters 519 .

[0149] exist Figure 6 In the example of , the transmitter device 501a includes a plurality of low pass filters 601. In this example, the transmitter device 501 includes N-1 low pass filters 601. The low pass filter 601 is configured to filter the analog signal before the analog signal is provided to the second up converter 519.

[0150] The outputs from the second upconverter 519 are each provided to a single antenna 607. The outputs are combined with the signal from the first upconverter 509 using a plurality of adders 513. In this example, N-1 adders 513 are provided. In other examples of the present disclosure, other numbers of adders 513 may be used.

[0151] Figure 7 An example phase shifter 205 that may be used in some receiver devices 100 in examples of the present disclosure is schematically shown.

[0152] The phase shifter 205 includes a power splitter 703 and a plurality of phase shift modules 705 .

[0153] The phase shifter 205 receives a single input signal 701. The input signal 701 is provided to a power divider 703. The power divider 703 is configured to split the input signal 701 into multiple signals. In this example, the power divider 703 is configured to split the input signal 701 into M signals.

[0154] The phase shifter 205 includes M phase shift modules 705. Each phase shift module receives an input signal from the power divider 703. The phase shift module 705 is configured to phase shift the signal from the power divider 703.

[0155] Each phase shift module 705 provides an output signal 707, so that the phase shifter 205 provides M output signals. Different output signals have different phase shifts.

[0156] Figure 7 The example phase shifter 205 shown is configured for use in the receiver apparatus 100. It will be appreciated that a corresponding phase shifter may also be used in the transmitter apparatus 501. In this case, the phase shifter would comprise a power combiner rather than a power divider. The phase shifter in the transmitter apparatus 501 would be configured to receive multiple input signals having different phases and then add a different phase to each input signal before combining the signals to provide a single output.

[0157] In other examples, other configurations of phase shifters 205, 603 may be used.

[0158] In other examples of the present disclosure, variations of the receiver device 100 and the transmitter device 501 may be used. For example, in some example receiver devices 100, the multiplexer 119 may be combined with one or more ADCs 111. This may enable the multiplexer 119 and the ADC 111 to be provided in a single logic block. For example, interleaved ADCs may be used.

[0159] Thus, examples of the present disclosure provide the advantage that a receiver device 100 or a transmitter device 501 can switch between two states: an operating state in which hybrid beamforming or analog beamforming can be provided over the bandwidth of the device; and an operating state in which the device can be configured to provide digital beamforming over a sub-portion of the bandwidth. The digital beamforming can be high-rank digital beamforming. This can enable high-rank digital beamforming to be used when needed, and also reduce the number of expensive components and / or high-power components used.

[0160] In this specification, the term coupling refers to operational coupling. Any number or combination of intermediate elements may exist between coupled components, including the case where there are no intermediate elements.

[0161] The term "comprising" is used in this document in an inclusive rather than exclusive sense. That is, any reference to X including Y means that X may include only one Y or may include multiple Ys. If the exclusive meaning of "comprising" is intended, it will be made clear in the context by referring to "including only one..." or using "consisting of..."

[0162] In this specification, reference is made to various examples. The description of features or functions associated with an example indicates that those features or functions are present in the example. The use of the term "example" or "for example" or "may" or "can" in the text indicates that, whether explicitly stated or not, such features or functions are present in at least the described example, whether described as an example or not, and they may but not necessarily be present in some or all other examples. Therefore, "example", "for example", "may" or "can" refers to a specific instance in a class of examples. The attributes of the instance may be attributes of only the instance or attributes of the class or attributes of a subclass of the class including some but not all instances in the class. Therefore, it is implicitly disclosed that the features described with reference to one example rather than with reference to another example can be used as part of a working combination in the other example where possible, but do not necessarily have to be used in the other example.

[0163] Although the examples have been described in the preceding paragraphs with reference to various examples, it should be appreciated that modifications to the examples given can be made without departing from the scope of the claims.

[0164] Features described in the preceding description may be used in other combinations than the combinations explicitly described above.

[0165] Although functions have been described with reference to certain features, those functions may be performable by other features whether or not those other features are described.

[0166] Although features have been described with reference to certain examples, those features may also be present in other examples whether or not those other examples are described.

[0167] The terms "a" or "the" are used in this document in an inclusive, rather than exclusive, sense. That is, any reference to X including an a / the Y means that X may include only one Y or may include more than one Y, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. If the exclusive meaning of "a" or "the" is intended, it will be clearly stated in the context. In some cases, "at least one" or "one or more" may be used to emphasize the inclusive meaning, but the absence of these terms should not be regarded as inferring any exclusive meaning.

[0168] The presence of a feature (or combination of features) in a claim is a reference to the feature or (combination of features) itself, as well as to features that achieve substantially the same technical effect (equivalent features). Equivalent features include, for example, features that are variants and achieve substantially the same result in substantially the same way. Equivalent features include, for example, features that perform substantially the same function in substantially the same way to achieve substantially the same result.

