Isolation Method for a Full-Duplex Antenna System

Abstract

[0003] An embodiment of the present disclosure relates to an isolation method for full-duplex communication. In one example, a full-duplex antenna system includes a Tx (transmit) signal path including one or more elements, each of which represents a power amplifier, one or more filters, and a Tx port of a Tx patch antenna operating in a Tx frequency band to transmit an outgoing signal to a satellite, and the one or more elements further include an Rx (receive) signal path including a low-noise amplifier driven by an Rx port of an Rx patch antenna operating in an Rx frequency band to receive an incoming signal from the satellite, the Rx frequency band being separated from the Tx frequency band by a guard band, and the filter, together with the physical separation between the Tx signal path and the Rx signal path, provides sufficient isolation to reduce coupling between the Tx signal path and the Rx signal path, allowing the full-duplex antenna system to operate in full duplex.

Description

Cross-reference to related applications

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 120,021, filed on December 11, 2020, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 019,228, filed on May 1, 2020, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. This application also claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 060,101, filed on August 2, 2020, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. This application also claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 072,447, filed on August 31, 2020, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

Technical Field

[0002] Aspects of the present disclosure relate to the field of full-duplex beam-scanning antenna systems, and more particularly, to isolation methods for full-duplex communication and beam-scanning antenna systems. Background

[0003] Due to the wireless revolution, the demand for the limited wireless spectrum has been continuously increasing. By enabling full-duplex satellite communication, it is promised to improve the utilization of the wireless spectrum and increase the throughput of satellite communication while maintaining the same antenna footprint compared to half-duplex. As used herein, the term full-duplex means simultaneous data transmission and reception from a single antenna. In other words, a full-duplex antenna system is capable of simultaneous two-way data transmission. A half-duplex device can transmit in only one direction at a time and cannot transmit simultaneously when data can move in two directions. Unfortunately, at least a part of the power of the transmitted signal may return to the circuit of the receiving part after being radiated. The transmitted signal is typically transmitted at a fairly high power level. However, the received signal is typically received at a very low power level. The signal energy fed back from the Tx signal can be greater than the noise floor of the Rx signal or, in a worse case, greater than the power of the Rx signal itself, thereby interfering with the Rx signal that is surely received. By reducing such coupling, the reliability of the received signal during full-duplex operation can be improved. Overview

[0004] One or more embodiments described herein have among other advantages, in particular, a full-duplex antenna system and an isolation method for reducing coupling from a transmit signal path to a receive signal path, thereby enabling full-duplex communication at a maximum allowable data transfer rate, which solves one or more of the above problems in the art. In one embodiment, the full-duplex antenna system includes a controller, a distribution network, and a transmit signal path including elements such as a power amplifier, one or more filters, and the transmit ports of transmit patch antennas operating at a transmit frequency bandwidth for transmitting signals to a satellite. The full-duplex antenna system example further includes a receive signal path having one or more elements, the receive signal path including a low-noise amplifier and a distribution network driven by the receive ports of receive patch antennas operating at a receive frequency bandwidth for receiving incoming signals from the satellite. The receive frequency bandwidth is separated from the transmit frequency bandwidth by a guard frequency band, and the total isolation I total between the transmit signal path and the receive signal path is the combined result of filtering isolation I filtered and coupling isolation I coupled . I total provides sufficient isolation to reduce the coupling between the transmit signal path and the receive signal path, enabling the antenna system to operate in full-duplex mode with the same electrical performance as when it is two well-insulated half-duplex panels.

[0005] Additional features and advantages of the present application are described in the following description, some of which are self-evident from the following description or can be acquired by implementing such exemplary embodiments.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0006] To explain the above-described advantages and features and the manner in which other advantages and features can be obtained, a more detailed description will be given, which is made by referring to the specific examples shown in the accompanying drawings. These drawings show only typical examples and it is understood that they are not intended to limit the scope. With this understanding, the embodiments will be described and explained with further specificity and detail by using the accompanying drawings.

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[0040] The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Similarly, some components and / or operations may be separated into different blocks or incorporated into a single block to explain a part of the embodiments of the present technology. Also, the present technology can be modified and changed into various improved and different forms, but specific embodiments are shown in the drawings as examples and described in detail below. However, it is intended not to limit the present technology to the specific embodiments described. On the contrary, the present technology is intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives belonging to the scope of the technology defined by the appended claims. Detailed Description

[0041] Examples will be described in detail below. It should be understood that specific examples are given for illustrative purposes only. Those skilled in the relevant technical fields will understand that other components and configurations can be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the subject matter of the present disclosure. Examples can include systems, processes, devices, methods implemented by machines, computing devices, or computer-readable media.

[0042] As used herein, the Tx panel and the Rx panel may also be referred to as the Tx antenna aperture and the Rx antenna aperture. Further, a single Tx layer or Rx layer of an antenna may be referred to as a patch, or an antenna, or a patch antenna, or a microstrip patch antenna, or a layer, or an aperture. Also, in some examples, the full-duplex patch antenna includes a Tx layer, an Rx layer, and a ground layer, and these layers are parallel to each other and spaced apart within a planar substrate made of a dielectric material such as a printed circuit board (PCB). The patch layers can be connected to each other using vias.

[0043] As described above, in the scenario of full-duplex satellite communication, at least a portion of the power of the transmitted signal may, unfortunately, return to the receiving portion of the circuit after being radiated. The transmitted signal is typically transmitted at a fairly high power level. However, the received signal is typically received at a very low power level. The signal energy fed back from the Tx signal may be greater than the noise floor of the Rx signal, thereby potentially interfering with the Rx signal that is surely received. By reducing such coupling, the reliability of the received signal during full-duplex operation can be improved. One or more embodiments described herein provide, among other advantages, a full-duplex antenna system and an isolation method for reducing the coupling from the transmit signal path to the receive signal path, thereby enabling full-duplex communication, to solve one or more of the above-described problems in the art. In one embodiment, the full-duplex antenna system includes a transmitter signal path including one or more elements each including a controller, a distribution network, a power amplifier, one or more filters, and a transmit port of a transmit patch antenna operating in a transmit frequency band for transmitting a signal to a satellite. The full-duplex antenna system example further includes a receive signal path within the one or more elements, and the receive signal path includes a distribution network and a low-noise amplifier driven by a receive port of a receive patch antenna operating in a receive frequency band for receiving an incoming signal from the satellite. The receive frequency band is separated from the transmit frequency band by a protection frequency band, and the filter having an isolation structure and the physical separation between the transmit signal path and the receive signal path provide sufficient isolation to reduce the coupling between the transmit signal path and the receive signal path, enabling the satellite antenna to operate in full-duplex.

[0044] The isolation structure means an embodiment within the antenna module that improves coupling isolation.

[0045] Furthermore, in certain embodiments, it should be noted that the protection frequency band, referred to as the protection bandwidth, is the frequency difference between the Tx frequency band and the Rx frequency band. In other embodiments, the antenna system includes M Tx / Rx user terminal elements (UTEs). Each UTE is application agnostic and includes a Tx / Rx antenna that generates an incoming signal in response to incident satellite radio waves and simultaneously transmits a transmitted signal. Each Tx / Rx UTE includes an active circuit that processes the incoming signal and the transmitted signal, and a control circuit that controls the processing performed by the M active circuits. The antenna system further includes N user terminal modules (UTMs), each of which includes a daisy chain consisting of O of the M active circuits. Each UTM further includes a buffer placed after every P active circuits to correct for degradation occurring within the daisy chain. M can be adjusted such that the antenna area and the corresponding throughput and bandwidth available for an application are adjustable and scalable. Furthermore, since the same Tx-Rx UTE can be used in multiple different applications, application agnostic Tx / Rx UTEs can be manufactured in large quantities at a relatively low cost. Another sub-isolation means is being attempted, but it cannot enjoy the benefits of the present invention. For example, in another approach, a full-duplex phased array system includes separate Tx and Rx panels, which are separated until sufficient isolation is achieved. However, such an approach requires a large space between the panels and cannot be continued unless it provides a small aperture antenna as provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure. Such another approach, in contrast to the embodiments disclosed herein, cannot support applications that require a high data rate with a small surface area. In other sub-approaches, additional isolation between the transmission signal path and the reception signal path is obtained by using different specific polarizations for the Tx beam and the Rx beam.In contrast, embodiments of the present disclosure require only a system having any polarization, or even one that can change the polarization to satisfy changing requirements.

[0046] In operation, embodiments of the present disclosure can operate in full-duplex mode even though the Tx signal path is coupled to the Rx signal path because the following Equation 1 is satisfied as can be seen by the low-noise amplifier (LNA) input 438 (FIG. 4A).

[0047] Equation 1 P out -I total ≦f critical Noise Floor at

[0048] Here, P out is the power level at frequency f critical transmitted from the system to the satellite.

[0049] I total is the total isolation at f critical Noise Floor is the noise floor of the low-noise amplifier.

