Liquid Metal Microfiber Phase Shifters for Lightweight RF Beam Steering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing beamformers for 5G and beyond systems are complex and heavy, making it difficult to expand them for a larger number of antennas, necessitating a simple, low-complex, and lightweight solution for adjustable beam steering in the radio frequency domain.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing flexible liquid metal microfibers as phase shifters, adaptable via a displacement member to adjust length and introduce delays, allowing for phase shifting of signals, with electrical contacts and a flexible plastic core to ensure reversible length adaptation, enabling beam steering in a controlled manner.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If traditional beamformers are used for beam steering tests, then beam steering functionality is achieved, but the system becomes complex and heavy, making it difficult to expand for a larger number of antennas
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical beamforming components with a meta-material layer that provides beam steering functionality through its electromagnetic properties. This substitution eliminates complex mechanical structures while maintaining beam steering capability, thereby reducing device complexity and enabling easier expansion to larger antenna arrays
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a meta-material layer composed of electrically conductive elements arranged in specific patterns. This composite material structure provides the necessary phase shifting and beam steering functionality without requiring complex mechanical beamformers, thus reducing overall system complexity and weight while improving adaptability
2Weight of stationary object
If traditional beamformers are used for beam steering tests, then beam steering functionality is achieved, but the system becomes heavy, making it difficult to expand for a larger number of antennas
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces heavy mechanical beamforming components with a lightweight meta-material layer that achieves beam steering through electromagnetic field manipulation. This substitution dramatically reduces the weight of the beamforming system while maintaining full functionality, enabling easier expansion to larger antenna arrays
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the essential beam steering functionality from complex mechanical beamformers and implements it through a thin meta-material layer. This extraction eliminates unnecessary heavy components while retaining the core beam steering capability, thereby reducing weight and improving expandability
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 system achieves beam steering with low complexity and in a lightweight form, capable of expanding to accommodate more antennas, while maintaining optimal signal processing and interference cancellation across various frequencies and directions.
Implementation Method 1
a flexible liquid metal microfiber (FLMM) is used as a delay line in order to introduce a delay, thereby shifting the phase of the signal in the radio frequency domain
Implementation Method 2
The flexible liquid metal microfiber comprises a flexible plastic core material for the liquid metal such that the liquid metal is confined by the flexible plastic core material. The electrical contacts are in connection with the liquid metal confined, thereby ensuring a continuous line.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention provides a system (10) for adjustable beam steering in radio frequency domain. The system (10) comprises at least one phase shifter (14) that is established by a flexible liquid metal microfiber (16). The phase shifter (14) is fastened to a displacement member (22) that is configured to adapt the length of the flexible liquid metal microfiber (16). Further, a method of adjustable beam steering in radio frequency domain is described.