MMW Antenna Array with Radar Sensor

Abstract

The embodiments described herein include methods and devices for integration of a radar and an mmW communication module. In some embodiments, an apparatus is provided that includes a mmW printed circuit board (PCB) with first and second millimeter wave (mmW) elements and a radar antenna. The first mmW element is coupled to a first side of the mmW PCB, and the first mmW element is configured for wireless mmW communication at a frequency above about 24 gigahertz (GHz). The second mmW element is coupled to the first side of the mmW PCB, and the second mmW element is disposed adjacent to the first mmW element and separated from the first mmW element by a gap spacing. The radar antenna is provided within the mmW PCB and is aligned with the gap spacing between the first mmW element and the second mmW element.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001]

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to electronics and wireless communications. For example, aspects of the present disclosure relate to radar sensors and millimeter wave (mmW) antenna arrays. [Background technology]

[0002]

[0002] Wireless communication devices and technologies are becoming increasingly prevalent. Wireless communication devices generally transmit and receive communication signals. The communication signals are typically processed by a variety of different components and circuits. In some modern communication systems, electromagnetic waves of many different wavelengths may be used in a single device. Supporting different wavelengths for wireless communication may require managing complex interactions between device elements while at the same time managing interactions and interference between elements that support communication on different wavelengths. Summary of the Invention

[0003]

[0003] Various implementations of the systems, methods, and devices within the scope of the appended claims each have several aspects, no one of which alone provides the desirable attributes described herein. Without limiting the scope of the appended claims, some prominent features are described herein.

[0004]

[0004] In some aspects, described herein is an antenna array (that may be included in a module) that supports millimeter-wavelength (mmW) communications and radar. mmW communications is part of a fifth generation communication system that uses electromagnetic waves from about 20 GigaHertz (GHz) to 300 GHz. Such frequencies can also be used for radar. Technology that supports such frequencies is used in mmW modules for communications. Examples described herein leverage existing structures for mmW communications with radar antennas integrated within existing mmW modules to improve the functionality of the mmW modules. Such functionality may include, for example, basic location sensing associated with radar, RF exposure monitoring associated with mmW communications, among other functionality. For example, in some examples, regulatory limits are imposed on the exposure of sensitive objects (e.g., people or other objects in proximity to wireless communications devices or mmW modules) to electromagnetic radiation. The integration of radar into the mmW module can be used to detect when the mmW module is in proximity to a sensitive object and to monitor the power level used by the mmW module when the sensitive object is near the mmW module (e.g., when exposure is highest).

[0005]

[0005] A MMW module may include an array of antennas in a linear configuration, with the mmW elements along the linear configuration mounted on a mmW module Printed Circuit Board (PCB). Some modules include gaps between mmW elements, either between the mmW elements mounted on the mmW PCB (e.g., the primary module PCB) or between discreet antenna element PCBs (e.g., separate antenna PCBs mounted on the mmW PCB) used for different mmW elements that make up the array of antennas and other support elements mounted on the mmW PCB. In embodiments described herein, the mmW module is configured with a radar antenna in the gaps between such mmW elements in the mmW module or at the end or edge of the mmW PCB.

[0006]

[0006] In some aspects, a wireless communication device is provided that includes a millimeter-wave (mmW) printed circuit board (PCB), a first mmW element coupled to a first side of the mmW PCB, the first mmW element configured for wireless mmW communication at a frequency greater than about 24 gigahertz (GHz), a second mmW element coupled to the first side of the mmW PCB, the second mmW element positioned adjacent to the first mmW element and separated from the first mmW element by a gap spacing, and a radar antenna disposed within the mmW PCB and aligned with the gap spacing between the first mmW element and the second mmW element.

[0007]

[0007] In some aspects, the radar antenna comprises a slot antenna configured for Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) radar operation.

[0008]

[0008] In some embodiments, the slot antenna comprises an hourglass-shaped slot provided in a first metal layer of a mmW PCB and an antenna stub disposed along a center portion of the hourglass-shaped slot.

[0009]

[0009] In some aspects, the slot antenna further includes a stripline feed coupled to a center portion of the antenna stub, the stripline feed configured to supply a radar signal to the antenna stub and the hourglass-shaped slot or to receive a reflected radar signal from the antenna stub and the hourglass-shaped slot.

[0010]

[0010] In some embodiments, the first mmW element and the second mmW element are mounted within an mmW PCB, and the gap spacing is a gap of about 1 millimeter (mm) between the first mmW element and the second mmW element.

[0011]

[0011] In some aspects, the wireless communication device further includes a third mmW element coupled to a first side of the mmW PCB, the third mmW element configured for wireless mmW communication at a frequency greater than approximately 24 gigahertz (GHz), a fourth mmW element coupled to the first side of the mmW PCB, the fourth mmW element separated from the third mmW element by a second gap spacing and positioned adjacent to the third mmW element, and a second radar antenna disposed within the mmW PCB and aligned with the second gap spacing between the third mmW element and the fourth mmW element.

[0012]

[0012] In some aspects, the radar antenna is coupled to the radar control circuitry via a first stripline configured to supply a radar signal to the radar antenna, and the second radar antenna is coupled to the radar control circuitry via a second stripline configured to receive a reflection of the radar signal from the radar antenna.

[0013]

[0013] In some aspects, the radar antenna is coupled to the radar control circuitry via a first stripline configured to supply a radar signal to the radar antenna and receive a reflection of the radar signal from the radar antenna.

[0014] In some aspects, the radar antenna and the second radar antenna are oriented orthogonal to each other.

[0015]

[0015] In some aspects, the radar antenna is aligned along a gap associated with a gap spacing, and the second radar antenna is aligned across a second gap associated with a second gap spacing.

[0016] In some aspects, the radar antenna is disposed diagonally across the gap associated with the gap spacing, and the second radar antenna is disposed diagonally across a second gap associated with the second gap spacing.

[0017]

[0017] In some aspects, the radar antenna is positioned along a gap length related to the gap spacing between the first mmW element and the second mmW element.

[0018] In some embodiments, the radar antenna is configured for operation at frequencies between about 57 GHz and 71 GHz.

[0019]

[0019] In some aspects, the radar antenna is configured for operation at a frequency of about 26 GHz.

[0020]

[0020] In some aspects, the first mmW element comprises an mmW antenna configured to transmit or receive wireless mmW communications.

[0021]

[0021] In some aspects, the mmW antenna is configured to avoid interference with the radar antenna.

[0022]

[0022] In some aspects, the wireless communications device of claim 1 further comprises a display screen and control circuitry coupled to the display screen, the first mmW element, and the radar antenna.

[0023] In some aspects, the first mmW element is implemented in a first antenna element PCB coupled to a first side of the mmW PCB, the second mmW element is implemented in a second antenna element PCB coupled to the first side of the mmW PCB, the second antenna element PCB being separated from the first antenna element PCB by a substrate gap.

[0024] In some embodiments, the substrate gap is about 0.4 millimeters and the gap spacing is about 1.1 mm.

[0025]

[0025] In some aspects, the first antenna element PCB or the second antenna element PCB covers at least a portion of the radar antenna on the first side within the gap interval.

[0026]

[0026] In some aspects, a method of operating a wireless communications device is provided that includes communicating a first data signal using a first millimeter-wave (mmW) element coupled to a first side of an mmW module PCB, the first data signal being transmitted or received at a frequency greater than about 24 gigahertz (GHz); transmitting a first radar signal using a radar antenna disposed within the mmW module PCB at a first surface, the radar antenna being positioned within a gap between the first mmW element and a second mmW element disposed adjacent to the first mmW element on the first surface of the mmW module PCB; receiving a reflection of the first radar signal; and processing the reflection of the first radar signal to detect one or more objects in proximity to the wireless communications device.

[0027]

[0027] In some aspects, the method further includes determining a signal power associated with the first data signal over a period of time, monitoring a reflection of the first radar signal over a period of time, and estimating electromagnetic power exposure for one or more objects over the period of time using the signal power over the period of time and the reflection of the first radar signal.

[0028]

[0028] In some aspects, the method further includes processing reflections of the first radar signal to determine a vital sign measurement of the human.

[0029] In some embodiments, the radar antenna is configured for operation at frequencies between about 57 GHz and 71 GHz.

[0030]

[0030] In some embodiments, the radar antenna is configured for operation at a frequency of about 26 GHz.

[0031]

[0031] In some aspects, a wireless communications device is provided that includes: means for communicating a first data signal using a first millimeter-wave (mmW) element coupled to a first side of an mmW module PCB, the first data signal being transmitted or received at a frequency greater than about 24 gigahertz (GHz); means for transmitting the first radar signal using a radar antenna disposed within the mmW module PCB at a first surface, the radar antenna being disposed within a gap between the first mmW element and a second mmW element disposed adjacent to the first mmW element on the first surface of the mmW module PCB; means for receiving reflections of the first radar signal; and means for processing reflections of the first radar signal to detect one or more objects in proximity to the wireless communications device.

[0032]

[0032] In some aspects, the wireless communications device further comprises a second means for receiving a reflection of the first radar signal oriented at a different location on the substrate of the wireless communications device than the means for receiving the reflection.

