Active control of millimeter wave signaling

Abstract

An antenna configured to operate at a millimeter wave frequency is provided. The antenna comprises a substrate and a ground plane. The antenna includes one or more active patch antenna elements that collectively define four corners, where the one or more active patch antenna elements are positioned on the first surface of the substrate. The antenna includes four parasitic patch elements that are coplanar with the one or more active patch antenna elements and adjacent to each respective corner of the one or more active patch antenna elements. The antenna includes a switching circuit configured to dynamically couple the first parasitic patch element, the second parasitic patch element, the third parasitic patch element, and / or the fourth parasitic patch element to a ground plane.

Description

[0001] Priority declaration

[0002] This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 347,282, filed on May 31, 2022, and entitled “ACTIVE STEERING FOR MILLIMETER WAVE SIGNALING,” which is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates generally to antennas configured to operate at millimeter wave frequencies, and more particularly to millimeter wave patch antennas with active beam steering. Background Art

[0004] Antennas can be used to facilitate wireless communications between devices. Recent advances in electrical communications have enabled communications using millimeter wave frequency bands between about 24 gigahertz (Ghz) ​​and about 300 Ghz. In this regard, antenna devices that are capable of communicating at such frequencies are highly desirable. Summary of the invention

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

[0006] An example aspect of the present disclosure relates to an antenna configured to operate at millimeter wave frequencies. The antenna includes a substrate, the substrate including a first surface and a second surface. The antenna includes a ground plane, wherein the first surface of the ground plane contacts the second surface of the substrate. The antenna includes an active patch antenna element, the active patch antenna element defining a first angle, a second angle, a third angle, and a fourth angle, wherein the active patch antenna element is positioned on the first surface of the substrate, wherein the active patch antenna is configured to produce a radiation pattern. The antenna includes a first parasitic patch element, the first parasitic patch element is coplanar with the active patch antenna element; wherein a corner of the first parasitic patch element is adjacent to the first corner of the active patch antenna element. The antenna includes a second parasitic patch element, the second parasitic patch element is coplanar with the active patch antenna element, wherein a corner of the first parasitic patch element is adjacent to the second corner of the active patch antenna element. The antenna includes a third parasitic patch element, the third parasitic patch element is coplanar with the active patch antenna element, wherein a corner of the first parasitic patch element is adjacent to the third corner of the active patch antenna element. The antenna includes a fourth parasitic patch element, the fourth parasitic patch element is coplanar with the active patch antenna element, wherein a corner of the first parasitic patch element is adjacent to the fourth corner of the active patch antenna element. The antenna includes a switching circuit configured to dynamically couple the first parasitic patch element, the second parasitic patch element, the third parasitic patch element, and / or the fourth parasitic patch element to a ground plane.

[0007] Another example aspect of the present disclosure relates to an antenna configured to operate at millimeter wave frequencies, the antenna comprising a substrate, the substrate comprising a first surface and a second surface. The antenna comprises a ground plane, wherein the first surface of the ground plane contacts the second surface of the substrate. The antenna comprises a plurality of active patch antenna elements disposed on the first surface of the substrate, wherein the plurality of active patch antenna elements collectively form a two-dimensional shape defining a plurality of vertices, wherein each of the plurality of active patch antenna elements is configured to produce a radiation pattern. The antenna comprises a plurality of parasitic patch elements, the plurality of parasitic patch elements being coplanar with the plurality of active patch antenna elements, wherein each of the plurality of parasitic patch elements defines four vertices, wherein the vertices of each of the plurality of parasitic patch antenna elements are adjacent to the vertices of the two-dimensional shape of the plurality of active patch antenna elements. The antenna comprises a switching circuit configured to dynamically couple one or more of the plurality of parasitic patch elements to the ground plane.

[0008] Another example aspect of the present disclosure relates to a method for generating millimeter wave frequencies. The method includes: generating a radiation pattern by an antenna device, the radiation pattern including transmission to a receiving entity, wherein the antenna device includes a substrate, a ground plane contacting a first surface of the substrate, and an active antenna patch element and four parasitic patch elements disposed on a second surface of the substrate, wherein the active antenna patch element defines four corners, and wherein each of the four parasitic patch elements is positioned to be coplanar and adjacent to a corresponding corner of the four corners of the active antenna patch element. The method includes: obtaining, by the antenna device via a single coaxial cable, information indicating one or more channel quality indicators corresponding to the transmission to the receiving entity. The method includes: controlling, by the antenna device at least in part based on the information, a switching circuit to dynamically couple one or more of the four parasitic patch antenna elements to the ground plane of the antenna device.

