Embedded phase calibration method and apparatus for phased array

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to signal control in a wireless communication system and, specifically, to an embedded phase compensation method and apparatus for a phased array antenna. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for calibration of a phased array antenna in a wireless communication system comprises the operations of: acquiring delay variance information of a plurality of RF chains; determining a plurality of phase differences for the plurality of RF chains on the basis of the delay variance information; and calibrating a phase for at least one of the plurality of RF chains on the basis of the plurality of phase differences.

Description

Built-in phase calibration method and device for phase array

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the control of signals in a wireless communication system, and specifically to an embedded phase compensation method and apparatus for a phase array antenna.

[0002] Efforts are being made to develop improved 5G or pre-5G communication systems to meet the increasing demand for wireless data traffic since the commercialization of 4G communication systems. For this reason, 5G or pre-5G communication systems are referred to as systems beyond the 4G network or systems following the LTE system. To achieve high data transmission rates, the implementation of 5G communication systems in the mmWave band (e.g., the 60 GHz band) is being considered. To mitigate path loss and increase transmission distance in the mmWave band, technologies such as beamforming, massive MIMO, full Dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antennas, analog beamforming, and large-scale antennas are being discussed for 5G communication systems. In addition, to improve the network of the system, technologies such as advanced small cell, advanced small cell, cloud radio access network (cloud RAN), ultra-high-density network, Device to Device communication (D2D), wireless backhaul, moving network, cooperative communication, Coordinated Multi-Points (CoMP), and interference cancellation are being developed in 5G communication systems.In addition, advanced coding modulation (ACM) methods such as FQAM (Hybrid FSK and QAM Modulation) and SWSC (Sliding Window Superposition Coding), as well as advanced access technologies such as FBMC (Filter Bank Multi Carrier), NOMA (nonorthogonal multiple access), and SCMA (sparse code multiple access) are being developed in 5G systems.

[0003] For wireless communication, an antenna for radiating signals is essential. To transmit a signal through the antenna, the communication device generates a baseband signal from the transmitted data, creates a radio frequency (RF) signal through a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC), and then radiates the signal through the antenna. Additionally, the communication device can receive signals through the antenna.

[0004] Applications using mm-Wave frequencies above 10 GHz are widely adopted not only for mobile 5G and 60 GHz communication, but also for motion sensor products that enhance user interface convenience by detecting movement, security motion monitoring sensors that identify intruders within a certain space, and 24 GHz and 77 GHz radar systems for automotive near-field and far-field detection. For such products using mm-Wave, signals must be transmitted from the RFIC to the antenna, or from the antenna to the RFIC, in a manner that minimizes signal loss.

[0005] The information described above may be provided as related art for the purpose of aiding understanding of this document. None of the foregoing is to be claimed as prior art related to this document, nor is it to be used to determine prior art.

[0006] The present disclosure relates to an embedded phase compensation method and apparatus for a phase array antenna, and specifically provides a method and apparatus for embedded phase compensation of a phase array based on delay variance information of an RFIC.

[0007] A method for calibrating a phase array antenna in a wireless communication system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include: an operation of obtaining delay variance information of a plurality of RF chains; an operation of determining a plurality of phase differences for the plurality of RF chains based on the delay variance information; and an operation of calibrating the phase of at least one of the plurality of RF chains based on the plurality of phase differences.

[0008] A storage medium storing at least one computer-readable instruction according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein when the at least one instruction is executed by at least part of at least one processor of an electronic device, the electronic device causes the electronic device to perform at least one operation, and the at least one operation may include: an operation of obtaining delay variance information of a plurality of RF chains; an operation of determining a plurality of phase differences for the plurality of RF chains based on the delay variance information; and an operation of calibrating the phase of at least one of the plurality of RF chains based on the plurality of phase differences.

[0009] An electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises at least one processor; and a memory for storing at least one instruction, wherein the at least one instruction causes the electronic device to perform at least one operation when executed by at least a part of the at least one processor, and the at least one operation may include: an operation of obtaining delay variance information of a plurality of RF chains; an operation of determining a plurality of phase differences for the plurality of RF chains based on the delay variance information; and an operation of calibrating the phase of at least one of the plurality of RF chains based on the plurality of phase differences.

[0010] The method and apparatus according to various embodiments of the present disclosure can reduce the time required for phase compensation by applying a built-in phase compensation method of a phase array and can contribute to the mass production of a phase array antenna.

[0011] In relation to the description of the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals may be used for identical or similar components.

[0012] FIG. 1 illustrates a wireless communication system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0013] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a calibration device with a 1T1R (1-transmitter and 1-receiver) structure according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0014] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a calibration device with a 2T2R (2-transmitter and 2-receiver) structure according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0015] FIGS. 4a, FIGS. 4b and FIGS. 4c illustrate examples of components of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 5 illustrates an example of a stacked structure of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] FIG. 6a illustrates an example of the functional configuration of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] FIG. 6b illustrates an example of a circuit diagram of a radio frequency (RF) chain according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] FIG. 7 illustrates an example of a phase change map according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a time delay within an integrated circuit (IC) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] FIGS. 9a, FIGS. 9b, FIGS. 9c and FIGS. 9d illustrate examples of a method for measuring the delay time of a circuit according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail with reference to the drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily practice them. However, the present disclosure may be embodied in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In relation to the description of the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals may be used for identical or similar components. Furthermore, in the drawings and related descriptions, descriptions of well-known functions and configurations may be omitted for clarity and brevity.

[0023] The electronic device according to the various embodiments disclosed in this document may be of various forms. The electronic device may include, for example, a portable communication device (e.g., a smartphone), a computer device, a portable multimedia device, a portable medical device, a camera, a wearable device, or a consumer electronics device. The electronic device according to the embodiments of this document is not limited to the devices described above.

