Phase shifter, driving method for the phase shifter and antenna system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12451869-B2
Application number	US-202117786213-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 26, 2021
Priority date	Sep 26, 2021
Publication date	Oct 21, 2025
Grant date	Oct 21, 2025

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a phase shifter, a driving method for the phase shifter, and an antenna system, and belongs to the field of communication technologies. The present disclosure provides a phase shifter, including: a control module, a digital-to-analog conversion module and a phase shift structure; the control module is configured to generate a plurality of correction signals according to phase shift degrees of the phase shift structure; the digital-to-analog conversion module is configured to generate a driving signal according to the correction signals; and the phase shift structure is configured to shift a phase of a microwave signal passing therethrough according to the driving signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A phase shifter, comprising: a control module, a digital-to-analog conversion module and a phase shift structure, wherein
the control module is configured to generate a plurality of correction signals according to phase shift degrees of the phase shift structure;
the digital-to-analog conversion module is configured to generate a driving signal according to the correction signals;
the phase shift structure is configured to shift a phase of a microwave signal passing therethrough according to the driving signal, and
a data generation module configured to generate a data signal according to status data of the phase shifter; the digital-to-analog conversion module comprises: a resistor string and a switch group; the resistor string is divided into a plurality of resistor sub-strings connected in series, and each resistor sub-string comprises a plurality of resistors connected in series; the switch group comprises a plurality of switches, and at least one resistor is connected between every two adjacent switches; and the switches are configured to electrically connect the resistor string to the phase shift structure, wherein
a voltage across each resistor sub-string is set to be a voltage difference between different correction signals; and the driving signal is set to be a sum of voltages of the plurality of resistors; and
the switches are configured to transmit the driving signal to the phase shift structure under control of the data signal.

2. The phase shifter of claim 1 , wherein at least part of the resistors have different resistance values.

3. An antenna system, comprising the phase shifter of claim 2 .

4. The phase shifter of claim 1 , further comprising: an operational amplifier configured to amplify the driving signal and connected to the digital-to-analog conversion module and the phase shift structure.

5. An antenna system, comprising the phase shifter of claim 4 .

6. The phase shifter of claim 1 , further comprising a data generation module, a calculation module, a data conversion module and a logic control module; the logic control module is configured to generate a query signal when determining that a first data signal corresponding to a first phase shift degree of the phase shift structure does not exist; the calculation module is configured to generate a second phase shift degree which is different from the first phase shift degree by at least one phase shift period according to the query signal; the data generation module is configured to generate a second data signal according to the second phase shift degree; and the data conversion module is configured to generate the driving signal according to the second data signal.

7. The phase shifter of claim 6 , wherein the second phase shift degree is greater than the first phase shift degree, and the second phase shift degree is different from the first phase shift degree by one phase shift period.

8. The phase shifter of claim 1 , further comprising a selection module; the digital-to-analog conversion module comprises a first digital-to-analog conversion submodule and a second digital-to-analog conversion submodule; a first driving signal output by the first digital-to-analog conversion submodule is less than a second driving signal output by the second digital-to-analog conversion submodule in magnitude; and resolution of the first driving signal is greater than that of the second driving signal;
the control module is configured to generate the correction signals according to magnitudes of the driving signals; and
the selection module is configured to turn on the first digital-to-analog conversion submodule or the second digital-to-analog conversion submodule according to the correction signals.

9. The phase shifter of claim 8 , wherein the selection module comprises a first transistor and a second transistor; a control electrode of the first transistor is connected to the control module, a first electrode of the first transistor is connected to the first digital-to-analog conversion submodule, and a second electrode of the first transistor is connected to the phase shift structure; and a control electrode of the second transistor is connected to the control module, a first electrode of the second transistor is connected to the second digital-to-analog conversion submodule, and a second electrode of the second transistor is connected to the phase shift structure.

10. The phase shifter of claim 8 , wherein the selection module comprises a first transistor and a second transistor; and switching characteristics of the first transistor and the second transistor are opposite; and
a control electrode of the first transistor and a control electrode of the second transistor are connected to each other, and are connected to the control module; a first electrode of the first transistor is connected to the first digital-to-analog conversion submodule, and a second electrode of the second transistor is connected to the second digital-to-analog conversion submodule; and a second electrode of the first transistor and a first electrode of the second transistor are connected to each other, and are connected to the phase shift structure.

11. An antenna system, comprising the phase shifter of claim 6 .

12. The phase shifter of claim 1 , wherein the control module comprises: one of a Microcontroller Unit, a Digital Signal Processor, an Application Specific Integrated Circuit, or a Field Programmable Gate Array.

13. An antenna system, comprising the phase shifter of claim 1 .

14. A driving method for the phase shifter of claim 1 , comprising: generating a plurality of correction signals by the control module according to phase shift degrees of the phase shift structure; respectively setting the correction signals at two terminals of a resistor sub-string in a resistor string of the digital-to-analog conversion module; generating a driving signal according to voltages of a plurality of resistors in the resistor string; and driving the phase shift structure by the driving signal to perform phase shifting.

15. The driving method for the phase shifter of claim 14 , further comprising: before respectively setting the correction signals at the two terminals of the resistor sub-string in the resistor string of the digital-to-analog conversion module, calculating a corresponding relationship between a driving signal of the phase shift structure and phase shift degrees of the phase shift structure; and setting a resistance value of each resistor according to the corresponding relationship.

16. The driving method for the phase shifter of claim 15 , further comprising: adjusting the correction signals according to the corresponding relationship.

17. A driving method for a phase shifter, comprising: determining by a logic control module that a first data signal corresponding to a first phase shift degree of the phase shifter does not exist; calculating a second phase shift degree which is different from the first phase shift degree by at least one phase shift period; generating a second data signal according to the second phase shift; generating a driving signal according to the second data signal; and driving a phase shift structure by the driving signal to perform phase shifting.

18. A driving method for a phase shifter, comprising: generating a correction signal by a control module according to magnitude of a driving signal; wherein the driving signal comprises a first driving signal and a second driving signal, the first driving signal is a driving signal output by a first digital-to-analog conversion submodu

Assignees

• Beijing Boe Technology Dev Co Ltd
• Boe Technology Group Co Ltd

Inventors

• Liu Zongmin
• Li Wei
• Guo Junwei
• Fan Xichao
• Qu Feng
• Li Biqi

Classifications

• H01Q3/36

  with variable phase-shifters · CPC title

• H03M1/66

  Digital/analogue converters ({H03M1/001 – } H03M1/10 take precedence) · CPC title

• H03H11/16 Primary

  Networks for phase shifting · CPC title

• H03H11/20 Primary

  Two-port phase shifters providing an adjustable phase shift · CPC title