Antenna system for a multi-beam beamforming front-end wireless transceiver

Abstract

The antenna system includes a module electrically coupled to a front-end electronics layer configured to process one or more beams. The module includes a radiating layer including one or more radiating elements configured to at least one of transmit and receive the one or more beams, and a feed layer including one or more feed elements configured to excite the radiating layer, transmit the one or more beams, receive the one or more beams, or a combination thereof. The module further includes a distribution network layer including a distributor configured to distribute the one or more beams from the front-end electronics layer to the feed layer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application claims the benefit and priority of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 038,043, filed on Jun. 11, 2020. The disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein by reference. This application is related to a U.S. application filed simultaneously with this application and entitled "SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR A MULTI-BEAM BEAMFORMING FRONT-END ARCHITECTURE FOR WIRELESS TRANSCEIVERS" and by the same applicant, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to radio transceivers, and more particularly, to a multi-beam beamforming front-end antenna system.

Background Art

[0003] The description in this section merely provides background information related to the present disclosure and does not necessarily constitute prior art.

[0004] Radio wireless technology is ubiquitous and is used in a variety of applications including, but not limited to: telecommunications and satellite communication industries, sensors and navigation systems in mobile platforms (e.g., self-driving vehicles in the automotive industry), and the like.

[0005] Wireless communication technology is migrating to higher millimeter-wave frequency bands. These frequency bands have the advantage of being able to improve communication speed because they can utilize a wider bandwidth. However, despite these advantages, current wireless technology may implement advanced approaches and architectures compared to conventional wireless technology.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] For example, a radio device may include an antenna, a radio frequency (RF) circuit, analog and digital circuits, and a system architecture that controls the operation and connection of various components. The radio front-end system defines the performance and functionality of the radio device. Particularly in high data rate wireless communications such as the millimeter wave band, a high-gain front-end system with a narrow beam, a high power level during transmission, and a high sensitivity level during reception is often required to compensate for signal propagation loss within a practical range. Therefore, in order to enable this wireless communication technology, a high-gain front-end system with an advanced beamforming mechanism may be required.

[0007] There are numerous approaches to implementing beamforming in a radio front-end, and as common approaches, phased array systems and tunable metamaterial antennas are often considered. Both approaches are based on controlling the phase and / or amplitude of individual elements to distribute radiating elements over an aperture in order to create the desired beamforming characteristics. However, phased array and metamaterial technologies may have particularly high spectral inefficiencies, limited capacity, and high power inefficiencies (especially when having a large aperture and / or a large number of elements). More specifically, current analog phased array and metamaterial approaches are often limited to single-beam operation for signal transmission and / or reception, which inhibits their capacity, aggregate throughput (for a communication system), and overall performance. Furthermore, in the case of a large aperture, high RF losses (especially when the number of elements in a high-gain front-end is large) deteriorate the power efficiency of these systems. On the other hand, the digital beamforming approach enables multi-beam operation. However, when the number of elements is large and the operating band is wide (especially in the millimeter wave frequency band), these approaches may not be implementable due to excessive power consumption and poor power efficiency of digital circuits and RF / analog circuits (such as DACs and ADCs).

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] This section presents a general overview of the present disclosure and does not disclose comprehensively the entire scope or all of its features.

[0009] The present disclosure provides an antenna system configured to transmit or receive one or more beams in one or more of a plurality of spatial regions. The antenna system includes a module electrically coupled to a front-end electronic circuit layer configured to process one or more beams. The module has a radiation layer consisting of one or more radiating elements configured to perform at least one of transmitting and receiving one or more beams, and a feed layer including one or more feed elements, and the one or more feed elements are configured to excite the radiation layer, transmit one or more beams, receive one or more beams, or combinations thereof. The module includes a distribution network layer including a distributor, and the distributor is configured to distribute one or more beams from the front-end electronic circuit layer to the feed layer.

[0010] In one aspect, the radiation layer includes a pixelated antenna aperture, a continuous antenna aperture, a planar antenna aperture, a conformal antenna aperture, a fixed antenna aperture, a tunable antenna aperture, a passive antenna aperture, a transmissive antenna aperture, a reflective antenna aperture, or combinations thereof.

[0011] In one aspect, the radiation layer includes one or more metamaterial elements configured to perform at least one of transmitting and receiving one or more beams, and the feed layer is configured to excite the one or more metamaterial elements to perform at least one of transmitting and receiving one or more beams.

[0012] In one aspect, the radiation layer includes a tunable antenna aperture, and the plurality of radiating elements includes a modification device configured to change the phase of a signal, the amplitude of a signal, the polarization of a signal, the modulation of a signal, or combinations thereof. The modification device includes a tunable device, an active device, a passive device, or combinations thereof.

[0013] In one aspect, one or more radiating elements comprise at least two layers, and each of the at least two layers includes a dielectric substrate, an air-filled substrate, a metal pattern layer, a cavity back structure, a tunable device, an active device, or a combination thereof.

[0014] In one embodiment, one or more feed elements include a planar antenna, a 2.5D-shaped antenna, a 3D-shaped antenna, an active antenna, a passive antenna, a single-port antenna, a multi-port antenna, an air-filled antenna, a dielectric-filled antenna, or a combination thereof.

[0015] In one aspect, the distributor is a network of one or more waveguides, a network of one or more transmission lines, a network of one or more dividers, a network of one or more couplers, a beamformer network, a lens structure network, a beamforming matrix structure network, or a combination thereof.

[0016] In one embodiment, one or more waveguides include a leaky waveguide, a slot waveguide, a coplanar waveguide, a cavity back waveguide, a parallel plate waveguide, or a combination thereof.

[0017] In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a front-end antenna system comprising a controller and an antenna system as provided herein that outputs one or more beams to one or more of a plurality of spatial regions.

[0018] In one aspect, the front-end antenna system further includes a plurality of beam networks and a plurality of transceivers, and each beam network of the plurality of beam networks has a plurality of beamforming circuits, a plurality of switching circuits, or a combination thereof. Each feed element of the one or more feed elements has one or more ports. Each port of the one or more ports is electrically coupled to one or more of the plurality of beam networks. Each beam network of the plurality of beam networks corresponds to one of a transmit polarization and a receive polarization.

[0019] In one form, each module of the one or more modules is provided on a first substrate layer, and each module of the one or more modules is electrically coupled to a second substrate layer via a plurality of connectors, and the second layer includes one or more signal distribution networks, one or more circuits, or a combination thereof to electrically couple the one or more modules.

[0020] In one form, the module is configured to simultaneously transmit and receive one or more signal streams on one or more beams.

[0021] In one form, the feed layer further includes an insulating element configured to insulate a set of feed elements of the one or more feed elements, and the insulating element has a plurality of vias, an artificial boundary plane, a shield, a ground plane, parasitic elements, a cavity structure, a filter network, a cancellation network, or a combination thereof.

[0022] In one form, each feed element of a set of feed elements is operable in a transmit mode, a receive mode, or a combination thereof, and when each feed element of a set of feed elements is operable in both a transmit mode and a receive mode, the set of feed elements has one feed element.

[0023] In one form, a set of feed elements has two or more feed elements when each feed element of the set of feed elements is operable in one of a transmission mode and a reception mode, and the two or more feed elements have one of a planar arrangement and a non-planar arrangement.

[0024] In one aspect, the feed layer further includes an insulating element configured to insulate a set of feed elements among one or more feed elements. The insulating element includes a cancellation network configured to sample a transmission signal for a set of ports of a set of feed elements, a set of signal streams of a set of feed elements, or a combination thereof. For the transmission signal, the insulating element is configured to inject a secondary signal into the receive signal chain, and the secondary signal is configured to suppress interference of the transmission signal on the receive signal chain.

[0025] In one form, the cancellation network includes one or more signal splitters, one or more filter circuits, one or more delay elements, one or more attenuators, one or more couplers, or a combination thereof, and each component of the cancellation network is provided in a radio frequency (RF) stage, an intermediate frequency (IF) stage, a digital stage, a local oscillator (LO) stage, or a combination thereof.

[0026] In certain aspects, the present disclosure configures the antenna system as provided herein such that the front-end antenna system outputs one or more beams in one or more of a plurality of spatial regions. The front-end antenna system further includes a plurality of beam networks and a plurality of transceivers.

[0027] In some aspects, the feed layer further comprises an insulating element configured to insulate a set of feed elements out of the one or more feed elements, and the insulating element includes a plurality of vias, artificial interfaces, shields, ground planes, parasitic elements, cavity structures, filter networks, cancellation networks, or combinations thereof. Each feed element of the set of feed elements is operable in a transmit mode, a receive mode, or a combination thereof, and when each feed element of the set of feed elements is operable in both the transmit mode and the receive mode, the set of feed elements has one feed element. The cancellation network is provided on an integrated circuit chip and includes at least one tunable component, and one or more portions of the cancellation network are provided in a plurality of beam networks, a plurality of transceivers, or combinations thereof.