[0024] The various embodiments of this document and the terms used therein are not intended to limit the technical features described in this document to specific embodiments, and should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, or substitutions of said embodiments. In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar or related components. The singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one or more of said items unless the relevant context clearly indicates otherwise. In this document, phrases such as "A or B," "at least one of A and B," "at least one of A or B," "A, B or C," "at least one of A, B and C," and "at least one of A, B, or C" may each include any one of the items listed together in the corresponding phrase, or all possible combinations thereof. Terms such as "first," "second," or "first" or "second" may be used simply to distinguish said components from other said components and do not limit said components in any other aspect (e.g., importance or order). Where any (e.g., 1st) component is referred to as “coupled” or “connected” to another (e.g., 2nd) component, with or without the terms “functionally” or “communicationly,” it means that said any component may be connected to said other component directly (e.g., via a wire), wirelessly, or through a third component.

[0025] As used in various embodiments of this document, the term “module” may include a unit implemented in hardware, software, or firmware, and may be used interchangeably with terms such as logic, logic block, component, or circuit, for example. A module may be a component formed integrally, or a minimum unit of said component or a part thereof that performs one or more functions. For example, according to one embodiment, a module may be implemented in the form of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0026] Various embodiments of this document may be implemented as a storage medium readable by a machine. For example, the processor of the machine may call at least one of one or more instructions stored in the storage medium and execute it. This enables the machine to operate to perform at least one function according to the at least one called instruction. The one or more instructions may include code generated by a compiler or code that can be executed by an interpreter. The storage medium readable by a machine may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, "non-transitory" simply means that the storage medium is a tangible device and does not contain a signal (e.g., electromagnetic waves), and this term does not distinguish between cases where data is stored semi-permanently and cases where it is stored temporarily in the storage medium.

[0027] FIG. 1 illustrates a wireless communication system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] FIG. 1 illustrates a wireless communication environment (100) as part of nodes using a wireless channel, including a base station (110) and a terminal (120).

[0029] Referring to FIG. 1, a base station (110) may be a network infrastructure that provides wireless access to a terminal (120). The base station (110) has coverage defined as a certain geographical area based on the distance at which it can transmit signals. In addition to being a base station, the base station (110) may be referred to as a massive MIMO (multiple input multiple output) unit (MMU), an access point (AP), an eNodeB (eNB), a 5th generation node, a 5G NodeB (NB), a wireless point, a transmission / reception point (TRP), an access unit, a distributed unit (DU), a transmission / reception point (TRP), a radio unit (RU), a remote radio head (RRH), or other terms having an equivalent technical meaning. The base station (110) can transmit downlink signals or receive uplink signals.

[0030] The terminal (120) is a device used by a user and performs communication with the base station (110) via a wireless channel. In some cases, the terminal (120) may be operated without user involvement. That is, the terminal (120) is a device that performs machine type communication (MTC) and may not be carried by the user. The terminal (120) may be referred to as 'user equipment (UE)', 'mobile station', 'subscriber station', 'customer premises equipment (CPE)', 'remote terminal', 'wireless terminal', 'electronic device', or 'vehicle terminal', 'user device', or other terms having an equivalent technical meaning.

[0031] The terminal (120) and terminal (130) illustrated in FIG. 1 can support vehicle communication. For vehicle communication, in LTE systems, standardization work for V2X technology based on a device-to-device (D2D) communication structure was completed in 3GPP Release 14 and Release 15, and efforts to develop V2X technology based on 5G NR are currently underway. NR V2X supports unicast communication, groupcast (or multicast) communication, and broadcast communication between terminals.

[0032] A base station (110) or a terminal (120) may include an antenna module. The antenna module may transmit a signal or power to an external source (e.g., an external electronic device) or receive it from an external source. According to one embodiment, the antenna module may include an antenna comprising a radiator made of a conductor or a conductive pattern formed on a substrate (e.g., a PCB). According to one embodiment, the antenna module may include a plurality of antennas (e.g., an array antenna). In this case, at least one antenna suitable for a communication method used in a communication network, such as a first network or a second network, may be selected from the plurality of antennas, for example, by a communication module. The signal or power may be transmitted or received between the communication module and an external electronic device through the selected at least one antenna. According to some embodiments, in addition to the radiator, other components (e.g., a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC)) may be additionally formed as part of the antenna module.

[0033] According to various embodiments, the antenna module may form a mmWave antenna module. According to one embodiment, the mmWave antenna module may include a printed circuit board, an RFIC disposed on or adjacent to a first surface of the printed circuit board and capable of supporting a specified high frequency band (e.g., mmWave band), and a plurality of antennas (e.g., array antennas) disposed on or adjacent to a second surface (e.g., top surface or side surface) of the printed circuit board and capable of transmitting or receiving a signal of the specified high frequency band.

[0034] Beamforming technology is utilized as one of the techniques to mitigate propagation path loss and increase the transmission distance of radio waves. Generally, beamforming uses multiple antennas to concentrate the reach area of ​​radio waves or to increase the directivity of reception sensitivity in a specific direction. Therefore, to form beamforming coverage instead of forming a signal in an isotropic pattern using a single antenna, communication equipment may be equipped with multiple antennas. An antenna array including multiple antennas is described below.

[0035] A base station (110) or a terminal (120) may include an antenna array. Each antenna included in the antenna array may be referred to as an array element or an antenna element. Although the antenna array has been described below as a two-dimensional planar array, this is merely one embodiment and does not limit other embodiments. For example, the antenna array may be configured in various forms, such as a linear array or a multilayer array. The antenna array may be referred to as a massive antenna array.

