Shared RFIC Lens Antenna for Reconfigurable Beam Steering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional active array antenna systems driven by active RFICs face high costs and design complexity due to the need for a large number of RFICs and complex control systems, which also increases the risk of RFIC failures affecting system performance.
Innovation Solution
The antenna system employs a shared use of RFIC units, where a smaller number of RFICs are connected to multiple feed antenna units through switching units, allowing for beam direction reconfiguration and adjustment. This is achieved through a control module that controls the ON/OFF state of the switching units and configures the RFICs to shape the radiation pattern of the feed antenna units.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If each feed antenna unit is driven by a dedicated RFIC unit, then beam direction control and reconfigurability are achieved, but system cost and device complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple feed antenna units share common RFIC units through switching networks. Instead of dedicating one RFIC per antenna element, the patent combines multiple antenna channels through switches to a smaller number of RFICs, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining beam steering capability through phase modulation at the shared RFIC stage.
Solution Approach 2:
The RFIC units are designed to serve multiple feed antenna units through the switching network. Each RFIC unit can modulate signals for different antenna elements by controlling the switching matrix, making the RFICs universal components that perform multiple functions across different beam directions and antenna configurations.
2Reliability
If a large number of RFIC units are used to drive numerous antenna elements, then good directivity and beam shape are achieved, but system cost becomes prohibitively high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple antenna element channels through a switching network to a reduced number of RFIC units. This combination approach maintains the necessary signal processing capability for good directivity while dramatically reducing the quantity of expensive RFIC components required, thereby lowering overall system cost.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using numerous physical RFIC units, the patent uses a smaller set of RFICs that are time-multiplexed or spatially multiplexed through switching to serve multiple antenna elements. The same RFIC hardware is copied in function across multiple channels through the switching network, reducing hardware cost while maintaining performance.
3Adaptability or versatility
If many RFIC units are integrated into the antenna system, then reconfigurability is achieved, but design complexity and monitoring difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The switching network merges multiple antenna channels to a smaller number of RFIC units, reducing the total component count that requires design and monitoring. This consolidation maintains reconfigurability through electronic switching while simplifying the overall system architecture and reducing design complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The switching network acts as an intermediary between the antenna elements and the reduced number of RFIC units. This mediator component enables reconfigurability by dynamically connecting different antenna elements to different RFICs, providing adaptability without requiring a proportional increase in RFIC count, thus simplifying design and monitoring.
4Adaptability or versatility
If all antenna elements change phase simultaneously to change beam direction, then beam steering is achieved, but computation load and control complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the antenna array into multiple groups or subarrays that can be controlled independently through the switching network. Instead of controlling all antenna elements simultaneously, the system divides them into manageable segments that can be activated and phased independently, reducing computation load and control complexity while achieving beam steering through coordinated segment control.
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 system reduces the number of RFIC units required, lowering overall costs and design complexity while enabling flexible and effective beam control, thereby improving the dynamic transmission and reception capabilities of the antenna system.
Implementation Method 1
The microwave lens module can form at least one beam of electromagnetic waves corresponding to the at least input signal
Implementation Method 2
The microwave lens module has a second side that can radiate the beam of electromagnetic waves in a particular direction
Implementation Method 3
The plurality of RFIC units are respectively electrically connected to the plurality of feed antenna units through a plurality of switching units
Implementation Method 4
an active phased array antenna is used when it is necessary to change the transmission direction of a beam of radio waves, and the working principle of such an antenna is to increase or reduce the phase difference between a plurality of active antenna elements
Data Source
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AI summary
An antenna system for beam direction adjustment and shared use of radio-frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) units includes an array antenna module including feed antenna units for producing at least one input signal, RFIC units respectively electrically connected to the feed antenna units through switching units and less in number than the feed antenna units, a control module for controlling, based on at least one antenna configuration message, some of the switching units to be switched on and the rest thereof to be switched off, and a microwave lens module for forming at least one beam in a particular direction. A feed antenna unit electrically connected to the switched-on switching unit is in a working state, and can receive a signal from the RFIC units and radiate a corresponding input signal to the microwave lens module. The antenna system greatly reduces the number of RFIC units, thereby lowering the overall cost.