HK1151640B - Communication method and communication system - Google Patents

Description

Communication method and communication system

Technical Field

The present invention relates to wireless communications, and more particularly, to a method and system for using a leaky wave antenna (leaky wave antenna) as a load of a power amplifier.

Background

Mobile communications have transformed the way people communicate, and mobile phones have transformed from a luxury item to an essential part of everyday life. Today, the use of mobile phones is controlled by social situations and not by geographical or technical constraints. The voice connection satisfies the basic requirement of communication, while the mobile voice connection can penetrate deeper into daily life, and the mobile internet can be the next target of the mobile communication revolution. The mobile internet can become a source of daily information of people at any time, and convenient and universal mobile access to the data becomes necessary.

As the number of electronic devices supporting wired and/or mobile communications increases, considerable effort has been expended in order to make these devices more power efficient (power efficiency). For example, a large percentage of communication devices are mobile wireless devices and often operate on battery power. Additionally, the transmit and/or receive circuitry in these mobile wireless devices often consume a significant portion of the power consumed by these devices. Also, in some commonly used communication systems, the transmitter and/or receiver have a lower power efficiency than other modules of the portable communication device. Thus, these transmitters and/or receivers have a significant impact on the battery life of the mobile wireless device.

Other drawbacks and disadvantages of the prior art will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following system of the present invention as described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Disclosure of Invention

A method and/or system for a leaky wave antenna as a load for a power amplifier, substantially as shown in and/or described in connection with at least one of the figures, as set forth more completely in the claims.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a communication method is provided, including:

performing the following steps using one or more circuits in a wireless device, the one or more circuits integrated in a chip, wherein the one or more circuits include one or more power amplifiers:

configuring one or more leaky-wave antennas connected to the one or more power amplifiers to act as loads for the one or more power amplifiers.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a communication system comprising:

one or more circuits comprising one or more power amplifiers, the one or more circuits integrated in a chip, wherein:

the one or more circuits are configured to configure one or more leaky wave antennas to act as a load for the one or more power amplifiers, the one or more leaky wave antennas being coupled to the one or more power amplifiers.

Preferably, the one or more circuits are operable to transmit RF signals through the one or more leaky wave antennas.

Preferably, the one or more leaky wave antennas are integrated in the chip.

Preferably, said one or more leaky-wave antennas are integrated in a package to which said chip is attached (affix).

Preferably, said one or more leaky-wave antennas are integrated in a printed circuit board to which said chip is attached (affix).

Preferably, the one or more leaky wave antennas comprise an inductive load (inductive load) arranged on the one or more power amplifiers.

Preferably, the one or more leaky wave antennas comprise a balun (balun) for the one or more power amplifiers.

Preferably, the one or more leaky wave antennas are impedance matched to the one or more power amplifiers.

Preferably, the one or more circuits are for amplifying a signal to be transmitted using the one or more power amplifiers.

Preferably, the one or more circuits are operable to configure the output power of the one or more power amplifiers by controlling a bias voltage of the one or more power amplifiers.

The following detailed description of specific embodiments is provided to facilitate an understanding of various advantages, aspects, and novel features of the invention as they may be better understood when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary wireless system using leaky-wave antennas according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary leaky-wave antenna according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a top view of an exemplary partially reflective surface in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary phase dependency of a leaky-wave antenna according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of exemplary in-phase and out-of-phase beam shapes for a leaky-wave antenna in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a leaky-wave antenna with a variable input impedance feedback point according to an embodiment of the invention;

fig. 7 is a schematic diagram of a multi-stage power amplifier using a leaky-wave antenna as a load according to an embodiment of the invention;

fig. 8 is a schematic diagram of a two-stage power amplifier using a leaky-wave antenna as a load according to an embodiment of the invention;

fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary implementation procedure using a leaky-wave antenna as a load according to an embodiment of the invention.

Detailed Description

Some aspects of the invention provide a method and system for using a leaky wave antenna as a load for a power amplifier. Exemplary aspects of the invention include configuring one or more leaky wave antennas connected to one or more power amplifiers such that the one or more leaky wave antennas act as a load for the one or more power amplifiers in the wireless device. Transmitting an RF signal through the one or more leaky wave antennas. The one or more leaky wave antennas are integrated in the chip, in a package to which the chip is attached, and/or in a printed circuit board to which the chip is attached. The one or more leaky wave antennas include inductive loads (inductive loads) disposed on the one or more power amplifiers or baluns for the one or more power amplifiers. The one or more leaky wave antennas are impedance matched to the one or more power amplifiers. Amplitude modulating one or more signals amplified by the one or more power amplifiers by modulating bias currents of the one or more power amplifiers.

Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary wireless system architecture using leaky-wave antennas according to an embodiment of the invention. Referring to fig. 1, wireless device 150 includes antenna 151, transceiver 152, baseband processor 154, processor 156, system memory 158, logic module 160, chip 162, leaky-wave antennas 164A, 164B and 164C, external headphone port 166, and package 167. The wireless device 150 also includes an analog Microphone 168, an Integrated Hands-free (Hands-free Face) stereo speaker 170, a printed circuit board 171, a Hearing Aid Compatible (HAC) coil 174, a Dual Digital Microphone (Dual Digital Microphone)176, a vibration transducer 178, a keypad and/or touch screen 180, and a display screen 182.

The transceiver 152 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be operable to modulate and upconvert baseband signals into RF signals for transmission by one or more antennas, represented by antenna 151. The transceiver 152 is also used to downconvert and demodulate received RF signals to baseband signals. The RF signals may be received by one or more antennas, which may be represented by antenna 151 or leaky-wave antennas 164A, 164B, and 164C. Different wireless systems use different antennas for transmission and reception. The transceiver 152 can perform other functions, such as filtering and/or amplifying baseband and/or RF signals. Although a single transceiver 152 is shown, the invention is not so limited. Thus, the transceiver 152 may be implemented by a single transmitter and a single receiver. Additionally, multiple transceivers, transmitters, and/or receivers may also be included. In this regard, the plurality of transceivers, transmitters, and/or receivers enable wireless device 150 to handle a plurality of wireless protocols and/or standards, including cellular, WLAN, and PAN. Wireless technologies handled by wireless device 150 include, for example, GSM, CDMA2000, WCDMA, GMS, GPRS, EDGE, WiMAX, WLAN, 3GPP, UMTS, BLUETOOTH, and ZigBee.

The baseband processor 154 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be operable to process baseband signals for transmission by the transceiver 152 and/or to process baseband signals received from the transceiver 162. The processor 156 may be any suitable processor or controller such as a CPU, DSP, ARM, or any other type of integrated circuit processor. The processor 156 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, and/or code that may enable control of the operation of the transceiver 152 and/or the baseband processor 154. For example, the processor 156 is used to update and/or modify programmable parameters and/or values of various components, devices, and/or processing elements in the transceiver 152 and/or the baseband processor 154. At least a portion of the programmable parameters are stored in system memory 158.

Control and/or data information, including programmable parameters, may be forwarded to processor 156 from other portions of wireless device 150 (not shown in fig. 1). Similarly, the processor 156 is configured to forward control and/or data information including programmable parameters to other portions of the wireless device 150 (not shown in fig. 1) that are part of the wireless device 150.

Processor 156 determines the mode of operation of transceiver 152 using received control and/or data information including programmable parameters. For example, the processor 156 may be configured to select a particular frequency for the local oscillator, select a particular gain for the variable gain amplifier, configure the local oscillator, and/or configure the variable gain amplifier for operation in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention. Also, the particular frequencies selected and/or the parameters required to calculate the particular frequencies and/or the particular gain values and/or parameters used to calculate the particular gains may be stored in the system memory 158 by, for example, the processor 156. Information stored in system memory 158 may be forwarded from system memory 158 to transceiver 152 by processor 156.

The system memory 158 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may enable storage of a plurality of control and/or data information, including parameter and/or frequency values and/or gain values that may be required for calculating frequency and/or gain. System memory 158 stores at least a portion of the programmable parameters controlled by processor 156

The logic module 160 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may enable controlling various functions of the wireless device 150. For example, the logic module 160 includes one or more state machines for generating signals that control the transceiver 152 and/or the baseband processor 154. The logic module 160 also includes registers for storing data that controls, for example, the transceiver 152 and/or the baseband processor 154. The logic module 160 also generates and/or stores state information that is read by, for example, the processor 156. The amplifier gain and/or filtering characteristics may be controlled by, for example, logic module 160.

