Multi-beam beamforming front-end antenna system for wireless transceiver

Abstract

An antenna system includes a module, which is electrically coupled to a front-end electronic circuit layer, and the front-end electronic circuit layer is configured to process one or more beams. The module includes a radiation layer, which includes one or more radiation components, and the radiation components are configured to transmit the one or more beams and receive at least one of the one or more beams; and a feed layer, which includes one or more feed components, wherein the one or more feed components are configured to excite the radiation layer, transmit the one or more beams, receive the one or more beams, or any combination thereof. The module also includes a distribution network layer, which includes a wave distribution device, wherein the wave distribution device is configured to distribute the one or more beams from the front-end electronic circuit layer to the feed layer.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application is prior to and has the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 038,043, filed on June 11, 2020. The contents disclosed in the above application are incorporated herein by reference. This application is related to a concurrently filed application entitled "SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AMULTI-BEAM BEAMFORMING FRONT-END ARCHITECTUREFOR WIRELESS TRANSCEIVERS", which is commonly attributed to this application and the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates to radio wave transceivers and, more particularly, to a multi-beam beamforming front-end antenna system. Background Art

[0004] The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.

[0005] Radio wave wireless technology is ubiquitous and is used in a variety of applications, including but not limited to: telecommunications and satellite communications industries, sensors and navigation systems in mobile platforms (such as self-driving cars in the automotive industry), etc.

[0006] Wireless communication technology is moving to higher millimeter wave frequency bands. The advantage of these frequency bands is that wider bandwidth can be used to unlock higher connection speeds. However, despite these advantages, current wireless technologies may implement complex methods and architectures compared to traditional wireless technologies.

[0007] For example, a radio wave wireless device may include an antenna, radio frequency (RF) circuitry, analog and digital circuitry, and the system architecture that controls the operation and connectivity of the various components. The wireless front-end system collectively defines the performance and functionality of the wireless device. For high data rate wireless communications, especially in the high millimeter wave frequency bands, a high gain front-end system with a narrow beam, high power level when transmitting, and high sensitivity level when receiving is needed to compensate for signal propagation losses over a practical range. Therefore, a high gain front-end system with advanced beamforming mechanisms may be required to enable such wireless communication technologies.

[0008] There are multiple approaches to achieve beamforming in wireless front-ends, with phased array systems and tunable metamaterial antennas generally considered to be common approaches. Both approaches are based on the distribution of radiating elements across an aperture and controlling the phase and / or amplitude of the individual elements to create the desired beamforming characteristics. However, the phased array and metamaterial techniques may suffer from high spectral inefficiency, limited capacity, and high power inefficiency (especially when using large apertures and / or a large number of elements). More specifically, current analog phased array and metamaterial approaches are typically limited to single-beam operation for signal transmission and / or reception, which inhibits their capacity, aggregate throughput (for communication systems), and overall performance. In addition, for large apertures, high RF losses (especially when there are a large number of elements in a high-gain front end) lead to poor power efficiency in these systems. On the other hand, digital beamforming approaches are capable of multi-beam operation. However, due to the high component count and wide operating bandwidth (especially in the mmWave frequency band), these approaches may not be feasible due to excessive power consumption and power inefficiency in their digital and RF / analog circuits (e.g., DAC and ADC). Summary of the invention

[0009] This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features.

[0010] The present invention provides an antenna system, which is configured to transmit or receive one or more beams from one or more spatial regions of a plurality of spatial regions. The antenna system comprises a module electrically coupled to a front-end electronic circuit layer, which is configured to process the one or more beams. The module comprises a radiation layer, which comprises one or more radiation components, which are configured to transmit the one or more beams and receive at least one of the one or more beams, and a feed layer, which comprises one or more feed components, wherein the one or more feed components are configured to excite the radiation layer, transmit the one or more beams, receive the one or more beams, or any combination thereof. The module comprises a distribution network layer, which comprises a wave distribution device, wherein the wave distribution device is configured to distribute the one or more beams from the front-end electronic circuit layer to the feed layer.

[0011] In one form, the radiating layer includes a pixelated antenna aperture, a continuous antenna aperture, a planar antenna aperture, a conformal antenna aperture, a fixed antenna aperture, a tunable antenna aperture, a passive antenna aperture, a transmissive antenna aperture, a reflective antenna aperture, or any combination thereof.

[0012] In one form, the radiating layer comprises one or more metamaterial components configured to transmit the one or more beams and to receive at least one of the one or more beams, wherein the feeding layer is configured to excite the one or more metamaterial components to transmit the one or more beams and to receive at least one of the one or more beams.

[0013] In one form, the radiating layer includes a tunable antenna aperture, and the plurality of radiating elements include a modification device configured to modify the phase of a signal, the amplitude of the signal, the polarization of the signal, the modulation of the signal, or any combination thereof. The modification device includes a tunable device, an active device, a passive device, or any combination thereof.

[0014] In one form, the one or more radiating components include at least two layers, and each layer from the at least two layers includes a dielectric substrate, a gas-filled substrate, a patterned metal layer, a cavity-backed structure, a tunable device, an active device, or any combination thereof.

[0015] In one form, the one or more feed components include a planar antenna, a 2.5D shaped antenna, a 3D shaped antenna, an active antenna, a passive antenna, a single port antenna, a multi-port antenna, an air-filled antenna, a dielectric-filled antenna, or any combination thereof.

[0016] In one form, the wave distribution device is a network of one or more waveguides, a network of one or more transmission lines, a network of one or more distributors, a network of one or more combiners, a network of beamformers, a network of lens structures, a network of hybrid couplers, or any combination thereof.

[0017] In one form, the one or more waveguides include a leaky waveguide, a slot waveguide, a coplanar waveguide, a cavity-backed waveguide, a parallel plate waveguide, or any combination thereof.

[0018] In one form, the present invention provides a front-end antenna system including a controller and the antenna system as provided herein to output one or more beams from one or more of a plurality of spatial regions.

[0019] In one form, the front-end antenna system further includes a plurality of beam networks and a plurality of transceivers, wherein each beam network from the plurality of beam networks includes a plurality of beamforming circuits, a plurality of switching circuits, or any combination thereof. Each feed component from the one or more feed components includes one or more ports. Each port from the one or more ports is electrically coupled to one or more beam networks from the plurality of beam networks. Each beam network from the plurality of beam networks corresponds to one of a transmit polarization and a receive polarization.

[0020] In one form, each module from the one or more modules is disposed on a first substrate layer, and each module from the one or more modules is electrically coupled to a second substrate layer via a plurality of connectors, wherein the second layer includes one or more signal distribution networks, one or more circuits, or any combination thereof to electrically couple the one or more modules together.

[0021] In one form, the module is configured to simultaneously transmit and receive one or more signal streams on the one or more beams.

[0022] In one form, the feed layer further includes an isolation component configured to isolate a group of feed components from the one or more feed components, and the isolation component includes a plurality of vias, artificial boundary planes, shielding, ground planes, parasitic components, cavity structures, filter networks, cancellation networks, or any combination thereof.

[0023] In one form, each feed assembly from the set of feed assemblies is operable in a transmit mode, a receive mode, or any combination thereof, and the set of feed assemblies includes one feed assembly when each feed assembly from the set of feed assemblies is operable in both the transmit mode and the receive mode.

[0024] In one form, when each feed assembly from the set of feed assemblies is operable in one of the transmit mode and the receive mode, the set of feed assemblies includes two or more feed assemblies, and the two or more feed assemblies have one of a planar arrangement and a non-planar arrangement.

[0025] In one form, the feed layer further comprises an isolation component configured to isolate a group of feed components from the one or more feed components. The isolation component comprises a cancellation network configured to sample the transmitted signal for a group of ports of the group of feed components, a group of signal streams of the group of feed components, or any combination thereof. For the transmitted signal, the isolation component is configured to inject an auxiliary signal into a receive signal chain, wherein the auxiliary signal is configured to suppress interference of the transmitted signal on the receive signal chain.

[0026] In one form, the cancellation network includes one or more signal splitters, one or more filter circuits, one or more delay elements, one or more attenuators, one or more combiners, or any combination thereof, and each component of the cancellation network is arranged at a radio frequency (RF) stage, an intermediate frequency (IF) stage, a digital stage, a local oscillator (LO) stage, or any combination thereof.

[0027] In one form, the present invention provides a front-end antenna system comprising the antenna system as provided herein to output one or more beams from one or more spatial regions of a plurality of spatial regions. The front-end antenna system also includes a plurality of beam networks and a plurality of transceivers.

[0028] In one form, the feed layer further comprises an isolation component configured to isolate a group of feed components from the one or more feed components, and the isolation component comprises a plurality of vias, artificial boundary planes, shields, ground planes, parasitic components, cavity structures, filter networks, cancellation networks, or any combination thereof. Each feed component from the group of feed components can operate in a transmit mode, a receive mode, or any combination thereof, and when each feed component from the group of feed components can operate in both the transmit mode and the receive mode, the group of feed components comprises one feed component. The cancellation network is disposed on an integrated circuit chip and comprises at least one tunable component, and one or more portions of the cancellation network are disposed at the plurality of beam networks, the plurality of transceivers, or any combination thereof.