[0169] In this specification, adjectives or adjective phrases are used to refer to various examples to describe characteristics of the examples. Such description of characteristics associated with the examples indicates that the characteristics exist exactly as described in some examples and exist substantially as described in other examples.

[0170] While in the foregoing description an effort has been made to draw attention to those features regarded as important, it should be understood that the applicant may seek protection by way of claims for any patentable feature or combination of features mentioned above and / or shown in the accompanying drawings, whether or not such feature or combination of features is emphasized.

Claims

1. A receiver device for communication, comprising: A plurality of down-conversion components for down-converting the separated antenna signals; one or more analog-to-digital converters; as well as One or more multiplexing components configurable in at least a first configuration and a second configuration, wherein: When the multiplexing component is configured in the first configuration, the plurality of down-conversion components and the one or more analog-to-digital converters are configured such that the separated antenna signals are combined to provide hybrid beamforming or analog beamforming, and when the multiplexing component is configured in the second configuration, the plurality of down-conversion components and the one or more analog-to-digital converters are configured such that the separated antenna signals are used to enable digital beamforming, The one or more multiplexing components are configured to cause the rank of the digital beamforming to be changed.

2. The receiver device of claim 1, wherein the hybrid beamforming or analog beamforming is enabled over an entire bandwidth of the receiver device and the digital beamforming is enabled over a sub-portion of the bandwidth.

3. A receiver device according to any one of claims 1 to 2, comprising: One or more down-conversion means for down-converting the combined antenna signal, and wherein when the multiplexing means is configured in the first configuration, only the down-converted combined antenna signal is provided to the one or more analog-to-digital converters, and when the multiplexing means is configured in the second configuration, at least a subset of the down-converted separated antenna signals are sampled and provided to the one or more analog-to-digital converters.

4. The receiver device according to any one of claims 1 to 2 comprises a plurality of analog-to-digital converters, which are configured to: convert the separated antenna signals after down-conversion so that when the multiplexing component is in the first configuration, the outputs of the plurality of analog-to-digital converters are combined to provide hybrid beamforming or analog beamforming, and when the multiplexing component is in the second configuration, the separated antenna signals after down-conversion are used to provide digital beamforming.

5. The receiver device of claim 4, wherein the multiplexing component is configured to use at least one of: time interleaving, frequency interleaving.

6. The receiver device according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the one or more multiplexing components and the one or more analog-to-digital converters are configured to enable the analog beamforming to be provided in parallel with the digital beamforming.

7. The receiver apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the multiplexing component is configured to control the rank of digital beamforming by controlling the number of separate antenna signals that are sampled.

8. A receiver device according to any one of claims 1 to 2, comprising one or more multiplexers, which are configured to: multiplex the separated antenna signals before they are provided to the multiple down-conversion components for down-converting the separated antenna signals.

9. A transmitter device for communication, comprising: A plurality of up-conversion components, used for up-converting the separated signals from different antennas; one or more digital-to-analog converters; as well as One or more demultiplexing components configurable in at least a first configuration and a second configuration, wherein: When the demultiplexing component is configured in the first configuration, the plurality of upconversion components and the one or more digital-to-analog converters are configured such that antenna signals are combined to provide hybrid beamforming or analog beamforming, and when the demultiplexing component is configured in the second configuration, the plurality of upconversion components and the one or more digital-to-analog converters are configured such that the separated antenna signals are used to enable digital beamforming, The one or more demultiplexing components are configured to cause the rank of the digital beamforming to be changed.

10. The transmitter device of claim 9, wherein the hybrid beamforming or analog beamforming is provided over the entire bandwidth of the transmitter device and the digital beamforming is provided over a sub-portion of the bandwidth.

11. The transmitter device according to any one of claims 9 to 10, comprising: One or more up-conversion components for up-converting signals for multiple antennas, and wherein when the demultiplexing component is configured to be in the first configuration, only the signals from the one or more digital-to-analog converters are provided to the multiple up-conversion components for up-converting signals for multiple antennas, and when the demultiplexing component is configured to be in the second configuration, at least sub-samples of the signals from the one or more digital-to-analog converters are provided to the multiple up-conversion components for up-converting separate signals for different antennas.

12. The transmitter device according to any one of claims 9 to 10, wherein the one or more demultiplexing components and the one or more analog-to-digital converters are configured to enable the hybrid beamforming or analog beamforming to be provided in parallel with the digital beamforming.

13. The transmitter arrangement according to any one of claims 9 to 10, wherein the demultiplexing means is configured to control the rank of digital beamforming by controlling a sampling rate of the signal provided to the demultiplexing means.

14. Electronic device comprising at least one receiver device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 and / or at least one transmitter device according to any one of claims 9 to 13.

Images