[0033]

[0033] In some aspects, a wireless communication device is provided that includes a millimeter-wave (mmW) substrate, a first mmW element coupled to the mmW substrate, the first mmW element configured for wireless mmW communication at a frequency greater than about 24 gigahertz (GHz), and a slot antenna comprising a slot in a metal layer of the mmW PCB, the slot being positioned adjacent to an element boundary of the first mmW element defined by the metal layer of the first mmW element.

[0034]

[0034] In some embodiments, the slot antenna is located between the element boundary and the edge of the mmW substrate.

[0035]

[0035] In some embodiments, the slot antenna is positioned between the element boundary and the element boundary of a second mmW element coupled to the mmW substrate at a location adjacent to the first mmW element, the element boundary of each element being determined by the extent of each element's associated patch and parasitic components.

[0036]

[0036] In some aspects, the apparatus described above may include a mobile device with a camera for capturing one or more pictures. In some aspects, the apparatus described above may include a display screen for displaying one or more pictures. In some aspects, additional wireless communication circuitry. The Summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used independently to determine the scope of the claimed subject matter. The subject matter should be understood by reference to appropriate portions of the entire specification of the disclosure, any or all drawings, and each claim.

[0037]

[0037] The above, together with other features and embodiments, will become more apparent with reference to the following specification, claims, and accompanying drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0038]

[0038] In the figures, similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the various figures unless otherwise indicated. In the case of a reference numeral with a letter designation, such as "102a" or "102b", the letter designation may distinguish between two similar parts or elements present in the same figure. The letter designation of the reference numeral may be omitted when the reference numeral is intended to encompass all parts having the same reference numeral in all figures. [Figure 1]

[0039] FIG. 1 illustrates a wireless communication system for communicating with a wireless device that may be implemented in accordance with aspects described herein. [Figure 2A]

[0040] 1 is a block diagram illustrating portions of a wireless device in which aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented. [Figure 2B]

[0041] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a wireless device, portions of which may be implemented in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 2C]

[0042] 1 is a block diagram illustrating aspects of a wireless device in which aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented. [Figure 3A]

[0043] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an mmW module according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 3B] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an mmW module according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 3C] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an mmW module according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 3D] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an mmW module according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 4A]

[0044] FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a mmW antenna array according to embodiments described herein. [Figure 4B]

[0045] FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a mmW antenna array according to embodiments described herein. [Figure 5A]

[0046] FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a mmW antenna array including a radar antenna according to embodiments described herein. [Figure 5B]

[0047] FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a mmW antenna array including a radar antenna according to embodiments described herein. [Figure 6A]

[0048] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a mmW antenna array, according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 6B] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a mmW antenna array, according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 6C]FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a mmW antenna array, according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 6D] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a mmW antenna array, according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 6E] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a mmW antenna array, according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 6F] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a mmW antenna array, according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 7]

[0049] 1 is a flow diagram illustrating an example of a method operation for operation of a device including an mmW antenna array with an integrated radar sensor, according to some embodiments. [Figure 8]

[0050] FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an apparatus including a mmW antenna array and an integrated radar sensor, according to some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0039]

[0051] The detailed description set forth below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings is intended as a description of exemplary implementations and is not intended to represent the only implementations in which the invention may be practiced. The term "exemplary" as used throughout this description means "serving as an example, instance, or illustration" and should not necessarily be construed as preferred or advantageous over other exemplary implementations. The detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing a thorough understanding of the exemplary implementations. In some instances, some devices are shown in block diagram form. Drawing elements common among the following figures may be identified using the same reference numerals.

[0040]

[0052] Standard form factors for devices such as cellular phones, tablets, laptop computers, cellular hotspot devices, and other such devices are becoming increasingly space limited. At the same time, additional wireless communication systems are being incorporated into such devices. The tradeoff between performance and space is a design consideration in all such devices. The addition of millimeter wavelength (mmW) modules, including mmW circuitry, transmission (Tx) and receiver (Rx) elements for mmW communications, is one form of additional functionality added to the device. Additional functionality that may be added leveraging such mmW modules is radar, such as frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar. Such radar systems may operate at similar (or different) frequencies using similar technologies.

[0041]

[0053] Embodiments described herein include devices with mmW antenna arrays that integrate a radar antenna with one or more antennas for mmW communications. According to some embodiments described herein, devices with one or more mmW modules for mmW communications can include gaps between mmW elements of the mmW modules. The gaps can be used to position and configure radar antennas operating at or near 26 GHz, 60 GHz, or other such frequencies so as not to interfere with mmW communications using mmW antennas operating at about 24 GHz or higher (e.g., the FR2 mmW communications band from 24.25 GHz to 43.5 GHz). In some examples, the radar antennas positioned within or aligned with the gaps can include slot antennas that can operate as sensors for FMCW functionality.

[0042]

[0054] Aspects of devices with mmW modules that integrate a radar antenna with mmW elements (e.g., antenna arrays and other supporting circuitry for mmW communications) improve device performance with additional functionality that uses a radar antenna. Aspects also include device improvements by efficiently using a spatially integrated radar antenna in an existing form factor while maintaining mmW communications device performance. Radar antenna integration, when combined with existing systems, can provide additional functionality, such as providing FMCW radar functionality, measuring exposure of nearby objects to electromagnetic radiation using radar measurements combined with power measurements or settings from the mmW elements. In some aspects, the measurements of nearby objects can include measurements of a person's vital signs (e.g., heart rate or other biometric characteristic measurements), measurements of object type, or any other measurements from analyzing the difference between the transmitted signal(s) and reflections generated from the transmitted signal. Further aspects and device improvements will be apparent from the description provided herein.

[0043]

[0055] 1 is a diagram illustrating a wireless device 110 in communication with a wireless communication system 120. According to aspects described herein, the wireless device may include an mmW module with a radar antenna integrated in the gap between mmW elements (e.g., mmW antennas in an array and other such supporting circuitry) or along the edges of the mmW elements and the edges of the mmW PCB. The wireless communication system 120 may be a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system, a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) system, a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) system, a 5G NR (New Radio) system, or some other wireless system. The CDMA system may implement Wideband CDMA (WCDMA), CDMA 1X, Evolution-Data Optimized (EVDO), Time Division Synchronous CDMA (TD-SCDMA), or some other version of CDMA. Communication elements of wireless device 110 for implementing mmW and non-mmW communications according to any of such communication standards may be supported by various designs of FMCW sensors (e.g., antennas) according to aspects described herein. For ease of explanation, FIG. 1 illustrates wireless communication system 120 including two base stations 130 and 132 and one system controller 140. In general, a wireless communication system may include any number of base stations and any set of network entities.

[0044]

[0056] The wireless device 110 may also be referred to as a User Equipment (UE), a mobile station, a terminal, an access terminal, a subscriber unit, a station, etc. The wireless device 110 may be a cellular phone, a smartphone, a tablet, or other such mobile device (e.g., a device integrated with a display screen). Other examples of the wireless device 110 include a wireless modem, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a handheld device, a laptop computer, a smartbook, a netbook, a tablet, a cordless phone, a medical device, a device configured to connect to one or more other devices (e.g., via the Internet of Things), a Wireless Local Loop (WLL) station, a Bluetooth device, etc. The wireless device 110 may communicate with the wireless communication system 120. The wireless device 110 may also receive signals from a broadcast station (e.g., a broadcast station 134) and / or from a satellite (e.g., a satellite 150 in one or more Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)). The wireless device 110 may support one or more radio technologies for wireless communication, such as LTE, WCDMA, CDMA 1X, EVDO, TD-SCDMA, GSM, 802.11, 5G, etc.

[0045]

[0057] The wireless communication system 120 may also include a wireless device 160. In an exemplary embodiment, the wireless device 160 may be a wireless access point or another wireless communication device that comprises or comprises a portion of a wireless local area network (WLAN). In an exemplary embodiment, the wireless device 110 may be configured as Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) that may communicate with the base station 130 and another wireless device 110 or other devices in the wireless communication system 120. In some embodiments, the CPE may be configured to communicate with the wireless device 160 using WAN signaling and interface with the base station 130 based on such communication, instead of the wireless device 160 communicating directly with the base station 130. In an exemplary embodiment in which the wireless device 160 is configured to communicate using WLAN signaling, the WLAN signals may include WiFi or other communication signals.

[0046]

[0058] The wireless device 110 may support carrier aggregation, e.g., as described in one or more LTE or 5G standards. In some embodiments, e.g., a single data stream is transmitted over multiple carriers using carrier aggregation rather than a separate carrier being used for each data stream. The wireless device 110 may be capable of operating over a wide range of frequencies, e.g., in various communication bands including those used by LTE, WiFi, 5G, or other communication bands. The wireless device 110 may also be capable of communicating directly with other wireless devices without communicating through a network.

[0047]

[0059] In general, Carrier Aggregation (CA) can be classified into two types: intra-band CA and inter-band CA. Intra-band CA refers to operation on multiple carriers in the same band. Inter-band CA refers to operation on multiple carriers in different bands.