[0028] The present disclosure provides an antenna system configured to transmit or receive one or more beams in one or more of a plurality of spatial regions. The antenna system includes a module electrically coupled to a front-end electronic circuit layer configured to process the one or more beams. The module includes a radiation layer including one or more radiating elements configured to perform at least one of transmitting and receiving the one or more beams, and a feed layer including one or more feed elements, and the one or more feed elements are configured to perform excitation of the radiation layer, transmission of the one or more beams, reception of the one or more beams, or combinations thereof. The module includes a distribution network layer including a distributor configured to distribute the one or more beams from the front-end electronic circuit layer to the feed layer.

[0029] In one aspect, the feed layer further includes an insulating element configured to insulate a set of feed elements out of the one or more feed elements, and the insulating element includes a plurality of vias, artificial interfaces, shields, ground planes, parasitic elements, filter networks, cavity structures, cancellation networks, or combinations thereof.

[0030] In one aspect, one or more feed elements include a planar antenna, a 2.5D shaped antenna, a 3D shaped antenna, an active antenna, a passive antenna, a single-port antenna, a multi-port antenna, an air-filled antenna, a dielectric-filled antenna, or a combination thereof.

[0031] The present disclosure provides an antenna system configured to transmit or receive one or more beams in one or more of a plurality of spatial regions. The antenna system includes a module electrically coupled to a front-end electronic circuit layer configured to process one or more beams. The module includes a radiation layer including one or more radiating elements configured to perform at least one of transmitting and receiving one or more beams, and the radiation layer includes a pixelated antenna aperture, a continuous antenna aperture, a planar antenna aperture, a conformal antenna aperture, a fixed antenna aperture, a tunable antenna aperture, a passive antenna aperture, a transmissive antenna aperture, a reflective antenna aperture, a plurality of metamaterial elements, or a combination thereof. The module includes a feed layer including one or more feed elements configured to perform excitation of the radiation layer, transmission of one or more beams, reception of one or more beams, or a combination thereof, and the one or more feed elements include a planar antenna, a 2.5D shaped antenna, a 3D shaped antenna, an active antenna, a passive antenna, a single-port antenna, a multi-port antenna, an air-filled antenna, a dielectric-filled antenna, or a combination thereof. The feed layer includes an insulating element configured to insulate one set of the one or more feed elements. The module includes a distribution network layer including a distributor configured to distribute one or more beams from the front-end electronic circuit layer to the feed layer, and the distributor is a network of one or more waveguides, a network of one or more transmission lines, a network of one or more dividers, or a combination thereof.

[0032] Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. It should be understood that the description and specific examples are for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0033] Next, to better understand the present disclosure, various forms given as examples will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are briefly described below.

Brief Description of the Drawings

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[0064] The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0065] The following description is merely exemplary and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, its application, or its use. Throughout the drawings, corresponding reference numerals are to be understood to indicate like or corresponding parts and features.

[0066] The present disclosure provides an antenna system architecture for a wireless front - end transceiver that offers a unique combination of multi - beam beamforming, high power efficiency, high spectral efficiency, and scalability in operating frequency and size. This antenna system can be used as part of a front - end antenna system that operates as a wireless front - end system to enable beam generation and / or reception and the electronic control of radio frequency (RF) patterns and beams with high precision and independent control of various radiation parameters such as beam direction, pattern, power, polarization, and / or phase angle. In one form, the front - end antenna system transmits, receives, or simultaneously transmits and receives one or more simultaneous beams (e.g., multi - beam operation / mode) over one beam (e.g., single - beam operation / mode).

[0067] The antenna system of the front - end antenna system of the present disclosure can be implemented, in particular, for the transmission and / or reception of various types of signals or power radio waves such as front - end antenna systems, wireless sensing and imaging systems, and wireless power transmission systems. Examples of front - end antenna systems include, but are not limited to, satellite signals, wireless communication for network operators and Internet service providers (ISPs), broadband, and / or general telecommunication. Exemplary wireless sensing and imaging sensing systems include, but are not limited to, automotive radar sensor systems, security and safety imaging and screening sensor systems, medical imaging systems, etc. Exemplary wireless power transmission systems include, but are not limited to, systems that use radio waves to transmit power / energy for wireless charging of electronic and electrical devices.

[0068] In one form, the antenna system of the front-end antenna system is implemented for millimeter-wave frequency band communication (e.g., 5G / 6G communication), and excessive signal propagation loss can be reduced by a large aperture and / or a large number of radiating elements (and related transceivers and beamforming circuits). As a result of the large number of radiating elements, conventional front-end antenna systems consume excessive power (e.g., power consumption due to digital beamforming methods), their functions (e.g., especially the number of beams, antenna gain, beamforming ability) are limited, and / or a complex beamforming network (e.g., especially a large die size and number, complex wiring and synchronization between elements) that limits the aperture size is required.

[0069] The antenna system of the front-end antenna system of the present disclosure can be further implemented in a telecommunication frequency band including a mid-band and / or low-band 5G signal band, a satellite communication band (e.g., X-band, Ku-band, Ka-band, V-band, W-band), an automotive radar band (e.g., W-band), or other authorized or unlicensed frequency bands (e.g., 60 GHz). Also, the front-end antenna system can be implemented in other frequency bands (e.g., especially RF, microwave, millimeter-wave, sub-millimeter-wave, terahertz).

[0070] In the multi-beam mode, the phased array front-end antenna system having the antenna system of the present disclosure can function as a multiple-input / multiple-output (MIMO) signal system that enables simultaneous and continuous transmission (and / or reception) of multiple RF beams, and each beam can include independent or correlated signals for enhanced communication and / or detection purposes. Also, the multiple beams can transmit power to multiple charging devices in a wireless power transmission system. The antenna system provides high-precision shaping and control of the shape (e.g., pattern), pointing direction, power level, polarization, etc. of each beam, thereby enabling the operator to uniquely define the desired characteristics.

[0071] The front-end antenna system having the antenna system of the present disclosure can provide various advantages. The systems and methods are not limited to always providing such advantages and are presented only as illustrative representations of how the systems and methods can be used. The list of advantages is not intended to be exhaustive, and other advantages may additionally or alternatively exist.

[0072] As an example, the front-end antenna system having the antenna system of the present disclosure provides an increase in information carrying capacity (e.g., aggregated throughput or data rate) in wireless communication. Multiple beams can provide an increase in information transmission over a particular frequency band, thereby increasing spectral efficiency and power efficiency.

[0073] As another example, the front-end antenna system having the antenna system of the present disclosure provides continuous and simultaneous connections with multiple nodes, thereby providing multiple beams that can improve speed and enable complex multi-node communication or more efficient wireless communication topologies.

[0074] As yet another example, the front-end antenna system having the antenna system of the present disclosure provides multi-beam MIMO operation for communication, thereby enabling frequency reuse, increased capacity of wireless links, and spatial multiplexing methods for improved spectral efficiency in the front-end antenna system.

[0075] Furthermore, conventional phased array antennas only have single-beam signal transmission to multiple locations that requires beam hopping. The multi-beam function provided by the phased array antenna of the present disclosure provides continuous connections to multiple locations, thereby eliminating the need for beam hopping.

[0076] The front-end antenna system of the present disclosure also provides for tracking moving signal sources such as mobile phone users, airplanes, satellites, and vehicles. The continuous connection provided by the front-end antenna system of the present disclosure enables continuous signal tracking, removes the latency required to track any signal, and thereby can minimize connection waiting time.

[0077] The antenna system of the present disclosure may further provide overlapping signal beams between a predetermined direction or predetermined nodes within a communication network. Thus, the front-end antenna system having the antenna system of the present disclosure provides additional redundancy in the communication network.

[0078] As another example, the front-end antenna system having the antenna system of the present disclosure provides simultaneous transmission and reception to one or more nodes, resulting in reducing the latency of the communication system and increasing the data rate of the communication network.

[0079] In the case of an imaging system, the front-end antenna system having the antenna system of the present disclosure increases the detection resolution (e.g., angular and / or range resolution). Further, the multi-beam operation of the front-end antenna system enables faster imaging and detection, for example, as contrasted with a single-beam beam steering system.

[0080] For a wireless power transmission system, the front-end antenna system of the present disclosure provides for the generation of multiple beams for simultaneous charging of multiple wireless devices. Thus, the front-end antenna system shortens the charging time and improves the efficiency of each device.

[0081] As another example, the front-end antenna system of the present disclosure reduces complexity, size, and power for any given aperture size and for both single-beam and multi-beam operations. Further, the front-end antenna system of the present disclosure reduces the overall die circuit size and count requirements for a given aperture dimension. As a result, the front-end antenna system provides for miniaturization, weight reduction, and reduction of power consumption of the system.

