Including A Computer Patents (Class 342/377)
  • Publication number: 20080297416
    Abstract: A system and method is provided for performing matrix inverse functions, for example, for use within Space-Time Adaptive Processing (STAP). The methods use parallelism of a Forward/Backward substitution algorithm in two dimensions to increase a speed of execution of the matrix inverse function. Sampled data is combined with steering vector values, which direct antennas in a desired direction in the absence interference, in order to determine adaptive weights used within filters to remove unwanted energy in the sampled data due to jammers, clutter or other interference. The adaptive weights are recursively computed, using stored values of previously calculated adaptive weights and other factor coefficients derived from the sampled data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2007
    Publication date: December 4, 2008
    Inventor: John R. Samson, JR.
  • Patent number: 7443341
    Abstract: A plurality of antennas transmit multicarrier signals composed of a plurality of streams. An IF unit acquires, per carrier, a channel matrix having elements the number of which is determined by the number of a plurality of transmitting antennas and the number of a plurality of receiving antennas provided in a receiving apparatus. A baseband processing unit derives a common autocorrelation matrix for the channel matrix acquired per carrier. The baseband processing unit derives a steering matrix by eigenvalue-decomposing the derived common autocorrelation matrix. The baseband processing unit derives, per carrier, weight vectors for a plurality of streams in a manner such that an orthonormalization is performed respectively on matrices obtained by operating the derived steering matrix on the channel matrix per carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2008
    Assignees: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd., National University Corporation Hokkaido University
    Inventors: Seigo Nakao, Yasutaka Ogawa, Takeo Ohgane, Toshihiko Nishimura, Hiroshi Nishimoto
  • Patent number: 7432856
    Abstract: A signal simulation device for testing and developing radio receivers adapted to orientate antenna beams to different radio transmitters and to simultaneously suppress interference signals, comprises an antenna array, a signal generator generating reproducible digital signals in the complex baseband, and a digital matrix processor combined and synchronized with the signal generator. The processor has input signals generated by the signal generator and has output signals that form received signals of the antenna array. The input signals of the matrix processor are phase shifted according to a direction of incidence and to relative positions of the elements within the antenna array of the radio receiver, and are combined and supplied to outputs of the matrix processor. Amplitude and phase shift are simulated by weighting of the input signals from the signal generator, the weighting coefficients being calculated on a control computer and input into the matrix processor via an interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2008
    Assignee: Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V.
    Inventors: Achim Hornbostel, Arno Schroth, Andriy Konovaltsev, Alexander Steingass, Andreas Eckardt, Holger Venus
  • Publication number: 20080238775
    Abstract: An apparatus, logic and method are provided to improve beamformed space time code (STC) wireless communication. A first device comprising a plurality of antennas receives signals at the plurality of antennas transmitted from a first antenna of a second device. A testing spatial signature for a second antenna of the second device is computed based on the signals received at the plurality of antennas of the first device from the first antenna of the second device. Using the testing spatial signature and the signals received at the plurality of antennas of the first device from the first antenna of the second device, beamforming weights are computed to be applied to a space time code signal to be transmitted from the first device to the second device via the plurality of antennas of the first device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2008
    Publication date: October 2, 2008
    Applicant: Cisco Technology Inc.