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

[0010] For those skilled in the art, detailed descriptions of various embodiments are described in this specification with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0011] Figure 1A An example antenna 100 configured to operate at millimeter wave frequencies according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is depicted;

[0012] Figure 1B depicts a side view of the antenna shown in FIG. 1 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0013] Figure 2A A block diagram illustrating a grounding configuration for a first parasitic patch element of the antenna of FIG. 1 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0014] Figure 2B and Figure 2C It shows some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 2A Example radiation patterns and associated performance metrics for the parasitic patch ground configuration shown in;

[0015] Figure 3A A block diagram illustrating an antenna configuration for the antenna of FIG. 1 with a second parasitic patch element grounded according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 3B Depicted are example reflectance graphs according to example aspects of the disclosure. Figure 3BThe frequency along the horizontal axis and the reflection coefficient (S11) along the vertical axis are plotted;

[0017] Figure 3C depicts an example radiation pattern for a standard achieved gain in the YZ plane at a frequency of, for example, 31 GHz;

[0018] Figure 3D Depicted Figure 3A 3D views of the radiation patterns of the antenna 300 at 29 GHz, 30 GHz and 31 GHz respectively;

[0019] Figure 4A A block diagram illustrating an antenna configuration for the antenna of FIG. 1 with respect to a third parasitic patch element grounding configuration according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 4B Depicted are example reflectance graphs according to example aspects of the disclosure. Figure 4B The frequency along the horizontal axis and the reflection coefficient (S11) along the vertical axis are plotted;

[0021] Figure 4C depicts an example radiation pattern for a standard achieved gain in the YZ plane at a frequency of, for example, 31 GHz;

[0022] Figure 4D Depicted Figure 4A 3D views of the radiation patterns of the antenna 400 at 29 GHz, 30 GHz and 31 GHz respectively;

[0023] Figure 5 depicts an example antenna configured to operate at millimeter wave frequencies according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0024] Fig. 6A It shows some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 5 A block diagram of an antenna configuration for a parasitic patch element grounding configuration in which each parasitic patch element is coupled to a ground plane;

[0025] Figure 6B Depicted Fig. 6A 3D views of the radiation patterns of the antenna at 29 GHz, 30 GHz, and 31 GHz;

[0026] Fig. 7A It shows some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 5 A block diagram of an antenna configuration for a parasitic patch element grounding configuration of an antenna for coupling a subset of a plurality of parasitic patch elements to a ground plane;

[0027] Figure 7B Depicted are example reflectance graphs according to example aspects of the disclosure. Figure 7BThe frequency along the horizontal axis and the reflection coefficient (S11) along the vertical axis are plotted;

[0028] Figure 7C depicts an example radiation pattern for a standard achieved gain in the YZ plane at a frequency of, for example, 31 GHz;

[0029] Fig. 8A Some other embodiments of the present disclosure are shown. Figure 5 A block diagram of an antenna configuration for a parasitic patch element grounding configuration of an antenna for coupling different subsets of a plurality of parasitic patch elements to a ground plane;

[0030] Figure 8B Depicted are example reflectance graphs according to example aspects of the present disclosure. Figure 8B The frequency along the horizontal axis and the reflection coefficient (S11) along the vertical axis are plotted;

[0031] Figure 8C depicts an example radiation pattern for a standard achieved gain in the YZ plane at a frequency of, for example, 31 GHz;

[0032] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram depicting an embodiment of an antenna assembly according to example aspects of the present disclosure; and

[0033] Fig.10 is a flow chart illustrating an example method for active control of millimeter wave signaling according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of these embodiments rather than limitation of the present disclosure. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations may be made to these embodiments without departing from the scope or spirit of the present disclosure. For example, a feature illustrated or described as part of one embodiment may be used together with another embodiment to produce yet another embodiment. Therefore, it is intended that these modifications and variations are encompassed by aspects of the present disclosure.

[0035] Example aspects of the present disclosure relate to a millimeter wave patch antenna assembly.In some antenna applications, such as those using millimeter wave frequencies, it is useful to have an antenna or patch antenna element that can provide active beam steering to optimize or improve transmission quality and efficiency.

[0036] For example, in one example, it is useful to provide an active patch antenna element that produces a millimeter wave radiation pattern that can be controlled by a coplanar parasitic patch antenna element adjacent to the vertex of the active patch antenna element. In conjunction, data over coax (DOC) technology can be utilized to provide both transmission data and a control signal that dynamically couples the parasitic patch antenna element adjacent to the active patch antenna element to actively control the radiation pattern of the active antenna element. In this way, DOC technology can be utilized with millimeter wave technology to provide a patch antenna assembly capable of beam steering over millimeter wave frequency bands.

[0037] According to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, an antenna assembly may include a substrate (e.g., a circuit board) having a first surface and an opposing second surface. The antenna assembly may include a ground plane. The first surface of the ground plane may contact the second surface of the substrate. The antenna assembly may include an active patch antenna element positioned on the first surface of the substrate. In addition, the antenna assembly may include a plurality of parasitic patch elements adjacent to the vertices of the active patch antenna element. In some embodiments, the antenna assembly may include two or more active patch antenna elements that together form a two-dimensional shape defining a plurality of vertices.