[0029] The present invention provides an antenna system, which is configured to transmit or receive one or more beams from one or more spatial regions of multiple spatial regions. The antenna system includes a module electrically coupled to a front-end electronic circuit layer, which is configured to process the one or more beams. The module includes a radiation layer, which includes one or more radiation components, which are configured to transmit the one or more beams and receive at least one of the one or more beams, and a feed layer, which includes one or more feed components, wherein the one or more feed components are configured to excite the radiation layer, transmit the one or more beams, receive the one or more beams, or any combination thereof. The module includes a distribution network layer, which includes a wave distribution device, wherein the wave distribution device is configured to distribute the one or more beams from the front-end electronic circuit layer to the feed layer.

[0030] In one form, the feed layer further includes an isolation component configured to isolate a group of feed components from the one or more feed components, and the isolation component includes a plurality of vias, artificial boundary planes, shielding, ground planes, parasitic components, cavity structures, filter networks, cancellation networks, or any combination thereof.

[0031] In one form, the one or more feed components include a planar antenna, a 2.5D shaped antenna, a 3D shaped antenna, an active antenna, a passive antenna, a single port antenna, a multi-port antenna, an air-filled antenna, a dielectric-filled antenna, or any combination thereof.

[0032] The present invention provides an antenna system, which is configured to transmit or receive one or more beams in one or more spatial regions of multiple spatial regions. The antenna system includes a module electrically coupled to a front-end electronic circuit layer, which is configured to process the one or more beams. The module includes a radiating layer, which includes one or more radiating components, which are configured to transmit the one or more beams and receive at least one of the one or more beams, wherein the radiating layer includes a pixelated antenna aperture, a continuous antenna aperture, a planar antenna aperture, an angle-conformal antenna aperture, a fixed antenna aperture, a tunable antenna aperture, a passive antenna aperture, a transmission antenna aperture, a reflection antenna aperture, a plurality of metamaterial components, or any combination thereof. The module includes a feed layer, the feed layer includes one or more feed components, wherein the one or more feed components are configured to excite the radiation layer, transmit the one or more beams, receive the one or more beams, or any combination thereof, and wherein the one or more feed components include a planar antenna, a 2.5D shape antenna, a 3D shape antenna, an active antenna, a passive antenna, a single-port antenna, a multi-port antenna, an air-filled antenna, a dielectric-filled antenna, or any combination thereof. The feed layer includes an isolation component, the isolation component is configured to isolate a group of feed components from the one or more feed components. The module includes a distribution network layer, the distribution network layer includes a wave distribution device, wherein the wave distribution device is configured to distribute the one or more beams from the front-end electronic circuit layer to the feed layer, and wherein the wave distribution device is a network of one or more waveguides, a network of one or more transmission lines, a network of one or more distributors, a network of one or more combiners, or any combination thereof.

[0033] Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein.It should be understood that the description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] In order that the present invention may be better understood, various forms of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0035] Figure 1 In accordance with the teachings of the present invention is a schematic diagram of a front-end antenna system of an example embodiment;

[0036] Figure 2A In accordance with the teachings of the present invention is a schematic diagram of one or more modules of a front-end antenna system provided in one form;

[0037] Figure 2B In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, in another form, is a schematic diagram of one or more modules of a front-end antenna system;

[0038] Figure 3 In accordance with the teachings of the present invention is a schematic diagram of various layers of a module of a front-end antenna system;

[0039] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a radiating layer of a module of a front-end antenna system in accordance with the teachings of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 5A According to the teachings of the present invention is a schematic diagram of a feed layer of a module of a front-end antenna system;

[0041] Figure 5B According to the teachings of the present invention is a schematic diagram of the transmit and receive feed components of the feed layer;

[0042] Figure 5C According to the teachings of the present invention is a schematic diagram of a transmit / receive feed assembly of a feed layer;

[0043] Figure 5D A schematic diagram of overlapping transmit and receive feed components of a feed layer in accordance with the teachings of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 5E A schematic diagram of a plurality of through holes of a transmit and receive feed assembly of an isolation feed layer in accordance with the teachings of the present invention;

[0045] Fig. 5F A schematic diagram of an artificial boundary plane separating transmit and receive feed components of a feed layer in accordance with the teachings of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 5G A schematic diagram of an isolation assembly for isolating transmit and receive feed assemblies of a feed layer in accordance with the teachings of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 5H A schematic diagram of multiple parasitic components of transmit and receive feed components of an isolation feed layer in accordance with the teachings of the present invention;

[0048] Fig.5I In accordance with the teachings of the present invention is a schematic diagram of a filter network for isolating transmit and receive feed components of a feed layer;

[0049] Figure 5J A schematic diagram of a cancellation network for isolating transmit and receive feed components of a feed layer in accordance with the teachings of the present invention;

[0050] Figure 5K A schematic diagram of the cavity of the transmit and receive feed components of the isolation feed layer in accordance with the teachings of the present invention;

[0051] Figure 5L According to the teaching of the present invention is a schematic diagram of multiple isolation components and multiple feeding components of the feed layer;

[0052] Fig. 6AAccording to the teachings of the present invention is a schematic diagram of the circuit layer of the module of the front-end antenna system;

[0053] Figure 6B According to the teachings of the present invention is a schematic diagram of the circuit layer of a module of the front-end antenna system in another form;

[0054] Fig. 7A According to the teachings of the present invention is a schematic diagram of the distribution network layer of the modules of the front-end antenna system;

[0055] Figure 7B According to the teachings of the present invention is a schematic diagram of the distribution network layer of the modules of the front-end antenna system;

[0056] Figure 7C According to the teachings of the present invention is a schematic diagram of the distribution network layer of the modules of the front-end antenna system;

[0057] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of another module in accordance with the teachings of the present invention;

[0058] Fig. 9 A functional block diagram of another example module according to the teachings of the present invention;

[0059] Fig.10 In accordance with the teachings of the present invention is a functional block diagram of a front-end antenna system configured to operate in full-duplex mode;

[0060] Fig.11 In accordance with the teachings of the present invention is a functional block diagram of a front-end antenna system having a multi-port antenna configured to operate in full-duplex mode;

[0061] Fig. 12A In accordance with the teachings of the present invention is a functional block diagram of a front-end antenna system;

[0062] Fig. 12B According to the teachings of the present invention is a functional block diagram of another front-end antenna system;

[0063] Fig. 12C According to the teachings of the present invention is a functional block diagram of yet another front-end antenna system; and

[0064] Fig.13 In accordance with the teachings of the present invention is a functional block diagram of a front-end antenna system and controller.

[0065] The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0066] The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the invention, its application, or use. It should be understood that throughout the drawings, corresponding figure numbers indicate the same or corresponding parts and features.

[0067] The present invention provides an antenna system architecture for a wireless front-end transceiver that provides a unique combination of multi-beam beamforming, high power efficiency, high spectral efficiency, and scalability in frequency and size in operation. The antenna system can be used as part of a front-end antenna system, and the front-end antenna system operates as a wireless front-end system and is capable of enabling beam generation and / or reception and electronic control of radio frequency (RF) patterns and beams wherein various radiation parameters such as the direction, pattern, power, polarization, and / or phase angle of the beam are controlled in a highly precise and independent manner. In one form, the front-end antenna system transmits, receives, or simultaneously transmits and receives a beam (e.g., single beam operation / mode) or multiple simultaneous beams (e.g., multi-beam operation / mode).

[0068] The antenna system of the front-end antenna system of the present invention can be implemented for various types of signal or power radio wave transmission and / or reception, such as front-end antenna systems, wireless sensing and imaging systems, and wireless power transmission systems. Examples of front-end antenna systems include, but are not limited to, satellite signaling, wireless communications for network operators and Internet service providers (ISPs), broadband, and / or general telecommunications. Example wireless sensing and imaging sensing systems include, but are not limited to, automotive radar sensor systems, security and safety imaging and screening sensor systems, medical imaging systems, etc. Example wireless power transmission systems include, but are not limited to, systems that use radio waves to transmit power / energy to wirelessly charge electronic and electrical devices.

[0069] In one form, the front-end antenna system may be implemented for mmWave band communications (e.g., 5G / 6G telecommunications) where large apertures and / or a large number of radiating elements (and associated transceivers and beamforming circuitry) are used to mitigate significant signal propagation losses. Due to the large number of radiating elements, conventional front-end antenna systems consume excessive power (e.g., power consumption resulting from digital beamforming approaches), have limited functionality (e.g., number of beams, antenna gain, beamforming capability, etc.), and / or require complex beamforming networks (e.g., large die size and number, complex routing and synchronization between elements, etc.) that limit aperture size.

[0070] The front-end antenna system of the present invention can also be implemented in telecommunication bands including mid-band and / or low-band (5G signaling band), satellite communication bands (e.g., X-band, Ku-band, Ka-band, V-band, W-band), automotive radar bands (e.g., W-band), or other licensed or unlicensed bands (e.g., 60 GHz). The front-end antenna system can also be implemented in other frequency bands (e.g., RF, microwave, millimeter wave, sub-millimeter wave, megahertz, etc.).

[0071] In the multi-beam mode, the phased array front-end antenna system can function as a multiple-input / multiple-output (MIMO) signal system that enables simultaneous and sequential transmission (and / or reception) of multiple RF beams, each of which can include independent or correlated signals for enhanced communication and / or detection purposes. The multiple beams can also transmit power to multiple charging devices in a wireless power transfer system. The antenna system provides high-precision shaping and control of each beam shape (e.g., pattern), pointing direction, power level, polarization, etc., allowing the operator to uniquely define the desired characteristics.

