Abstract: Techniques are provided for improving hybrid automatic repeat request retransmissions techniques in a beamformed multiple-input multiple-output wireless communication environment. At a first device comprising a first plurality of antennas, a plurality of beamforming weight vectors are applied to a corresponding plurality of signal streams for simultaneous transmission to a second device having a plurality of antennas. A determination is made whether the plurality of signal streams need to be retransmitted from the first device to the second device. When a retransmission needs to be made, an order in which the plurality of beamforming weight vectors are applied to the plurality of signal streams is switched for a retransmission attempt of the plurality of signal streams from the first device to the second device.

Abstract: A radio device includes an array antenna including a plurality of antennas; an adaptive array processing unit multiplying signals provided from the respective antennas of the array antenna by receive weights, and thereby extracting a signal received from desired another radio device; a switch circuit provided corresponding to at least one of the plurality of antennas for providing the signal received from the corresponding antenna to the reception signal processing unit in a receive operation; and a transmission amplifier amplifying and providing a modulated transmission signal to the first switch circuit corresponding to the one of the plurality of antennas.

Abstract: A beamforming method is disclosed that includes performing sequential beam transmissions in multiple directions and receiving replies to the transmissions (i.e. a sector search). The received transmissions can include information or channel parameters such as direction of arrival, signal to noise ratio, signal strength, etc., for each sector. Utilizing the parameters transmitted or fed back by the receiver, the transmitter can store control vectors that dictate a beam that can be utilized to commence a beam refinement procedure. In addition, the parameters can be utilized to select and implement a custom sequence to refine the communication channel between the device and the controller. The custom sequence can significantly reduce the time required to create a channel with acceptable qualities such that efficient high speed network communications can be conducted. Other embodiments are also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and arrangement to enhance the communication performance in wireless communication systems. The method of the invention provides a method of calibrating at least one first radio node in a wireless communication network. The communication network comprises at least a first radio node and a second radio node, which can be arranged to be in radio communication with each other. The calibration method is based on that at least one representation of radio channel characteristics, which has been exchanged from one radio node to the other. Whereby inaccuracies and differences in transmit receive chains are compensated and channel reciprocity can be used.

Abstract: Embodiments in the present disclosure pertain to a multi-antenna beam-forming system for transmitting constant envelope signals decomposed from a variable envelope signal. The variable envelope signal is decomposed into two constant envelope signals. Each of the constant envelope signals are separately amplified by power amplifiers and transmitted over separate antennas. Beam steering delays can be added to the transmit paths of the constant envelope signals to direct the beam to the location of a receiver. The transmitted constant envelope signals combine through spatial out-phasing such that a receiving antenna receives a variable envelope signal.

Abstract: Systems and methods for operating a communications system. The methods involve computing one or more complex weights to be applied to transmit signals and receive signals by beamformers. The complex weights are based at least on configuration data for the communications system. The methods also involve applying a first plurality of weight corrections to the complex weights based on phasing errors occurring in a communication path inclusive of a control system and antenna elements. The methods further involve applying a second plurality of weight corrections to the complex weights based on phase differences at the antenna elements relative to a reference location for the receive signals.

Abstract: A method for operating a communications system is provided. The method includes receiving a plurality of signals at a plurality of antenna elements, the plurality of signals arriving at the array of antenna elements at a plurality of angles of arrival (AOAs) with respect to a reference location. The method also includes calculating a plurality of differential distance vectors between the plurality of antenna elements and the reference location, each of the plurality of differential distance vectors associated with one of the plurality of AOAs and at least one of the pluralities of signals. The method further includes obtaining a plurality of actual phase center locations for the plurality of antenna elements based on the plurality of differential distance vectors and the plurality of AOAs and providing a correction to configuration data for the array of antenna elements based at least on the plurality of actual phase center locations.

Abstract: In the context of array sensors such as radar, sonar, and communications receiver arrays, the present invention exploits the geometry phase components of radiated wavefronts associated with the signals of interest in order to reduce the bandwidth requirements for DOA and beamforming processing. Additionally, geometry phase is exploited in order to effectively increase the resolution of an array without changing the size of its physical footprint or the number of array elements. Other embodiments of the invention include the use of virtual array elements for increase in effective array size.