[0038] An exemplary aspect of the present disclosure relates to an antenna configured to operate at millimeter wave frequencies. The antenna includes a substrate, the substrate including a first surface and a second surface. The antenna includes a ground plane, wherein the first surface of the ground plane contacts the second surface of the substrate. The antenna includes an active patch antenna element, the active patch antenna element defining a first angle, a second angle, a third angle, and a fourth angle, wherein the active patch antenna element is positioned on the first surface of the substrate, wherein the active patch antenna is configured to produce a radiation pattern. The antenna includes a first parasitic patch element, the first parasitic patch element is coplanar with the active patch antenna element, wherein one corner of the first parasitic patch element is adjacent to the first corner of the active patch antenna element. The antenna includes a second parasitic patch element, the second parasitic patch element is coplanar with the active patch antenna element, wherein one corner of the first parasitic patch element is adjacent to the second corner of the active patch antenna element. The antenna includes a third parasitic patch element coplanar with the active patch antenna element, wherein a corner of the first parasitic patch element is adjacent to a third corner of the active patch antenna element. The antenna includes a fourth parasitic patch element coplanar with the active patch antenna element, wherein a corner of the first parasitic patch element is adjacent to a fourth corner of the active patch antenna element. The antenna includes a switching circuit configured to dynamically couple the first parasitic patch element, the second parasitic patch element, the third parasitic patch element, and / or the fourth parasitic patch element to a ground plane.

[0039] In some embodiments, the first parasitic patch element, the second parasitic patch element, the third parasitic patch element, and the fourth parasitic patch element are within a distance from a first corner, a second corner, a third corner, and a fourth corner of the active patch antenna element, respectively.

[0040] In some embodiments, the distance includes a maximum distance

[0041] In some embodiments, the antenna further includes a control circuit configured to control the switching circuit.

[0042] In some embodiments, the control circuit is configured to receive data over a single coaxial cable.

[0043] In some embodiments, the data on the single coaxial cable describes control instructions for the control circuit.

[0044] In some embodiments, each of the first parasitic patch element, the second parasitic patch element, the third parasitic patch element, and the fourth parasitic patch element is configured to reflect a radiation pattern of the active patch antenna element when disconnected from the ground plane.

[0045] In some embodiments, the control circuit is configured to control the switching circuit to dynamically couple the first parasitic patch element, the second parasitic patch element, the third parasitic patch element and / or the fourth parasitic patch element to the ground plane based at least in part on one or more channel quality indicators (CQIs).

[0046] In some embodiments, one or more CQIs indicate a quality of a connection between an antenna and one or more receiving entities.

[0047] In some embodiments, the one or more CQIs are associated with a connection between an antenna and a receiving entity located proximate to the first parasitic patch element and the third parasitic patch element. The control circuit is configured to: in response to the one or more CQIs, control the switching circuit to dynamically couple the first parasitic patch element and the third parasitic patch element to the ground plane.

[0048] In some embodiments, the antenna further comprises a second active patch antenna element positioned on the first surface of the substrate, the second active patch antenna element being configured to produce a second radiation pattern, wherein the first corner and the second corner of the second active patch antenna element are adjacent to a third corner and a fourth corner of the active patch antenna element, respectively. The third parasitic patch element is adjacent to the third corner of the second active patch antenna element, and the fourth parasitic patch element is adjacent to the fourth corner of the second active patch antenna element.

[0049] In some embodiments, the shape of the first parasitic patch antenna element is the same as the shape of the second parasitic patch antenna element, the third parasitic patch antenna element, and the fourth parasitic patch antenna element.

[0050] In some embodiments, the radiation pattern includes frequencies between about 24 Ghz and about 300 Ghz. As used herein, the term "about" used with a numerical value is intended to mean within 15% of the stated numerical value.

[0051] Another example aspect of the present disclosure relates to a method for generating millimeter wave frequencies. The method includes generating a radiation pattern by an antenna device, the radiation pattern including a transmission to a receiving entity, wherein the antenna device includes a substrate, a ground plane contacting a first surface of the substrate, and an active antenna patch element and four parasitic patch elements disposed on a second surface of the substrate, wherein the active antenna patch element defines four corners, and wherein each of the four parasitic patch elements is positioned coplanar and adjacent to a corresponding corner of the four corners of the active antenna patch element. The method includes: obtaining, by the antenna device via a single coaxial cable, information indicating one or more channel quality indicators corresponding to the transmission to the receiving entity. The method includes: controlling, by the antenna device at least in part based on the information, a switching circuit to dynamically couple one or more of the four parasitic patch antenna elements to the ground plane of the antenna device.

[0052] Referring now to the drawings, example embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described.

[0053] Figure 1A An example antenna 100 configured to operate at millimeter wave frequencies according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is depicted. The antenna 100 includes a substrate and a ground plane 102. Specifically, as shown in FIG. Figure 1B As shown, antenna 100 includes substrate 102A and ground plane 102B.

