US 12,761,362 B2Granted

Autonomous reconfigurable intelligent surfaces

AssigneeDell Products L.P.

InventorTejinder Singh

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

The technology described herein is directed towards an autonomous reconfigurable intelligent surface (of a node) that is capable of detecting the node's surrounding environment and adjusting the redirection of impinging electromagnetic beams based on the detected environment. Real-time control of the reconfigurable intelligent surface is achieved from within the node itself, while the node consumes relatively little power. A LiDAR-based or other sensor coupled to the node provides a three-dimensional map of the environment's current state. Within the node, an AI module works with a controller to determine the phase of each reconfigurable unit-cell that forms the reconfigurable intelligent surface. The phase response of each cell redirects the impinging electromagnetic wave in the desired direction, e.g., to avoid an obstacle. This can significantly reduce coverage problems in the millimeter-wave band and even higher frequencies for beyond 5G and 6G applications.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system, comprising:

a computing device that stores and executes instructions that facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:
collecting, via a sensor coupled to a reconfigurable intelligent surface, first three-dimensional data representative of a first state of an environment;
controlling, based on the first state of the environment, a first unit cell group comprising one or more first unit cells of the reconfigurable intelligent surface, the controlling comprising redirecting a first electromagnetic wave impinging on the first unit cell group towards a target location;
collecting second three-dimensional data representative of a second state of the environment, wherein the second state is different from, and collected after, the collecting of the first three-dimensional data;
and
controlling, based on the second state of the environment, a second unit cell group comprising one or more second unit cells of the reconfigurable intelligent surface, the controlling comprising redirecting a second electromagnetic wave impinging on the second unit cell group towards the target location,
wherein the first unit cell group comprises a first chalcogenide-based non-volatile multi-state tunable element,
wherein controlling the first unit cell group comprises actuating the first chalcogenide-based non-volatile multi-state tunable element with a voltage or current pulse to change a resistance state of the first chalcogenide-based non-volatile multi-state tunable element,
wherein the second unit cell group comprises a second chalcogenide-based non-volatile multi-state tunable element, and
wherein controlling the second unit cell group comprises actuating the second chalcogenide-based non-volatile multi-state tunable element with a voltage or current pulse to change a resistance state of the second chalcogenide-based non-volatile multi-state tunable element.

7 more elements

A method, comprising:

obtaining, by a system comprising a computing device, a three-dimensional model of an environment;
analyzing, by the system, the three-dimensional model;
and
based on a result of the analyzing of the three-dimensional model, redirecting, by the system, an electromagnetic wave received from a source at a reconfigurable intelligent surface, the redirecting comprising reconfiguring the reconfigurable intelligent surface to redirect the electromagnetic wave into a redirected electromagnetic wave to a target, wherein the target is blocked from receiving the electromagnetic wave directly from the source,
wherein the reconfigurable intelligent surface comprises a chalcogenide-based non-volatile multi-state tunable element, and wherein the reconfiguring of the reconfigurable intelligent surface comprises actuating the chalcogenide-based non-volatile multi-state tunable element with a voltage or current pulse to change a resistance state of the chalcogenide-based non-volatile multi-state tunable element.

2 more elements

A non-transitory machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a computing device, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:

analyzing, at a redirection location corresponding to a reconfigurable intelligent surface, a three-dimensional model of an environment to determine a communication path from the redirection location to a target location in the environment;
and
adjusting, based on the three-dimensional model, respective first phase shifts of respective first unit cells of a group of unit cells of the reconfigurable intelligent surface to create constructive interference that increases an amplitude of an electromagnetic wave received at the reconfigurable intelligent surface for redirection to the target location via the communication path by the reconfigurable intelligent surface, wherein the group of unit cells comprises a chalcogenide-based non-volatile multi-state tunable element, and wherein the respective first phase shifts are implemented by actuating the chalcogenide-based non-volatile multi-state tunable element with a voltage or current pulse configured to change a resistance state of the chalcogenide-based non-volatile multi-state tunable element.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/194,693Filed 3 Apr 2023
Published: US 2024/0329253 A13 Oct 2024
Granted: 13 Oct 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

G01S 17/894
For mapping or imaging: three-dimensional [3D] imaging with simultaneous measurement of time-of-flight at a two-dimensional [2D] array of receiver…
G01S 17/32
For measuring distance only: using transmission of continuous waves, whether amplitude-, frequency-, or phase-modulated, or unmodulated
H04B 7/04013
Using two or more spaced independent antennas: intelligent reflective surfaces
G01S
Radio direction-finding