The BT wireless transceiver/processor 163 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be operable to transmit and/or receive bluetooth signals. BT wireless transceiver/processor 163 may process and/or manipulate BT baseband signals. In this regard, the BT wireless transceiver/processor 163 may process or manipulate BT signals received and/or transmitted via a wireless communication medium. Based on information from the processed BT signal, the BT wireless transceiver/processor 163 may also provide control and/or feedback information to the baseband processor 154 and/or the processor 156, or from the baseband processor 154 and/or the processor 156. The BT wireless transceiver/processor 163 communicates information and/or data from the processed BT signals to the processor 156 and/or the system memory 158. Also, the BT wireless transceiver/processor 163 receives information from the processor 156 and/or the system memory 158, processes it, and transmits it over a wireless communication medium to, for example, a bluetooth headset.

The CODEC 172 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be operable to process audio signals received from and/or transmitted to an input/output device. Input devices may be built into and/or communicatively coupled to the wireless device 150 including, for example, an analog microphone 168, a stereo speaker 170, a Hearing Aid Compatible (HAC) coil 174, a Dual digital microphone 176, and a vibration sensor 178. The CODEC 172 is used to up-convert and/or down-convert the signal frequency to a desired frequency for processing and/or transmission by an output device. The CODEC 172 may use multiple digital audio inputs, such as 16-bit or 18-bit inputs. The CODEC 172 may also use multiple data sample rate inputs. For example, the CODEC 172 may receive digital audio signals at a sampling rate such as 8kHz, 11.025kHz, 12kHz, 16kHz, 22.05kHz, 24kHz, 32kHz, 44.1kHz, and/or 48 kHz. The CODEC 172 may support a mix of multiple audio sources. For example, the CODEC 172 may also support audio sources such as general audio (general audio), polyphonic ringer (polyphonic ringer), I²S FM audio, vibration drive signal, and speech. In this regard, typical audio and polyphonic ringer audio sources may support multiple sample rates that are acceptable by the audio CODEC 172, while the voice source may support some of the multiple sample rates, such as 8kHz and 16 kHz.

The chip 162 includes an integrated circuit integrated with a plurality of functional blocks, such as a transceiver 152, a processor 156, a baseband processor 154, a BT wireless transceiver/processor 163, a CODEC 172, and a leaky-wave antenna 164A. The number of functional blocks integrated in chip 162 is not limited to the number shown in fig. 1. Thus, any number of modules may be integrated on chip 162 depending on, for example, the space of the chip and the requirements of wireless device 150.

Leaky-wave antennas 164A, 164B, and 164C include resonant cavities (cavities) with high reflectivity (high reflectivity) and low reflectivity (low reflectivity) surfaces, which may be integrated in chip 162, package 167, and/or printed circuit board 171 or on chip 162, package 167, and/or printed circuit board 171. The lower reflectivity surface allows resonant modes to "leak" out of the cavity. The weakly reflecting surfaces of leaky wave antennas 164A, 164B and 164C are configured to have slots in a metal surface or sheet metal pattern, as shown in fig. 2 and 3. The physical dimensions of leaky-wave antennas 164A, 164B, and 164C may be configured to optimize the transmission bandwidth and/or the beam pattern of the radiation. In another embodiment of the present invention, the leaky-wave antenna 164B may be integrated in the package 167, and the leaky-wave antenna 164C may be integrated in the printed circuit board 171 to which the chip 162 is attached and/or on the printed circuit board 171. In this way, the size of the leaky wave antennas 164B and 164C is not limited by the size of the chip 162.

The external headset port 166 includes a physical connection for an external headset that is communicatively connected to the wireless device 150. The analog microphone 168 may comprise suitable circuitry, logic, interfaces, and/or code that may be operable to detect acoustic waves and convert them to electrical signals via, for example, a piezoelectric effect (piezo effect). The electrical signal generated by the analog microphone 168 comprises an analog signal that requires analog-to-digital conversion prior to processing.

Package 167 comprises a ceramic package, printed circuit board, or other structure capable of supporting chip 162 and other components in wireless device 150. In this regard, chip 162 is bonded (bond) to package 167. Package 167 includes, for example, isolation and conductive materials that can provide electrical isolation between electrical components mounted on package 167.

