US 2019/0198994 A1 · MODULAR PARALLEL BEAMFORMING SYSTEM AND ASSOCIATED METHODS

Abstract

The beamforming system includes a plurality of beamformers operatively coupled to each other. Each beamformer includes a plurality of signal generation units and a plurality of respective delaying units. Each beamformer includes a plurality of multipliers assigned to each delaying unit. Each beamformer includes a plurality of summers configured to receive a respective group of conditioned signals from a respective group of the plurality of multipliers, combine the respective group of conditioned signals and generate a respective phased array output signal. Each of the summers is configured to receive at least another input other than the respective group of conditioned signals. The plurality of beamformers are interconnected such that each of the plurality of summers within each beamformer receives, as the at least another input, a respective phased array output signal from a summer of a different one of the plurality of beamformers. As associated method is also provided.

Claims21

Dependent claims

1-20. (canceled)

A system, comprising:

a first beamformer, comprising:
a first signal generation unit configured to generate a first signal;
a second signal generation unit configured to generate a second signal;
a first delaying unit corresponding to the first signal generation unit and configured to receive the first signal from the first signal generation unit, adaptively delay the first signal, and output a first delayed signal;
a second delaying unit corresponding to the second signal generation unit and configured to receive the second signal from the second signal generation unit, adaptively delay the second signal, and output a second delayed signal;
a first multiplier assigned to the first delaying unit and configured to receive the first delayed signal output from the first delaying unit, generate a first conditioned signal by adaptively applying a first weight to the first received delayed signal, and output the first conditioned signal;
a second multiplier assigned to the second delaying unit and configured to receive the second delayed signal output from the second delaying unit, generate a second conditioned signal by adaptively applying a second weight to the second received delayed signal, and output the second conditioned signal;
a first summer configured to receive the first conditioned signal from the first multiplier and the second conditioned signal from the second multiplier, combine the first conditioned signal and the second conditioned signal and generate a first phased array output signal, and receive a third phased array output signal;
and
a second summer configured to receive the first conditioned signal from the first multiplier and the second conditioned signal from the second multiplier, combine the first conditioned signal and the second conditioned signal and generate a second phased array output signal, and receive a fourth phased array output signal;
and
a second beamformer operatively coupled to the first beamformer, the second beamformer comprising:
a third signal generation unit configured to generate a third signal;
a fourth signal generation unit configured to generate a fourth signal;
a third delaying unit corresponding to the third signal generation unit and configured to receive the third signal from the third signal generation unit, adaptively delay the third signal, and output a third delayed signal;
a fourth delaying unit corresponding to the fourth signal generation unit and configured to receive the fourth signal from the fourth signal generation unit, adaptively delay the fourth signal, and output a fourth delayed signal;
a third multiplier assigned to the third delaying unit and configured to receive the third delayed signal output from the third delaying unit, generate a third conditioned signal by adaptively applying a third weight to the third received delayed signal, and output the third conditioned signal;
a fourth multiplier assigned to the fourth delaying unit and configured to receive the fourth delayed signal output from the fourth delaying unit, generate a fourth conditioned signal by adaptively applying a fourth weight to the fourth received delayed signal, and output the fourth conditioned signal;
a third summer configured to receive the third conditioned signal from the third multiplier and the fourth conditioned signal from the fourth multiplier, combine the third conditioned signal and the fourth conditioned signal and generate the third phased array output signal, and receive the first phased array output signal;
and
a fourth summer configured to receive the third conditioned signal from the third multiplier and the fourth conditioned signal from the fourth multiplier, combine the third conditioned signal and the fourth conditioned signal and generate the fourth phased array output signal, and receive the second phased array output signal.

18 more elements

A method comprising:

providing a first beamformer comprising:
a first signal generation unit configured to generate a first signal;
a second signal generation unit configured to generate a second signal;
a first delaying unit corresponding to the first signal generation unit and configured to receive the first signal from the first signal generation unit, adaptively delay the first signal, and output a first delayed signal;
a second delaying unit corresponding to the second signal generation unit and configured to receive the second signal from the second signal generation unit, adaptively delay the second signal, and output a second delayed signal;
a first multiplier assigned to the first delaying unit and configured to receive the first delayed signal output from the first delaying unit, generate a first conditioned signal by adaptively applying a first weight to the first received delayed signal, and output the first conditioned signal;
a second multiplier assigned to the second delaying unit and configured to receive the second delayed signal output from the second delaying unit, generate a second conditioned signal by adaptively applying a second weight to the second received delayed signal, and output the second conditioned signal;
a first summer configured to receive the first conditioned signal from the first multiplier and the second conditioned signal from the second multiplier, combine the first conditioned signal and the second conditioned signal and generate a first phased array output signal, and receive a third phased array output signal;
and
a second summer configured to receive the first conditioned signal from the first multiplier and the second conditioned signal from the second multiplier, combine the first conditioned signal and the second conditioned signal and generate a second phased array output signal, and receive a fourth phased array output signal;
providing a second beamformer operatively coupled to the first beamformer, the second beamformer comprising:
a third signal generation unit configured to generate a third signal;
a fourth signal generation unit configured to generate a fourth signal;
a third delaying unit corresponding to the third signal generation unit and configured to receive the third signal from the third signal generation unit, adaptively delay the third signal, and output a third delayed signal;
a fourth delaying unit corresponding to the fourth signal generation unit and configured to receive the fourth signal from the fourth signal generation unit, adaptively delay the fourth signal, and output a fourth delayed signal;
a third multiplier assigned to the third delaying unit and configured to receive the third delayed signal output from the third delaying unit, generate a third conditioned signal by adaptively applying a third weight to the third received delayed signal, and output the third conditioned signal;
a fourth multiplier assigned to the fourth delaying unit and configured to receive the fourth delayed signal output from the fourth delaying unit, generate a fourth conditioned signal by adaptively applying a fourth weight to the fourth received delayed signal, and output the fourth conditioned signal;
a third summer configured to receive the third conditioned signal from the third multiplier and the fourth conditioned signal from the fourth multiplier, combine the third conditioned signal and the fourth conditioned signal and generate the third phased array output signal, and receive the first phased array output signal;
and
a fourth summer configured to receive the third conditioned signal from the third multiplier and the fourth conditioned signal from the fourth multiplier, combine the third conditioned signal and the fourth conditioned signal and generate the fourth phased array output signal, and receive the second phased array output signal;
and
interconnecting the first beamformer and the second beamformer.

19 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

16/250,781Filed 17 Jan 2019

Priority

26 Nov 2012

Published

27 Jun 2019

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

H01Q 3/2694
Time delay steered arrays: using also variable phase-shifters
G10K 11/346
Circuits therefor: using phase variation
H01Q 3/26
Arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern of the waves radiated from an antenna or antenna…
H01Q 3/38
With variable phase-shifters: the phase-shifters being digital

Family

Application13/685,096Continuation · filed 26 Nov 2012

Application15/486,751Continuation · filed 13 Apr 2017

Application16/250,781Continuation

US 10,193,223 B2Related patent

US 11,201,400 B2Related patent

US 2014/0145880 A1Published application

US 2017/0222319 A1Published application

US 9,666,941 B2Related patent

US 2019/0198994 A1This patent

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

Modular parallel beamforming system and associated methods

Life of this patent

Modular parallel beamforming system and associated methods

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21