Patent Grant
11108168
Certain embodiments of the disclosure relate to antenna systems and technologies for millimeter wave-based wireless communication. More specifically, certain embodiments of the disclosure relate to an antenna system for a portable communication device for millimeter wave (mmWave) communication.
Wireless telecommunication has witnessed advent of various signal transmission techniques, systems, and methods, such as use of beam forming techniques, for enhancing capacity of radio channels. For the advanced high-performance fifth generation communication networks, such as millimeter wave communication, there is a demand for innovative hardware systems, and technologies to support millimeter wave communication in effective and efficient manner. The fifth generation (5G) of mobile communications is envisioned to provide very high data rates, consistent connectivity, and very low latency with ultra-high reliability. There are many technical challenges to realize such envisioned features in the 5G mobile communications. Firstly, the antenna systems embedded in future portable communication devices (e.g. smartphones) may have strict requirements in terms of low power consumption (e.g. typically less than 1 mW) and size. Such constraints, and particularly the low power consumption, have a direct impact on the limited degree of beamforming capabilities, even if the antenna sizes could fit in most of the portable communication devices (e.g. smartphones). Secondly, 5G mm-wave antenna systems may be implemented in independent chipsets, due to their very different architecture and requirements for a close integration for beamforming and other 5G functions. This results in a technical challenge of densely packing multiple RF chains and antenna elements while ensuring their efficiency, avoiding intersymbol interference (ISI), and maintaining signal linearity with lowest insertion loss possible. Thirdly, the need for multi-antenna beamforming architectures is already well recognized to mitigate the high path loss experienced in the mm-wave spectrum. However, the need for this type of directional communications as well as to achieve angular coverage that is wide enough to ensure robustness and consistent connectively in different orientations of the portable communication device, may further impose yet another challenge for existing antenna systems for millimeter wave communication. The challenge is mainly in terms of maintenance of low power consumption, high antenna sensitivity, and adequate size of antenna systems that may fit within a small physical volume of a portable communication device (e.g. a smartphone).
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems with some aspects of the present disclosure as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings.
An antenna system is provided for a portable communication device for millimeter wave communication, substantially as shown in and/or described in connection with at least one of the figures, as set forth more completely in the claims.
These and other advantages, aspects and novel features of the present disclosure, as well as details of an illustrated embodiment thereof, will be more fully understood from the following description and drawings.
Certain embodiments of the disclosure may be found in an antenna system for a portable communication device for millimeter wave (mmWave) communication. Portable communication devices, such as mobile equipment, represent the leading edge of radio frequency (RF) personal communications, and one of the most challenging RF product as a result of the complexity inherent with multiple radios that operate and coexist within a small physical volume. The disclosed antenna system provides enhanced performance by maintenance of signal linearity, low power consumption with lowest insertion loss possible while efficiently operating within a small physical volume of the portable communication device. The disclosed antenna system provides high antenna sensitivity for ultra-high reliability for millimeter wave communication of the portable communication device with other communication devices, such as a base station or a repeater device. In the following description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which is shown, by way of illustration, various embodiments of the present disclosure.
The portable communication device 102 may correspond to a telecommunication hardware used by an end-user to communicate (e.g. a mobile equipment). Alternatively stated, the portable communication device 102 may refer a combination of the mobile equipment and subscriber identity module (SIM). Examples of the portable communication device 102 may include, but are not limited to a 5G-capable smartphone, an Evolved-universal terrestrial radio access-New radio Dual Connectivity (EN-DC) device, a New Radio (NR)-enabled mobile equipment, or a mmWave-enabled portable telecommunication device. The portable communication device 102 may facilitate communication in both sub 30 gigahertz to above 30 gigahertz. The band of radio frequencies in the electromagnetic spectrum from 30 to 300 gigahertz is usually referred to as extremely high frequency (EHF) communication. Such radio frequencies have wavelengths from ten to one millimeter, and referred to as millimeter wave (mmWave). In the present disclosure, radio frequencies approximately above 6 gigahertz may also be broadly interpreted and considered as mmWave. In one example, the portable communication device 102 may receive/transmit the RF signals from/to a base station via the antenna system 104. In another example, the portable communication device 102 may receive/transmit RF signals from/to a network node, such as a repeater device, via the antenna system 104.
