Hybrid Beamforming Antenna for Flexible Multi-Mode Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional multi-beam antennas are fixed and cannot adapt to different modes, leading to resource wastage when the coverage area needs to be adjusted, as they cannot switch between 1*4T4R, 2*4T4R, and 4*4R modes without reconfiguration.
Innovation Solution
The antenna employs a hybrid beamforming technique combining digital and analog beamforming, using sub-arrays with phase shifters and power splitters to adjust beam splitting without changing the hardware structure, allowing for flexible mode switching between different transmission modes like 1*4T4R, 2*4T4R, and 4*4T4R.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional fixed antennas are used, then hardware structure is simple, but adaptability to different transmission modes is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic beamforming by dividing the antenna array into multiple sub-arrays that can be independently controlled. Each sub-array can be activated or deactivated based on the required transmission mode, allowing the antenna to dynamically adapt between 1*4T4R, 2*4T4R, and 4*4T4R configurations without hardware changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The antenna array is segmented into multiple sub-arrays, where each sub-array corresponds to a specific transmission mode. This segmentation allows selective activation of sub-arrays to achieve different transmission modes, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and hardware complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If antenna reconfiguration is performed to adjust coverage area, then adaptability improves, but resource waste occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables dynamic switching between different transmission modes by controlling the activation state of sub-arrays. This allows the antenna to adapt to varying coverage requirements in real-time without physical reconfiguration, eliminating resource waste associated with antenna replacement or reconfiguration.
Solution Approach 2:
The antenna system is designed to perform multiple functions by supporting different transmission modes (1*4T4R, 2*4T4R, 4*4T4R) within a single hardware configuration. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate antennas for different coverage areas, preventing resource waste.
3Productivity
If single transmission mode is used, then device complexity is low, but productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The antenna array is divided into multiple sub-arrays that can be independently controlled. This segmentation enables flexible beamforming configurations to improve communication efficiency in different scenarios while maintaining manageable system complexity through modular architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters (beamforming configurations, sub-array activation states) to optimize communication efficiency for different transmission modes without fundamentally changing the hardware structure, thus improving productivity while controlling complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides an example antenna and an example base station. One example antenna includes a first sub-array and a second sub-array disposed adjacent to each other, where the first sub-array includes N first sub-antennas arranged in an array, and the second sub-array includes N second sub-antennas arranged in an array and connected to multiple phase shifters. Each row of the N first sub-antennas includes M first sub-antennas, each row of the N second sub-antennas includes M sub-antennas, each row of the N first antennas and each row of the N second sub-antennas are arranged in a row, and an mth first sub-antenna and an mth second sub-antenna are connected to a radio frequency unit by using a power splitter, where N is a natural number, M is a natural number less than N, and m is a natural number less than or equal to M.