US 2019/0157757 A1Published application

Antenna and antenna array configurations, antenna systems and related methods of operation

AssigneePhase Sensitive Innovations, Inc.

InventorJanusz Murakowski

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Abstract

The subject matter described herein relates to various antenna element configurations, antenna array configurations, their operations including various systems and methods to generate modulated data for transmission by an RF antenna array via an optical processing engine. The subject matter includes optical processing engine structure and methods (e.g., modulating in the optical domain, MIMO and spatial modulation via RF beam formation, coherent transmission of RF signal components, coherent operation of spatially separate RF antenna arrays) that may be implemented with the various RF antenna array structures. In some examples, the system combines the virtues of digital, analog and optical processing to arrive at a solution for scalable, non-blocking, simultaneous transmission to multiple UE-s. Much of the system architecture is independent of the RF carrier frequency, and different frequency bands can be accessed easily and rapidly by tuning the optical source (TOPS). In some examples, multiple communication channels may be transmitted simultaneously to different locations. The transmitter may be formed by an array of optically fed antennas.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A transmitter comprising:

a first tunable optical paired source configured to generate a first optical beam of the first tunable optical paired source having a first wavelength of the first tunable optical paired source, and a second optical beam of the first tunable optical paired source having a second wavelength of the first tunable optical paired source,
a first modulator configured to receive the first optical beam of the first tunable optical paired source at a first optical input of the first modulator and to receive the second beam of the first tunable optical paired source at a second optical input of the first modulator, further configured to receive a first electrical signal for the first modulator at a first electrical input of the first modulator and to receive a second electrical signal for the first modulator at a second electrical input of the first modulator, additionally configured to output a first modulated optical beam at an output of the first modulator,
a second tunable optical paired source configured to generate a first optical beam of the second tunable optical paired source having a first wavelength of the second tunable optical paired source, and a second optical beam of the second tunable optical paired source having a second wavelength of the second tunable optical paired source,
a second modulator configured to receive the first optical beam of the second tunable optical paired source at a first optical input of the second modulator and to receive the second beam of the second tunable optical paired source at a second optical input of the second modulator, further configured to receive a first electrical signal for the second modulator at a first electrical input of the second modulator and to receive a second electrical signal for the second modulator at a second electrical input of the second modulator, additionally configured to output a second modulated optical beam at an output of the second modulator,
a first photodetector configured to receive the first modulated optical beam from the output of the first modulator, further configured to output a first electrical output signal,
a second photodetector configured to receive the second modulated optical beam from the output of the second modulator, further configured to output a second electrical output signal,
a first antenna electrically coupled to receive the first electrical output signal from the first photodetector,
a second antenna electrically coupled to receive the second electrical output signal from the second photodetector.

5 more elements

A transmitter comprising:

a first tunable optical paired source configured to generate a first pair of optical beams, the first pair of optical beams comprising a first wavelength optical beam and a second wavelength optical beam;
a first modulator having an optical input optically connected to the first tunable optical paired source to receive the first pair of optical beams of the first tunable optical paired source and having an electrical input to receive a first electrical signal, the first modulator configured to modulate at least one of the first wavelength optical beam and the second wavelength optical beam in response to the first electrical signal, and to provide a first modulated optical beam in response thereto;
a second tunable optical paired source configured to generate a second pair of optical beams, the second pair of optical beams comprising a third wavelength optical beam and a fourth wavelength optical beam;
a second modulator having an optical input optically connected to the second tunable optical paired source to receive the second pair of optical beams of the second tunable optical paired source and having an electrical input to receive a second electrical signal,
the second modulator configured to modulate at least one of the third wavelength optical beam and the fourth wavelength optical beam in response to the second electrical signal, and to output a second modulated optical beam in response thereto;
a first photodetector configured to receive the first modulated optical beam output from the first modulator and to output a first electrical output signal generated in response to the first modulated optical beam;
a second photodetector configured to receive the second modulated optical beam output from the second modulator and to output a second electrical output signal generated in response to the second modulated optical beam;
a first antenna configured to output a first electromagnetic signal in response to the first electrical output signal from the first photodetector;
and
a second antenna configured to output a first electromagnetic signal in response to the second electrical output signal from the second photodetector.

7 more elements

A method for transmitting information, comprising:

generating a paired optical polarized beam with offset wavelength, the paired optical polarized beam comprising a first optical beam with a first polarization and a second optical beam with a second polarization orthogonal to the first polarization;
splitting the paired optical polarized beam into a first paired optical polarized beam and a second paired optical polarized beam;
transmitting the first paired optical polarized beam to a first array and the second paired optical polarized beam to a second array, the first array comprising a first plurality of modulators, a corresponding first plurality of photodetectors, and a corresponding first plurality of antennas, the second array comprising a second plurality of modulators, a corresponding second plurality of photodetectors, and a corresponding plurality of antennas;
splitting the first paired optical polarized beam into a first plurality of paired optical polarized beam, and splitting the second paired optical polarized beam into a second plurality of paired optical beams;
modulating the relative phase between the optical polarized beams forming the respective pair of optical polarized beams in each of the first plurality of paired optical polarized beams;
modulating the amplitude of at least one of the optical polarized beams forming the respective pair of optical polarized beams in each of the first plurality of paired optical polarized beams;
combining each pair of the first plurality of paired optical polarized beams, with aligned polarizations, into a corresponding combined optical beam to produce a first plurality of combined modulated optical beams;
projecting each of the first plurality of combined modulated optical beams onto a corresponding one of the first plurality of photodetectors;
driving the first plurality of antennas with corresponding electrical outputs of the first plurality of photodetectors;
modulating the relative phase between the optical polarized beams forming the respective pair of optical polarized beams in each of the second plurality of paired optical polarized beams;
modulating the amplitude of at least one of the optical polarized beams forming the respective pair of optical polarized beams in each of the second plurality of paired optical polarized beams;
combining each pair of the second plurality of paired optical polarized beams, with aligned polarizations, into a corresponding combined optical beam to produce a second plurality of combined modulated optical beams;
projecting each of the second plurality of combined modulated optical beams onto a corresponding one of the second plurality of photodetectors;
driving the second plurality of antennas with corresponding electrical outputs of the second plurality of photodetectors.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/198,652Filed 21 Nov 2018
Priority: 21 Nov 2017
Published: 23 May 2019
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

H01Q 3/2676
Varying the relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of…
H01Q 21/0025
Particular feeding systems: modular arrays
H01Q 21/0075
Particular feeding systems: stripline fed arrays
H01Q 21/20
Arrays of individually energised antenna units similarly polarised and spaced apart: the units being spaced along or adjacent to a curvilinear path

Family

Application62/589,542Us provisional application · filed 21 Nov 2017
Application62/589,544Us provisional application · filed 21 Nov 2017
Application62/590,066Us provisional application · filed 22 Nov 2017
US 11,005,178 B2Related patent
US 2019/0157757 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.