[0036] A key technology for enhancing the data capacity of 5G communication is beamforming technology, which uses an antenna array connected to multiple RF paths. To improve communication performance, the number of components performing wireless communication is increasing. In particular, as the number of components—such as antennas and RF components (e.g., amplifiers, filters) for processing RF signals received or transmitted through the antennas—is increasing, spatial gain and cost efficiency are essential requirements when configuring communication equipment while meeting communication performance requirements.

[0037] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a calibration device with a 1T1R (1-transmitter and 1-receiver) structure according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] In FIG. 2, the calibration device (200) can calibrate a phased array antenna (210). Referring to FIG. 2, the calibration device (200) may include at least one of a control unit (220), a signal generator (230), a receiving antenna (240), a measuring instrument (250), and a phased array antenna (210).

[0039] The phase array antenna (210) may include a plurality of phase converters (211-1 to 211-N, where N is a natural number greater than or equal to 2), and RF chains (chain 1 to chain N, where N is a natural number greater than or equal to 2) comprising a plurality of antennas. The phase array antenna (210) may control the phase differently for each of the plurality of antennas and then adjust the steering angle using interference. According to one embodiment, the calibration device (200) may be implemented by being included in an electronic device. For example, the calibration device (200) may be implemented within a base station (e.g., base station (110) of FIG. 1) and / or user equipment (UE) (e.g., terminal (120) of FIG. 1).

[0040] The control unit (220) can control the overall operations of the calibration device (200). The control unit (220) may include at least one processor (or microprocessor) or be part of at least one processor.

[0041] The control unit (220) can set and / or change the phase value of each of the plurality of phase converters (211-1 to 211-N). The control unit (220) can set and / or change the phase value of each of the RF chains (chain 1 to chain N) by setting and / or changing the phase value of each of the plurality of phase converters (211-1 to 211-N).

[0042] The control unit (220) can set the phase value of each of the RF chains (chain 1 to chain N) and control the transmission of a signal in which the initial phase is corrected in correspondence with the set phase value. The control unit (220) can control the on / off state of each of the plurality of phase converters (211-1 to 211-N). The control unit (220) can control the on / off state of each of the RF chains (chain 1 to chain N, where N is a natural number greater than or equal to 2).

[0043] The control unit (220) can measure the power of a signal transmitted from the phase array antenna (210). The control unit (220) can measure the power of a signal transmitted from each of the RF chains (chain 1 to chain N) from the phase array antenna (210), and can measure the power of a combined signal of signals transmitted from two or more RF chains.

[0044] The signal generator (230) can generate an initial input signal for calibrating the phase array antenna (210). The signal generator (230) can provide the generated initial input signal to the phase array antenna (210) to allow signals to be transmitted from the RF chains in the ON state of the phase array antenna (210). The signal generator (230) can generate a signal for calibrating at least one phase among the RF chains (chain 1 to chain N) of the phase array antenna (210) under the control of the control unit (220). According to one embodiment, the signal generator (230) may be configured as a transceiver. In this case, the phase array antenna (210) may be configured to selectively operate in a transmission mode or a reception mode.

[0045] For example, in the case of four elements (4 elements) connected to the signal generator (230), the first signal x can be transmitted to each RF chain (chain 1 to chain N). For example, the phase of the first signal x can be modulated by matrix H. For example, in the case of four elements, the matrix H can be implemented as a 4x4 matrix such as Equation 1.

[0046] [Mathematical Formula 1]

[0047]

[0048] The modulated signal can be amplified with a complex gain of aT1 to aT4 and received as a combined signal y at the receiving antenna (240). For example, since the matrix H is a 4x4 matrix, four signals (y1 to y4) as in Equation 2 can be received at the receiving antenna (240).

[0049] [Mathematical Formula 2]

[0050]

[0051] Based on the four linear equations listed in the above mathematical formula 2, the unknown value AT can be obtained ( ).

[0052] Here, A T The magnitude of corresponds to the gain of each element, and A T The angle can correspond to the phase of each element. Therefore, all elements are A based on Equation 3. T It can be confirmed by obtaining.

[0053] [Mathematical Formula 3]

[0054]

[0055] The receiving antenna (240) can receive a signal transmitted from the radiating element of the phase array antenna (210).

[0056] The measuring instrument (250) can analyze a signal received through the receiving antenna (240). The measuring instrument (250) may include at least one processor (or microprocessor) or be part of at least one processor. The measuring instrument (250) may communicate (or be connected) with the control unit (220) via wired or wireless means. The measuring instrument (250) may also be configured to be included in a part of the control unit (220).

[0057] The measuring instrument (250) can receive a signal through the receiving antenna (240). The measuring instrument (250) can receive a signal transmitted from the phase array antenna (210) and can analyze the spectrum of the received signal. The measuring instrument (250) can measure the power of the signal transmitted from the phase array antenna (210). According to one embodiment, the measuring instrument (250) can measure the power of a combined signal of signals transmitted from two or more RF chains.

[0058] According to one embodiment, the calibration device (200) determines a reference phase value to calibrate RF chains (chain 1 to chain N) and can calibrate RF chains (chain 1 to chain N) using the reference phase value. For example, the calibration device (200) transmits a signal (hereinafter, a test signal) while changing the phase value of the RF chains (chain 1 to chain N), and a measuring instrument (250) that receives the test signal through a receiving antenna (240) can determine the phase difference of the RF chains (chain 1 to chain N) using the received test signal.