[0048]

[0060] 2A is a block diagram illustrating a wireless device 200 in which aspects of the disclosure may be implemented. The wireless device 200 may be, for example, an embodiment of the wireless device 110 shown in FIG. 1. The circuitry described may be circuitry supporting mmW communication and / or radar functionality. The same or separate circuitry may be configured to integrate radar functionality with an mmW communication antenna configured to avoid interference between mmW communication and radar systems. In some examples, the wireless device 200 (or any of the devices described and / or illustrated below) may be an example of any of the devices shown in FIG. 1.

[0049]

[0061] FIG. 2A illustrates an example of a transceiver 220 having a transmitter 230 and a receiver 250. In general, the conditioning of signals in the transmitter 230 and receiver 250 may be performed in one or more stages, such as amplifiers, filters, upconverters, downconverters, etc. These circuit blocks may be arranged differently than the configuration shown in FIG. 2A. Additionally, other circuit blocks not shown in FIG. 2A may also be used to condition signals in the transmitter 230 and receiver 250. Unless otherwise noted, any signal in FIG. 2A or any other figure in the figures may be a single-ended signal or a differential signal. Some circuit blocks in FIG. 2A may be omitted.

[0050]

[0062] In the example shown in FIG. 2A, the wireless device 200 generally includes a transceiver 220 and a data processor 210. The data processor 210 may include a processor 296 operatively coupled to a memory 298. The memory 298 may be configured to store data and program codes, generally indicated using reference numeral 299, and may typically comprise analog and / or digital processing components. The transceiver 220 includes a transmitter 230 and a receiver 250 supporting bidirectional communication. In general, the wireless device 200 may include any number of transmitters and / or receivers for any number of communication systems and frequency bands. All or a portion of the transceiver 220 may be implemented on one or more analog integrated circuits (ICs), RF ICs (RFICs), mixed-signal ICs, or the like.

[0051]

[0063] The transmitter or receiver may be implemented with a super-heterodyne architecture or a direct-conversion architecture. In a super-heterodyne architecture, the signal is frequency converted between radio frequency (RF) and baseband in multiple stages, e.g., in the case of a receiver, from RF to intermediate frequency (IF) in one stage and then from IF to baseband in another stage. In a direct-conversion architecture, the signal is frequency converted between RF and baseband in one stage. The super-heterodyne architecture and the direct-conversion architecture may use different circuit blocks and / or have different requirements. In the example shown in FIG. 2A, the transmitter 230 and the receiver 250 are implemented with a direct-conversion architecture.

[0052]

[0064] In the transmit path, the data processor 210 processes data to be transmitted and provides In-phase (I) and Quadrature (Q) analog output signals to the transmitter 230. In an exemplary embodiment, the data processor 210 includes digital-to-analog-converters (DACs) 214a and 214b for converting digital signals generated by the data processor 210 into I and Q analog output signals, e.g., I and Q output currents, for further processing. In other embodiments, the DACs 214a and 214b are included in the transceiver 220, and the data processor 210 provides the data (e.g., for I and Q) to the transceiver 220 digitally.

[0053]

[0065] Within transmitter 230, baseband (e.g., lowpass) filters 232a and 232b, respectively, filter the I and Q analog transmit signals to remove unwanted images caused by previous digital-to-analog conversion. Amplifiers (Amp) 234a and 234b amplify the signals from baseband filters 232a and 232b, respectively, and provide I and Q baseband signals. Upconverter 240 having upconversion mixers 241a and 241b upconverts the I and Q baseband signals with I and Q transmit (TX) local oscillator (LO) signals from TX LO signal generator 290 and provides an upconverted signal. Filter 242 filters the upconverted signal to remove unwanted images caused by frequency upconversion as well as noise in the receive frequency band. Power amplifier 244 amplifies the signal from filter 242 to obtain a desired output power level and provides the transmit RF signal. The transmit RF signal is routed through a duplexer or switch 246 and transmitted via an antenna array 248. Although the examples described herein utilize I and Q signals, one skilled in the art will appreciate that the transceiver components may be configured to utilize polar modulation.

[0054]

[0066] In the receive path, the antenna array 248 receives the communication signal and provides a received RF signal that is routed through a duplexer or switch 246 and provided to a low noise amplifier (LNA) 252. The switch 246 is designed to operate at a particular RX-TX duplexer frequency separation such that the RX signal is separated from the TX signal. The received RF signal is amplified by the LNA 252 and filtered by a filter 254 to obtain a desired RF input signal. Downconversion mixers 261a and 261b in the downconverter 260 mix the output of the filter 254 with I and Q receive (RX) LO signals (i.e., LO_I and LO_Q) from the RX LO signal generator 280 to generate I and Q baseband signals. The I and Q baseband signals are amplified by amplifiers 262a and 262b and further filtered by low pass filters 264a and 264b to obtain I and Q analog input signals that are provided to the data processor 210. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, data processor 210 includes Analog-to-Digital-Converters (ADCs) 216a and 216b for converting analog input signals to digital signals to be further processed by data processor 210. In some embodiments, ADCs 216a and 216b are included in transceiver 220 and provide data to data processor 210 digitally.

[0055]

[0067] In FIG. 2A, TX LO signal generator 290 generates I and Q TX LO signals used for frequency up-conversion, while RX LO signal generator 280 generates I and Q RX LO signals used for frequency down-conversion. Each LO signal is a periodic signal with a particular fundamental frequency. Phase Locked Loop (PLL) 292 receives timing information from data processor 210 and generates control signals used to adjust the frequency and / or phase of the TX LO signal from LO signal generator 290. Similarly, PLL 282 receives timing information from data processor 210 and generates control signals used to adjust the frequency and / or phase of the RX LO signal from LO signal generator 280.

[0056]

[0068] In an exemplary embodiment, the RX PLL 282, the TX PLL 292, the RX LO signal generator 280, and the TX LO signal generator 290 may alternatively be combined into a single LO generator circuit 295, which may include common or shared LO signal generator circuitry for providing the TX LO signal and the RX LO signal. Alternatively, separate LO generator circuits may be used to generate the TX LO signal and the RX LO signal.

[0057]

[0069] The wireless device 200 may support CA and may (i) receive multiple downlink signals transmitted by one or more cells on multiple downlink carriers at different frequencies and / or (ii) transmit multiple uplink signals on multiple uplink carriers to one or more cells. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the aspects described herein may be implemented in systems, devices and / or architectures that do not support carrier aggregation.

[0058]

[0070] Some components of the transceiver 220 are illustrated in FIG. 2A with respect to their functionality, and the configuration illustrated in FIG. 2A may or may not represent the physical device configuration in some implementations. For example, as described above, the transceiver 220 may be implemented in various integrated circuits (ICs), RF ICs (RFICs), mixed-signal ICs, etc. In some embodiments, the transceiver 220 is implemented on a substrate or board, such as a printed circuit board (PCB) having various modules, chips and / or components. For example, the power amplifier 244, the filter 242, and the switch 246 may be implemented in separate modules or as individual components, while the remaining components illustrated in the transceiver 220 may be implemented in a single transceiver chip.

[0059]

[0071] Power amplifier 244 may comprise one or more stages including, for example, a driver stage, a power amplifier stage, or other components that may be configured to amplify communication signals at one or more frequencies in one or more frequency bands to one or more power levels. Depending on various factors, power amplifier 244 may be configured to operate with one or more driver stages, one or more power amplifier stages, one or more impedance matching networks, and may be configured to achieve good linearity, efficiency, or a combination of good linearity and efficiency.

[0060]

[0072] In an exemplary embodiment of the super-heterodyne architecture, the power amplifier 244, the LNA 252 (and in some examples the filters 242 and / or 254) may be implemented separately from other components in the transmitter 230 and the receiver 250, and may be implemented on a millimeter wave integrated circuit. An exemplary super-heterodyne architecture is shown in FIG. 2B.

[0061]

[0073] 2B is a block diagram showing a wireless device in which aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented. Some components of the wireless device 200a in FIG. 2B, which may be indicated by the same reference numerals, may be configured similarly to the components in the wireless device 200 shown in FIG. 2A, and the description of the items with the same numerals in FIG. 2B will not be repeated.

[0062]

[0074] The wireless device 200a is an example of a heterodyne (superheterodyne) architecture in which the upconverter 240 and the downconverter 260 are configured to process communication signals between baseband and intermediate frequency (IF). For example, the upconverter 240 may be configured to provide an IF signal to the upconverter 275. In an exemplary embodiment, the upconverter 275 may comprise a summing function 278 and an upconversion mixer 276. The summing function 278 combines the I and Q outputs of the upconverter 240 and provides a non-orthogonal signal to the mixer 276. The non-orthogonal signal may be a single-ended signal or may be a differential signal. The mixer 276 is configured to receive the IF signal from the upconverter 240 and the TX RF LO signal from the TX RF LO signal generator 277 and provide an upconverted mmW signal to the phase shift circuitry 281. Although the PLL 292 is shown in FIG. 2B as being shared by the signal generators 290, 277, a respective PLL for each signal generator may be implemented.

[0063]

[0075] In an exemplary embodiment, the components in the phase shifting circuitry 281 may include one or more adjustable or variably phased array elements, receive one or more control signals from the data processor 210 via connection 289, and operate the adjustable or variably phased array elements based on the received control signals.