    Inventors: Li Guo, Hang Jin
  • Publication number: 20080224929
    Abstract: An apparatus and method is described for generating an electromagnetic, or acoustic field by use of a number of field sources in order to produce a field anomaly at a known target location. The field anomaly is characterized by having a wavefront at the target location that has a predetermined desired orientation so that at the target location the field appears to emanate from a different direction to that perceived at field locations away from the target.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2008
    Publication date: September 18, 2008
    Inventor: Peter David Freed
  • Publication number: 20080211717
    Abstract: An arrangement for beam forming and control of a transmitter radiating in the RF range comprises an input for feeding the RF transmitting signal RFin, a feeding network electrically connected with the input, a plurality of radiator elements, a plurality of phase shifters for receiving signals from the feeding network and for causing phase displacements for the signals before the transmission to the radiator elements, and a controller for controlling the phase displacement caused by the phase shifters. A circuit is assigned to the input of the transmitting antenna for converting the momentary phase of the transmitting signal to a digital word of a definable word length and for feeding the digital momentary phase to the feeding network. Each phase shifter comprises an adder for linking the momentary phase fed by the feeding network with a definable digital phase value generated and fed by the controller, and a circuit for converting the digital output value of the adder to an analog signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2007
    Publication date: September 4, 2008
    Applicant: EADS Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Markus Boeck, Hubert Ott, Helmut Dreher
  • Patent number: 7414579
    Abstract: A communications device for separating source signals provided by M signal sources includes an antenna array comprising N correlated antenna elements for receiving at least N different summations of the M source signals, with N and M being greater than 1. A receiver is connected to the antenna array for receiving the at least N different summations of the M source signals. A blind signal separation processor is connected to the receiver for forming a mixing matrix comprising up to the at least N different summations of the M source signals, and for separating desired source signals from the mixing matrix. The mixing matrix has a rank equal to at least N.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignee: InterDigital Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Ivica Kostanic, Steven J. Goldberg, Thomas E. Gorsuch, John E. Hoffmann
  • Patent number: 7414578
    Abstract: A method of determining the size of a sub-array for an antenna array is described. The method includes choosing a number of elements of a sub-array of antenna elements. Further, the method includes determining a direction of arrival of the signal using data from the sub-array. The method also includes computing weights for the antenna array. Further still, the method includes determining whether the size of the sub-array meets a predetermined criteria.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas A. Courtade, Dana J. Jensen
  • Patent number: 7411547
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Pieter van Rooyen, Pieter Roux
  • Patent number: 7408508
    Abstract: A method for operating a communications device for separating an independent source signal from a mixture of source signals provided by M signal sources includes receiving at an antenna array at least M different summations of the M source signals. The at least M different summations define the mixture of source signals, where N<M. A signal separation processor processes the mixture of source signals by taking samples of the mixture of source signals over time and storing each sample as a data vector to create a data set, and assigning each data vector within the data set to one class within a plurality of classes based on its similarity to other data vectors in the one class. The data vectors assigned to the one class are analyzed to separate the independent source signal from other signals in the mixture of source signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Steven J. Goldberg
  • Publication number: 20080174488
    Abstract: The present invention involves a tracking antenna system with no moving parts that extends the range of wireless mobile links 16 to 256 times the range of regular omni-directional whip antennas. The antenna system comprises an array of antenna segments arranged in a sphere or circle, or other suitable geometry. Each antenna segment includes one or more antennas connected and combined in parallel. Each antenna segment feeds a tuner and subsequent diversity electronics that optimizes both the transmission and reception in order to achieve the best possible range. The antenna system can be used from unmanned air, ground, and surface vehicles to mobile ground stations in motion, as well as between flying planes, moving vehicles, sailing boats, or any combination thereof. The system may be expanded further to many more levels of architecture as required.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2007
    Publication date: July 24, 2008
    Inventors: Eliahu Weinstein, Sam H. Eulmi
  • Patent number: 7403156
    Abstract: A method of performing digital beam forming on the radiation pattern of an array antenna using a plurality of antenna elements, each antenna element being coupled to a signal processing chain. A weighting phase is used in which at least a complex weight coefficient is applied to a digital signal in a corresponding signal processing chain. The digital signal is an intermediate frequency digital signal, and the weighting phase has the following steps: a) duplicating the digital signal into a first and a second digital signal; b) processing the first and second digital signals by multiplying the first and second digital signals respectively by a real and an imaginary part of the complex weight coefficient; applying a Hilbert transform to that signal which is multiplied by the imaginary part of the complex weight coefficient; and c) combining the processed first and second digital signals into a weighted digital intermediate frequency signal by subtracting the second signal from the first signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignees: Telecon Italia S.p.A., Pirelli & C. S.p.A.
