Phased-Array AWV Table Decomposition for Compact Beam Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Phased-array antennas face challenges with large Antenna Weight Vector (AWV) tables, which increase the size of integrated circuits and are cumbersome for applications requiring multiple beams to cover a field of view, leading to inefficient beam control and increased complexity.
Innovation Solution
The AWV table is decomposed into a first AWV table and a second AWV table, where the first table includes decomposed weights as a function of both elevation and azimuth, and the second table includes weights primarily dependent on elevation, reducing the overall size and complexity by combining phase shift values and adding delay values for broadband operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the AWV table is made comprehensive to cover all beam directions and scenarios, then the beamforming precision and field of view coverage are improved, but the table size increases significantly leading to larger IC size and increased complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the comprehensive AWV table into multiple sub-tables organized by elevation ranges. Each sub-table covers a specific elevation sector with its own set of weight vectors. This segmentation allows the system to store only the necessary weight vectors for each elevation range rather than maintaining a single large table covering all possible beam directions, thereby reducing overall storage requirements while maintaining beamforming precision within each sector.
2Adaptability or versatility
If more beams are added to cover the field of view in larger antenna arrays, then the field of view coverage is improved, but the AWV table size becomes very large
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic selection of elevation sectors based on the desired beam direction. The system determines which elevation sector contains the target beam direction and activates only the corresponding sub-table. This dynamic approach allows comprehensive field of view coverage through multiple sectors while keeping the active table size manageable, as only one sector's weight vectors are loaded and used at any given time.
3Device complexity
If the AWV table size is reduced, then the IC size and complexity are decreased, but the ability to cover all beam directions may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a multi-functional AWV table structure where multiple elevation sectors are organized within a single integrated table framework. Each sector serves as a functional unit that can be independently activated. This universal structure allows the same hardware implementation to support multiple beam directions across different elevation ranges by simply switching between sectors, thereby maintaining comprehensive adaptability while reducing the size of any single active table and simplifying the IC design.
Data Source
AI summary
Method and system are provided for reducing the AWV table size for phased-array antenna. In one novel aspect, the AWV table is decomposed to a combination of a first AWV table and a second AWV table, with a combined size smaller than the size of the AWV table. In one novel aspect, a group of decomposable AWVs are identified and each decomposed into a decomposed first AWVs and a decomposed second AWVs. In one embodiment, the decomposable weights W that are decomposed into Wh being a function of both elevation θ and azimuth (φ and Wv being a function of elevation θ only. In one novel aspect, the AWV table for a phased-array antenna with N antenna elements with Mv weights in a vertical direction and Mh weights in a horizontal direction is decomposed into a first AWV table and a second AWV table with a combined size of N*(Mv+Mh).