The stereo speaker 170 includes a pair of speakers for generating audio signals from the electrical signals received from the CODEC 172. The HAC coil 174 may comprise suitable circuitry, logic, and/or code and may enable communication between the wireless device 150 and a T-coil in a hearing aid, for example. In this way, the electrical audio signal may be transmitted to the user using the hearing aid (without generating a sound signal through a speaker, such as stereo speaker 170, and converting the generated sound signal back into an electrical signal in the hearing aid), and then converting the electrical signal back into a large sound signal in the user's ear.

The dual-digit microphone 176 may comprise suitable circuitry, logic, interfaces, and/or code that may enable detection of acoustic waves and conversion thereof to electrical signals. The electrical signals generated by the two-digit microphone 176 comprise digital signals and do not require analog-to-digital conversion before being digitally processed in the CODEC 172. The dual-digit microphone 176 has, for example, beamforming capabilities.

The vibration sensor 178 may comprise suitable circuitry, logic, interfaces and/or code that may enable wireless device 150 to be notified of incoming calls, alerts and/or messages without the use of sound. The vibration sensor generates vibrations that may be synchronized with an audio signal such as speech or music.

In operation, control and/or data information including programmable parameters may be forwarded to processor 156 from other portions of wireless device 150 (not shown in FIG. 1). Similarly, the processor 156 may forward control and/or data information including programmable parameters to other portions of the wireless device 150 (not shown in fig. 1) that are integral to the wireless device 150.

Processor 156 determines the mode of operation of transceiver 152 using received control and/or data information including programmable parameters. For example, the processor 156 may be configured to select a particular frequency for the local oscillator, a particular gain for the variable gain amplifier, configure the local oscillator, and/or configure the variable gain amplifier for operation in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention. Also, the particular frequencies selected and/or the parameters required to calculate the particular frequencies and/or the particular gain values and/or parameters used to calculate the particular gains may be stored in the system memory 158 by, for example, the processor 156. Information stored in system memory 158 may be forwarded from system memory 158 to transceiver 152 by processor 156.

The CODEC 172 in the wireless device 150 communicates with the processor 156 to forward audio data and control signals. The control registers of the CODEC 172 may be provided in the processor 156. The processor 156 exchanges audio signals and control information through the system memory 158. The CODEC 172 may also up-convert and/or down-convert the frequencies of multiple audio sources for processing at a desired sampling frequency.

Wireless signals may be transmitted and received by leaky wave antennas 164A, 164B, and 164C. The beam patterns radiated by leaky-wave antennas 164A, 164B, and 164C can be configured by adjusting the frequencies of the signals transmitted to leaky-wave antennas 164A, 164B, and 164C. Also, the physical characteristics of the leaky wave antennas 164A, 164B, and 164C may be configured so as to adjust the bandwidth of the transmission signal.

In one embodiment of the present invention, leaky-wave antennas 164A, 164B and 164C include a load on one or more power amplifiers in transceiver 152. The leaky-wave antennas 164A, 164B, and 164C exhibit different input impedances depending on the arrangement of the feedback points. In this regard, the impedance of the leaky wave antennas 164A, 164B, and 164C may be configured to match the output impedance of the power amplifiers driving the leaky wave antennas 164A, 164B, and 164C.

Fig. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of an exemplary leaky-wave antenna according to an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 2, leaky-wave antenna 164A/164B/164C is shown to include a partially reflective surface 201A, a reflective surface 201B, and a feedback point 203. The space between the partially reflecting surface 201A and the reflecting surface 201B is filled with, for example, an insulating material, and the height h between the partially reflecting surface 201A and the reflecting surface 201B is used to configure the transmission frequency of the leaky wave antenna 164A/164B/164C.

The feedback point 203 includes an input for applying an input voltage to the leaky-wave antenna 164A/164B/164C. The present invention is not limited to a single feedback point 203, and various numbers of feedback points for out-of-phase signals may be applied to leaky-wave antennas 164A/164B/164C, for example.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the height h is one-half the wavelength of the leaky-wave antenna 164A/164B/164C transmission mode. In this way, the phase of the electromagnetic mode traversing the cavity twice is coherent with the input signal at the feedback point 203, configuring the resonant cavity as a Fabry-Perot (Fabry-Perot) cavity. The amplitude of the resonant mode is exponentially attenuated from the feedback point in the lateral direction, thereby reducing or eliminating the need for a confinement structure (confinement structure) with each side of the leaky wave antennas 164A, 164B and/or 164C. The input impedance of leaky wave antennas 164A, 164B and/or 164C may be configured by the vertical position of feedback point 203, as described later in connection with fig. 6.

