Beam forming device and method
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202280101074.7
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2022-11-22
- Publication Date
- 2025-05-23
Smart Images
Figure CN120035971A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Beamforming device and method Technical Field
[0001] The present application relates to the field of optical communication technology, and in particular to a beamforming device and method. Background Art
[0002] In wireless communication networks, beamforming has become a critical technology for improving link signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and transmission distance. The current mainstream solution uses electrical components for phase control to achieve beamforming, such as digital phase shifting in baseband chips, analog phase shifting, or hybrid phase shifting.
[0003] With the advancement of wireless communication technology, wireless frequency bands are gradually shifting towards higher frequencies. This increased demand for signal capacity has led to an increase in the number of antennas. Currently, molecular array designs are used to meet this demand. However, these designs consume relatively high power, and the limited number of antennas allocated to each sub-array makes it difficult to achieve high-quality beams.
[0004] Summary of the Invention
[0005] The embodiments of the present application provide a beamforming device and method to implement fully connected beamforming through wavelength division multiplexing technology.
[0006] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a beamforming device, comprising a first laser signal source, multiple modulators, a first optical splitter, multiple wavelength selection units, and multiple phase shifters. The laser signal source is used to transmit multiple laser signals of different wavelengths. The multiple modulators modulate the radio frequency signal to be transmitted on the laser signal of the corresponding wavelength to obtain a first modulated optical signal. The first optical splitter combines the multiple first modulated optical signals and then distributes them to multiple optical paths, each of which corresponds to a second modulated optical signal. Each optical path corresponds to a wavelength selection unit. The wavelength selection unit receives the second modulated optical signal from the first optical splitter on the corresponding optical path, and selectively transmits the optical signal of the corresponding wavelength from the received second modulated optical signal to the phase shifter. Each of the multiple phase shifters phase-shifts (i.e., adjusts the phase) the received optical signal of the corresponding wavelength, and then transmits it to the corresponding connected wavelength selection unit. The wavelength selection unit receives optical signals of multiple wavelengths from multiple phase shifters, and merges them to obtain a third modulated optical signal for transmission.
[0007] In the embodiments of the present application, a full-connection method for optical routing is adopted to effectively route the wavelength and mode multiplexing of optical signals to achieve the expansion of traffic channels. In addition, the number of modulators used is only related to the number of full connections, which is relatively low in complexity and can reduce the volume of the beamforming device to a certain extent. In addition, by using lasers of different wavelengths to transmit beam signals corresponding to different antenna ends, there is no need to adjust the frequency of the RF signal. The phase shifter is used to phase shift the signals of the corresponding wavelengths on each path, thereby changing the emission angle of the RF signal modulated at the wavelength emitted by the RF antenna end, thereby achieving beamforming of each RF signal.
[0008] In some possible implementations, the beamforming device further includes multiple detectors and multiple radio frequency antenna units. Each of the multiple detectors corresponds to a wavelength selection unit and is configured to receive the third modulated optical signal from the corresponding wavelength selection unit, perform photoelectric conversion on the received third modulated optical signal to obtain an electrical signal, and transmit the electrical signal via the radio frequency antenna unit corresponding to the first detector.
[0009] Take the beamforming device including M modulators, N wavelength selection units, and N*M phase shifters as an example.
[0010] A first laser signal source is configured to emit M laser signals, each having different wavelengths. M modulators correspond one-to-one to the M laser signals and are configured to modulate a radio frequency signal on the corresponding laser signal to obtain M first modulated optical signals; the modulated radio frequency signals on any two of the M laser signals may be the same or different. A first optical splitter is coupled to the M modulators and is configured to combine the M first modulated optical signals and distribute them to N optical paths to obtain N second modulated optical signals corresponding to the N optical paths. N wavelength selection units are coupled to the first optical splitter. The N wavelength selection units correspond one-to-one to the N second modulated optical signals. The first wavelength selection unit receives the second modulated optical signal from the first optical splitter and sends the M wavelengths of the second modulated optical signal to M phase shifters one-to-one; the first wavelength selection unit is any one of the N wavelength selection units. The M phase shifters adjust the phase of the received optical signal and send the phase-adjusted optical signal to the first wavelength selection unit. The N wavelength selection units are coupled one-to-one to N detectors. The first wavelength selection unit is further configured to merge the optical signals received from the corresponding M phase shifters to obtain a third modulated optical signal and transmit the third modulated optical signal.
[0011] In some possible implementations, the beamforming device further includes N detectors and N radio frequency antenna units. The N detectors are coupled to the N wavelength selection units in a one-to-one correspondence, and the N detectors are coupled to the N radio frequency antenna units in a one-to-one correspondence. The N detectors are configured to receive the third modulated optical signal transmitted by the corresponding wavelength selection unit, perform photoelectric conversion on the received third modulated optical signal to obtain an electrical signal, and transmit the electrical signal via the radio frequency antenna unit corresponding to the first detector.
[0012] In one possible design, the wavelength selection unit is a reconfigurable optical differential multiplexer (ROADM).
[0013] In one possible design, the beamforming device further includes: a control unit, configured to control the phase shift intervals of the N*M phase shifters.
[0014] The control unit controls each phase shifter to adjust the phase shift change of the optical signal of the corresponding wavelength, that is, it can change the transmission angle of the RF signal of the wavelength after beamforming at the antenna end. In the embodiment of the present application, the number M of RF signals that can be transmitted simultaneously is not specifically limited. The transmission of M RF signals can be achieved by time division multiplexing, and all of them can be simultaneously transmitted, thereby achieving full connection of the M RF signals.
[0015] In one possible design, the first laser signal source includes M first lasers, and the M first lasers are coupled to the M modulators in a one-to-one correspondence; the M first lasers have different wavelengths.
[0016] In one possible design, the first laser signal source includes M wavelength lasers and a wavelength division multiplexer, the M wavelength lasers are coupled to the wavelength division multiplexer, and the wavelength division multiplexer is coupled to the M modulators.
[0017] In a possible design, the beamforming device further includes a second laser signal source and a second optical splitter; wherein,
[0018] The second laser signal source is configured to emit M carrier optical signals corresponding one to one to the M laser signals;
[0019] The second optical splitter is used to couple the M carrier optical signals and distribute them to the N detectors;
[0020] Each of the N detectors is specifically configured to perform coherent detection on the received third modulated optical signal according to the received carrier optical signal, and perform photoelectric conversion on the third modulated optical signal after the coherent detection to obtain an electrical signal.
[0021] In the above design, heterodyne coherent detection is achieved by adding a second laser signal source and a second optical splitter, which can be applied to the application scenarios of heterodyne coherent detection. The RF frequency of each of the M beams sent by the RF antenna end is related to the frequency of the laser signal of each wavelength in the first laser signal source and the frequency of the laser signal of each wavelength in the second laser signal source. In some scenarios, the frequency of the laser signal of each wavelength in the first laser signal source or the second laser signal source can be changed to change the RF frequency of the corresponding wavelength sent by the RF antenna end to achieve frequency conversion operation.
[0022] In one possible design, the beamforming device further includes a third optical splitter:
[0023] One end of a third optical splitter is coupled to the first laser signal source, and the other end of the third optical splitter is coupled to the N detectors; the third optical splitter is used to couple the M laser signals and distribute them to the N detectors;
[0024] The first detector among the N detectors is specifically used to perform coherent detection on the received third modulated optical signal according to the received laser signal, and perform photoelectric conversion on the third modulated optical signal after coherent detection to obtain an electrical signal.
[0025] In the above design, by adding a third optical splitter, homodyne coherent detection can be achieved, which can be applied to heterodyne coherent detection applications. The RF frequency of each of the M beams transmitted by the RF antenna is related to the frequency of the laser signal of each wavelength in the first laser signal source.
[0026] In a second aspect, embodiments of the present application provide another beamforming device. The device includes: a first laser signal source, M modulators, M first beam splitters, N first wavelength division multiplexers, and N*M phase shifters. The first laser signal source is configured to emit M laser signals, each of which has a different wavelength.
[0027] The M modulators correspond one-to-one to the M laser signals, and are respectively used to modulate a radio frequency signal on the corresponding laser signal to obtain M first modulated optical signals; the modulated radio frequency signals on any two laser signals among the M laser signals are the same or different;
[0028] The M first beam splitters are coupled to the M modulators in a one-to-one correspondence; each of the M first beam splitters is coupled to an input end of N phase shifters, and is configured to receive a first modulated optical signal sent by a corresponding modulator, distribute the received first modulated optical signal into N second modulated optical signals, and distribute the N second modulated optical signals to the N phase shifters in a one-to-one correspondence;
[0029] The N phase shifters are respectively used to adjust the phase of the received second modulated optical signal to obtain a third modulated optical signal;
[0030] The inlet end of each of the N first wavelength division multiplexers is coupled to the outlet end of the M phase shifters, and the inlet ends of the M phase shifters coupled to the same first wavelength division multiplexer are respectively coupled to different first beam splitters; each first wavelength division multiplexer is used to couple the third modulated optical signal from the M phase shifters into a fourth modulated optical signal for transmission.