[0054] Go to Figure 1B , substrate 102A includes a top surface 103A and a bottom surface 103B. In some embodiments, substrate 102A may be or otherwise include: a circuit board (e.g., a printed circuit board), a circuit board substrate, a material deposited on a substrate, etc. Bottom surface 103B of the substrate contacts the top surface of ground plane 102B. In some embodiments, ground plane 102B and substrate 102A together form a circuit board.

[0055] Back to Figure 1A, the antenna 100 includes an active patch antenna element 104. The active patch antenna element 104 is positioned on a first surface 103A of the substrate 102A. In addition, the antenna includes a plurality of parasitic patch elements 106A, 106B, 106C, 106D, etc. In some embodiments, as depicted, the active patch antenna element 104 defines a first corner, a second corner, a third corner, and a fourth corner. For example, the depicted active patch antenna element 104 includes a first corner at the upper left corner, a second corner at the upper right corner, a third corner at the lower left corner, and a fourth corner at the lower right corner. Each of the four parasitic patch elements 106A to 106D is coplanar with the active patch antenna element 104 and is positioned adjacent to the four corners of the active patch antenna element 104, respectively. For example, a first parasitic patch element (e.g., the upper left parasitic patch element depicted) 106A may be positioned adjacent to a first corner of the active patch antenna element 104, a second parasitic patch element (e.g., the upper right parasitic patch element depicted) 106B may be positioned adjacent to a second corner of the active patch antenna element 104, a third parasitic patch element (e.g., the lower left parasitic patch element depicted) 106C may be positioned adjacent to a third corner of the active patch antenna element 104, and a fourth parasitic patch element 106D (e.g., the lower right parasitic patch element depicted) may be positioned near the first corner of the active patch antenna element 104.

[0056] In some embodiments, one or more of parasitic patch elements 106A-106D are positioned adjacent to a corresponding corner of active patch antenna element 104 and a distance away from the corresponding corner of active patch antenna element 104 (e.g., not contacting active patch antenna element 104). In some embodiments, the distance has a maximum distance

[0057] The active patch antenna element 104 is configured to generate a radiation pattern (e.g., to transmit data, etc.). Specifically, the active patch antenna element 104 is configured to generate a radiation pattern at a millimeter wave frequency band (e.g., 3 GHz to 300 GHz). In some embodiments, the data to be transmitted via the radiation pattern can be transmitted to the antenna 100 via a single coaxial cable 108. In addition, in some embodiments, the antenna 100 can utilize coaxial cable data (DOC) technology to obtain both data and control data through a single coaxial cable 108.

[0058] Each of the parasitic patch elements 106A to 106D is configured to reflect the radiation pattern of the active patch antenna element 104 when disconnected from the ground plane 102B. When coupled to the ground plane 102B, the parasitic patch element 106 stops reflecting the radiation pattern generated by the active patch antenna element 104. In this way, by dynamically coupling the parasitic patch elements 106 adjacent to the active patch antenna element 104, the beam of the antenna 100 can be dynamically controlled.

[0059] The antenna includes a switching circuit 110 configured to dynamically couple one or more parasitic patch elements 106A to 106D. In some embodiments, the antenna 100 includes a control circuit 112 configured to control the switching circuit. In some embodiments, the control circuit 112 may be configured to receive control data via a single coaxial cable. For example, the control data obtained via the single coaxial cable 108 may include or otherwise describe control instructions for the control circuit. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the control data may include a channel quality indicator (CQI) associated with the quality of the radiation pattern generated by the active patch antenna element 104 (e.g., the CQI indicates the quality of the connection between the antenna 100 and one or more receiving entities). In some embodiments, the control circuit 112 may control the switching circuit to dynamically couple or decouple the parasitic patch antenna element 106 with the ground plane 102B based on the CQI.

[0060] As an example, a single coaxial cable 108 may provide control data including one or more CQIs associated with a connection between the antenna 100 and a receiving entity positioned proximate to the first parasitic patch element 106A and the third parasitic patch element 106C. The control circuit 112 may be configured to control the switching circuit 110 to dynamically couple the first parasitic patch element 106A and the third parasitic patch element 106C to the ground plane 102B in response to the one or more CQIs, thereby dynamically disabling any signal reflections of the first parasitic patch element 106A and the third parasitic patch element 106C. In this manner, by dynamically disabling the first parasitic patch element 106A and the third parasitic patch element 106C, the radiated beam generated by the active patch antenna element 104 may be directed toward the receiving entity, thereby improving signal quality.

[0061] It should be noted that although Figure 1A An antenna having one active antenna patch element is shown, but embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the use of one active antenna patch element. Figure 5 Embodiments utilizing multiple active patch antenna elements are discussed below.

[0062] Figure 2A A block diagram for a first parasitic patch element grounding configuration of the antenna 100 of FIG. 1 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Since each of the plurality of parasitic patch elements 106 is coupled to the ground plane 102B, there is no active reflection of the radiation pattern of the active patch antenna element 104 through any parasitic patch element 106.

