Voltage Domain RF Beamforming for Phased Array Area Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional RF beamforming architectures face challenges such as large area consumption and significant power loss due to the use of power combining and splitting networks, which degrade gain and increase noise figure.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution configures beamforming devices to operate in a voltage or current domain instead of a power domain, eliminating the need for power combining or splitting networks, thereby reducing area consumption and power loss, and simplifying calibration processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If power combining and splitting networks are used in conventional RF beamforming architectures, then signal distribution and combination can be achieved, but area consumption increases and power loss occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the conventional power domain beamforming architecture with a voltage domain architecture. Instead of using power combining/splitting networks that require physical power distribution trees, the invention uses voltage signals that can be combined and split without requiring proportional physical network infrastructure. This substitution of the operating domain (from power to voltage) eliminates the need for extensive power combining/splitting networks, thereby reducing area consumption while maintaining signal distribution capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental operating parameter from power domain to voltage domain. By operating in the voltage domain, the beamforming architecture can achieve signal combination and distribution without the area-consuming power networks. The voltage domain operation allows for direct signal addition at the antenna elements without requiring intermediate power combining stages, thus reducing the overall architecture area while preserving the essential beamforming function.
2Reliability
If power combining and splitting networks are used in conventional RF beamforming architectures, then signal distribution and combination can be achieved, but power loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the conventional power domain beamforming architecture with a voltage domain architecture. Instead of using power combining/splitting networks that incur significant power loss, the invention uses voltage signals that can be combined and split without requiring proportional physical power distribution infrastructure. This substitution eliminates the power loss associated with multiple stages of power combining and splitting, thereby reducing energy loss while maintaining signal distribution capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental operating parameter from power domain to voltage domain. By operating in the voltage domain, the beamforming architecture avoids the inherent power losses of power combining networks. Voltage signals can be added directly at the antenna elements without undergoing multiple power splitting and combining stages, thus eliminating the cumulative power loss that occurs in conventional architectures while preserving signal distribution functionality.
3Adaptability or versatility
If power combining and splitting networks are used in conventional RF beamforming architectures, then beamforming can be implemented, but gain decreases and noise figure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the conventional power domain beamforming architecture with a voltage domain architecture. By substituting power domain operations with voltage domain operations, the invention eliminates the gain degradation and noise figure degradation that occur in power combining networks. Voltage domain beamforming allows for direct signal manipulation at the antenna elements without the signal quality degradation inherent in power domain processing, thus maintaining beamforming functionality while improving signal quality metrics.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operating parameter from power domain to voltage domain, which fundamentally alters how beamforming is achieved. In the voltage domain, signals can be combined and manipulated without the gain loss and noise figure degradation that plague power domain architectures. This parameter change preserves beamforming adaptability while significantly improving signal quality by avoiding the inherent losses of power combining and splitting networks.
Data Source
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AI summary
Exemplary embodiments are directed to a beamforming device. A device may include at least one receive path; and an amplifier coupled to an output of each receive path. The device configured to process each a signal from each receive path in at least one of a voltage domain and a current domain.