Phase shift module with an enhanced frequency multiplier and temperature compensation in local oscillator path
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Solution Overview
Problem
Phase shifters in RF systems, particularly in 5G phased antenna arrays, face challenges such as significant losses, increased power consumption, and temperature variations, which affect the precision of phase control and lead to degraded performance, requiring complex and costly factory calibrations that lack flexibility for field adjustments.
Innovation Solution
A phase shift module incorporating a phase shifter and an enhanced frequency multiplier that uses both the phase-shifted and inverted phase-shifted signals to generate frequency-multiplied signals, allowing for reduced phase shift ranges and incorporating temperature compensation to stabilize phase shifts, enabling built-in calibration and improved phase synchronization between UDC circuits.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If phase shifters are used in RF systems for phase control, then phase shifting capability is achieved, but significant losses and increased power consumption occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the frequency multiplication function from the phase shifter path and places it in a separate frequency multiplier circuit. By multiplying the LO frequency before the phase shifter, the required phase shift range is reduced proportionally, allowing the use of lower-loss phase shifters with smaller phase shift ranges, thereby reducing signal losses and power consumption in the RF path.
2Adaptability or versatility
If phase shifters provide wide phase shift ranges, then full phase control is achieved, but losses and power consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the frequency parameter of the LO signal by using a frequency multiplier to generate higher frequency signals. This frequency multiplication allows the phase shifter to operate with a reduced phase shift range while still achieving the required effective phase shift at the higher frequency, thereby reducing signal losses while maintaining adaptability.
3Measurement precision
If factory calibrations are performed to compensate for temperature variations, then phase precision is improved, but the process becomes complex and costly with no flexibility for field adjustments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary frequency multiplication of the LO signal before it enters the phase shifter. This preliminary action at a higher frequency allows the phase shifter to operate with reduced phase shift requirements, which in turn reduces the sensitivity to temperature variations and simplifies the calibration process, making it less complex and more adaptable to field adjustments.
4Reliability
If phase shifters operate at high frequencies, then RF signal quality is maintained, but temperature variations affect phase control precision
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the phase control function by separating the frequency multiplication operation from the phase shifting operation. The frequency multiplier handles the high-frequency generation, while the phase shifter operates at this elevated frequency with a reduced phase shift range, which is less susceptible to temperature variations, thereby maintaining both RF signal quality and phase control precision.
Data Source
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AI summary
Systems and methods for providing phase shifting in antenna arrays (110), such as phased antenna arrays of 5G cellular technology, are disclosed. In one aspect, an example phase shift module (150) may include a phase shifter and a frequency multiplier. The phase shifter is configured to receive a local oscillator, LO, signal and output a signal that is phase-shifted by a desired phase shift with respect to the LO signal. The frequency multiplier may be an enhanced frequency multiplier, configured to use not only the phase-shifted signal but also an inverted version of the phase-shifted signal to generate a frequency-multiplied signal having a frequency that is a multiple of the LO signal frequency. In another aspect, an example phase shift module may be configured to apply to an LO signal a phase shift that takes into consideration variations of phase shift over temperature.