[0063] Figure 2B An example reflection coefficient graph 202B is depicted according to example aspects of the present disclosure. Figure 2B The frequency along the horizontal axis and the reflection coefficient (S11) along the vertical axis are plotted.

[0064] Figure 2C An example radiation pattern 202C is depicted for a standard achieved gain in the YZ plane at a frequency of, for example, 31 GHz.

[0065] Figure 2D Depicted Figure 2A Three-dimensional views 205A to 205C of the radiation patterns of antenna 200 at 29 GHz, 30 GHz, and 31 GHz, respectively.

[0066] Figure 3A A block diagram of an antenna configuration 300 for a second parasitic patch element grounding configuration of the antenna 100 of FIG. 1 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Specifically, as depicted, the second parasitic patch element 106B and the fourth parasitic patch element 106D of the antenna 100 are decoupled from the ground plane 102B of the antenna 100 (e.g., via a switching circuit, etc.), and therefore do not reflect the radiation pattern of the active patch antenna element 104. In contrast, the first parasitic patch element 106A and the third parasitic patch element 106C are dynamically coupled to the ground plane and therefore actively reflect the radiation pattern of the active patch antenna element 104. In this way, the radiation pattern of the active patch antenna element 104 can be dynamically controlled in a certain direction.

[0067] Figure 3B An example reflection coefficient graph 302B is depicted according to example aspects of the disclosure. Figure 3B The frequency along the horizontal axis and the reflection coefficient (S11) along the vertical axis are plotted.

[0068] Figure 3C An example radiation pattern 302C is depicted for a standard achieved gain in the YZ plane at a frequency of, for example, 31 GHz.

[0069] Figure 3D Depicted Figure 3A Three-dimensional views 305A to 305C of the radiation patterns of antenna 300 at 29 GHz, 30 GHz, and 31 GHz, respectively.

[0070] Figure 4A A block diagram of an antenna configuration 400 for a third parasitic patch element grounding configuration of the antenna 100 of FIG. 1 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Specifically, as depicted, the third parasitic patch element 106C and the fourth parasitic patch element 106D of the antenna 100 are decoupled from the ground plane 102B of the antenna 100 (e.g., via a switching circuit, etc.), and therefore do not reflect the radiation pattern of the active patch antenna element 104. In contrast, the first parasitic patch element 106A and the third parasitic patch element 106B are dynamically coupled to the ground plane and therefore actively reflect the radiation pattern of the active patch antenna element 104. In this way, the radiation pattern of the active patch antenna element 104 can be dynamically controlled in a certain direction.

[0071] Figure 4B An example reflection coefficient graph 402B is depicted according to example aspects of the present disclosure. Figure 4B The frequency along the horizontal axis and the reflection coefficient (S11) along the vertical axis are plotted.

[0072] Figure 4C An example radiation pattern 402C is depicted for a standard achieved gain in the YZ plane at a frequency of, for example, 31 GHz.

[0073] Figure 4D Depicted Figure 4A Three-dimensional views 405A to 405C of the radiation patterns of antenna 400 at 29 GHz, 30 GHz, and 31 GHz, respectively.

[0074] Figure 5 1 depicts an example antenna 500 configured to operate at millimeter wave frequencies according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure. Specifically, antenna 500 includes two active patch antenna elements 502A and 502B. However, it should be noted that embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to one active patch antenna element as shown in FIG. 1 , or as shown in FIG. Figure 5 The two active patch antenna elements shown. For example, the antenna 500 may include any plurality of active patch antenna elements 502 disposed on the first surface 103A of the substrate 102A. The plurality of active patch antenna elements 502 may be disposed to collectively form a two-dimensional shape defining a plurality of vertices (e.g., corners of a rectangle, a rhombus, a polygon, etc.). Each of the plurality of active patch antenna elements 502 may be configured to generate a radiation pattern.

[0075] It should also be noted that there may be a certain degree of spacing 504 between active patch antenna elements 502A and 502B. For example, the spacing 504 between active patch antenna elements 502A and 502B may be less than

[0076] In conjunction, the plurality of parasitic elements 106 may be positioned coplanar and adjacent to the plurality of active patch antenna elements 502. Specifically, each of the plurality of parasitic patch elements defines four vertices (e.g., a square with four corners). The plurality of parasitic elements 106 may be positioned such that a vertex of each of the plurality of parasitic elements 106 is adjacent to a vertex of the two-dimensional shape of the plurality of active patch antenna elements 502.

[0077] As an example, the active patch antenna elements 502A and 502B are arranged so as to form a two-dimensional shape (e.g., a rectangle). Each of the four parasitic patch antenna elements 106A to 106D is positioned so that the vertices of each parasitic patch antenna element 106A to 106D are adjacent to the vertices of the two-dimensional shape (e.g., a rectangle) formed by the active patch antenna elements 502A / 502B.