    Inventors: Francesco Coppi, Maurizio Crozzoli, Daniele Disco, Renato Scotti
  • Patent number: 7400297
    Abstract: A method for localizing one or more sources, the source or sources being in motion relative to a network of sensors, comprises a step for the separation of the sources in order to identify the direction vectors associated with the response of the sensors to a source at a given incidence. The method comprises the following steps of associating the direction vectors a1p(1)m . . . aKp(K)m obtained for the mth transmitter and, respectively, for the instants t1 . . . tK and for the wavelengths ?p(1) . . . , ?p(k), and localizing the mth transmitter from the components of the vectors a1p(1)m . . . aKp(K)m measured with different wavelengths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventors: Anne Ferreol, Dominique Heurguier
  • Patent number: 7397426
    Abstract: A method for operating a CDMA communications device includes receiving at an antenna array M different summations from a mixture of source signals provided by M signal sources, and providing the M different summations to a receiver assembly. The receiver assembly includes a first signal path and a second signal path parallel to the first signal path. In the first signal path, a mixing matrix including the M different summations of the M source signals is formed, and at least one source signal is separated from the mixing matrix. A determination is made if the separated source signal is an interferer source signal. In the second signal path, the M different summations are delayed corresponding to a delay introduced in the first signal path. The first signal path provides to a summer the separated source signal if the separated source signal is an interferer source signal, and the second signal path provides to the summer the M different summations after being delayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2008
    Assignee: InterDigital Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Steven J. Goldberg
  • Publication number: 20080158056
    Abstract: A radar apparatus is provided which includes a plurality of antennas arranged at unequally spaced intervals in a single row, the plurality of antennas configured to transmit a radio wave as transmitting antennas during continued multiple periods, and receive a reflected radio wave as receiving antennas during the continued multiple periods. A plurality of transceivers are included for transmitting a radio wave from the transmitting antennas and receiving received signals from the receiving antennas, said received signals representing the reflected wave received at the receiving antennas. A signal processing unit is included for selecting a transceiver which transmits a radio wave during each of the continue multiple periods, selecting transceivers which receive the received signals from the receiving antennas during each of the continued multiple periods, and perform digital beam forming with a first receiving signal channel group and a second receiving signal channel group.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2007
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Applicant: FUJITSU TEN LIMITED
    Inventor: Nobukazu Shima
  • Publication number: 20080158057
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for generating beamformed multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) channels. The method comprises receiving by a base station (BS) a first plurality of receiving signals transmitted from a first antenna on a mobile station (MS), receiving by the BS a second plurality of receiving signals transmitted from a second antenna on the MS, nulling out a first predetermined percentage of the second plurality of receiving signals to generate a third plurality of receiving signals, calculating a first beamforming weighting vector corresponding to the first antenna on the MS using the first and third pluralities of receiving signals and creating a first beamformed MIMO channel from the BS to the first antenna on the MS using the first beamforming weighting vector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2007
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Inventor: Hang Jin
  • Publication number: 20080150798
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for steering a beam from a phased array antenna mounted on a mobile platform. Rate sensors mounted on the phased array antenna are used to update lower bandwidth data from the mobile platform, resulting in improved pointing performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2006
    Publication date: June 26, 2008
    Inventors: Mark A. Curry, Frank R. Brogden, Fong Shi, Mark R. Davis
  • Publication number: 20080150794
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2007
    Publication date: June 26, 2008
    Inventor: Junichiro SUZUKI
  • Patent number: 7362269
    Abstract: A communications system includes a fixed transmitter and a mobile wireless communications device. The fixed transmitter transmits a source signal defined by a character set made up of symbols. At least one of the symbols in the character set is transmitted at a different power level so that the transmitted source signal appears with linearly independent power level time periods. The linearly independent power level time periods are used by the mobile wireless communications device to populate a mixing matrix for signal separation processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Steven J. Goldberg, Yogendra Shah
  • Patent number: 7362267
