Direct Spatial Antenna Modulation for RF Power Loss
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing RF communication systems suffer from power loss and linearity issues due to the separation of RF modulating elements and antennas, requiring additional amplification and reducing maximum output power.
Innovation Solution
Direct Spatial Antenna Modulation (DSAM) combines the RF modulator and antenna functions, using spatial aspects of the antenna to modulate signals by switching the RF feed to different spatial points, eliminating the need for a pre-power amplifier stage and reducing linearity requirements for the power amplifier.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the RF modulator and antenna are treated as separate system elements with modular architecture, then the system design and manufacturing are simplified, but power loss occurs in the modulation process requiring additional amplification
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the RF modulator and antenna into a single integrated structure where the antenna itself performs modulation functions. By combining these previously separate elements, the system eliminates the lossy modulation stage while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through the unified design approach.
2Power
If additional amplification is added to overcome modulation losses, then the desired transmit power level is achieved, but system power supply consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating the modulator and antenna, the patent eliminates the need for separate amplification stages to compensate for modulation losses. The antenna structure itself modulates the RF carrier, thereby achieving the desired transmit power without additional power-consuming amplification components.
3Measurement precision
If linearity performance requirements are imposed on the power amplification stage, then transmit modulation accuracy is improved, but the maximum output power available is reduced due to amplifier back-off
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated antenna-modulator structure performs modulation directly at the antenna, eliminating the need for a separate power amplification stage with strict linearity requirements. This allows the system to operate at maximum output power without the need for power back-off, while still achieving accurate modulation through the spatial antenna modulation mechanism.
4Ease of operation
If the modulator stage is used for signal modulation, then the composite modulated signal is formed, but the system requires additional components and increased complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the modulation function with the antenna structure, eliminating the need for a separate modulator stage and its associated components. The antenna elements themselves perform the modulation by selectively activating different radiating elements, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining full signal modulation capability.
5Power
If the final amplification stage processes the composite modulated signal directly, then the signal is amplified to desired power level, but linearity requirements reduce the maximum operating output level
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating modulation and antenna functions, the patent eliminates the final amplification stage that processes composite modulated signals. Instead, the antenna directly radiates the modulated signal at the desired power level without requiring linear amplification, thereby avoiding signal distortion while achieving maximum power output.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for spreading and de-spreading a signal at an antenna. A Direct Spatial Antenna Modulation (DSAM) system makes use of the spatial characteristics of a radiating antenna structure to directly alter a signal transmitted or received by the radiating structure. When used for transmitting data, a data stream maps a signal to different spatial points of excitation in the antenna structure, where each chosen configuration has different radiating characteristics including phase, amplitude, and polarization, which can be used to represent data symbols. A code spreading sequence is applied to switch the output of the DSAM antenna to spatial points in the antenna to spread an input signal. The code spreading sequence is applied to an antenna to de-spread a previously spread signal. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this Abstract.