Antenna Module Phase Shift Interface for 5G Beamforming
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Solution Overview
Problem
In 5G mobile communication, the high path loss and low diffraction features of mmWave frequency band, combined with limitations in semiconductor processing, lead to degraded performance due to low power efficiency and heating issues in CMOS amplifiers, necessitating a separation of RFIC and RFFE into separate chips, which increases mounting area and interface routing complexity.
Innovation Solution
An antenna module is designed with an RFIC chip and a separate RFFE chip, featuring a phase shift interface between them, allowing for controlled phase shifting and beamforming using a processor to select conductive lines and phase shifters based on their lengths, thereby optimizing beam direction and reducing the need for extensive phase shift circuitry.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If RFIC and RFFE are separated into two separate chips to improve power efficiency and reduce heating, then output power efficiency is improved and heating is reduced, but mounting area increases and interface routing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the RF front-end system into two separate chips: RFIC chip and RFFE chip. This segmentation allows each chip to be optimized for its specific function, with the RFFE chip handling power-intensive amplification operations separately from the RFIC chip, thereby improving power efficiency while managing the mounting area through functional specialization
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a phase shift interface as an intermediary component between the RFIC chip and RFFE chip. This interface includes conductive lines with different lengths that enable phase shifting operations without requiring extensive phase shift circuitry on either chip, thus reducing the overall mounting area while maintaining the benefits of chip separation
2Temperature
If RFIC and RFFE are separated into two separate chips to reduce heating issues, then temperature control is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
By separating heat-generating amplification operations to a dedicated RFFE chip, the patent effectively isolates thermal sources, improving temperature control. The segmentation also organizes the interface routing into structured phases (in-phase and quadrature) that simplify the overall routing complexity despite the increased device structure
Solution Approach 2:
The phase shift interface acts as a simplified intermediary that manages the complexity of interfacing between RFIC and RFFE chips. By implementing phase shifting through controlled conductive line lengths rather than complex active circuitry, the interface routing becomes more manageable and less complex
3Measurement precision
If extensive phase shift circuitry is used to control beam direction, then beamforming precision is improved, but device complexity and mounting area increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the phase shifting function from complex active circuitry and implements it through passive conductive lines with different lengths in the phase shift interface. This extraction maintains beamforming precision by controlling signal phase through physical path length differences rather than complex electronic phase shifters, thereby reducing device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the approach to phase shifting from active circuit parameter adjustment to passive physical parameter variation (conductive line lengths). By varying the length parameter of conductive lines, the system achieves precise beam direction control without requiring complex phase shift circuitry, reducing both device complexity and mounting area
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes an antenna module including an antenna array. The antenna module includes a printed circuit board, conductive lines formed on the printed circuit board, each of the conductive lines having different lengths, a communication circuit including a first switch connected to ends of the conductive lines, and a front-end including a second switch connected to opposite ends of the conductive lines and phase shifters connected to the second switch. Based on a direction of a beam to be formed by the antenna array, a processor connected to the antenna module is configured to control the first switch and the second switch to select at least one of the conductive lines and to control a phase value of at least one of the phase shifters connected to the selected conductive line, based on a length of the selected conductive line.