[0031] In one possible implementation, the beamforming device further includes N detectors and N radio frequency antenna units. The second ends of the N first wavelength division multiplexers are coupled to the input ends of the N detectors in a one-to-one correspondence, and the output ends of the N detectors are coupled to the N radio frequency antenna units in a one-to-one correspondence. Each of the N detectors is configured to receive the fourth modulated optical signal from the corresponding first wavelength division multiplexer, perform photoelectric conversion on the fourth modulated optical signal to obtain an electrical signal, and transmit the electrical signal via the corresponding radio frequency antenna unit.
[0032] Compared with the beamforming device provided in the first aspect, the beamforming device provided in the second aspect no longer requires the participation of a wavelength selection unit, which can reduce the cost and volume of the beamforming device.
[0033] In one possible design, the beamforming device further includes: a control unit, configured to control the phase shift intervals of the N*M phase shifters.
[0034] In one possible design, the first laser signal source includes M first lasers, and the M first lasers are coupled to the M modulators in a one-to-one correspondence; the M first lasers have different wavelengths.
[0035] In one possible design, the first laser signal source includes a multi-wavelength laser and a second wavelength division multiplexer, the M wavelength lasers are coupled to the second wavelength division multiplexer, and the second wavelength division multiplexer is coupled to the M modulators.
[0036] In one possible design, the beamforming device further includes a second laser signal source and a second optical splitter; wherein the second laser signal source is configured to emit M carrier optical signals corresponding one-to-one to the M laser signals;
[0037] The second optical splitter is used to couple the M carrier optical signals and distribute them to the N detectors;
[0038] Each of the N detectors is specifically configured to perform coherent detection on the received fourth modulated optical signal according to the received carrier optical signal, and perform photoelectric conversion on the fourth modulated optical signal after the coherent detection to obtain an electrical signal.
[0039] In one possible design, the beamforming device further includes a third optical splitter:
[0040] One end of the third optical splitter is coupled to the first laser signal source, and the other end of the third optical splitter is coupled to the N detectors; the third optical splitter is used to couple the M laser signals and distribute them to the N detectors;
[0041] The first detector among the N detectors is specifically used to perform coherent detection on the received third modulated optical signal according to the received laser signal, and perform photoelectric conversion on the third modulated optical signal after coherent detection to obtain an electrical signal.
[0042] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a beamforming method, comprising: emitting M laser signals of different wavelengths; modulating a radio frequency signal on each of the M laser signals to obtain M first modulated optical signals; the modulated radio frequency signals on any two of the M laser signals are the same or different; combining the M first modulated optical signals and distributing them to N optical paths to obtain N second modulated optical signals corresponding to the N optical paths; on each optical path, performing phase adjustment on each of the M wavelengths of optical signals included in the second modulated optical signal, coupling the M phase-shifted optical signals, performing photoelectric conversion to obtain an electrical signal, and transmitting the electrical signal through an antenna.
[0043] In one possible design, the method further includes: emitting M carrier optical signals corresponding one-to-one to the M laser signals; combining the M carrier optical signals and then splitting them into N optical signals, each of the N optical signals including M carrier optical signals; and on each optical path, coupling the M phase-shifted optical signals and performing photoelectric conversion to obtain an electrical signal, including: on each optical path, coherently detecting the M phase-shifted optical signals according to the received M carrier optical signals, and performing photoelectric conversion on the optical signals after coherent detection to obtain an electrical signal.
[0044] In one possible design, the method further includes: coupling the M laser signals of different wavelengths and splitting them into N optical signals, each of the N optical signals including M laser signals of different wavelengths; and performing photoelectric conversion on the M phase-shifted optical signals after coupling to obtain electrical signals, including: performing coherent detection on the M phase-shifted optical signals according to the received M laser signals, and performing photoelectric conversion on the optical signals after coherent detection to obtain electrical signals.
[0045] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a beamforming method, which includes: emitting M laser signals with different wavelengths. Modulating radio frequency signals on the M laser signals respectively to obtain M first modulated optical signals; the modulated radio frequency signals on any two laser signals in the M laser signals are the same or different; performing beam splitting processing on each of the M first modulated optical signals to obtain N second modulated optical signals to obtain N*M second modulated optical signals; and performing phase adjustment on each second modulated optical signal in the N*M second modulated optical signals to obtain a third modulated optical signal to obtain N*M third modulated optical signals. Coupling the M third modulated optical signals included in the N third modulated optical signal groups in the N*M third modulated optical signals into a fourth modulated optical signal to obtain N fourth modulated optical signals; wherein the wavelengths of the M third modulated optical signals included in each third modulated optical signal group in the N third modulated optical signal groups are all different; performing photoelectric conversion on each of the N fourth modulated optical signals to obtain an electrical signal, and transmitting it through the corresponding antenna.
[0046] In one possible design, the method further includes: transmitting M carrier optical signals corresponding one-to-one to the M laser signals; combining the M carrier optical signals and then splitting them into N optical signals, each of the N optical signals including M carrier optical signals; performing photoelectric conversion on each of the N fourth modulated optical signals to obtain an electrical signal, including: performing coherent detection on the received fourth modulated optical signal based on the received M carrier optical signals, and performing photoelectric conversion on the fourth modulated optical signal after coherent detection to obtain an electrical signal.
[0047] In one possible design, the method further includes: coupling the M laser signals of different wavelengths and then splitting them into N optical signals, each of the N optical signals including M laser signals of different wavelengths, and the N optical signals corresponding one-to-one to N fourth modulated optical signals; performing photoelectric conversion on each of the N fourth modulated optical signals to obtain an electrical signal, including: performing coherent detection on the fourth modulated optical signal corresponding to the first optical signal based on the M laser signals in the first optical signal, and performing photoelectric conversion on the optical signal after the coherent detection to obtain an electrical signal. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0048] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of an integrated optical waveguide beamforming device;
[0049] FIG2A is a schematic structural diagram of a beamforming device provided in an embodiment of the present application;
[0050] FIG2B is a schematic structural diagram of another beamforming device provided in an embodiment of the present application;
[0051] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a beamforming process based on a beamforming device according to an embodiment of the present application;
[0052] FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of another beamforming device provided in an embodiment of the present application;
[0053] FIG5 is a schematic structural diagram of another beamforming device provided in an embodiment of the present application;
[0054] FIG6 is a schematic structural diagram of another beamforming device provided in an embodiment of the present application;
[0055] FIG7 is a schematic structural diagram of another beamforming device provided in an embodiment of the present application;
[0056] FIG8 is a schematic structural diagram of another beamforming device provided in an embodiment of the present application;
[0057] FIG9 is a schematic structural diagram of a beamforming device for heterodyne coherent detection scenarios provided by an embodiment of the present application;
[0058] FIG10A is a schematic structural diagram of another beamforming device for heterodyne coherent detection scenarios provided in an embodiment of the present application;
[0059] FIG10B is a schematic structural diagram of another beamforming device for heterodyne coherent detection scenarios provided in an embodiment of the present application;
[0060] FIG11 is a schematic structural diagram of another beamforming device for heterodyne coherent detection scenarios provided in an embodiment of the present application;
[0061] FIG12 is a schematic structural diagram of a beamforming device for a homodyne coherent detection scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application;
[0062] FIG13 is a schematic structural diagram of another beamforming device provided in an embodiment of the present application;
[0063] FIG14 is a schematic structural diagram of another beamforming device provided in an embodiment of the present application;
[0064] FIG15 is a schematic structural diagram of another beamforming device provided in an embodiment of the present application;
[0065] FIG16 is a schematic structural diagram of another beamforming device provided in an embodiment of the present application;
[0066] FIG17 is a schematic structural diagram of another beamforming device provided in an embodiment of the present application;
[0067] FIG18 is a schematic structural diagram of another beamforming device provided in an embodiment of the present application;
[0068] FIG19 is a schematic structural diagram of another beamforming device provided in an embodiment of the present application;
[0069] FIG20 is a schematic diagram of a beamforming method flow chart provided in an embodiment of the present application;
[0070] FIG21 is a flow chart of another beamforming method provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0071] To make the purpose, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application more clear, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.
[0072] The term "at least one" used in this application refers to one, or more than one, including one, two, three and more; "multiple" refers to two, or more than two, including two, three and more. In addition, it should be understood that in the description of this application, words such as "first" and "second" are only used to distinguish the purpose of description, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance, nor can they be understood as indicating or implying order. "And / or" describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following items" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, c can be single or multiple.