[0050] f

[0051] is the highest frequency in the Rx band where the Tx power coupling is expected to be highest. critical The application of Equation 1 is further shown and described below.

[0052]

[0053] ​As described further below, a full-duplex antenna system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a transmit signal path that drives a transmit antenna patch using a power amplifier and a receive signal path that receives a signal from the receive antenna patch to a low-noise amplifier. The transmit signal path and the receive signal path simultaneously operate in transmit and receive frequency bands separated by guard bands. As described below, an embodiment of the present disclosure includes one or more of the filters listed in Table 1. Table 1 lists eight possible filters, one or more of which may be included in the full-duplex antenna system of the present disclosure. Table 1 also lists one or more advantages of each filter. In operation, one or more or even all of the listed filters may be used to increase isolation between the transmit and receive signal paths. [Table 1]

[0054] Filters 1 through 8 are implemented using filtering techniques appropriate to their function in terms of power handling and guard band requirements. Some examples of filter technologies that can be used include waveguide filters, coaxial filters, dielectric filters, and filters embedded in PCBs. Embedded filters in PCBs include, but are not limited to, stripline and microstrip filters, and surface acoustic wave (SAW) filters. Additionally, any of these filters may be tunable, where the resonant frequency and guard bands can be controlled via signal processing. Furthermore, the filters may be implemented as low-pass, high-pass, band-pass, band-stop, or notch filters.

[0055] Advantageously, the filter together with the isolation structure provides sufficient total isolation between the transmit and receive signal paths to reduce coupling and allow a full-duplex antenna system to operate in full duplex.

[0056] Figure 1 shows a block diagram illustrating the overview and architecture of a satellite communication system 100. As shown, the satellite communication system 100 includes a satellite 110 that communicates with a satellite communication panel 116 of a modular gateway antenna system 115 using a satellite communication panel 112. The modular gateway antenna system 115 communicates with an infrastructure 120 and then with the Internet 125. The satellite 110 further communicates with a satellite communication panel (UTP) 132 of a modular satellite user terminal antenna system 130 and a UTP 172 of a modular satellite user terminal antenna system 170 using a satellite communication panel 114. Various additional satellite communication devices are included and connected as shown for communication with the satellite 110. Such additional devices include UTMs 134, 142, 152, and 157, modular wireless antenna systems 140, 150 and 160, and user devices 135, 145, 155, 165, and 175. User device 145 uses a UTE 144.

[0057] Figure 2A shows an antenna system for performing full-duplex communication according to an embodiment. As shown, UTP 210 includes a Tx panel 202 and an Rx panel 204, and these panels have a total isolation I total 209 that is caused only by the distance between them.

[0058] Figure 2B shows a Tx-Rx antenna panel used in full-duplex communication according to an embodiment. As shown, UTP 210 includes a Tx panel 202 disposed above an Rx panel 204. Also shown is the total isolation I total 209 between the Tx panel and the Rx panel. Since the panels are very close to each other, I total 209 is not due to the distance between these panels.

[0059] Figure 2C shows a Tx-Rx antenna system used in full-duplex communication according to an embodiment. As shown, the UTP210 includes a Tx panel 202 disposed below the Rx panel 204. Also, the total isolation I total 209 is shown. Since the panels are very close to each other, I total 209 is not due to the distance between these panels.

[0060] Figure 3A shows a cross-sectional view of an antenna board mounted on a module board connected to a controller board used in a beam-scanning antenna according to an example. As shown, the module assembly 300 includes an antenna PCB 301 that includes a Tx layer 302 on top of an Rx layer 304. The UT antenna structure is etched on the Tx layer 302 and the Rx layer 304.

[0061] Also, the module assembly 300 includes a module PCB 306 on which active circuit elements are placed. Also shown is a controller PCB 308 connected to the module port using a ribbon cable.

[0062] Figure 3B shows a plan and perspective view of 16 antenna boards mounted on a module board used in a beam-scanning antenna system according to an example. The module assembly 350 is shown in both a plan view where a plurality of antenna elements 352 are visible and a perspective view where both the antenna PCB 351 and the module PCB 356 are visible. In one embodiment, as shown here, the antenna PCB 351 is a multilayer board and includes a Tx antenna patch on top of the Rx antenna patch as shown with respect to Figure 3A. These patches may be separated by one or more other layers, and the total isolation I totalIt may be increased. In some embodiments, the Tx antenna patch and the Rx antenna patch are composed of separate PCBs, while in other embodiments, they are arranged together on different layers of the same PCB.

[0063] FIG. 4A is a block diagram showing a Tx signal chain and an Rx signal chain connected to an antenna element used in full-duplex communication according to an embodiment.

[0064] Transmission / Reception Signal Path: As shown, the antenna element block diagram 400 includes a transmission signal path. This transmission signal path includes, connected in sequence, a Tx port (which receives an analog input from the modem of the user device), a filter 1 404, a splitter 406 (the splitter is also referred to herein as a Tx distribution network), a power amplifier 408, a filter 2 410, a filter 3 412, a filter 4 416, and is connected to a transmission antenna patch 418 via a transmission port 414. Also shown is the reception signal path, which includes, connected in sequence, a reception antenna patch 420 connected to a filter 5 424 via a port 422, a filter 6 426 driven by the filter 5 424, a filter 7 428 driven by the filter 6 426, a low-noise amplifier 430 driven by the filter 7 428, an RF combiner (the combiner is also referred to herein as an Rx distribution network) 432 driven by the low-noise amplifier 430, a filter 8 434 driven by the RF combiner 432, and an Rx port (which supplies an analog output to the modem of the user device). Also, the P at the output of PA408 out is 436, and the P at the input of LNA430 in is shown as 438.

[0065] In some embodiments, one or more RF splitters in the transmission signal path are also referred to as a distribution network or a combining network. In other embodiments, one or more RF combiners in the reception signal path are also referred to as a distribution network or a combining network.

[0066] Coupling Channel Figure 4A shows six different coupling channels between two circuit locations. Considerable coupling can occur in these coupling channels. Table 2 shows the six routing channels shown in Figure 4A and indicates the measures taken by embodiments of the present disclosure to resolve or minimize coupling during full-duplex operation. [Table 2]

[0067] Filter Placement: Figure 4A shows five different coupling opportunities between the Tx signal path and the Rx signal path and coupling opportunities to the Tx signal path of adjacent antenna elements. Selecting the type of filtering structure and the location of the filter is part of implementing full-duplex communication. It should be noted that the location where the filter is placed can affect the effectiveness of isolation, so the filter location is a concern. For example, since filter 2410 is placed after power amplifier 408, it improves I coupled4 , I coupled5 , and I coupled6 .

[0068] Filter Design: Table 3 lists the eight filters shown in Figure 4A, which are also listed in Table 1, and describes the type of each filter, either a bandpass filter (BPF) or a notch filter. Table 2 also shows the contribution of the filter to I total .

[0069] Filter Selection: Each of the filters in Figure 4A is outlined in dotted lines, indicating that they are optional. One antenna embodiment includes all eight filters, while other embodiments include only one filter. [Table 3]

[0070] Definition As used herein, several terms are used to describe embodiments of the present disclosure, some of which are defined as follows:

[0071] P out is transmitted from the system to the satellite (at frequency f critical The power level is

[0072] P in is the power level of the intended received signal coming from the satellite, assumed to be above the noise floor.

[0073] f critical is the highest frequency in the Rx band where the Tx power is expected to be the highest in that band, creating a potential violation of the critical calculation above.

[0074] Skirt is the P out and f critical P in out Skirt is the difference (dB) between Tx and RX. Skirt is determined by the Tx instantaneous bandwidth, frequency division multiplexing scheme and modulation scheme. In this analysis, Skirt is considered to be a constant within a range of 40 dB.

[0075] Noise Floor is the noise floor of the low noise amplifier.

[0076] I total is f critical is the total effective isolation from system input to system output at

[0077] Throughout this analysis, the isolation value (I total , I effective2 , and I filtered4Terms such as ) are described as positive numbers. However, the same value is measured as a negative S-parameter on a spectrum analyzer or network analyzer, similar to the relationship between S11 and the reflection attenuation amount.

[0078] I total is the least efficient isolation I effective which is approximately equal to the coupling channel having. Therefore, all I effective#s values are such that I total it is important to improve I effective#s until it becomes higher than the target value for.

[0079] I effective1 = I filtered1 + I coupled1

[0080] I effective2 = I filtered1 + I coupled2

[0081] I effective3 = I coupled3 (which can be reduced by shielding if necessary)

[0082] I effective4 = I filtered2 + I filtered3 + I coupled4

[0083] I effective5 = I filtered2 + I filtered3 + I filtered4 + I coupled5

[0084] I effective6 = I filtered2 + I filtered3 + I filtered4 + I coupled6

[0085] Advantages of the Filters of the Present Disclosure The full-duplex antenna system of the present disclosure, insulated using one or more of the eight filters listed in Tables 1 and 3, has several advantages over the other sub-approaches described above.

