Hybrid Adaptive Antenna Array Segmentation for Millimeter-Wave Beamforming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Digital beamforming arrays are costly and impractical for large-scale, wideband operations due to high computational power requirements and physical space limitations, while analogue beamformers face challenges with calibration, complexity, and limited beam pattern formation capabilities, especially at millimeter-wave frequencies.
Innovation Solution
A hybrid adaptive antenna array is introduced, partitioning antenna elements into multiple analogue beamforming sub-arrays with a digital beamformer on sub-array outputs and a control path back to analogue phase shifters, reducing digital beamformer size and enabling efficient calibration and beam tracking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If digital beamforming is used for large-scale antenna arrays, then beamforming precision and SNIR are improved, but cost and computational complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the antenna array into multiple sub-arrays, each processed by a separate signal chain. This segmentation allows digital beamforming to be applied to smaller groups of elements rather than the entire large array, reducing the computational burden while maintaining beamforming precision through coordinated processing of sub-array outputs.
2Adaptability or versatility
If digital beamforming is used for wideband operation, then beamforming capability is improved, but cost increases proportionally with bandwidth
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a hybrid architecture where the antenna array is divided into sub-arrays, each with its own signal chain. This allows wideband operation to be achieved through parallel processing of frequency components across multiple sub-arrays, reducing the overall computational cost compared to processing the entire wideband signal through a single digital beamformer.
3Measurement precision
If element spacing is reduced to suppress grating lobes at millimetre-wave frequencies, then beam pattern control is improved, but physical space requirements are violated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the antenna array into multiple sub-arrays with carefully controlled element spacing within each sub-array. This allows the system to achieve grating lobe suppression at millimetre-wave frequencies while maintaining physically feasible element spacing, as each sub-array can be designed with appropriate spacing to avoid grating lobes in its radiation pattern.
4Device complexity
If analogue beamforming is used for large arrays, then cost is reduced, but calibration becomes labour-intensive and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the large antenna array into multiple smaller sub-arrays, each with its own signal chain and calibration process. This segmentation simplifies calibration by reducing the number of elements that need to be calibrated simultaneously, making the process less labour-intensive while still achieving the cost benefits of having multiple independent signal chains.
5Device complexity
If analogue beamforming is used, then cost for wideband operation is reduced, but access to baseband signals is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a hybrid architecture where each sub-array has its own signal chain that converts RF to baseband. This segmentation preserves access to baseband signals from individual sub-arrays, enabling selective beam pattern formation and digital signal processing on baseband data, while the overall system remains cost-effective through the use of multiple independent but simpler signal chains.
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed is a hybrid antenna array (100) comprising a plurality of digital branches (145), each digital branch including an analogue beamforming sub-array (e.g. 110-1), each sub- array having a plurality of antenna elements (120), a phase shifter (130) adapted to apply a phase shift to the signal from each antenna element, and a combiner (e.g. 135-1) adapted to combine the phase-shifted signals. Each digital branch also includes a signal chain (e.g.140-1) adapted to convert the output of the sub-array to baseband. The hybrid antenna array also comprises a digital processing module (150), including: an angle of arrival estimation sub-module (155) adapted to estimate an angle of arrival of a signal at the antenna elements; a phase control sub-module (170) adapted to control the phase shift applied by each phase shifter depending on the estimated angle of arrival; and a digital beamformer (165) adapted to combine the baseband signals from the digital branches using a weight vector to form an output signal (180).