[0072] The front-end antenna system can provide a variety of benefits. However, the system and method are not limited to always providing such benefits, and are only presented as exemplary manifestations of how the system and method can be put to use. The list of benefits is not intended to be exhaustive, and other benefits may exist in addition or alternatively.

[0073] As an example, the front-end antenna system provides increased information carrying capacity (eg, aggregate throughput or data rate) in wireless communications. Multiple beams can increase information transmission over a specific frequency band, thereby improving spectral efficiency and power efficiency.

[0074] As another example, the front-end antenna system provides multiple beams that can provide continuous and simultaneous connections to multiple nodes, thereby increasing speed and enabling complex multi-node communications or more efficient wireless communication topologies.

[0075] As yet another example, the front-end antenna system provides multi-beam MIMO operation for communications, thereby enabling a method for spatial multitasking for frequency reuse, increased capacity of the radio link, and improved spectral efficiency in the front-end antenna system.

[0076] In addition, conventional phased array antennas have only a single beam, and signal transmission to multiple locations requires beam hopping. Therefore, the multi-beam function provided by the phased array antenna of the present invention provides continuous connection to multiple locations, making beam hopping unnecessary.

[0077] The front-end antenna system of the present invention also provides tracking of mobile signal sources, such as mobile phone users, airplanes, satellites, and cars, etc. The continuous connection provided by the front-end antenna system of the present invention enables continuous signal tracking and eliminates any delay required to track any signal, thereby minimizing the connectivity delay.

[0078] The front-end antenna system of the present invention can additionally provide overlapping signal beams in a given direction or between given nodes in a communication network. Thus, the front-end antenna system provides additional redundancy in the communication network.

[0079] As another example, the front-end antenna system provides simultaneous transmission and reception to one or more nodes, which in turn reduces latency of the communication system and increases data rates of the communication network.

[0080] For imaging systems, the front-end antenna system of the present invention increases detection resolution (eg, angle and / or range resolution). In addition, multi-beam operation of the front-end antenna system enables faster imaging and detection, for example, compared to a single-beam beam steering system.

[0081] For wireless power transmission systems, the front-end antenna system of the present invention provides the generation of multiple beams for charging multiple wireless devices simultaneously. Therefore, the front-end antenna system reduces the charging time and improves the efficiency of each device.

[0082] As another example, the front-end antenna system of the present invention reduces complexity, size, and power for any given aperture size and for single beam and multi-beam operation. In addition, the front-end antenna system of the present invention reduces the overall die circuit size and number requirements for a given aperture size. As a result, the front-end antenna system provides reduced size, reduced weight, and reduced power consumption in the system.

[0083] In one form, the front-end antenna system includes at least one of a radio frequency (RF) stage, an intermediate frequency (IF) stage, and a digital stage. Although specific stages are provided, the front-end antenna system may also include other stages such as a local oscillator stage.

[0084] In one form, reference Figure 1, the front-end antenna system 1 includes multiple antennas 10 (i.e., antenna arrays), multiple transceivers 30, and multiple beam networks 50. In one form, the transceiver 30 electrically connects the antenna 10 to the beam network 50. In one form, the front-end antenna system 1 is operable as a multiple-input / multiple-output (MIMO) system that provides multiple simultaneous beams and is operable to independently control the signal beam radiation parameters, such as the direction, field pattern, power, polarization, and phase angle of the beam. In one form, the front-end antenna system 1 is operable to independently control the beam type of the beam, such as a transmitting beam, a receiving beam, and a simultaneously receiving and transmitting beam. The beam type includes one of a transmitting beam, a receiving beam, and a simultaneously receiving and transmitting beam. In one form, the front-end antenna system 1 can be implemented for digital and analog signaling transmission.

[0085] In one form, the front-end antenna system 1 is configured to transmit and receive beams of radio waves. In one form, the front-end antenna system 1 transmits and / or receives multiple radio wave beams having different directions, patterns, power levels, and other radiation parameters defined by a beam management control program. In one form, the front-end antenna system 1 transmits and receives one or more radio wave beams simultaneously.

[0086] In one form, the antenna 10 is configured to control the radiation parameters, such as wave / signal beam pattern, direction, and other radiation parameters, of the front-end antenna system 1. Example antennas 10 include, but are not limited to, planar antennas (such as patches, slots, loops, spirals, bow ties, etc.), cavity-backed antennas, and film antennas.

[0087] In one form, the antenna 10 may include a single antenna component, a group of radiating components, or a continuous radiating aperture. As an example, the group of antennas 10 includes an aperture antenna, a continuous aperture antenna, a planar antenna, a lens antenna (e.g., an elliptical lens, a Lunenberg lens, etc.), a planar lens antenna (e.g., a Rotman lens), a wire antenna, and / or a reflector antenna. As another example, it may include a metamaterial antenna, a leaky wave antenna, a Fabry-Perot antenna, a slot array antenna, a waveguide antenna, etc. As a specific example, the grouped components may include a metamaterial antenna having metamaterial components or meta-pixels arranged to produce the desired field pattern and radiation characteristics for each subset antenna.

[0088] In one form, the group of antennas 10 may include single-port antennas or multi-port antennas, and may include any number / combination of single-port and multi-port antennas. As an example, for a multi-port implementation of the antenna 10, each port may excite and generate a beam in a specific area, wherein the beams together expand a selected 3D field of view (FoV) space. In one form, the beams of the multi-port antennas may have overlapping areas / patterns. The generation of the multi-beam pattern of the front-end antenna system 1 may be achieved by the multi-port antenna group, the antenna array group, or any combination thereof via the beam network 50.

[0089] In one form, the antenna 10 may be a passive antenna or an active antenna. As an example, the antenna 10 may include an active antenna having a tunable component (such as a varactor, a diode, etc.) and / or a tunable material (such as barium strontium titanate (BST), liquid crystal, etc.) integrated therein for dynamically controlling a given antenna characteristic (such as an antenna pattern, a beam pattern, etc.). In some forms, the active antenna is electronically controlled by a controller to produce the desired radiation characteristic, as will be described in further detail below.

[0090] In one form, the antenna 10 may be configured to perform additional beamforming operations. As an example, when the antenna 10 is a multi-port antenna, the front-end antenna system 1 may include at least one set of switch networks connecting the set of antennas and other system components to enable control functions of the ports of the multi-port antenna, as will be described in more detail below. As an example, the multi-port antenna may be operable to transmit the multiple beams, receive the multiple beams, or any combination thereof, so that the multiple beams have the same polarization, the same frequency band, or any combination thereof. Additional details about this module will be provided in more detail below.

[0091] In one form, the transceiver 30 is configured to selectively enable the antenna 10 to transmit / receive signals, directional beams, and / or multi-dimensional beams by connecting the antenna 10 to the beam network 50. In one form, the transceiver 30 is implemented as multiple groups of transceivers 30, wherein at least one transceiver 30 from a given transceiver group connects one antenna 10 from the group of antennas to a group of beam networks 50. In one form, at least one transceiver 30 from a given transceiver group connects one antenna 10 from the group of antennas to a group of beam networks 50. In one form, the number of the transceivers 30 connected to each antenna 10 is equal to the number of ports of the antenna 10. In a variation, the number of the transceivers 30 connected to each antenna 10 may not be equal to the number of ports of the antenna 10.

[0092] In one form, the transceiver 30 each includes two or more amplifiers, such as a power amplifier 32 and a low noise amplifier 34, that amplify incoming and outgoing signals. In a variant form, the transceiver 30 may include one or more switches 36 that can switch between the power amplifier 32 and the low noise amplifier 34, thereby switching between receiving and transmitting signals. Alternatively, the power amplifier 32 and the low noise amplifier 34 may be connected to the antenna port of the antenna 10 without the switch 36 to achieve simultaneous Tx / Rx and / or to omit the loss associated with the switch 36.

[0093] In one form, the low noise amplifier 34 is configured to amplify the signal received by the antenna 10 while adding minimal noise / distortion to the signal. The low noise amplifier 34 may have various gain, noise figure, linearity, and impedance matching characteristics. The low noise amplifier 34 may have various gain, noise figure, linearity, and impedance matching characteristics. In one form, the power amplifier 32 is configured to amplify the signal to a given power level for the antenna port. Therefore, the power amplifier 32 may have gain and power characteristics to amplify the signal to the given power level according to the desired equivalent isodirectional radiated power (EIRP) in the given direction / beam. In one form, the power amplifier 32 has high linearity and power efficiency to support various modulation signals, such as orthogonal frequency division multiplexing modulation. In some forms, various techniques may be used to enhance the power output by the power amplifier 32, including but not limited to impedance transformation methods, power merging techniques, and transistor stacks. These technologies can be implemented off-chip or on-chip, such as advanced silicon-based processes (eg, bulk CMOS sub-micron, silicon-on-insulator (SOI), and / or SiGeBiCMOS technologies).