[0073] Beamforming, also known as beamforming or spatial filtering, is a signal processing technology used for directional array transmission and reception. It can be used on both the transmitter and receiver sides. Beamforming controls the phase or delay of each transmitted signal in the array antenna, causing the beams to interfere and add in specific wavefront directions, thereby changing the directional angle of the signal beam.
[0074] The current mainstream beamforming technology uses electrical devices for phase control to achieve beamforming. However, this approach cannot meet the increased antenna data requirements due to signal capacity expansion. Currently, proposals are underway to leverage the polarization and mode multiplexing properties of light to expand traffic channels. One possible optical beamforming solution uses a tunable laser as a light source, writes multiple Bragg gratings with different center wavelengths onto a waveguide delay line, and positions Bragg gratings with the same center wavelength at different locations within adjacent waveguide delay lines. By selecting the laser's output wavelength, the transmission delay of the optical signal can be controlled. This achieves a beamforming effect on microwave signals, as shown in Figure 1.
[0075] The present invention provides a beamforming device and method that implement a fully connected beamforming solution using wavelength division multiplexing technology. The method and device are based on the same inventive concept. Because the method and device solve similar problems, their implementations can refer to each other, and any repetitions will not be repeated.
[0076] 2A shows a beamforming device provided in an embodiment of the present application, taking the example of transmitting M radio frequency signals through N antenna terminals.
[0077] As shown in Figure 2A , the beamforming device includes a first laser signal source 210, M modulators 220, a first optical splitter 230, N wavelength selection units 240, and N*M phase shifters 250. To facilitate differentiation among the N wavelength selection units 240, in Figure 2A , the N wavelength selection units 240 are referred to as wavelength selection units 240-1 through 240-N, respectively. The first laser signal source 210 is coupled to each of the M modulators 220. Coupling refers to the optical connection between the input and output of two or more optical devices, allowing the transmission of optical energy from one side to the other through interaction. For example, two optical devices can be connected via an optical fiber. The M modulators 220 are coupled to each of the first optical splitter 230. It can be understood that one end of each of the M modulators 220 is coupled to the first laser signal source 210, and the other end of each modulator is coupled to the first optical splitter 230. The first optical splitter 230 is coupled to each of the N wavelength selection units 240. Each of the N*M phase shifters 250 is coupled to a wavelength selection unit 240. It can be understood that the N*M phase shifters 250 are divided into N phase shifter groups. As an example, in FIG2A , the N phase shifter groups are referred to as phase shifter group 1 through phase shifter group N. Each group includes M phase shifters 250. For ease of distinction, the M phase shifters 250 included in phase shifter group 1 are referred to as phase shifter 250-1-1 through phase shifter 250-1-M, the M phase shifters 250 included in phase shifter group 2 are referred to as phase shifter 250-2-1 through phase shifter 250-2-M, and so on. The M phase shifters 250 included in phase shifter group N are referred to as phase shifter 250-N-1 through phase shifter 250-NM. The N phase shifter groups correspond one-to-one to the N wavelength selection units 240. The M phase shifters included in one phase shifter group are respectively connected to corresponding wavelength selection units 240. Taking phase shifter group 1 as an example, phase shifters 250-1-1 to 250-1-M in phase shifter group 1 are respectively coupled to wavelength selection unit 240-1.
[0078] In one possible embodiment, the beamforming device further includes a detector array and an RF antenna array, as shown in FIG2B . For example, the detector array includes N detectors. For example, the RF antenna array includes N RF antenna units 270. To facilitate the distinction between the M modulators 220, the M modulators 220 are referred to as modulators 220-1 to 220-M in FIG2B . To facilitate the distinction, the N detectors 260 are referred to as detectors 260-1 to 260-N in FIG2B . To facilitate the distinction, the N RF antenna units 270 are referred to as RF antenna units 270-1 to 270-N in FIG2B . One end of the N detectors 260 is coupled to the N wavelength selection units 240 in a one-to-one correspondence, and the other end of the N detectors 260 is coupled to the N RF antenna units 270 in a one-to-one correspondence.
[0079] The signal flow of the beamforming device is described below. FIG3 is a schematic diagram of the signal flow of the beamforming device.
[0080] The first laser signal source 210 emits M laser signals of different wavelengths. The M laser signals of different wavelengths correspond to wavelengths λ1 to λ M M laser signals of different wavelengths enter different modulators 220 , respectively. For example, the M different laser signals are laser signal 1 to laser signal M. Laser signal 1 enters modulator 220 - 1 , laser signal 2 enters modulator 220 - 2 , and so on, until laser signal M enters modulator 220 - M.
[0081] The M modulators 220-1 to 220-M correspond one-to-one to laser signals 1 to M, and receive laser signals of corresponding wavelengths. Each modulator 220 modulates a radio frequency signal on the corresponding received laser signal, thereby obtaining M first modulated optical signals. The modulated radio frequency signals on any two of the M laser signals can be the same or different. The specific modulated radio frequency signal can be determined based on user needs. The first modulated optical signals modulated by the M modulators 220-1 to 220-M enter the first optical splitter 230.
[0082] After receiving M first modulated optical signals, the first optical splitter 230 couples the M first modulated optical signals and then splits the coupled optical signal into N paths, distributing them onto N optical paths. This generates N second modulated optical signals corresponding to the N optical paths. The first optical splitter 230 sends the N second modulated optical signals in a one-to-one correspondence to the N wavelength selection units 240. After each wavelength selection unit 240 receives a second modulated optical signal, it sends the optical signals of the M wavelengths included in the second modulated optical signal in a one-to-one correspondence to the M phase shifters coupled to that wavelength selection unit 240.
[0083] Referring to FIG3 , the wavelength selection unit 240-1 is taken as an example. After receiving the second modulated optical signal, the wavelength selection unit 240-1 sends the optical signals of the M wavelengths in the second modulated optical signal to the phase shifters 250-1-1 to 250-1-M one by one. For example, the phase shifter 250-1-1 corresponds to the optical signal with a wavelength of λ1, the phase shifter 250-1-2 corresponds to the optical signal with a wavelength of λ2, and so on. The phase shifter 250-1-M corresponds to the optical signal with a wavelength of λ M Each phase shifter is used to adjust the phase of the received optical signal of the corresponding wavelength, and return the optical signal with the adjusted phase to the wavelength selection unit. For example, the wavelength selection unit 240-1 extracts the optical signal with a wavelength of λ1 from the second modulated optical signal, and sends it to the phase shifter 250-1-1. The phase shifter 250-1-1 adjusts the phase of the optical signal with a wavelength of λ1, and then sends the adjusted optical signal with a wavelength of λ1 to the wavelength selection unit 240-1. The wavelength selection unit 240-1 extracts the optical signal with a wavelength of λ2 from the second modulated optical signal, and sends it to the phase shifter 250-1-2. The phase shifter 250-1-2 adjusts the phase of the optical signal with a wavelength of λ2, and then sends the adjusted optical signal with a wavelength of λ2 to the wavelength selection unit 240-1. Similarly, the wavelength selection unit 240-1 extracts the optical signal with a wavelength of λ2 from the second modulated optical signal, and then sends it to the phase shifter 250-1-2. M The optical signal of is extracted from the second modulated optical signal and sent to the phase shifter 250-1-M. The phase shifter 250-1-M is a phase shifter with a wavelength of λ. M The phase of the optical signal is adjusted, and the adjusted wavelength is λ M The optical signal is then sent to the wavelength selection unit 240-1. The N wavelength selection units 240 have the same function. The processing methods of the other wavelength selection units 240-2 to 240-N for the second modulated optical signal are similar to the processing method of the wavelength selection unit 240-1 for the second modulated optical signal, and are not repeated here.
[0084] In the embodiment of the present application, the phase shifters corresponding to the same wavelength (such as λ1) in N channels only adjust the phase of the optical signal after splitting the first modulated optical signal of the N channels with the wavelength λ1, and it does not mean that the phase change amounts of the phase shifters corresponding to the wavelength λ1 in the N channels are the same. The phase shift change amounts of the N phase shifters of the same wavelength in N channels can be the same or different, and the embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit this. For example, the phase shifter 250-1-1, the phase shifter 250-2-1...the phase shifter 250-N-1 are all used to phase shift the optical signal with the wavelength λ1, and the phase shift change amounts of the phase shifter 250-1-1, the phase shifter 250-2-1...the phase shifter 250-N-1 on the optical signal of λ1 can be the same or different. Similarly, phase shifters 250-1-2, 250-2-2, ..., and 250-N-2 are all used to perform phase shifting on the optical signal with wavelength λ2. The phase shift changes of the optical signal λ2 by phase shifters 250-1-2, 250-2-2, ..., and 250-N-2 can be the same or different, and so on.
