Bidirectional Phase Shifter for Compact Stable Phased Arrays
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern communications systems face inefficiencies in power usage at higher frequencies due to the use of omni-directional antennas, leading to wasted power and instability in transceiver front-ends, particularly in user equipment configured for 5G mm-wave communications.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a passive phase-shifter architecture shared across transmission and reception chains in phased-array systems, utilizing a balun with a single-ended input and differential output, and a differential quadrature coupler connected to a differential passive attenuator, to reduce array size and current consumption while enhancing stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If separate phase shifters are used for each TX and RX chain, then phase shifting functionality is achieved, but the size of the array element increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines separate TX and RX phase shifters into a single bidirectional phase shifter that serves both transmission and reception chains. This merging reduces the number of components and decreases the array element size while maintaining full phase shifting functionality for both TX and RX operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The bidirectional phase shifter is designed to perform multiple functions - it operates as a phase shifter for the TX chain and simultaneously as a phase shifter for the RX chain. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate dedicated phase shifters for each chain, reducing overall component count and area.
2Ease of operation
If active phase shifters are used, then phase shifting is achieved, but current consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces active electronic phase shifting mechanisms with a passive mechanical-style switching approach using transmission lines and switches. This substitution eliminates continuous power consumption while maintaining phase shifting capability through physical path selection rather than active component modulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The phase shifter uses periodic switching between different transmission line paths to achieve phase shifting. Instead of continuous active modulation, the system periodically selects different physical paths for the signal, achieving phase control without continuous current consumption.
3Reliability
If a larger array is used to improve TX EIRP and RX SNR, then communication performance improves, but ground coupling instabilities increase
Solution Approach 1:
By merging TX and RX chains into a shared bidirectional architecture, the patent reduces the number of independent components and interconnections. This consolidation minimizes the ground coupling surfaces and pathways that cause instabilities, while still achieving the required TX EIRP and RX SNR through efficient resource utilization.
Data Source
AI summary
A method, a phase shifter, and a user equipment (UE) are disclosed for transmitting and receiving signals in a phased array. The method includes receiving, by a balun of a phase shifter, a transmission single-ended input signal at a single-ended side of the balun and generating a transmission differential input signal at a differential side of the balun, generating, by a differential quadrature coupler of the phase shifter, a transmission in-phase signal and a transmission quadrature signal, based on the transmission differential input signal, and combining, by a differential attenuator of the phase shifter, the transmission in-phase signal and the transmission quadrature signal into a differential phase-shifted output signal.