[0082] In one aspect, the front-end antenna system has at least one of a radio frequency (RF) stage, an intermediate frequency (IF) stage, and a digital stage. While specific stages are provided, the front-end antenna system may have other stages such as a local oscillator stage.

[0083] In one aspect, as shown in FIG. 1, the front-end antenna system 1 includes a plurality of antennas 10 (i.e., an array of antennas), a plurality of transceivers 30, and a plurality of beam networks 50. In one form, the transceiver 30 electrically connects the antenna 10 to the beam network 50. In one form, the front-end antenna system 1 is operable as a multiple-input / multiple-output (MIMO) system that provides a plurality of simultaneous beams and is operable to independently control signal beam radiation parameters such as the direction, pattern, power, polarization, and phase angle of the beams. In one form, the front-end antenna system 1 is operable to independently control the beam type of the beams such as a transmit-type beam, a receive-type beam, and a simultaneous receive / transmit-type beam, and the beam type includes one of a transmit-type beam, a receive-type beam, and a simultaneous receive / transmit-type beam. In one aspect, the front-end antenna system 1 can be used for both digital signals and analog signals.

[0084] In one form, the front-end antenna system 1 is configured to transmit and receive radio wave beams. In one form, the front-end antenna system 1 transmits and / or receives multiple radio wave beams having various directions, patterns, and power levels, among other radiation parameters defined by a beam management control routine. In one form, the front-end antenna system 1 transmits and receives one or more radio wave beams simultaneously.

[0085] In one form, the antenna 10 is configured to control the radiation parameters of the front-end antenna system 1, particularly among the radiation parameters, such as wave / signal beam patterns, directions, etc. Exemplary antennas 10 include, but are not limited to, planar antennas (such as patches, slots, rings, spirals, bowties, etc.), cavity-backed antennas, and membrane antennas.

[0086] In one form, the antenna 10 may include a single antenna element, a set of radiating elements, or a continuous radiating aperture. As an example, a set of antennas 10 includes aperture antennas, continuous aperture antennas, planar antennas, lens antennas (such as elliptical lenses, Lunenberg lenses, etc.), planar lens antennas (such as Rotman lenses), wire antennas, and / or reflector antennas. As another example, it may include metamaterial antennas, leaky wave antennas, Fabry-Perot antennas, slot array antennas, waveguide antennas, etc. As a specific example, the grouped elements may include a metamaterial antenna having metamaterial elements or metapixels arranged to generate desired patterns and radiation characteristics for each subset antenna.

[0087] In one form, the set of antennas 10 can include a single-port antenna or a multi-port antenna, and can also include any number / combination of single-port antennas and multi-port antennas. As an example, in the case of a multi-port implementation of the antenna 10, each port can excite and generate a beam in a specific region such that the beams collectively span a selected 3D field of view (FoV) space. In one aspect, the beams of the multi-port antenna can have overlapping regions / patterns. Generation of the multi-beam pattern of the front-end antenna system 1 can be performed by a set of multi-port antennas, an array of a set of antennas, or a combination thereof via a beam network 50.

[0088] In one aspect, the antenna 10 can be a passive antenna or an active antenna. As an example, the antenna 10 can include an active antenna having tunable components (such as varactors, diodes, etc.) and / or tunable materials (such as barium strontium titanate (BST), liquid crystal, etc.) integrated therein for dynamic control of predetermined antenna characteristics (such as antenna pattern, beam pattern, etc.). In one form, the active antenna is electronically controlled by a controller to provide desired radiation characteristics, as will be described in more detail later.

[0089] In one form, the antenna 10 can be configured to perform additional beamforming operations. As an example, when the antenna 10 is a multi-port antenna, the front-end antenna system 1 includes at least one set of switching networks that connect a set of antennas and other system components, thereby enabling control functionality of the ports of the multi-port antenna, as will be described in more detail below. As an example, the multi-port antenna is operable to transmit multiple beams, receive multiple beams, or a combination thereof such that the multiple beams have the same polarization, the same frequency band, or a combination thereof. Additional details regarding the module will be described in more detail later

[0090] In one form, the transceiver 30 is configured to selectively enable the antenna 10 to transmit / receive signals, directive beams, and / or multi-dimensional beams by connecting the antenna 10 to the beam network 50. In one form, the transceiver 30 is implemented as a set of transceivers 30, and at least one transceiver 30 of a given set of transceivers connects one antenna 10 of a set of antennas to a set of beam networks 50. In one form, at least one transceiver 30 of a given set of transceivers connects one antenna 10 of a set of antennas to a set of beam networks 50. In one aspect, the number of transceivers 30 connected to each antenna 10 is equal to the number of ports of the antenna 10. In a variant, the number of transceivers 30 connected to each antenna 10 can be made not equal to the number of ports of the antenna 10.

[0091] In one form, each transceiver 30 includes two or more amplifiers that amplify input / output signals, such as a power amplifier 32 and a low noise amplifier 34. In a variant of one form, the transceiver 30 may include one or more switches 36 that enable switching between the power amplifier 32 and the low noise amplifier 34, thus enabling switching between signal reception and transmission. Alternatively, the power amplifier 32 and the low noise amplifier 34 may be connected to the antenna port of the antenna 10 without using the switch 36 to enable simultaneous Tx / Rx and / or to eliminate losses associated with the switch 36.

[0092] In one form, the low noise amplifier 34 is configured to amplify the signal received by the antenna 10 while adding minimal noise / distortion. The low noise amplifier 34 can have various gain, noise figure, linearity, and impedance matching characteristics. The low noise amplifier 34 can have various gain, noise figure, linearity, and impedance matching characteristics. In one form, the power amplifier 32 is configured to amplify the signal to a predetermined power level with respect to the antenna port. Accordingly, the power amplifier 32 can have gain and power characteristics for amplifying the signal to a given power level according to the desired equivalent isotropically radiated power (EIRP) in a given direction / beam. In one form, the power amplifier 32 has high linearity and power efficiency to support various modulation signals such as orthogonal frequency division multiplexing modulation. In one form, the output by the power amplifier 32 can be enhanced using various techniques including, but not limited to, impedance transformation approaches, power combining techniques, and transistor stacking. These techniques can be implemented off-chip or on-chip using advanced silicon-based processes such as bulk CMOS sub-micron, silicon-on-insulator (SOI), and / or SiGe BiCMOS techniques.

[0093] As an example, the power amplifier 32 can be a Doherty power amplifier, an outphasing power amplifier, a Chireix outphasing power amplifier, or a combination thereof. As another example, the power amplifier 32 can be a linear type power amplifier (e.g., class A amplifier, class B amplifier) or a switching type power amplifier (e.g., class E amplifier, class F -1 class amplifier). As an additional example, the power amplifier 32 is a high power amplifier that compensates for the signal propagation attenuation loss and high RF loss of the front-end antenna system 1 when implemented in, for example, a high frequency millimeter wave system (i.e., high frequency includes 30 to 300 gigahertz).

[0094] In one form, power amplifier 32 may include a predistortion circuit to improve the linearity of the output signal. The predistortion circuit may be implemented in a digital stage, an analog stage, or a combination thereof. In one example, the predistortion circuit is a digital predistortion circuit (DPD circuit) implemented in a digital stage. In one form, the DPD circuit can be based on a memoryless model (e.g., a memoryless polynomial algorithm and / or a look-up table (LUT)-based algorithm) or a model with memory (e.g., a memory polynomial model). In another example, the DPD circuit is implemented based on information from one or more beams of the front-end antenna system 1 rather than information from each power amplifier 32.

[0095] In one form, beam network 50 is configured to generate, provide, and modify signal streams (both input and output) by constructive and destructive combinations, selections, and / or manipulations of signals to or from antenna 10, including beamformer network 51 and / or switching network 58. Beam network 50 is configured to specify specific signal phases, amplitudes, and / or selectable alternations in each signal path from each antenna 10 and / or set of antennas 10 for beamforming combining / processing for a desired signal stream / beam. Beam network 50 is shown as including both beamformer network 51 and switching network 58, but it should be understood that in some variations, it may include only one of beamformer network 51 and switching network 58.

[0096] In one form, the beam network 50 is provided in a set. Each set of the beam network 50 is configured to generate multi-directional and / or multi-dimensional beams for transmitting and / or receiving multi-beam, multi-stream signals. The set of the beam network 50 is connected to each antenna 10 of a predetermined set via the transceiver 30. In one form, the beam network 50 and / or its components may be implemented at various stages including an RF stage, an intermediate frequency (IF) stage, a baseband stage, a digital stage, or a combination thereof. In one form, when the antenna 10 includes an active antenna, the beam network 50 may be combined with the antenna 10 for a hybrid beam network.