    Abstract: A beam forming method for a smart antenna and smart antennas configured to employ the method, in which pre-multibeam processing and time delay aligning are implemented to array signals, and then a suboptimum weight is calculated by means of a pilot frequency symbol, and an optimum weight is iteratively calculated with the suboptimum weight as an initial value, and finally the beams are formed by means of the optimum weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: ZTE Corporation
    Inventors: Lidong Chi, Yanwen Wang, Yunkuan Wang
  • Patent number: 7348923
    Abstract: A method for operating a communications device for separating M source signals provided by M signal sources includes receiving at K antenna arrays M different summations of the M source signals, where K<M. Each antenna array receives at least one different summation of the M source signals, with at least one of the antenna arrays receiving at least two different summations of the M source signals. The M different summations are used for forming a hybrid separation matrix as a function of the following: time differences between receipt of the M different summations of the M source signals by the K antenna arrays; a spatial fourth order cumulant matrix pencil based upon the time differences; a spatial correlation matrix based upon the spatial fourth order cumulant matrix; and steering vectors of the M different summations of the M source signals based upon the spatial correlation matrix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2008
    Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Steven J. Goldberg
  • Patent number: 7342535
    Abstract: A beam-forming apparatus and method for improving system performance using a spatial interpolation and at least one Angle of Arrival (AoA) in a system based on regular spatial sampling is provided. The AoA is estimated using a carrier-to-interference ratio. Beam-forming angles are distributed and steered in a predefined scheme such that an identical process is applied in all directions. According to this steering, a linear system model is computed based on regular spatial sampling using regular spatial separation at beam angles. Beam-forming performance is improved by compensating for a difference between adaptive and sector-type arrays. Only the steps of computing a spatial interpolation and determining an angle range for beam-forming using at least one AoA are added. The precision of estimating an AoA and the precision of beam-forming increase without an additional antenna. Because the system is simpler than that of an adaptive beam-forming system, significant gain is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2008
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jong-Hoon Ann, Song-Hun Kim, Byoung-Yun Kim, Hye-Young Lee, Hyeon-Woo Lee, Achim Seebens, Tobias Scholand, Peter Jung, Admir Burnic, Arjang Hessamian-Alinejad
  • Patent number: 7330701
    Abstract: Beamforming systems having a few bits of channel state information fed back to the transmitter benefit from low complexity decoding structures and performances gains compared with systems that do not have channel state feedback. Both unit rank and higher rank systems are implemented. Substantial design effort may be avoided by following a method of using functions formulated for space-time systems with the change that the channel coherence time is equated to the number of transmit antennas and the number of antennas in the space-time formulation is fixed at one.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: Nokia Corporation
    Inventors: Krishna Kiran Mukkavilli, Ashutosh Sabharwal, Behnaam Aazhang
  • Patent number: 7312750
    Abstract: An adaptive beam-forming system using hierarchical weight banks for antenna arrays in wireless communication systems is disclosed. The present invention can be applied for both reception and transmission beam-forming. The hierarchical weight banks contain weights that are pre-calculated based on pre-set beam look directions. By comparing measurements of chosen signal quality metrics for pre-set look directions, the best weights, and thus the best beam look direction, can be selected from the weight banks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: Comware, Inc.
    Inventors: Jian Mao, Oscar Frederick Somerlok, III
  • Patent number: 7304608
    Abstract: A wireless network apparatus, comprising a weighting device. The weighting device, includes a weight generator, and an algorithmic unit, and is for receiving and multiplying digital input signals from an antenna by a weight vector to output a digital weighted signal. The invention searches for the location of the client by detecting its signal strength and moving the main beam generated by the antenna array towards the client using an adaptive digital beamforming method according to proposed algorithms. The method searches for a client by: first, searching a main central angle C; then, determining a weight vector in response to the main central angle C; fine-tuning the main central angle C; and forming a main beam according to the fine-tuned main central angle and the weight vector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2007
    Assignee: Accton Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Ching-Lang Lin
  • Patent number: 7277051
    Abstract: A method of producing a digital beamformer signal by a number of antenna modules that are alike and by providing a system that implements the method. This is accomplished by introducing signal processing on each antenna module and by creating an asynchronous serial adding chain through the antenna modules to at least in part calculate the digital beamformer signal. Advantageous embodiments according to the invention perform time and space signal processing multiplexing to calculate additional digital beamformer signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ.)