[0086] First, the full-duplex antenna system of the present disclosure can be useful in applications that require high data rates with limited antenna surface area. For example, the full-duplex antenna system of the present disclosure can be used in small devices such as handheld devices that require a lot of data traffic (e.g., for internet browsing or real-time streaming) despite having limited antenna size. Another sub-solution that resolves self-interference by simply increasing the distance between the half-duplex receiving patch antenna and the half-duplex transmitting patch antenna does not function when such a small aperture is required.

[0087] Second, the full-duplex antenna system of the present disclosure has the advantage that it does not need to fix the polarization of the antenna elements to improve the isolation between the antenna elements. The full-duplex antenna system of the present disclosure is operable for any polarization and can even dynamically adjust the polarization as needed.

[0088] FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view of an antenna element used in full-duplex communication according to an embodiment. As shown, the antenna element UTE450 includes a Tx patch 452 disposed slightly above and separated from the Rx patch 454. The Rx antenna and the Tx antenna are sometimes referred to as apertures. Also, the coupling I coupled4 between the Tx feed line and the Rx feed line and the coupling I coupled5 between the Tx patch 452 and the Rx patch 454 are shown. The Tx patch 452 is connected to a Tx connector 456. Similarly, the Rx patch 454 is connected to an Rx connector 458. Also, P out at the output of PA408 is 436, and P in at the input of LNA430 is 438.

[0089] Figure 4C shows an antenna module including a plurality of antenna elements for full-duplex communication according to an embodiment. As shown, the antenna module 480 (user terminal module, i.e., UTM) includes an array of antenna elements 470 (UTE). Here, the antenna element 470 (UTE) is an antenna element and includes a Tx antenna aperture located above the Rx antenna aperture. However, when viewed from above, only the Tx antenna aperture is visible. One of the antenna elements, UTE490, is shown as having a strong coupling to adjacent UTEs and a weak coupling to more distant UTEs.

[0090] In other embodiments (not shown), the full-duplex antenna system includes an Rx antenna located above the Tx antenna.

[0091] Figure 5A is a graph showing the ideal spectra 500 of the Tx power P out 504 and the low-noise amplifier power input P in 502 according to an embodiment. As shown, the graph 500 shows the power spectrum of the Rx signal at the input of the LNA438 (Figure 4A). The graph 500 shows the power spectrum of the Tx signal at the output of the PA436 (Figure 4A).

[0092] Intentionally, the maximum level 524 of P in is designed to occur over the Rx bandwidth 512 showing P in at the LNA input 438 (Figure 4A). The maximum level 522 of P out is designed to occur over the Tx bandwidth 518 showing P out at the output of the PA436 (Figure 4A). The Tx bandwidth 518 is separated from the Rx bandwidth 512 by a guard band 516. As can be understood, this is an ideal state where the Tx power P critical is zero at f out 514 and the power that is zero is lower than the noise floor 526.

[0093] 5B is a graph showing an actual spectrum 530 of Tx and Rx signal power. As shown, graph 532 shows the Rx signal at the input of LNA 438 (FIG. 4A) and graph 534 shows the Tx signal at the output of LNA 438 (FIG. 4A). By design, P in The maximum level of occurs over the Rx bandwidth 542, and P out The maximum level of f occurs over the Tx bandwidth 548, which is separated from the Rx bandwidth 542 by a guard band 546. critical 544 is the frequency at which the risk of adverse effects from the Tx signal path to the Rx signal path is greatest. out and f critical P in out The skirt 538 is shown, which is the difference (dB) between the Tx instantaneous bandwidth, the frequency division multiplexing scheme, the modulation scheme, and the output power. The skirt is determined by the Tx instantaneous bandwidth, the frequency division multiplexing scheme, the modulation scheme, and the output power. For the purposes of this analysis, the skirt is considered to be a constant outside the control of the system. As can be seen, without the filter and isolation techniques of the presently disclosed embodiments, f critical P in out 552 is f critical P in in Higher than 554. For reliable full-duplex operation, f critical P to the Tx signal path before the LNA at out The coupling of must be below the noise floor 556, which is achieved by the filter and isolation techniques of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0094] 5C is a graph showing an actual spectrum 560 illustrating the coupling of signal power from the transmit path to the receive signal path, according to one embodiment. In this figure, the Tx signal spectrum and the Rx signal spectrum are shown at two locations in the block diagram of FIG. 4A. In particular, graph 564 shows the P outIt is a spectrum, and graph 574 is the P that can be coupled to the Rx signal path, measured at the input of LNA438 (Figure 4A). out It is a spectrum. Further, graph 562 is the P at the input of LNA438 (Figure 4A). in It is a spectrum. P out The power mainly exists in the Tx bandwidth 582. Since there is no useful signal in the guard band 580 and filter transitions are observed, it should be noted that the power outside this band can be filtered within the Tx signal chain without adversely affecting the Tx signal. 562 is the power of the Rx signal received by the antenna and mostly has power located in the Rx bandwidth 572. As can be understood, the total isolation 570 between the Tx signal path and the Rx signal path, which is composed of the sum of the isolation by filter 576 and the isolation by the isolation structure in the coupling channel 566, reduces the Tx power P critical at the critical frequency f out to a power level lower than the power level of the noise floor. Advantageously, during full-duplex communication, the Rx signal path can be used without being affected by coupling from the Tx signal path.

[0095] FIG. 6A is a block diagram illustrating an example modular architecture of an antenna panel 600 (or user termination panel) formed by multiple antenna modules, UTMs 620, according to one embodiment. As used herein, the antenna panel 600 is sometimes referred to as a satellite antenna system or UTP (user termination panel). More specifically, the example of FIG. 6A illustrates an antenna panel 600 (or user termination panel) formed by multiple antenna modules, UTMs 620. The antenna panel 600 (or user termination panel) may be any of the antenna panels shown and described with reference to FIG. 1 (e.g., satellite communication panels 112, 114, or 116), although other configurations are contemplated. Additionally, while the UTMs 620 are primarily shown as having an octagonal form factor, it will be understood that other form factors, such as triangular, square, rectangular, circular, etc., are also contemplated, including combinations and variations thereof.

[0096] FIG. 6B shows a block diagram illustrating an example system (beam-scanning antenna) for transmitting and receiving satellite radio signals in full duplex, according to one embodiment. As shown, satellite antenna system 601 includes a mechanical chassis 604 containing a power supply 605 and multiple user terminal modules UTM 606A, UTM 606B, through UTM 606N (N equals 16). Each UTM includes 16 daisy-chained UTEs. These are examples of UTEs 144, each including active circuitry 654 and antenna aperture 652 (in one embodiment, a UTE includes both an Rx antenna aperture and a Tx antenna aperture). In other embodiments, more than 16 UTEs are daisy-chained. The processing performed by the active circuitry of the UTEs is controlled by UT control 608.

[0097] As shown, each combiner receives signals from four UTMs, so the 16 UTMs provide 16 analog signals to the first level RF combiners, shown as distribution network 610A, distribution network 610B, through distribution network 610N (N equals 4). A second combining level RF combiner 612 combines the signals from the first level. It should be noted that in other embodiments, there may be more or fewer combiners. It should also be noted that the number of levels of combiners may vary. In other words, while two levels of combiners are shown in FIG. 6B, there may be more or fewer levels in other embodiments.

[0098] Also shown are UT antennas 616A, 616B through 616M, where M equals 256, N equals 16, and the number of UTEs per O and UTM equals 16.

[0099] In operation, the antenna panel 600 provides satellite communications for personal computer applications, in which case the antenna panel 600 communicates with a satellite 110, which is shown as including the satellite communications panel 214.

[0100] In one embodiment, each of the M antennas of the M UTEs is tuned to one or more of a plurality of different frequency ranges. In one embodiment, each of the antennas of each of the UT modules is identical. As shown, the incoming signal received from each UTE's antenna is an analog voltage, each of the M active circuits receives, processes, and generates an output signal having an analog voltage, and each of the N UTMs generates an analog signal that is combined with analog signals from the other UTMs. The received radio signals are transmitted from RF combiner 612 to modem (transceiver) 614, which provides these signals to a device 618, such as a TV or Internet receiver.

[0101] FIG. 7 shows a method for full-duplex communication with a satellite using an antenna system array according to an embodiment. As shown, flow 700 starts at 702. Operation 704 requires preparing a full-duplex antenna system including a controller and a transmission signal path including one or more elements each including a distribution network, a power amplifier, one or more filters, and one or more transmission ports of a transmission patch antenna operating in a transmission frequency band for transmitting a transmission signal to a satellite. Each of the one or more elements further includes a low-noise amplifier driven by a reception port of a reception patch antenna operating in a reception frequency band for receiving an incoming signal from the satellite. The reception frequency band is separated from the transmission frequency band by a guard band. And operation 706 requires operation in full-duplex mode. The one or more filters form an effective isolation between the transmission signal path and the reception signal path together with an isolation structure. This effective isolation is greater than a threshold amount for reducing the coupling between the transmission signal path and the reception signal path, enabling the antenna system to operate in full-duplex mode.