[0097] In one form, the beamformer network 51 includes a network of phase shifter (PS) circuits 52, a network of time delay circuits 54, an amplifier network 56, a splitter, a combiner, or a combination thereof. In one form, the network of phase shifter circuits 52 (hereinafter referred to as "phase shifter 52") is configured to receive an input signal and change the phase and amplitude of the beam associated with the input signal. In one form, the phase shifter 52 may be implemented by an analog circuit, a digital circuit, or a combination thereof (e.g., a hybrid model). The phase shifter 52 may include active components (e.g., a vector modulator-based phase shifter 52), passive components, or a combination thereof. As an example, the phase shifter 52 may include a reflection-type phase shifter (RTPS), a switched-transmission line phase shifter (STPS), a load-line-based passive phase shifter, or a combination thereof.

[0098] In one form, the network of the time delay circuit 54 (hereinafter referred to as "time delay device 54") is also configured to receive an input signal and change the phase of the beam associated with the input signal. As an example, the time delay device 54 is configured to delay a signal by a controllable time delay that is defined and / or dynamically adjusted by a controller. In one form, the time delay device 54 can be implemented by an analog circuit, a digital circuit, or a combination thereof (e.g., a hybrid model).

[0099] In one form, the phase shifter 52 and / or the time delay device 54 are implemented as real-time delay (TTD) to minimize beam squint or beam distortion of the beamformer network 51. In one form, the phase shifter 52 and the time delay device 54 may be collectively referred to herein as "delay elements".

[0100] In one form, when the beamformer network 51 is implemented by an analog circuit, the beamformer network 51 includes an amplifier network 56. The amplifier network 56 is configured to change the amplitude of the received or transmitted signal so that the signal reaches a predetermined intensity before and / or after signal combination, splitting, and / or manipulation. As an example, the amplifier network 56 may include one or more variable gain amplifiers implemented as an analog circuit, a digital circuit, or a combination thereof (e.g., a hybrid model).

[0101] In some forms, the beam network 50 includes a switching network 58, for example, when the antenna 10 includes a multi-port antenna. As an example, for each multi-port antenna, the front-end antenna system 1 includes a switching network 58 that connects a subset of the multi-port antenna ports to a set of transceivers 30. Further, or alternatively, the front-end antenna system 1 may include a switching network 58 that connects a set of transceivers to a set of beamformer networks 51. In some forms, the switching network 58 connects all ports of the single-port / multi-port antenna to the transceiver 30 without a switching circuit. The switching network 58 is configured to provide different levels of component connectivity / activity, thereby integrating or splitting beams and controlling beam direction. The switching network 58 can simplify the complexity of the beamformer and / or significantly increase the beamforming multi-beam, multi-stream capabilities of the front-end antenna system 1. The switching network 58 can be implemented at various stages, such as an RF stage, an IF stage, a baseband stage, a digital stage, or a combination thereof. In one form, the switching network 58 includes one or more switches, one or more combiners, one or more splitters, one or more filters, one or more coupling lines, or a combination thereof.

[0102] In one form, the beamforming network 51 can be an analog beamformer, a digital beamformer, or a combination thereof (e.g., a hybrid beamformer). As an example, in the case of a large antenna aperture having a number of antenna elements / sets, the beamforming network 51 can be an analog beamformer or a hybrid beamformer since a digital beamformer would result in excessive power consumption. As another example, at higher frequency bands (e.g., millimeter wave bands), the beamforming network 51 can include an analog beamformer provided at the IF stage to suppress losses of RF components and / or the distribution / combination network and / or the size of RF components at the higher frequency band. In some forms where an IF implementation or a digital beamformer is employed, mixer implementation is done at a set of antennas and / or subset level, and synchronization of the local oscillator (LO) signal can be performed at all antenna elements and / or a set of antennas. In some forms, the synchronization of the LO signal can be performed by a reference signal, a phase-locked loop (PLL) circuit, an amplifier circuit, a mixer, or a combination thereof implemented at the antenna element, a set of antennas, and / or antenna subset level.

[0103] In some embodiments, the front-end antenna system 1 may include a controller 90. The controller 90 is configured to operate the components of the front-end antenna system 1 to achieve a desired output. In one form, the controller 90 is connected to all active components and is specifically configured to execute a beam management control routine, a beam tracking routine, and a user management routine. As an example, the controller 90 may independently set, for one or more of the beams, in particular, power level, bandwidth, beam direction, beam width, polarization, number of streams / users, communication range, and modulation. In one embodiment, the controller 90 may be automated such that the system responds to input and output signals between the front-end antenna system 1 in a specific manner. In one embodiment, the controller 90 enables user management of any and / or all desired front-end antenna system parameters (e.g., signal amplification level, set beam pattern, and direction). In one embodiment, the controller 90 enables management of the flow of signals in a communication network.

[0104] In one embodiment, the front-end antenna system 1 may be implemented as an array (e.g., in particular, a dynamic array, a fixed array, an active array, a passive array, a digital array, an analog array, or a hybrid array). As an example, as shown in FIGS. 2A-2B, the front-end antenna system 1 may include one or more modules 70-1, 70-2, 70-3, ··· 70-n (collectively referred to herein as module 70) that collectively form an array 2. Each of the modules 70 includes a set of antennas 10 out of the plurality of antennas 10. As an example, module 70-1 may include a set of antennas including antennas 10-1, 10-2, 10-3 out of the plurality of antennas 10.

[0105] In one aspect, one or more modules 70 may be identical to each other or different from each other. As an example, each module 70 may have the same geometric parameters (e.g., shape, size, orientation, length, width, depth, etc.) as shown in FIG. 2B. As another example, two or more of the modules 70 may have a set of geometric parameters that are different from each other as shown in FIG. 2A. In one aspect, the modules 70 are arranged randomly, or in a grid or linear pattern. In one aspect, one or more modules 70 may have various planar, non-planar, or conformal shapes (e.g., rectangular, circular, hexagonal, etc.). Further, one or more modules 70 may be integrated with each other in a planar form, a non-planar form, or a conformal form. In one aspect, one or more modules 70 may interleave or overlap with each other. In one form, one or more modules 70 form a sparse configuration to expand the front-end aperture, and one or more modules 70 may be rotated and shifted relative to each other to suppress side lobes.

[0106] In one form, the size and geometry of the front-end antenna system 1 may be based on the number of array antennas, the number of elements per antenna, and / or the dimensions of the continuous aperture antenna. In one aspect, the size and geometry of the front-end antenna system 1 are based on signal transmission parameters and / or, in particular, among the signal transmission parameters, the desired signal strength, frequency bandwidth, signal loading capacity, and the number of incoming / outgoing signals. As an example, in a 5G implementation, the front-end antenna system 1 includes an array 2 having 236 elements (e.g., a 16×16 array) or 1024 elements (a 32×32 array). As another example, in a long-distance communication implementation, the array 2 includes 2000 elements (or an equivalent size of 2000 elements if the antenna 10 is implemented by a continuous aperture antenna sub-array).

[0107] Referring to FIG. 3, various layers of a given module 70 are shown. In one form, module 70 includes a radiation layer 72, a feed layer 74, and a distribution network layer 78. In one form, the radiation layer 72 is configured to transmit and / or receive one or more beams. In one aspect, the feed layer 74 is configured to excite the radiation layer 72 to transmit and / or receive one or more beams. It should be understood that the feed layer 74 is adapted to transmit and / or receive one or more signals when the radiation layer 72 is integrated (merged) with the feed layer 74. Thus, when the radiation layer 72 and the feed layer 74 are integrated into a single physical layer, the functions of the radiation layer 72 and the feed layer 74 can be performed using similar elements. Although the radiation layer 72 is shown as being disposed on top of the feed layer 74, it should be understood that the feed layer 74 can be disposed on top of the radiation layer 72 if the radiation layer 72 includes a reflective material.

[0108] In one form, module 70 is electrically coupled to a front-end electronic circuit layer 76. In one aspect, the front-end electronic circuit layer 76 is configured to form one or more beams. In one aspect, the distribution network layer 78 is configured to distribute one or more from the front-end electronic circuit layer 76 to the feed layer 74. In one aspect, the distribution network layer 78 is configured to form a plurality of beams. It should be understood that the order, combination, and positioning of the layers may be different in other forms.

[0109] In one form, the front-end electronic circuit layer 76 includes a transmitter or a receiver. In one form, the front-end electronic circuit layer 76 generates and amplifies one or more transmission signals. In another form, the front-end electronic circuit layer 76 receives, amplifies, and regenerates one or more received signals. In another example, the front-end electronic circuit layer 76 processes and modifies one or more streams of signals coupled to one or more antenna ports of the antenna 10.

[0110] To perform the functions described in this specification, the front-end electronic circuit layer 76 may include a frequency converter, a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), a power amplifier (PA) (e.g., power amplifier 32), a low-noise amplifier (LNA) (e.g., low-noise amplifier 34), a mixer, a switch, a phase shifter (e.g., phase shifter 52), a delay line, a variable gain amplifier (VGA), a phase-locked loop (PLL), a reference signal, a diplexer, or a combination thereof. In some forms, the front-end electronic circuit layer 76 comprises a beamformer network, a switching network, a transceiver, or a combination thereof.