[0059] The measuring instrument (250) can determine the phase difference of RF chains (chain 1 to chain N) based on the phase sets included in the received test signal. The measuring instrument (250) can determine a phase control value for calibrating the RF chains (chain 1 to chain N) based on the phase difference and reference phase value determined for each of the RF chains (chain 1 to chain N).

[0060] According to one embodiment, the calibration device (200) can select a reference RF chain among the RF chains (chain 1 to chain N) and calibrate the RF chains (chain 1 to chain N) using the reference RF chain. The measuring instrument (250) can determine one of the RF chains (chain 1 to chain N) as the reference RF chain and determine a phase control value for calibrating the remaining RF chains to the phase of the reference RF chain.

[0061] The calibration device (200) can determine a phase control value such that the gain relative to the phase of each RF chain (chain 1 to chain N) identified from the received test signal is maximized. According to one embodiment, the calibration device (200) can determine a phase control value for each RF chain (chain 1 to chain N) such that the gain of the phase array antenna (210) including the RF chains (chain 1 to chain N) is maximized. According to one embodiment, the calibration device (200) can determine a phase control value for each RF chain (chain 1 to chain N) such that the gain of the phase array antenna (210) including the RF chains (chain 1 to chain N) meets the set conditions.

[0062] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a calibration device with a 2T2R (2-transmitter and 2-receiver) structure according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0063] FIG. 3 illustrates a case where the calibration device (300) has a 2T2R structure for convenience of explanation, but the calibration device (300) can be implemented with a 4T4R structure including two or four signal generators.

[0064] In FIG. 3, the calibration device (300) includes a 2T2R structure and can calibrate a plurality of phase array antennas (350, 355). Referring to FIG. 3, the calibration device (300) may include at least one of a control unit (310), a first signal generator (320), a second signal generator (325), a receiving antenna (330), a measuring instrument (340), a first phase array antenna (350), and a second phase array antenna (355).

[0065] Each of the first phase array antenna (350) and the second phase array antenna (355) may include RF chains (chain 1 to chain N) comprising a plurality of phase converters and a plurality of antennas. Each of the first phase array antenna (350) and the second phase array antenna (355) may control the phase differently for each of the plurality of antennas and then adjust the steering angle using interference. According to one embodiment, the signal transmitted through the first phase array antenna (350) may be a V-polarized signal, and the signal transmitted through the second phase array antenna (355) may be an H-polarized signal. According to one embodiment, the calibration device (300) may be implemented by being included in an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1). For example, the calibration device (300) may be implemented within a base station and / or user equipment (UE).

[0066] The control unit (310) can control the overall operations of the calibration device (300). The control unit (310) may include at least one processor (or microprocessor) or be part of at least one processor.

[0067] The control unit (310) can set and / or change the phase value for each of the plurality of phase converters (or for at least one) including the first phase array antenna (350) and the second phase array antenna (355). The control unit (310) can set and / or change the phase value for each of the RF chains (chain 1 to chain N) including the first phase array antenna (350) and the second phase array antenna (355) by setting and / or changing the phase value for each of the plurality of phase converters (or for at least one).

[0068] The control unit (310) can set the phase value of each RF chain (chain 1 to chain N, where N is a natural number greater than or equal to 2) and control the transmission of a signal in which the initial phase is corrected in correspondence with the set phase value. The control unit (310) can control the on / off state of each of the plurality of phase converters. The control unit (310) can control the on / off state of each RF chain (chain 1 to chain N).

[0069] The control unit (310) can measure the power of a signal transmitted from at least one of the first phase array antenna (350) and the second phase array antenna (355). The control unit (210) can measure the power of a signal transmitted from each of the RF chains (chain 1 to chain N) at the phase array antenna (350 and / or 355), and can measure the power of a combined signal of signals transmitted from two or more RF chains.

[0070] The first signal generator (320) can generate an initial input signal for calibrating the first phase array antenna (350). The first signal generator (320) can provide the generated initial input signal to the first phase array antenna (350) so that signals are transmitted from the RF chains in the ON state of the first phase array antenna (350). The first signal generator (320) can generate a signal for calibrating at least one phase among the RF chains (chain 1 to chain N) of the first phase array antenna (350) under the control of the control unit (310).

[0071] The second signal generator (325) can generate an initial input signal for calibrating the second phase array antenna (355). The second signal generator (325) can provide the generated initial input signal to the second phase array antenna (355) so that signals are transmitted from the RF chains in the ON state of the second phase array antenna (355). The second signal generator (325) can generate a signal for calibrating at least one phase among the RF chains (chain 1 to chain N) of the second phase array antenna (355) under the control of the control unit (310).

[0072] The receiving antenna (330) can receive a signal transmitted from at least one radiating element of the first phase array antenna (350) and / or the second phase array antenna (355). According to one embodiment, the receiving antenna (330) may be implemented as a cross-polarization antenna.

[0073] The measuring instrument (340) can analyze a signal received through the receiving antenna (230). The measuring instrument (340) may include at least one processor (or microprocessor) or be part of at least one processor. The measuring instrument (340) may communicate (or be connected) with the control unit (310) via wired or wireless means. The measuring instrument (340) may also be configured to be included in a part of the control unit (310).

[0074] The measuring instrument (340) can receive a signal through the receiving antenna (330). The measuring instrument (340) can receive a signal transmitted from at least one phase array antenna (350 and / or 355) and can analyze the spectrum of the received signal. The measuring instrument (240) can measure the power of the signal transmitted from at least one phase array antenna (350 and / or 355). According to one embodiment, the measuring instrument (340) can measure the power of a combined signal of signals transmitted from two or more RF chains.

