US 8,942,647 B2Granted

Method and system for antenna switching for 60 GHz distributed communication

AssigneeBroadcom Corporation

InventorsAhmadreza Rofougaran, Maryam Rofougaran

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

Methods and systems for antenna switching for 60 GHz distributed communication are disclosed and may include enabling antenna configurations in a plurality of remote RF modules within a computing device to receive RF signals. A signal characteristic may be measured for the configurations receiving an RF signal from a remote device. IF signals may be generated from baseband signals and may be communicated to RF modules based on the signal characteristic via coaxial lines, and may be up-converted to output RF signals utilizing the RF modules. The output RF signals may be transmitted via antennas in the RF modules. The IF signals in the one or more coaxial lines may be tapped via taps coupled to the RF modules. The baseband signals may comprise video data, Internet streamed data, and/or data from a local data source. Control signals for the RF devices may be communicated utilizing the coaxial lines.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A method for wireless communication, the method comprising:

in a wireless communication device comprising a plurality of remote RF modules within said wireless communication device
enabling a plurality of antenna configurations in said plurality of remote RF modules to receive RF signals;
measuring a signal characteristic for each of said plurality of antenna configurations receiving an RF signal from one or more devices external to said wireless communication device;
amplifying one or more IF signals with a power amplifier in a final amplification stage;
configuring one or more coaxial lines within said wireless communication device, utilizing said measurements, to communicate the one or more amplified IF signals that are generated within said wireless communication device to one or more of said plurality of remote RF modules, the one or more amplified IF signals being one or more analog signals;
communicating control signals for said plurality of remote RF modules utilizing said one or more coaxial lines on a frequency different than the one or more amplified IF signals;
directly upconverting the one or more amplified IF signals to output RF signals utilizing said one or more of said plurality of remote RF modules;
and
transmitting said output RF signals via one or more antennas in said one or more of said plurality of remote RF modules,
wherein said wireless communication device comprises a body and wherein said plurality of remote RF modules and said one or more coaxial lines are within said body of said wireless communication device.

7 more elements

A system for wireless communication, the system comprising:

one or more circuits and a plurality of remote RF modules in a computing device with wireless capability, said one or more circuits are operable to
enable a plurality of antenna configurations in said plurality of remote RF modules within said computing device to receive RF signals;
measure a signal characteristic for each of said plurality of antenna configurations receiving an RF signal from a remote device;
configuring one or more coaxial lines within said computing device, utilizing said measured signal characteristic, to communicate one or more amplified IF signals generated from baseband signals to one or more of said plurality of remote RF modules, said one or more amplified IF signals being one or more analog signals amplified by a power amplifier in a final amplification state;
directly up-convert said one or more amplified IF signals to output RF signals utilizing said one or more of said plurality of remote RF modules;
and
transmit said output RF signals via one or more antennas in said one or more of said plurality of remote RF modules, wherein said one or more circuits are operable to communicate control signals for said plurality of remote RF modules utilizing said one or more coaxial lines on a frequency different than the one or more amplified IF signals,
wherein said computing device comprises a body, and wherein said plurality of remote RF modules and said one or more coaxial lines are within said body of said computing device.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.