[0094] As an example, the power amplifier 32 may be a Doherty power amplifier, an out-of-phase power amplifier, a Chireix out-of-phase power amplifier, or any combination thereof. As another example, the power amplifier 32 may be a linear power amplifier (e.g., a class A amplifier, a class B amplifier) ​​or a switching power amplifier (e.g., a class E amplifier, a class F-1 amplifier). As an additional example, the power amplifier 32 is a high power amplifier that compensates for the signal propagation attenuation loss and high RF loss of the front-end antenna system 1 when it is implemented in, for example, a high frequency millimeter wave system (i.e., a high frequency including 30 to 300 GHz).

[0095] In one form, the power amplifier 32 may include a predistortion circuit to improve the linearity of the output signal. The predistortion circuit may be implemented in the digital stage, the analog stage, or any combination thereof. In one example, the predistortion circuit is implemented in the digital stage and is a digital predistortion circuit (DPD circuit). In one form, the DPD circuit may be based on a memoryless model (e.g., a memoryless polynomial algorithm and / or an algorithm based on a lookup table (LUT)) or based on a model with memory (e.g., a memory polynomial model). In another example, the DPD circuit is implemented based on the information from one or more beams of the front-end antenna system 1, rather than the information from each power amplifier 32.

[0096] In one form, the beam network 50 includes a beamformer network 51 and / or a switch network 58, which are configured to generate, provide, and / or change signal streams (both incoming and outgoing) by constructively and destructively combining, selecting, and / or manipulating the signals to / from the antenna 10. The beam network 50 is configured to specify a specific signal phase, amplitude, and / or select alternately for beamforming combining / processing for the desired signal stream / beam in each signal path from each antenna 10 and / or each group of antennas 10. Although the beam network 50 is shown as including both the beamformer network 51 and the switch network 58, it should be understood that in some variations, the beam network 50 may include only one of the beamformer network 51 and the switch network 58.

[0097] In one form, the beam networks 50 are provided in groups. Each group of the beam networks 50 is configured to generate multi-directional and / or multi-dimensional beams for multi-beam, multi-stream signal transmission and / or reception. The group of beam networks 50 is connected to each antenna 10 of a given group of antennas 10 via the transceiver 30. In one form, the beam networks 50 and / or their components may be implemented at different levels, including at an RF level, an intermediate frequency (IF) level, a baseband level, a digital level, or any combination thereof. In some forms, when the antenna 10 includes an active antenna, the beam network 50 can be combined with the antenna 10 for a hybrid beam network.

[0098] In one form, the beamformer network 51 includes a network of phase shifter (PS) circuits 52, a network of time delay circuits 54, an amplifier network 56, a splitter, a combiner, or any combination thereof. In one form, the network of phase shifter circuits 52 (hereinafter referred to as "phase shifter 52") is configured to receive an incoming signal and change the phase and the amplitude of the beam associated with the incoming signal. In one form, the phase shifter 52 may be implemented by analog circuits, digital circuits, or a combination thereof (e.g., a hybrid model). The phase shifter 52 may include active components (e.g., a vector modulator-based phase shifter 52), passive components, or any combination thereof. As an example, the phase shifter 52 may include a reflection type phase shifter (RTPS), a loaded line phase shifter, a switched transmission line phase shifter (STPS), a loaded line-based passive phase shifter, or any combination thereof.

[0099] In one form, the network of time delay circuits 54 (hereinafter referred to as "time delay 54") is further configured to receive an incoming signal and change the phase of the beam associated with the incoming signal. As an example, the time delay 54 is configured to delay the signal by a controllable time delay, which is defined and / or dynamically adjusted by a controller. In one form, the time delay 54 can be implemented by analog circuits, digital circuits, or any combination thereof (e.g., a hybrid model).

[0100] In one form, the phase shifter 52 and / or the time delay 54 are implemented as true time delays (TTDs) to minimize beam deflection or distortion of the beamformer network 51. In one form, the phase shifter 52 and the time delay 54 may be collectively referred to herein as "delay elements."

[0101] In one form, when the beamformer network 51 is implemented by analog circuits, the beamformer network 51 includes the amplifier network 56. The amplifier network 56 is configured to modify the amplitude of the received or transmitted signal so that the signal has a given strength before / after signal combining, splitting, and / or manipulation is performed. As an example, the amplifier network 56 may include one or more variable gain amplifiers implemented as analog circuits, digital circuits, or any combination thereof (e.g., a hybrid model).

[0102] In some forms, such as when the antenna 10 comprises a multi-port antenna, the beam network 50 comprises the switch network 58. As an example, for each multi-port antenna, the front-end antenna system 1 comprises a switch network 58 that connects a subset of the ports of the multi-port antenna to a group of transceivers 30. Additionally or alternatively, the front-end antenna system 1 may comprise a switch network 58 that connects the group of transceivers to the group of beamformer networks 51. In some forms, the switch network 58 can connect all ports of the single-port / multi-port antenna to the transceiver 30 without any switching circuits. The switch network 58 is configured to provide different levels of component connectivity / activity to merge or separate beams and control beam directions. The switch network 58 can simplify the complexity of the beamformer and / or significantly enhance the front-end antenna system 1 beamforming multi-beam, multi-stream capabilities. The switch network 58 can be implemented at various levels, such as the RF level, the IF level, the baseband level, the digital level, or any combination thereof. In one form, the switching network 58 includes one or more switches, one or more combiners, one or more splitters, one or more filters, one or more coupled lines, or any combination thereof.

[0103] In one form, the beamformer network 51 may be an analog beamformer, a digital beamformer, or any combination thereof (e.g., a hybrid beamformer). As an example, for large antenna apertures with a large number of antenna elements / groups, the beamformer network 51 may be an analog beamformer or a hybrid beamformer due to the excessive power consumption of digital beamformers. As another example, at higher frequency bands (e.g., mmWave bands), the beamformer network 51 may include an analog beamformer provided at the IF stage to suppress the losses of the RF components and the distribution / combining network and / or the size of the RF components at the higher frequency bands. In certain forms employing an IF implementation or a digital beamformer, synchronization of local oscillator (LO) signals may be performed at all antenna elements and / or antenna groups, with mixers implemented at the antenna group and / or sub-group level. In some forms, this LO signal synchronization may be achieved at the antenna element, antenna group, and / or antenna sub-group level via a reference signal, a phase locked loop (PLL) circuit, an amplifier circuit, a mixer, or any combination thereof.

[0104] In some forms, the front-end antenna system 1 may include a controller 90. The controller 90 is configured to operate the components of the front-end antenna system 1 to achieve the desired output. In one form, the controller 90 is connected to all active components and is configured to execute beam management control procedures, beam tracking procedures, user management procedures, etc. As an example, the controller 90 can independently set the power level, bandwidth, beam direction, beam width, polarization, number of signal streams / users, communication range and modulation, and other signal parameters for one or more beams. In one form, the controller 90 can be automated so that the system responds to input and output signals to and from the front-end antenna system 1 in a specific manner. In one form, the controller 90 enables a user to manage any and / or all desired front-end antenna system parameters (e.g., signal amplification level, setting beam shape and direction). In one form, the controller 90 can manage the signal flow in a communication network.

[0105] In one form, the front-end antenna system 1 can be implemented as an array (e.g., a dynamic array, a fixed array, an active array, a passive array, a digital array, an analog array, or a hybrid array, among other array types). Figure 2A-2B As shown in , the front-end antenna system 1 may include one or more modules 70-1, 70-2, 70-3, ..., 70-n (collectively referred to herein as modules 70) that together form an array 2. Each of the modules 70 includes a group of antennas 10 from the plurality of antennas 10. As an example, the module 70-1 may include a group of antennas including antennas 10-1, 10-2, and 10-3 from the plurality of antennas 10.

[0106] In one form, the one or more modules 70 may be identical or different from one another. As an example, each module 70 may have the same geometric parameters (e.g., shape, size, orientation, length, width, depth, etc.), such as in Figure 2B As another example, two or more of the modules 70 may have a set of geometric parameters that are different from each other, such as in Figure 2A As shown in . In one form, the modules 70 are randomly arranged or arranged in a grid or row. In one form, the one or more modules 70 may have various planar, non-planar, or conformal shapes (e.g., rectangular, circular, hexagonal, etc.). In addition, the one or more modules 70 may be integrated with each other in a planar manner, a non-planar manner, or a conformal manner. In one form, the one or more modules 70 may be staggered or overlapped with each other. In one form, the one or more modules 70 form a sparse configuration to expand the front end aperture, and the one or more modules 70 may be rotated and shifted relative to each other to suppress side lobes.

[0107] In one form, the size and geometry of the front-end antenna system 1 may be based on the number of array antennas, the number of elements per antenna, and / or the size of a continuous aperture antenna. In one form, the size and geometry of the front-end antenna system 1 are based on desired signal strength, frequency bandwidth, signal load capacity, number of incoming / outgoing signals, and other signal transmission and / or reception parameters. As an example, in a 5G implementation, the front-end antenna system 1 includes an array 2 having 236 elements (e.g., a 16×16 array) or 1024 elements (a 32×32 array). As another example, in a long-distance communication implementation, the array 2 includes 2000 elements (or a size equivalent to 2000 elements when the antenna 10 is implemented by a continuous aperture antenna sub-array).