[0075] In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, an additional external antenna is required to receive the signal y. Furthermore, to implement a calibration operation as shown in FIG. 3, if calibration is performed in the factory using an anechoic chamber, the production speed may be limited due to the calibration time. Accordingly, the present disclosure proposes a method for estimating the phase of each element through calculation. Thus, according to the method proposed in the present disclosure, measurement using an external antenna in an anechoic chamber is not required, thereby improving the driving efficiency of the calibration device.

[0076] FIGS. 4a, FIGS. 4b and FIGS. 4c illustrate examples of components of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0077] FIGS. 4a, FIGS. 4b and FIGS. 4c illustrate examples of components of other electronic devices (e.g., a millimeter base station or a compact macro base station) in one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0078] FIG. 4a shows the internal components constituting the electronic device, and FIG. 4b shows the top, bottom, and side views of the electronic device.

[0079] Referring to FIG. 4a, the electronic device may include a radome cover (401), an RU housing (403), a DU cover (405), and an RU (410). The RU (410) may include an antenna module and RF components for the antenna module. The RU (410) may include an antenna module having an air-based feed structure according to embodiments described below. According to one embodiment, the antenna module may include a BGA module antenna. The RU (410) may include an RU board (415) on which RF components are mounted.

[0080] The electronic device may include a DU (420). The DU (420) may include an interface board (421), a modem board (423), and a CPU board (425). The electronic device may include a power module (430), a GPS (440), and a DU housing (450).

[0081] Referring to FIG. 4b, drawing (460) shows a top view of the electronic device. Drawings (461), (463), (465), and (467) show the left, front, right, and rear views of the electronic device, respectively. Drawing (470) shows a bottom view of the electronic device.

[0082] FIG. 4c illustrates an example of an antenna unit included in a radio unit (RU) board of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0083] FIG. 4c illustrates an example of the arrangement between the RU board of an electronic device and an antenna unit according to various embodiments.

[0084] According to one embodiment, the electronic device may include a modular type antenna. For the mmWave frequency band, as the number of antenna elements mounted on the electronic device increases, the assembly process and mass production reliability during the manufacturing process may have a significant impact on performance.

[0085] Referring to FIG. 4c, one embodiment can propose a bonding structure that is advantageous in terms of cost, while ensuring reliability and increasing design freedom and performance by modularizing a grid array (e.g., BGA). In the following description, to explain the modularized grid array, the board on which antenna elements are mounted (hereinafter referred to as the antenna board) is described as a single antenna unit. That is, multiple antenna elements may be mounted on the antenna board, and the multiple antenna elements mounted on the antenna board may be referred to as a single antenna unit. For example, assuming an 8 x 8 arrangement, one unit may include 64 antenna elements.

[0086] According to one embodiment, the RU board (480) may include 16 antenna units. Here, the antenna unit (490) may include 64 antenna elements. Based on the example illustrated in FIG. 4c, four antenna units correspond to one array antenna and may correspond to 1T1R (1-transmit 1-receive). The RU board may include a 4T4R array structure.

[0087] FIG. 5 illustrates an example of a stacked structure of an electronic device including an air-based power supply structure according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0088] FIG. 5 illustrates an example of a stacked structure of an electronic device including an air-based power supply structure according to various embodiments.

[0089] Referring to FIG. 5, the electronic device may include an antenna section (510). According to one embodiment, the antenna section (510) may be an in-case FPCB antenna. The antenna section (510) may include a main radiator (511) and a second radiator (512) formed on the cover. The antenna section (510) may include a metal pillar (515) for supporting the cover. The in-case FPCB shown in FIG. 5 is merely one embodiment for the antenna section (510), and the antenna section (510) is not limited to the disclosed embodiment. For example, the antenna section of the electronic device may include only the main radiator (511).

[0090] The electronic device may include an antenna board (520). The antenna board (520) is a PCB on which antenna elements are mounted and may be referred to as a first PCB. The first PCB (520) may include a plurality of layers. In this case, a main radiator (511) may be placed on the highest layer (i.e., the first layer) of the first PCB. Although illustrated in cross-section in FIG. 5, the first layer of the first PCB may not only mount a single antenna element (e.g., the main radiator (511)) but may also mount a plurality of antenna elements. These plurality of antenna elements may be referred to as antenna units, as mentioned in FIG. 4.

[0091] The first PCB may include feed layers configured to transmit signals through a plurality of layers.

[0092] The stacked structure of the electronic device illustrated in FIG. 5 may include an RFA (770). The RFA (770) may include a plurality of components for RF signal processing. The RFA (770) may be implemented in a form in which an RFIC is placed on a package board. The plurality of components for RF signal processing may include a phase converter, a power amplifier, and a mixer as components for beamforming. To process a plurality of signals corresponding to each antenna board, the RFIC may include a plurality of RF chains. Each RF chain may include components corresponding to at least one antenna element. Here, the RFA (770) may include an RFIC.

[0093] FIG. 6a illustrates an example of the functional configuration of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0094] The electronic device may include an access unit (AU). The access unit may include an RU, a DU, and a DC / DC module.

[0095] According to some embodiments, RU may mean an assembly in which antennas and RF components are mounted.

[0096] A DU according to one embodiment is configured to process digital radio signals and may be configured to encrypt digital radio signals to be transmitted to a RU (310) or to decrypt digital radio signals received from a RU. By processing packet data, the DU may be configured to communicate with an upper node (e.g., a centralized unit (CU)) or a core network (e.g., 5GC, EPC).

[0097] Referring to FIG. 6a, the RU may include a plurality of antenna elements. The RU may include one or more array antennas. According to one embodiment, the array antenna may be composed of a planar antenna array. The array antenna may correspond to a single stream. The array antenna may include a plurality of antenna elements corresponding to a single transmission path (or reception path). For example, the array antenna may include 256 antenna elements configured as 16 x 16, but is not limited to the described embodiments.

