# US 12,771,041 B2 · Reconfigurable metasurface with integrated signal readout mechanism

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- Number: US 12,771,041 B2
- Document ID: US12771041B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/968,803
- Filed: 2024-12-04
- Published: 2026-06-04
- Granted: 2026-10-20
- Earliest claimed: 2024-12-04
- Assignees: Dell Products L.P.
- Applicants: Dell Products L.P.
- Inventors: Tejinder Singh; Navjot Kaur Khaira
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12771041B2

## CPC

- H01Q 15/0086: {said selective devices having materials with a synthesized negative refractive index, e.g. metamaterials or left-handed materials}
- H01Q 15/002: {said selective devices being reconfigurable or tunable, e.g. using switches or diodes}
- H01Q 15/0026: {said selective devices having a stacked geometry or having multiple layers}
- H01Q: ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS (radiators or antennas for microwave heating H05B6/72)

## Abstract

The technology described herein is directed towards a reconfigurable intelligent surface design and implementation in which a small portion of the incoming signal energy of an impinging wave is coupled to a waveguide, with the majority of the signal reflected in a desired target direction. The sensed portion of the signal energy is used for evaluating the signal path in a current environment, including by assessing the phase and amplitude of the sampled signal at each unit cell, as well as their differential phase values between cells, e.g., selected consecutive cells. For example, differential phase values between cells can be used to accurately estimate the direction/location of the signal transmitter and/or the intended receiver(s). In one implementation, the captured energy is sensed in respective substrate integrated waveguides at the unit cell level, and output as respective signal readouts for determining different characteristics of the signal path.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system, comprising:
a reconfigurable intelligent surface comprising a unit cell that redirects an incoming electromagnetic signal as a redirected electromagnetic signal, the unit cell comprising:
a metallic element pattern that resonates at a frequency corresponding to the incoming electromagnetic signal;
a variable tuning device, associated with the reflective metallic element pattern, that is controllable to alter a phase of the redirected electromagnetic signal;
interconnects coupled to the variable tuning device;
a substrate supporting the reflective metallic element pattern;
a ground plane beneath the substrate;
a substrate integrated waveguide beneath the ground plane, comprising side vias that enclose sides of the substrate integrated waveguide with respect to the frequency corresponding to the incoming electromagnetic signal, an upper metallic surface, and a lower metallic surface, wherein the interconnects pass through the substrate integrated waveguide;
a sensor device, within the substrate integrated waveguide and proximate to the interconnects, that detects coupling strength data representative of information of the incoming electromagnetic signal; and
an electrical sensing contact, electrically coupled to the sensor device, that provides a signal readout representative of the information of the incoming electromagnetic signal.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the upper metallic surface of the substrate integrated waveguide comprises the ground plane.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor device surrounds at least part of a periphery around the interconnects.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor device comprises a first sensor element that detects higher coupling strength data representative of a coupling strength higher than a first specified coupling strength, and a second sensor element that detects lower coupling strength data representative of a coupling strength lower than a second specified coupling strength.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the first sensor element is wider than second sensor element and first sensor element is positioned further from the interconnects.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor device comprises a first sensor element that detects higher coupling strength data representative of a coupling strength higher than a first specified coupling strength, a second sensor element that detects medium coupling strength data representative of a coupling strength between the first specified coupling strength and a second specified couple strength lower than the first specified coupling strength, and a third sensor element that detects lower coupling strength data representative of a coupling strength lower than the second specified coupling strength.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the metallic element pattern comprises a metallization layer comprising a metal outer ring, a metal inner patch, and a metal portion between the outer ring and the inner patch, wherein the metal outer ring, a metal inner patch, and a metal portion are insulated from one another, and
wherein the variable tuning device comprises:
a phase change material beneath the metallization layer, comprising a penannular ring area positioned between the metal outer ring and the metal inner patch, the penannular ring area coupled, on one end, to one side of the metal portion, and coupled, on an opposite end opposite the one end, to an opposite side of the metal portion opposite the one side; and
a heating element that is controlled to determine a phase shift of the unit cell, based on heating the phase change material to a conductive state that electrically couples the one end of the penannular ring area to the opposite end of the penannular ring area via the metal portion, or to a resistive state that electrically decouples the one end of the penannular ring area from the opposite end of the penannular ring area.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, wherein the metal portion is a first metal portion, wherein the one side of the first metal portion comprises a first side, wherein the opposite side of the first metal portion comprises a first opposite side, wherein the penannular ring area is a first penannular ring area, wherein the one end of the first penannular ring area is a first end of the first penannular ring area, wherein the opposite end of the first penannular ring area is a first opposite end of the penannular ring area, wherein the heating element is a first heating element, wherein the conductive state is a first conductive state, wherein the resistive state is a first resistive state, and further comprising:
a second metal portion between the first metal portion and the inner patch, wherein the second metal portion is insulated from the first metal portion;
a second penannular ring area of the phase change material positioned between the first penannular ring area and the metal inner patch, the second penannular ring area coupled, on a second end, to a second side of the second metal portion, and coupled, on a second opposite end opposite the second end, to a second opposite side of the second metal portion opposite the second side; and
a second heating element that is controlled to determine the phase shift of the unit cell, based on heating the phase change material to a second conductive state that electrically couples the second end of the second penannular ring area to the second opposite end of the second penannular ring area via the second metal portion, or to a second resistive state that electrically decouples the second end of the penannular ring area from the second opposite end of the second penannular ring area.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, further comprising:
a third metal portion between the second metal portion and the inner patch, wherein the third metal portion is insulated from the second metal portion;
a third penannular ring area of the phase change material positioned between the second penannular ring area and the metal inner patch, the third penannular ring area coupled, on a third end, to a third side of the third metal portion, and coupled, on a third opposite end opposite the third end, to a third opposite side of the third metal portion opposite the third side; and
a third heating element that is controlled to determine the phase shift of the unit cell, based on heating the phase change material to a third conductive state that electrically couples the third end of the third penannular ring area to the third opposite end of the third penannular ring area via the third metal portion, or to a third resistive state that electrically decouples the third end of the penannular ring area from the third opposite end of the third penannular ring area.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the signal readout representative of the information of the incoming electromagnetic signal is usable to detect differential phase of the unit cell relative to an adjacent unit cell of the reconfigurable intelligent surface.