The antenna system 104 includes the plurality of antennas 106 that are configured for at least mmWave-based cellular communication. The plurality of antennas 106 may be distributed at a plurality of different locations in the portable communication device 102. In accordance with an embodiment, the plurality of antennas 106 may be distributed and grouped at four different corners in the portable communication device 102. Alternatively, in accordance with another embodiment, the plurality of antennas 106 may be distributed at edge areas in the portable communication device 102.
In accordance with an embodiment, the antenna system 104 may further include various components, such as transmitter front-ends, receiver front-ends, a digital signal processor, a plurality of low-noise amplifiers, a plurality of phase shifters, a plurality of power combiners, a plurality of power dividers, and a plurality of power amplifiers, logical control units, 4G or 5G modems, phased lock loop (PLL) circuits, mixers, analog to digital converters (ADC), and digital to analog circuitry (DAC). In some embodiments, ADC and DAC may not be provided. In such an embodiment, the beamforming may be executed by processing signals in analog domain. In some embodiments, each antenna of the plurality of antennas 106 may be made of electrically conductive material, such as metal. In some embodiments, each antenna of the plurality of antennas 106 may be made of plastic and coated with electrically conductive material, such as metal, for mass production. In some embodiments, each antenna of the plurality of antennas 106 may be made of optical fiber for enhanced conduction in the millimeter wave frequency.
Each antenna of the plurality of antennas 106 may have a first polarization and a second polarization. In other words, each antenna of the plurality of antennas 106 may be a dual-polarized antenna configured to transmit and receive radio frequency (RF) waves for the millimeter wave communication in both horizontal and vertical polarizations. In accordance with an embodiment, the first polarization is a horizontal polarization and the second polarization is a vertical polarization. In accordance with another embodiment, the first polarization is a vertical polarization and the second polarization is a horizontal polarization. Each antenna of the plurality of antennas 106 may have a physical size that is less than or equal to a wavelength of the mmWave frequency. In an implementation, each antenna of the plurality of antennas 106 may be a patch antenna. In an implementation, the plurality of antennas 106 may be grouped into a plurality of different sets of antennas, where each set of antennas may collectively function as miniature planar phased array antenna.
The plurality of antennas 106 may include a plurality of different types of antennas. The antenna system 104 ensures best trade-offs in terms of performance, cost, and complexity, for mmWave communication as a result of the use of the plurality of different types of antennas that are distributed at different locations within the portable communication device 102, and the use of both polarization for RF signals communication in mmWave frequency. Different examples of distribution of the plurality of antennas 106 are shown and described, for example, in
The second type of antenna 110 may include suitable logic, circuitry, and/or interfaces that may be configured to switch between reception of the first RF signal in the mmWave frequency and transmission of the second RF signal in the mmWave frequency in the second polarization. The second type of antenna 108, concurrently with the reception or the transmission in the second polarization, may be configured to only receive the RF signals in the mmWave frequency in the first polarization. The second type of antenna 110 may include a second transmit-receive (TR) switch 118 that may switch between the reception of the first RF signal in the mmWave frequency and the transmission of the second RF signal in the mmWave frequency in the second polarization.
The third type of antenna 112 may include suitable logic, circuitry, and/or interfaces that may be configured to only transmit in the mmWave frequency in the first polarization and only receive in the mmWave frequency in the second polarization. The fourth type of antenna 114 may include suitable logic, circuitry, and/or interfaces that may be configured to only receive in the mmWave frequency in the first polarization (e.g. vertical polarization) as well as in the second polarization (e.g. horizontal polarization).
The control circuitry 120 may include suitable logic and/or interfaces that may be configured to combine a plurality of RF signals received in the mmWave frequency at the plurality of antennas 106 distributed at the plurality of different locations to generate a combined signal to increase sensitivity of the antenna system 102 for the millimeter wave communication. The control circuitry 120 may be further configured to generate a beam of RF signals in a first radiation pattern based on sharing of a plurality of components of the plurality of antennas 106 for the millimeter wave communication. In accordance with an embodiment, the plurality of antennas 106 may operate under the control of the control circuitry 120. The control circuitry 120 may be configured to generate radio frequencies in the electromagnetic spectrum of mmWave, and further control propagation, a direction and angle of the RF beam in millimeter wave frequency through the plurality of antennas 106 for the millimeter wave communication with a base station (e.g. a gNB) for high throughput data communication.