Abstract: A method and system for analog beamforming for wireless communication is provided. Such analog beamforming involves performing channel sounding to obtain channel sounding information, determining statistical channel information based on the channel sounding information, and determining analog beamforming coefficients based on the statistical channel information, for analog beamforming communication over multiple antennas.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for adaptive beam-steering are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises performing adaptive beam steering using multiple transmit and receive antennas, including iteratively performing a pair of training sequences, wherein the pair of training sequences includes estimating a transmitter antenna-array weight vector and a receiver antenna-array weight vector.

Abstract: An ES tracker for tracking an emitter target, including ships and airborne targets, includes a sensor for receiving a signal emitted by the target; a sensor processor for processing the signal and outputting a measurement; and an information processor for processing the measurement. The information processor includes an IMM bearing filter having a mixing section for receiving the measurement and producing a mixed output signal; a first order Kalman filter for receiving the mixed output signal for stationary target tracking; a second order Kalman filter for receiving the mixed output signal and tracking bearing and bearing rate; and a third order Kalman filter for receiving the mixed output signal and tracking bearing, bearing rate, and bearing acceleration.

Abstract: A communications system includes multiple mobile wireless communications devices transmitting at a same time to a fixed receiver assembly. Each mobile wireless communications device transmits a source signal defined by a respective character set comprising a plurality of symbols. At least one of the symbols in the respective character sets is transmitted at a different power level so that the transmitted source signal from each mobile wireless communications device appears with linearly independent power level time periods. The linearly independent power level time periods are used by the fixed receiver assembly to populate a mixing matrix for signal separation processing.

Abstract: An adaptive away antenna apparatus having an array antenna which includes a plurality of antenna elements, wherein a received signal received by each of the antenna elements is weighted by a weighting factor, and then the received signals of the antenna elements are synthesized to be output as a synthesized signal. The apparatus includes a weighting-factor computing device for computing a weighting factor assigned to the received signal of each antenna element by using adaptive control; and an adaptive-control varying device for varying the adaptive control used by the weighting-factor computing device, in accordance with the number of times the computation is performed by the adaptive-control varying device with respect to the weighting factor. The adaptive-control varying device varies the adaptive control by decreasing the rate of update with respect to the weighting factor in accordance with the number of times the computation is performed.

Abstract: A method and associated system for effectively increasing the number of antenna elements within a multi-element antenna system through computation of a response of “virtual” antenna elements located along an antenna array. The physical elements of the array are positioned sufficiently near each other to enable synthesis of a polynomial or other mathematical expression characterizing the response of the array to receipt of an incident waveform. Values of the responses associated with the virtual antenna elements of the array may then be determined through evaluation of the synthesized polynomial or other expression. The resultant array response values associated with the virtual and physical elements of the array are then provided to an associated receiver for processing.

Abstract: The invention, in its various aspects and embodiments, comprises a variety methods and apparatuses. The methods variously determine the delay (or phase shift) in each element of a phased array to simultaneously form, steer and/or combine a set of beam shapes. The apparatuses include apparatuses that implement the methods as well as apparatuses that employ such methods. The invention also includes a beam controlled by such methods.

Abstract: An antenna array (10) for the transmission of signals (20) is disclosed. The antenna array (10) comprises: a plurality of transmission paths (30-1, 30-2, 30-K) for transmitting a plurality of wanted signals (25) and at least one calibration signal generator (40-1, 40-2, 40-K) for the generation of at least one calibration signal (45). A plurality of calibration signal mixers (50-1, 50-2, 50-K) mixes the at least one calibration signal (45) with the plurality of wanted signals (25) to produce a plurality of transmission signals (20). A path sum signal device (60) sum the plurality of transmission signals (20) to produce a summed transmission signal (65); and an interference estimator (90) accepts the at least one calibration signal (45) and generates an estimated interference signal (92).

