Staggered rows of antennas for dual frequency operation
AssigneeSkyworks Solutions, Inc.
InventorGuillaume Alexandre Blin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Apparatus and methods for antenna arrays with staggered rows of antennas for dual frequency operation are provided. In certain embodiments, a radio frequency module includes an antenna array attached to a module substrate and that includes a plurality of antenna elements having a first row of antenna elements and a second row of antenna elements that are staggered. The radio frequency module further includes a semiconductor die attached to the module substrate and including a plurality of radio frequency signal conditioning circuits, a plurality of switches coupled between the plurality of radio frequency signal conditioning circuits and the antenna array, and a control circuit configured to control a selection of the plurality of antenna elements by the plurality of switches.
Claims20
A radio frequency module comprising:
- a module substrate;
- an antenna array attached to the module substrate, the antenna array including a plurality of antenna elements having a first row of antenna elements and a second row of antenna elements that are staggered;
- and
- a semiconductor die attached to the module substrate, the semiconductor die including a plurality of radio frequency signal conditioning circuits, a plurality of switches coupled between the plurality of radio frequency signal conditioning circuits and the antenna array, and a control circuit configured to control a selection of the plurality of antenna elements by the plurality of switches, the control circuit operable in a plurality of modes each associated with a different selection of the plurality of antenna elements by the plurality of switches, the plurality of modes including a first mode associated with a first selection of the plurality of antenna elements along a row of the antenna array and a second mode associated with a second selection of the plurality of antenna elements along a diagonal of the antenna array, the first selection and the second selection sharing a common antenna element.
A method of antenna communication using a radio frequency module, the method comprising:
- conditioning a plurality of radio frequency signals using a plurality of radio frequency signal conditioning circuits of a semiconductor die that is attached to a module substrate;
- coupling the plurality of radio frequency signal conditioning circuits to an antenna array using a plurality of switches of the semiconductor die, the antenna array attached to the module substrate and including a plurality of antenna elements having a first row of antenna elements and a second row of antenna elements that are staggered;
- controlling a selection of the plurality of antenna elements by the plurality of switches using a control circuit of the semiconductor die;
- and
- operating the control circuit in a selected mode chosen from a plurality of modes each associated with a different selection of the plurality of antenna elements by the plurality of switches, the plurality of modes including a first mode associated with a first selection of the plurality of antenna elements along a row of the antenna array and a second mode associated with a second selection of the plurality of antenna elements along a diagonal of the antenna array, the first selection and the second selection sharing a common antenna element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.