[0102] 1. Maintaining Orthogonal Polarization Tx and Rx Beams As used herein, an active circuit is sometimes also referred to as a chip, an RFIC, a beamformer, and a beamforming RFIC. It is assumed that the Tx beamforming RFIC of the present disclosure has a power amplifier (PA) at an RF output pin and the Rx beamforming RFIC has an LNA at an RF input pin.

[0103] Figure 8A shows a full-duplex antenna according to an embodiment. As shown, antenna 800 includes a Tx horizontal feed 802, an Rx horizontal feed 804, a Tx vertical feed 806, an Rx vertical feed 808, a beamforming Tx RFIC 810 (radio frequency integrated circuit), a beamforming Rx RFIC 812, a Tx distribution network 814, and an Rx distribution network 816. Here, the beamforming Tx RFIC 810 and the beamforming Rx RFIC 812 are connected to four ports of the antenna. In this example, the Tx patch and the Rx patch are arranged together on different layers of the same PCB, realizing a single shared aperture.

[0104] Antenna 800 is a 4-port antenna connected to two RFICs. The beamforming Tx RFIC 810 has a single input, an RF power splitter, and multiple outputs, with phase control P Tx1 and P Tx2 acting on each output, and amplitude control A Tx1 and A Tx2 The beamforming Rx RFIC 812 has a single input, an RF power combiner, and multiple inputs, with phase control P Rx1 and P Rx2 acting on each output, and amplitude control A Rx1 and A Rx2 having.

[0105] Furthermore, each antenna has two orthogonal linear ports that enable independent control of the horizontal and vertical polarizations of the Tx beam and the Rx beam. In particular, the phase (P Tx1 , P Tx2 , P Rx1 , P Rx2 ) and amplitude (A Tx1 , A Tx2 , A Rx1 , A Rx2 ) pass through the four ports to achieve full polarization agility where any circular polarization and any linear polarization beam are possible.

[0106] To partially reduce the coupling between the Tx patch and the Rx patch, in other words, to improve I coupled5 In order to improve, the Tx beam and the Rx beam must have orthogonal polarizations. For example, in FIG. 8A, AT x1 AR x1 is set as high as possible, and the amplitudes AT x2 AR x2 are set as low as possible. When only port 1 is excited, the Tx beam becomes horizontal and the Rx beam becomes vertical.

[0107] FIG. 8B shows the electric field generated in this example. FIG. 8B shows a top view of an antenna element according to an embodiment. As shown, the antenna element 830 includes a 4-port antenna 832 having two excitation ports 834. FIG. 8B shows another example of a 4-port antenna used in full-duplex communication according to an embodiment. As shown, the 4-port antenna 832 includes two excitation ports 834.

[0108] Although the 4-port antenna 832 is shown, the RFIC is not shown. When the two ports 834 are excited, the electric field spreads and induces coupling. These ports can be driven orthogonally as shown to avoid coupling. In order to maintain orthogonality in different polarizations, the phase and amplitude control of the beamforming Tx RFIC 810 and the beamforming Rx RFIC 812 can be used to maintain the orthogonal polarization between the Tx beam and the Rx beam.

[0109] For example, embodiments using linear polarization use the following rules.

[0110] P Tx1 =P Tx2 =P Rx1 =P Rx2

[0111] A Tx1 =A Rx1

[0112] A Tx2=A Rx2

[0113] On the one hand, the embodiment using circular polarization uses the following rules.

[0114] P Tx1 =P Tx2 ±90 degrees

[0115] P Rx1 =P Rx2 ±90 degrees

[0116] A Tx1 =A Rx1 =A Tx2 =A Rx2

[0117] FIG. 8C shows a cross-sectional view of two antenna elements in which the Tx patch and the Rx patch are in two different relative positions according to an embodiment. As shown, the antenna element 860 includes an Rx patch 864 disposed above the Tx patch 862 and above the ground layer 866. In contrast, the antenna element 870 includes a Tx patch 872 disposed above the Rx patch 874 and above the ground layer 876.

[0118] In operation, since the Tx radiation must pass through the Rx patch 864 for the antenna element 860, a stronger coupling (e.g., I coupled5 ) is expected from the Tx patch 862 to the Rx patch 864. On the other hand, since the Tx radiation does not need to pass through the antenna 874 for the antenna element 870, only a weak coupling (e.g., I coupled5 ) is expected from the Tx patch 872 to the Rx patch 874.

[0119] Using a four-port antenna such as that shown in Figure 8A has many advantages over conventional circular patch antennas, including wider bandwidth and simpler design. Among the advantages of using the four-port antenna shown in Figure 8A is the ability to control phase and amplitude, and ultimately polarization agility, by using dual linear antennas and RFICs with at least two ports. Such capabilities are particularly advantageous when compared to circularly polarized (CP) feeding of antennas, which attempts to introduce a 90-degree phase shift within the antenna.

[0120] 2.I coupled5 Parasitic Structures for Improvement 9A shows a cross-sectional view of an antenna element, according to one embodiment. As shown, the antenna 900 includes a Tx antenna layer 902 disposed above an Rx antenna layer 904, and above a ground layer 906, similar to the antenna element 870 (FIG. 8C). However, here, the antenna 900 further includes an internal parasitic structure layer 908 disposed between the Tx antenna layer 902 and the Rx antenna layer 904. In one embodiment, the internal parasitic structure layer 908 is disposed between the Tx antenna and the Rx antenna, and a parasitic structure can be etched thereon. Advantageously ... critical In I coupled5 (Tx to Rx antenna coupling as shown in FIG. 4A). As a further advantage, the internal parasitic structure layer 908 is not expected to adversely affect the performance of the antenna patch or the Rx antenna patch.

[0121] In one embodiment, the internal parasitic structure layer 908 is etched into a PCB (printed circuit board) along the xy plane using standard PCB manufacturing techniques and is placed between the Tx antenna layer 902 and the Rx antenna layer 904. The internal parasitic structure layer 908 can also be configured to surround the patches and not necessarily be directly confined between the patches.

[0122] In other embodiments, although not shown, by stacking a plurality of internal parasitic structures on each other, a more complex internal parasitic structure can be formed to achieve an equivalent RLC (resistance, inductance, capacitance) resonance value, and advantageously improve I coupled5 In order to improve, a more complex internal parasitic structure can be formed by stacking a plurality of internal parasitic structures on top of each other respectively.

[0123] FIG. 9B shows a parallel equivalent circuit of an internal parasitic structure layer as used in an embodiment. As shown, the antenna element 930 includes a Tx patch 932, an Rx patch 934, and an equivalent circuit 938 representing the attributes of an internal parasitic structure layer (not shown) disposed between the patches. Using the equivalent circuit 938, in contrast to going directly to the Rx antenna, a parallel RLC1 circuit is used to model the extent to which signals coupled at f critical through the internal parasitic structure layer can be absorbed by the GND, and thus I coupled5 can be improved. Note that the RLC1 equivalent circuit is a simplified equivalent circuit, and other equivalent circuits such as additional resistive losses and radiation losses are omitted.

[0124] FIG. 9C shows a series equivalent circuit of an internal parasitic structure layer as used in an embodiment. As shown, the antenna element 960 includes a Tx patch 962, an Rx patch 964, and an equivalent circuit 968 representing the electrical characteristics of an internal parasitic structure layer (not shown) disposed between the patches. Here, the equivalent circuit 968 models the attributes of the internal parasitic structure layer using a series connection of C, R, and L. The equivalent circuit 968 can be used for advantages similar to those of the equivalent circuit 938 (FIG. 9B).

[0125] As shown, the equivalent circuits 938 and 968 provide a path for unwanted frequencies in the vicinity of f critical to be absorbed by the GND, as opposed to going directly to the Rx patch, and thus I coupled5 is improved.

[0126] 3.I coupled6Parasitic Structures for Improvement 10A shows a side view of two antenna elements, according to one embodiment. As shown, an antenna panel 1000 includes an antenna element 1010 including a Tx patch 1012, an Rx patch 1014, and an internal parasitic structure 1018, and a Tx-Rx antenna 1020 including a Tx patch 1022, an Rx patch 1024, and an internal parasitic structure 1028. Here, external parasitic structures 1002, 1004, and 1006 are disposed around and between the Tx-Rx antennas 1010 and 1020. Each of the external parasitic structures 1002, 1004, and 1006 reduces the coupling I between a pair of antenna elements. coupled6 In one embodiment, a pattern is etched between adjacent antenna elements, which acts as an insulating structure to reduce the critical frequency f critical In I coupled6 To form an isolation structure that improves

[0127] 10B shows a simplified equivalent circuit for an antenna element with internal parasitic structures, according to one embodiment. Each RLC block can be designed for whatever frequency is used. As shown, the simplified RLC equalizer circuit includes a Tx patch 1032, an Rx patch 1034, and an RLC internal 1038, a Tx-Rx antenna 1030, a Tx patch 1042, an Rx patch 1044, and an RLC internal 10. The circuit diagram illustrates the RLC circuitry in the PCB fabrication process, modeling the Tx-Rx antenna 1040 and the Tx-Rx antenna 1040 including the parasitic structures 1048. Also included are equivalent RLC models for the external parasitic structures 1050, 1052, 1054, 1056, and 1058. Advantageously, by combining drill and etch techniques to tailor the patterning in PCB fabrication, RLC circuits can be realized on the PCB, arranged in either series or parallel.