[0085] Each wavelength selection unit 240 sends the received optical signal after phase shifting by each phase shifter 250 to the corresponding first detector 260. In some embodiments, each wavelength selection unit 240 merges the received optical signals after phase shifting by the M phase shifters 250 to obtain a third modulated optical signal, and sends it to the corresponding first detector 260. For example, as shown in Figure 3, after receiving the phase-shifted optical signals sent back by phase shifters 250-1-1 to 250-1-M, the wavelength selection unit 240-1 merges these M phase-shifted optical signals and sends them to the detector 260-1. The detector 260-1 is then used to perform photoelectric conversion on the received third modulated optical signal to obtain an electrical signal. The electrical signal is then transmitted through the radio frequency antenna unit 270-1 coupled to the detector 260-1. Similarly, after receiving the phase-shifted optical signals sent back by phase shifters 250-2-1 through 250-2-M, wavelength selection unit 240-2 combines these M phase-shifted optical signals and transmits them to detector 260-2. Detector 260-2 then performs photoelectric conversion on the received third modulated optical signal to generate an electrical signal. This electrical signal is then transmitted via RF antenna unit 270-2, which is coupled to detector 260-2. This continues in this manner.
[0086] The following is an explanation of each of the components mentioned above. For the sake of convenience, the following illustrations of each component are not repeated.
[0087] (1) First laser signal source 210:
[0088] In a possible example, the first laser signal source 210 may include M lasers, as shown in FIG4 . In FIG4 , the laser included in the first laser signal source is referred to as the first laser. The M lasers are respectively the first laser 1 to the first laser M. The wavelengths of the laser signals emitted by the first laser 1 to the first laser M are different. The wavelengths of the laser signals emitted by the first laser 1 to the first laser M are λ1 to λ M .
[0089] The powers of the laser signals generated by the M first lasers can be the same or different. The wavelength interval of the laser signals emitted by any two first lasers from first laser 1 to first laser M can be determined based on actual needs, for example, the wavelength interval of the laser signals emitted by any two first lasers can be greater than a set threshold.
[0090] In another possible example, the first laser signal source 210 utilizes a multi-wavelength laser. As shown in FIG5 , the first laser signal source 210 includes a multi-wavelength laser 211 and a wavelength division multiplexer 212. The multi-wavelength laser 211 can transmit an optical signal having M wavelengths. The wavelength division multiplexer 212 distributes the optical signal having M wavelengths into M optical signals. These M optical signals have different wavelengths.
[0091] (2) Modulator 220. In the embodiment of the present application, there is no specific limitation on the modulation format of the modulator 220. For example, coherent modulation or intensity modulation may be used.
[0092] (3) First optical splitter 230:
[0093] In a possible example, as shown in FIG6 , the first optical splitter 230 may include a wavelength division multiplexer 231 and a beam splitter 232. The function of the wavelength division multiplexer 231 is to couple the M optical signals of different wavelengths of the modulated RF signals emitted by the M modulators 220 into one signal. For example, the wavelength division multiplexer 231 and the beam splitter 232 are connected through a waveguide. The wavelength division multiplexer 231 couples the M optical signals of different wavelengths of the modulated RF signals emitted by the M modulators 220 into the same waveguide. The function of the beam splitter 232 is to split one input light transmitted through the wavelength division multiplexer 231 into N optical signals of equal power (without distinguishing between wavelengths), each of which contains multiple optical signals of different wavelengths, and transmit the obtained N optical signals to the N wavelength selection units 240 through the waveguide. For example, each light can include wavelengths λ1, λ2…λ M, where the value of N can be determined according to the number of wavelength selection units 240, and N is an integer greater than or equal to 2. Since the M optical signals of different wavelengths emitted by the M modulators 220 after modulating the radio frequency signal respectively carry the radio frequency signal, according to this method, the N optical signals obtained after passing through the wavelength division multiplexer 231 and the beam splitter 232 all include wavelengths of λ1, λ2, ..., λ M For example, when the wavelength division multiplexing method shown in FIG6 is used to connect to M wavelength selection units 240, the components in the entire beamforming device can be connected through waveguides.
[0094] The first optical splitter 230 may be a slab waveguide. In this case, the M optical signals of different wavelengths modulated by the radio frequency signals emitted by the M modulators 220 are spatially transmitted to the M wavelength selection units 240 through the slab waveguide.
[0095] (4) Wavelength selection unit 240:
[0096] In some embodiments, the wavelength selection unit may be a reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer (ROADM) or other reconfigurable optical devices that can be used for wavelength selection.
[0097] (5) Phase shifter 250. In the embodiments of the present application, there is no specific limitation on the phase shifter, and any optical device with a phase shifting function capable of adjusting the phase of an optical signal is applicable to the present application.
[0098] (6) RF antenna array:
[0099] The RF antenna array may include N RF antenna units 270. In some possible examples, as shown in FIG7 , the RF antenna unit 270 may include a front-end amplifier 271 and an antenna element 272. In another possible example, the RF antenna unit 270 may include an antenna element. The front-end amplifier 271 is configured to amplify the electrical signal from the detector 260 and transmit it to the antenna element 272. The antenna element 272 transmits the electrical signal received from the front-end amplifier 271.
[0100] In one possible embodiment, the beamforming device may further include a control unit 280, as shown in FIG8 . The control unit 280 may be used to control the phase shift intervals of N*M phase shifters. For example, the control unit 280 may control the phase shift changes of N phase shifters of the same wavelength in N channels to be the same or different. For example, the control unit 280 may control the phase shift changes of the optical signal λ1 by the phase shifters 250-1-1, 250-2-1, ..., and 250-N-1 to be the same or different. The control unit 280 may control the phase shift changes of the optical signal λ2 by the phase shifters 250-1-2, 250-2-2, ..., and 250-N-2 to be the same or different. And so on.
[0101] The control unit 280 provided in the above embodiments of the present application may be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or the processor may be any conventional processor, etc. It should be understood that the control unit 280 in the above embodiments of the present application may be implemented by one or more processors. The number of processors can be adjusted according to the actual application scenario, which is merely an exemplary description and not a limitation.
[0102] In the embodiment of the present application, the control unit 280 controls the phase shift change of the optical signal λ1 by the phase shifter 250-1-1, the phase shifter 250-2-1...the phase shifter 250-N-1, that is, the transmission angle of the antenna end after beamforming for the radio frequency signal 1 can be changed. By controlling the phase shift change of the optical signal λ2 by the phase shifter 250-1-2, the phase shifter 250-2-2...the phase shifter 250-N-2, the transmission angle of the antenna end after beamforming for the radio frequency signal 2 can be changed. Similarly, the transmission angle of the antenna end after beamforming for the radio frequency signals 1-M can be changed to complete the beamforming. In the embodiment of the present application, the number M of radio frequency signals that can be transmitted simultaneously is not specifically limited. The transmission of the M radio frequency signals can be time-division multiplexed, and all transmissions can be achieved simultaneously, thereby achieving full connection of the M radio frequency signals.
[0103] In one possible implementation, the beamforming device may further include a memory, as shown in the figure. The memory may be used to store program instructions. The control unit 280 may be configured to read the program instructions from the memory to control the phase shifter. In some scenarios, the memory may also be deployed within the control unit 280. For example, the control unit 280 may include a processor and a memory. Specifically, the processor and memory may be integrated, or the memory and processor may be connected via an interface. This can be adjusted based on the actual application scenario and is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application.
[0104] The number of memories in the embodiment of the present application can be one or more, and can be adjusted according to the actual application scenario. This is only an example and not a limitation.
[0105] It should also be understood that the memory or readable storage medium mentioned in the above embodiments of the present application may be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memories. Among them, the non-volatile memory may be a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or a flash memory. The volatile memory may be a random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example and not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as static RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous link dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DRRAM).
[0106] The embodiments of the present application can be applied to direct modulation and direct detection application scenarios, as well as heterodyne or homodyne application scenarios. For example, the beamforming device described in the embodiments corresponding to Figures 2A to 7 can be applied to direct modulation and direct detection application scenarios.
[0107] In one possible embodiment, when the beamforming device is applied to an application scenario of heterodyne coherent detection, the beamforming device may further include a second laser signal source 310 and a second optical splitter 320, as shown in FIG9 . The second laser signal source 310 is used to emit M carrier optical signals corresponding to the M laser signals one by one. The wavelengths of the M carrier optical signals are the same as the wavelengths of the corresponding laser signals. The second optical splitter 320 is used to couple the M carrier optical signals and distribute them to N detectors 260. Each of the N detectors 260 then performs coherent detection on the received third modulated optical signal based on the received carrier optical signal, and performs photoelectric conversion on the third modulated optical signal after coherent detection to obtain an electrical signal.