In operation, a signal to be transmitted by the power amplifier may be passed to the feedback point 203 of the leaky wave antenna 164A/164B/164C at frequency f. The height h of the cavity may be configured to be associated with half the wavelength of the signal at frequency f. The signal traverses the height of the cavity and is reflected by partially reflective surface 201A and then traverses the height of the cavity again back to reflective surface 201B. Since the distance traveled by a wave corresponds to a full wavelength, constructive interference (constructive interference) occurs, thereby establishing a resonant mode.

Leaky-wave antennas enable the configuration of high-gain antennas without the need for large antenna arrays that require complex feedback networks and suffer from losses due to feedback lines. The leaky wave antennas 164A/164B/164C may be integrated on or in a chip, package, or printed circuit board. The leaky-wave antenna 164A/164B/164C includes a load, which is provided on the power amplifier. The input impedance of the leaky-wave antenna 164A/164B/164C may be configured to match the output impedance of the power amplifier. In this way, the need for matching circuits may be reduced or eliminated.

The transmitted beam shape comprises a narrow vertical beam when the signal delivered to the feedback point 203 matches the resonant frequency of the cavity. In the case of a frequency offset from the center frequency, the beam shape becomes conical with nodes at an angle to the vertical.

FIG. 3 is a top view of an exemplary partially reflective surface in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to fig. 3, partially reflective surface 300 is shown to comprise periodic slots of a metal surface and partially reflective surface 320 comprises periodic metal sheets. The partially reflective surface 300/320 includes different embodiments of the partially reflective surface 201A described in connection with fig. 2.

The spacing, size, shape, and/or orientation of the slots and/or tabs in partially reflective surface 300/320 can be used to configure the bandwidth and Q factor of the partially reflective surface 300/320 and the resonant cavity defined by the reflective surface, such as reflective surface 201B shown in fig. 2. Due to the narrow bandwidth of the signal, the partially reflective surface 300/320 may include a frequency selective surface, which may leak out of the structure in which the slot and/or sheet is configured.

The spacing between the patches and/or slots is related to the wavelength of the transmitted and/or received signal, similar to beamforming with multiple antennas (multiple antennas). The length of the slots and/or patches is several times or less than the wavelength of the transmitted and/or received signal, for example due to leakage from the slots and/or areas around the patches that add up, similar to beam forming with multiple antennas.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the slot/tab may be configured by a Micro Electronic Mechanical System (MEMS) switch to adjust the Q factor of the cavity.

Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary phase dependency of a leaky-wave antenna according to an embodiment of the invention. Referring to fig. 4, the leaky wave antenna is shown to include a partially reflecting surface 201A, a reflecting surface 201B, and a feedback point 203. The in-phase state 400 shows the relative beam shape emitted by the leaky-wave antenna 164A/164B/164C when the frequency of the signal delivered to the feedback point 203 matches the frequency of the resonant cavity; the resonant cavity is defined by the height h of the cavity and the dielectric constant (dielectric constant) of the material between the reflecting surfaces.

Similarly, out-of-phase state 420 shows the relative beam shape emitted by leaky-wave antenna 164A/164B/164C when the frequency of the signal delivered to feedback point 203 does not match the frequency of the resonant cavity. The resulting beam shape is conical, as opposed to a single main vertical node.

Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of exemplary in-phase and out-of-phase beam shapes for a leaky-wave antenna in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referring to fig. 5, a graph 500 of transmitted signal beam shape versus angle for leaky-wave antennas in-phase and out-of-phase is shown.

The in-phase curve in diagram 500 corresponds to the case where the frequency of the signal delivered to the leaky wave antenna matches the resonant frequency of the cavity. In this case, a single vertical main node (single vertical main node) is generated. When the frequency of the signal at the feedback point is not at the resonant frequency, a double-node or conical-shaped node is generated, as shown by the out-of-phase curve in diagram 500.

Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of a leaky-wave antenna with a variable input impedance feedback point according to an embodiment of the invention. Referring to fig. 6, a leaky wave antenna 600 is shown including a partially reflecting surface 201A and a reflecting surface 201B. Feedback points 601A-601C are also shown. The feedback points 601A-601C may be located at different positions along the height h of the cavity, thereby configuring different impedance points of the leaky wave antenna.

In this way, the leaky wave antenna can be coupled to power amplifiers having different output impedances, thereby increasing coupling efficiency (coupling efficiency) without requiring an impedance matching circuit. The higher impedance PA may couple with a higher positioned feedback point in the cavity and the lower impedance PA may couple with a feedback point closer to the reflective surface 201B.

Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram of a multi-stage power amplifier using a leaky-wave antenna as a load according to an embodiment of the invention. Referring to fig. 7, a Power Amplifier (PA)700 is shown including CMOS transistors M1-M6, current sources 701A-701C, notch filter 703, switches S1-S6, balun 705, DC-DC controller 707. Also shown are input signals LO + and LO-, an amplitude modulation signal AM, and a control signal delivered to the DC-DC controller 707.

The current sources 701A-701C may comprise suitable circuitry, logic, interfaces, and/or code that may be operable to provide bias currents for the various stages of the PA 700. Current sources 701A-701C comprise one or more CMOS transistors of varying size to provide current for a given gate and drain-source voltage(s). In one embodiment of the present invention, the current provided by the current source 701B is eight times the current provided by the current source 701A, and the current provided by the current source 701C is eight times the current provided by the current source 701B. In another embodiment of the present invention, current sources 701A-701C are binary-weighted, wherein each current source provides twice or half the current of the adjacent current source.

Transistors M1-M6, which include respective gain stages of PA700, may be configured to operate in differential or common mode for transistors M1-M6. Switches S1-S6 are used to configure an input stage to operate in differential or common mode, the input stage including the gate terminals of transistors M1-M6. In differential mode, the switches in the transistor pair, e.g., switches S1 and S2 of CMOS transistors M1 and M2, may switch to the LO + and LO-input signals. Similarly, switch S2 may be switched to ground (ground), and switch S1 may be connected to the LO + input signal, thereby configuring the M1/M2 stages to be in common mode.

The number of stages in the PA700 is not limited to the number shown in fig. 7. Thus, various numbers of stages may be used depending on, for example, chip space and power requirements.

The notch filter 703 may comprise suitable circuitry, logic, interfaces, and/or code that may be adapted to filter out signals in a narrow frequency band and allow signals outside of the frequency band to pass.

The balun (balun)705 may comprise suitable circuitry, logic, interfaces and/or code that may be operable to convert a balanced signal to an unbalanced signal. The output of balun 705 is communicatively connected to a leaky wave antenna as a load for balun 705 and PA 700. In another embodiment of the present invention, the balun 705 includes a leaky wave antenna having a plurality of input feedback points for receiving a balanced signal.

In operation, the local oscillator signal, including LO + and LO-, is passed to the gain stage, which includes the CMOS transistor pair M1/M2, M3/M4, M5/M6. Switches S1-S6 are used to configure the PA stage in either differential or common mode. The amplitude of the output signal of the PA700 may be modulated by amplitude modulation by the AM signal used to modulate the current sources 701A-701C. In addition, the output power may be configured by the control signal and using the DC-DC controller 707. In this way, the maximum voltage swing (voltage swing) of the signal delivered to the antenna may be configured.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the balun 705 converts the balanced signal generated by the PA700 into an unbalanced signal and transmits the unbalanced signal to an antenna connected to the balun 705. In another embodiment of the present invention, the balun 705 includes a leaky wave antenna so as to be able to receive a balanced signal to be transmitted by the leaky wave antenna configured as the balun 705. The balun 705 also includes a load for the PA700 that can be configured to achieve a desired impedance when properly matched. In this regard, the conventional tuning circuit, matching circuit and antenna may be replaced by a leaky wave antenna on the PA.

In addition, using current sources 701A-701C and controlling the output power by configuring VDD and amplitude modulation, the dynamic range of power control can be increased, the amplitude modulation linearity characteristics can be improved, and the power efficiency can be improved.

Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram of a two-stage power amplifier using a leaky-wave antenna as a load according to an embodiment of the invention. Referring to fig. 8, a power amplifier 800 is shown including a transistor M_INP、M_INNMCP, MCN, M2N, M2P, bias circuit 810, resistor R_LR1 and R2, capacitors C1-C6 and inductors LL1-LL4, Ls andL_M1-L_M2. Also shown are input terminals INP and INN, output terminals OutP and OutN, supply voltage VDD, bias supply V, and bias control input Bios.

The bias circuit 810 includes a CMOS transistor MB1-MBB and a current source 801. The current source 801 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be operable to provide current to the CMOS transistors MB1-MB 8. The bias control input and bias voltage V are used to configure the bias current of PA 800.

Transistor M_INP、M_INNMCP, MCN, M2N, inductor LL1-LL2, and resistor RL are included in the first stage of PA 800, which may include a cascode stage. The input of the first stage comprises INP and INN inputs and the output signal is passed to the second stage through coupling capacitors C1 and C2. The second stage of PA 800 includes transistors M2N and M2P and inductors Ls, LL3, and LL 4.

In a conventional PA, the second stage of PA 800, which includes separate inductors LL3 and LL4 as PA loads, and a matching circuit including capacitors C3-C6 and inductors LM1 and LM2, communicates with the antenna. In one embodiment of the present invention, the load inductors LL3 and LL4, the matching circuit, and the antenna may be replaced by leaky-wave antennas. Leaky-wave antennas provide a tuned circuit through the resonant frequency of the resonant cavity and may also provide impedance matching with the PA 800, thereby improving coupling efficiency.

In operation, an input signal may be delivered to the INP and INN inputs for amplification by the first and second stages of PA 800. The bias condition of PA 800 may be configured by the bias (Bios) and V signals. In one embodiment of the invention, the load inductors LL3 and LL4 include one or more leaky wave antennas that are impedance matched to the PA 800, thereby eliminating the need for a matching circuit that includes capacitors C3-C6 and inductors LM1 and LM 2.

The inductors LM3 and LM4, which include leaky wave antennas, transmit the amplified signal in a direction defined by the geometry of the leaky wave antenna, as described in fig. 2-5.

Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary implementation procedure using a leaky-wave antenna as a load according to an embodiment of the invention. Referring to fig. 9, proceeding to step 903 after beginning step 901, the leaky wave antenna is configured as a load on the power amplifier by configuring a partially reflective surface of the antenna. In step 905, the RF signal may be received by the PA, amplified, and transmitted by the leaky wave antenna, and then step 907 is entered to configure the leaky wave antenna for different gain settings, for example by configuring VDD in the leaky wave antenna. In step 909, if the wireless device 150 is powered down, the exemplary steps proceed to end step 911, and if the wireless device 150 is not powered down, the exemplary steps return to step 903, configuring the leaky-wave antenna as the load on the PA.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a method and system for configuring one or more leaky-wave antennas as a load for one or more power amplifiers in a wireless device 150 is disclosed. The RF signals may be transmitted through one or more leaky-wave antennas 164A/164B/164C. One or more leaky-wave antennas 164A/164B/164C may be integrated in chip 162, package 167 with chip 162 attached, and/or printed circuit board 171 with chip 162 attached. The leaky-wave antenna 164A/164B/164C includes an inductive load LL3/LL4 provided on the one or more power amplifiers 700/800 or a balun 705 for the one or more power amplifiers 700/800. The leaky-wave antennas 164A/164B/164C may be impedance matched to one or more power amplifiers 700/800. The one or more signals to be transmitted are amplified by the one or more power amplifiers 700/800. The output power of the one or more power amplifiers is configured by controlling the bias voltage VDD of the one or more power amplifiers 700/800.

Another embodiment of the present invention provides a machine and/or computer readable storage and/or medium, having stored thereon a machine code and/or a computer program having at least one code section executable by a machine and/or a computer, enabling the machine and/or computer to carry out the steps of the leaky wave antenna as a load for a power amplifier as described herein.

In general, the invention can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. The present invention can be realized in an integrated manner in at least one computer system or in a separate manner by placing different components in a plurality of interconnected computer systems. Any kind of computer system or other apparatus adapted for carrying out the methods described herein is suited. A typical combination of hardware, software, and firmware may be a specialized computer system with a computer program that, when being loaded and executed, controls the computer system such that it carries out the methods described herein.