Abstract: A method for processing an array antenna signal is disclosed, comprising steps of: a. determining the number of antenna units participating the processing of the array antenna signals and selecting antenna units to participate the array antenna signal processing from all the antenna units in the array antenna; b. performing signal estimation processing on received signals by all the antenna units selected in step a and obtaining a user feature parameter estimation; c. performing estimation of weight coefficients for all the antenna units of the array antenna based on the user feature parameter estimation obtained in step b; and d. receiving and/or transmitting the array antenna signals based on the weight coefficients estimated in step c. The method of the present invention can effectively reduce a computation amount of the array antenna signal processing and improve a reliability of a received signal.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for computing beamforming weight vectors useful for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) wireless transmission of multiple signals streams from a first device to a second device. The techniques involve computing a plurality of candidate beamforming weight vectors based on the one or more signals received at the plurality of antennas of the first device. A sequence of orthogonal/partially orthogonal beamforming weight vectors are computed from the plurality of candidate beamforming weight vectors. The sequence of orthogonal/partially orthogonal beamforming weight vectors are applied to multiple signal streams for simultaneous transmission to the second device via the plurality of antennas of the first device.

Abstract: An electronically controlled monolithic array antenna includes a transmission line through which an electromagnetic signal may be propagated, and a metal antenna element defining an evanescent coupling edge located so as to permit evanescent coupling of the signal between the transmission line and the antenna element. The antenna element includes a conductive ground plate; an array of conductive edge elements defining the coupling edge, each of the edge elements being electrically connected to a control signal source, and each of the edge elements being electrically isolated from the ground plate by an insulative isolation gap; and a plurality of switches, each of which is selectively operable in response to the control signal to electrically connect selected edge elements to the ground plate across the insulative isolation gap so as to provide a selectively variable electromagnetic coupling geometry of the coupling edge.

Abstract: A hybrid control algorithm for low profile phased-array antennas, consisting of a gyro control and electronic beam-forming, operates to track the satellite. The antenna arrangements form a spatial phased-array capable of being rotated mechanically both in azimuth and elevation planes by the aid of step motors. An RF detector monitors the received RF power and provides a feedback signal to the control algorithm. Based on the monitored signals, provided by RF detector and gyros, the processing unit operates, under suitable algorithms, to home on and track the desired satellite. The arrangements can be mounted on a vehicle to provide TV and broadband internet signal to the user on the move.

Abstract: An information handling system interacts with plural classes of wireless communications devices having plural frequency bands with integrated wireless components having a common antenna. The antenna has plural segments that selectively interface with the wireless components to form antenna configurations associated with the frequency bands. For example, a grid of antenna segments formed on an integrated circuit selectively interface the segments with wireless components by switching on and off an interface between the wireless components and the segments. In one embodiment, the segments are selected and deselected to form desired antenna configurations with MEMS devices disposed as an array in the grid of segments.

Abstract: A beam forming method of a radio network controller includes receiving information related to beam forming, calculating a distance between the mobile terminal and a base station and velocity of the mobile terminal based on the information related to beam forming, determining whether to perform beam forming, and allocating second scrambling codes (SSCs) to sectors of a base station cell while performing beam forming. One SSC is allocated to only the sector in which the mobile terminal is located. A beam forming system to perform the method includes an information receiving unit to receive information related to beam forming, a position calculation unit to determine distance to and velocity of the mobile terminal, a beam forming determining unit, and a beam forming processing unit to allocate the SSCs to sectors while performing the beam forming.

Abstract: A system and method of enabling digital beamforming (DBF) for use with RF receiver systems with a multi-element array antenna having short repetitive synchronizaton sequences in a noise and/or jamming environment.

Abstract: A method and associated system for effectively increasing the number of antenna elements within a multi-element antenna system through computation of a response of “virtual” antenna elements located along an antenna array. The physical elements of the array are positioned sufficiently near each other to enable synthesis of a polynomial or other mathematical expression characterizing the response of the array to receipt of an incident waveform. Values of the responses associated with the virtual antenna elements of the array may then be determined through evaluation of the synthesized polynomial or other expression. The resultant array response values associated with the virtual and physical elements of the array are then provided to an associated receiver for processing.