[0108] Carrier optical signals 1-M are coupled into one optical signal by the second optical splitter 320 and then split into N optical signals. Each of the N optical signals may include optical signals of M wavelengths. In the detector 260, the optical signals are coherently detected and converted into electrical signals with the same wavelength as the received third modulated optical signal. The electrical signals are then transmitted through the RF antenna unit 270.
[0109] The structure of the second laser signal source 310 is similar to that of the first laser signal source 210. In one possible example, the second laser signal source 310 includes M lasers, as shown in FIG10A. In FIG10A, the laser included in the second laser signal source is referred to as the second laser. The M lasers are respectively the second laser 1 to the second laser M. The wavelengths of the carrier optical signals transmitted by the second laser 1 to the first laser M are different. The wavelengths of the carrier optical signals respectively emitted by the second laser 1 to the second laser M are λ1 to λ M The powers of the carrier optical signals generated by the M second lasers can be the same or different. The wavelength interval of the laser signals emitted by any two second lasers from second laser 1 to second laser M can be determined according to actual needs, for example, the wavelength interval of the laser signals emitted by any two second lasers can be greater than a set threshold.
[0110] In another possible example, the second laser signal source 310 uses a multi-wavelength laser. As shown in FIG10B , the second laser signal source 310 includes a multi-wavelength laser 311 and a wavelength division multiplexer 312. The multi-wavelength laser 311 can transmit an optical signal with M wavelengths. The wavelength division multiplexer 312 distributes the optical signal with M wavelengths into M optical signals. The wavelengths of the M optical signals are different, namely λ1 to λ M .
[0111] The second optical splitter 320 has a similar structure to the first optical splitter 310. As an example, referring to FIG11 , the second optical splitter 320 includes a wavelength division multiplexer 321 and a beam splitter 322. The function of the wavelength division multiplexer 321 is to couple the carrier optical signals of M different wavelengths emitted by the second laser signal source 310 into one signal. For example, the wavelength division multiplexer 321 and the beam splitter 322 are connected via a waveguide. The wavelength division multiplexer 321 couples the carrier optical signals of M different wavelengths emitted by the second laser signal source 310 into the same waveguide. The function of the beam splitter 322 is to split the input light transmitted through the wavelength division multiplexer 321 into N optical signals of equal power (regardless of wavelength), each of which contains multiple optical signals of different wavelengths, and transmit the obtained N optical signals to the N detectors 260 via the waveguide.
[0112] In some embodiments, the second laser signal source 310 and the second optical splitter 320 can be deployed outside the beamforming device as a standalone device. When connected to the beamforming device, this standalone device can implement heterodyne coherent detection. When not connected to the beamforming device, it can implement direct modulation and direct detection.
[0113] In one possible embodiment, when the beamforming device is used in a homodyne coherent detection application scenario, the beamforming device may further include a third optical splitter 410, as shown in FIG12 . One end of the third optical splitter 410 is coupled to the first laser signal source, and the other end of the third optical splitter 410 is coupled to the N detectors. The third optical splitter 410 is configured to couple the M laser signals and distribute them to the N detectors 260. Each of the N detectors 260 performs coherent detection on the received third modulated optical signal based on the received laser signal, and performs photoelectric conversion on the coherently detected third modulated optical signal to obtain an electrical signal, which is then transmitted via the RF antenna unit 270.
[0114] The third optical splitter 410 has a similar structure to the second optical splitter 320 and the first optical splitter 310. For example, the third optical splitter 410 also includes a wavelength division multiplexer and a beam splitter.
[0115] In some embodiments, the third optical splitter 410 can be deployed outside the beamforming device as an independent device. When connected to the beamforming device, the independent device can implement homodyne coherent detection, and when not connected to the beamforming device, it can implement direct modulation and direct detection.
[0116] FIG13 shows another beamforming device according to an embodiment of the present application. This device, for example, uses M RF signals transmitted through N antenna terminals. Unlike the beamforming devices shown in FIG2A through FIG12 , this device eliminates the need for a wavelength selection unit, reducing the number of components in the beamforming device, lowering costs, and improving space utilization.
[0117] As shown in FIG13 , the beamforming device includes a laser signal source 1310, M modulators 1320, M beam splitters 1330, N wavelength division multiplexers 1350, N*M phase shifters 1340, N detectors 1360, and N radio frequency antenna units 1370. The N detectors 1320 can be arranged in an array. The N radio frequency antenna units can also be arranged in an array.
[0118] Laser signal source 1310 is coupled to M modulators 1320. The M modulators 1320 are coupled to M beam splitters 1330 in a one-to-one correspondence. Each beam splitter 1330 is coupled to N phase shifters 1340. Different beam splitters 1330 are coupled to different N phase shifters 1340. For ease of distinction, in FIG13 , the M modulators 1320 are referred to as modulators 1320-1 through 1320-M, respectively. The M beam splitters 1330 are referred to as beam splitters 1330-1 through 1330-M, respectively.
[0119] Each M phase shifter 1340 in the N*M phase shifters 1340 can be considered a phase shifter group. The M phase shifters 1340 in a phase shifter group are all connected to the same wavelength division multiplexer 1350. For example, the inlet end of a wavelength division multiplexer 1350 includes M ports, and the M ports of the inlet end of the wavelength division multiplexer 1350 are connected to the outlet ends of the M phase shifters 1340 in the phase shifter group. The inlet ends of the M phase shifters 1340 in a phase shifter group are respectively connected to different beam splitters 1330. That is, the inlet end of each wavelength division multiplexer 1350 in the N wavelength division multiplexers 1350 is coupled to the outlet ends of the M phase shifters 1340, and the inlet ends of the M phase shifters 1340 coupled to the same wavelength division multiplexer 1350 are respectively coupled to different beam splitters 1330.
[0120] As an example, the N phase shifter groups are referred to as phase shifter group 1 through phase shifter group N. Each group includes M phase shifters 1340. For ease of distinction, the M phase shifters 1340 included in phase shifter group 1 are referred to as phase shifters 1340-1-1 through 1340-1-M, respectively. The M phase shifters 1340 included in phase shifter group 2 are referred to as phase shifters 1340-2-1 through 1340-2-M, respectively. Similarly, the M phase shifters 1340 included in phase shifter group N are referred to as phase shifters 1340-N-1 through 1340-NM, respectively. In Figure 13 , phase shifters 1340-1-1 through 1340-1-M in phase shifter group 1 are coupled to the input port of wavelength division multiplexer 1350-1. Phase shifters 1340-2-1 through 1340-2-M in phase shifter group 2 are coupled to the input port of wavelength division multiplexer 1350-2. Similarly, phase shifters 1340-N-1 through 1340-NM in phase shifter group N are coupled to the input port of wavelength division multiplexer 1350-N. Thus, it can be understood that each beam splitter 1330 is connected to N phase shifters. Beam splitter 1330-1 is connected to phase shifters 1340-1-1 through 1340-N-1. Beam splitter 1330-2 is connected to phase shifters 1340-1-2 through 1340-N-2. Similarly, beam splitter 1330-M is connected to phase shifters 1340-1-M through 1340-NM.
[0121] The exit ports of the N wavelength division multiplexers 1350 are coupled in a one-to-one correspondence with the entry ports of the N detectors 1360. The exit ports of the N detectors 1360 are coupled in a one-to-one correspondence with the entry ports of the N radio frequency antenna units 1370.
[0122] The signal flow of the beamforming device is described below. FIG14 is a schematic diagram of the signal flow of the beamforming device.
[0123] The laser signal source 1310 emits M laser signals of different wavelengths. The M laser signals of different wavelengths correspond to wavelengths λ1 to λ M. M laser signals of different wavelengths enter different modulators 1320 respectively. Exemplarily, the M different laser signals are laser signal 1 to laser signal M. Laser signal 1 enters modulator 1320-1, laser signal 2 enters modulator 1320-2, and so on, laser signal M enters modulator 1320-M. The M modulators 1320-1 to 1320-M correspond one-to-one to laser signals 1 to M, and receive laser signals of corresponding wavelengths respectively. Each modulator 1320 modulates the radio frequency signal on the corresponding laser signal received, thereby obtaining M first modulated optical signals. Among them, the modulated radio frequency signals on any two laser signals among the M laser signals can be the same or different. The specific modulated radio frequency signal can be determined according to user needs. The first modulated optical signals modulated by the M modulators 1320-1 to 1320-M enter different beam splitters 1330. The first modulated optical signal modulated by modulator 1320-1 enters beam splitter 1330-1, the first modulated optical signal modulated by modulator 1320-2 enters beam splitter 1330-2, and so on. The first modulated optical signal modulated by modulator 1320-M enters beam splitter 1330-M. After receiving the first modulated optical signal, each beam splitter 1330 splits it into N second modulated optical signals and distributes them to the N phase shifters connected to the output end. For example, beam splitter 1330-1 distributes N second modulated optical signals to phase shifters 1340-1-1 to 1340-N-1, respectively; beam splitter 1330-2 distributes N second modulated optical signals to phase shifters 1340-1-2 to 1340-N-2, respectively; and so on. Beam splitter 1330M- distributes N second modulated optical signals to phase shifters 1340-1-M to 1340-NM, respectively.