[0111] In some forms, the front-end electronic circuit layer 76 comprises a beam network (e.g., beam network 50), a transceiver (e.g., transceiver 30), or a combination thereof. In some forms, the front-end electronic circuit layer 76 comprises one or more input ports, one or more output ports, or a combination thereof. In some forms, the front-end electronic circuit layer 76 comprises one or more circuit chips, one or more integrated circuit (IC) chips, one or more radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) chips, one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), one or more system-on-chip (SoCs), etc. In one form, the front-end electronic circuit layer 76 comprises one or more chips mounted on a substrate. In one form, the front-end electronic circuit layer 76 is configured to provide an RF stage, an IF stage, a digital stage, an LO stage, or a combination thereof.

[0112] Referring to FIG. 4, a schematic diagram of the radiation layer 72 is shown. In one form, the radiation layer 72 includes one or more radiation elements 82A configured to transmit and / or receive one or more beams. Accordingly, the feed layer 74 is configured to excite the radiation elements 82A to transmit and / or receive one or more beams. By way of example, the radiation elements 82A can include, but are not limited to, pixelated antenna apertures, continuous antenna apertures, planar antenna apertures, conformal antenna apertures, fixed antenna apertures, tunable antenna apertures, passive antenna apertures, transmissive antenna apertures, reflective antenna apertures, or combinations thereof. As another example, the radiation elements 82A can include a plurality of metamaterial elements and / or metapixels configured to generate a desired pattern and radiation characteristics for each module 70.

[0113] In one form, the radiation element 82A can have a plurality of layers (i.e., two or more layers). In one form, each layer can include, but is not limited to, a dielectric substrate, an air-filled substrate, a metal pattern layer, a cavity back structure, a tunable device, an active device, or combinations thereof.

[0114] In one form, the radiation element 82A further includes a modification device 82B configured to change the phase, amplitude, polarization, modulation, or combinations thereof of a plurality of beams. Exemplary modification devices 82B include, but are not limited to, tunable devices / materials, active devices, or combinations thereof.

[0115] In one form, the radiating element 82A is a multilayer structure (e.g., two or more layers), and each layer includes a dielectric layer, an air-filled layer, a metal pattern layer, a dielectric pattern layer, an active device, a passive device, a tunable device, or a combination thereof. In one aspect, the number of layers, the structure of each layer, the overall shape and size of the layer, and / or the tunable device improve the bandwidth (e.g., wideband, narrowband, multi-band, bandwidth selection or cutoff, etc.), tuning range (e.g., adjustment of phase fluctuation, amplitude fluctuation, polarization fluctuation, frequency fluctuation, modulation fluctuation, etc.), or other parameters of the radiated signal.

[0116] Referring to FIG. 5A, a schematic view of the feed layer 74 is shown. In one form, the feed layer 74 includes a plurality of feed elements 84 configured to excite the radiating element 82A of the radiating layer 72 and / or transmit / receive a beam. As an example, the feed element 84 can include, but is not limited to, a planar antenna, a 2.5D-shaped antenna, a 3D-shaped antenna, an active antenna, a passive antenna, a single-port antenna, a multi-port antenna, an air-filled antenna, a dielectric-filled antenna, or a combination thereof.

[0117] Furthermore, the feed elements 84 have various spatial arrangements and can be operable in a transmit mode, a receive mode, or both. As an example, as also shown in FIG. 5B, the feed elements 84-1, 84-2 are arranged on a predetermined plane, the feed element 84-1 is operable in the transmit mode, and the feed element 84-2 is operable in the receive mode. As another example, as shown in FIG. 5C, the feed element 84-3 is operable in both the receive mode and the transmit mode. As yet another example, as also shown in FIG. 5D, the feed elements 84-4, 84-5 physically overlap each other and have a non-planar arrangement such that one of the feed elements 84-4, 84-5 is arranged in the radiation direction of the other feed element 84-4, 84-5. Furthermore, the feed element 84-4 can be operable in the transmit mode and the feed element 84-5 can be operable in the receive mode (or vice versa).

[0118] In one aspect, a pair of feed elements 84 that can operate in one of a transmission mode and a reception mode can be insulated via an insulating element. Also, as an example, as shown in FIG. 5E, the feed elements 84-6 and 84-7 are insulated by a plurality of vias 85-1 that extend through the feed layer 74 and collectively form a via fence to suppress electromagnetic coupling between the feed elements 84-6 and 84-7. As another example, also as shown in FIG. 5F, the feed elements 84-8 and 84-9 are insulated by an artificial boundary surface 85-2 (for example, in particular, a perfect magnetic conductor (PMC) wall, a perfect electric conductor (PEC) wall) to suppress electromagnetic coupling between the feed elements 84-8 and 84-9. As an additional example, also as shown in FIG. 5G, the feed elements 84-10 and 84-11 are insulated by a ground shield (or ground plane) 85-3 to suppress electromagnetic coupling between the feed elements 84-10 and 84-11.

[0119] As another example, as shown in FIG. 5H, the feed elements 84-12 and 84-13 are insulated by parasitic elements 85-4 configured to suppress leakage of signals transmitted or received by the feed elements 84-12 and 84-13. Specifically, the parasitic element 85-4, which can operate as a passive resonator or an active resonator, can control the signals transmitted or received by the feed elements 84-12 and 84-13 such that interference is altered, suppressed, or canceled. In one form, the parasitic element 85-4 changes the phase and / or amplitude of the coupled signal from the feed elements 84-12 and 84-13. In one form, the parasitic element 85-4 changes the phase and / or amplitude of the coupled signal passing through a specific coupling path from the feed elements 84-12 and 84-13.

[0120] As a further example, and as also shown in FIG. 5I, the feed elements 84-14, 84-15 are insulated by a filter network 85-5. In one form, the filter network 85-5 collectively includes capacitors and / or inductors that form a pi-network, a T-network, an L-network, or a combination thereof to suppress harmonics and suppress electromagnetic coupling between the feed elements 84-14, 84-15. In one form, the filter network 85-5 includes parasitic elements having an equivalent circuit model of capacitors and / or inductors that collectively form a pi-network, a T-network, an L-network, or a combination thereof to suppress harmonics and suppress electromagnetic coupling between the feed elements 84-14, 84-15. In one aspect, the parasitic elements and / or filters are provided on and / or integrated with the antenna 10, the antenna port, or a combination thereof.

[0121] As yet another example, and as also shown in FIG. 5K, the feed elements 84-20, 84-21 are insulated by a cavity 85-7 to suppress electromagnetic coupling between the feed elements 84-20, 84-21. Although the feed elements 84 shown in FIGS. 5E-5K are illustrated in a planar arrangement, it should be understood that any of the respective feed elements 84 may have a non-planar arrangement in other forms.

[0122] In one form, as shown in FIG. 5J, the feed elements 84-16, 84-17 are insulated by a cancellation network 85-6. The cancellation network 85-6 is shown to insulate the feed elements 84-16, 84-17, but can insulate multiple sets of feed elements 84 that are operable in one of the transmit / receive modes (e.g., the cancellation network 85-6 can insulate each transmit-mode feed element from each receive-mode feed element and vice versa).

[0123] In one form, the cancellation network 85-6 is configured to selectively inject a secondary signal into the receive (Rx) signal chain 174-1 to suppress interference in the Rx signal chain 174-1 caused by signals on the transmit (Tx) signal chain 174-2. In one form, the Rx signal chain 174-1 includes various components of the front-end antenna system 1 utilized to receive one or more signal streams over one or more of the beams, and the Tx signal chain 174-2 includes various components of the front-end antenna system 1 utilized to transmit multiple signal streams via multiple beams. In one form, the cancellation network 85-6 is configured to sample each port of the feed element 84-16 and the transmit signal of the signal stream. For one or more of the transmit signals, the cancellation network 85-6 is configured to inject a secondary signal onto the Rx signal chain 174-1 to cancel interference caused by the transmit signal on the Rx signal chain. In one form, the cancellation network 85-6 is a tunable network that controls and adjusts the parameters of the sampled signal and / or the injected signal.

[0124] To perform the functions described herein, the cancellation network 85-6 can include one or more signal splitters, one or more filter circuits, one or more phase shifters and / or time delay circuits, one or more attenuators, one or more couplers, one or more tunable components, or combinations thereof. In one aspect, the cancellation network 85-6 is implemented on an integrated circuit chip, and the cancellation network 85-6 is provided in a radio frequency (RF) stage, an intermediate frequency (IF) stage, a digital stage, a local oscillator (LO) stage, or combinations thereof. In one form, the cancellation network 85-6 shares a component, a circuit, or a combination thereof in the beam network 50 and / or the transceiver 30. In one form, the sampled signal and / or the injected signal from the signal chain is coupled to one or more ports of the beam network 50 and the cancellation network 85-6 is executed through the beam network 50.