[0098] The RU may include RF chains for processing signals from each array antenna. The RF chains may be referred to as 'RFA'. The RFA may include RF components for beamforming (e.g., phase converter, power amplifier) ​​and a mixer.

[0099] The mixer of the RFA can be configured to down-convert an RF signal of an RF frequency to an intermediate frequency or up-convert an intermediate frequency signal to an RF frequency signal.

[0100] According to one embodiment, a set of RF chains may correspond to a single array antenna. For example, the RU may include eight sets of RF chains for eight array antennas. Multiple RF chains may be connected to a transmission path or a reception path via a 1:N divider (e.g., 1:16 or 1:24). Although not illustrated in FIG. 3a, according to one embodiment, the RF chains may be implemented as RFICs. The RFICs may process and generate RF signals supplied to multiple antenna elements.

[0101] The RU may include a DAFE (digital analog front end) and an RFB. The DAFE may be configured to convert between digital and analog signals. For example, the RU may include two DAFEs (DAFE #0, DAFE #1). In the transmission path, the DAFE may be configured to up-convert the digital signal (i.e., DUC) and convert the up-converted signal into an analog signal (i.e., DAC). In the reception path, the DAFE may be configured to convert the analog signal into a digital signal (i.e., ADC) and down-convert the digital signal (i.e., DDC). The RFB may include a mixer and a switch corresponding to the transmission path and the reception path. The mixer of the RFB may be configured to up-convert the baseband frequency to an intermediate frequency or down-convert the intermediate frequency signal to a baseband frequency signal. The switch may be configured to select either the transmission path or the reception path. For example, RU may include two RFBs (RFB #0, RFB #1).

[0102] The RU (310) may include a local oscillator (RF LO). The RF LO may be configured to supply a reference frequency for up-conversion or down-conversion. According to one embodiment, the RF LO may be configured to provide a frequency for up-conversion or down-conversion of the aforementioned RFB. For example, the RF LO may supply a reference frequency to RFB #0 and RFB #1 through a 2-way divider.

[0103] FIG. 6b illustrates an example of a circuit diagram of a radio frequency (RF) chain according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0104] Referring to FIG. 6b, the RFIC may include two transceiver blocks for a dual-polarization system. Each transceiver block may include four TRx blocks, and each TRx block may include four TRx elements. Thus, the RFIC may include a total of 32 TRx elements. Each TRx element may include at least one of a TRx switch for Tx and Rx, a low-noise amplifier (LNA), a power amplifier (DPA), and a phase shifter (PS).

[0105] An electronic device (e.g., a millimeter base station) may include the RF PCB shown in FIG. 4a and the RU housing (403) shown in FIG. 4b. In one embodiment, the RF PCB may include an antenna radiator on the front side and an RFIC on the back side, as shown in FIG. 5 below. Additionally, the RF PCB may include an ADC, a DAC, and a divider as shown in FIG. 6a.

[0106] FIG. 7 illustrates an example of a phase change map according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0107] Figure 7 shows a characterized phase change map of one antenna (16x16 element) in Figure 6a.

[0108] Referring to Fig. 7, the phase change ranges from -70 degrees to +64 degrees. According to the results of the phase change map in Fig. 7, it can be seen that the delay variance between RFICs driving the 4Y4 elements is dominant in the phase change.

[0109] Accordingly, the present disclosure proposes a method for characterizing phase deviation for calibration by characterizing delay deviation between RFICs.

[0110] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a time delay within an integrated circuit (IC) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0111] Referring to Fig. 8, the Tx time delay of the RFIC is the intermediate-frequency (IF) block time delay td as shown in Fig. 8. TxRF (800), radio frequency (RF) block time delay td TxIF (810), Local Oscillator (LO) block time delay td LO It may include at least one of (820). In one embodiment, the IF signal and the LO signal may be mixed in the mixer (830). In one embodiment, the result value derived from the mixer (830) can be represented by the following Equation 4.

[0112] [Mathematical Formula 4]

[0113]

[0114] T of the PA output derived by filtering the second term of Equation 4 X An example of the output value is as shown in mathematical formula 5 below.

[0115] [Mathematical Formula 5]

[0116]

[0117] In the above mathematical equation 5, as illustrated in FIG. 8, the time delay is the delay variance Assuming that it changes due to, the output phase can be expressed as changed as in Equation 6.

[0118] [Mathematical Formula 6]

[0119]

[0120] Therefore, an example of the correction value (phase correction value) of the phase shifter can be expressed as Equation 7.

[0121] [Mathematical Formula 7]

[0122]

[0123] In the above mathematical formula 7, delay contributions td TxRF , td TxIFand td LO It can be expressed as a function of the delay caused by the change in the process, as shown in mathematical equation 8 below.

[0124] [Mathematical Formula 8]

[0125]

[0126] As a result, the delay variance can be estimated from the general values ​​related to the transistors, capacitors, and inductors of each RFIC. The actual contribution to the time delay can be estimated through circuit simulation, and examples of circuit configurations for estimation are described later in FIGS. 9a, 9b, 9c, and 9d.

[0127] Similar to what is shown in Fig. 8, the Rx time delay of the RFIC is the intermediate-frequency (IF) block time delay td RxRF , radio frequency (RF) block time delay td RxIF , Local Oscillator (LO) block time delay td LO It may include at least one of the following. RF signals and LO signals can be mixed in the mixer of the RFIC, and the mixing result is as shown in Equation 9.

