Apparatus and methods for beamforming tracking

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10297915-B2
Application number	US-201615184006-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 16, 2016
Priority date	Jun 16, 2016
Publication date	May 21, 2019
Grant date	May 21, 2019

Abstract

Signals are received from antenna elements in an antenna array, and respective phase shifts are applied to the received signals. The respective phase shifts are relative to a channel phase shift associated with each antenna element, and correspond to side angles from a current antenna beam direction of the antenna array. Control signals based on the phase shifted signals are generated to control the channel phase shifts, to provide beamforming tracking.

First claim

We claim:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a plurality of variable phase shifters to receive signals from respective antenna elements in an antenna array, each of the variable phase shifters comprising a pair of phase shift elements to apply respective phase shifts relative to a channel phase shift associated with the antenna element from which the variable phase shifter receives signals, the respective phase shifts corresponding to side angles from a current antenna beam direction of the antenna array; and
a beamforming tracking controller, coupled to receive phase shifted signals from the variable phase shifters, to generate control signals based on the phase shifted signals to control the channel phase shifts.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein each of the variable phase shifters further comprises a variable phase shift element to apply, to received signals, the channel phase shift associated with the antenna element from which the variable phase shifter receives signals,
wherein the pair of phase shift elements are coupled to the variable phase shift element.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pair of phase shift elements of each of the variable phase shifters comprises a pair of variable phase shift elements.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first frequency downconverter coupled to the tracking controller and to phase shift elements of the pairs of phase shift elements of the variable phase shifters that apply a phase shift corresponding to a first side angle in a first direction; and
a second frequency downconverter coupled to the tracking controller and to phase shift elements of the pairs of phase shift elements of the variable phase shifters that apply a phase shift corresponding to a second side angle in a second direction, different from the first direction.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising:
a first frequency downconverter coupled to the tracking controller and to phase shift elements of the pairs of phase shift elements of the variable phase shifters that apply a phase shift corresponding to a first side angle in a first direction; and
a second frequency downconverter coupled to the tracking controller and to phase shift elements of the pairs of phase shift elements of the variable phase shifters that apply a phase shift corresponding to a second side angle in a second direction, different from the first direction; and
a third frequency downconverter coupled to the tracking controller and to the variable phase shift elements of the variable phase shifters.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first analog to digital converter coupled to the tracking controller and to phase shift elements of the pairs of phase shift elements of the variable phase shifters that apply a phase shift corresponding to a first side angle in a first direction; and
a second analog to digital converter coupled to the tracking controller and to phase shift elements of the pairs of phase shift elements of the variable phase shifters that apply a phase shift corresponding to a second side angle in a second direction, different from the first direction.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising:
a signal combiner, coupled to the first analog to digital converter and to the second analog to digital converter, to combine digital signals that are generated by the first analog to digital converter and the second analog to digital converter.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
an analog to digital converter coupled to the variable phase shifters, to provide a digital output for processing by a receiver.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pair of phase shift elements is a first pair of phase shift elements, and wherein each of the variable phase shifters further comprises:
a second pair of phase shift elements to apply respective second phase shifts relative to the channel phase shift associated with the antenna element from which the variable phase shifter receives signals, the respective second phase shifts corresponding to further side angles from the current antenna beam direction of the antenna array.

10. Communication equipment comprising:
an antenna array comprising a plurality of antenna elements;
a plurality of variable phase shifters to receive signals from respective antenna elements in an antenna array, each of the variable phase shifters comprising a pair of phase shift elements to apply respective phase shifts relative to a channel phase shift associated with the antenna element from which the variable phase shifter receives signals, the respective phase shifts corresponding to side angles from a current antenna beam direction of the antenna array; and
a beamforming tracking controller, coupled to receive phase shifted signals from the variable phase shifters, to generate control signals based on the phase shifted signals to control the channel phase shifts.

11. The communication equipment of claim 10 , comprising user equipment.

12. The communication equipment of claim 10 , comprising communication network equipment.

13. The communication equipment of claim 10 , further comprising:
a receiver coupled to the plurality of variable phase shifters.

14. The communication equipment of claim 10 , further comprising:
a transceiver coupled to the plurality of variable phase shifters.

15. A method comprising:
receiving signals from antenna elements in an antenna array,
applying, to the signals received from each of the antenna elements, respective phase shifts relative to a channel phase shift associated with the antenna element from which the signals are received, the respective phase shifts corresponding to side angles from a current antenna beam direction of the antenna array; and
generating control signals based on phase shifted signals to control the channel phase shifts associated with the antenna elements.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the generating comprises:
determining whether a spectrum function has a larger value for the phase shifted signals to which a phase shift corresponding to a first side angle has been applied, or for the phase shifted signals to which a phase shift corresponding to a second side angle has been applied; and
generating the control signals to control the channel phase shifts to correspond to the current antenna beam direction adjusted by a tracking angle based on the one of the first side angle and the second side angle for which the phase shifted signals have the larger value of the spectrum function.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the spectrum function comprises signal power.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the spectrum function comprises an angle of arrival gradient.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein applying comprises:
applying, to the signals received from each of the antenna elements, the channel phase shift associated with the antenna element from which the signals are received, and
applying, to phase shifted signals to which the channel phase shifts have been applied, the respective phase shifts.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein applying comprises:
applying, to the signals received from each of the antenna elements, a first phase shift corresponding to the channel phase shift associated with the antenna element from which the signals are received, plus a delta phase shift corresponding to a first side angle in a first direction, and
applying, to the signals received from each of the antenna elements, a second phase shift corresponding to the channel

Assignees

• Jian Ming
• Tang Taiwen
• Zhai Wenyao
• Huawei Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Jian Ming
• Tang Taiwen
• Zhai Wenyao

Classifications

• H01Q3/38 Primary

  the phase-shifters being digital · CPC title

• G01S3/38

  using adjustment of real or effective orientation of directivity characteristic of an antenna or an antenna system to give a desired condition of signal derived from that antenna or antenna system, e.g. to give a maximum or minimum signal (G01S3/16, G01S3/28 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01Q21/06

  Arrays of individually energised antenna units similarly polarised and spaced apart · CPC title

• H01Q25/02

  providing sum and difference patterns (H01Q25/04 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01S3/46

  using antennas spaced apart and measuring phase or time difference between signals therefrom, i.e. path-difference systems · CPC title