[0124] Each phase shifter 1340 performs phase adjustment on the received second modulated optical signal and transmits the resulting third modulated optical signal to the coupled wavelength division multiplexer 1350. Phase shifters 1340-1-1 through 1340-1-M are coupled to the input port of wavelength division multiplexer 1350-1. Phase shifters 1340-1-1 through 1340-1-M each transmit the resulting third modulated optical signals to wavelength division multiplexer 1350-1. Wavelength division multiplexer 1350-1 combines the M third modulated optical signals into a fourth modulated optical signal and transmits it to detector 1360-1. Detector 1360-1 performs photoelectric conversion on the fourth modulated optical signal to obtain an electrical signal, which is then transmitted via RF antenna unit 1370-1. Phase shifters 1340-2-1 through 1340-2-M are coupled to the input port of wavelength division multiplexer 1350-2. Phase shifters 1340-2-1 through 1340-2-M each transmit the phase-adjusted third modulated optical signals to wavelength division multiplexer 1350-2. Wavelength division multiplexer 1350-2 combines the M third modulated optical signals into a fourth modulated optical signal and transmits it to detector 1360-2. Detector 1360-2 performs photoelectric conversion on the fourth modulated optical signal to obtain an electrical signal, which is then transmitted via RF antenna unit 1370-2. Similarly, phase shifters 1340-N-1 through 1340-NM are coupled to the input port of wavelength division multiplexer 1350-N. Phase shifters 1340-N-1 through 1340-NM each transmit the phase-adjusted third modulated optical signals to wavelength division multiplexer 1350-N. The wavelength division multiplexer 1350-2 combines the M third modulated optical signals into a fourth modulated optical signal and sends it to the detector 1360-N. The detector 1360-N performs photoelectric conversion on the fourth modulated optical signal to obtain an electrical signal and transmits it through the radio frequency antenna unit 1370-N.
[0125] In the embodiment of the present application, the phase shifters corresponding to the same wavelength (such as λ1) in N channels, that is, the phase shifters connected to the same beam splitter 1330, only adjust the phase of the optical signal after splitting the second modulated optical signal with a wavelength of λ1 in the N channels, and do not mean that the phase change amounts of the phase shifters corresponding to the wavelength λ1 in the N channels are the same. The phase shift change amounts of the N phase shifters with the same wavelength in the N channels can be the same or different, and the embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit this. For example, the phase shifter 1340-1-1, the phase shifter 1340-2-1...the phase shifter 1340-N-1 are all used to perform phase shifting on the optical signal with a wavelength of λ1, and the phase shift change amounts of the phase shifter 1340-1-1, the phase shifter 1340-2-1...the phase shifter 1340-N-1 on the optical signal with a wavelength of λ1 can be the same or different. Similarly, phase shifters 1340-1-2, 1340-2-2, ..., and 1340-N-2 are all used to perform phase shifting on the optical signal with wavelength λ2. The phase shift changes of the optical signal λ2 by phase shifters 1340-1-2, 1340-2-2, ..., and 1340-N-2 can be the same or different, and so on.
[0126] The structure of the laser signal source 1310 is similar to that of the first laser signal source 210 and will not be described in detail here. Please refer to Figures 15 and 16. In the embodiment of the present application, there is no specific restriction on the modulation format of the modulator 1320. For example, coherent modulation or intensity modulation can be used. In the embodiment of the present application, there is no specific restriction on the phase shifter. All optical devices with phase shifting function that can adjust the phase of the optical signal are applicable to the present application. The structure of the N RF antenna units 1370 is similar to that of the RF antenna 270 and will not be described in detail here.
[0127] In one possible embodiment, the beamforming device may further include a control unit 1380, as shown in FIG17 . The control unit 1380 may be used to control the phase shift intervals of N*M phase shifters. For example, the control unit 1380 may control the phase shift changes of N phase shifters of the same wavelength in N channels to be the same or different. For example, the control unit 1380 may control the phase shift changes of the optical signal λ1 by the phase shifters 1340-1-1, 1340-2-1, ..., and 1340-N-1 to be the same or different. The control unit 1380 may control the phase shift changes of the optical signal λ2 by the phase shifters 1340-1-2, 1340-2-2, ..., and 1340-N-2 to be the same or different. And so on.
[0128] The control unit 1380 provided in the above embodiments of the present application may be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or the processor may be any conventional processor, etc. It should be understood that the control unit 1380 in the above embodiments of the present application may be implemented by one or more processors. The number of processors can be adjusted according to the actual application scenario, which is merely an exemplary description and is not intended to be limiting.
[0129] In the embodiment of the present application, the control unit 1380 controls the phase shift change of the optical signal λ1 by the phase shifter 1340-1-1, the phase shifter 1340-2-1...the phase shifter 1340-N-1, that is, the transmission angle of the antenna end after beamforming for the radio frequency signal 1 can be changed. By controlling the phase shift change of the optical signal λ2 by the phase shifter 1340-1-2, the phase shifter 1340-2-2...the phase shifter 1340-N-2, the transmission angle of the antenna end after beamforming for the radio frequency signal 2 can be changed. Similarly, the transmission angle of the antenna end after beamforming for the radio frequency signal 1-M can be changed to complete the beamforming. In the embodiment of the present application, the number M of radio frequency signals that can be transmitted simultaneously is not specifically limited. The transmission of the M radio frequency signals can be time-division multiplexed, and all transmissions can be achieved simultaneously, thereby achieving full connection of the M radio frequency signals.
[0130] In one possible implementation, the beamforming device may further include a memory, as shown in the figure. The memory may be used to store program instructions. The control unit 1380 may be configured to read the program instructions from the memory to control the phase shifter. In some scenarios, the memory may also be deployed within the control unit 1380. For example, the control unit 1380 may include a processor and a memory. Specifically, the processor and memory may be integrated, or the memory and processor may be connected via an interface. This can be adjusted based on the actual application scenario and is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the present application.
[0131] The embodiments of the present application can be applied to direct modulation and direct detection application scenarios, as well as heterodyne or homodyne application scenarios. For example, the beamforming device described in the embodiments corresponding to Figures 8 to 15 can be applied to direct modulation and direct detection application scenarios.
[0132] In one possible embodiment, when the beamforming device is applied to an application scenario of heterodyne coherent detection, the beamforming device may further include a laser signal source 1410 and a spectrometer 1420, as shown in FIG18 . The laser signal source 1410 is used to transmit M carrier optical signals corresponding to the M laser signals one by one. The wavelengths of the M carrier optical signals are the same as the wavelengths of the corresponding laser signals. The spectrometer 1420 is used to couple the M carrier optical signals and distribute them to N detectors 1360. Each of the N detectors 1360 then performs coherent detection on the received fourth modulated optical signal based on the received carrier optical signal, and performs photoelectric conversion on the fourth modulated optical signal after coherent detection to obtain an electrical signal. The structure of the laser signal source 1410 is similar to that of the second laser signal source 310 and will not be described in detail here. The structure of the spectrometer 1420 is similar to that of the second spectrometer 320 and will not be described in detail here.
[0133] In some embodiments, the laser signal source 1410 and the optical splitter 1420 can be deployed outside the beamforming device as a standalone device. When connected to the beamforming device, the standalone device can implement heterodyne coherent detection. When not connected to the beamforming device, it can implement direct modulation and direct detection.
[0134] In one possible implementation, when the beamforming device is used in a homodyne coherent detection scenario, the beamforming device may further include an optical splitter 1510, as shown in FIG19 . One end of the optical splitter 1510 is coupled to the laser signal source 1310, and the other end of the optical splitter 1510 is coupled to the N detectors. The optical splitter 1510 is configured to couple the M laser signals and distribute them to the N detectors 1360. Each of the N detectors 1360 performs coherent detection on the received fourth modulated optical signal based on the received laser signal, and performs photoelectric conversion on the fourth modulated optical signal after coherent detection to obtain an electrical signal, which is then transmitted via the RF antenna unit 1370.
[0135] In some embodiments, the optical splitter 1510 can be deployed outside the beamforming device as a standalone device. When connected to the beamforming device, the standalone device can implement homodyne coherent detection, and when not connected to the beamforming device, it can implement direct modulation and direct detection.