[0128] Figure 10C shows a top view of two antenna elements according to an embodiment. As shown, the external parasitic structure 1060 is partially realized by a ring of vias 1062 around each of the antenna elements 1070 and 1080. The antenna elements 1070 and 1080 are each connected to an external parasitic structure 1064 etched on the layer between the upper layer and the GND bottom layer. Some vias, such as via 1066, extend from the upper layer (Tx antenna layer) to GND. The ring of vias 1062 is coupled in the upper layer, which is the same layer as the Tx antenna layer, by a metal strip 1068. The via pitch needs to be less than λ / 8, where λ (lambda) is the wavelength corresponding to F TxMax which is the highest frequency in the Tx band. Thereby, a vertical via wall structure is formed that acts as an isolation structure between adjacent antennas in the array, improving isolation I coupled6 and thereby improving I effective6 .

[0129] 4.I coupled1 and I coupled2 Distribution Network Isolation for Improvement Figure 11A shows an example of a distribution network for a module-type PCB according to an embodiment. As shown, the Tx distribution network 1102 and the Rx distribution network 1104 have the same shape but are rotated 90 degrees with respect to each other and routed on two different layers. A top view 1106 is also shown representing an embodiment in which the Tx distribution network 1102 is disposed above the Rx distribution network 1104. Orthogonality and ground shielding provide advantageous isolation that can improve I coupled1 and I coupled2 .

[0130] For simplicity of explanation, the Tx distribution network 1102 and the Rx distribution network 1104 are shown separately, and a top view 1106 when stacked is also shown. In other words, 1106 shows the top view obtained when the Tx RFIC is placed on top of the Rx RFIC.

[0131] In one embodiment, the embedded Tx and Rx power dividers are implemented using a Wilkinson design. The Wilkinson design is a standard three-port RF device for splitting or combining signals. For this antenna system, since the operation of the antenna system ensures that the two signals to be combined have exactly the same amplitude and phase, no reflection occurs, and thus no termination resistor is required on the outer layer of the PCB. This advantageously realizes an internal stripline power divider that can be simulated for the frequency band used, and improves the isolation I coupled1 to improve.

[0132] FIG. 11B shows a side view of a stacked antenna element 1130 according to an embodiment. As shown, the Tx trace 1132 and the Rx trace 1134 and their distribution networks are placed on clearly different PCB layers, there is at least one ground layer 1136 separating the PCB layers, and vias extending along the traces, forming a stripline coplanar waveguide.

[0133] 5.I filtered4 Antenna with Integrated Filter for Realization FIG. 12A shows a filter 4 used in an antenna according to an embodiment. As shown at 1202, the filter 4 1204 (an example of the filter 4 416 in FIG. 4A) is in series with the antenna 1206. However, an antenna 1212 with the filter 4 1214 embedded is also shown, and the filter does not occupy additional space and can advantageously be completely embedded within the antenna.

[0134] FIG. 12B shows an example of the embedded filter 4 according to an embodiment. As shown by 1230, the pattern in the Tx antenna is etched to generate a non-radiating resonant filter. As shown, in the Tx antenna 1232, a U-shaped pattern 1234 is etched. On the other hand, in the Tx antenna 1242, a row pattern 1244 is etched and functions as the filter 4. Advantageously, the filter 4 embedded in either the Tx antenna 1232 or the Tx antenna 1242 is expected to provide a certain degree of Tx signal isolation from the vicinity of the Rx antenna, Rx element, and Rx signal path.

[0135] FIG. 12C shows the frequency responses (1260) of a Tx antenna (1266) with the filter 4 and a Tx antenna (1264) without the filter 4. The vertical axis is the S11 measurement value equivalent to the reciprocal of the reflection attenuation, which indicates the amount of energy radiated from the antenna at that frequency. The lower the S11, the higher the radiated power.

[0136] In FIG. 12C, the Tx antenna response 1264 without a filter produces a reflection attenuation of -5 dB at f critical (1262), which means that some power is radiated at this frequency. Also, FIG. 12C plots the Tx antenna response with the embedded filter, and a sharp response 1268 occurs in a band away from the Rx antenna bandwidth. The reflection attenuation at f critical (1266) is approximately 0 dB, which indicates that almost zero power is radiated by the Tx antenna at f critical . This means that the presence of the filter 4 helps to avoid power radiation and coupling to the nearby Rx antenna. The filter 4 is I effective5 and I effective6Improve isolation by improving effective5 . .

[0137] 6.I filtered2 and I filtered7 High-Density Integrated PCB Notch Filter for Realization A notch filter can be used to implement Filter 2, an example of Filter 2410 (Figure 4A). In certain embodiments, critical stubs can be used to filter frequencies near f. Filter 2 provides the advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure insofar as it filters the frequency skirts generated by the PA (such as the power amplifier 408 of Figure 4A) due to the non-linear nature of the PA. Since Filter 2 is located after the PA, it can improve isolation in coupling channels I coupled3 , I coupled4 , I coupled5 , and I coupled6 . The advantage of the embedded configuration of the embodiments of the present disclosure is that there is no need to install an off-the-shelf Filter 3, which is too large and very expensive for use at the device level. Additionally, an integrated filter can be placed closer to the RFIC than a component filter, thereby predicting an improvement in isolation in coupling channel I coupled3 .

[0138] The notch filter configuration may provide advantages of embodiments of the present disclosure due to its compactness and simplicity. In some embodiments, it is a bandpass filter (to filter the entire Rx frequency band, such as Rx bandwidths 512, 542, and 572 in FIGS. 5A-5C), but with f critical The notch filter placed at f critical It is possible to provide sufficient isolation in close proximity so that the falling frequency skirt of the Tx signal within the Rx frequency band falls below the noise floor and does not compromise the performance of the system.

[0139] In some embodiments, the filter 2 is located on only one plane of the PCB, and therefore takes up a lot of space on the outer layer of the PCB, where space for the RFIC is already limited due to the spatial requirements of the technology, and this may prevent a full-duplex antenna system from being built.

[0140] 13 illustrates an example of Filter 2, according to an embodiment. A top view 1330 of Filter 2 is shown, illustrating Tx pin 1332, RFIC 1334, GND pin 1336, GND via 1338, Tx output 1340, and stub 1342 via. A side view 1360 of Filter 2 is also illustrated, illustrating the overall length of Tx pin 1362, RFIC 1364, GND via 1368, Tx output 1370, and stub 1372. As illustrated, Filter 2 1330 is a densely integrated PCB notch filter that uses many layers of a PCB.

[0141] Some embodiments of Filter 2 1360 offer several advantages. First, Filter 2 1360 occupies very little space on the outer layer of the PCB, making it suitable for applications that require filtering very close to the pins of a multi-output RFIC, for example. Second, the stubs are routed vertically across the PCB in a serpentine pattern to achieve the full stub length. Third, the length and width of the signal vias and traces can be tailored to achieve the desired performance. Fourth, GND vias placed around the perimeter of this structure prevent coupling from other sensitive traces.

[0142] 7.I coupled3 、I coupled4 and I coupled5 Active Cancellation for Improvement 14A illustrates a Tx-Rx antenna with active cancellation of the Tx signal, according to one embodiment. As shown, antenna element 1400 includes a transmit signal path including, in order, a Tx port (for receiving an analog input from a user device modem), filter 1 1404, splitter 1406, power amplifier 1408, filter 2 1410, filter 3 1412, and filter 4 1416 connected to a transmit patch antenna 1418 via transmit port 1414. Also shown is a receive signal path including, in order: a receive patch antenna 1420 connected to filter 5 1424 via port 1422. Filter 5 1424 drives Filter 6 1426, which drives Filter 7 1428, which drives Low Noise Amplifier 1430, which drives RF Combiner 1432, which drives Filter 8 1434, which drives the Rx port (to provide an analog output to the user device's modem). Note that the filters are each shown with a dotted border to emphasize that they are optional, and each may be included as needed.

[0143] Also, P at the output of PA1408 out at position 1436, and P at the input of LNA1430 in are marked at position 1438. Also shown is an active cancellation 1437 that receives a signal from position 1436 of the Tx signal path and provides correction means to position 1438 of the Rx signal path.