[0064]

[0076] In the exemplary embodiment, the phase shifting circuitry 281 comprises phase shifters 283 and phased array elements 287. Although three phase shifters 283 and three phased array elements 287 are shown for ease of illustration, the phase shifting circuitry 281 may comprise more or fewer phase shifters 283 and phased array elements 287.

[0065]

[0077] Each phase shifter 283 may be configured to receive an RF transmit signal from the upconverter 275, change the phase by an amount, and provide a mmW signal to a respective phased array element 287. Each phased array element 287 may comprise transmit and / or receive circuitry including one or more filters, amplifiers, driver amplifiers, and power amplifiers. In some embodiments, the phase shifter 283 may be incorporated within each phased array element 287.

[0066]

[0078] The output of the phase shifting circuitry 281 is provided to the antenna array 248. In an exemplary embodiment, the antenna array 248 typically comprises a number of antennas corresponding to the number of phase shifters 283 and phased array elements 287, e.g., each antenna element is coupled to a respective phased array element 287. In an exemplary embodiment, the phase shifting circuitry 281 and the antenna array 248 are referred to as a phased array.

[0067]

[0079] In the receive direction, the output of the phase shift circuitry 281 is provided to a downconverter 285. In an exemplary embodiment, the downconverter 285 may comprise an I / Q generation function 291 and a downconversion mixer 286. In an exemplary embodiment, the mixer 286 downconverts the received mmW signal provided by the phase shift circuitry 281 to an IF signal according to the RX mmW LO signal provided by the RX mmW LO signal generator 279. The I / Q generation function 291 receives the IF signal from the mixer 286 and generates I and Q signals for the downconverter 260, which downconverts the IF signal to baseband as described above. Although the PLL 282 is shown in FIG. 2B as being shared by the signal generators 280, 279, a respective PLL for each signal generator may be implemented.

[0068]

[0080] In some embodiments, the upconverter 275, the downconverter 285, and the phase shift circuitry 281 are implemented on a common IC. In some embodiments, the summing function 278 and the I / Q generation function 291 are implemented separately from the mixers 276 and 286 such that the mixers 276, 286 and the phase shift circuitry 281 are implemented on a common IC, but the summing function 278 and the I / Q generation function 291 are not implemented on a common IC (e.g., the summing function 278 and the I / Q generation function 291 are implemented on a separate IC that is coupled to the IC having the mixers 276, 286). In some embodiments, the LO signal generators 277, 279 are included on a common IC. In some embodiments where the phase shift circuitry is implemented on a common IC with 276, 286, 277, 278, 279, and / or 291, the common IC and the antenna array 248 are included in a module that can be coupled to other components of the transceiver 220 via a connector. In some embodiments, the phase shift circuitry 281, e.g., a chip on which the phase shift circuitry 281 is implemented, is coupled by an interconnect to the antenna array 248. For example, the components of the antenna array 248 may be implemented on a substrate and coupled to an integrated circuit that implements the phase shift circuitry 281 via a flexible printed circuit board or other substrate.

[0069]

[0081] In some embodiments, both the architecture shown in FIG. 2A and the architecture shown in FIG. 2B may be implemented in the same device. For example, a wireless device 110 or 200 may be configured to communicate using signals having frequencies below about 20 GHz using the architecture shown in FIG. 2A and to communicate using signals having frequencies above about 20 GHz using the architecture shown in FIG. 2B. In a device in which both architectures are implemented, one or more components of FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B that are numbered the same are shared between the two architectures. For example, both signals directly downconverted from mmW to baseband and signals downconverted from mmW to baseband via an IF stage may be filtered by the same baseband filter 264. In other embodiments, a first version of filter 264 is included in the portion of the device that implements the architecture of FIG. 2A and a second version of filter 264 is included in the portion of the device that implements the architecture of FIG. 2B.

[0070]

[0082] FIG. 2C is a block diagram 297 illustrating an embodiment of some components of FIG. 2B in more detail. In an exemplary embodiment, the upconverter 275 provides mmW transmit signals to the phase shift circuitry 281, and the downconverter 285 receives mmW receive signals from the phase shift circuitry 281. In an exemplary embodiment, the phase shift circuitry 281 comprises a mmW variable gain amplifier 284, a splitter / combiner 288, a phase shifter 283, and a phased array element 287. In an exemplary embodiment, the phase shift circuitry 281 may be implemented on a millimeter-wave integrated circuit (mmWIC). In some such embodiments, the upconverter 275 and / or the downconverter 285 (or only the mixers 276, 286) are also implemented on the mmWIC. In an exemplary embodiment, the mmW VGA 284 may comprise a TX VGA 293 and a RX VGA 294. In some embodiments, the TX VGA 293 and the RX VGA 294 may be implemented independently. In other embodiments, the VGA 284 is bidirectional. In an exemplary embodiment, the splitter / combiner 288 may be an example of a power distribution network and a power combining network. In some embodiments, the splitter / combiner 288 may be implemented as a single component or as separate signal splitters and signal combiners. The phase shifters 283 are coupled to respective phased array elements 287. Each respective phased array element 287 is coupled to a respective antenna element in the antenna array 248. In an exemplary embodiment, the phase shifters 283 and the phased array elements 287 receive control signals from the data processor 210 via connection 289. The exemplary embodiment shown in Figure 2C comprises a 1x4 array having four phase shifters 283-1, 283-2, 283-3, and 283-n, four phased array elements 287-1, 287-2, 287-3, and 287-n, and four antennas 248-1, 248-2, 248-3, and 248-n. However, the 1x4 phased array is shown merely as an example and other configurations such as 1x2, 1x6, 1x8, 2x3, 2x4, or other configurations are possible.

[0071]

[0083] 3A, 3B, and 3C are block diagrams collectively illustrating some aspects of a millimeter wave (mmW) module according to some aspects of the disclosure. The circuit configurations above show mmW elements that may be provided within an mmW module (e.g., within an IC coupled to an mmW PCB). The elements of the described mmW antenna arrays may have gaps in which, for example, a radar antenna may be placed as described below. Details of radar antenna integration are described below with respect to FIGS. 4A-4B, 5A-5B, and 6A-6D. It should be noted that while the example of FIG. 3 is described with respect to a module, the antenna arrays described herein need not be packaged within a module (e.g., with an mmW IC).

[0072]

[0084] FIG. 3A shows a side view of a millimeter wave (mmW) module 300. The mmW module 300 may include an example of a mmW antenna array shown in FIGS. 4A-4B, 5A-5B, and 6A-6D. In some embodiments, the mmW module 300 may include a 1×8 phased array fabricated on a substrate 303. In some embodiments, the mmW module 300 may include an mmWIC 310, a PMIC 315, a connector 317, and a number of antennas 321, 322, 323, 324, 325, 326, 327, and 328 fabricated on the substrate 303. FIG. 3B is a top perspective view of the mmW module 300 showing the mmWIC 310, the PMIC 315, the connector 317, and a number of antennas 321, 322, 323, 324, 325, 326, 327, and 328 on the substrate 303. FIG. 3C is a bottom perspective view of the mmW module 300 showing antennas 321, 322, 323, 324, 325, 326, 327, and 328 on the substrate 303. FIG. 3D shows an alternative embodiment of a millimeter wave (mmW) module 350. The mmW module 350 can be similar to the mmW module 300 shown in FIG. 3A, but configured as a 1×6 array. In some aspects, the mmW module 350 can comprise a 1×6 phased array fabricated on the substrate 353. In some aspects, the mmW module 350 can comprise multiple antennas 371, 372, 373, 374, 375, and 376 fabricated on the substrate 353. Other aspects include devices in which the mmW module 350 can comprise multiple antennas in an array on a separate PCB attached to the main mmW PCB, as shown in the examples of FIGS. 4A and 4B.

[0073]

[0085] 4A and 4B include diagrams illustrating an embodiment of a mmW antenna array 400 according to embodiments described herein. FIG. 4A illustrates a side view of the mmW antenna array 400. The array 400 may be packaged (e.g., with mmW ICs and / or other components) in a module, for example, as described with respect to FIG. 3. FIG. 4B illustrates a top view of the mmW antenna array 400. The mmW antenna array 400 includes a primary mmW PCB 404 that is used as a primary substrate for the elements of the mmW antenna array. The mmW antenna array consists of a linear pattern of mmW elements along the length of the mmW PCB 404, including mmW element 410, mmW element 430, mmW element 440, and mmW element 460. The mmW elements may include mmW antennas (e.g., patch antennas, or other such mmW antennas) and may be coupled to any of the circuit configurations described above (e.g., the circuit configurations of FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C). In the example of Figures 4A and 4B, the mmW elements are structured as an assembly fabricated on an antenna element PCB. For example, as shown, the mmW element 410 is fabricated on the antenna element PCB 402. The other mmW elements are similarly fabricated using PCBs attached to the surface 406 of the mmW PCB. Figures 4A and 4B show an example in which the antenna and other mmW elements are implemented on separate PCBs with individual PCB configurations implemented on an active PCB (e.g., mmW PCB 404), which may include active components. In other examples, as discussed above, the elements of the mmW antenna array may be implemented on the same PCB (e.g., directly on the mmW PCB 404). Additionally, although all mmW elements are shown as being formed in separate antenna element PCBs, two or more mmW elements may be formed in a shared antenna element PCB.

