Adaptive Phased Antenna Arrays for Lower-Energy Wireless Links
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing demand for wireless data has led to significant energy consumption in wireless communication systems, with power amplifiers being a major contributor, and existing technologies struggle to efficiently manage energy usage as data demand grows exponentially while bandwidth remains limited.
Innovation Solution
An adaptive phased antenna array system that selectively activates and deactivates antenna elements based on range, interference, and weather conditions to maintain spectral efficiency and peak-to-average power ratio within specific ranges, using low-spectral efficiency modulation and high power amplifier efficiency to minimize energy consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If more antenna elements are activated to increase data capacity and coverage range, then wireless communication performance is improved, but energy consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the number of active antenna elements based on communication conditions (range, interference, weather). The control circuit activates or deactivates antenna elements in real-time to match the required data capacity with minimal energy consumption, avoiding static activation of all elements regardless of actual need.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters (spectral efficiency between 1-6 bits/sec/Hz, PAPR between 0-6 dB) to optimize the trade-off between data capacity and energy consumption. By adjusting modulation schemes and power levels, the system achieves high productivity while controlling energy use.
2Length of moving object
If power amplifiers operate at high power levels to maintain data capacity over increasing ranges, then communication range is extended, but power efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The antenna array is segmented into individually controllable elements. Instead of operating all power amplifiers at high power, the system activates only the necessary number of segments (antenna elements) based on range requirements, distributing the power burden efficiently and avoiding unnecessary high-power operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The control circuit periodically reassesses communication conditions and adjusts the number of active antenna elements accordingly. This periodic adaptation ensures that power amplifiers operate at optimal efficiency levels rather than continuously at high power, reducing energy loss while maintaining required range.
3Productivity
If complex modulation schemes are used to increase data capacity within limited bandwidth, then spectral efficiency is improved, but system complexity and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system optimizes modulation parameters to achieve spectral efficiency between 1-6 bits/sec/Hz without excessive complexity. By carefully selecting modulation schemes and maintaining PAPR within 0-6 dB, the system achieves high productivity while avoiding the proportional increase in complexity and energy consumption that would result from more aggressive modulation.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of this disclosure relate to energy efficient wireless communications. Data can be wirelessly transmitted from a phased antenna array and antenna elements of the phased antenna array can be dynamically activated and/or deactivated. In certain embodiments, the antenna elements can be activated based on range and/or environmental condition(s), such as interference and/or range. As the number of active antenna elements changes, relatively low spectral efficiency and a relatively low peak to average power ratio can be maintained.