[0144] FIG. 14B shows an antenna element using active cancellation of a Tx signal according to an embodiment. As shown, the 4-port antenna 1450 includes vertical and horizontal Tx and Rx ports, and is connected to a beamforming Tx RFIC 1452 for processing signals received from the Tx distribution network and an Rx RFIC 1454 for processing signals received by the Rx patch antenna. Both RFICs have a double port for connecting horizontal correction means 1456 and vertical correction means 1458 from Tx RFIC 1452 to Rx 1454. Advantageously, embodiments of the present disclosure can actively cancel the Tx signal coupled to the Rx signal path via I by adding an inverse copy of the Tx signal (correction signal) to the Rx signal chain. In the active cancellation circuit of the Rx RFIC 1454 of the present disclosure, the correction signal is adjusted to have the same amplitude and opposite phase as the Tx signal coupled to the Rx signal path. coupled5 In the active cancellation circuit of the Rx RFIC 1454 of the present disclosure, the correction signal is adjusted to have the same amplitude and opposite phase as the Tx signal coupled to the Rx signal path.

[0145] Active cancellation can be achieved by using additional channels of a phase and amplitude processing chip as shown in FIG. 14B. P Tx1 , P Tx2 are the phases of the Tx horizontal and vertical polarizations, and A Tx1 , A Tx2 are the amplitudes. By these controls, the polarization of the Tx beam can be configured as linear polarization or circular polarization. The same applies to P Rx1 , P Rx2 , A Rx1 , and A Rx2This applies to the Rx polarization by changing

[0146] Two other phase and amplitude channels on each RFIC are used to inject corrective signals from Tx to Rx. Fixed attenuators set the appropriate amplitude, and the exact amplitude and phase C1, C2, C3, and C4 must be calibrated element by element for a particular module. The phase and amplitude controls on the Rx RFIC do not necessarily have to be used.

[0147] After calibration, in an embodiment using this active cancellation method, the signal going into the Rx RFIC is I coupled5 and I coupled6 The control of the phase and amplitude of the correction signal is linked to the control of the phase and amplitude of the Tx signal so that the signal induced by is of the same amplitude but opposite phase, resulting in the two signals destructively interfering.

[0148] It is active rather than passive, and therefore uniquely differentiates I from other isolation mechanisms. total Improve.

[0149] 8. Diplexer for a Single Panel FIG. 15 is a block diagram illustrating an antenna system used in full-duplex communication, according to one embodiment. FIG. 15 includes a single diplexer 1536, which advantageously creates a combined Rx / Tx signal that flows to a system requiring only one channel. The diplexer receives the Tx and Rx signals, with an Rx BPF 1538 (bandpass filter) and a Tx BPF 1540 isolating the two signal chains. The Rx BPF 1538 and Tx BPF 1540 only allow the Rx and Tx signals to pass and filter out undesired frequency components. If the diplexer provides isolation equal to or greater than the antenna system to which it is connected, full-duplex performance is not compromised.

[0150] Transmission / Reception Signal Path: As shown in the figure, the antenna element 1500 includes a transmission signal path that is connected in sequence to a Tx port (for receiving an analog input from a model of a user device), a filter 1 1504, a splitter 1506, a power amplifier 1508, a filter 2 1510, a filter 3 1512, and a filter 4 1516 that is connected to a transmit patch antenna 1518 via a transmit port 1514. Also shown is a reception signal path, which includes the following elements connected in the following order. The receive patch antenna 1520 is connected to a filter 5 1524 via a port 1522. The filter 5 1524 drives a filter 6 1526, the filter 6 1526 drives a filter 7 1528, the filter 7 1528 drives a low-noise amplifier 1530, the low-noise amplifier 1530 drives an RF combiner 1532, the RF combiner 1532 drives a filter 8 1534, and the filter 8 1534 drives an Rx port (for providing an analog output to a modem of a user device). Also, there are marks at position 1536 of P out at the output of PA 1508 and at position 1538 of P int at the input of LNA 1530.

[0151] Further Embodiments The following embodiments describe various examples of the configuration and embodiments of the invention of the present disclosure as described above.

[0152] Example 1 provides an exemplary full-duplex antenna system including a controller, a distribution network, and a transmit signal path including one or more elements each including a power amplifier, one or more filtering structures, and a transmit port of a transmit patch antenna operating in a transmit frequency bandwidth to transmit an outgoing signal to a satellite, and a receive signal path including another distribution network connected to one or more elements each including a low-noise amplifier driven by a receive port of a receive patch antenna, one or more filtering structures, and one or more isolation structures operating in a receive frequency band to receive an incoming signal from the satellite, wherein the receive frequency band is separated from the transmit frequency band by a guard band, and the one or more filters together with the isolation structures between the transmit signal path and the receive signal path provide sufficient isolation to reduce the amount of coupling between the transmit signal path and the receive signal path to enable the full-duplex antenna system to operate in full-duplex mode at a maximum allowable data rate.

[0153] Example 2 includes the content of the exemplary full-duplex antenna system of Example 1, wherein the transmit signal path of each of the one or more elements includes, connected in sequence, a first filter, the distribution network, the power amplifier, and the transmit port of the transmit patch antenna.

[0154] Example 3 includes the content of the exemplary full-duplex antenna system of Example 1, in which the transmit signal path of each of the one or more elements includes, in sequence, the power amplifier, a second filter, and the transmit port of the transmit patch antenna.

[0155] Example 4 includes the content of the exemplary full-duplex antenna system of Example 1. Each of the transmission signal paths of the above one or more elements includes the power amplifier, the second filter, and the transmission port of the transmission patch antenna, which are connected in sequence. Further, a third filter is included between the second filter and the transmission port of the transmission patch antenna. The third filter is included as a backup filter when the second filter does not provide sufficient isolation between the transmission signal path and the reception signal path.

[0156] Example 5 includes the content of the exemplary full-duplex antenna system of Example 1. Each of the transmission signal paths of the above one or more elements includes the power amplifier, the fourth filter, and the transmission port of the transmission patch antenna, which are connected in sequence. The fourth filter is arranged as close as possible to the transmission port.

[0157] Example 6 includes the content of the exemplary full-duplex antenna system of Example 1. Each of the reception signal paths of the above one or more elements includes the reception port of the reception patch antenna, the fifth filter, and the low-noise amplifier, which are connected in sequence. The fifth filter is arranged as close as possible to the reception port.

[0158] Example 7 includes the content of the exemplary full-duplex antenna system of Example 1. Each of the reception signal paths of the above one or more elements includes the reception port of the reception patch antenna, the sixth filter, and the low-noise amplifier, which are connected in sequence.

[0159] Example 8 includes the content of the exemplary full-duplex antenna system of Example 1. For each of the one or more elements, the receiving signal path includes, in sequence, the receiving port of the receiving patch antenna, a sixth filter, and the low-noise amplifier. Further, a seventh filter is included between the sixth filter and the low-noise amplifier. The seventh filter is included as a backup filter when the sixth filter does not provide sufficient isolation between the receiving port of the antenna and the low-noise amplifier.

[0160] Example 9 includes the content of the exemplary full-duplex antenna system of Example 1. For each of the one or more elements, the receiving signal path includes, in sequence, the receiving port of the receiving patch antenna, the low-noise amplifier, and an eighth filter.

[0161] Example 10 includes the content of the exemplary full-duplex antenna system of Example 1. The transmission frequency band is separated from the reception frequency band by a guard band of at least 1 Hz.

[0162] Example 11 includes the content of the exemplary full-duplex antenna system of Example 1. For each of the one or more elements, the transmitting patch antenna is disposed above the receiving patch antenna of the element.

[0163] Example 12 includes the content of the exemplary full-duplex antenna system of Example 1. For each of the one or more elements, the receiving patch antenna is disposed above the transmitting patch antenna of the element.

[0164] Example 13 includes the content of the exemplary full-duplex antenna of Example 1. Each of the one or more elements further includes an active circuit that processes an incoming signal and a transmitted signal and is controlled by the controller.

[0165] Example 14 includes the content of the exemplary full-duplex antenna of Example 1, and each of the above one or more elements further includes an active circuit that processes an incoming signal and an outgoing signal and is controlled by the above controller. The elements of the active circuit are mounted on a modular PCB so as to eliminate the need for connectors.

[0166] Example 15 includes the content of the exemplary full-duplex antenna of Example 1, and each of the above one or more elements of the transmission signal path is arranged at 3 millimeters or less from the reception signal path.

[0167] Example 16 includes the content of the exemplary full-duplex antenna of Example 1. Each of the above one or more elements of the transmission signal path includes, in order, a first filter, the distribution network, the power amplifier, and the transmission port of the transmission patch antenna that are connected in sequence. Each of the above one or more elements of the reception signal path includes, in order, the reception port of the reception patch antenna, the low-noise amplifier, and an eighth filter that are connected in sequence.

