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US 10,374,663 B2Granted
Digital dithering for reduction of quantization errors and side-lobe levels in phased array antennas
AssigneeHughes Network Systems, LLC
InventorsThomas Jackson, Hamad Alsawaha, Bingqian Lu, Peter Hou, Yilin Mao
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods disclosed herein provide techniques for reducing quantization errors and side lobe levels in phased array antennas. The states of a quantized phase shifter of a phased array antenna may be dithered to achieve a time-averaged value that reduces quantization errors. By rapidly switching between the different states of the quantized phase shifter, a time-average value close to a desired phase state may be achieved with a low resolution phase shifter.
Claims21
A method, comprising:
- receiving an input signal at a quantized phase shifter of a phased array antenna;
- obtaining a time averaged, phased shifted signal that reduces a quantization error of the phase shifter, wherein obtaining the time averaged phase shifted signal comprises switching between two phase states of the quantized phase shifter a plurality of times to obtain a time-averaged value of a state of the quantized phase shifter that is between values of the two phase states;
- and
- outputting the time averaged, phase shifted signal to an antenna element circuit of the phased array antenna.
1 more element
A phased array antenna, comprising:
- a plurality of quantized phase shifters;
- a controller to switch between the phase states of each of the plurality of quantized phase shifters to obtain a time-averaged, phase shifted signal from each of the plurality of quantized phase shifters, wherein the controller is configured to obtain the time-averaged, phase shifted signal for each of the plurality of quantized phase shifters by switching between two phase states of the quantized phase shifter a plurality of times to obtain a time-averaged value of a state of the quantized phase shifter that is between values of the two phase states;
- and
- a plurality of antenna elements, wherein each of the plurality of antenna elements is to receive the time-averaged, phase shifted signal from a respective one of the plurality of quantized phase shifters.
1 more element
A method, comprising:
- receiving an RF communication signal at each of a plurality of antenna elements of a phased array antenna;
- outputting a signal from an antenna element to a quantized phase shifter;
- and
- obtaining a time averaged, phased shifted signal that reduces a quantization error of the phase shifter, wherein obtaining the time averaged phase shifted signal comprises switching between two phase states of the quantized phase shifter a plurality of times to obtain a time-averaged value of a state of the quantized phase shifter that is between values of the two phase states.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.