[0078] Fig. 6A It shows some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 5 1 is a block diagram of an antenna configuration 600 for a parasitic patch element grounding configuration in which each parasitic patch element 106 is coupled to a ground plane for antenna 500. Since each of the plurality of parasitic patch elements 106 is coupled to ground plane 102B, there is no active reflection of the radiation pattern of active patch antenna element 502 by any parasitic patch element 106.

[0079] Figure 6B Depicted Fig. 6A Three-dimensional views 605A to 605C of the radiation patterns of antenna 600 at 29 GHz, 30 GHz, and 31 GHz, respectively.

[0080] Fig. 7A It shows some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 5 1 is a block diagram of an antenna configuration 700 for a parasitic patch element grounding configuration of antenna 500 for which a subset of the plurality of parasitic patch elements 106 are coupled to ground plane 102B. Since only a subset of the plurality of parasitic patch elements 106 are coupled to ground plane 102B, there is active reflection of the radiation pattern of active patch antenna element 502 through active parasitic patch elements (e.g., those elements not connected to ground) 106B and 106D. Figure 7B It shows some embodiments of the present disclosure. Fig. 7A Example radiation patterns and associated performance metrics for the parasitic patch ground configuration shown in FIG.

[0081] Figure 7B An example reflection coefficient graph 702B is depicted according to example aspects of the disclosure. Figure 7BThe frequency along the horizontal axis and the reflection coefficient (S11) along the vertical axis are plotted.

[0082] Figure 7C An example radiation pattern 702C is depicted for a standard achieved gain in the YZ plane at a frequency of, for example, 31 GHz.

[0083] Fig. 8A Some other embodiments of the present disclosure are shown. Figure 5 FIG. 7D shows an antenna configuration 800 for a parasitic patch element grounding configuration for antenna 500 of the present disclosure for different subsets of the plurality of parasitic patch elements 106 coupled to a ground plane. Since only a subset of the plurality of parasitic patch elements 106 are coupled to ground plane 102B, there is active reflection of the radiation pattern of active patch antenna element 502 through active parasitic patch elements (e.g., those elements not connected to ground) 106A and 106C. FIG. 7D shows an example of a parasitic patch element grounding configuration for antenna 500 of the present disclosure for different subsets of the plurality of parasitic patch elements 106 coupled to a ground plane. Figure 7C Example radiation patterns and associated performance metrics for a parasitic patch ground configuration are shown in FIG.

[0084] Figure 8B An example reflection coefficient graph 802B is depicted according to example aspects of the disclosure. Figure 8B The frequency along the horizontal axis and the reflection coefficient (S11) along the vertical axis are plotted.

[0085] Figure 8C An example radiation pattern 802C is depicted for a standard achieved gain in the YZ plane at a frequency of, for example, 31 GHz.

[0086] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of an embodiment of an antenna system 900 according to example aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The antenna system 900 may include a pattern antenna assembly 902. The pattern antenna assembly 902 may include an active patch antenna element 904 and a plurality of parasitic patch elements 906 (e.g., FIG. 1 and / or FIG. 2 ) positioned near the active patch antenna element 904. Fig. 9 ). The mode antenna component 902 can operate in a variety of different modes, and each mode can be associated with a different radiation pattern.

[0087] Control circuitry, such as tuning circuitry 908 (e.g., control circuitry), can be configured to control electrical characteristics associated with parasitic patch element 906 to enable mode antenna assembly 902 to operate in a plurality of different modes. Tuning circuitry 908 can be configured to demodulate a control signal from a transmission signal and control electrical characteristics of parasitic patch element 906 based on control instructions associated with the control signal.

[0088] The switching circuit 910 may be coupled to the parasitic patch element 906, and the tuning circuit 908 may be configured to control the switching circuit 910 to change the electrical connection between the parasitic element 906 and the voltage or current source or the voltage or current sink, such as connecting the parasitic element 906 to a ground plane (e.g., Figure 1B The ground plane 102B is connected.

[0089] The RF circuit 912 can be configured to transmit a radio frequency (RF) signal to the active patch antenna element 904 of the pattern antenna assembly 902. For example, the transmission line 914 can couple the RF circuit 910 to the pattern antenna assembly 902. In some embodiments, the transmission line 914 can be a single coaxial cable configured to provide data through coaxial functionality. The RF circuit 912 can be configured to amplify or otherwise generate an RF signal that is transmitted to the active patch antenna element 904 of the pattern antenna assembly 902 through the transmission line 914 (as a component of the transmission signal).

[0090] In some embodiments, RF circuit 912 may include front-end module 916 and / or control instruction circuit 918. Front-end module 916 may be configured to generate and / or amplify an RF signal for transmission to active patch antenna element 904. Control instruction circuit 918 may be configured to modulate a control signal onto an RF signal using amplitude-shift keying modulation to generate a transmission signal.