[0108] refer to Figure 3 , which shows the various layers of a given module 70. In one form, the module 70 includes a radiating layer 72, a feed layer 74, and a distribution network layer 78. In one form, the radiating layer 72 is configured to transmit and / or receive one or more beams. In one form, the feed layer 74 is configured to excite the radiating layer 72 to transmit and / or receive the one or more beams. It should be understood that when the radiating layer 72 is combined with the feed layer 74, the feed layer 74 is configured to transmit and / or receive the one or more beams. Therefore, when the radiating layer 72 and the feed layer 74 are combined into a single physical layer, the functions of the radiating layer 72 and the feed layer 74 can be performed using similar components. Although the radiating layer 72 is shown as being disposed on the feed layer 74, it should be understood that when the radiating layer 72 includes a reflective material, the feed layer 74 can be disposed on the radiating layer 72.

[0109] In one form, the module 70 is electrically coupled to a front-end electronics layer 76. In one form, the front-end electronics layer 76 is configured to form the one or more beams. In one form, the distribution network layer 78 is configured to distribute the one or more beams from the front-end electronics layer 76 to the feed layer 74. In one form, the distribution network layer 78 is configured to form the plurality of beams. It should be understood that in other forms, the order, combination, and positioning of the layers may vary.

[0110] In one form, the front-end electronic circuit layer 76 includes a transmitter or a receiver. In one form, the front-end electronic circuit layer 76 generates and amplifies one or more transmit signals. In another form, the front-end electronic circuit layer 76 receives, amplifies, and reconstructs one or more received signals. In another example, the front-end electronic circuit layer 76 processes and changes one or more signal streams coupled to one or more antenna ports of the antenna 10.

[0111] To perform the functions described herein, the front-end electronics layer 76 may include a frequency converter, a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), a power amplifier (PA) (e.g., the power amplifier 32), a low noise amplifier (LNA) (e.g., the low noise amplifier 34), a mixer, a switch, a phase shifter (e.g., the phase shifter 52), a delay line, a variable gain amplifier (VGA), a phase-locked loop (PLL), a reference signal, a duplexer, or any combination thereof. In some forms, the front-end electronics layer 76 includes a beamformer network, a switch network, a transceiver, or any combination thereof.

[0112] In some forms, the front-end electronic circuit layer 76 includes a beam network (e.g., the beam network 50), a transceiver (e.g., the transceiver 30), or any combination thereof. In some forms, the front-end electronic circuit layer 76 includes one or more input ports, one or more output ports, or any combination thereof. In some forms, the front-end electronic circuit layer 76 includes one or more circuit chips, one or more integrated circuit (IC) chips, one or more radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) chips, one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), one or more system-on-chips (SoCs), etc. In one form, the front-end electronic circuit layer 76 layer includes one or more chips mounted on a substrate. In some forms, the front-end electronic circuit layer 76 is configured to provide an RF level, an IF level, a digital level, a LO level, or any combination thereof.

[0113] refer to Figure 4, which shows a schematic diagram of the radiation layer 72. In one form, the radiation layer 72 includes one or more radiation components 82A, which are configured to transmit and / or receive the one or more beams. Therefore, the feed layer 74 is configured to excite the radiation component 82A to transmit and / or receive one or more beams. As an example, the radiation component 82A may include but is not limited to: a pixelated antenna aperture, a continuous antenna aperture, a planar antenna aperture, an angle-conforming antenna aperture, a fixed antenna aperture, a tunable antenna aperture, a passive antenna aperture, a transmission antenna aperture, a reflection antenna aperture, or any combination thereof. As another example, the radiation component 82A may include a plurality of metamaterial components and / or meta-pixels, which are configured to produce the desired field pattern and radiation characteristics for each module 70.

[0114] In one form, the radiating element 82A may have multiple layers (ie, two or more layers). In one form, each layer may include, but is not limited to, a dielectric substrate, an air-filled substrate, a patterned metal layer, a cavity-backed structure, a tunable device, an active device, or any combination thereof.

[0115] In one form, the radiating element 82A further comprises a modification device 82B configured to modify the phase, amplitude, polarization, modulation, or any combination thereof of the plurality of beams. Example modification devices 82B include, but are not limited to, tunable devices / materials, active devices, or any combination thereof.

[0116] In one form, the radiating element 82A is a multi-layer structure (e.g., two or more layers), wherein each layer includes a dielectric layer, an air-filled layer, a patterned metal layer, a patterned dielectric layer, an active device, a passive device, a tunable device, or any combination thereof. In one form, the number of layers, the structure of each layer, the overall shape and size of the layer, and / or the tunable device enhances the bandwidth (e.g., wide bandwidth, narrow bandwidth, multi-band, bandwidth selective or rejecting, etc.), the tuning range (e.g., tuning the phase change, amplitude change, polarization change, frequency change, modulation change, etc.), or other parameters of the radiated signal.

[0117] refer to Figure 5A , a schematic diagram of the feed layer 74 is shown. In one form, the feed layer 74 includes a plurality of feed components 84, which are configured to excite the radiating component 82A of the radiating layer 72 and / or transmit / receive the beam. For example, the feed component 84 may include, but is not limited to: a planar antenna, a 2.5D shaped antenna, a 3D shaped antenna, an active antenna, a passive antenna, a single-port antenna, a multi-port antenna, an air-filled antenna, a dielectric-filled antenna, or any combination thereof.

[0118] In addition, the feed assembly 84 has various spatial arrangements and can operate in a transmit mode, a receive mode, or both. As an example, in Figure 5B As shown in FIG. 1 , the feed components 84 - 1 and 84 - 2 are arranged on a given plane, the feed component 84 - 1 can operate in the transmit mode, and the feed component 84 - 2 can operate in the receive mode. As another example and as shown in FIG. Figure 5C As shown in FIG. 8 , the feed assembly 84 - 3 can operate in both the receiving mode and the transmitting mode. As yet another example, as shown in FIG. Figure 5D As shown in , the feed components 84-4, 84-5 physically overlap each other and have a non-planar arrangement so that one of the feed components 84-4, 84-5 is positioned in the radiation direction of the other feed component 84-4, 84-5. In addition, the feed component 84-4 can be operated in the transmission mode, and the feed component 84-5 can be operated in the reception mode (or vice versa).

[0119] In one form, a pair of feed components 84 operable in one of a transmit mode and a receive mode may be isolated via an isolation component. As an example and as shown in Figure 5E As shown in FIG. 1 , the feed components 84-6, 84-7 are separated by a plurality of vias 85-1 that extend through the feed layer 74 and collectively form a via fence to suppress electromagnetic coupling between the feed components 84-6, 84-7. Fig. 5F As shown in FIG. 1 , the feed components 84-8, 84-9 are separated by an artificial boundary plane 85-2 (e.g., a perfect magnetic conductor (PMC) wall, a perfect electric conductor (PEC) wall, etc.) to suppress electromagnetic coupling between the feed components 84-8, 84-9. Figure 5G As shown, the feed components 84 - 10 , 84 - 11 are separated by a ground shield (or ground plane) 85 - 3 to suppress electromagnetic coupling between the feed components 84 - 10 , 84 - 11 .

[0120] As another example and as in Figure 5HAs shown in , the feed components 84-12, 84-13 are isolated by a parasitic component 85-4, which is configured to control the leakage of the signal transmitted and received by the feed components 84-12, 84-13. Specifically, the parasitic component 85-4, which can be operated as a passive or active resonator, can control the signal transmitted and received by the feed components 84-12, 84-13 so that the interference is changed, suppressed, or cancelled. In one form, the parasitic component 85-4 changes the phase and / or amplitude of the coupled signal from the feed components 84-12, 84-13. In one form, the parasitic component 85-4 changes the phase and / or amplitude of the coupled signal through a specific coupling path from the feed components 84-12, 84-13.

[0121] As a further example and as in Fig.5I As shown in , the feed components 84-14, 84-15 are isolated by the filter network 85-5. In one form, the filter network 85-5 includes capacitors and / or inductors, which together form a PI-type network, a T-type network, an L-type network, or any combination thereof to suppress harmonics and suppress electromagnetic coupling between the feed components 84-14, 84-15. In one form, the filter network 85-5 includes parasitic components, which have an equivalent circuit model of capacitors and / or inductors, which together form a PI-type network, a T-type network, an L-type network, or any combination thereof to suppress harmonics and suppress electromagnetic coupling between the feed components 84-14, 84-15. In one form, the parasitic components and / or filters are provided and / or integrated in the antenna 10, the antenna port, or any combination thereof.

[0122] As yet another example and as in Figure 5K As shown in FIG. 8 , the feed components 84 - 20 and 84 - 21 are isolated by a cavity 85 - 7 to suppress electromagnetic coupling between the feed components 84 - 20 and 84 - 21. Figure 5E-5K The feed components 84 shown in FIG. 8 are shown in a planar arrangement, but it should be understood that in other forms, any of the various feed components 84 may have a non-planar arrangement.

[0123] in a form and as in Figure 5J As shown in FIG. 1 , the feed components 84-16, 84-17 are isolated by a cancellation network 85-6. Although the cancellation network 85-6 is shown as isolating the feed components 84-16, 84-17, it should be understood that the cancellation network 85-6 may isolate multiple pairs of feed components 84 that may be operated in one of the transmit / receive modes (e.g., the cancellation network 85-6 isolates each transmit mode feed component from each corresponding receive mode feed component, and vice versa).