[0128] [Mathematical Formula 9]

[0129]

[0130] An example of the Rx output value of the IF port derived by filtering the first term of Equation 9 is as shown in Equation 10:

[0131] [Mathematical Formula 10]

[0132]

[0133] In the above mathematical formula 10, the time delay Assuming that it changes due to, the output phase can be expressed as changed as in Equation 11.

[0134] [Mathematical Formula 11]

[0135]

[0136] Therefore, an example of the correction value (phase correction value) of the phase shifter can be expressed as Equation 12.

[0137] [Mathematical Formula 12]

[0138]

[0139] In the above mathematical formula 12, delay contributions td RxRF , td RxIF and td LO It can be expressed as a function of the delay caused by the change in the process, as shown in Equation 13 below.

[0140] [Mathematical Formula 13]

[0141]

[0142] Therefore, the delay variance from the typical value of each RFIC can be estimated, and calibration can be performed using this.

[0143] FIGS. 9a, FIGS. 9b, FIGS. 9c and FIGS. 9d illustrate examples of a method for measuring the delay time of a circuit according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0144] FIGS. 9A, FIGS. 9B, FIGS. 9C, and FIGS. 9D illustrate examples of configuring each circuit capable of measuring time delay within the integrated circuit described in FIG. 8.

[0145] Referring to FIG. 9a, a phased-lock loop (PLL) circuit with a ring oscillator can be configured to measure time delay within an integrated circuit. In one embodiment, the ring oscillator may include a capacitor and / or inductor that delays in the actual circuit of the IF / LO / RF portion. In one embodiment, the phase-to-frequency converter (PFD) of FIG. 9a can compare an external clock frequency with a divided ring-oscillator frequency. In one embodiment, a control unit can control the oscillation frequency to match the external frequency. The control value derived from the ring oscillator of FIG. 9a may be proportional to the time delay.

[0146] Referring to FIG. 9b, a counter circuit with a ring oscillator can be configured to measure time delay within an integrated circuit. In one embodiment, a dummy ring oscillator can be configured to measure time delay within an integrated circuit. In one embodiment, the ring oscillator of FIG. 9a can be configured to include a capacitor and / or inductor that delays in the actual circuit of the IF / LO / RF portion. In one embodiment, the reset of the counter of FIG. 9b can be connected to an external clock. In one embodiment, the maximum count value derived from the counter of FIG. 9a can be inversely proportional to the time delay.

[0147] Referring to FIG. 9c, a time-to-digital converter (TDD) circuit may be configured to measure the time delay within the integrated circuit. In one embodiment, the time-to-digital converter (TTD) may compare the propagation delay of one delay line (the upper circuit of FIG. 9c) and another delay line (the lower circuit of FIG. 9c). In one embodiment, the upper circuit of FIG. 9c may include a capacitor and / or inductor that matches the delay with the actual circuit of the IF / LO / RF portion. In one embodiment, the output of the decoder shown in FIG. 9c may be inversely proportional to the time delay.

[0148] Referring to FIG. 9d, a voltage monitor circuit can be configured to measure time delay within an integrated circuit. The threshold voltage monitor of FIG. 9d can output a value inversely proportional to the transistor delay. In one embodiment, the voltage monitor circuit illustrated in FIG. 9d may estimate only the transistor delay and may not be affected by delays caused by capacitor / inductor variations.

[0149] The circuits of FIGS. 9a, 9b, 9c, and 9d can each, or at least two of them combined, estimate the time delay (i.e., phase rotation) value of the internal RFIC.

[0150] Table 1 shows examples of measured values ​​for the contribution of process variation to phase change obtained through circuit simulation of the RFIC shown in Fig. 6b. In the case of this circuit, it can be seen that the capacitor change of the local oscillator (LO) block is dominant.

[0151] [Table 1]

[0152]

[0153] A method for calibrating a phase array antenna in a wireless communication system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include: an operation of obtaining delay variance information of a plurality of RF chains; an operation of determining a plurality of phase differences for the plurality of RF chains based on the delay variance information; and an operation of calibrating the phase of at least one of the plurality of RF chains based on the plurality of phase differences.

[0154] In one embodiment, the delay dispersion information is an intermediate-frequency (IF) block time delay (td) of an RFIC constituting a phase array antenna. TxRF Delay distribution information of ), radio frequency (RF) block time delay (td TxIF Delay distribution information of ), local oscillator (LO) block time delay (td LO It may include at least one of the delayed distribution information of ).

[0155] In one embodiment, the delay dispersion information may be determined by a function associated with at least one of a transistor, a capacitor, or an inductor constituting the circuit of a plurality of RF chains.

[0156] In one embodiment, the delay dispersion information may be determined based on at least one of the control value of the PLL ring oscillator, the counter value of the ring oscillator, the decoder output value of the digital converter, the counter value, or the output value of the voltage monitor circuit.

[0157] In one embodiment, the operation of calibrating the phase of at least one of the plurality of RF chains based on the plurality of phase differences may include: the operation of deriving a correction value of the plurality of phase differences; and the operation of adjusting the phase of at least one of the plurality of RF chains based on the correction value.

[0158] In one embodiment, the delay distribution information may be determined based on at least one of the delay distribution information of a transmitted signal or the delay distribution information of a received signal.

[0159] In one embodiment, the phase array antenna may be implemented within a base station or user equipment (UE).

[0160] An electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises at least one processor; and a memory for storing at least one instruction, wherein the at least one instruction causes the electronic device to perform at least one operation when executed by at least a part of the at least one processor, and the at least one operation may include: an operation of obtaining delay variance information of a plurality of RF chains; an operation of determining a plurality of phase differences for the plurality of RF chains based on the delay variance information; and an operation of calibrating the phase of at least one of the plurality of RF chains based on the plurality of phase differences.

