Communication using arbitrary selectable polarization

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11462840-B2
Application number	US-202117178480-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 18, 2021
Priority date	Feb 20, 2020
Publication date	Oct 4, 2022
Grant date	Oct 4, 2022

Abstract

An electronic device that uses an arbitrary transmit polarization is described. This electronic device includes: a first antenna having a first predefined polarization; and a second antenna having a second predefined polarization, where the second predefined polarization is different from the first predefined polarization. During operation, an interface circuit in the electronic device selectively transmits, from the first antenna, first wireless signals corresponding to the packet or the frame. Moreover, the interface circuit selectively transmits, from the second antenna, second wireless signals corresponding to the packet or the frame, where the second wireless signals have a same magnitude as the first wireless signals, and the second wireless signals are transmitted from the second antenna concurrently (or at the same time) as the first wireless signals are transmitted from the first antenna. Note that the interface circuit may dynamically modify the transmit polarization during the communication.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device, comprising:
a first antenna having a first predefined polarization;
a second antenna having a second predefined polarization, wherein the second predefined polarization is different from the first predefined polarization; and
an interface circuit communicatively coupled to the first antenna and the second antenna, wherein the interface circuit is configured to:
selectively transmit, from the first antenna, first wireless signals corresponding to a packet or a frame; and
selectively transmit, from the second antenna, second wireless signals corresponding to the packet or the frame, wherein the second wireless signals have a same magnitude as the first wireless signals, and
wherein the second wireless signals are transmitted from the second antenna concurrently as the first wireless signals are transmitted from the first antenna.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first predefined polarization is in a horizontal direction and the second predefined polarization is in a vertical direction.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein a phase of the second wireless signals is different from a phase of the first wireless signals.

4. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the interface circuit is configured to dynamically change the phase of electrical signals corresponding to the second wireless signals relative to the phase of electrical signals corresponding to the first wireless signals.

5. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the interface circuit is configured to receive information that specifies feedback associated with a second electronic device; and
wherein the phase of the second wireless signals is changed based at least in part on the feedback.

6. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the electronic device comprises a phase-modification element between the interface circuit and at least one of the first antenna and the second antenna; and
wherein the phase-modification element is configured to change the phase of the electrical signals corresponding to the first wireless signals, the electrical signals corresponding to the second wireless signals, or both based at least in part on a signal from the interface circuit.

7. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the interface circuit is configured to change a given antenna pattern of the first antenna or the second antenna based at least in part on the feedback.

8. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the interface circuit is configured to selectively discontinue transmitting the first wireless signals or the second wireless signals based at least in part on the feedback, or is configured to selectively disconnect the first antenna or the second antenna based at least in part on the feedback.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the dynamic selection is performed on a device-specific basis.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the interface circuit comprises a common transmit path, and is configured to provide electrical signals corresponding to the first wireless signals and the second wireless signals using the common transmit path.

11. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the interface circuit is configured to communicate the packet or the frame using multi-input multi-output (MIMO).

12. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the interface circuit is configured to selectively: receive, at the first antenna, third wireless signals corresponding to a second packet or a second frame; receive, at the second antenna, fourth wireless signals corresponding to the second packet or the second frame; or receive, at the first antenna, the third wireless signals and receive, at the second antenna, the fourth wireless signals; and
wherein the fourth wireless signals have a same magnitude as the third wireless signals, and the fourth wireless signals are received at the second antenna concurrently as the third wireless signals are received at the first antenna.

13. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the interface circuit is configured to dynamically change a phase of electrical signals corresponding to the third wireless signals relative to a phase of electrical signals corresponding to the fourth wireless signals.

14. The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the electronic device comprises a phase-modification element between the interface circuit and at least one of the first antenna and the second antenna; and
wherein the phase-modification element is configured to change the phase of the electrical signals corresponding to the third wireless signals, the electrical signals corresponding to the fourth wireless signals, or both based at least in part on a signal from the interface circuit.

15. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the second antenna is spatially offset from the first antenna.

16. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first antenna and the second antenna are dual band antennas that are configured to operate in a first band of frequencies and a second band of frequencies, which is different from the first band of frequencies.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for use in conjunction with an electronic device, the computer-readable storage medium storing program instructions that, when executed by the electronic device, causes the electronic device to perform operations comprising:
selectively transmitting, from a first antenna having a first predefined polarization, first wireless signals corresponding to a packet or a frame; and
selectively transmitting, from a second antenna having a second predefined polarization that is different from the first predefined polarization, second wireless signals corresponding to the packet or the frame, wherein the second wireless signals have a same magnitude as the first wireless signals, and
wherein the second wireless signals are transmitted from the second antenna concurrently as the first wireless signals are transmitted from the first antenna.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the operations comprise:
receiving information that specifies feedback associated with a second electronic device; and
dynamically changing the phase of electrical signals corresponding to the second wireless signals relative to the phase of electrical signals corresponding to the first wireless signals based at least in part on the feedback.

19. A method for communicating a packet or a frame using an arbitrary transmit polarization, comprising:
by an electronic device:
selectively transmitting, from a first antenna having a first predefined polarization, first wireless signals corresponding to the packet or the frame; and
selectively transmitting, from a second antenna having a second predefined polarization that is different from the first predefined polarization, second wireless signals corresponding to the packet or the frame, wherein the second wireless signals have a same magnitude as the first wireless signals, and
wherein the second wireless signals are transmitted from the second antenna concurrently as the first wireless signals are transmitted from the first antenna.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the method comprises:
receiving information that specifies feedback associated with a second electronic device; and
dynamically changing the phase of electrical signals corresponding to the second wireless signals relative to the phase of electrical signals corresponding to the first wireless signals based at least

Assignees

• Arris Entpr Llc

Inventors

• Kough Douglas Blake
• Obeidat Khaled A
• Koganti Rajesh
• Tankov Ivaylo

Classifications

• H04B7/0632

  Channel quality parameters, e.g. channel quality indicator [CQI] · CPC title

• H04B7/0671

  using different delays between antennas · CPC title

• H01Q21/245

  provided with means for varying the polarisation  (polarising devices H01Q15/24; tracking by comparing linear polarisation compounds G01S3/146; reducing depolarisation effects H04B7/00; polarisation diversity H04B7/10) · CPC title

• H04B7/0617

  for beam forming · CPC title

• H01Q1/38

  formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support {(patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface  H01Q15/142)} · CPC title