Stacked MIMO Antenna Assembly With Real-Time TDD Calibration

The patent employs a three-dimensional stacked structure where multiple antenna elements, filters, and RF circuits are arranged vertically across multiple PCB layers. This vertical stacking enables massive MIMO with many antenna elements while maintaining a compact footprint, directly addressing the contradiction between increasing antenna count for higher data rates and minimizing system weight.

The patent implements a nested arrangement where antenna elements, band-pass filters, and RF circuits are integrated within a compact stacked configuration. Multiple functional components are nested within each other spatially, allowing high antenna density without proportionally increasing overall system weight.

The patent transitions from a two-dimensional planar arrangement to a three-dimensional stacked architecture, organizing antenna elements and supporting circuits across multiple vertical layers. This enables high channel capacity with many antennas while constraining the horizontal footprint and overall volume.

The antenna system is segmented into multiple functional modules distributed across different PCB layers, including antenna elements on upper layers and RF circuits on lower layers. This segmentation allows efficient space utilization and reduces the overall volume required for a given channel capacity.

The patent divides the RF signal path into separate transmit and receive circuits on the lower PCB, with individual power amplification for each antenna element. This segmentation enables precise power control at each element level, allowing coverage expansion while minimizing overall power consumption through efficient power management.

The patent replaces traditional waveguide-based RF transmission with printed circuit board traces and microstrip lines. This substitution reduces power loss and heat generation while maintaining signal integrity, enabling efficient high-power operation for expanded coverage.

The patent merges multiple band-pass filters into a single integrated filter assembly mounted on the first PCB. This consolidation maintains the frequency selectivity of individual filters while eliminating cumulative assembly tolerances and simplifying the manufacturing process.

Multiple filter elements are nested within a single filter assembly structure, which is then mounted as one unit to the PCB. This nested configuration preserves the frequency-selective properties of individual filters while reducing the number of discrete assembly operations and minimizing tolerance accumulation.