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In accordance with an embodiment, the antenna 302 may have a physical size that is less than or equal to a wavelength of the mmWave frequency. The disclosed antenna system 104 takes advantage of the behavior and small physical size of each antenna, such as the antenna 302. Because of the small physical size of the antenna 302, each antenna may be conveniently shaped for dual polarization, and is therefore cost-effective for mmWave communication. Further, in the mmWave communication, more than one antenna may be used to perform beamforming, thus the small physical size of antenna and communication of RF signals in the vertical as well as horizontal polarization enable to pack more antennas within small physical volume of the portable communication device 102. Furthermore, the distribution of the plurality of antennas 106 at different locations within the portable communication device 102 in combination with the use of the horizontal polarization 304 and the vertical polarization 306 provides diversity as well as ensures high power of RF signals by combining of such RF signals for better antenna sensitivity of the antenna system 104.
In certain scenarios, RF signals or a beam of RF signals may be received in one polarization but may not be received as much in the other polarization. Thus, having the antenna 302 to operate in both polarizations (i.e. the horizontal polarization 304 and the vertical polarization 306), the portable communication device 102 may then have the ability to either select one, select both to operate at the same time, or even combine RF signals received from both polarizations, thereby increasing performance and enhanced antenna sensitivity for mmWave communication as compared to a conventional antenna configured for mmWave communication.
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In accordance with an embodiment, a portable communication device (e.g. the portable communication device 102 or 202) may include same type of arrangement of antennas (e.g. the arrangement 400A, 400B, 400C, or 400D) (e.g. four sets of antennas 402, 410, 416, or 420) at four different corners or edge areas in the portable communication device. In accordance with another embodiment, different combination of the first arrangement 400A, the second arrangement 400B, the third arrangement 400C, and the fourth arrangement 400D, may be arranged in a row, in corners, or edge areas of the portable communication device (e.g. the portable communication device 102 or 202). In accordance with yet another embodiment, all the four types of arrangement 400A to 400D, may be distributed within the portable communication device (e.g. the portable communication device 102 or 202) at different locations to increase diversity and antenna sensitivity of the antenna system 104.
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The first antenna 504A, the second antenna 504B, the third antenna 504C, and the fourth antenna 504D are configured to perform MIMO spatial multiplexing to receive and transmit RF signals (or beam of RF signals) from/to a radio access node (such as a base station or a repeater device) under the control of the control circuitry 120. The spatial multiplexing refers to a transmission technique in MIMO wireless communication to transmit independent and separately encoded data signals, so-called streams (e.g. stream 1 and stream 2), from each of the multiple transmit antennas. In some cases, two or more transmitters may be grouped as a phased array to transmit a single beam of RF signals (for beamforming purposes). In some cases, a same data signal may be split into two sub-signals and separately transmitted via two transmitters but may be recovered at the receiver side. For example, the first transmitter 510A (of the first antenna 504A and the third antenna 504C) may be configured to transmit stream 1 in the vertical polarization 506. The second transmitter 510B (of the second antenna 504B and the fourth antenna 504D) may be configured to transmit stream 2 in the horizontal polarization 508. The stream 1 and stream 2 transmitted at different polarization may not interact (or in some cases may have minimum or negligible interaction avoiding ISI) with each other as the horizontal polarization 508 is executed orthogonal to the vertical polarization 506 in addition to the spatial multiplexing of MIMO. This means that a number of streams may be transmitted in parallel, resulting to an increase of the spectral efficiency (increased number of bits per second and per Hz that can be transmitted over the wireless channel with improved reduction in ISI due to use of different polarization). In accordance with an embodiment, spatial multiplexing may be further used for simultaneous transmission to multiple receivers, known as space-division multiple accessing. Similarly, the first receiver 512A (of the first antenna 504A and the third antenna 504C) may be configured to receive first stream (stream 1) of RF signals in the horizontal polarization 508. The second receiver 512B (of the second antenna 504B and the fourth antenna 504D) may be configured to receive second stream (stream 2) of RF signals in the vertical polarization 506. In certain scenarios, RF signals or a beam of RF signals may be received in one polarization but may not be received as much in the other polarization. Thus, having the first antenna 504A, the second antenna 504B, the third antenna 504C, and the fourth antenna 504D of the first set of antennas 504 to operate in both polarizations (i.e. the vertical polarization 506 and the horizontal polarization 508), the portable communication device 500 may then have the ability to select both to operate at the same time, or even combine RF signals received from both polarizations, thereby increasing performance and enhanced antenna sensitivity (as well as diversity due to use of different types of antenna at different locations) for mmWave communication as compared to a conventional antenna configured for mmWave communication.
