Low-complexity beam steering using combined sub-apertures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional beam steering techniques for phased array antennas are complex, prone to mechanical errors, and inefficient, especially in two-dimensional arrays, requiring numerous amplifiers and being sensitive to shock and vibration, which limits their scalability and applicability in high-frequency communications and radar applications.
Innovation Solution
A transceiver with a combined aperture formed from multiple sub-apertures, each with a native beam steering angle, allowing for low-complexity beam steering by combining the sub-apertures to achieve two-dimensional beam steering with reduced number of radio blocks, thereby minimizing resource consumption and assembly size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional electro-mechanical phase control is used for beam steering, then single beam control is achieved, but device complexity increases and mechanical reliability decreases due to susceptibility to shock and vibration
Solution Approach 1:
The antenna array is divided into multiple sub-arrays, each capable of independent beam steering. This segmentation allows the system to achieve complex beam steering patterns through coordination of simpler sub-arrays, reducing mechanical complexity while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces electro-mechanical phase control with an electrical signal processing approach. Instead of using mechanical phase shifters susceptible to shock and vibration, the system uses digital signal processing and electromagnetic field manipulation to achieve beam steering, eliminating mechanical components entirely.
2Ease of operation
If conventional beam steering with summing forward and reverse signals is used, then phase shift control is achieved, but the number of amplifiers increases and device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple sub-arrays are combined to form a unified beam steering system. By merging the functionality of individual sub-arrays and coordinating their output through signal processing, the system achieves phase shift control without requiring separate amplifiers for each control path, thus reducing the total number of amplifiers needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The signal processing system is designed to handle multiple functions using a shared set of amplifiers. The same amplifiers serve multiple sub-arrays and multiple beam steering operations, achieving universal utilization of hardware resources and reducing the overall component count.
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional beam steering techniques are used for two-dimensional arrays, then beam steering capability is achieved, but scalability decreases due to increased complexity and resource requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The two-dimensional antenna array is segmented into multiple one-dimensional sub-arrays that can be independently controlled. This segmentation enables scalable architecture where additional sub-arrays can be added to increase aperture size and steering capability without proportionally increasing system complexity, as each sub-array uses a standardized control approach.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from controlling a two-dimensional array as a single complex unit to controlling multiple one-dimensional sub-arrays independently. This dimensional decomposition allows the system to achieve two-dimensional beam steering capability through coordinated one-dimensional sub-arrays, improving scalability by reducing the complexity growth associated with increasing array dimensions.
Data Source
AI summary
A transceiver for low-complexity beam steering. The transceiver has a first antenna array including a first sub-aperture with a first native beam steering angle and a second antenna array including a second sub-aperture with a second native beam steering angle different than the first native beam steering angle. The first antenna array and the second antenna array are arranged in the transceiver such that the first sub-aperture is combinable with the second sub-aperture to form a combined aperture when the first antenna array and the second antenna array are excited.