[0074]

[0086] The mmW elements (e.g., mmW elements 410, 430, 440, 460, etc.) are structured to include gaps to allow for separation between various elements of the antenna array implemented as part of the mmW antenna array 400. In this context, gap refers to the spacing between the radiators of the mmW elements and does not require spacing between the antenna element PCBs or substrates (hereinafter referred to as substrate gaps). In some implementations, such gaps may be approximately 0.5 to 0.15 millimeters (mm) wide. In other implementations, other gap distances may be used. For example, mmW element 410 and mmW element 430 are adjacent elements separated by gap 422. Similarly, mmW elements 440 and 460, adjacent elements separated by gap 452. According to embodiments described herein, slot antennas may be placed within these gaps to provide FMCW radar functionality along with additional FMCW support circuitry. As shown, gap 422 is used to place slot antenna 420 and gap 452 is used to place slot antenna 450.

[0075]

[0087] Although the above examples show gaps between PCBs or other such substrates, in some implementations the mmW elements may be provided on a shared substrate. In the described implementations, the gaps between the mmW elements (e.g., between their radiators) may be used for a slot antenna arrangement (e.g., or other radar antenna arrangement). In some aspects, the antenna may be placed in the gap or at the end of the mmW module even if the antenna substrate is directly above the slot. In such implementations, the substrate gap may or may not be aligned with the substrate gap, and the radar antenna may be placed out of alignment with the substrate gap (e.g., such that the substrate is above the antenna) or below the substrate when there is no substrate gap.

[0076]

[0088] In some embodiments, a mmW antenna array, such as mmW antenna array 400, may include one or more radar antennas, such as a single slot antenna or a multi-slot antenna. For example, a single slot antenna may be used to both transmit FMCW radar signals and receive reflections of the FMCW radar signals. Radar circuitry may be coupled to the single slot antenna to generate FMCW radar signals and process reflections of the FMCW radar signals to identify objects. Processing circuitry may then be used with the data identifying the object of interest to perform additional analysis in conjunction with the data identifying the object (e.g., object tracking over time, facial recognition, human vital signs extraction, object electromagnetic exposure measurements using transmitted and received power data from mmW communication systems or other systems, tracking Maximum Permissible Exposure (MPE) of detected objects, modifying transmit power in conjunction with MPE measurements, etc.). In some examples, the radar processing circuitry is provided within a mmW IC, such as mmW IC 310, or distributed between the mmW IC and another processor, such as an element of transceiver 220 or data processor 210. In some examples, both circuitry for processing mmW data communications and circuitry for processing radar signals are included in the same IC (e.g., IC 310). Integrating radar and mmW data communications antennas into an array may not only enable a form factor that meets stringent requirements (e.g., having a size that may be provided on a side edge of a mobile device), but such integration may enable efficient processing of signals from both types of antennas, for example, by circuitry in a common IC.

[0077]

[0089] In other aspects, the mmW antenna array may include two or more slot antennas, such as slot antenna 420 and slot antenna 450 of mmW antenna array 400. In some implementations, a first slot antenna is used to transmit an FMCW radar signal and a second antenna is used to receive a reflection of the FMCW radar signal. Separating the transmit and receive antennas (e.g., sensors) of an FMCW radar system implemented in an mmW antenna array such as mmW antenna array 400 may avoid interference between the transmit and reflected (e.g., receive) signals and may allow support connections for the transmit and receive circuitry to be distributed in different parts of mmW antenna array 400. In other implementations, additional FMCW or other radar antennas with orthogonal polarizations or other sensor positioning, etc. may be used. Additional configurations of radar sensors are described below with respect to FIGS. 6A, 6B, 6C, 6D, 6E, and 6F.

[0078]

[0090] 4 illustrates different configurations of mmW elements included in antenna array 400. For example, mmW element 460 is a different size than mmW element 440. The mmW elements may be configured as different antenna types (e.g., patch and dipole) for different frequencies, to transmit or receive at different polarizations, etc. In other examples, all mmW elements in the array are similarly configured. Additionally, while the radar antennas (e.g., slot antennas 420, 450) are shown as being included on a PCB separate from the PCB on which the mmW elements are formed, the radar antennas and the mmW elements (e.g., mmW communication antennas) may all be formed on the same PCB.

[0079]

[0091] 4A, the radar antenna (e.g., slot antennas 420, 450) may be located (in the depicted perspective) completely "below" the mmW data communications antenna (e.g., mmW element). For example, the radar antenna may be formed in and / or below surface 406, and the mmW element is above surface 406. When the radar antenna and the mmW element are formed in a single PCB, the radiating structure of the radar antenna may be formed on a first side of a particular layer of the PCB (e.g., either an inner layer or a middle layer of the PCB), while the radiating structure of the mmW element (e.g., mmW data communications antenna) may be formed on the other (opposite) side of the particular layer. In instances where the radar antenna is located "below" the mmW data communications antenna, the radar antenna may be effectively invisible to the mmW data communications antenna, thereby enabling integration of the radar antenna into the array without (significantly) degrading the performance of the mmW data communications antenna or requiring the mmW data communications antenna to be moved from the location or spacing where it would otherwise be located (compared to an array without the radar antenna).

[0080]

[0092] FIG. 5A illustrates an embodiment of an mmW antenna array 500 including an FMCW antenna, according to an embodiment described herein. FIG. 5B illustrates an embodiment of an mmW antenna array 500 including a radar antenna, according to an embodiment described herein. FIG. 5A illustrates a top-down view of the mmW antenna array 500 (e.g., similar to the top-down view of FIG. 4B). FIG. 5B illustrates a top perspective view of the mmW antenna array 500.

[0081]

[0093] The mmW antenna array 500 includes a radar antenna (which may be configured for FMCW or coupled to circuitry that provides or processes FMCW signals) implemented using an antenna stub 510 coupled to a signal stripline feed 520 that provides a radar signal, receives reflections of a radar signal, or both, depending on the implementation. An hourglass slot 530 (e.g., an hourglass shaped slot) including hourglass slot ends 531 and an hourglass slot center 532 is created in the illustrated top surface of the mmW antenna array 500 PCB (e.g., PCB 404), and the antenna stub 510 is provided in the mmW antenna array 500 PCB below the hourglass slot center 532. As explained above, the antenna stub 510 and the hourglass slot center 532 are disposed in a gap 522 (e.g., gaps 422, 452) between two radiators of a mmW element that is part of the mmW communication structure of the mmW antenna array 500. In the illustrated example, the radar antenna (e.g., including antenna stub 510, hourglass slot 530 consisting of hourglass slot end 531 and hourglass slot center 532, and stripline feed 520) is positioned in the middle portion of gap 522 between two adjacent mmW elements (not shown in Figures 5A and 5B).

[0082]

[0094] The stripline feed 520 is connected to supporting FMCW radar circuitry. Depending on the particular implementation, this may include circuitry for generating an FMCW signal, circuitry for analyzing reflections of the FMCW signal, circuitry for both generating an FMCW signal and analyzing FMCW signal reflections, and other supporting circuitry. In some implementations, the FMCW antenna is configured to operate at a frequency near about 26 GHz. In some examples, the FMCW antenna is configured to operate at a frequency between about 57 GHz and 71 GHz. In other examples, other such frequencies or frequency ranges may be used. In some examples, the FMCW sensor (e.g., antenna) may be implemented within a single mmW module to support multiple FMCW radar frequencies. For example, a single mmW module may include mmW circuitry supporting mmW communications above approximately 24 GHz, a first FMCW antenna system (e.g., including one or more FMCW antennas) operating at a first frequency (e.g., 26 GHz), and a second FMCW antenna system (e.g., including a second one or more FMCW antennas different from the antennas for the first FMCW antenna system) operating at a second frequency (e.g., 60 GHz) different from the first frequency.

[0083]

[0095] In one implementation, the length of the slot is about 1.6 mm, the width of the narrow portion of the hourglass-shaped slot is about 0.1 mm, and the width of the wide (e.g., top and bottom) hourglass width is about 0.4 mm. In some implementations, the element-substrate gap distance between adjacent substrates (e.g., when the mmW elements are mounted on an element substrate on a main substrate). In some implementations, an element substrate is not used, and thus there is no substrate gap. In some implementations, some or all of the mmW elements use a shared element substrate. In some implementations where the element substrate is shared, the slot antenna may be disposed on a surface or layer of the mmW PCB (e.g., or another such mmW module substrate) in a gap (e.g., element gap) below the element substrate. In some implementations, the gap (e.g., element gap) between the mmW elements is about 1 mm (e.g., 1.1 mm). Such gap (e.g., element gap) may define the extent of the patch and / or parasitic components of the corresponding element. For some elements, the element boundary may relate to the metal layer of the element. In other aspects, the mmW element may have boundaries defined by a space associated with a location where the mmW element interferes more than a threshold amount with the transmission or reception of signals in an antenna (e.g., a slot antenna) located near the element boundary, or may have boundaries defined by the ends of a radiator or a metallic element parasitically coupled to the radiator (which may have a longest edge greater than about one-tenth or one-quarter of the operating wavelength). While specific dimensions are provided above, in other implementations, other such dimensions may be used for the slot antenna based on the wavelengths used by the system including the slot antenna and the effects of surrounding elements on the slot antenna performance.