[0125] Any combination of insulating elements (i.e., plurality of vias 85-1, artificial interface 85-2, ground shield 85-3, parasitic element 85-4, filter network 85-5, cancellation network 85-6, and cavity 86-7) can be provided between a pair of feed elements 84 and / or a plurality of feed elements 84. As an example, as shown in FIG. 5L, the feed layer 74 includes each of the plurality of vias 85-1, artificial interface 85-2, ground shield 85-3, parasitic element 85-4, filter network 85-5, cancellation network 85-6, and cavity 86-7 and can insulate various pairs of feed elements 84 from each other.

[0126] Referring to FIGS. 6A - 6B, a schematic diagram of module 70 is shown. In one form, the radiation layer 72 includes one or more radiation elements 82A coupled to one or more feed elements 84 of the feed layer 74. As described above, the radiation layer 72 and the feed layer 74 may be integrated in some forms. In some forms, the front - end electronic circuit layer 76 includes one or more circuits 86 (e.g., integrated circuit (IC), radio - frequency IC (RFIC), etc.) configured to generate a plurality of beams. Thus, the one or more circuits 86 may include various components of the front - end antenna system 1 such as the transceiver 30, the beamformer network 50, and / or the controller 90. In one aspect, the one or more circuits 86 may include baseband, digital, modem, and / or control circuits in a system - on - chip (SoC) configuration for performing the functions described herein. In one aspect, each of the one or more circuits 86 is associated with a given module 70 (i.e., the one or more circuits 86 are electrically coupled to the feed layer 74 of a given module 70). Note that the one or more circuits 86 may be associated with multiple modules 70 (e.g., a single IC 86 is provided for multiple modules 70). In one aspect, the module 70 includes one or more printed circuit board (PCB) layers.

[0127] Referring to FIG. 7A, a schematic diagram of the integration of a plurality of modules 70 - 1, 70 - 2 and a second layer 160 is shown. In one aspect, the modules 70 - 1, 70 - 2 include one or more connection elements 150. In one form, the connection elements 150 are configured to electrically couple each of the modules 70 - 1, 70 - 2 disposed on the first substrate layer to the second layer 160, thereby electrically coupling various components of the modules 70 - 1, 70 - 2 to each other. In one form, the connection elements 150 are provided on the second layer 160. In one aspect, the second layer 160 is a printed circuit board (PCB) layer.

[0128] In one form, the second layer 160 includes the first distribution network layer 78A, the second distribution network layer 78B, the circuitry of the front-end antenna system 1, or a combination thereof. In one form, the circuitry of the front-end antenna system 1 includes the beam network 50, the transceiver 30, or a combination thereof. In one aspect, the second distribution network layer 78B includes one or more distributors 88 including one or more waveguides, one or more transmission lines, one or more dividers, one or more couplers, or a combination thereof. Exemplary distributors 88 include, but are not limited to, leaky waveguides, slot waveguides (e.g., air-filled waveguides, substrate integrated waveguides, etc.), coplanar waveguides, cavity-backed waveguides (e.g., custom-shaped air-filled or dielectric-filled), parallel plate waveguides, lens structures (planar lens structures, Luneburg lens feed networks, Rotman lenses, etc.), beamforming matrix structures (e.g., Butler Matrix, hybrid coupler, Quadrature Coupler, Blass Matrix, Beamswitch Matrix, etc.), microstrip structures, H-tree structures, or a combination thereof.

[0129] Referring to FIGS. 3, 6A-6B, and 7A, the distribution network layers 78, 78A include a distributor 88 configured to distribute a plurality of beams from the RFIC layer 76 to the feed layer 74. In one aspect, the distributor 88 includes one or more waveguides, one or more transmission lines, one or more dividers, one or more couplers, or combinations thereof. Exemplary distributors 88 include, but are not limited to, leaky waveguides, slot waveguides (e.g., air-filled waveguides, substrate integrated waveguides, etc.), coplanar waveguides, cavity-backed waveguides (e.g., custom-shaped air-filled or dielectric-filled), parallel plate waveguides, lens structures (planar lens structures, Luneburg lens networks, Rotman lenses, etc.), beamforming matrix structures (e.g., Butler matrix, hybrid coupler, orthogonal coupler, plasma matrix, beam switch matrix, etc.), microstrip structures, H-tree structures, or combinations thereof. As a specific example, as shown in FIG. 7B, the distributor 88 can be a network of one or more rectangular waveguides 88A. As another specific example, and as shown in FIG. 7C, the distributor 88 can be a parallel plate waveguide 88B.

[0130] Referring to FIG. 8, a cross-sectional view of another exemplary module 70-3 is shown. In one form, the module 70-3 includes a radiation layer 72, a feed layer 74, a distribution network layer 78, and a transition layer 180. In one form, the radiation elements 82A of the radiation layer 72 include a plurality of metamaterial elements, and the feed elements 84 of the feed layer 74 include a plurality of slot antennas. In one form, the radiation layer 72 and the feed layer 74 are separated by an air gap. In one form, the feed element 84 is disposed on a distributor 88 (e.g., one of the rectangular waveguide 88A and the parallel plate waveguide 88B). In one form, the distribution network layer 78 and the RFIC 86 of the front-end electronic circuit layer 76 are coupled by a transition layer 180. In one form, the transition layer is a waveguide transition from a coplanar waveguide (CPW), a waveguide transition from a microstrip, a planar transition, a 2.5D transition, a step transition, a waveguide probe transition, or combinations thereof.

[0131] Referring to FIG. 9, a cross-sectional view of another exemplary module 70-4 is shown. In one form, module 70-4 includes a radiation layer 72, a feed layer 74, and a distribution network layer 78. In one embodiment, the radiation element 82A of the radiation layer 72 includes a plurality of metamaterial elements, and the feed element 84 of the feed layer 74 includes a plurality of planar antennas, microstrip antennas, wire antennas, slot antennas, 2.5D-shaped antennas, 3D-shaped antennas, air-filled antennas, dielectric antennas, aperture antennas, etc. In one form, the radiation layer 72 and the feed layer 74 are separated by an air gap. In one form, the feed element 84 is electrically coupled to one or more circuits 86 of the front-end electronic circuit layer 76 via a transmission line 88C (as a distributor 88) of the distribution network layer 78.

[0132] Referring to FIG. 10, a functional block diagram of a front-end antenna system 1 operating in a multi-beam mode is shown. In one form, each antenna 10-5 has one or more ports 18-1, 18-2, ··· 18-n (collectively referred to as "port 18"), and each of the ports 18 is coupled to a set of switching networks 58 (e.g., switching networks 58-1, 58-2, 58-3, 58-4). In one form, a set of switching networks 58 is coupled to a set of transceivers 30 that may include a first transceiver 30-1 including a power amplifier 32-1 and a low-noise amplifier 34-1, and a second transceiver 30-2 including a power amplifier 32-2 and a low-noise amplifier 34-2. In one form, each port 18 of the antenna 10-5 is connected to a set of transceivers 30 in a full-duplex communication mode (i.e., simultaneous operation in a transmit / receive mode). In this form, an insulating element 85 may be provided (not shown in FIG. 10) to insulate the transmit and receive ports of the antenna 10, the transmit and receive chains of the antenna 10, or a combination thereof.

[0133] In one form, the beamforming network 51 (not shown in FIG. 10), the switching network 58-1, and the power amplifier 32-1 are configured to control the transmission horizontal polarization of the beam for each port 18 of each antenna 10-5 of the front-end antenna system 1. In one form, the beamforming network 50, the switching network 58-3, and the power amplifier 32-2 are configured to control the transmission vertical polarization of the beam for each port 18 of each antenna 10-5 of the front-end antenna system 1. In one form, the beamforming network 50, the switching network 58-2, and the low-noise amplifier 34-1 are configured to control the reception horizontal polarization of the beam for each port 18 of each antenna 10-5 of the front-end antenna system 1. In one aspect, the beamforming network 50, the switching network 58-4, and the low-noise amplifier 34-2 are configured to control the reception vertical polarization of the beam for each port 18 of each antenna 10-5 of the front-end antenna system 1. It should be understood that the switching network 58-3, the power amplifier 32-2, the low-noise amplifier 34-3, the antenna 10-5, and the port 18 can be configured for circular polarization, elliptical polarization, linear polarization, or a combination thereof.

