Massively multi-user MIMO using space time holography

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10439715-B2
Application number	US-201715409394-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 18, 2017
Priority date	Jul 1, 2016
Publication date	Oct 8, 2019
Grant date	Oct 8, 2019

Abstract

Disclosed are antenna systems, wireless antenna controllers, and related methods. An antenna system includes a configured to receive an electromagnetic (EM) signal and propagate the EM signal as an EM reference wave. The antenna system also includes a tunable EM scattering elements, and a wireless controller. A wireless antenna controller includes an EM emitter configured to emit EM radiation to EM filters. The EM filters are configured to pass different sub-ranges of a frequency range of the EM radiation to the tunable EM scattering elements. A method includes wirelessly controlling the tunable EM scattering elements to deliver a different information streams to different far-end locations. A method includes controlling the EM emitter to modulate frequency content of the EM radiation to cause the tunable EM scattering elements to operate collectively according to different modulation patterns.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An antenna system, comprising:
one or more feeds configured to receive an electromagnetic (EM) signal and propagate the EM signal as an EM reference wave;
a plurality of tunable EM scattering elements spaced at sub-wavelength distances compared to the EM reference wave, the plurality of tunable EM scattering elements configured to operate in at least two different operational states to selectively scatter the EM reference wave as a radiated wave; and
a wireless controller configured to wirelessly control the plurality of tunable EM scattering elements and modulate the radiated wave over time to deliver a plurality of different information streams to a plurality of different far-end locations by modulating the plurality of tunable EM scattering elements between the plurality of different operational states over time;
a plurality of EM filters corresponding to the plurality of tunable EM scattering elements, wherein:
the wireless controller includes an EM emitter configured to emit EM radiation encompassing a wide frequency range;
each of the plurality of EM filters is configured to pass only a portion of the EM radiation encompassing the wide frequency range;
the plurality of tunable EM scattering elements is configured to switch between the at least two different operational states responsive to receiving the portion of the EM radiation passed by the corresponding ones of the plurality of EM filters; and
the wireless controller is configured to vary frequency content of the EM radiation to control the plurality of tunable EM scattering elements to deliver the plurality of different information streams to the plurality of different far-end locations.

2. The antenna system of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the EM radiation passed by each of the plurality of EM filters is orthogonal to each other portion of the EM radiation passed by others of the plurality of EM filters.

3. The antenna system of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the EM radiation passed by each of the plurality of EM filters comprises a continuous frequency segment of the wide frequency range.

4. The antenna system of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the EM radiation passed by each of the plurality of EM filters comprises an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) defined portion of the EM radiation.

5. The antenna system of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the EM radiation passed by each of the plurality of EM filters comprises a code division multiplexing (CDM) defined portion of the EM radiation.

6. The antenna system of claim 1 , wherein a lowest frequency in the wide frequency range is at least about twice a frequency of the reference wave.

7. The antenna system of claim 1 , wherein a lowest frequency in the wide frequency range is at least about one terahertz (1 THz).

8. The antenna system of claim 1 , wherein a lowest frequency in the wide frequency range is at least about one hundred terahertz (100 THz).

9. The antenna system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of tunable EM scattering elements includes a plurality of optically tunable EM scattering elements tunable by the portions of the EM radiation passed by the corresponding ones of the plurality of EM filters.

10. The antenna system of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of optically tunable EM scattering elements comprises a plurality of photodiodes.

11. The antenna system of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of optically tunable EM scattering elements comprises a plurality of phototransistors.

12. The antenna system of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of optically tunable EM scattering elements comprises a plurality of photoconductive or photoresistive elements.

13. The antenna system of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of optically tunable EM scattering elements comprises a plurality of phase-change elements configured to reversibly change phase responsive to heat deposition of optical radiation.

14. The antenna system of claim 9 , wherein the wireless controller is configured to modulate the plurality of optically tunable EM scattering elements at a frequency of at least about one (1) gigahertz.

15. A wireless antenna controller, comprising:
an electromagnetic (EM) emitter configured to controllably emit EM radiation of a frequency range to a plurality of tunable EM scattering elements through a plurality of EM filters configured to pass different sub-ranges of the frequency range to different ones of the plurality of tunable EM scattering elements, the plurality of tunable EM scattering elements configured to operate in a plurality of different scattering states responsive to the sub-ranges of the frequency range; and
control circuitry operably coupled to the EM emitter, the control circuitry comprising at least one data storage device including computer-readable instructions stored thereon and at least one processor operably coupled to the at least one data storage device and configured to execute the computer-readable instructions, wherein the computer-readable instructions are configured to instruct the at least one processor to control the EM emitter to modulate frequency content of the EM radiation to cause the plurality of tunable EM scattering elements to operate collectively according to a plurality of different modulation patterns.

16. The wireless antenna controller of claim 15 , wherein the computer-readable instructions are configured to instruct the at least one processor to control the EM emitter to modulate the frequency content of the EM radiation over time to vary the modulation patterns of the plurality of tunable EM scattering elements over time such that the plurality of tunable EM scattering elements scatter an EM reference wave to produce a radiated wave that carries a plurality of different information streams to a plurality of different far-end locations.

17. The wireless antenna controller of claim 15 , wherein a sub-range of the EM radiation passed by each of the plurality of EM filters is orthogonal to other sub-ranges of the EM radiation passed by others of the plurality of EM filters.

18. The wireless antenna controller of claim 15 , wherein a sub-range of the EM radiation passed by each of the plurality of EM filters comprises a continuous frequency segment of the frequency range.

19. The wireless antenna controller of claim 15 , wherein the different sub-ranges of the EM radiation passed by each of the plurality of EM filters comprise orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) defined sub-ranges of the EM radiation.

20. The wireless antenna controller of claim 15 , wherein the different sub-ranges of the EM radiation passed by each of the plurality of EM filters comprise code division multiplexing (CDM) defined sub-ranges of the EM radiation.

21. The wireless antenna controller of claim 15 , wherein a lowest frequency in the frequency range is at least about twice a frequency of a reference wave the plurality of tunable EM scattering elements is configured to scatter to form a radiated wave.

22. The wireless antenna controller of claim 15 , wherein a lowest frequency in the frequency range is at least about one terahertz (1 THz).

23. The wireless antenna controller of claim 15 , wherein a lowest frequency in the frequency range is at least about one hundred terahertz (100 THz).

24. The wireless antenna controller of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of tunable EM scattering elements includes a plurality of optically tunable EM scattering elements

Assignees

• Elwha Llc

Inventors

• Black Eric J
• Deutsch Brian Mark
• Katko Alexander Remley
• Machado Melroy
• Mccandless Jay Howard
• Urzhumov Yaroslav A

Classifications

• H01Q25/007

  using two or more primary active elements in the focal region of a focusing device (for operation on different wavebands H01Q5/22) · CPC title

• H01Q15/002

  said selective devices being reconfigurable or tunable, e.g. using switches or diodes · CPC title

• H04B7/0452 Primary

  Multi-user MIMO systems · CPC title

• H04B10/116 Primary

  Visible light communication · CPC title