    Inventors: Kent Falk, Ingmar Karlsson, Hans Lind, Thomas Ridderstrale, Morgan Andersson
  • Patent number: 7274329
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for correcting a beam error is disclosed. One embodiment of the method comprises the steps of selecting beamweight coefficients based on the satellite orbital data, evaluating an effect of quantization of the beamweight coefficients on the beam error, and selecting beamweight coefficients based at least in part upon the evaluation of the effect of beamweight coefficient quantization on beam error. One embodiment of the apparatus comprises a beamweight correction module for selecting beamweight coefficients based on satellite orbital data, for evaluating the effect of quantization of the beamweight coefficients on beam error, and for selecting beamweight coefficients based at least in part upon the evaluation of the effect of beamweight coefficient quantization on beam error. The beamweight correction module comprises a beamweight generator and a beamweight quantizer for quantizing beamweights from the beamweight generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2007
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Richard A. Fowell, Hanching G. Wang
  • Patent number: 7265715
    Abstract: In a communications device operating with a blind signal separation (BSS) processor, an initial mixing matrix is formed based upon the different summations of the source signals received by the antenna array. The initial mixing matrix is evaluated to determine a minimum rank that is necessary for at least one source signal to be useable after having been separated from the initial mixing matrix and decoded. An additional mixing matrix is then formed, and also includes the different summations of the source signals. If the rank of the additional mixing matrix is less than the minimum rank associated with the initial mixing matrix, then the source signals are modified so that the rank of the additional mixing matrix is increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2007
    Assignee: InterDigital Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Steven J. Goldberg, Alain Charles Louis Briancon
  • Patent number: 7265714
    Abstract: A MIMO communications system includes a transmitter, and a receiver synchronized with the transmitter. The transmitter changes the power levels for each layered space data stream on a time slotted basis. The data streams arrive at the receiver with various power levels, which provides suitable differences in the received signals for population of a mixing matrix for signal separation processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2007
    Assignee: InterDigital Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Steven J. Goldberg
  • Patent number: 7250905
    Abstract: Within an antenna array 120, the magnitude and phase of a relationship resulting from propagation delay between a sample taken at a first antenna 1 to a sample taken at a second antenna 2 at a different time is employed to derive a data value for a virtual antenna 3. Sub-patch antennas 203 perturbed in elevation are employed to expand the elevation range of acceptable gain. Multiple arrays each providing a separate radio frequency output are employed with digital beamform steering to a single point, together with low noise amplification at the feed point, to achieve sufficient gain with an acceptable total array size. A modular implementation with fiber transport is preferably used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Inventor: Mano Dorsey Judd
  • Patent number: 7248897
    Abstract: In this invention, the formulas of optimizing radiation pattern of the smart antenna have been deduced and a set of weights, including amplitude and phase shift weight or only phase shift weights, for optimal channel assignment is generated using optimization techniques (e.g., advance algorithms) for smart antennas. These algorithms can deal with the Spatial Division Multiple Access (SDMA) to enlarge the capacity of communication systems and maximize the main lobes toward the users as well as minimize the pattern nulling toward the interfering sources by iterating both the amplitude weights and phase shift weights or the phase shift weight only of a cost function. Thus, an optimal radiation pattern could be derived based on the output power of the cost function with iterated amplitude and phase shift weights or only phase shift weights. At the same time, SDMA of smart antennas can be come true.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Inventor: Chao-Hsing Hsu
  • Patent number: 7248898
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiharu Doi, Akira Ishida
  • Patent number: 7239276
    Abstract: Calculating the phase shifts assigned to the elements of a phased array antenna such that the resulting beam is shaped to serve a desired area of operation (AOO) has historically been computationally burdensome and often required expert intervention. To maximize computational speed, synthesis of shaped phased-array antenna beams is performed by linearizing the antenna pattern equation and then iteratively performing a mini-norm solution at each step until a solution is reached. In particular, this approach is performed in such a manner that eliminates the need for a pre-computed target and is also performed such that at each iteration the change in an element's phase is adapted to remain within a threshold range. As a result, phased array beam patterns may be synthesized and applied to phased-array antennas so as to allow real time tracking of AOOs on the Earth from Low and Medium Earth Orbit satellites.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2007
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: Pierino Bonanni
  • Patent number: 7218273
    Abstract: A technique for boresighting an antenna mounted on a moving platform is described. The technique uses a concurrently moving calibration target. Target navigation data and platform navigation data are used to compensate for movement of the target and the platform. The antenna pointing direction is biased in a direction which provides a best signal quality, and the bias used to determine antenna boresight calibration factors. The boresight correction factors can be used for open loop pointing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: L3 Communications Corp.
