US 11,894,899 B1Granted

System for operating hybrid beamforming device

AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.

InventorsXiaoyi Wang, Sunny Sharma

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Abstract

A hybrid beamforming device utilizes analog beamformers (ABF) and digital beamformers (DBF) to produce a desired radio frequency radiation pattern having one or more lobes pointing in particular directions. A set of directions, such as each pointing toward a different candidate area of the sky, are processed to determine a coarse direction. ABF beam coefficients are determined based on the coarse direction. DBF beam coefficients are determined based on the directions in the set of directions, providing more precise directionality in the pattern. The ABF beam coefficients may be sent to the ABFs at a first cadence, such as every second. The DBF beam coefficients may be sent to the DBFs at a second cadence that is faster than the first cadence, such as every millisecond. This facilitates rapid scanning of different precision directions, such as of different portions of the sky to receive a broadcast transmission from a satellite.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A device comprising:

a first set of analog beamformers (ABFs);
a first control communication interface that provides communication between individual ones of the first set of ABFs and a control system;
a first set of digital beamformers (DBFs), wherein individual ones of the first set of DBFs receive signal data from one or more of the first set of ABFs;
a second control communication interface that provides communication between the individual ones of the first set of DBFs and the control system;
and
the control system comprising one or more processors executing instructions to:
determine first data indicative of a first set of beam directions;
determine a first beam direction based on the first data;
determine a first set of beam coefficients based on the first beam direction, wherein individual beam coefficients in the first set of beam coefficients are associated with operation of respective ones of the first set of ABFs;
send, using the first control communication interface, the first set of beam coefficients to the first set of ABFs at a first cadence;
operate the first set of ABFs using the first set of beam coefficients;
determine, for a second beam direction of the first set of beam directions, a second set of beam coefficients, wherein individual beam coefficients of the second set of beam coefficients are associated with operation of respective ones of the first set of DBFs;
send, using the second control communication interface, the second set of beam coefficients to the first set of DBFs at a second cadence, wherein the second cadence is faster than the first cadence;
and
operate the first set of DBFs using the second set of beam coefficients.

12 more elements

A method comprising:

determining first data indicative of a first set of beam directions;
determining a first direction based on the first data;
determining a first set of beam coefficients based on the first direction, wherein individual beam coefficients in the first set of beam coefficients are associated with operation of respective ones of a first set of analog beamformers (ABFs);
operating, at a first time, the first set of ABFs using the first set of beam coefficients;
determining, for a second direction of the first set of beam directions, a second set of beam coefficients, wherein individual beam coefficients in the second set of beam coefficients are associated with operation of respective ones of a first set of digital beamformers (DBFs);
and
operating, at a second time, the first set of DBFs using the second set of beam coefficients, wherein the second time is after the first time.

4 more elements

A device comprising:

a first set of analog beamformers (ABFs);
at least one digital beamformer (DBF), wherein the at least one DBF receives signal data from one or more individual ones of the first set of ABFs;
and
a control system to:
determine first data indicative of a first set of beam directions;
determine a first direction based on the first data;
determine a first set of beam coefficients based on the first direction;
operate the first set of ABFs using the first set of beam coefficients at a first time;
determine, based on the first data, a second set of beam coefficients;
and
operate the at least one DBF using the second set of beam coefficients at a second time, wherein the second time is after the first time.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.