[0084]

[0096] As shown above, the gap 522 may be disposed between two adjacent mmW elements (e.g., adjacent mmW elements 410, 430, or adjacent mmW elements 440, 460). In various implementations, either adjacent mmW element on either side of the gap 522, or both elements, may include an antenna element configured to communicate at mmW frequencies (e.g., above about 24 GHz) as part of one or more mmW antennas or mmW antenna arrays of the mmW antenna array 500. In some examples, the radar antenna (e.g., including the antenna stub 510) is disposed in the first surface shown as the top surface of the main PCB of the mmW module in the gap 522 between the adjacent mmW elements (e.g., the surface seen from the perspective of the top surface 406 of FIG. 4A and FIGS. 5A and 5B). Disposing the FMCW antenna on the first surface of the main PCB of the mmW module in the gap 522 allows radar operation to be implemented with limited interference with mmW communications. In some aspects, the stripline feed 520 and antenna stub 510 are specially configured to avoid interference between the radar system's signals and the mmW communication system's signals. As shown, the stripline feed 520 is in the same layer as the hourglass-shaped slot 530 (or may be in another layer, such as an adjacent layer). The slot 530 may be an opening in the ground layer directly above the stripline feed 520. This layer may be the top layer of the mmW PCB of the mmW antenna array 500. In some implementations, the "cavity" of the slot 530 may be formed from the upper and lower ground layers that support the stripline feed 520 around the slot with vias as shown. In some examples, one or more walls of the "cavity" are formed from a solid piece of conductor (e.g., metal) instead of using a series of vias. In the illustrative example of FIG. 5B, placing the radar sensor's antenna stub 510 on the surface of the mmW PCB with the hourglass-shaped slot may help avoid interference between these systems.

[0085]

[0097] 6A, 6B, 6C, 6D, 6E, and 6F are block diagrams illustrating implementations of mmW antenna arrays 600 according to embodiments of the disclosure. 4A-4B and 5A-5B show FMCW antennas implemented along the long, narrow gaps between adjacent mmW elements of mmW antenna arrays 400, 500. mmW antenna arrays 600A, 600B, 600C, and 600D show alternative implementations of radar antennas in the gaps between mmW elements 610. mmW antenna arrays 600A, 600B, 600C, and 600D show different orientations of radar (e.g., FMCW) antennas as well as different numbers of radar antennas in a single mmW antenna array. The exemplary mmW antenna array 400 of FIGS. 4A and 4B includes two slot antennas 420 and 450, for example, to enable one radar antenna for radar signal transmission and another radar antenna for sensing reflections of the radar signal transmission.

[0086]

[0098] The mmW antenna array 600A of Figure 6A includes three radar antennas 611, 612, and 613, each between successive pairs of adjacent mmW elements 610. Such a configuration can be used, for example, to have a single radar transmit element (e.g., antenna 611) for a first frequency, a single FMCW reflection detection element (e.g., antenna 613) for the first frequency, and a third FMCW sensor element (e.g., antenna 612) to transmit at a second frequency and detect reflections. In other implementations, a single slot antenna transmit structure can be used with multiple receive sensors (e.g., one FMCW antenna for transmit and two FMCW antennas for receive).

[0087]

[0099] The mmW antenna array 600B of FIG. 6B includes an antenna 623 oriented in a mutually orthogonal position from the antennas 621 and 622. The antennas 621 and 622 are disposed along the gap between the respective adjacent mmW elements 610. The antenna 623 is configured across the gap of the corresponding mmW element 610 associated with the antenna 623. In such a configuration, the antennas 621 and 622 can be used as separate transmit and receive antennas for a first frequency, and the antenna 623 can be used to transmit and receive radar signals oriented in an orthogonal direction at the same or different frequencies. In some examples, another slot antenna can be overlapped with the antenna 623 (e.g., orthogonal to the antenna 623) so that two polarizations can be transmitted and / or received.

[0088]

[0100] The mmW antenna array 600C of FIG. 6C includes orthogonally oriented antennas 631 and 634 as a single antenna between adjacent mmW elements 610 (e.g., as a sole antenna in the gap between adjacent mmW elements). Antennas 632 and 633 are located in the shared gap between the same adjacent mmW elements. Placing antennas 632 and 633 in the same gap allows orthogonal radar signals from the two antennas to be emitted from approximately the same location in the mmW antenna array 600C.

[0089]

[0101] In the above implementations, the radar antennas are oriented along the length of the gap between adjacent mmW elements or directly across the gap between adjacent mmW elements. The mmW antenna array 600D includes antennas oriented diagonally across the gap between the mmW elements 610. The particular implementation of FIG. 6D shows antennas 641 and 642 positioned diagonally across the two gaps, with antennas 643 and 644 positioned orthogonal to the placement of both antennas 641 and 642. The configuration of the radar antennas in the mmW antenna array 600D allows the gap size to be standardized for all antennas 641-644 while also allowing mutually orthogonal radar signals.

[0090]

[0102] In FIG. 6E, antennas 651 and 652 are at the short edge of the mmW antenna array, and in FIG. 6F, antennas 661 and 662 are located at the long edge of the mmW antenna array. Antenna 661 is located at the edge between two mmW elements 610, and antenna 662 is located at the edge of the mmW element 610. In various implementations, either or both positions may be used depending on the design and interference between the mmW and slot antenna elements. Any such design that allows the mmW and slot antenna to operate with acceptable general performance without mutual interference may be used. The main distinction between the configurations of FIG. 6A-6F is the amount of space (e.g., element gap distance) required between elements to implement these configurations. If the gap between elements is small, a vertical configuration may be used since diagonal and horizontal slot configurations may overlap elements above the slots and cause interference. Such interference refers to signals and antenna elements interfering with signals to or from another antenna. To avoid mutual interference, the radar antennas (e.g., slot antennas) of the antenna array are configured to avoid or limit disturbance to signals transmitting to or transmitted from the mmW communications antennas, and the mmW communications antennas are similarly configured to avoid or limit disturbance (e.g., interference) to signals transmitting to or transmitted from the slot antennas.

[0091]

[0103] In an array where three or more radar antennas are implemented, the radar antennas may be regularly spaced (e.g., with approximately uniform spacing between them), or the spacing between them may be irregular or varying. For example, the radar antennas in FIG. 6A are spaced at approximately regular intervals. If all of the radar antennas in FIG. 6D were configured with the same polarization, they would have varied or irregular spacing.

[0092]

[0104] Although a configuration is shown in which there are fewer radar antennas than mmW communication antennas, the array may include more radar antennas than mmW communication antennas. For example, a radar antenna may be included between every mmW element. In some examples, a radar antenna may also be provided at one or both ends of a line of mmW elements.

[0093]

[0105] Each of the radar antennas in the array may be similarly configured, or their configurations may vary. For example, different radar antennas may be configured to radiate at different frequencies and / or polarizations, as described above. In some examples, the length of the slot, the width of the hourglass shape, the size of the stub, etc. may vary between slot antennas.

[0094]

[0106] In some examples, the radar antenna is configured to radiate in a band having a frequency near 60 GHz. In some examples, the mmW communication element is configured to radiate in a band from about 24 GHz to about 52 GHz. In other embodiments, the frequencies of the radar antenna and the mmW element may overlap.

[0095]

[0107] 3-6 show linear arrays of mmW elements, 2D arrays may also be implemented. In some such examples, a radar antenna (e.g., a slot antenna) may be provided between any two mmW elements in the 2D array or at the edge of the 2D array.

[0096] 7 is a flow diagram illustrating an example of a method of operation for operation of a device including an mmW antenna array with an integrated radar sensor, according to some embodiments. The blocks in method 700 may be performed in the order shown or out of the order shown, and in some embodiments may be performed at least partially in parallel.

[0097]

[0108] Method 700 includes block 702, which involves communicating a first data signal using a first millimeter wave (mmW) element coupled to a first side of a mmW PCB. In some aspects of such methods, the first data signal is transmitted or received at a frequency greater than about 24 gigahertz (GHz). In some aspects of block 702, the first data signal is communicated at an FR2 frequency between 24.25 GHz and 52.6 GHz.

