Millimeter wave (MMWAVE) system and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11811439-B2
Application number	US-202217751288-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2022
Priority date	Jun 22, 2018
Publication date	Nov 7, 2023
Grant date	Nov 7, 2023

Abstract

A mobile communication device that is configured to cancel interference within received millimeter wave band signals. The device includes a receiver circuit that is configured to receive a millimeter wave band signal, adjust gain provided to the millimeter wave band signal at a first amplifier, cancel interference in millimeter wave band signal after gain is adjusted by the first amplifier, and adjust gain provided to the millimeter wave band signal at a second amplifier after interference is cancelled.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A mobile communication device comprising:
a beamforming antenna configured to transmit and receive millimeter wave band signals; and
a beamforming circuit coupled to the beamforming antenna and configured to
receive, from a remote sensor, beam pathway data regarding potential obstructions affecting wireless communications of the mobile communication device,
map a beam pathway environment based on the received beam pathway data,
form a beam based on the mapped beam pathway environment, and
provide the formed beam to the beamforming antenna for wireless communications of the mobile communication device.

2. The mobile communication device of claim 1 , wherein the beam is a first beam, wherein the beamforming circuit is further configured to:
receive propagated beam data related to the first beam;
update the beam pathway environment based on the received propagated beam data;
form a second beam based on the updated beam pathway environment; and
provide the second beam to the beamforming antenna.

3. The mobile communication device of claim 2 , wherein the beamforming circuit is further configured to:
before receiving the propagated beam data, predict propagated beam data based on the mapped beam pathway environment according to one or more modeling parameters; and
after receiving the propagated beam data, modify the one or more modeling parameters according to the received propagated beam data.

4. The mobile communication device of claim 1 , wherein to map the beam pathway environment, the beamforming circuit is configured to:
trace a pathway of all beams of the mobile communication device to predict propagation characteristics of all beams at a given point in time.

5. The mobile communication device of claim 4 , wherein the beamforming circuit is further configured to:
track obstructions in a physical channel of the mobile communication device;
extrapolate a beam trajectory based on the tracked obstructions; and
predict the propagation characteristics from the extrapolated beam trajectory.

6. The mobile communication device of claim 4 , wherein to trace the pathway, the beamforming circuit is configured to:
trace rays along a physically realizable path until they intercept an object.

7. The mobile communication device of claim 6 , wherein properties of the rays include one or more of:
polarization state;
phase;
position; or
direction.

8. The mobile communication device of claim 1 , wherein the beamforming circuit is configured to form the beam further based on:
least probability of outage during transmission combined with greatest increase of link robustness.

9. A beamforming circuit for generating a beam for wireless communication of a mobile device, the beamforming circuit comprising:
a blockage prediction and channel modeling engine configured to
obtain beam pathway data regarding obstruction and scene information affecting wireless communications of the mobile communication device, and
map a beam pathway environment based on the received beam pathway data; and

a beamforming and self-learning engine configured to
receive, from the blockage prediction and channel modeling engine, input data based on the mapped beam pathway environment; and
determine and provide, based on the received input data, an optimum beam for wireless communication of the mobile communication device.

10. The beamforming circuit of claim 9 , wherein the beamforming and self-learning engine is further configured to:
receive in-band link quality metrics from a beamforming antenna; and
determine and provide the optimum beam further based on the received in-band link quality metrics.

11. The beamforming circuit of claim 9 , wherein the blockage prediction and channel modeling engine is configured to:
receive signals from out of band sensors; and
obtain the beam pathway data from data and information contained in the received signals.

12. The beamforming circuit of claim 11 , wherein the out of band sensors include one or more of:
one or more camera systems;
one more light detection and ranging systems;
one more sound navigation and ranging systems; or
one more radio detection and ranging systems.

13. The beamforming circuit of claim 9 , wherein the blockage prediction and channel modeling engine is configured to:
determine obstruction tracking and blockage prediction based on the received beam pathway data; and
map the beam pathway environment based on the obstruction tracking and blockage prediction.

14. The beamforming circuit of claim 9 , wherein the input data includes a propagation model of potential pathways of different beams that are formed.

15. The beamforming circuit of claim 14 , wherein the beamforming and self-learning engine is configured to:
select a beam corresponding to one of the potential pathways as the optimum beam.

16. A method for generating a beam for wireless communication, the method comprising:
obtaining beam pathway data regarding obstruction and scene information affecting wireless communications;
mapping a beam pathway environment based on the received beam pathway data; and
determining and providing, based on the mapped beam pathway environment, an optimum beam for the wireless communications.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
receiving in-band link quality metrics from a beamforming antenna; and
determining and providing the optimum beam further based on the received in-band link quality metrics.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
receiving signals from out of band sensors; and
obtaining the beam pathway data from data and information contained in the received signals.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
determining obstruction tracking and blockage prediction based on the received beam pathway data; and
mapping the beam pathway environment based on the obstruction tracking and blockage prediction.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the beam pathway environment includes a propagation model of potential pathways of different beams that are formed, the method further comprising:
selecting a beam corresponding to one of the potential pathways as the optimum beam.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Galeev Mikhail T
• Orhan Oner
• Amadjikpe Arnaud Lucres
• Grewell Benjamin
• Naderi Navid
• Nikopour Hosein
• Sudhakaran Susruth
• Talwar Shilpa
• Xian Liang

Classifications

• H04B7/0617

  for beam forming · CPC title

• H04B1/1027 Primary

  assessing signal quality or detecting noise/interference for the received signal · CPC title

• H04B1/123

  using adaptive balancing or compensation means (adaptive filter circuits and algorithms H03H) · CPC title

• H04B1/525

  with means for reducing leakage of transmitter signal into the receiver · CPC title

• G01S17/931

  of land vehicles · CPC title