Abstract: A phased array system having a plurality of array elements, a beam steering computer; at plurality of attenuation and phase control elements for controlling attenuation and phase of energy passing through such attenuation and phase control elements, and a feed network for feeding phase and attenuation data to the plurality of attenuation and phase control elements. The feed network includes at least one slave, wireless receive unit connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of attenuation and phase control elements; and a master wireless transmit unit coupled to the beam steering computer and in wireless communication with the at least one of the plurality of slave, wireless receive units, for transmitting the phase and attenuation data from the beam steering unit to the at least one of the plurality of attenuation and phase control elements. The slave wireless receive unit and the master transmit unit are a spread spectrum communication system.

Abstract: An antenna system may include an antenna array which includes a plurality of radiating elements. The system may also include a phase shifter controller and algorithm to apply a non-periodic modulation to an excitation of each radiating element.

Abstract: The invention is related to an apparatus comprising: at least one generator configured to provide a plurality of signals comprising at least partially correlated noise; and a circuitry configured to convey the signals comprising at least partially correlated noise to a plurality of nonadjacent antenna array elements.

Abstract: Devices and methods are provided for directionally receiving and/or transmitting acoustic waves and/or radio waves for use in applications such as wireless communications systems and/or radar. High directional gain and spatial selectivity are achieved while employing an array of receiving antennas that is small as measured in units of the wavelength of radio waves being received or transmitted, especially in the case of spatially oversampled arrays. Frequency/wavenumber, multi-dimensional spectrum analysis, as well as one-dimensional frequency spectrum analysis can be performed.

Abstract: A method and system for beamforming a multi-element array using time delays is provided. The array includes transmit array elements and receive array elements. Each of the array elements includes a processor. Modulation and demodulation functions are performed at the processors of each array element. The modulation and demodulation functions utilize receive time offsets and phase shifts, and transmit time offsets and phase shifts, respectively. The receive time offsets and phase shifts, and the transmit time offsets and phase shifts are determined by a central processing unit in order to beamform received signals and transmitted signals, respectively. The array elements are arranged in a daisy chain fashion in order to facilitate communication of control parameters, communication of bits to be transmitted and distributed combining of demodulated baseband samples from one array element to another and communicating the combined samples to the central processing unit.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for angular determination and/or for increasing the angular resolution or a detectable angular range when operating antenna groups using the technique of digital beam forming (DBF), as well as a device for carrying out the method. In the method, a measurement signal with a carrier signal and a frequency-modulated signal component are received via at least one antenna group directly or after reflection on one or several objects. The angle, at which the measurement signal is received, is determined by evaluating a phase difference in the received measurement signal which occurs between adjacent antenna elements of the antenna group. The method is characterised in that for determining the phase difference the frequency-modulated signal component is also evaluated, exclusively or additionally to an evaluation of the carrier signal.

Abstract: A motor vehicle is equipped for radio communication with at least one further motor vehicle. An antenna structure is used to transmit and receive useful signals. The antenna structure can be controlled with the aid of a control device in such a way that it is possible to change the setting of the main lobe of the antenna. A method is also disclosed for operating an antenna structure which is installed in a motor vehicle.

Abstract: Method, apparatus, associated computer programs, and signals for channel identification in Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) communications systems, and in particular wireless communications systems. The channel derivation method uses steering of mutually orthogonal beamformers at the transmitter end to allow direct identification, whether by selection or mathematical computation, of the channel matrix and hence the preferred transmit beam orientations.

Abstract: A multicarrier data transmission method and a base station (200) are provided. The base station comprises an antenna arrangement (204 to 208) configured to form multiple antenna beams, and a first controller (800) configured to divide subcarriers of the multicarrier transmission into more than one subcarrier group and allocate each subcarrier group to an antenna beam, and a second controller (238) configured to control the antenna beams formed by the antenna arrangement during transmission to sweep constantly over a given area at a constant mean beam specific angular velocity.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for beamforming in a multi-antenna system are provided. The method includes assuming at least one codeword comprised in a codebook as a precoding weight of a reference receive end and generating post-processing weights of at least two receive ends, confirming a codeword maximizing a sum rate using the post-processing weights, generating preceding weights of the receive ends using the codeword maximizing the sum rate, and precoding a transmit signal using the generated precoding weights and transmitting the precoded transmit signal to each receive end.