[0124] In one form, the cancellation network 85-6 is configured to selectively inject an auxiliary signal into the receive (Rx) signal chain 174-1 to suppress interference of the Rx signal chain 174-1 caused by a signal on the transmit (Tx) signal chain 174-2. In one form, the Rx signal chain 174-1 includes various components of the front-end antenna system 1, which are utilized to receive the one or more signal streams on one or more signal beams, and the Tx signal chain 174-2 includes various components of the front-end antenna system 1, which are utilized to transmit multiple signal streams on multiple beams. In one form, the cancellation network 85-6 is configured to sample the transmit signal of each port and signal stream of the feed component 84-16. For one or more transmit signals, the cancellation network 85-6 is configured to inject an auxiliary signal into the Rx signal chain 174-1 to cancel the interference caused by the transmitted signal on the Rx signal chain. In one form, the cancellation network 85-6 is a tunable network wherein it controls and adjusts the parameters of the sampled and / or injected signal.

[0125] To perform the functions described herein, the cancellation network 85-6 may include one or more signal splitters, one or more filter circuits, one or more phase shifters and / or time delays, one or more attenuators, one or more combiners, one or more tunable components, or any combination thereof. In one form, the cancellation network 85-6 is implemented in an integrated circuit chip, wherein the cancellation network 85-6 is disposed at a radio frequency (RF) stage, an intermediate frequency (IF) stage, a digital stage, a local oscillator (LO) stage, or any combination thereof. In one form, the cancellation network 85-6 shares a portion of the components, circuits, or any combination thereof in the beam network 50 and / or the transceiver 30. In one form, the sampled signal and / or the injected signal from the signal chain is coupled to one or more ports of the beam network 50 to implement the cancellation network 85-6 through the beam network 50.

[0126] It should be understood that any combination of the isolation components (i.e., the plurality of through holes 85-1, the artificial boundary plane 85-2, the ground shield 85-3, the parasitic component 85-4, the filter network 85-5, the cancellation network 85-6, and the cavity 86-7) may be disposed between a pair of feed components 84 and / or a plurality of feed components 84. As an example and as shown in Figure 5K As shown in FIG. 8 , the feed layer 74 includes each of the plurality of through holes 85 - 1 , the artificial boundary plane 85 - 2 , the ground shield 85 - 3 , the parasitic component 85 - 4 , the filter network 85 - 5 , the compensation network 85 - 6 , and the cavity 86 - 7 to isolate each pair of feed components 84 from each other.

[0127] refer to Figure 6A-6B , which illustrates a schematic diagram of the module 70. In one form, the radiating layer 72 includes the one or more radiating elements 82A, which are coupled to the one or more feed elements 84 of the feed layer 74. As described above, the radiating layer 72 and the feed layer 74 can be combined in some forms. In one form, the front-end electronic circuit layer 76 includes one or more circuits 86 (e.g., integrated circuits (ICs), radio frequency ICs (RFICs), etc.) configured to generate the multiple beams. Therefore, the one or more circuits 86 may include various components of the front-end antenna system 1, such as the transceiver 30, the beamformer network 50, and / or the controller 90. In one form, the one or more circuits 86 may include baseband, digital, modulator-demodulator, and / or control circuits in a system-on-chip (SoC) configuration for performing the functions described herein. In one form, each of the one or more circuits 86 is associated with the given module 70 (i.e., the one or more circuits 86 are electrically coupled to the feed layer 74 of the given module 70). It should be appreciated that the one or more circuits 86 may be associated with multiple modules 70 (eg, a single IC 86 is provided to multiple modules 70). In one form, the module 70 includes one or more printed circuit board (PCB) layers.

[0128] refer to Fig. 7A , the integration of multiple modules 70-1, 70-2 with a second layer 160 is schematically shown. In one form, the modules 70-1, 70-2 include one or more connection components 150. In one form, the connection components 150 are configured to electrically couple each of the modules 70-1, 70-2 disposed on the first substrate layer to the second layer 160, thereby electrically coupling the various components of the modules 70-1, 70-2 to each other. In one form, the connection components 150 are disposed on the second layer 160. In one form, the second layer 160 is a printed circuit board (PCB) layer.

[0129] In one form, the second layer 160 includes the first distribution network layer 78A, the second distribution network layer 78B, the circuit of the front-end antenna system 1, or any combination thereof. In one form, the circuit of the front-end antenna system 1 includes the beam network 50, the transceiver 30, or any combination thereof. In one form, the second distribution network layer 78B includes the one or more wave distribution devices 88, and the wave distribution device 88 includes one or more waveguides, one or more transmission lines, one or more distributors, one or more combiners, or any combination thereof. Example wave distribution devices 88 include, but are not limited to, leaky waveguides, slot waveguides (e.g., air-filled waveguides, substrate-integrated waveguides, etc.), coplanar waveguides, cavity-backed waveguides (e.g., air-filled or dielectric-filled with a custom shape), parallel plate waveguides, lens structures (planar lens structures, Lunenberg lens feeding networks, Rotman lenses, etc.), hybrid couplers (e.g., Butler matrices, beamforming matrices, etc.), microstrip structures, H-tree structures, or any combination thereof.

[0130] refer to Figure 3 , Figure 6A-6B ,as well as Fig. 7A , the distribution network layer 78, 78A includes a wave distribution device 88, which is configured to distribute the multiple beams from the RFIC layer 76 to the feeding layer 74. In one form, the wave distribution device 88 includes one or more waveguides, one or more transmission lines, one or more distributors, one or more combiners, or any combination thereof. Example wave distribution devices 88 include but are not limited to: leaky waveguides, slot waveguides (e.g., air-filled waveguides, substrate-integrated waveguides, etc.), coplanar waveguides, cavity-backed waveguides (e.g., air-filled or dielectric-filled with self-defined shapes), parallel plate waveguides, lens structures (planar lens structures, Lunenberg lens feeding networks, Rotman lenses, etc.), hybrid couplers (e.g., Butler matrices, beamforming matrices, etc.), microstrip structures, H-tree structures, or any combination thereof. As a specific example and as described in Figure 7B As shown in FIG. 7C , the wave distribution device 88 may be a network of one or more rectangular waveguides 88A. As another specific example and as shown in FIG. 7C , the wave distribution device 88 may be a parallel plate waveguide 88B.

[0131] refer to Figure 8, which shows a cross-sectional view of another example module 70-3. In one form, the module 70-3 includes the radiation layer 72, the feeding layer 74, the distribution network layer 78, and the transfer layer 180. In one form, the radiation component 82A of the radiation layer 72 includes a plurality of metamaterial components, and the feeding component 84 of the feeding layer 74 includes a plurality of slot antennas. In one form, the radiation layer 72 and the feeding layer 74 are separated by an air gap. In one form, the feeding component 84 is disposed on the wave distribution device 88 (e.g., one of the rectangular waveguide 88A and the parallel plate waveguide 88B). In one form, the distribution network layer 78 of the front-end electronic circuit layer 76 and the RFIC 86 are coupled through the transfer layer 180. In one form, the transfer layer is a coplanar waveguide (CPW) to waveguide transfer, a microstrip to waveguide transfer, a planar transfer, a 2.5D transfer, a stepped transfer, a waveguide probe transfer, or any combination thereof.

[0132] refer to Fig. 9 , which shows a cross-sectional view of another example module 70-4. In one form, the module 70-4 includes the radiation layer 72, the feed layer 74, and the distribution network layer 78. In one form, the radiation component 82A of the radiation layer 72 includes a plurality of metamaterial components, and the feed component 84 of the feed layer 74 includes a plurality of planar antennas, microstrip antennas, linear antennas, slot antennas, 2.5D shape antennas, 3D shape antennas, inflated antennas, dielectric antennas, aperture antennas, etc. In one form, the radiation layer 72 is separated from the feed layer 74 by an air gap. In one form, the feed component 84 is electrically coupled to the one or more circuits 86 of the front-end electronic circuit layer 76 via a transmission line 88C of the distribution network layer 78 (as the wave distribution device 88).

[0133] refer to Fig.10 , a functional block diagram of the front-end antenna system 1 operating in a multi-beam mode is shown. In one form, each antenna 10-5 includes one or more ports 18-1, 18-2, ... 18-n (collectively referred to as "ports 18"), and each of the ports 18 is coupled to a group of the switch networks 58 (e.g., switch networks 58-1, 58-2, 58-3, 58-4). In one form, the group of switch networks 58 is connected to a group of the transceivers 30, which may include a first transceiver 30-1 including a power amplifier 32-1 and a low noise amplifier 34-1, and a second transceiver 30-2 including a power amplifier 32-2 and a low noise amplifier 34-2. In one form, each port 18 of the antenna 10-5 is connected to a group of the transceivers 30 in full-duplex mode (i.e., operating in transmit / receive mode simultaneously). In this form, the isolation component 85 (in Fig.10) may be provided to isolate the transmit and receive ports of the antenna 10, the transmit and receive chains of the antenna 10, or any combination thereof.