[0134] Referring to FIG. 11, a functional block diagram of a front-end antenna system 1 is shown, which includes a plurality of multi-port antennas 10-6 and operates in a full-duplex communication mode. As described above and as shown in FIG. 11, the beamformer network 50 and / or its components can be implemented in various stages including an RF stage 190, an intermediate frequency (IF) stage 192, and / or a digital stage 194. The functional block diagram of FIG. 11 is similar to the functional block diagram shown in FIG. 10, but in this form, each multi-port antenna 10-6 includes a plurality of ports 19, and each port 19 can transmit and / or receive a plurality of beams of the same polarization, the same frequency band, the same modulation, or a combination thereof. Further, in this form, each port 19 is coupled to one of the switching networks 58 and one of the transceivers 30.

[0135] Referring to FIG. 12A, an example of a functional block diagram of a front-end antenna system 1 configured to perform hybrid beam network processing is shown. In one aspect, the layers of the functional block diagram correspond to various stages / functions of the front-end antenna system 1-4. Although the layers are shown separately, any of the layers may be combined with each other in other forms and are not limited to the arrangements described herein.

[0136] In one form, the antenna system 1-4 includes an antenna layer 300, an analog layer 310, and a digital layer 320. In one form, the antenna layer 300 includes a distribution layer 302, an antenna feed layer 304, and a radiation layer 306 of the antenna 10. In one form, the analog layer 310 includes an IF beam network layer 312, an RF beam network layer 314, and a TRX layer 316 for performing the functions described herein. In one form, the digital layer 320 includes a baseband layer 322 for performing baseband processing, a digital beam network layer 324, and a DAC / ADC layer 326 for performing analog-to-digital conversion / digital-to-analog conversion. The digital layer 320 may include a modem and other digital system components. In one aspect, the separation of the analog group and the digital group can provide for the integration of the analog circuits and a single die, or a set of dies and blocks having the same technology node.

[0137] Referring to FIG. 12B, another exemplary functional block diagram of the front-end antenna system 1-4 is shown. The functional block diagram shown in FIG. 12B is similar to the functional block diagram shown in FIG. 12A, except that the IF beam network layer 312 is provided within the digital layer 320.

[0138] Referring to FIG. 12C, an additional exemplary functional block diagram of the front-end antenna system 1-4 is shown. The functional block diagram illustrated in FIG. 12C is similar to the functional block diagrams illustrated in FIGS. 12A-12B, except that the RF layer 310 and the digital layer 320 are provided within an integrated circuit layer 330.

[0139] In one aspect, the antenna layer 300, the analog layer 310, the digital layer 320, and / or the integrated circuit layer 330 can be provided on and / or can include, among other things: namely, a PCB, a 3D or 2.5D shaped and / or machined structure; a structure and material filled with a dielectric, metal, and / or air; passive and / or active electronic devices (e.g., varactors, diodes, transistors, thin film transistors (TFTs), etc.), tunable materials (e.g., BST-based materials, liquid crystals, etc.) and / or structures. In one aspect, the antenna layer 300, the analog layer 310, the digital layer 320, and / or the integrated circuit layer 330 can be provided on and / or can include, among other things: namely, an RFIC, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an SoC, and / or a set of such blocks (in particular, components, connection lines, etc.) integrated on a PCB.

[0140] Referring to FIG. 13, an exemplary computer architecture diagram of one implementation of the computing system 1000 and the front-end antenna system 1 is shown. In some implementations, the computing system 1000 is implemented in a plurality of devices communicatively coupled via a communication channel and / or network. In some forms, the components of the computing system 1000 are implemented in separate computing devices and / or sensor devices. In some forms, two or more components of the computing system 1000 are implemented in the same device. The computing system 1000 and parts thereof can be integrated into a computing and / or wireless device.

[0141] In one form, communication channel 1001 is interfaced with processors 1002A - 1002N, memory components (e.g., random access memory (RAM) 1003, read-only memory (ROM) 1004, and / or processor-readable storage medium 1005), display device 1006, user input device 1007, network device 1008, front-end antenna system 1 described herein, and / or other suitable computing devices.

[0142] In one form, processors 1002A - 1002N may include a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a microprocessor, a machine learning / deep learning (ML / DL) processing unit (e.g., a tensor processing unit), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), custom processors, and / or any suitable type of processor.

[0143] In one form, processors 1002A - 1002N and memory components 1003 collectively form processing unit 1010. In some embodiments, processing unit 1010 includes one or more processors communicatively coupled via a bus to one or more of memory components 1003, ROM 1004, and processor-readable storage medium 1005 to execute instructions stored therein. In one aspect, processing unit 1010 is an ASIC, an SoC, or a combination thereof.

[0144] In one form, network device 1008 provides one or more wired or wireless interfaces for exchanging information between other devices such as computing system 1000 and / or external devices. Exemplary network devices 1008 include, but are not limited to, a universal serial bus (USB) interface, a BLUETOOTH® interface, a wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) interface, an Ethernet interface, a near field communication (NFC) interface, a cellular interface, etc.

[0145] In one form, the processor-readable storage medium 1005 can be a hard drive, flash drive, DVD, CD, optical disk, floppy disk, flash storage, solid state drive, ROM, EEPROM, electronic circuit, semiconductor memory device, or a combination thereof. The processor-readable storage medium 1005 can include an operating system, software program, device driver, and / or other suitable subsystem or software.

[0146] Unless otherwise expressly specified herein, all numerical values indicating mechanical / thermal properties, composition ratios, dimensions and / or tolerances, or other properties should be understood as being modified by the words "about" or "approximately" when describing the scope of the present disclosure. This modification is desired for various reasons including industrial practices, material, manufacturing, and assembly tolerances, as well as test capabilities.

[0147] As used herein, the phrases "at least one of A, B, and C" and "combinations thereof" should be interpreted to mean a logical OR (A OR B OR C) using non-exclusive disjunction, and should not be interpreted to mean "at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C".

[0148] As used in this application, the terms "controller" and / or "module" can refer to, be part of, or include: ASIC (application specific integrated circuit); digital - analog, or analog - digital hybrid discrete circuits; digital - analog, or analog - digital hybrid integrated circuits; combinational logic circuits; FPGA (field programmable gate array); (shared, dedicated, or group) processor circuits that execute code; (shared, dedicated, or group) memory circuits that store code executed by the processor circuits; other suitable hardware components that provide the functions described herein; or combinations of some or all of the above, such as a system - on - chip.

[0149] The term "memory" is a subset of the term "computer-readable medium." As used herein, the term "computer-readable medium" does not include transitory electrical or electromagnetic signals propagating on a medium (such as on a carrier wave); thus, the term "computer-readable medium" can be tangible and non-transitory. Non-limiting examples of non-transitory, tangible computer-readable media are non-volatile memory circuits (such as flash memory circuits, erasable programmable read-only memory circuits, or mask read-only circuits), volatile memory circuits (such as static random access memory circuits or dynamic random access memory circuits), magnetic storage media (such as analog or digital magnetic tape or hard disk drives), and optical storage media (such as CDs, DVDs, or Blu-ray discs).

[0150] The apparatus and methods described herein can be implemented, in part or in whole, by a special purpose computer created by configuring a general purpose computer to perform one or more specific functions embodied in a computer program. The functional blocks, flowchart components, and other elements described above function as software specifications and can be converted into a computer program by the routine work of one of ordinary skill in the art or a programmer.

[0151] The description of the present disclosure is illustrative in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the essence of the present disclosure are intended to be within the scope of the present disclosure. Such variations are not to be regarded as departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. An antenna system configured to transmit or receive one or more beams in one or more of a plurality of spatial regions, having a module electrically coupled to a front-end electronic circuit layer configured to process the one or more beams, the module comprising: a radiation layer including one or more radiating elements configured to perform at least one of transmitting and receiving the one or more beams; a feed layer comprising one or more feed elements configured to excite the radiation layer, transmit the one or more beams, receive the one or more beams, or a combination thereof, the one or more feed elements including a planar antenna, a 2.5D-shaped antenna, a 3D-shaped antenna, an active antenna, a passive antenna, a single-port antenna, a multi-port antenna, an air-filled antenna, a dielectric-filled antenna, or a combination thereof; a distribution network layer including a distributor configured to distribute the one or more beams from the front-end electronic circuit layer to the feed layer; The antenna system comprising.

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

3. The antenna system according to claim 1, wherein the radiation layer includes one or more metamaterial elements configured to perform at least one of transmitting and receiving the one or more beams, and the feed layer is configured to excite the one or more metamaterial elements to perform at least one of transmitting and receiving the one or more beams.

4. The radiation layer includes a tunable antenna aperture, the one or more radiating elements include a modification device configured to modify a phase of a signal, an amplitude of the signal, a polarization of the signal, a modulation of the signal, or a combination thereof, the modification device including a tunable device, an active device, a passive device, or a combination thereof, the antenna system according to claim 1.

5. The one or more radiating elements comprise at least two layers, Each layer of the at least two layers includes a dielectric substrate, an air-filled substrate, a metal pattern layer, a cavity back structure, a tunable device, an active device, or a combination thereof, the antenna system according to claim 1.