In accordance with an embodiment, the reception and transmission at each antenna (i.e. the first antenna 504A, the second antenna 504B, the third antenna 504C, and the fourth antenna 504D) of the set of antennas 504 may occur concurrently (at the same time) in the same (or different) mmWave carrier frequency but at two different polarizations that are orthogonal to each other for increased data rates while maintaining minimum ISI. Beneficially, this maintains the signal linearity and to provide isolation between transmit and receive chains, with the lowest insertion loss possible for efficient and high performance mmWave communication. Moreover, a conventional patch antenna at lower frequencies (i.e. lower than mmWave frequency) is large (more than 1 cm). In contrast, the patch antenna, such as each of the first set of antennas 504, is very small ( 1/10th as compared to antenna operating at lower frequencies or at least less than 1 cm). Thus, less area is required for a single antenna as compared to conventional patch antenna operating at lower frequencies, and because there is less area, each antenna may be conveniently shaped for dual polarization, and is therefore cost-effective for MIMO spatial multiplexing in mmWave communication.
In accordance with an embodiment, the antenna system (such as the antenna system 104) for the portable communication device 102, may comprise a plurality of antennas (such as the plurality of antennas 106) configured for at least mmWave-based cellular communication, and are distributed at a plurality of different locations in the portable communication device 102. Each antenna of the plurality of antennas 106 has a first polarization and a second polarization. The plurality of antennas 106 may comprise a plurality of different types of antennas. A first type of antenna (e.g. the first type of antenna 108) of the plurality of different types of antennas may be configured to switch between reception of a first radio frequency (RF) signal in a mmWave frequency and transmission of a second RF signal in the mmWave frequency in the first polarization. The first type of antenna 108, concurrently with the reception or the transmission in the first polarization, may be further configured to only receive RF signals in the mmWave frequency in the second polarization that is orthogonal to the first polarization. The received RF signals is at least one of the first RF signal or other RF signals. A second type of antenna (e.g. the second type of antenna 110) of the plurality of different types of antennas may be configured to switch between reception of the first RF signal in the mmWave frequency and transmission of the second RF signal in the mmWave frequency in the second polarization, and concurrently with the reception or the transmission in the second polarization, only receive the RF signals in the mmWave frequency in the first polarization.
In accordance with an embodiment, the plurality of antennas 106 may further comprise the third type of antenna 112 configured to only transmit in the mmWave frequency in the first polarization and only receive in the mmWave frequency in the second polarization. The plurality of antennas 106 may further comprises the fourth type of antenna 114 configured to only receive in the mmWave frequency in the first polarization and in the second polarization. The plurality of antennas 106 may comprise a plurality of different sets of antennas, wherein each set of antennas of the plurality of different sets of antennas may comprise at least one of: a sequential arrangement of only the first type of antennas (
In accordance with an embodiment, the plurality of antennas 106 may comprise a first set of antennas, a second set of antennas, a third set of antennas, and a fourth set of antennas arranged at four different corners in the portable communication device 102 (
In accordance with an embodiment, the first polarization is the horizontal polarization 304 and the second polarization is a vertical polarization 306. In accordance with another embodiment, the first polarization is the vertical polarization 306 and the second polarization is the horizontal polarization 304. Each antenna of the plurality of antennas may have a physical size that is less than or equal to a wavelength of the mmWave frequency.
In accordance with an embodiment, the antenna system 104 may include the control circuitry 120 that may be configured to combine a plurality of RF signals received in the mmWave frequency at the plurality of antennas 106 distributed at the plurality of different locations to generate a combined signal to increase sensitivity of the antenna system 104. The control circuitry 120 may be configured to generate a beam of RF signals in a first radiation pattern based on sharing of a plurality of components of the plurality of antennas 106. The first type of antenna 108 may comprise a first transmit-receive (TR) switch 116 that may switch between the reception of the first RF signal in the mmWave frequency and the transmission of the second RF signal in the mmWave frequency in the first polarization. The second type of antenna 110 may comprise a second transmit-receive (TR) switch 118 that may switch between the reception of the first RF signal in the mmWave frequency and the transmission of the second RF signal in the mmWave frequency in the second polarization.