[0168] Furthermore, it includes a diplexer that combines the Rx signal received from the eighth filter and the Tx signal input to the first filter for communicating with a host device using a single Tx-Rx signal.

[0169] Example 17 provides a full-duplex antenna including a controller and a transmission signal path including elements each including a power amplifier, one or more filters, and a transmission port of a transmission patch antenna operating in a transmission frequency band for transmitting a signal to a satellite, including the content of the exemplary one or more elements, and further including a reception signal path including a low-noise amplifier driven by a reception port of a reception patch antenna operating in a reception frequency band for receiving an incoming signal from the satellite, the reception frequency band being separated from the transmission frequency band by a guard band, operating in full-duplex mode, and the one or more filters providing sufficient isolation to reduce the coupling amount between the transmission signal path and the reception signal path and enable the full-duplex antenna to operate in full-duplex mode along with physical separation between the transmission signal path and the reception signal path, providing an exemplary method.

[0170] Example 18 provides a 4-port (transmit-receive) antenna element including first and second Tx ports, first and second Rx ports, a substrate including a Tx patch operating in a Tx bandwidth for transmitting a signal to a satellite, and an Rx patch operating simultaneously in an Rx bandwidth for receiving an incoming signal from the satellite, the antenna element including the content of the exemplary Tx bandwidth separated from the Rx bandwidth by a guard band, a beam-forming Tx RFIC (radio frequency integrated circuit) for controlling the phase and amplitude of first and second supply signals to the first and second Tx ports, and a beam-forming Rx RFIC for controlling the phase and amplitude of first and second supply signals to the first and second Rx ports, the first beam supplied to the first Tx RFIC having a polarization orthogonal to the second beam supplied to the Rx RFIC port, the orthogonal polarization reducing the coupling amount from the Tx port to the Rx port, providing an exemplary full-duplex antenna system.

[0171] Example 19 includes the exemplary full-duplex antenna system of Example 18, wherein the beamforming Tx RFIC provides polarization agility for the first and second feed signals, eliminating the need for the antenna to internally create a 90 degree phase shift.

[0172] Example 20 includes the content of the exemplary full-duplex antenna system of Example 18, wherein the beamforming Tx RFIC is configured to receive signals from a Tx distribution network and provide a plurality of corresponding outputs to the four-port antenna element.

[0173] Example 21 includes the above exemplary full-duplex antenna system content of Example 18, and further includes a beamforming Rx RFIC for processing the phase and amplitude of the received signal.

[0174] Example 22 includes the exemplary full-duplex antenna system of Example 18, wherein the Tx patch is disposed above the Rx patch within the substrate.

[0175] Example 23 includes the contents of the exemplary full-duplex antenna system of Example 18, and further includes a ground layer disposed within the substrate below the Tx patch and the Rx patch.

[0176] Example 24 includes the content of the exemplary full-duplex antenna system of Example 18, wherein the Tx patch is disposed above the Rx patch, and the outgoing signal transmitted to the satellite does not pass through the Rx patch, thereby reducing coupling of the Tx patch to the Rx patch.

[0177] Example 25 includes the content of the exemplary full-duplex antenna system of Example 18, and further includes an internal parasitic structure layer in a printed circuit board (PCB) between the Rx patch and the Tx patch.

[0178] Example embodiment 26 includes the content of the above exemplary full-duplex antenna system of Example embodiment 18, and further includes one or more external parasitic structures disposed between the above 4-port Tx-Rx antenna and one or more adjacent antennas.

[0179] Example embodiment 27 includes the content of the above exemplary full-duplex antenna system of Example embodiment 18, and the above beamforming Tx RFIC generates the above supply signals to the above first and second Tx ports using the signals received from the Tx distribution network, and the above system further includes a beamforming Rx RFIC configured to process the signals received from the first and second Rx ports of the above 4-port antenna and generate signals to be supplied to the Rx distribution network.

[0180] Example embodiment 28 includes the content of the above exemplary full-duplex antenna system of Example embodiment 18, and the above 4-port antenna element further includes a via wall structure at the periphery, and the above via wall structure realizes an external parasitic structure that reduces the coupling from the above Tx patch to one or more adjacent antennas.

[0181] Example embodiment 29 includes the content of the above exemplary full-duplex antenna system of Example embodiment 18, and the above beamforming Tx RFIC generates the above supply signals to the above first and second Tx ports using the signals received from the Tx distribution network, and the above system further includes a beamforming Rx RFIC configured to process the signals received from the first and second Rx ports of the above 4-port antenna and generate signals to be supplied to the Rx distribution network. The above beamforming Tx RFIC further generates horizontal correction means and vertical correction means including attenuated versions of the above first and second Tx supply signals, and supplies the above vertical and horizontal correction means to the above beamforming Rx RFIC so as to be subtracted from the vertical and horizontal Rx signals respectively.

[0182] Example 30 includes a transmission (Tx) signal path including, in order, a Tx distribution network, a Tx RFIC (radio frequency integrated circuit), a first filter, a power amplifier, a second filter, a third filter, and a fourth filter, a Tx port of a Tx antenna configured to transmit a signal to a satellite, an Rx antenna configured to receive an incoming signal from the satellite, an Rx port of the Rx antenna, a fifth filter, a sixth filter, a seventh filter, a low noise amplifier, an eighth filter, and an Rx RFIC. The Tx antenna and the Rx antenna operate simultaneously with different frequency bandwidths separated by a guard band. The six coupling channels are the I between the Rx trace and the distribution network trace coupled1 the I between the Tx signal path trace and the Rx signal path component coupled2 the I between the Tx signal path component and the Rx signal path element coupled3 the I between the Tx antenna feed and the Rx antenna feed coupled4 the I between the Rx antenna and the Tx antenna coupled5 and the I between adjacent antennas coupled6 to provide an exemplary full-duplex antenna system.

[0183] Example 31 includes the content of the exemplary full-duplex antenna system of Example 30, and the Tx RFIC and Rx RFIC are configured to ensure Tx and Rx beams having orthogonal polarizations.

[0184] Example 32 includes the content of the exemplary full-duplex antenna system of Example 30, and the Tx antenna is disposed above the Rx antenna so that the transmitted signal transmitted to the satellite does not pass through the Rx antenna, thereby coupled5 . improving.

[0185] Example 33 includes the content of the exemplary full-duplex antenna system of Example 30 and further includes an internal parasitic structure disposed between the Tx signal path and the Rx signal path, and the internal parasitic structure results in coupled5 an improvement.

[0186] Example 34 includes the content of the above exemplary full-duplex antenna system of Example 30, and the above Tx distribution network is separated from the above Rx distribution network, whereby I coupled1 and I coupled2 are improved.

[0187] Example 35 includes the content of the above exemplary full-duplex antenna system of Example 30, and the signal traces of the above Tx signal path and the above Rx signal path are separated by a ground layer to improve I coupled1 thereby.

[0188] Example 36 includes the content of the above exemplary full-duplex antenna system of Example 30, and the above second filter is arranged after the above power amplifier and before the above Tx port to improve I coupled3 thereby.

[0189] Example 37 includes the content of the above exemplary full-duplex antenna system of Example 30, and the above second filter is arranged after the above power amplifier and before the above Tx port to improve I coupled4 thereby.

[0190] Example 38 includes the content of the above exemplary full-duplex antenna system of Example 30, and the above second filter is arranged after the above power amplifier and before the above Tx port to improve I coupled4 thereby.

[0191] Example 39 includes the content of the above exemplary full-duplex antenna system of Example 30, and the above second filter is arranged after the above power amplifier and before the above Tx port to improve I coupled4 thereby.

[0192] Example 40 includes the content of the above exemplary full-duplex antenna system of Example 30, receives a signal from the Tx signal path immediately before the second filter, processes the signal, and further includes an active cancellation circuit configured to provide correction means to the Rx signal path immediately before the low-noise amplifier. The active cancellation circuit improves I coupled4 to improve.

[0193] Example 41 includes the content of the above exemplary full-duplex antenna system of Example 30, receives a signal from the Tx signal path immediately before the second filter, processes the signal, and further includes an active cancellation circuit configured to provide correction means to the Rx signal path immediately before the low-noise amplifier. The active cancellation circuit improves I coupled5 to improve.

[0194] As will be understood by those skilled in the art, aspects of the present invention may be embodied as a system, method, or computer program product. Accordingly, aspects of the present invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.), or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Throughout this specification, these may all be collectively referred to as a "circuit", "module", or "system". Further, aspects of the present invention may take the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more computer-readable media having computer-readable program code embodied therein.

