Reconfigurable antenna multiple access for millimeter wave systems

Abstract

A system may include a radio frequency chain configured to process a signal. The system may further include a reconfigurable antenna including multiple antenna feeds, each of the antenna feeds associated with a beam direction. The system may also include a beam selection network configured to couple the radio frequency chain to a first antenna feed of the multiple antenna feeds to generate a first beam in a first direction, and simultaneously couple the radio frequency chain to a second antenna feed of the multiple antenna feeds to generate a second beam in a second direction.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 receiving a first signal for transmission to a first device and receiving a second signal for transmission to a second device;   processing a first signal component of the first signal at a first radio frequency chain;   routing the first signal component of the first signal to a first antenna feed of a first reconfigurable antenna configured to generate a first beam in a first direction and simultaneously routing the first signal component of the first signal to a second antenna feed of the first reconfigurable antenna configured to generate a second beam in a second direction; and   determining a phase difference between the first signal component of the first signal and a first signal component of the second signal, wherein the second antenna feed is configured to shift a phase of the first signal component of the first signal based on the phase difference between the first signal component of the first signal and the first signal component of the second signal to regenerate the first signal component of the second signal for transmission.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 processing a second signal component of the first signal at a second radio frequency chain;   routing the second signal component of the first signal to a first antenna feed of a second reconfigurable antenna configured to generate a third beam in a third direction and simultaneously routing the second signal component of the first signal to a second antenna feed of the second reconfigurable antenna configured to generate a fourth beam in a fourth direction; and   determining a phase difference between the second signal component of the first signal and a second signal component of the second signal, wherein the second antenna feed of the second reconfigurable antenna is configured to shift a phase of the second signal component of the first signal based on the phase difference between the second signal component of the first signal and the second signal component of the second signal to regenerate the second signal component of the second signal for transmission.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 at a first time allocation, transmitting the first signal component of the first signal and the first signal component of the second signal via the first reconfigurable antenna and transmitting the second signal component of the first signal and the second signal component of the first signal via the second reconfigurable antenna.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the first signal is a first multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) signal, and the second signal is a second MIMO signal, the method further comprising:
 performing point-to-point communication with a first device via the first MIMO signal; and   performing point-to-point communication with a second device via the second MIMO signal.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 applying a first rate-one complex-valued space-time block coding to the first MIMO signal; and   applying a second rate-one complex-valued space-time block coding to the second MIMO signal.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 allocating a first power level to the first beam; and   allocating a second power level to the second beam.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein processing the first signal component includes up-converting the first signal component. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein processing the first signal component includes down-converting the first signal component. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 sending an indication of the phase difference between the first signal component of the first signal and the first signal component of the second signal to a beam selection network.   
     
     
         10 . A system comprising:
 a radio frequency chain configured to process a first phase-key-modulated signal to be transmitted via a first beam;   a phase detector configured to determine a phase difference between the first phase-key-modulated signal and a second phase-key-modulated signal to be transmitted via a second beam;   a reconfigurable antenna including multiple antenna feeds, each of the antenna feeds associated with a beam direction; and   a beam selection network configured to couple the radio frequency chain to a first antenna feed of the multiple antenna feeds to generate a first beam in a first direction, and simultaneously couple the radio frequency chain to a second antenna feed of the multiple antenna feeds to generate a second beam in a second direction, wherein the first antenna feed transmits the first phase-key-modulated signal, unchanged, via the first beam, and wherein the second antenna feed regenerates the second phase-key-modulated signal by shifting a phase of the first phase-key-modulated signal based on the phase difference and transmits the regenerated second phase-key-modulated signal via the second beam simultaneous with transmission of the first phase-key-modulated signal.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the multiple antenna feeds are tapered slot antenna feeds, the system further comprising:
 a spherical dielectric lens coupled to the tapered slot antenna feeds.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the reconfigurable antenna includes a plurality of active antenna elements and a plurality of passive antenna elements. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein each antenna feed of the multiple antenna feeds is independently controllable to modify a phase of the signal received at the antenna feed. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the phase detector is configured to send an indication of the phase difference to the beam selection network. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a processing circuit configured to allocate a first power level to the first beam and to allocate a second power level to the second beam.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the radio frequency chain is configured to down-convert the signal when the signal is received from a remote device, or up-convert the signal when the signal is to be sent to the remote device. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the beam selection network is further configured to couple the radio frequency chain to at least one additional antenna feed of the multiple antenna feeds to generate at least one additional beam in an additional direction. 
     
     
         18 . A method comprising:
 processing a first signal at a radio frequency chain to generate a first modulated signal;   routing the first modulated signal from the radio frequency chain to a first antenna feed of a reconfigurable antenna to generate a first beam in a first direction, while simultaneously routing the first modulated signal from the radio frequency chain to a second antenna feed of the reconfigurable antenna to generate a second beam in a second direction;   determining a phase difference between the first signal and a second signal; and   shifting a phase of the first modulated signal at the second antenna feed to generate a second modulate signal corresponding to the second signal, wherein the first modulated signal is transmitted via the first beam and the second modulated signal is transmitted via the second beam.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the first signal includes a communication for a first remote device, and wherein the second signal includes communication for a second remote device. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 allocating a first power level to the first beam; and   allocating a second power level to the second beam.