[0136] The number of memories involved in the embodiments of the present application can be one or more, and can be adjusted according to the actual application scenario. This is only an example and not a limitation.
[0137] It should also be understood that the memory or readable storage medium mentioned in the above embodiments of the present application may be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memories. Among them, the non-volatile memory may be a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or a flash memory. The volatile memory may be a random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example and not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as static RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous link dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DRRAM).
[0138] Based on the above content and the same concept, the present application provides a beamforming method, as described in FIG20 . This beamforming method can be applied to the beamforming apparatus shown in any of the embodiments shown in FIG2A through FIG12 . It can also be understood that the beamforming method can be implemented based on the beamforming apparatus shown in any of the embodiments shown in FIG2A through FIG12 .
[0139] 2001, M laser signals of different wavelengths are emitted.
[0140] For example, M laser signals of different wavelengths may be sent by the first laser signal source 210. The structure and specific implementation of the first laser signal source 210 are as described above and will not be repeated here.
[0141] 2002: Modulate radio frequency signals on M laser signals respectively to obtain M first modulated optical signals. The modulated radio frequency signals on any two laser signals among the M laser signals are the same or different.
[0142] For example, the M laser signals may be modulated by M modulators 220 to modulate the radio frequency signals respectively.
[0143] 2003. Combine the M first modulated optical signals and distribute them to N optical paths to obtain N second modulated optical signals corresponding to the N optical paths.
[0144] Exemplarily, the M first modulated optical signals may be combined and distributed to N optical paths through the first optical splitter 230 to obtain N second modulated optical signals corresponding to the N optical paths.
[0145] 2004. On each optical path, phase shift the optical signals of M wavelengths included in the second modulated optical signal respectively, couple the M phase-shifted optical signals, perform photoelectric conversion to obtain electrical signals, and transmit them through the antenna.
[0146] For example, the wavelength selection unit 240 corresponding to each optical path can select M wavelengths of optical signals from the second modulated optical signal and send them to the corresponding phase shifter for phase shifting. The detector 260 then couples the M phase-shifted optical signals and performs photoelectric conversion to obtain an electrical signal, which is then transmitted via an antenna (or antenna element). In some embodiments, the electrical signal can also be amplified by a front-end amplifier before being transmitted via the antenna element.
[0147] In one possible embodiment, the method may further include: transmitting M carrier optical signals corresponding one-to-one to the M laser signals. Combining the M carrier optical signals and then splitting them into N optical signals, each of the N optical signals including M carrier optical signals. Furthermore, on each optical path, coupling the M phase-shifted optical signals and performing photoelectric conversion to obtain an electrical signal, including:
[0148] On each optical path, coherent detection is performed on M phase-shifted optical signals according to the received M carrier optical signals, and the optical signals after coherent detection are photoelectrically converted into electrical signals.
[0149] In a possible implementation, the method may further include: coupling the M laser signals of different wavelengths and then splitting the coupled signals into N optical signals, each of the N optical signals including M laser signals of different wavelengths;
[0150] The M phase-shifted optical signals are coupled and then photoelectrically converted into electrical signals, including:
[0151] The M phase-shifted optical signals are coherently detected according to the received M laser signals, and the optical signals after the coherent detection are photoelectrically converted to obtain electrical signals.
[0152] Based on the above content and the same concept, this application also provides another beamforming method, as described in Figure 21. This beamforming method can be applied to the beamforming apparatus shown in any of the embodiments shown in Figures 13 to 19. It can also be understood that the beamforming method can be implemented based on the beamforming apparatus shown in any of the embodiments shown in Figures 13 to 19.
[0153] 2101, emit M laser signals with different wavelengths.
[0154] For example, M laser signals of different wavelengths may be sent through the laser signal source 1310. The structure and specific implementation of the laser signal source 1310 are as described above and will not be described in detail here.
[0155] 2102. Modulate radio frequency signals on M laser signals respectively to obtain M first modulated optical signals; the modulated radio frequency signals on any two laser signals among the M laser signals are the same or different.
[0156] For example, the M laser signals may be modulated by M modulators 1320 to modulate radio frequency signals respectively.
[0157] 2103 , perform splitting processing on each of the M first modulated optical signals into N second modulated optical signals to obtain N*M second modulated optical signals.
[0158] Exemplarily, M beam splitters 1310 may be used to perform beam splitting processing on the M first modulated optical signals respectively, and each first modulated optical signal is split into N second modulated optical signals, thereby obtaining N*M second modulated optical signals.
[0159] 2104 , perform phase adjustment on each second modulated optical signal among the N*M second modulated optical signals to obtain a third modulated optical signal, so as to obtain N*M third modulated optical signals.
[0160] Exemplarily, N*M phase shifters 1340 may be used to process the N*M second modulated optical signals to obtain N*M third modulated optical signals.
[0161] 2105. Couple the M third modulated optical signals included in N third modulated optical signal groups among the N*M third modulated optical signals into a fourth modulated optical signal to obtain N fourth modulated optical signals. The M third modulated optical signals included in each third modulated optical signal group in the N third modulated optical signal groups have different wavelengths.
[0162] Exemplarily, the M third modulated optical signals included in the N third modulated optical signal groups in the N*M third modulated optical signals may be coupled into fourth modulated optical signals through N wavelength division multiplexers 1350 to obtain N fourth modulated optical signals.
[0163] 2106 , perform photoelectric conversion on each of the N fourth modulated optical signals to obtain an electrical signal, and transmit the electrical signal through the corresponding antenna.
[0164] For example, N detectors 1360 may perform photoelectric conversion on the N fourth modulated optical signals to obtain electrical signals, which are then transmitted via an antenna (or antenna element). In some embodiments, the electrical signals may be amplified by a front-end amplifier before being transmitted via the antenna element.
[0165] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that all or part of the steps performed by the control unit to implement the above-mentioned embodiments can be completed by hardware or programs to instruct the relevant hardware. The program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, and the above-mentioned storage medium can be a read-only memory, a random access memory, etc. Specifically, for example: the above-mentioned processing unit or processor can be a central processing unit, a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components or any combination thereof. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to be beyond the scope of this application.
[0166] When software is used for implementation, the method steps described in the above embodiment can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the process or function according to the embodiment of the present application is generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable devices. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from a website, a computer, a server, or a data center to another website, a computer, a server, or a data center by wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or a data center that includes one or more available media integrations. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., a floppy disk, a hard disk, a tape), an optical medium (e.g., a BD), or a semiconductor medium, etc.
[0167] The terms "first", "second", etc. in the specification and claims of the present application and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequential order. It should be understood that the terms used in this way can be interchangeable under appropriate circumstances, and this is merely a way of distinguishing the objects of the same attributes when describing them in the embodiments of the present application. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any of their variations are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions, so that the process, method, system, product or equipment comprising a series of units need not be limited to those units, but may include other units that are not clearly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products or equipment.
[0168] The terms used in the embodiments of the present application are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present application. The singular forms of "a" and "the" used in the embodiments of the present application are also intended to include plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates other meanings. It should also be understood that in the description of the present application, unless otherwise specified, " / " indicates that the objects associated before and after are in an "or" relationship, for example, A / B can represent A or B; "and / or" in the present application is only a description of the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships, for example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural.
[0169] As described above, the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the above embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. However, these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.
Claims
1. A beamforming device, characterized in that: It includes a first laser signal source, M modulators, a first optical splitter, N wavelength selection units, and N*M phase shifters; The first laser signal source is used to emit M laser signals of different wavelengths; The M modulators correspond one-to-one to the M laser signals and are respectively used to modulate the radio frequency signals on the corresponding laser signals to obtain M first modulated optical signals; the modulated radio frequency signals on any two laser signals among the M laser signals are the same or different; The first optical splitter is coupled to the M modulators, and is used to combine the M first modulated optical signals and then split them into N optical paths to obtain N second modulated optical signals corresponding to the N optical paths; N wavelength selection units are coupled to the first optical splitter, and the N wavelength selection units correspond one-to-one to the N second modulated optical signals; a first wavelength selection unit is configured to receive the second modulated optical signal sent by the first optical splitter, and send signals of M wavelengths in the second modulated optical signal to the M phase shifters one-to-one; the first wavelength selection unit is any one of the N wavelength selection units; The M phase shifters are respectively used to adjust the phase of the received optical signal and send the phase-adjusted optical signal to the first wavelength selection unit; the first wavelength selection unit is further used to fuse the received optical signals from the corresponding M phase shifters to obtain a third modulated optical signal.
2. The beamforming device according to claim 1, wherein: The wavelength selection unit is a reconfigurable optical differential multiplexer (ROADM).
3. The beamforming device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The beamforming device further includes: A control unit is used to control the phase shift intervals of the N*M phase shifters.
