# US 2019/0356375 A1 · Configurable Polarimetric Phased Array Transceiver Architecture > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0356375 A1 - Document ID: US20190356375A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/530,915 - Filed: 2019-08-02 - Published: 2019-11-21 - Earliest claimed: 2016-09-08 - Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation; Ericsson Inc. - Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation; Ericsson AB - Inventors: Daniel J. Friedman; Joakim Hallin; Yahya Mesgarpour Tousi; Orjan Renstrom; Leonard Rexberg; Scott K. Reynolds; Bodhisatwa Sadhu; Stefan Sahl; Jan-Erik Thillberg; Alberto Valdes Garcia - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190356375A1 ## CPC - H04B 7/0686: {Hybrid systems, i.e. switching and simultaneous transmission} - H01Q 3/24: varying the orientation by switching energy from one active radiating element to another, e.g. for beam switching - H01Q 21/29: Combinations of different interacting antenna units for giving a desired directional characteristic (H01Q25/00 takes precedence) - H04B 7/0408: using two or more beams, i.e. beam diversity - H04L 5/143: {for modulated signals (H04L5/1469 takes precedence)} - H04L 5/1469: {using time-sharing} - H04W 52/42: in systems with time, space, frequency or polarisation diversity - H01Q 25/001: {Crossed polarisation dual antennas (orthomode horns H01Q13/0258; cross-polarised rear feeds H01Q19/136; orthomode transducers H01P1/161)} - H04B 7/0617: {for beam forming} - H04B: TRANSMISSION - H01Q: ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS (radiators or antennas for microwave heating H05B6/72) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract A method and system of a configurable phased array transceiver are provided. A first beamforming unit is configured to provide a first beam. A second beamforming unit is configured to provide a second beam. A first bi-directional power controller is configured to combine or to split the first beam and the second beam. Each beamforming unit comprises a plurality of radio frequency (RF) front-ends, each front-end being configured to transmit and receive RF signals. Each beam is independently configurable to operate in a transmit (TX) or a receive (RX) mode. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A configurable phased array transceiver, comprising: a first beamforming unit configured to provide a first beam; a second beamforming unit configured to provide a second beam; and a first bi-directional power controller configured to combine the first beam and the second beam into a single output or to split a single transmit input into two signals, one for each beam forming unit, wherein each beamforming unit comprises a plurality of radio frequency (RF) front-ends, each front-end being configured to transmit or receive RF signals, and wherein each beamforming unit is independently configurable to operate in a transmit (TX) or a receive (RX) mode. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The configurable phased array transceiver of claim 1, further comprising: a third beamforming unit configured to provide a third beam; a fourth beamforming unit configured to provide a fourth beam; and a second bi-directional power controller configured to combine the third beam and the fourth beam or to split a second single transmit input into two signals, one for the third beamforming unit and one for the fourth beamforming unit. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The configurable phased array transceiver of claim 2, wherein: each beamforming unit includes N front-end elements; and the first and second bi-directional power controllers are configured to provide one of: two simultaneous 2×X N element beams both in transmit or receive mode; four simultaneous beams comprising two N element beams in receive mode and two N element in transmit mode; and three simultaneous beams comprising one 2 X N element beam in transmit or receive mode, one N element in receive mode and one N element in transmit mode. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The configurable phased array transceiver of claim 2, wherein signal paths of the first and second beamforming units are independent from signal paths of the third and fourth beamforming units. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The configurable phased array transceiver of claim 4, wherein: the first and second beamforming units are configured to provide the signal on a horizontal polarization plane comprising: the first and second beamforming units being configured to provide an independent signal path for horizontal antenna ports of each RF front- end of the first and second beamforming units; and the third and fourth beamforming units are configured to provide the signal on a vertical polarization plane comprising: the third and fourth beamforming units being configured to provide an independent signal path for vertical antenna ports of each RF front-end of the third and fourth beamforming units. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The configurable phased array transceiver of claim 4, wherein each beamforming unit is bi-directional. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The configurable phased array transceiver of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit and receive signals simultaneously. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The configurable phased array transceiver of claim 1, wherein the TX and RX modes are supported in a time division duplex (TDD) architecture. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The configurable phased array transceiver of claim 1, wherein each front-end comprises: a first switch coupled to an antenna; a receive (RX) path coupled between the first switch and a second switch, the RX path comprising: one or more low noise amplifiers coupled to the first switch; and a first variable gain amplifier coupled between the second switch and the one or more low noise amplifiers; a transmit (TX) path coupled between the first switch and the second switch, the RX path comprising: a second variable gain amplifier coupled to the switch; and one or more power amplifiers coupled between the second variable gain amplifier and the first switch; and a phase shifter coupled between the second switch and a summation element. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The configurable phased array transceiver of claim 9, wherein the first and second variable gain amplifiers each provide a 1-bit 180° phase shift. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The configurable phased array transceiver of claim 9, wherein the phase shifter is a transmission line based loss invariant 5 bit 5° phase shifter. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The configurable phased array transceiver of claim 9, wherein the one or more power amplifiers are in cascode. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The configurable phased array transceiver of claim 12, wherein the second bi-directional power controller comprises: a third switch coupled to the third beamforming unit; a fourth switch coupled to the fourth beamforming unit; a splitter coupled between the third switch and the fourth switch and operative to provide a transmit path; and a combiner coupled between the third switch and the fourth switch and operative to provide a receive path. ### Claim 14 A method of providing a configurable phased array transceiver, comprising: providing a first beam via a first beamforming unit; providing a second beam via a second beamforming unit; and providing a first bi-directional power controller configured to combine the first beam and the second beam or to split a single transmit input into two signals, one for each beamforming unit, wherein each beamforming unit comprises a plurality of radio frequency (RF) front-ends, each front-end configured to transmit and receive RF signals, and wherein each beamforming unit is independently configurable to operate in a transmit (TX) or a receive (RX) mode. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising: providing a third beam via a third beamforming unit; and providing a fourth beam via a fourth beamforming unit. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein signal paths of the first and second beamforming units are independent from signal paths of the third and fourth beamforming units. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising: providing signals on the horizontal polarization plane comprising: the first and second beamforming units providing an independent signal path for horizontal antenna ports of each RF front-end of the first and second beamforming units. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further comprising: providing signals on the vertical polarization plane comprising: the third and fourth beamforming units providing an independent signal path for vertical antenna ports of each RF front-end of the third and fourth beamforming units. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit and receive signals simultaneously. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the TX and RX modes are provided via a time division duplex (TDD) architecture.