Simple 2D phase-mode enabled beam-steering means

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9413067-B2
Application number	US-201313870309-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 25, 2013
Priority date	Mar 12, 2013
Publication date	Aug 9, 2016
Grant date	Aug 9, 2016

Abstract

System and apparatus embodiments are provided for beam-steering. In an embodiment, an apparatus includes a first hybrid splitter/combiner connected to a 0-th phase-mode feed of an array of antenna elements, a second hybrid splitter/combiner, a first pair of variable phase shifters connecting the first hybrid splitter/combiner to the second hybrid splitter/combiner, wherein the first pair of variable phase shifters control a steering direction of a main output beam radial with respect to an array axis by adjustments of respective phases of the variable phase shifters, and wherein the array axis is perpendicular to a plane of the array, and a third variable phase shifter connecting a 1-st phase-mode feed of an array of elements to an input of the first hybrid splitter/combiner, wherein the third variable phase shifter is configured to independently control a direction of the main output beam in a direction circumferential with respect to the array axis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for beam-steering, comprising:
a first hybrid splitter/combiner connected to a 0-th phase-mode feed of an array of antenna elements;
a second hybrid splitter/combiner, wherein an output of the second splitter/combiner comprises a main output beam;
a first pair of variable phase shifters connecting the first hybrid splitter/combiner to the second hybrid splitter/combiner, wherein the first pair of variable phase shifters control a steering direction of the main output beam radial with respect to an array axis by adjustments of respective phases of the variable phase shifters, wherein the respective phases are equal in magnitude and opposite in sign, and wherein the array axis is perpendicular to a plane of the array; and
a third variable phase shifter connecting a 1-st phase-mode feed of an array of elements to an input of the first hybrid splitter/combiner, wherein the third variable phase shifter is configured to independently control a direction of the main output beam in a direction circumferential with respect to the array axis.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
a second pair of variable phase shifters, wherein the second pair of variable phase shifters comprises the third variable phase shifter and a fourth variable phase shifter, wherein the third variable phase shifter is connected to a +1st phase-mode feed of the array of antennas and the fourth variable phase shifter is connected to a −1st phase-mode feed of the array of antennas; and
a third hybrid splitter/combiner connected to the second pair of variable phase shifters and connected to the first hybrid splitter/combiner,
wherein the second pair of variable phase shifters control scanning the steering of the main output beam in a circumferential direction with respect to the array axis.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising a lens in front of the array.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein control of the first pair of variable phase shifters is independent of control of the second pair of variable phase shifters.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein a first one of the second pair of phase shifters shifts a phase of an input to the first one of the second pair of phase shifters by an amount equal to a negative of the amount by which a second one of the second pair of phase shifters shifts an input to the second one of the second pair of phase shifters.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein each of the phase shifters is controllable over a range of −π to +π radians.

7. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein a main output of the second hybrid splitter/combiner is described by an equation M=P 0 cos φ−(P 1 e jθ −P −1 e −jθ )sin φ where M is the main output of the second hybrid splitter/combiner, P 0 is a 0-th order phase-mode output, P 1 is a 1-st order phase-mode output, P −1 is a −1-st order phase-mode output, θ and −θ are phase shifts effected by the second pair of phase shifters, φ and −φ are phase shifts effected by the first pair of phase shifters, and j=√{square root over (−1)}.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the outputs are inputs and wherein the apparatus operates in a transmitting mode.

9. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein an auxiliary output of the second hybrid splitter/combiner is described by an equation A 1 =P 0 sin φ+(P 1 e jθ −P −1 e −jθ )cos φ where A 1 is the auxiliary output of the second hybrid splitter/combiner, P 0 is a 0-th order phase-mode output, P 1 is a 1-st order phase-mode output, P −1 is a −1-st order phase-mode input, θ and −θ are phase shifts effected by the second pair of phase shifters, φ and −φ are phase shifts effected by the first pair of phase shifters, and j=√{square root over (−1)}.

10. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein an auxiliary output of the third hybrid splitter/combiner is described by an equation A 2 =P 1 e jθ +P 2 e −jθ where A 2 is the auxiliary output of the third hybrid splitter/combiner, P 1 is a 1-st order phase-mode output, P −1 is a −1-st order phase-mode output, θ and −θ are phase shifts effected by the second pair of phase shifters, and j=√{square root over (−1)}.

11. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein a total number of hybrid splitters/combiners and phase shifters is independent of a number of antenna elements in the array.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first and second hybrid splitter/combiners are equal amplitude 180-degree or 90-degree hybrid splitter/combiners.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the array of antennas comprises a circular array of antennas.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the array of antennas comprises one or more polygonal sub-arrays of antennas.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the phase shifters is controllable over a range of −π to +π radians.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a total number of hybrid splitters/combiners and phase shifters is independent of a number of antenna elements in the array.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a lens in front of the array.

18. A receiving and/or transmitting system for radiation beam-steering, comprising:
a first port connected to a 0-th order phase-mode feed of an array of radiation transducer elements;
a second port connected to a +1-st order phase mode feed of the array;
a first pair of variable phase shifters comprising a first variable phase shifter and a second variable phase shifter;
a third variable phase shifter connected to second port;
a first equal-amplitude hybrid splitter/combiner connected to the first pair of variable phase shifters, to the third variable phase shifter, and to the first port; and
a second equal-amplitude hybrid splitter/combiner connected to the first pair of variable phase shifters,
wherein the third variable phase shifter is configured to independently control a direction of a main output beam in a direction circumferential with respect to an array axis, and
wherein the first pair of variable phase shifters are configured to be controlled in equal magnitudes and opposing signs effecting steering of a radiation beam in a radial direction around an axis perpendicular to a plane of the array.

19. The system of claim 18 further comprising:
a third port connected to a −1-st order phase mode feed of the array;
a fourth variable phase shifter connected to the third port; and
a third equal-amplitude hybrid splitter/combiner connected to the third and fourth variable phase shifters and to the first equal-amplitude hybrid splitter/combiner,
wherein the third and fourth variable phase shifters comprise a second pair of variable phase shifters,
wherein the second pair of variable phase shifters are configured to be controlled in equal magnitudes and opposing signs independently of the first pair of variable phase shifters, thus effecting steering of the radiation beam in a circumferential direction around an array axis.

20. The system of claim 19 further comprising a main beam port characterized by an equation M=P 0 cos φ−(P 1 e jθ −P −1 e −jθ )sin φ where M represents a signal at a third port of the second hybrid splitter/combiner, P 0 represents the signal at a 0-th order phase-mode port, P 1 represents the signal at a 1-st order phase-mode port, P −1 represents the signal at the −1-st order phase-mode port, θ and −θ are phase shifts effected by the second pair of phase shifters, φ and −φ are phase shifts effected by the first pair of phase shifters, and j=√{square root over (−1)}.

21. The system of claim 20 , wherein the main beam por

Assignees

• Huawei Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Klemes Marek

Classifications

• H01Q21/0031

  Parallel-plate fed arrays; Lens-fed arrays (multibeam arrays H01Q25/008) · CPC title

• H01Q3/36 Primary

  with variable phase-shifters · CPC title

• H01Q21/22

  Antenna units of the array energised non-uniformly in amplitude or phase, e.g. tapered array or binomial array · CPC title