[0161] A storage medium storing at least one computer-readable instruction according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein when the at least one instruction is executed by at least part of at least one processor of an electronic device, the electronic device causes the electronic device to perform at least one operation, and the at least one operation may include: an operation of obtaining delay variance information of a plurality of RF chains; an operation of determining a plurality of phase differences for the plurality of RF chains based on the delay variance information; and an operation of calibrating the phase of at least one of the plurality of RF chains based on the plurality of phase differences.

[0162] According to one embodiment, the method according to the embodiments disclosed herein may be provided by being included in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded between a seller and a buyer as a product. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a device-readable storage medium (e.g., compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM)), or distributed online (e.g., download or upload) through an application store (e.g., Play Store™) or directly between two user devices (e.g., smartphones). In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product may be temporarily stored or temporarily created on a device-readable storage medium, such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or a relay server.

[0163] According to one embodiment, each component (e.g., module or program) of the components described above may include a singular or multiple entities, and some of the multiple entities may be separated and placed in other components. According to one embodiment, one or more of the components or operations of the aforementioned components may be omitted, or one or more other components or operations may be added. Generally or additionally, multiple components (e.g., module or program) may be integrated into a single component. In this case, the integrated component may perform one or more functions of each of the multiple components in the same or similar manner as those performed by the corresponding component among the multiple components prior to integration. According to one embodiment, operations performed by the module, program, or other components may be executed sequentially, in parallel, iteratively, or heuristically, or one or more of the operations may be executed in a different order, omitted, or one or more other operations may be added.

Claims

1. In an electronic device, At least one processor; and It includes memory for storing at least one instruction, and When the above at least one instruction is executed by at least a part of the above at least one processor, it causes the electronic device to perform at least one operation, and The above at least one operation is: An operation to acquire delay variance information of multiple RF chains; An operation to determine a plurality of phase differences for the plurality of RF chains based on the above delay dispersion information; and An electronic device characterized by including an operation of calibrating the phase of at least one of the plurality of RF chains based on the plurality of phase differences.

2. In Paragraph 1, The above delay dispersion information is the intermediate-frequency (IF) block time delay (td) of the RFIC constituting the phase array antenna. TxRF Delay distribution information of ), radio frequency (RF) block time delay (td TxIF Delay distribution information of ), local oscillator (LO) block time delay (td LO An electronic device characterized by including at least one of the delay dispersion information of ).

3. In Paragraph 1, An electronic device characterized in that the above delay dispersion information is determined by a function related to at least one of a transistor, a capacitor, or an inductor constituting a circuit of a plurality of RF chains.

4. In Paragraph 1, An electronic device characterized in that the above delay dispersion information is determined based on at least one of the control value of a PLL ring oscillator, the counter value of a ring oscillator, the decoder output value of a digital converter, the counter value, or the output value of a voltage monitor circuit.

5. In claim 1, the operation of calibrating the phase of at least one of the plurality of RF chains based on the plurality of phase differences; is, The operation of deriving correction values ​​for the plurality of phase differences above; and An electronic device characterized by including an operation to adjust the phase of at least one of the plurality of RF chains based on the above correction value.

6. In Paragraph 1, An electronic device characterized in that the above delay dispersion information is determined based on at least one of the delay dispersion information of a transmitted signal or the delay dispersion information of a received signal.

7. In Paragraph 1, An electronic device characterized in that the above electronic device is a base station or a terminal.

8. A method for calibrating a phase array antenna in a wireless communication system, An operation to acquire delay variance information of multiple RF chains; An operation to determine a plurality of phase differences for the plurality of RF chains based on the above delay dispersion information; and A method characterized by including the operation of calibrating the phase of at least one of the plurality of RF chains based on the plurality of phase differences.

9. In Paragraph 8, The above delay dispersion information is the intermediate-frequency (IF) block time delay (td) of the RFIC constituting the phase array antenna. TxRF Delay distribution information of ), radio frequency (RF) block time delay (td TxIF Delay distribution information of ), local oscillator (LO) block time delay (td LO A method characterized by including at least one of the delayed dispersion information of ).

10. In Paragraph 8, A method characterized in that the above delay dispersion information is determined by a function related to at least one of a transistor, a capacitor, or an inductor constituting a circuit of a plurality of RF chains.

11. In Paragraph 8, A method characterized in that the above delay dispersion information is determined based on at least one of the control value of a PLL ring oscillator, the counter value of a ring oscillator, the decoder output value of a digital converter, the counter value, or the output value of a voltage monitor circuit.

12. In claim 8, the operation of calibrating the phase of at least one of the plurality of RF chains based on the plurality of phase differences; is, The operation of deriving correction values ​​for the plurality of phase differences above; and A method characterized by including an operation to adjust the phase of at least one of the plurality of RF chains based on the above correction value.

13. In Paragraph 8, A method characterized in that the above delay distribution information is determined based on at least one of the delay distribution information of a transmitted signal or the delay distribution information of a received signal.

14. In Paragraph 8, A method characterized in that the above-mentioned phase array antenna is implemented within a base station or UE (user equipment).

15. A storage medium storing at least one instruction readable by a computer, wherein the at least one instruction causes the electronic device to perform at least one operation when executed by at least a part of at least one processor of the electronic device, and The above at least one operation is: An operation to acquire delay variance information of multiple RF chains; An operation to determine a plurality of phase differences for the plurality of RF chains based on the above delay dispersion information; and A storage medium characterized by including an operation of calibrating the phase of at least one of the plurality of RF chains based on the plurality of phase differences.

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