[0091] The transmission line 914 may be coupled (e.g., using a bias tee circuit) to various components configured to assist in combining and / or separating signals occupying various frequency bands. For example, a first bias tee circuit 920 may couple the front end module 916 and the control instruction circuit 918 to the transmission line 914. The first bias tee circuit 920 may include a capacitor 922 coupling the transmission line 914 to the front end module 916 and an inductor 924 coupling the control instruction unit 918 to the transmission line 914. A second bias tee circuit 926 may couple the active patch antenna element 904 and the tuning circuit 908 to the transmission line 914. The second bias tee circuit 926 may include a capacitor 928 coupling the transmission line 914 to the active patch antenna element 904 and an inductor 930 coupling the transmission line 914 to the tuning circuit 908.

[0092] The front end module 916 may transmit an RF signal through a capacitor 922 of a first bias circuit 920. The control circuit 918 may modulate a control signal onto the RF signal through an inductor 924 of the first bias circuit 120 to generate a control signal in the transmission line 914. The tuning circuit 908 may demodulate the control signal from the transmission signal via an inductor 930 of a second bias circuit 928. The RF signal component of the transmission signal may be transmitted to the active patch antenna element 904 of the pattern antenna 902 via a capacitor 928 of the second bias circuit 928.

[0093] In some embodiments, the antenna system 900 may include a first circuit board 929 and a second circuit board 931 that is physically separate from the first circuit board 929. The RF circuit 912 may be disposed on the first circuit board 929, and at least one of the tuning circuit 908 or the pattern antenna assembly 902 may be disposed on the second circuit board 931. This may allow the RF circuit 912 to be physically separated from the tuning circuit and / or the pattern antenna assembly 902 without using multiple transmission lines or adversely affecting the operation of the antenna system 900.

[0094] In some embodiments, the RF signal may be limited to a first frequency band, and the control signal may be limited to a second frequency band different from the first frequency band. For example, the first frequency band may be in the range of from about 500 MHz to about 50 GHz, in some embodiments in the range of from about 1 GHz to about 25 GHz, in some embodiments in the range of from about 2 GHz to about 7 GHz (e.g., about 5 GHz). The second frequency band may be in the range of from about 10 MHz to about 1 GHz, in some embodiments in the range of from about 20 MHz to about 800 MHz, in some embodiments in the range of from about 30 MHz to about 500 MHz, and in some embodiments in the range of from about 50 MHz to about 250 MHz (e.g., about 100 MHz). More generally, the frequency band defined by the RF signal may be a millimeter wave band.

[0095] Fig.10 is a flow chart illustrating an example method 1000 for active control of millimeter wave signaling according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Fig.10 The steps performed in a specific order are depicted for the purpose of illustration and discussion, but the method of the present disclosure is not limited to the specific order or arrangement shown. The various steps of method 1000 may be omitted, rearranged, combined and / or modified in various ways without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0096] At 1002, an antenna device may generate a radiation pattern (e.g., between ˜24 GHz and ˜300 GHz) including transmissions to a receiving entity (e.g., a second antenna device, etc.). The antenna device may include a substrate, a ground plane contacting a first surface of the substrate, and an active antenna patch element and four parasitic patch elements disposed on a second surface of the substrate. The active antenna patch element may define four corners, and each of the four parasitic patch elements may be positioned coplanar and adjacent to a corresponding one of the four corners of the active antenna patch element.

[0097] At 1004, the antenna device may obtain information via a single coaxial cable (e.g., using data over coaxial transmission, etc.). The information may indicate one or more channel quality indicators (CQIs) associated with the transmission to the receiving entity. For example, the CQI may indicate the quality of the connection between the antenna device and the receiving entity.

[0098] At 1006, the antenna device may control the switching circuit to dynamically couple one or more of the four parasitic patch antenna elements to a ground plane of the antenna device based at least in part on the information. For example, the information indicating the one or more CQIs may indicate poor transmission quality between the antenna device and the receiving entity. In response, the antenna device may control the switching circuit to dynamically couple one or more of the plurality of parasitic patch elements to the ground plane, thereby forming a radiation pattern with improved transmission quality.

[0099] One example size of the patch is 6 millimeters (mm) to 18 mm.

[0100] Although the subject matter has been described in detail with respect to specific example embodiments of the subject matter, it should be understood that those skilled in the art, after understanding the foregoing, can easily generate changes, modifications and equivalents to these embodiments. Therefore, the scope of the present disclosure is by way of example rather than by way of limitation, and the subject disclosure does not exclude such modifications, modifications and / or additions to the subject matter that are obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art.