4. The beamforming device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The first laser signal source includes M first lasers, and the M first lasers are coupled to the M modulators in a one-to-one correspondence; The M first lasers have different wavelengths.
5. The beamforming device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The first laser signal source includes M wavelength lasers and a wavelength division multiplexer. The M wavelength lasers are coupled to the wavelength division multiplexer, and the wavelength division multiplexer is coupled to the M modulators.
6. The beamforming device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The beamforming device further includes N detectors and N radio frequency antenna units; the N detectors are coupled to the N wavelength selection units in a one-to-one correspondence, and the N detectors are coupled to the N radio frequency antenna units in a one-to-one correspondence; The N detectors are used to receive the third modulated optical signal sent by the corresponding wavelength selection unit, perform photoelectric conversion on the received third modulated optical signal to obtain an electrical signal, and send the electrical signal through the radio frequency antenna unit corresponding to the first detector.
7. The beamforming device according to claim 6, wherein: The beamforming device further includes a second laser signal source and a second optical splitter; wherein, The second laser signal source is configured to emit M carrier optical signals corresponding one to one to the M laser signals; The second optical splitter is used to couple the M carrier optical signals and distribute them to the N detectors; Each of the N detectors is specifically configured to perform coherent detection on the received third modulated optical signal according to the received carrier optical signal, and perform photoelectric conversion on the third modulated optical signal after the coherent detection to obtain an electrical signal.
8. The beamforming device according to claim 6, wherein: The beamforming device further includes a third optical splitter: One end of a third optical splitter is coupled to the first laser signal source, and the other end of the third optical splitter is coupled to the N detectors; the third optical splitter is used to couple the M laser signals and distribute them to the N detectors; The first detector among the N detectors is specifically used to perform coherent detection on the received third modulated optical signal according to the received laser signal, and perform photoelectric conversion on the third modulated optical signal after coherent detection to obtain an electrical signal.
9. A beamforming device, characterized in that: It includes a first laser signal source, M modulators, M first beam splitters, N first wavelength division multiplexers, and N*M phase shifters; The first laser signal source is used to emit M laser signals, and the M laser signals have different wavelengths; The M modulators correspond one-to-one to the M laser signals, and are respectively used to modulate a radio frequency signal on the corresponding laser signal to obtain M first modulated optical signals; the modulated radio frequency signals on any two laser signals among the M laser signals are the same or different; The M first beam splitters are coupled to the M modulators in a one-to-one correspondence; each of the M first beam splitters is coupled to an input end of N phase shifters, and is configured to receive a first modulated optical signal sent by a corresponding modulator, distribute the received first modulated optical signal into N second modulated optical signals, and distribute the N second modulated optical signals to the N phase shifters in a one-to-one correspondence; The N phase shifters are respectively used to adjust the phase of the received second modulated optical signal to obtain a third modulated optical signal; The inlet end of each of the N first wavelength division multiplexers is coupled to the outlet ends of the M phase shifters, and the inlet ends of the M phase shifters coupled to the same first wavelength division multiplexer are respectively coupled to different first beam splitters; each first wavelength division multiplexer is used to couple the third modulated optical signal from the M phase shifters into a fourth modulated optical signal.
10. The beamforming device according to claim 9, wherein: The beamforming device further includes: A control unit is used to control the phase shift intervals of the N*M phase shifters.
11. The beamforming device according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that: The first laser signal source includes M first lasers, and the M first lasers are coupled to the M modulators in a one-to-one correspondence; The M first lasers have different wavelengths.
12. The beamforming device according to claim 9 or 10, wherein: The first laser signal source includes a multi-wavelength laser and a second wavelength division multiplexer. The M wavelength lasers are coupled to the second wavelength division multiplexer, and the second wavelength division multiplexer is coupled to the M modulators.
13. The beamforming device according to any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein: The beamforming device also includes N detectors and N radio frequency antenna units; the first ends of the N detectors are coupled one-to-one with the second ends of the N first wavelength division multiplexers, and the second ends of the N detectors are coupled one-to-one with the N radio frequency antenna units; each of the N detectors is used to receive the fourth modulated optical signal of the corresponding first wavelength division multiplexer, perform photoelectric conversion on the fourth modulated optical signal to obtain an electrical signal, and transmit the electrical signal through the corresponding radio frequency antenna unit.
14. The beamforming device according to claim 13, wherein: The beamforming device further includes a second laser signal source and a second optical splitter; wherein, The second laser signal source is configured to emit M carrier optical signals corresponding one to one to the M laser signals; The second optical splitter is used to couple the M carrier optical signals and distribute them to the N detectors; Each of the N detectors is specifically configured to perform coherent detection on the received fourth modulated optical signal according to the received carrier optical signal, and perform photoelectric conversion on the fourth modulated optical signal after the coherent detection to obtain an electrical signal.
15. The beamforming device according to claim 13, wherein: The beamforming device further includes a third optical splitter: One end of the third optical splitter is coupled to the first laser signal source, and the other end of the third optical splitter is coupled to the N detectors; the third optical splitter is used to couple the M laser signals and distribute them to the N detectors; The first detector among the N detectors is specifically used to perform coherent detection on the received third modulated optical signal according to the received laser signal, and perform photoelectric conversion on the third modulated optical signal after coherent detection to obtain an electrical signal.
16. A beamforming method, characterized in that: The method comprises: Emitting M laser signals of different wavelengths; Modulating radio frequency signals on the M laser signals respectively to obtain M first modulated optical signals; the modulated radio frequency signals on any two laser signals among the M laser signals are the same or different; Combining the M first modulated optical signals and distributing them to N optical paths to obtain N second modulated optical signals corresponding to the N optical paths; On each optical path, phase adjustment is performed on the optical signals of M wavelengths included in the second modulated optical signal, and the M phase-shifted optical signals are coupled and then photoelectrically converted to obtain electrical signals.
17. The method according to claim 16, wherein The method further comprises: Transmitting M carrier optical signals corresponding one to one to the M laser signals; Combining the M carrier optical signals and then splitting them into N optical signals, each of the N optical signals including M carrier optical signals; On each optical path, M phase-shifted optical signals are coupled and then photoelectrically converted into electrical signals, including: On each optical path, coherent detection is performed on M phase-shifted optical signals according to the received M carrier optical signals, and the optical signals after coherent detection are converted into electrical signals through photoelectric conversion.
18. The method according to claim 16, wherein The method further comprises: The M laser signals of different wavelengths are coupled and then split into N optical signals, each of the N optical signals including M laser signals of different wavelengths; The M phase-shifted optical signals are coupled and then photoelectrically converted into electrical signals, including: The M phase-shifted optical signals are coherently detected according to the received M laser signals, and the optical signals after the coherent detection are photoelectrically converted to obtain electrical signals.
19. A beamforming method, characterized in that: The method comprises: Emit M laser signals with different wavelengths Modulating radio frequency signals on the M laser signals respectively to obtain M first modulated optical signals; the modulated radio frequency signals on any two laser signals among the M laser signals are the same or different; Performing splitting processing on each of the M first modulated optical signals into N second modulated optical signals to obtain N*M second modulated optical signals; And the phase of each second modulated optical signal in the N*M second modulated optical signals is adjusted to obtain a third modulated optical signal, so as to obtain N*M third modulated optical signals coupling M third modulated optical signals included in N third modulated optical signal groups among the N*M third modulated optical signals into fourth modulated optical signals to obtain N fourth modulated optical signals; The wavelengths of the M third modulated optical signals included in each of the N third modulated optical signal groups are all different; Perform photoelectric conversion on each of the N fourth modulated optical signals to obtain an electrical signal.
20. The method according to claim 19, wherein The wave method also includes: Transmitting M carrier optical signals corresponding one to one to the M laser signals; Combining the M carrier optical signals and then splitting them into N optical signals, each of the N optical signals including M carrier optical signals; Performing photoelectric conversion on each of the N fourth modulated optical signals to obtain an electrical signal includes: Coherent detection is performed on the received fourth modulated optical signal according to the received M carrier optical signals, and photoelectric conversion is performed on the fourth modulated optical signal after the coherent detection to obtain an electrical signal.
21. The method according to claim 19, wherein The method further comprises: coupling the M laser signals of different wavelengths and then splitting them into N optical signals, each of the N optical signals including M laser signals of different wavelengths, and the N optical signals corresponding one-to-one to the N fourth modulated optical signals; Performing photoelectric conversion on each of the N fourth modulated optical signals to obtain an electrical signal includes: Coherent detection is performed on a fourth modulated optical signal corresponding to the first optical signal according to the M laser signals in the first optical signal, and photoelectric conversion is performed on the optical signal after the coherent detection to obtain an electrical signal.
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