Serially Connected Transceivers for Low-Loss Digital Beamforming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless communication systems face challenges in efficiently distributing and processing signals across antenna radiating elements, leading to power loss and noise degradation due to long connections between transceiver ICs and radiating elements.
Innovation Solution
A distributed transceiver IC architecture with element-wise adjacency, where transceiver ICs are positioned adjacent to antenna elements, using Serdes transceivers for high-throughput serial data connections, and integrated IFFT processors to convert IQ data packets to time-domain signals, followed by digital power amplification and modulation for transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If transceiver ICs are positioned far from antenna elements, then device complexity is reduced, but power loss and noise degradation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the antenna array into multiple subarrays, with each subarray served by a dedicated transceiver IC. This segmentation allows transceiver ICs to be positioned close to their respective antenna elements while maintaining manageable device complexity through modular architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a centralized transceiver architecture to a distributed architecture by adding the spatial dimension. Transceiver ICs are distributed across different locations adjacent to antenna elements rather than being concentrated in one location, thereby reducing connection length and power loss.
2Ease of manufacture
If transceiver ICs are positioned far from antenna elements, then ease of manufacture is improved, but noise degradation increases
Solution Approach 1:
Each transceiver IC is positioned locally adjacent to its specific antenna elements, creating element-wise adjacency. This local quality approach ensures that each transceiver IC serves its nearby antenna elements with minimal connection length, reducing noise degradation while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through standardized local connections.
3Device complexity
If serial data connections are used for signal distribution, then device complexity is reduced, but data throughput capacity is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The data distribution system is segmented into multiple independent serial data connections, with each connection serving a specific transceiver IC and its associated antenna elements. This segmentation allows the system to maintain simple serial communication protocols while achieving high overall throughput capacity through parallel data paths.
Solution Approach 2:
The serial data connection architecture is designed to be universal and scalable. The same serial connection topology can serve different numbers of antenna elements by adjusting the transceiver IC configuration, providing both simplicity and high throughput capacity through flexible multi-functionality.
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
This approach minimizes power loss and noise, ensuring efficient signal distribution and amplification, thereby enhancing the radiation pattern and directionality of RF signals.
Implementation Method 1
processing at least some of the aggregated signal-port IQ data packets with the transceiver IC's integrated Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT) processor to convert the aggregated signal-port IQ data packets to an aggregated signal-port discrete time-domain baseband data signal
Implementation Method 2
converting the aggregated signal-port discrete time-domain baseband data signal to an amplified modulated radio frequency signal using the transceiver IC's integrated digital power amplifier and multi-phase carrier generator
Data Source
AI summary
Digital Beam-Formed Data Packet Communication Across Serially-Connected Transceivers by receiving modulated RF signals at a plurality of signal ports of each transceiver IC in a subarray of serially connected transceiver ICs and generating one or more frequency domain digital data packets of subcarrier IQ data associated with each signal port by demodulating each modulated RF signal from each signal port using an FFT processor within the respective transceiver ICs, and forming a plurality of combined frequency domain digital data packets from the transceiver ICs using a set of serial data links between the transceiver ICs of the subarray of serially connected transceiver ICs; and transmitting the plurality of combined frequency domain digital data packets from the subarray of transceiver ICs to a beamformer processor.