Claims

1. An antenna configured to operate at millimeter wave frequencies, the antenna comprising: a substrate comprising a first surface and a second surface; a ground plane, wherein a first surface of the ground plane contacts the second surface of the substrate; an active patch antenna element, the active patch antenna element defining a first angle, a second angle, a third angle, and a fourth angle, wherein the active patch antenna element is positioned on the first surface of the substrate, wherein the active patch antenna is configured to produce a radiation pattern; a first parasitic patch element, the first parasitic patch element being coplanar with the active patch antenna element, wherein a corner of the first parasitic patch element is adjacent to the first corner of the active patch antenna element; a second parasitic patch element, the second parasitic patch element being coplanar with the active patch antenna element, wherein a corner of the first parasitic patch element is adjacent to a second corner of the active patch antenna element; a third parasitic patch element, the third parasitic patch element being coplanar with the active patch antenna element, wherein a corner of the first parasitic patch element is adjacent to a third corner of the active patch antenna element; a fourth parasitic patch element, the fourth parasitic patch element being coplanar with the active patch antenna element, wherein a corner of the first parasitic patch element is adjacent to a fourth corner of the active patch antenna element; and A switching circuit is configured to dynamically couple the first parasitic patch element, the second parasitic patch element, the third parasitic patch element, and / or the fourth parasitic patch element to the ground plane.

2. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein: The first parasitic patch element, the second parasitic patch element, the third parasitic patch element, and the fourth parasitic patch element are located within a distance from the first corner, the second corner, the third corner, and the fourth corner of the active patch antenna element, respectively.

3. The antenna according to claim 2, wherein: The distance includes the maximum distance 4. The antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The antenna also includes a control circuit configured to control the switching circuit.

5. The antenna according to claim 4, wherein: The control circuit is configured to receive data via the single coaxial cable.

6. The antenna according to claim 5, wherein: The data on the single coaxial cable describes control instructions for the control circuit.

7. The antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: Each of the first, second, third and fourth parasitic patch elements is configured to reflect the radiation pattern of the active patch antenna element when disconnected from the ground plane.

8. The antenna according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein: The control circuit is configured to control the switching circuit to dynamically couple the first parasitic patch element, the second parasitic patch element, the third parasitic patch element, and / or the fourth parasitic patch element to the ground plane based at least in part on one or more channel quality indicators (CQIs).

9. The antenna according to claim 8, wherein: The one or more CQIs indicate a quality of a connection between the antenna and one or more receiving entities.

10. The antenna according to any one of claims 8 to 9, wherein: The one or more CQIs are associated with a connection between the antenna and a receiving entity located proximate to the first parasitic patch element and the third parasitic patch element; and The control circuit is configured to: in response to the one or more CQIs, control the switching circuit to dynamically couple the first parasitic patch element and the third parasitic patch element to the ground plane.

11. The antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein: The antenna further comprises a second active patch antenna element positioned on the first surface of the substrate, the second active patch antenna element being configured to produce a second radiation pattern; wherein the first corner and the second corner of the second active patch antenna element are respectively adjacent to the third corner and the fourth corner of the active patch antenna element; wherein the third parasitic patch element is adjacent to the third corner of the second active patch antenna element; and Wherein, the fourth parasitic patch element is adjacent to the fourth corner of the second active patch antenna element.

12. The antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein: The shape of the first parasitic patch antenna element is the same as shapes of the second parasitic patch antenna element, the third parasitic patch antenna element, and the fourth parasitic patch antenna element.

13. The antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein: The radiation pattern includes frequencies between approximately 24 GHz and approximately 300 GHz.

14. An antenna configured to operate at millimeter wave frequencies, the antenna comprising: a substrate comprising a first surface and a second surface; a ground plane, wherein a first surface of the ground plane contacts the second surface of the substrate; a plurality of active patch antenna elements disposed on the first surface of the substrate, wherein the plurality of active patch antenna elements collectively form a two-dimensional shape defining a plurality of vertices, wherein each active patch antenna element of the plurality of active patch antenna elements is configured to produce a radiation pattern; a plurality of parasitic patch elements, the plurality of parasitic patch elements being coplanar with the plurality of active patch antenna elements, wherein each of the plurality of parasitic patch elements defines four vertices; wherein the vertices of each of the plurality of parasitic patch antenna elements are adjacent to vertices of the two-dimensional shape of the plurality of active patch antenna elements; and A switching circuit is configured to dynamically couple one or more parasitic patch elements of the plurality of parasitic patch elements to the ground plane.

15. The antenna according to claim 14, wherein: The plurality of active patch antenna elements include a first active patch antenna element and a second active patch antenna element, wherein the first active patch antenna element is disposed separately from the second active patch antenna element, and wherein a distance between the first active patch antenna element and the second active patch antenna element is less than 16. A method for generating millimeter wave frequencies, the method comprising: generating a radiation pattern by an antenna device, the radiation pattern comprising transmissions to a receiving entity, wherein the antenna device comprises a substrate, a ground plane contacting a first surface of the substrate, and an active antenna patch element and four parasitic patch elements disposed on a second surface of the substrate, wherein the active antenna patch element defines four corners, and wherein respective ones of the four parasitic patch elements are positioned coplanar and adjacent to respective ones of the four corners of the active antenna patch element; acquiring, by the antenna device via the single coaxial cable, information indicative of one or more channel quality indicators corresponding to the transmission to the receiving entity; A switching circuit is controlled, by the antenna device, based at least in part on the information, to dynamically couple one or more of the four parasitic patch antenna elements to the ground plane of the antenna device.

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