Abstract: A method includes determining if a dynamics requirement for an antenna positioner is exceeded, and employing a combination of mechanical and electronic beam steering techniques to steer a single antenna beam if the dynamics requirement is exceeded.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for tracing a geographical journey taken by an entity, for example an article (shipment), asset or person, on a worldwide map uses a miniature, passive, low power, radio receiver tag that is attached to the entity and collects multiple FM spectra during the travels of the entity. When the tag is retrieved at the end of the journey, the FM spectra are downloaded and compared against a collection of constructed spectra constructed from antenna transmission and location data derived. Correlating each of the spectra collected by the receiver tag with the corresponding spectra in the database allows the regions traversed by the receiver tag, and hence the entity, during its travels to be plotted.

Abstract: The subject matter disclosed herein relates to techniques for estimating a speed of an object that transmits a signal at a carrier frequency. An apparatus and method disclosed herein includes receiving at an array of multiple antenna elements a radio frequency signal transmitted by a moving object; and estimating a speed of said moving object based, at least in part, on a spatial cross-correlation among characteristics of signals received at individual ones of said multiple antenna elements.

Abstract: A weight calculation method begins by storing a target reflection signal of a radar pulse received via an antenna in cells corresponding to positions along with a reception timing for a plurality of processing range cells having lengths equivalent to prescribed ranges on a time axis. The method continues by calculating weights by stage for the phase and amplitude of the target reflection signal to form a reception composite beam so that arrival directions of spurious elements become zero to an arrival direction of the target reflection signal by using values stored in the plurality of processing cells. The calculating of the weights monitors changes of specific variables indicating correlation values among stages in the plurality of processing stages to stop a shift to the next processing stage at the time when the variables exceed a reference value.

Abstract: A system and method of training transmit or receive antenna array is disclosed. The method includes: a) entering an antenna training mode, b) receiving a training sequence to form a channel matrix (Q), c) constructing an updated receive beamforming vector (w) via a weighted averaging method, the weighted averaging comprising: w = ? i = 1 K ? ? a i ? q i , where qi is the ith column of the matrix Q, ai is the ith weighting coefficient, and K is the column size of the Q matrix, and d) sending another training sequence with the receive antenna array that has been beamformed with the updated w vector. The method further includes repeating b)-d) a plurality of times until the w vector is optimized. The method further includes beamforming the receive antenna array by the use of an optimized w vector.

Abstract: Adaptive antenna beamforming may involve a maximum signal-to-noise ratio beamforming method, a correlation matrix based beamforming method, or a maximum ray beamforming method. The adaptive antenna beamforming may be used in a millimeter-wave wireless personal area network in one embodiment.

Abstract: An image processing system, for correlating shapes in multi-dimensional images including image data processor for estimating a similarity measure including estimating two image signals representing shapes defined in respective windows in two multi-dimensional images using a Hermite Transform applied to both the image signals for performing an evaluation of two first sets of scalar valued Hermite coefficients from which a combination yields a transformed set of scalar valued Hermite coefficients {KI}. The inverse Hermite Transform is applied to the transformed set of scalar valued Hermite coefficients to achieve the computation of a windowed correlation function. The maximum of the windowed correlation function is estimated as the wanted similarity measure to correlate the shapes. The correlated shapes and/or processed images are displayed.

Abstract: A system and methods for radar and communications applications. In one embodiment the present system comprises a wireless, space-fed, phased array of antennas including a plurality of unit cells. A first one of the unit cells includes a first one of the antennas and a unit cell command interpreter configured to receive a command, determine whether the command is intended for the first unit cell, and relay the command to logic for enabling a phase shift controller of the first antenna. In one embodiment the present methods comprise the step of wirelessly beaming microwave power from a power and control beam transmit unit to illuminate a wireless, space-fed, phased array of antennas including a plurality of unit cells. The method further comprises the steps of beaming a command to the array and converting the microwave power into direct current within a first one of the unit cells. The first unit cell includes a first one of the antennas.

Abstract: A method to compensate for radar platform angular motion may include measuring or estimating any radar platform angular motion. The method may also include substantially decoupling each array subsection response of a plurality of array subsection responses from any radar platform angular motion by applying continuous time varying phase adjustments to each individual array subsection response, prior to forming composite array Sum and monopulse Delta beam responses The time varying phase adjustments may be determined in response to any radar platform angular motion measured or estimated.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention includes a calibration system employed in a multi-input-multi-output (MIMO) system for beamforming and receiving a plurality of streams. The system includes a first calibration circuit responsive to inphase (I) and quadrature (Q) pairs of stream and operative to calibrate each I and Q pair and a second calibration circuit responsive to the calibrated I and Q pairs for all streams, wherein the first and second calibration circuits perform calibration in the time domain.

