Reconfigurable antennas for millimeter-wave systems that support multiple beams

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9917365-B1
Application number	US-201615253550-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Aug 31, 2016
Priority date	Aug 31, 2016
Publication date	Mar 13, 2018
Grant date	Mar 13, 2018

Abstract

An apparatus may include two or more active antenna elements with a corresponding antenna pattern. The apparatus may further include a single radio frequency signal chain communicatively coupled with the two or more active antenna elements. The apparatus may also include multiple passive antenna elements in proximity to the two or more active antenna elements. The multiple passive antenna elements may alter the antenna pattern to form multiple simultaneous beams associated with the two or more active antenna elements.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
two or more active antenna elements with a corresponding antenna pattern;
a single radio frequency signal chain communicatively coupled with the two or more active antenna elements;
multiple passive antenna elements in proximity to the two or more active antenna elements, wherein the multiple passive antenna elements alter the antenna pattern to form multiple simultaneous beams associated with the two or more active antenna elements.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a beam controller switch array that selectively applies impedances to the multiple passive elements to enable the multiple simultaneous beams to be steered.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein each of the multiple simultaneous beams are independently steerable.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , the multiple passive antenna elements positioned substantially equidistant from the two or more active antenna elements and in a circular or elliptical pattern.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising two or more second active antenna elements communicatively coupled to the single radio frequency signal chain.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the multiple simultaneous beams enable millimeter wave wireless communication.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the multiple simultaneous beams enable 60 gigahertz communication.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the multiple simultaneous beams enable diversity and beam forming type multiple-input-multiple-output communication.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the multiple simultaneous beams enable special-diversity-type multiple-input-multiple-output communication.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , the single radio frequency signal chain including one or more signal amplifiers, one or more signal converters, one or more signal buffers, one or more digital-to-analog converters, one or more analog-to-digital converters, one or more signal modulators or demodulators, or combinations thereof, configured in series to form a signal chain.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , incorporated into a mobile computing device selected from the group consisting of cellular telephones, wearable computing devices, portable music players, tablet computers, and laptop computers.

12. A method comprising:
generating an antenna pattern at two or more active antenna elements;
transmitting or receiving a communication via the two or more active antenna elements using a single radio frequency signal chain;
altering the antenna pattern, using multiple passive antenna elements in proximity to the two or more active antenna elements, to form multiple simultaneous beams associated with the two or more active antenna elements.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
selectively applying impedances to the multiple passive elements and thereby steering the multiple simultaneous beams.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein steering the multiple simultaneous beams includes steering each of the multiple simultaneous beams independently.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the communication is transmitted via millimeter wave wireless communication.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the communication is transmitted via 60 gigahertz communication.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the communication is transmitted via multiple-input-multiple-output communication using the single radio frequency signal chain and the two simultaneous beams.

18. A method comprising:
communicatively coupling two or more active antenna elements to a single radio frequency signal chain, the two or more active antenna element having a corresponding antenna pattern;
positioning multiple passive antenna elements in proximity to the two or more active antenna element, wherein the multiple passive antenna elements alter the antenna pattern to form multiple simultaneous beams associated with the two or more active antenna elements.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
communicatively coupling a beam controller switch array to the multiple passive elements to enable steering of the multiple simultaneous beams.

20. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
positioning the multiple passive antenna elements substantially equidistant from the at least one active antenna element and in a circular or elliptical pattern.

Assignees

• Univ Boise State

Inventors

• Kauser Ahmed Umar
• Mehrpouyan Hani

Classifications

• H01Q3/24

  varying the orientation by switching energy from one active radiating element to another, e.g. for beam switching · CPC title

• H01Q21/00

  Antenna arrays or systems (arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern of the waves radiated from an antenna or antenna system H01Q3/00) · CPC title

• H01Q1/36

  Structural form of radiating elements, e.g. cone, spiral, umbrella; {Particular materials used therewith}(H01Q1/08, H01Q1/14 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01Q3/26 Primary

  varying the relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of energy across a radiating aperture ({H01Q3/12,} H01Q3/22, H01Q3/24 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01Q1/243

  with built-in antennas · CPC title