Embodiments of the present invention may be implemented as a board level product (board level product), such as a single chip, an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), or as separate components integrated with other portions of the system on a single chip with varying degrees of integration. The degree of integration of the system depends primarily on speed and cost considerations. Modern processors are so diverse that processors currently found on the market can be employed. Additionally, if the processor is available as an ASIC core or logic module, an economically viable processor may be implemented as part of an ASIC device with multiple functions implemented by firmware.

The present invention can also be implemented by a computer program product, which comprises all the features enabling the implementation of the methods of the invention and which, when loaded in a computer system, is able to carry out these methods. The computer program in the present document refers to: any expression, in any programming language, code or notation, of a set of instructions intended to cause a system having an information processing capability to perform a particular function either directly or after either or both of the following a) conversion to another language, code or notation; b) reproduced in different formats to implement specific functions.

While the invention has been described with reference to certain embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Cross Reference to Related Applications

This application refers to the following U.S. patent applications:

U.S. provisional patent application No.61/246,618 filed on 2009, 9/29;

U.S. provisional patent application No.61/185,245, filed on 2009, 6/9;

U.S. patent application No. ______ filed on japanese patent application No. ________ (law firm No. 21205US02);

U.S. patent application No. _______ filed on japanese patent application No. ________ (law firm No. 21211US02);

U.S. patent application No. ______ filed on japanese patent application No. ________ (law firm No. 21214US02);

U.S. patent application No. _____ filed on japanese patent application No. ________ (law firm No. 21227US02);

U.S. patent application No. ______ filed on japanese patent application No. ________ (law firm No. 21230US02);

U.S. patent application No. ________ filed on japanese patent application No. ________ (law firm No. 21231US02);

U.S. patent application No. ____ filed on japanese patent application No. ______ (law firm No. 21232US02);

U.S. patent application No. _______ filed on japanese patent application No. ______ (law firm No. 21233US02);

the above U.S. patent application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Claims (10)

1. A method of communication, comprising:

using one or more circuits integrated in a chip in a wireless device and including one or more power amplifiers:

configuring one or more leaky-wave antennas connected to the one or more power amplifiers to act as loads for the one or more power amplifiers; and

configuring a variable input impedance of each of the one or more leaky wave antennas by adjusting a position of one or more feedback points, an

The one or more leaky-wave antennas each comprise a partial reflecting surface, a reflecting surface and one or more feedback points, the height of a cavity formed by the partial reflecting surface and the reflecting surface is used for configuring the transmitting frequency of the one or more leaky-wave antennas, and the impedance of the one or more leaky-wave antennas is configured by adjusting the position of the one or more feedback points along the height of the cavity.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising transmitting an RF signal through the one or more leaky-wave antennas.

3. A method of communication according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the one or more leaky-wave antennas are integrated in the chip.

4. The communication method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the one or more leaky-wave antennas are integrated in a package to which the chip is attached.

5. A method of communication according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the one or more leaky-wave antennas are integrated in a printed circuit board to which the chip is attached.

6. A communication system, comprising:

one or more circuits comprising one or more power amplifiers, the one or more circuits integrated in a chip, wherein:

the one or more circuits are configured to configure one or more leaky-wave antennas to act as loads for the one or more power amplifiers, the one or more leaky-wave antennas being coupled to the one or more power amplifiers; and

each of the one or more leaky wave antennas being configured to provide a variable input impedance by adjusting a position of one or more feedback points, an

The one or more leaky-wave antennas each comprise a partial reflecting surface, a reflecting surface and one or more feedback points, the height of a cavity formed by the partial reflecting surface and the reflecting surface is used for configuring the transmitting frequency of the one or more leaky-wave antennas, and the impedance of the one or more leaky-wave antennas is configured by adjusting the position of the one or more feedback points along the height of the cavity.

7. The communication system according to claim 6, wherein said one or more circuits are operable to transmit RF signals through said one or more leaky wave antennas.

8. The communication system according to claim 6, wherein the one or more leaky wave antennas are integrated in the chip.

9. The communication system of claim 6, wherein the one or more leaky wave antennas are integrated within a package to which the chip is attached.

10. The communication system according to claim 6, wherein the one or more leaky wave antennas are integrated in a printed circuit board to which the chip is attached.