RF Domain Beamforming Repeater Using PCB Trace Phase Shifters
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional high-frequency antennas and beamforming arrays are costly and difficult to manufacture due to the need for complex feed structures and phase-shifters, making them incompatible with semiconductor-based designs, and they face issues with multipath fading and signal interference at higher frequencies.
Innovation Solution
A beamforming RF repeater system that performs beamforming in the RF domain using a controller, arrays of antennas, and RF combiner/decombiner circuits, eliminating the need for baseband processing and allowing for non-line-of-sight communication with enhanced signal fidelity and resistance to interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional high-frequency antennas use machined waveguides as feed structures, then antenna performance is improved, but manufacturing cost and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical machined waveguide structures with printed circuit board (PCB) trace structures that function as feed elements. This substitution allows the same electromagnetic functionality to be achieved through planar printed circuits rather than complex mechanical machining, thereby reducing manufacturing cost and complexity while maintaining antenna performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operating parameters by designing antennas specifically for millimeter-wave frequencies (30 GHz to 300 GHz) with optimized trace geometries and dimensions. By adjusting the physical parameters of the PCB traces (width, length, spacing) to match the higher frequency requirements, the system achieves reliable high-frequency operation without requiring expensive machined waveguides.
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional beamforming arrays use complicated feed structures and phase-shifters, then beamforming capability is achieved, but device complexity and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the feed structure and phase-shifting functionality into a single integrated PCB trace system. Instead of separate mechanical feed structures and discrete phase-shifter components, the patent uses printed circuit traces that simultaneously perform both functions, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining beamforming capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The PCB trace structures serve multiple functions: they act as feed elements, phase shifters, and signal distribution networks all in one component. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate specialized components, reducing overall system complexity and power consumption while achieving the required beamforming adaptability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional beamforming arrays use complicated feed structures and phase-shifters, then beamforming capability is achieved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces power-hungry discrete phase-shifter components with passive PCB trace structures that achieve phase shifting through their physical geometry. This substitution eliminates the need for active electronic phase-shifters that consume significant power, thereby reducing overall system power consumption while maintaining beamforming adaptability.
4Reliability
If adaptive beamforming is implemented at 10 GHz or higher frequencies, then multipath fading and cross-interference are combated, but the system requires massively parallel A/D and D/A converters increasing complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the beamforming functionality from the digital baseband processing domain and implements it directly in the RF domain using PCB trace structures. By removing the requirement for massively parallel A/D and D/A converters and performing beamforming operations at the RF stage, the system achieves improved signal fidelity without the associated digital processing complexity.
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 simplifies the manufacturing process, reduces costs, and enables reliable non-line-of-sight communication with improved signal integrity and resistance to jamming and multipath interference, making it suitable for high-frequency applications.
Implementation Method 1
each first RF combiner and decombiner circuit is configured to phase shift in the RF domain a received RF signal from the corresponding first sub-array according to a first beamforming command
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, a beamforming RF repeater includes: a beamforming controller; a first array of antennas organized into a plurality of first sub-arrays; a plurality of first RF combiner and decombiner circuits corresponding to the plurality of first sub-arrays, wherein each first RF combiner and decombiner circuit is configured to phase shift in the RF domain a received RF signal from the corresponding first sub-array according to a first beamforming command from the beamforming controller such that a first combined signal formed from the phase-shifted signals from the plurality of first RF combiner and decombiner circuits is received in a first desired beam direction; a second array of antennas organized into a plurality of second sub-arrays; and a plurality of second RF combiner and decombiner circuits corresponding to the plurality of second sub-arrays, wherein each second RF combiner and decombiner circuit is configured to phase shift in the RF domain the first combined signal according to a second beamforming command from the beamforming controller such that a transmitted signal from the second array of antennas is transmitted in a second desired beam direction. Because the beamforming is in the RF domain, the beamforming controller need not demodulate the repeated RF signal, thereby avoiding the necessity of any baseband processing.