Lens Unit Cell Phase Control for Compact 5G Beamforming
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Solution Overview
Problem
In 5G wireless communication systems, existing techniques for beamforming struggle to efficiently utilize lenses for gain enhancement and space constraints, particularly in reducing the distance between antennas and lenses to miniaturize beamforming devices while maintaining signal projection area and gain.
Innovation Solution
A beamforming device and method that incorporates an antenna array and a lens with unit cells corresponding to a phase pattern, allowing for increased signal gain by adjusting phases of incident signals and reducing the distance between the antenna and lens to miniaturize the device, thereby enhancing beamforming gain without increasing device size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the distance between antenna and lens is reduced to miniaturize the beamforming device, then device size is reduced, but the projection area of beam on lens decreases leading to reduced beamforming gain
Solution Approach 1:
The lens is divided into multiple unit cells (e.g., 4x4 grid) with different dielectric constants. Each unit cell independently adjusts the phase of incident signals, allowing the lens to maintain effective projection area and beamforming gain even when the overall device size is reduced by placing the lens closer to the antenna array.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the lens have different dielectric properties tailored to their specific functions. Unit cells closer to the center have different dielectric constants than those at the edges, optimizing phase adjustment locally to maintain beamforming performance in the compact configuration.
2Power
If a lens is used to enhance beamforming gain, then signal gain is improved, but the device complexity and installation space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The lens uses unit cells with different dielectric constants (material parameters) to achieve phase adjustment. By changing the dielectric parameter of each unit cell, the system enhances beamforming gain without adding complex mechanical adjustment mechanisms, thereby improving signal gain while controlling device complexity.
3Power
If the projection area of beam on lens is increased to improve beamforming gain, then signal gain is enhanced, but the distance between antenna and lens must be increased which prevents miniaturization
Solution Approach 1:
The beam projection area on the lens is optimized by adjusting the illumination pattern and phase distribution across different unit cells. This allows the system to achieve high beamforming gain using only the effectively utilized portion of the lens area, maintaining compact antenna-lens spacing while maximizing the functional projection area.
Solution Approach 2:
The phase pattern applied to the antenna array and the dielectric constants of lens unit cells are optimized to concentrate beam energy effectively on the lens surface. This parameter optimization ensures that the beam projection area is maximized within the constrained distance, achieving high gain without increasing the antenna-lens separation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively increases beamforming gain by expanding the projection area on the lens, allowing for improved signal control and miniaturization of the beamforming device, addressing space constraints and efficiency limitations in existing systems.
Implementation Method 1
a lens configured to adjust phases of respective incident signals by using the plurality of beams and emit output signals
Implementation Method 2
The lens may include a plurality of unit cells. Each of the plurality of unit cells may include at least one dielectric and at least one metal. The phase of an incident signal component may be converted to in-phase by controlling a dielectric constant of the dielectric of each of the unit cells
Implementation Method 3
a communication unit configured to perform beamforming of the antenna array by applying a phase pattern for forming a plurality of beams
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure relates to a pre-5th-Generation (5G) or 5G communication system for supporting higher data rates beyond 4th-Generation (4G) communication system such as long term evolution (LTE). The beamforming device in a wireless communication system may include an antenna array, a communicator configured to perform beamforming of the antenna array by applying a phase pattern for forming a plurality of beams, and a lens configured to adjust phases of respective incident signals by using the plurality of beams and emit output signals, wherein the lens includes unit cells corresponding to the phase pattern. Accordingly, the transmission device and method can reduce a distance between an antenna and a lens in a wireless communication system.