[0195] The descriptions and figures included in this specification illustrate specific embodiments for teaching those skilled in the art the best mode of manufacturing and using the invention. To teach the principles of the present invention, some conventional aspects have been simplified or omitted. Those skilled in the art will understand variations within the scope of the present disclosure from these embodiments. Also, those skilled in the art will understand that the features described above can be combined in various ways to form multiple embodiments. As a result, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, but is limited only by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A transmit (Tx) signal path comprising: a Tx distribution network; one or more elements each including one or more power amplifiers; a first group of one or more filtering structures; a Tx patch antenna having one or more Tx ports, the Tx patch antenna being operable in a Tx frequency band for transmitting a signal to a satellite; and a Tx signal path including the same; a receive (Rx) signal path comprising: an Rx distribution network; one or more elements each including one or more low-noise amplifiers; a second group of one or more filtering structures; an Rx patch antenna having one or more Rx ports, the Rx patch antenna being operable in an Rx frequency band for receiving a signal from the satellite; and an Rx signal path including the same; one or more isolation structures interconnected between the Tx signal path and the Rx signal path; wherein the one or more isolation structures each include a wall structure; the Rx frequency band is separated from the Tx frequency band by a guard band; the first group and the second group of the filtering structures, in association with the one or more isolation structures, provide isolation for reducing a coupling amount of signal power between the Tx signal path and the Rx signal path; a full-duplex antenna system.

2. The full-duplex antenna system according to claim 1, wherein the first group of the one or more filtering structures includes a filter disposed between a Tx port that receives an analog input from a modem of a user device and the Tx distribution network.

3. The full-duplex antenna system according to claim 1, wherein the first group of the one or more filtering structures includes one or more filters disposed between the one or more power amplifiers and a Tx port of the Tx patch antenna.

4. The full-duplex antenna system according to claim 1, wherein the second group of the one or more filtering structures includes one or more filters disposed between an Rx port of the Rx patch antenna and the one or more low-noise amplifiers.

5. The full-duplex antenna system according to claim 1, wherein the second group of the one or more filtering structures includes one or more filters disposed between the Rx distribution network and an Rx port that supplies an analog output to a modem of a user device.

6. A substrate including the Tx patch antenna, the Rx patch antenna, and a ground layer, which are integrated antenna components A beam-forming Tx radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) having an output to the one or more Tx ports of the Tx patch antenna, the Tx RFIC including a first group of the one or more power amplifiers and phase control circuits A beam-forming Rx RFIC having an output to the one or more Rx ports of the Rx patch antenna, the Rx RFIC including a second group of the one or more low-noise amplifiers and phase control circuits The full-duplex antenna system according to claim 1, further comprising

7. The Tx RFIC further has one filtering structure among the first group of the one or more filtering structures The Rx RFIC further has one filtering structure among the second group of the one or more filtering structures The full-duplex antenna system according to claim 6

8. The integrated antenna component has the Tx patch antenna configured above the Rx patch antenna and the Rx patch antenna configured above the ground layer, thereby excluding the signal of the Tx patch antenna from passing through the Rx patch antenna. The full-duplex antenna system according to claim 6

9. The integrated antenna component includes one or more internal parasitic structures disposed between the Rx patch antenna and the Tx patch antenna. The full-duplex antenna system according to claim 6

10. The full-duplex antenna system according to claim 6, further comprising one or more external parasitic structures disposed between adjacent integrated antenna components

11. The Tx distribution network and the Rx distribution network are disposed within a multilayer printed circuit board (PCB), the Tx distribution network and the Rx distribution network are disposed on different layers of the multilayer PCB, and the Rx distribution network is disposed between the Tx distribution network and the ground layer. The full-duplex antenna system according to claim 1

12. The Tx patch antenna further has an internal filter configured as a pattern etched from the Tx patch antenna. The full-duplex antenna system according to claim 1

13. A diplexer that combines a Tx signal transmitted through the Tx signal path with an Rx signal received from the Rx signal path, further comprising a diplexer configured to be connected to a port of a user device, the full-duplex antenna system according to claim 1.

14. The Tx signal path and the Rx signal path are horizontally arranged while having a predetermined physical separation, and the predetermined physical separation provides an isolation level between the Tx signal path and the Rx signal path, the full-duplex antenna system according to claim 1.

15. A substrate that combines the Tx signal path and the Rx signal path further comprising, the full-duplex antenna system according to claim 1.

16. One of the one or more power amplifiers includes a phase control circuit configured to correct the phase of a Tx signal received from the Tx signal path, and one of the one or more low-noise amplifiers includes a phase control circuit configured to correct the phase of an Rx signal received from the Rx signal path, the full-duplex antenna system according to claim 1.

17. One filter of the first group of the one or more filters and one filter of the second group of the one or more filters are composed of PCB traces, and the PCB traces are arranged in a multilayer PCB, the full-duplex antenna system according to claim 1.

18. The power amplifier and the low-noise amplifier further have an active cancellation circuit interconnected to one power amplifier of the one or more power amplifiers and one low-noise amplifier of the one or more low-noise amplifiers, the full-duplex antenna system according to claim 1.

19. A method for increasing isolation in a full-duplex antenna system, comprising: A transmit (Tx) signal path, comprising: A Tx distribution network, A beamforming Tx radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) having an output to one or more Tx ports of a Tx patch antenna, the Tx RFIC including a first amplitude control circuit and a first phase control circuit, A first group of one or more filtering structures, wherein the Tx patch antenna is operable in a Tx frequency band for transmitting signals to a satellite, the first group of one or more filtering structures comprising a Tx signal path, A receive (Rx) signal path, comprising: an Rx distribution network, a beamforming Rx radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) having an output to one or more Rx ports of an Rx patch antenna, the Rx RFIC including a second amplitude control circuit and a second phase control circuit, a second group of one or more filtering structures, wherein the Rx patch antenna is operable in an Rx frequency band for receiving an incoming signal from the satellite, an Rx signal path including one or more isolation structures interconnected between the Tx signal path and the Rx signal path, to provide a full-duplex antenna system including wherein the one or more isolation structures each include a wall structure, wherein the Rx frequency band is separated from the Tx frequency band by a guard band, operating the full-duplex antenna system in full-duplex mode, wherein using the first group of the one or more filtering structures to provide filtering isolation on the Tx signal path, using the second group of the one or more filtering structures to provide filtering isolation on the Rx signal path, using the one or more isolation structures to provide isolation between the Tx signal path and the Rx signal path, a method.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the first and second groups of the filtering structures, together with the isolation structure, form isolation between the Tx signal path and the Rx signal path, and the isolation is equal to or greater than a threshold that enables the full-duplex antenna system to operate in the full-duplex mode.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the received (Rx) signal path has one or more low-noise amplifiers, and the threshold is equal to the power level of the transmitted signal from the full-duplex antenna system to the satellite at a determined highest frequency in the Rx frequency band minus the power level of the noise floor of the one or more low-noise amplifiers at the determined highest frequency in the Rx frequency band.

22. Furthermore, receiving a first signal from a user device via the Tx distribution network, processing the first signal by the beamforming Tx RFIC and supplying a first group of a plurality of processed output signals to the Tx patch antenna, The beamforming Rx RFIC receives and processes a second group of a plurality of signals from the one or more Rx patch antennas, couples the second group of the plurality of signals into a single second signal via the Rx distribution network, and supplies the second signal to the user device. The method according to claim 19.

23. When providing isolation between the Tx signal path and the Rx signal path, by adjusting the amplitude and phase of the first electric field generated by the Tx patch antenna, the polarization of the Tx patch antenna is controlled via the Tx RFIC, by adjusting the amplitude and phase of the second electric field generated by the Rx patch antenna, the polarization of the Rx patch antenna is controlled via the Rx RFIC. The method according to claim 19.

24. The first electric field and the second electric field are adjusted in orthogonal polarization between the electric fields of the Tx patch antenna and the Rx patch antenna, and the orthogonal polarization provides isolation between the Tx signal path and the Rx signal path. The method according to claim 23.

25. When providing the isolation between the Tx signal path and the Rx signal path, determine a Tx signal coupled to the Rx signal path, introduce a correction signal having an amplitude equal to and a phase opposite to that of the Tx signal coupled to the Rx signal path. The method according to claim 19.

26. The full-duplex antenna system includes an integrated antenna component including a Tx patch antenna layer of the Tx patch antenna disposed above an Rx patch antenna layer of the Rx patch antenna, and one or more internal parasitic structures disposed between the Tx patch antenna layer and the Rx patch antenna layer and further includes, when providing the isolation between the Tx signal path and the Rx signal path, reduce the coupling amount of signal power between the Tx signal path and the Rx signal path via the one or more internal parasitic structures. The method according to claim 19.

27. The full-duplex antenna system includes a first group and a second group of integrated antenna components, each including one or more integrated antenna components including the Tx patch antenna disposed above the Rx patch antenna, and one or more external parasitic structures disposed between the first group and the second group of the integrated antenna components a first group and a second group including further comprising when providing the isolation between the Tx signal path and the Rx signal path reducing a coupling amount of signal power between the Tx signal path and the Rx signal path via the one or more external parasitic structures The method according to claim 19.

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