[0098]

[0109] The method 700 includes block 704, which involves transmitting a first radar signal (e.g., an FMCW radar signal) using a radar antenna disposed in the mmW PCB at the first surface. In some aspects, the radar antenna is disposed in an integration layer of the mmW PCB. In some aspects of block 704, the radar antenna includes a stub and a slot disposed in a first metal layer above the slot. In some implementations, the first metal layer can be a ground plane. In some aspects, the slot is an hourglass-shaped slot, and the stub and the slot are communicatively coupled to the communication circuitry via a stripline. In some aspects of block 704, the radar antenna is disposed in a gap between the first mmW element and a second mmW element, and the second mmW element is disposed adjacent to the first mmW element in or on the first surface of the mmW PCB. The gap may be referred to as an element gap and may be defined by a boundary formed by an edge of each element that contacts the mmW substrate or a via that connects each mmW element to the mmW substrate. In some aspects of such methods, the elements are mounted to the mmW substrate by an intermediate element substrate, and vias through the intermediate substrate electrically couple the mmW elements to the mmW substrate. In some aspects of such methods, additional substrate gaps are associated with such vias, and the radar antenna may be provided below the substrate between or along or near the substrate gap. In other aspects, rather than being located in an element gap or substrate gap, the antenna may be located at an edge of the mmW element, or near a gap between one or more elements at the mmW substrate edge, or at the edge of the mmW substrate to extend along the mmW substrate edge across multiple mmW elements. In some aspects of such methods, the data signal is transmitted to the radar antenna configured for operation at a frequency of about 57 GHz to 71 GHz. In some aspects of method 700, the radar antenna is configured for operation at a frequency of about 26 GHz.

[0099]

[0110] Method 700 includes block 706, which involves receiving a reflection of the first radar signal. The reflection may include data about surrounding objects, including data captured over time indicative of changes in position, data about vitals or biometrics of people near the mmW module, or other such data.

[0100]

[0111] Method 700 includes block 708, which involves processing the reflections of the first radar signal to detect one or more objects proximate to the wireless communication device from the reflected signal data described above.

[0101]

[0112] In some aspects, such methods may further include operations for determining a signal power associated with the first data signal over a period of time, monitoring reflections of the first radar signal over a period of time, and estimating electromagnetic power exposure for one or more objects over the period of time using the signal power over the period of time and the reflections of the first radar signal. In other aspects, such methods may use signals from multiple transmit elements or may process data from multiple radar antennas receiving reflected signals from the same source.

[0102]

[0113] 8 is a functional block diagram of an apparatus including a mmW antenna array and an integrated radar sensor, according to some embodiments. The apparatus 800 comprises means 802 for communicating a first data signal using a first millimeter wave (mmW) element coupled to a first side of a mmW PCB, the first data signal being transmitted or received at a frequency above about 24 gigahertz (GHz). The apparatus 800 comprises means 804 for transmitting a first radar signal using a radar antenna disposed in the mmW PCB at a first surface, the radar antenna aligning with a gap between the first mmW element and a second mmW element disposed adjacent to the first mmW element in or on the first surface of the mmW PCB. The apparatus 800 comprises means 806 for receiving a reflection of the first radar signal. The apparatus 800 comprises means 808 for processing the reflection of the first radar signal to detect one or more objects in proximity to the wireless communication device. In some implementations, the apparatus 800 may further include a second means for receiving a reflection of the first radar signal oriented at a different location on the substrate of the wireless communication device than the means for receiving the reflection. In other implementations, other elements may be present, including overlapping elements.

[0103]

[0114] Some implementations include means for transmitting or receiving mmW signals. Such means can include any of the descriptions herein, including the mmW IC 1010 and mmW antennas of FIGS. 2A-2C. Some implementations further include means for generating radar signals and receiving radar signal reflections. The means can include radar antennas or sensors of any configuration described herein, including between mmW elements and along mmW substrate edges.

[0104]

[0115] The devices, networks, systems, and some means for transmitting or receiving signals described herein may be configured to communicate over one or more portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. The electromagnetic spectrum is often subdivided into various classes, bands, channels, etc., based on frequency or wavelength. In 5G NR, two initial operating bands are identified as frequency range designations FR1 (410 MHz to 7.125 GHz) and FR2 (24.25 GHz to 52.6 GHz). Frequencies between FR1 and FR2 are often referred to as mid-band frequencies. Although a portion of FR1 is higher than 6 GHz, FR1 is often referred to (interchangeably) as the "sub-6 GHz" band in various documents and papers, and will be referred to herein as "sub-7 GHz." Similar nomenclature issues may arise with respect to FR2, which is often referred to (interchangeably) as the "millimeter wave" (mmW) band in documents and papers, even though it includes frequencies outside the Extremely High Frequency (EHF) band (30 GHz to 300 GHz) identified by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) as the mmWave or mmW band. Unless otherwise noted, it should be understood that the terms mmWave, mmW, etc., as used herein, may broadly refer to frequencies that may include mid-band frequencies, may be within FR2, or may be within the EHF band.

[0105]

[0116] The circuit architectures described herein may be implemented on one or more ICs, analog ICs, mmWICs, mixed signal ICs, ASICs, printed circuit boards (PCBs), electronic devices, etc. The circuit architectures described herein may also be fabricated using a variety of IC process technologies, such as Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS), N-channel MOS (NMOS), P-channel MOS (PMOS), Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT), Bipolar-CMOS (BiCMOS), Silicon Germanium (SiGe), Gallium Arsenide (GaAs), Heterojunction Bipolar Transistor (HBT), High Electron Mobility Transistor (HEMT), Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI), etc.

[0106]

[0117] An apparatus implementing the circuits described herein may be a standalone device or may be part of a larger device, which may be (i) a standalone IC, (ii) a set of one or more ICs that may include a memory IC for storing data and / or instructions, (iii) an RFIC or corresponding mmW element such as an RF Receiver (RFR) or an RF Transmitter / Receiver (RTR), (iv) an ASIC such as a Mobile Station Modem (MSM), (v) a module that may be embedded within another device, (vi) a receiver, cellular phone, wireless device, handset, or mobile unit, (vii), etc.

[0107]

[0118] While selected embodiments have been illustrated and described in detail, it will be understood that various substitutions and modifications can be made in the embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

[0108]

[0119] Exemplary aspects of the present disclosure include, but are not limited to, the following.

[0120] Aspect 1: A millimeter-wave (mmW) module printed circuit board (PCB), a first mmW element coupled to a first side of the mmW PCB, the first mmW element configured for wireless mmW communications at a frequency greater than about 24 gigahertz (GHz), a second mmW element coupled to the first side of the mmW PCB, the second mmW element disposed adjacent to the first mmW element and separated from the first mmW element by a gap spacing, and a radar antenna disposed within the mmW PCB and aligned with the gap spacing between the first mmW element and the second mmW element.

[0109]

[0121] Aspect 2: The wireless communication device of aspect 1, wherein the radar antenna comprises a slot antenna configured for frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar operation.

[0110]

[0122] Aspect 3: A wireless communication device as described in aspect 2, wherein the slot antenna comprises an hourglass-shaped slot provided in a first metal layer of the mmW PCB and an antenna stub positioned along a center portion of the hourglass-shaped slot.

[0111]

[0123] Aspect 4: The wireless communication device of aspect 3, wherein the slot antenna further comprises a stripline feed coupled to a center portion of the antenna stub, the stripline feed configured to supply a radar signal to the antenna stub and the hourglass shaped slot or receive a reflected radar signal from the antenna stub and the hourglass shaped slot.

[0112]

[0124] Aspect 5: A wireless communication device described in any one of aspects 1 to 4, wherein the first mmW element and the second mmW element are mounted within an mmW PCB and the gap spacing is a gap of approximately 1 millimeter (mm) between the first mmW element and the second mmW element.

[0113]

[0125] Aspect 6: The wireless communication device of any one of Aspects 1-5, further comprising: a third mmW element coupled to a first side of the mmW PCB, the third mmW element configured for wireless mmW communication at a frequency greater than about 24 gigahertz (GHz); a fourth mmW element coupled to the first side of the mmW PCB, the fourth mmW element separated from the third mmW element by a second gap spacing and positioned adjacent to the third mmW element; and a second radar antenna provided within the mmW PCB on the first surface within the second gap spacing between the third mmW element and the fourth mmW element.

[0114]

[0126] Aspect 7: The wireless communications device of aspect 6, wherein the radar antenna is coupled to the radar control circuitry via a first stripline configured to provide a radar signal to the radar antenna, and the second radar antenna is coupled to the radar control circuitry via a second stripline configured to receive a reflection of the radar signal from the second radar antenna.

[0115]

[0127] Aspect 8: The wireless communications device of aspect 6, wherein the radar antenna is coupled to the radar control circuitry via a first stripline configured to provide a radar signal to the radar antenna and receive a reflection of the radar signal from a second radar antenna.

[0116]

[0128] Aspect 9: The wireless communication device of aspect 6, wherein the radar antenna and the second radar antenna are oriented orthogonal to each other.

[0117]

[0129] Aspect 10: The wireless communication device of aspect 6, wherein the radar antenna is aligned along a gap associated with a gap interval and the second radar antenna is aligned across a second gap associated with a second gap interval.

[0118]

[0130] Aspect 11: The wireless communication device of aspect 6, wherein the radar antenna is positioned diagonally across a gap associated with a gap interval and the second radar antenna is positioned diagonally across a second gap associated with a second gap interval.

[0119]

[0131] Aspect 12: The wireless communication device of aspect 6, wherein the radar antenna is disposed along a gap length associated with a gap spacing between the first mmW element and the second mmW element.

[0120]

[0132] Aspect 13: The wireless communication device of any one of aspects 1 to 12, wherein the radar antenna is configured for operation at frequencies between about 57 GHz and 71 GHz.