### Claim 11

A method, comprising:
obtaining, by a system comprising a controller coupled to a reconfigurable intelligent surface comprising respective unit cells, respective signal readouts from respective electrical sensing contacts coupled to the respective unit cells, the respective unit cells comprising respective substrate integrated waveguides comprising respective sensor devices configured to sense, based on proximity to respective interconnects passing through the respective substrate integrated waveguides, respective coupling strength data of an electromagnetic signal impinging on the respective unit cells, the respective electrical sensing contacts electrically coupled to the respective sensor devices, and the respective sensor devices configured to transfer at least some of the respective coupling strength data as respective electrical energy to the respective electrical sensing contacts; and
determining, by the system from at least two of the respective signal readouts, signal path data representative of a signal path applicable to the incoming electromagnetic signal.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the determining of the signal path data comprises determining at least one of: phase differential data between at least two adjacent unit cells of the respective unit cells, or differential delay data between the at least two adjacent unit cells of the respective unit cells.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the determining of the signal path data comprises determining at least one of: signal strength data representative of a signal strength of the incoming electromagnetic signal, or angle of arrival data representative of an angle of arrival of the incoming electromagnetic signal.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the respective coupling strength data comprises respective high coupling strength data, respective medium coupling strength data, and respective low coupling strength data, and further comprising selecting, by the system, at least one of: the respective high coupling strength data, the respective medium coupling strength data, or the respective low coupling strength data based on respective variation data of the coupling strength data between the at least two of the respective signal readouts.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the respective unit cells of the reconfigurable intelligent surface are arranged as an array comprising rows of the unit cells, and further comprising selecting, by the system from the respective unit cells, a row of the unit cells, wherein the determining of the signal path data comprises obtaining respective phase differential values, based on respective phase angle differences between respective adjacent pairs of at least part of the row of the unit cells, and estimating the signal path data based on the respective phase differential values.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the selecting of the row is based on respective variation data representative of coupling strength difference data representative of a difference between the adjacent pairs of the at least part of the row of the unit cells.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the selecting of the row comprises selecting a first row, wherein the signal path data comprises first signal path data representative of a first signal path determined based on the first row, and further comprising selecting, by the system from the respective unit cells, a second row of the unit cells other than the first row, determining, by the system based on the second row, second signal path data representative of a second signal path applicable to the incoming electromagnetic signal, and validating the first signal path data based on the second signal path data.

### Claim 18

A unit cell, comprising:
a reflective metallic element pattern that resonates at a frequency corresponding to an electromagnetic signal impinging on the unit cell;
a heater network that is controllable to alter a phase of a redirected electromagnetic signal reflected by the unit cell based on changing conductive or non-conductive states of one or more portions of phase change material beneath the reflective metallic element pattern;
a substrate integrated waveguide, comprising an upper metallic surface, side vias that enclose sides of the substrate integrated waveguide with respect to the frequency corresponding to the incoming electromagnetic signal, and a lower metallic surface;
interconnects through the substrate integrated waveguide that contain energy corresponding to the electromagnetic signal;
a sensor device in the substrate integrated waveguide that detects at least some of the energy corresponding to the electromagnetic signal contained in the interconnects as coupling strength data; and
an electrical sensing contact electrically coupled to the sensor device to output electrical information representative of the incoming electromagnetic signal.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The unit cell of claim 18, wherein the sensor device surrounds at least part of a periphery around the interconnects.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The unit cell of claim 18, wherein the sensor device comprises a first sensor element that detects the coupling strength data as higher coupling strength data, a second sensor element that detects the coupling strength data as medium coupling strength data, and a third sensor element that detects the coupling strength data as lower coupling strength data.