6. The distributor is a network of one or more waveguides, a network of one or more transmission lines, a network of one or more dividers, a network of one or more couplers, a beamformer network, a lens structure network, a beamforming matrix structure network, or a combination thereof, the antenna system according to claim 1.

7. The one or more waveguides include a leaky waveguide, a slot waveguide, a coplanar waveguide, a cavity back waveguide, a parallel plate waveguide, or a combination thereof, the antenna system according to claim 6.

8. A front-end antenna system including a controller and the antenna system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control the antenna system to transmit the one or more beams, receive the one or more beams, or a combination thereof based on radiation parameters.

9. Further comprising a plurality of beam networks and a plurality of transceivers, each beam network of the plurality of beam networks having a plurality of beamforming circuits, a plurality of switching circuits, or a combination thereof, each feed element of the one or more feed elements having one or more ports, each port of the one or more ports being electrically coupled to one or more of the plurality of beam networks, each beam network of the plurality of beam networks corresponding to one of a transmit polarization and a receive polarization, the front-end antenna system according to claim 8.

10. Each of the one or more modules is provided on a first substrate layer, each of the one or more modules being electrically coupled to a second substrate layer via a plurality of connectors, the second substrate layer including one or more signal distribution networks, one or more circuits, or a combination thereof, and being configured to electrically couple the one or more modules to each other, the antenna system according to claim 1.

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

12. The feed layer further comprises an insulating element configured to insulate a set of feed elements among the one or more feed elements, The insulating element has a plurality of vias, artificial interfaces, shields, ground planes, parasitic elements, cavity structures, filter networks, cancellation networks, or combinations thereof, and the antenna system according to claim 1.

13. Each feed element of the set of feed elements is operable in a transmit mode, a receive mode, or a combination thereof, The set of feed elements has one feed element if each feed element of the set of feed elements is operable in both the transmit mode and the receive mode, and the antenna system according to claim 12.

14. The set of feed elements has two or more feed elements if each feed element of the set of feed elements is operable in one of a transmit mode and a receive mode, The two or more feed elements have one of a planar arrangement and a non-planar arrangement, and the antenna system according to claim 12.

15. The feed layer further has an insulating element configured to insulate a set of feed elements among the one or more feed elements, The insulating element includes a cancellation network configured to sample a transmission signal with respect to a set of ports of the set of feed elements, a set of signal streams of the set of feed elements, or a combination thereof, For a transmission signal, the insulating element is configured to inject a secondary signal into a receive signal chain, and the secondary signal is configured to suppress interference of the transmission signal on the receive signal chain, and the antenna system according to claim 1.

16. The cancellation network includes one or more signal splitters, one or more filter circuits, one or more delay elements, one or more attenuators, one or more couplers, or combinations thereof, Each component of the cancellation network is provided in a radio frequency (RF) stage, an intermediate frequency (IF) stage, a digital stage, a local oscillator (LO) stage, or combinations thereof, and the antenna system according to claim 15.

17. A front-end antenna system comprising a plurality of beam networks, a plurality of transceivers, and the antenna system according to claim 15, wherein the cancellation network is provided on an integrated circuit chip and includes at least one tunable component, one or more portions of the cancellation network are provided in the plurality of beam networks, the plurality of transceivers, or a combination thereof, the front-end antenna system.

18. An antenna system configured to output one or more beams in one or more of a plurality of spatial regions, electrically coupled to a front-end electronic circuit layer configured to process the one or more beams, and comprising a module configured to simultaneously transmit and receive one or more signal streams on the one or more beams, the module a radiation layer including one or more radiating elements configured to perform at least one of transmitting and receiving the one or more beams, a feed layer including one or more feed elements configured to perform excitation of the radiation layer, transmission of the one or more beams, reception of the one or more beams, or a combination thereof, the feed layer further comprising an insulating element configured to insulate a set of the one or more feed elements, a distribution network layer including a distributor configured to distribute the one or more beams from the front-end electronic circuit layer to the feed layer, comprising each feed element of the set of feed elements is operable in a transmit mode, a receive mode, or a combination thereof, the set of feed elements has one feed element when each feed element of the set of feed elements is operable in both the transmit mode and the receive mode, the antenna system.

19. The antenna system according to claim 18, wherein the insulating element includes a plurality of vias, an artificial boundary surface, a shield, a ground plane, parasitic elements, a filter network, a cavity structure, a cancellation network, or a combination thereof.

20. The antenna system according to claim 18, wherein the one or more feed elements have a planar antenna, a 2.5D-shaped antenna, a 3D-shaped antenna, an active antenna, a passive antenna, a single-port antenna, a multi-port antenna, an air-filled antenna, a dielectric-filled antenna, or a combination thereof. **Claim 21** An antenna system configured to output one or more beams in one or more of a plurality of spatial regions, electrically coupled to a front-end electronic circuit layer configured to process the one or more beams, and comprising a module configured to simultaneously transmit and receive one or more signal streams on the one or more beams, the module a radiation layer including one or more radiating elements configured to perform at least one of transmitting and receiving the one or more beams; a feed layer including one or more feed elements configured to perform excitation of the radiation layer, transmission of the one or more beams, reception of the one or more beams, or a combination thereof, the feed layer further comprising an insulating element configured to insulate a set of the one or more feed elements; a distribution network layer including a distributor configured to distribute the one or more beams from the front-end electronic circuit layer to the feed layer; comprising the set of feed elements having two or more feed elements when each feed element of the set of feed elements is operable in one of a transmit mode and a receive mode; the antenna system, wherein the two or more feed elements have one of a planar arrangement and a non-planar arrangement. **Claim 22** An antenna system configured to output one or more beams in one or more of a plurality of spatial regions, electrically coupled to a front-end electronic circuit layer configured to process the one or more beams, and comprising a module configured to simultaneously transmit and receive one or more signal streams on the one or more beams, the module a radiation layer including one or more radiating elements configured to perform at least one of transmitting and receiving the one or more beams; A feed layer comprising one or more feed elements configured to perform excitation of the radiation layer, transmission of the one or more beams, reception of the one or more beams, or a combination thereof, the feed layer further comprising an insulating element configured to insulate a set of feed elements among the one or more feed elements. A distribution network layer comprising a distributor configured to distribute the one or more beams from the front-end electronic circuit layer to the feed layer. Comprising The insulating element comprises a cancellation network configured to sample a transmission signal for a set of ports of the set of feed elements, a set of signal streams of the set of feed elements, or a combination thereof. For the transmission signal, the insulating element is configured to inject a secondary signal into the receive signal chain, and the secondary signal is configured to suppress interference of the transmission signal on the receive signal chain. An antenna system.

23. The cancellation network comprises one or more signal splitters, one or more filter circuits, one or more delay elements, one or more attenuators, one or more combiners, or a combination thereof. The antenna system according to claim 22, wherein each component of the cancellation network is provided at a radio frequency (RF) stage, an intermediate frequency (IF) stage, a digital stage, a local oscillator (LO) stage, or a combination thereof.

24. A front-end antenna system comprising a plurality of beam networks, a plurality of transceivers, and the antenna system according to claim 22, The cancellation network is provided on an integrated circuit chip and has at least one tunable component. A front-end antenna system, wherein one or more portions of the cancellation network are provided in the plurality of beam networks, the plurality of transceivers, or a combination thereof.

25. An antenna system configured to output one or more beams in one or more spatial regions among a plurality of spatial regions, Electrically coupled to a front-end electronic circuit layer configured to process the one or more beams, and comprising a module configured to simultaneously transmit and receive one or more signal streams on the one or more beams, the module being A radiation layer including one or more radiating elements configured to perform at least one of transmitting and receiving the one or more beams, the radiation layer having a pixelated antenna aperture, a continuous antenna aperture, a planar antenna aperture, a conformal antenna aperture, a fixed antenna aperture, a tunable antenna aperture, a passive antenna aperture, a transmissive antenna aperture, a reflective antenna aperture, a plurality of metamaterial elements, or a combination thereof, A feed layer including one or more feed elements, the one or more feed elements being configured to perform excitation of the radiation layer, transmission of the one or more beams, reception of the one or more beams, or a combination thereof, the one or more feed elements having a planar antenna, a 2.5D-shaped antenna, a 3D-shaped antenna, an active antenna, a passive antenna, a single-port antenna, a multi-port antenna, an air-filled antenna, a dielectric-filled antenna, or a combination thereof, the feed layer having an insulating element configured to insulate a set of the one or more feed elements, A distribution network layer including a distributor, the distributor being configured to distribute the one or more beams from the front-end electronic circuit layer to the feed layer, the distribution network layer being a network of one or more waveguides, a network of one or more transmission lines, a network of one or more dividers, a network of one or more couplers, or a combination thereof, An antenna system comprising.

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