In accordance with an exemplary aspect of the disclosure, the portable communication device 102 may be provided. The portable communication device 102 may include the antenna system 104 that comprises the plurality of antennas 106 configured for mmWave-based cellular communication. The plurality of antennas 106 may be distributed at a plurality of different locations in the portable communication device 102 to increase diversity of the antenna system 104. Each antenna of the plurality of antennas has a first end (such as the first end 406A) configured to communicate in the horizontal polarization 304 and a second end (e.g. the second end 406B) configured to communicate in the vertical polarization 306 that is orthogonal to the horizontal polarization. The plurality of antennas 106 may comprise a plurality of different types of antennas to increase sensitivity of the antenna system 104. The first type of antenna 108 of the plurality of different types of antennas may be configured to switch, at the first end 406A, between reception of a first radio frequency (RF) signal in a mmWave frequency and transmission of a second RF signal in the mmWave frequency in the horizontal polarization 304; and concurrently with the reception or the transmission in the horizontal polarization, only receive RF signals in the mmWave frequency in the vertical polarization 306 at the second end 406B. The received RF signals is at least one of the first RF signal or other RF signals. Further, the second type of antenna 110 of the plurality of different types of antennas may be configured to switch between reception of the first RF signal in the mmWave frequency and transmission of the second RF signal in the mmWave frequency in the vertical polarization 306 at the second end 406B. Further, the second type of antenna 110 concurrently with the reception or the transmission in the vertical polarization, may be configured to only receive the RF signals in the mmWave frequency in the horizontal polarization at the first end 406A. A number of receivers (Rx) (or RF signals reception points) in the plurality of antennas 106 may be greater than a number of transmitters (Tx) in the plurality of antennas 106.
In accordance with an embodiment, the plurality of antennas 106 may comprise the third type of antenna 112 that may be configured to only transmit in the mmWave frequency in the horizontal polarization 304 at the first end 406A of the third type of antenna 112 and only receive in the mmWave frequency in the vertical polarization 306 at the second end 406B of the third type of antenna 112. The plurality of antennas 106 may comprise the fourth type of antenna 114 configured to only receive in the mmWave frequency in the horizontal polarization 304 at the first end 406A of the fourth type of antenna 114 and in the vertical polarization 306 at the second end 406B of the fourth type of antenna 114.
In accordance with an embodiment, the plurality of antennas 106 may be grouped as a first set of antennas, a second set of antennas, a third set of antennas, and a fourth set of antennas, which are arranged at four different corners in the portable communication device 102. In accordance with an embodiment, the portable communication device 102 may be a mobile equipment, such as a 5G-capable smartphone.
While various embodiments described in the present disclosure have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example, and not limitation. It is to be understood that various changes in form and detail can be made therein without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In addition to using hardware (e.g., within or coupled to a central processing unit (“CPU”), microprocessor, micro controller, digital signal processor, processor core, system on chip (“SOC”) or any other device), implementations may also be embodied in software (e.g. computer readable code, program code, and/or instructions disposed in any form, such as source, object or machine language) disposed for example in a non-transitory computer-readable medium configured to store the software. Such software can enable, for example, the function, fabrication, modeling, simulation, description and/or testing of the apparatus and methods describe herein. For example, this can be accomplished through the use of general program languages (e.g., C, C++), hardware description languages (HDL) including Verilog HDL, VHDL, and so on, or other available programs. Such software can be disposed in any known non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as semiconductor, magnetic disc, or optical disc (e.g., CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, etc.). The software can also be disposed as computer data embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable transmission medium (e.g., solid state memory any other non-transitory medium including digital, optical, analogue-based medium, such as removable storage media). Embodiments of the present disclosure may include methods of providing the apparatus described herein by providing software describing the apparatus and subsequently transmitting the software as a computer data signal over a communication network including the internet and intranets.
It is to be further understood that the system described herein may be included in a semiconductor intellectual property core, such as a microprocessor core (e.g., embodied in HDL) and transformed to hardware in the production of integrated circuits. Additionally, the system described herein may be embodied as a combination of hardware and software. Thus, the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20190386397 | Son | Dec 2019 | A1 |
| 20210028535 | Wu | Jan 2021 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20210098893 A1 | Apr 2021 | US |