[0121]

[0133] Aspect 14: The wireless communication device of any one of aspects 1 to 12, wherein the radar antenna is configured for operation at a frequency of about 26 GHz.

[0122]

[0134] Aspect 15: A wireless communication device described in any one of aspects 1 to 14, wherein the first mmW element comprises an mmW antenna configured to transmit or receive wireless mmW communications.

[0123]

[0135] Aspect 16: A wireless communication device of any one of aspects 1 to 15, wherein the mmW antenna is configured to avoid interference with a radar antenna.

[0124]

[0136] Aspect 17: The wireless communication device of any one of aspects 1 to 16, further comprising a display screen and control circuitry coupled to the display screen, the first mmW element, and the radar antenna.

[0125]

[0137] Aspect 18: A wireless communication device as described in any one of aspects 1 to 17, wherein the first mmW element is implemented within a first antenna element PCB coupled to a first side of the mmW PCB, the second mmW element is implemented within a second antenna element PCB coupled to the first side of the mmW PCB, and the second antenna element PCB is separated from the first antenna element PCB by a substrate gap.

[0126]

[0138] Aspect 19: A wireless communication device as described in aspect 18, wherein the substrate gap is about 0.4 millimeters and the gap spacing is about 1.1 mm.

[0127]

[0139] Aspect 20: The wireless communication device of aspect 18, wherein the first element substrate and the second element substrate cover at least a portion of the radar antenna on a first side within the gap interval.

[0128]

[0140] Aspect 21: A method of operating a wireless communications device, the method including: communicating a first data signal using a first millimeter-wave (mmW) element coupled to a first side of a mmW PCB, the first data signal being transmitted or received at a frequency greater than about 24 gigahertz (GHz); transmitting a radar signal using a radar antenna disposed within the mmW PCB at a first surface, the radar antenna disposed within a gap between the first mmW element and a second mmW element disposed adjacent to the first mmW element on the first surface of the mmW PCB; receiving reflections of the first FMCW radar signal; and processing reflections of the first FMCW radar signal to detect one or more objects in proximity to the wireless communications device.

[0129]

[0141] Aspect 22: The method of aspect 21, further comprising determining a signal power associated with the first data signal over a period of time, monitoring reflections of the first FMCW radar signal over a period of time, and estimating electromagnetic power exposure for one or more objects over the period of time using the signal power over the period of time and the reflections of the first FMCW radar signal.

[0130]

[0142] Example 23: A method as described in any one of Examples 21 to 22, further comprising processing reflections of the first FMCW radar signal to determine a human vital sign measurement.

[0131]

[0143] Example 24: The method of any one of Examples 21 to 23, wherein the radar antenna is configured for operation at a frequency between about 57 GHz and 71 GHz.

[0132]

[0144] Example 25: The method of any one of Examples 21 to 23, wherein the radar antenna is configured for operation at a frequency of about 26 GHz.

[0133]

[0145] Aspect 26: A wireless communications device comprising: means for communicating a first data signal using a first millimeter-wave (mmW) element coupled to a first side of a mmW PCB, the first data signal being transmitted or received at a frequency greater than about 24 Gigahertz (GHz); means for transmitting a radar signal using a radar antenna disposed within the mmW PCB at a first surface, the radar antenna disposed within a gap between the first mmW element and a second mmW element disposed adjacent to the first mmW element on the first surface of the mmW PCB; means for receiving reflections of the first FMCW radar signal; and means for processing reflections of the first FMCW radar signal to detect one or more objects in proximity to the wireless communications device.

[0134]

[0146] Aspect 27: The wireless communication device of aspect 26, further comprising a second means for receiving a reflection of the first FMCW radar signal oriented at a different location on the substrate of the wireless communication device than the means for receiving the reflection.

[0135]

[0147] Aspect 28: A wireless communication device comprising: a millimeter-wave (mmW) substrate; a first mmW element coupled to circuitry on the mmW module substrate, the first mmW element configured for wireless mmW communication at a frequency greater than about 24 gigahertz (GHz); and a slot antenna disposed in a metal layer of the mmW PCB, the slot being positioned adjacent to an element boundary of the first mmW element in the mmW module substrate.

[0136]

[0148] Aspect 29: A wireless communication device as described in aspect 28, wherein the slot antenna is disposed between the element boundary and the edge of the mmW substrate.

[0137]

[0149] Aspect 30: A wireless communication device as described in aspect 28, wherein a slot antenna is disposed between an element boundary and an element boundary of a second mmW element coupled to the mmW substrate at a position adjacent to the first mmW element, and the element boundary of each element is determined by the range of each element's associated patch and parasitic components.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device, comprising: a millimeter wave (mmW) printed circuit board (PCB) disposed within the wireless communication device; a first mmW element coupled to a first side of the mmW PCB, the first mmW element configured for wireless mmW communication with at least one other wireless communication device at a frequency greater than about 24 gigahertz (GHz); a second mmW element coupled to the first side of the mmW PCB, the second mmW element being disposed adjacent to the first mmW element and separated from the first mmW element by a gap spacing; a radar antenna disposed within the mmW PCB and aligned with the gap spacing between the first mmW element and the second mmW element; A wireless communication device comprising:

2. 10. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the radar antenna comprises a slot antenna configured for frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar operation.

3. 3. The wireless communication device of claim 2, wherein the slot antenna comprises an hourglass-shaped slot in a first metal layer of the mmW PCB and an antenna stub positioned along a center portion of the hourglass-shaped slot.

4. 4. The wireless communications device of claim 3, wherein the slot antenna further comprises a stripline feed coupled to a center portion of the antenna stub, the stripline feed configured to provide a radar signal to the antenna stub and the hourglass-shaped slot or receive a reflected radar signal from the antenna stub and the hourglass-shaped slot.

5. the first mmW element and the second mmW element are mounted within the mmW PCB; 2. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the gap spacing is about a 1 millimeter (mm) gap between the first mmW element and the second mmW element.

6. a third mmW element coupled to the first side of the mmW PCB, the third mmW element configured for wireless mmW communication at frequencies greater than about 24 gigahertz (GHz); a fourth mmW element coupled to the first side of the mmW PCB, the fourth mmW element being separated from the third mmW element by a second gap distance and disposed adjacent to the third mmW element; a second radar antenna disposed within the mmW PCB and aligned with the second gap spacing between the third mmW element and the fourth mmW element; Further provided with 10. The wireless communication device of claim 1.

7. the radar antenna is coupled to radar control circuitry via a first stripline configured to provide a radar signal to the radar antenna; 7. The wireless communications device of claim 6, wherein the second radar antenna is coupled to the radar control circuitry via a second stripline configured to receive reflections of the radar signal from the radar antenna.

8. the radar antenna is coupled to radar control circuitry via a first stripline configured to provide a radar signal to the radar antenna and receive a reflection of the radar signal from the radar antenna; 7. The wireless communication device of claim 6, wherein the radar antenna and the second radar antenna are oriented orthogonal to each other.

9. the radar antenna is aligned along a gap associated with the gap spacing; 7. The wireless communication device of claim 6, wherein the second radar antenna is aligned across a second gap associated with the second gap spacing.

10. the radar antenna is positioned diagonally across a gap associated with the gap spacing; a second radar antenna positioned diagonally across the second gap associated with the second gap spacing; or 7. The wireless communication device of claim 6, wherein the radar antenna is disposed along a gap length associated with the gap spacing between the first mmW element and the second mmW element.

11. the radar antenna is configured for operation at frequencies between about 57 GHz and 71 GHz; or the radar antenna is configured for operation at a frequency of about 26 GHz; or the first mmW element comprises an mmW antenna configured to transmit or receive the wireless mmW communication; or 10. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the radar antenna is configured to avoid interference with the first mmW element and the second mmW element.

12. A display screen; control circuitry coupled to the display screen, the first mmW element, and the radar antenna; 10. The wireless communication device of claim 1.

13. the first mmW element is mounted in a first antenna element PCB coupled to the first side of the mmW PCB; 2. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the second mmW element is implemented in a second antenna element PCB coupled to the first side of the mmW PCB, the second antenna element PCB separated from the first antenna element PCB by a substrate gap.

14. the substrate gap is about 0.4 millimeters and the gap spacing is about 1.1 mm; or 14. The wireless communication device of claim 13, wherein the first antenna element PCB or the second antenna element PCB covers at least a portion of the radar antenna on the first side within the gap interval.

15. 1. A method of operating a wireless communication device, comprising: communicating a first data signal using a first millimeter wave (mmW) element coupled to a first side of a mmW printed circuit board (PCB) disposed within the wireless communication device, the first data signal being transmitted to or received from at least one other wireless communication device at a frequency greater than about 24 gigahertz (GHz); transmitting a first radar signal using a radar antenna disposed within the mmW PCB on a first surface, the radar antenna aligned with a gap between a first mmW element and a second mmW element disposed adjacent to the first mmW element on the first surface of the mmW PCB; receiving a reflection of the first radar signal; processing the reflections of the first radar signal to detect one or more objects in proximity to the wireless communication device; A method comprising:

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