[0134] In one form, the beamformer network 51 (in Fig.10 ), the switch network 58-1, and the power amplifier 32-1 are configured to control the transmit horizontal polarization of the beam for each port 18 of each antenna 10-5 of the front-end antenna system 1. In one form, the beamformer network 50, the switch network 58-3, and the power amplifier 32-2 are configured to control the transmit vertical polarization of the beam for each port 18 of each antenna 10-5 of the front-end antenna system 1. In one form, the beamformer network 50, the switch network 58-2, and the low noise amplifier 34-1 are configured to control the receive horizontal polarization of the beam for each port 18 of each antenna 10-5 of the front-end antenna system 1. In one form, the beamformer network 50, the switch network 58-4, and the low noise amplifier 34-2 are configured to control the receive vertical polarization of the beam for each port 18 of each antenna 10-5 of the front-end antenna system 1. It should be appreciated that the switch network 58 - 3 , the power amplifier 32 - 2 , the low noise amplifier 34 - 3 , the antenna 10 - 5 , and the port 18 may be configured for circular polarization, elliptical polarization, linear polarization, or any combination thereof.

[0135] refer to Fig.11 , which shows a functional block diagram of the front-end antenna system 1, which includes a plurality of multi-port antennas 10-6 operating in full-duplex mode. Fig.11 As shown in FIG. 1 , the beamformer network 50 and / or components thereof may be implemented at various stages, including an RF stage 190 , an intermediate frequency (IF) stage 192 , and / or a digital stage 194 . Fig.11 The functional block diagram is similar to that in Fig.10 , but in this form, each multi-port antenna 10-6 includes a plurality of ports 19, wherein each port 19 can transmit and / or receive a plurality of beams having the same polarization, the same frequency band, the same modulation, or any combination thereof. Furthermore, in this form, each port 19 is coupled to one of the switch networks 58 and one of the transceivers 30.

[0136] refer to Fig. 12A, which illustrates an example functional block diagram of the front-end antenna system 1 configured to perform hybrid beam network processing. In one form, the layers of the functional block diagram correspond to the various levels / functions of the front-end antenna system 1. Although these layers are shown individually, it should be understood that in other forms, any of the layers can be combined with each other and are not limited to the arrangement described here.

[0137] In one form, the front-end antenna system 1 includes an antenna layer 300, an analog layer 310, and a digital layer 320. In one form, the antenna layer 300 includes a distribution layer 302, an antenna feed layer 304, and a radiating layer 306 of the antenna 10. In one form, the analog layer 310 includes an IF beam network layer 312, an RF beam network layer 314, and a TRX layer 316 for performing the functions described herein. In one form, the digital layer 320 includes a baseband layer 322 for performing baseband processing, a digital beam network layer 324, and a DAC / ADC layer 326 for performing the analog to digital / digital to analog conversion. It should be understood that the digital layer 320 may include a modulator-demodulator and other digital system components. In one form, the separation of the analog and digital groupings may provide for integration of the analog circuits and blocks on a single die or a group of dies using the same technology node.

[0138] refer to Fig. 12B , which shows another example functional block diagram of the front-end antenna system 1. In addition to providing the IF beamforming layer 312 in the digital layer 320, Fig. 12B The functional block diagram shown in Fig. 12A The functional block diagram shown in is similar.

[0139] refer to Fig. 12C , which shows an additional example functional block diagram of the front-end antenna system 1. In addition to the RF layer 310 and the digital layer 320 being disposed in the integrated circuit layer 330, Fig. 12C The functional block diagram shown in Figures 12A-12B The functional block diagram shown in is similar.

[0140] In one form, the antenna layer 300, the analog layer 310, the digital layer 320, and / or the integrated circuit layer 330 may be disposed on and / or include: a printed circuit board (PCB); a 3D or 2.5D molded and / or machined structure; a dielectric, metal, and / or gas-filled structure and material; passive and active or electronic devices (e.g., varactors, diodes, transistors, thin film transistors (TFTs), etc.), tunable materials (e.g., barium strontium titanate (BST)-based materials, liquid crystals, etc.), and or structures, etc. In one form, the antenna layer 300, the analog layer 310, the digital layer 320, and / or the integrated circuit layer 330 may be disposed on and / or include: an RFIC, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a SoC, and / or a group of such blocks (and other blocks, components, connections, etc.) integrated on the PCB.

[0141] refer to Fig.13 , which shows an example computer architecture diagram of an implementation of the computing system 1000 and the front-end antenna system 1. In some implementations, the computing system 1000 is implemented in multiple devices that are communicatively coupled via a channel and / or network. In some forms, the components of the computing system 1000 are implemented in separate computing and / or sensor devices. In some forms, two or more components of the computing system 1000 are implemented in the same device. The computing system 1000 and its components can be integrated into computing and / or wireless devices.

[0142] In one form, channel 1001 interfaces with processors 1002A-1002N, memory components (e.g., random access memory (RAM) 1003, read-only memory (ROM) 1004, and / or processor-readable storage media 1005), a display device 1006, a user input device 1007, a network device 1008, the front-end antenna system 1 described herein, and / or other suitable computing devices.

[0143] In one form, the processors 1002A-1002N may include a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a microprocessor, a machine learning / deep learning (ML / DL) processing unit (e.g., a tensor processing unit), an FPGA (field programmable gate array, a custom processor, and / or any suitable type of processor).

[0144] In one form, the processors 1002A-1002N and the memory component 1003 collectively form a processing unit 1010. In some embodiments, the processing unit 1010 includes one or more processors communicatively coupled to the memory component 1003, the ROM 1004, and one or more of the processor-readable storage media 1005 via a bus to execute instructions stored therein. In one form, the processing unit 1010 is an ASIC, a SoC, or any combination thereof.

[0145] In one form, the network device 1008 provides one or more wired or wireless interfaces for exchanging information between the computing system 1000 and / or other devices such as external devices. Example network devices 1008 include, but are not limited to: a universal serial bus (USB) interface, a Bluetooth interface, a wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) interface, an Ethernet interface, a near field communication (NFC) interface, a cellular interface, etc.

[0146] In one form, the processor-readable storage medium 1005 is a hard disk, a flash disk, a DVD, a CD, an optical disk, a floppy disk, a flash memory, a solid-state disk, a ROM, an EEPROM, an electronic circuit, a semiconductor memory device, or any combination thereof. The processor-readable storage medium 1005 may include an operating system, software programs, device drivers, and / or other suitable subsystems or software.

[0147] In describing the scope of the present invention, unless otherwise expressly stated herein, all numerical values ​​expressing mechanical / thermal properties, composition percentages, dimensions and / or tolerances, or other features should be understood to be modified by the word "about" or "approximately." Such modification is desirable for various reasons, including industrial practice, materials, manufacturing, assembly tolerances, and testing capabilities.

[0148] As used herein, the phrase "at least one of A, B, and C" and "any combination thereof" should be construed to mean a logical (A or B or C), using a non-exclusive logical or, and should not be construed to mean "at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C."

[0149] In this application, the terms "controller" and / or "module" may mean, be a part of, or include: an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC); a digital, analog, or mixed analog / digital discrete circuit; a digital, analog, or mixed analog / digital integrated circuit; a combinational logic circuit; a field-programmable gate array (FPGA); a processor circuit (shared, dedicated, or group) that executes code; a memory circuit (shared, dedicated, or group) that stores code executed by the processor circuit; other suitable hardware components that provide the described functionality; or a combination of some or all of the above, such as in a system on a chip.

[0150] The term memory is a subset of the term computer-readable medium. The term computer-readable medium as used herein does not include transient electrical or electromagnetic signals propagating through a medium (e.g., on a carrier wave); thus, the term computer-readable medium may be considered to be tangible and non-transitory. Non-limiting examples of non-transitory, tangible computer-readable media are non-volatile memory circuits (such as flash memory circuits, erasable programmable read-only memory circuits, or shielded read-only circuits), volatile memory circuits (such as static random access memory circuits or dynamic random access memory circuits), magnetic storage media (such as analog or digital tapes or hard drives), and optical storage media (such as CDs, DVDs, or Blu-ray discs).

[0151] The apparatus and methods described in this application may be implemented in part or in whole by a special purpose computer created by configuring a general purpose computer to perform one or more specific functions embodied in a computer program. The functional blocks, flow chart components, and other elements described above may serve as software specifications that may be translated into the computer program by a skilled technician or programmer in a routine manner.

[0152] The description of the present invention is merely exemplary in nature and, therefore, variations that do not depart from the essence of the present invention are intended to fall within the scope of the present invention. Such variations should not be regarded as departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An antenna system configured to transmit or receive one or more beams from one or more spatial regions of a plurality of spatial regions, the antenna system comprising: A module, the module being electrically coupled to a front-end electronic circuit layer, the front-end electronic circuit layer being configured to process the one or more beams, the module comprising: a radiation layer, the radiation layer comprising one or more radiation components, the radiation components being configured to transmit the one or more beams and receive at least one of the one or more beams; A feed layer, wherein the feed layer comprises one or more feed components, wherein: The one or more feed components are configured to excite the radiating layer, transmit the one or more beams, receive the one or more beams, or any combination thereof, wherein the one or more feed components include a planar antenna, a 2.5D shaped antenna, a 3D shaped antenna, an active antenna, a passive antenna, a single-port antenna, a multi-port antenna, an air-filled antenna, a dielectric-filled antenna, or any combination thereof; and A distribution network layer, wherein the distribution network layer includes a wave distribution device, wherein the wave distribution device is configured to distribute the one or more beams from the front-end electronic circuit layer to the feed layer.

2. The antenna system according to claim 1, wherein: The radiating layer includes a pixelated antenna aperture, a continuous antenna aperture, a planar antenna aperture, a conformal antenna aperture, a fixed antenna aperture, a tunable antenna aperture, a passive antenna aperture, a transmissive antenna aperture, a reflective antenna aperture, or any combination thereof.