Abstract: Systems and methods of training antennas for two devices equipped with phased array antennas in a wireless network are disclosed. In one embodiment, the methods include transmitting a plurality of estimation training sequences from a transmit phased array antenna to a receive phased array antenna, wherein a length of at least one of the plurality of training sequences is adapted to a number of antenna elements at one of the transmit and receive phased array antennas. The methods further include transmitting data to the receive phased array antenna via the transmit phased array antenna tuned with a transmit beamforming vector (BV) selected based at least in part on the plurality of estimation training sequences.

Abstract: A multibeam transmitting/receiving apparatus is provided that is capable of increasing the accuracy of a direction in which a transmission beam is to be transmitted, with a simple arrangement. Signal power measuring units (8-1 through 8-L) of signal processing means (40-1 through 40-L) measure reception signal power levels averaged over a given time, using outputs from reception beam formers (5-1 through 5-L), and indicate the measured reception signal power levels to transmission antenna weight generator (30). Transmission antenna weight generator (30) generates transmission antenna weights, which has been weighted by a reception signal level, from a transmission antenna weight corresponding to reception signal power level P1 and a beam number B1 of a finger having a maximum reception signal power level, and a transmission antenna weight corresponding to reception signal power level P2 and a beam number B2 of a finger having the same path timing as the finger having the maximum reception signal power level.

Abstract: To mitigate interference between multiple peer-to-peer devices, transmitter yielding and/or receiver yielding may be performed among devices operating in a peer-to-peer network. Generally, a transmitter device will yield communications on a time slot to a higher priority transmitter device if it will cause unacceptable interference to a higher priority receiver device. Likewise, a receiver device may yield use of the time slot if interference is unacceptably high. Both transmitter and receiver yielding may be improved by use of beamforming at a receiver device. By utilizing beamforming information to make the transmitter and/or receiver yielding decisions, better interference mitigation may be achieved.

Abstract: A beamforming device includes a Direction Of Arrival (DOA) estimation unit for estimating DOAs of the received signals based on a data subcarrier matrix; a pre-spatial filtering unit for using the estimated DOA, performing a filtering operation for the data subcarrier matrix, and generating filtering matrixes; a signal identification unit for using a data sequence, identifying original and interference signals, and generating the DOAs of the original and interference signals; a spatial filtering unit for generating an interference-plus-noise covariance matrix by using the DOA of the interference signal, eliminating the interference signal by using the covariance matrix and the DOA of the original signal, and forming final beams for the original signal; and a channel estimating and signal combining unit for performing a maximal ratio combining operation so that the final beams are combined as one combined final beam.

Abstract: For transmitter-side processing of information it is decided in which direction of transmission signals for a receiver are to be transmitted, the direction of transmission being a linear combination of one of a number of antenna directional diagrams corresponding to a first plurality. In a baseband processing section (REC), a number of antenna directional diagram signal sequences (X(1),X(2)), corresponding to the first plurality is determined from a signal sequence (T), determined for the receiver by weighting of the signal sequence (T) for each of the antenna directional diagrams with a coefficient (a(1), a(2)) corresponding to each of the linear combinations. Each antenna directional diagram signal sequence (X(1),X(2)) is transmitted by a dedicated logical connection from the baseband processing section (REC) to a high frequency processing section (RE).

Abstract: A method and associated system for effectively increasing the number of antenna elements within a multi-element antenna system through computation of a response of “virtual” antenna elements located along an antenna array. The physical elements of the array are positioned sufficiently near each other to enable synthesis of a polynomial or other mathematical expression characterizing the response of the array to receipt of an incident waveform. Values of the responses associated with the virtual antenna elements of the array may then be determined through evaluation of the synthesized polynomial or other expression. The resultant array response values associated with the virtual and physical elements of the array are then provided to an associated receiver for processing.