Method and apparatus for directing wireless signals

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10743196-B2
Application number	US-201816027860-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 5, 2018
Priority date	Oct 16, 2015
Publication date	Aug 11, 2020
Grant date	Aug 11, 2020

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a method for receiving a request to steer wireless signals generated by a plurality of dielectric antennas, and adjusting, by the controller, a plurality of adjustable delays coupled to a transceiver to adjust an orientation of wireless signals received or generated by the plurality of dielectric antennas, each of the plurality of dielectric antennas comprising a feed point coupled to a different one of the plurality of adjustable delays, the transceiver facilitating reception or transmission of electromagnetic waves propagating via a different one of the feed points of the plurality of dielectric antennas along corresponding dielectric feedlines without an electrical return path. Other embodiments are disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A communication device, comprising:
a plurality of adjustable phase shifters;
a plurality of dielectric antennas, each dielectric antenna of the plurality of dielectric antennas having a conical structure and comprising a dielectric feed point that extends from each dielectric antenna, each dielectric feed point being coupled to a different one of the plurality of adjustable phase shifters, each dielectric antenna of the plurality of dielectric antennas being substantially or entirely devoid of conductive materials, each dielectric antenna of the plurality of dielectric antennas comprising a lens that operates as an aperture of the dielectric antenna, each lens having a convex structure, and each lens being devoid of an opening;
a controller coupled to the plurality of adjustable phase shifters to facilitate beam steering of wireless signals generated by the plurality of dielectric antennas by controlling the plurality of adjustable phase shifters as each of a different electromagnetic wave of a plurality of electromagnetic waves is propagated via a corresponding adjustable phase shifter to a corresponding dielectric feed point; and

a plurality of cables, each cable coupling a corresponding one of the plurality of adjustable phase shifters to a corresponding dielectric feed point of the plurality of dielectric antennas, each cable comprising an opaque dielectric core for propagating the electromagnetic waves having a frequency less than a lowest frequency of visible light.

2. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein the controller facilitates controlling the plurality of adjustable phase shifters to generate, as the plurality of electromagnetic waves, phase-shifted electromagnetic waves that steer the wireless signals generated by the plurality of dielectric antennas.

3. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein each lens comprises a structure that reduces phase differences in the wireless signals generated by a corresponding dielectric antenna.

4. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein each lens comprises a dielectric material having a first dielectric constant that is at least approximately equal to a second dielectric constant of a corresponding dielectric antenna.

5. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein the controller facilitates steering the wireless signals towards a mobile communication device.

6. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein the controller facilitates steering the wireless signals towards a base station.

7. The communication device of claim 1 , further comprising a transmitter coupled to an input of each of the plurality of adjustable phase shifters, the transmitter facilitating the beam steering of the wireless signals generated by the plurality of dielectric antennas.

8. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein a transceiver coupled to the plurality of adjustable phase shifters communicates with other devices utilizing multi-input multi-output (MIMO) transmission and reception techniques or diversity signal communication techniques.

9. A communication device, comprising:
a plurality of adjustable delays;
a plurality of dielectric antennas, each dielectric antenna of the plurality of dielectric antennas having a conical structure and comprising a dielectric feed point that extends from each dielectric antenna, each dielectric feed point being coupled to a different one of the plurality of adjustable delays, each dielectric antenna of the plurality of dielectric antennas being substantially or entirely devoid of conductive materials, each dielectric antenna of the plurality of dielectric antennas comprising a lens that operates as an aperture of the dielectric antenna, each lens having a convex structure, and each lens being devoid of an opening;

a plurality of cables, each cable coupling a corresponding one of the plurality of adjustable delays to a corresponding dielectric feed point of the plurality of dielectric antennas, each cable comprising an opaque dielectric core for propagating one of a plurality of electromagnetic waves having a frequency less than a lowest frequency of visible light;
a processing system including a processor; and
a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, perform operations, the operations comprising:
facilitating steering of wireless signals generated by the plurality of dielectric antennas by controlling the plurality of adjustable delays as each of a different electromagnetic wave of the plurality of electromagnetic waves is propagated via a corresponding adjustable delay to a corresponding dielectric feed point.

10. The communication device of claim 9 , wherein the controlling the plurality of adjustable delays comprises controlling the plurality of adjustable delays to generate, as the plurality of electromagnetic waves, delayed electromagnetic waves.

11. The communication device of claim 9 , wherein each lens comprises a structure that reduces phase differences in the wireless signals generated by a corresponding dielectric antenna.

12. The communication device of claim 9 , further comprising a transmitter coupled to an input of each of the plurality of adjustable delays, the transmitter facilitating the steering of the wireless signals generated by the plurality of dielectric antennas.

13. The communication device of claim 9 , wherein the facilitating the steering of the wireless signals comprises steering the wireless signals towards a mobile communication device.

14. The communication device of claim 9 , wherein the facilitating the steering of the wireless signals comprises steering the wireless signals towards a base station.

15. The communication device of claim 9 , wherein a transceiver coupled to the plurality of adjustable delays communicates with other devices utilizing multi-input multi-output (MIMO) transmission and reception techniques or diversity signal communication techniques.

16. A method, comprising:
receiving, by a controller, a request to steer wireless signals generated by a plurality of dielectric antennas, each dielectric antenna of the plurality of dielectric antennas having a conical structure and comprising a dielectric feed point that extends from each dielectric antenna, each dielectric feed point being coupled via one of a plurality of cables to a different one of a plurality of adjustable delays, each of the plurality of cables coupling a corresponding one of the plurality of adjustable delays to a corresponding dielectric feed point of the plurality of dielectric antennas, each cable comprising an opaque dielectric core for propagating one of a plurality of electromagnetic waves having a frequency less than a lowest frequency of visible light, each dielectric antenna of the plurality of dielectric antennas being substantially or entirely devoid of conductive materials, each dielectric antenna of the plurality of dielectric antennas comprising a lens that operates as an aperture of the dielectric antenna, each lens having a convex structure, and each lens being devoid of an opening; and
adjusting, by the controller, the plurality of adjustable delays to adjust an orientation of the wireless signals generated by the plurality of dielectric antennas.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the adjusting the plurality of adjustable delays generates, as the plurality of electromagnetic waves, delayed electromagnetic waves that steer the wireless signals.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein a transceiver coupled to the plurality of adjustable delays communicates w

Assignees

• At & T Ip I Lp

Inventors

• Barzegar Farhad
• Henry Paul Shala
• Barnickel Donald J
• Bennett Robert
• Gerszberg Irwin
• Kafka Henry
• Willis Iii Thomas M

Classifications

• H01Q13/24 Primary

  constituted by a dielectric or ferromagnetic rod or pipe (H01Q13/28 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01P5/08

  for linking dissimilar lines or devices (H01P1/16, H01P5/04 take precedence; linking lines of the same kind but with different dimensions H01P5/02) · CPC title

• H04B7/0617

  for beam forming · CPC title

• H01R3/00

  Electrically-conductive connections not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• H01Q19/08

  for modifying the radiation pattern of a radiating horn in which it is located {(corrugated horns H01Q13/0208; producing a circular polarisation H01Q13/0241)} · CPC title