3. The antenna system according to claim 1, wherein: The radiation layer includes one or more metamaterial components, and the metamaterial components are configured to transmit the one or more beams and receive at least one of the one or more beams, wherein the feeding layer is configured to excite the one or more metamaterial components to transmit the one or more beams and receive at least one of the one or more beams.

4. The antenna system according to claim 1, wherein: The radiating layer includes a tunable antenna aperture; The plurality of radiating elements include a modification device configured to modify a phase of a signal, an amplitude of the signal, a polarization of the signal, a modulation of the signal, or any combination thereof; and The modifying device comprises a tunable device, an active device, a passive device, or any combination thereof.

5. The antenna system according to claim 1, wherein: The one or more radiating elements comprise at least two layers; and Each layer from the at least two layers comprises a dielectric substrate, a gas-filled substrate, a patterned metal layer, a cavity-back structure, a tunable device, an active device, or any combination thereof.

6. The antenna system according to claim 1, wherein: The wave distribution device is a network of one or more waveguides, a network of one or more transmission lines, a network of one or more distributors, a network of one or more combiners, a network of several beamformers, a network of several lens structures, a network of several hybrid couplers, or any combination thereof.

7. The antenna system according to claim 6, wherein: The one or more waveguides include leaky waveguides, slot waveguides, coplanar waveguides, cavity-backed waveguides, parallel plate waveguides, or any combination thereof.

8. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein: Each module from one or more of the modules is provided on a first substrate layer; each module from one or more of the modules is electrically coupled to the second substrate layer via a plurality of connectors; and The second substrate layer includes one or more signal distribution networks, one or more circuits, or any combination thereof to electrically couple one or more of the modules together.

9. The antenna system according to claim 1, wherein: The module is configured to simultaneously transmit and receive one or more signal streams on the one or more beams.

10. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein: The feed layer further comprises an isolation component, wherein the isolation component is configured to isolate a group of feed components from the one or more feed components; and The isolation component includes a plurality of vias, an artificial boundary plane, a shield, a ground plane, a parasitic component, a cavity structure, a filter network, a cancellation network, or any combination thereof.

11. The antenna system of claim 10, wherein: Each feed assembly from the set of feed assemblies is operable in a transmit mode, a receive mode, or any combination thereof; and When each feed element from the set of feed elements is operable in the transmit mode and in the receive mode, the set of feed elements comprises one feed element.

12. The antenna system of claim 10, wherein: When each feed assembly from the set of feed assemblies is operable in one of a transmit mode and a receive mode, the set of feed assemblies comprises two or more feed assemblies; and The two or more feeding components have one of a planar arrangement and a non-planar arrangement.

13. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein: The feed layer further comprises an isolation component, wherein the isolation component is configured to isolate a group of feed components from the one or more feed components; The isolation component includes a cancellation network configured to sample the emitted signals for a set of ports of the set of feed components, a set of signal flows of the set of feed components, or any combination thereof; and For a transmitted signal, the isolation component is configured to inject an auxiliary signal into a receive signal chain, wherein the auxiliary signal is configured to suppress interference of the transmitted signal on the receive signal chain.

14. The antenna system of claim 13, wherein: The cancellation network comprises one or more signal splitters, one or more filter circuits, one or more delay components, one or more attenuators, one or more combiners, or any combination thereof; and Each component of the cancellation network is provided at a radio frequency RF stage, an intermediate frequency IF stage, a digital stage, a local oscillator LO stage, or any combination thereof.

15. A front-end antenna system, comprising a controller and the antenna system according to claim 1, wherein: The controller is configured to control the antenna system to transmit the one or more beams, receive the one or more beams, or any combination thereof based on a number of radiation parameters.

16. The front-end antenna system according to claim 15, further comprising a plurality of beam networks and a plurality of transceivers, wherein: Each beam network from the plurality of beam networks comprises a plurality of beamforming circuits, a plurality of switching circuits, or any combination thereof, and wherein: Each feed component from the one or more feed components includes one or more ports; Each port from the one or more ports is electrically coupled to one or more beam networks from the plurality of beam networks; and Each beam network from the plurality of beam networks corresponds to one of a transmit polarization and a receive polarization.

17. A front-end antenna system comprising a plurality of beam networks, a plurality of transceivers, and the antenna system according to claim 14, wherein: The cancellation network is provided on an integrated circuit chip and includes at least one tunable component; and One or more portions of the cancellation network are provided at the plurality of beam networks, the plurality of transceivers, or any combination thereof.

18. An antenna system configured to output one or more beams in one or more spatial regions of a plurality of spatial regions, the antenna system comprising: A module, the module is electrically coupled to a front-end electronic circuit layer, the front-end electronic circuit layer is configured to process the one or more beams, the module is configured to simultaneously transmit and receive one or more signal streams on the one or more beams, and the module comprises: a radiation layer, the radiation layer comprising one or more radiation components, the radiation components being configured to transmit the one or more beams and receive at least one of the one or more beams; A feed layer, wherein the feed layer comprises one or more feed components, wherein: The one or more feeding components are configured to excite the radiation layer, transmit the one or more beams, receive the one or more beams, or any combination thereof, wherein the feeding layer further comprises an isolation component, and the isolation component is configured to isolate a group of feeding components from the one or more feeding components; and A distribution network layer, wherein the distribution network layer includes a wave distribution device, wherein the wave distribution device is configured to distribute the one or more beams from the front-end electronic circuit layer to the feed layer.

19. The antenna system of claim 18, wherein: The isolation component includes a plurality of vias, an artificial boundary plane, a shield, a ground plane, a parasitic component, a filter network, a cavity structure, a cancellation network, or any combination thereof.

20. The antenna system of claim 18, wherein: The one or more feeding components include a planar antenna, a 2.5D shaped antenna, a 3D shaped antenna, an active antenna, a passive antenna, a single-port antenna, a multi-port antenna, an air-filled antenna, a dielectric-filled antenna, or any combination thereof.

21. The antenna system of claim 18, wherein: Each feed assembly from the set of feed assemblies is operable in a transmit mode, a receive mode, or any combination thereof; and When each feed element from the set of feed elements is operable in the transmit mode and in the receive mode, the set of feed elements comprises one feed element.

22. The antenna system of claim 18, wherein: When each feed assembly from the set of feed assemblies is operable in one of a transmit mode and a receive mode, the set of feed assemblies comprises two or more feed assemblies; and The two or more feeding components have one of a planar arrangement and a non-planar arrangement.

23. The antenna system of claim 18, wherein: The isolation component includes a cancellation network configured to sample the emitted signals for a set of ports of the set of feed components, a set of signal flows of the set of feed components, or any combination thereof; and For a transmitted signal, the isolation component is configured to inject an auxiliary signal into a receive signal chain, wherein the auxiliary signal is configured to suppress interference of the transmitted signal on the receive signal chain.

24. The antenna system according to claim 23, wherein: The cancellation network comprises one or more signal splitters, one or more filter circuits, one or more delay components, one or more attenuators, one or more combiners, or any combination thereof; and Each component of the cancellation network is provided at a radio frequency RF stage, an intermediate frequency IF stage, a digital stage, a local oscillator LO stage, or any combination thereof.

25. A front-end antenna system comprising a plurality of beam networks, a plurality of transceivers, and the antenna system according to claim 23, wherein: The cancellation network is provided on an integrated circuit chip and includes at least one tunable component; and One or more portions of the cancellation network are provided at the plurality of beam networks, the plurality of transceivers, or any combination thereof.

26. An antenna system configured to output one or more beams from one or more spatial regions of a plurality of spatial regions, the antenna system comprising: A module, the module is electrically coupled to a front-end electronic circuit layer, the front-end electronic circuit layer is configured to process the one or more beams, the module is configured to simultaneously transmit and receive one or more signal streams on the one or more beams, and the module comprises: A radiation layer, wherein the radiation layer comprises one or more radiation components, and the radiation components are configured to transmit the one or more beams and receive at least one of the one or more beams, wherein: The radiating layer includes a pixelated antenna aperture, a continuous antenna aperture, a planar antenna aperture, a conformal antenna aperture, a fixed antenna aperture, a tunable antenna aperture, a passive antenna aperture, a transmissive antenna aperture, a reflective antenna aperture, a plurality of metamaterial components, or any combination thereof; A feed layer, the feed layer comprising one or more feed components, wherein: The one or more feed components are configured to excite the radiating layer, transmit the one or more beams, receive the one or more beams, or any combination thereof; The one or more feed components include a planar antenna, a 2.5D shaped antenna, a 3D shaped antenna, an active antenna, a passive antenna, a single-port antenna, a multi-port antenna, an air-filled antenna, a dielectric-filled antenna, or any combination thereof; and The feed layer comprises an isolation component, wherein the isolation component is configured to isolate a group of feed components from the one or more feed components; and A distribution network layer, wherein the distribution network layer includes a wave distribution device, wherein the wave distribution device is configured to distribute the one or more beams from the front-end electronic circuit layer to the feed layer, and wherein the wave distribution device is a network of one or more waveguides, a network of one or more transmission lines, a network of one or more distributors, a network of one or more combiners, or any combination thereof.

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