Stacked Interleaved Antenna Array for Compact Multi-Band Operation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing antenna arrays fail to efficiently operate across multiple frequency bands and maintain form factor.
Innovation Solution
The antenna design includes a stacked antenna array structure with interleaved antenna elements and a transmitter and/or a receiver.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If antenna elements are arranged in a conventional planar array, then the array can operate at mmWave frequencies, but the array size becomes large and cannot be integrated into compact devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a conventional two-dimensional planar array to a three-dimensional stacked array configuration. Multiple antenna layers are arranged vertically with different spacing patterns, allowing the array to achieve multi-frequency band operation while maintaining a compact footprint. The third dimension (vertical stacking) provides additional degrees of freedom for beamforming and frequency multiplication without increasing the horizontal device area.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs nested antenna elements where smaller antenna elements are positioned within or between larger antenna elements across multiple layers. This nesting approach allows multiple antenna types and frequencies to coexist in a compact volume, with inner layers containing antenna elements for higher frequencies and outer layers containing elements for lower frequencies, achieving frequency multiplication in a space-efficient manner.
2Volume of moving object
If antenna elements are densely packed to reduce array size, then the form factor is improved, but mutual coupling between elements increases degrading performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different spacing strategies to different antenna layers and element positions. Within each layer, elements are spaced to minimize mutual coupling at that layer's operating frequency. Between layers, vertical spacing is optimized to reduce coupling between adjacent frequency bands. This localized optimization of spacing for each layer and position allows dense packing overall while maintaining signal quality through frequency-specific spacing adjustments.
Solution Approach 2:
The antenna array is segmented into multiple independent layers, each operating at different frequency bands with optimized element spacing for that band. This segmentation allows each layer to be designed independently with spacing appropriate for its frequency, reducing mutual coupling within each layer while maintaining compact overall dimensions through vertical integration of the segmented layers.
3Adaptability or versatility
If different antenna spacing is used for different frequency bands, then multi-band operation is optimized, but the array structure becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The stacked antenna array structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides beamforming capability through phase control, achieves frequency multiplication through vertical stacking, and enables multi-band operation through different inter-element spacings in different layers. The same physical structure is used across all frequency bands, with the transceiver system controlling which layers and elements are active for each band, reducing overall system complexity despite the multi-band requirement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamic control of antenna element activation and phase shifting based on the operating frequency band. The transceiver system dynamically selects which antenna layers and elements to activate for each frequency band and adjusts the phase weights accordingly. This dynamic reconfiguration allows a single fixed physical structure to adapt to multiple frequency bands without requiring separate hardware for each band, managing complexity through software-defined control.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is an antenna array structure including a plurality of first antenna elements for transmitting and receiving a signal at a first frequency and a plurality of second antenna elements for transmitting and receiving a signal at a second frequency, wherein the plurality of first antenna elements are disposed in a first layer and aligned to a line extending in a first direction and the plurality of second antenna elements are disposed in a second layer and aligned to the line.