    Inventors: James B. Webster, Jr., LaMar K Timothy, Fred M. Strohacker
  • Patent number: 7212158
    Abstract: A beamforming method based on broadband antenna is provided, comprising: detecting the frequency of input signals of an antenna; determining the effective antenna aperture between elements of the antenna array according to the detected frequency; computing the weight vector of each element of the antenna array to the signals according to the determined effective antenna aperture and the transmission function of the antenna array; multiplying the input signals with said weight vector of each element of the antenna array to the signals, combining them and outputting the beam signals. By performing weighting operation respectively to the input signals after a series of delaying operation, and then combining them, the single digital signals can be acquired. This effectively reduces the odds produced by the antenna between transmitting signals and receiving signals, and thus dramatically improves the communication quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics, N.V.
    Inventor: Yanzhong Dai
  • Patent number: 7190308
    Abstract: A communications device for separating source signals provided by M signal sources includes an antenna array comprising N elements for forming at least N antenna beams for receiving at least N different summations of the M source signals, with N and M being greater than 2. A controller is connected to the antenna array for selectively forming the at least N antenna beams. A blind signal separation processor forms a mixing matrix comprising up to the at least N different summations of the M source signals. The blind signal separation processor also determines if the different summations of the M source signals are correlated or statistically independent, and if not, then cooperates with the controller for forming different beams for receiving new different summations of the M source signals to replace the different summations of the M source signals that are not correlated or statistically independent in the mixing matrix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2007
    Assignee: InterDigital Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Steven J. Goldberg
  • Patent number: 7187325
    Abstract: A substrate is provided with a multiplicity of electrically conductive elements, and the elements are interconnected to form an antenna structure for desired application. Either the antenna pattern itself may be altered according to the invention, or one or more feed points may be changed, or all of the above. As such, the electrically conductive elements may be interconnected to change the directionality of the antenna pattern, the gain, the frequency response, or other operational characteristics. The electrically conductive elements may be arranged in the form of an inchoate antenna pattern or regular array. Switches at key points of the structure enable the pattern to be changed dynamically. Such switching may be carried out in real time in accordance with transmissions/reception characteristics, or in advance using simulations associated with the switched elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Altarum Institute
    Inventors: Nikolas Subotic, Christopher Roussi, Joseph Burns, Vincent Canella
  • Patent number: 7183974
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for improving the effective resolving power of an array antenna are described that are not limited by the physical characteristics of the array. In an array with M elements, up to M?1 directional vectors may be selected, preferably at angles corresponding to the main lobe and/or side lobes of an array antenna beam pattern. A received signal plus interference (s+i) is zero-transformed to eliminate interference received from the plurality of selected directions. The zero-transformed s+i is then restored to obtain the signal of interest observed at maximum gain undisturbed by interference incident from arbitrarily close signal sources. The approach may be combined with conventional beamforming techniques to remove interference incident from angles corresponding to the side lobes, where conventional beamforming techniques are most effective.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignee: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventor: John Minkoff
  • Patent number: 7161534
    Abstract: A hybrid beamforming apparatus and method are proposed for a communication system. The hybrid beamforming apparatus includes a plurality of antennas, a plurality of FFT, a plurality of hybrid weight-coefficient generators and a plurality of adders. In each of the hybrid weight-coefficient generators, the weight coefficient for each subcarrier is calculated by a time-domain correlation matrix and a cross-correlation vector, which is calculated by a frequency domain signal and a training signal. The hybrid beamforming apparatus and method according to the present invention can enhance immunity for multipath effect with lower system complexity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Jiann-An Tsai, Wei Ping Chuang, Chun-Chun Kuo, Yung-Yih Jian
  • Patent number: 7151951
    Abstract: In controlling a multi-beam antenna system for downlink wireless communication, beamforming and closed loop transmit diversity signaling are combined. Each beam signal is adjusted at the transmitter based on feedback from a wireless mobile communication station such that the signals received at the wireless mobile communication station can be coherently combined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2006
    Assignee: Telefonktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
    Inventors: Bo Goransson, Andrew Logothetis, Bo Hagerman
  • Patent number: 7148845
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Pieter van Rooyen, Pieter Roux
  • Patent number: 7129890
    Abstract: A method, a node and a machine-readable medium are provided for dynamically adjusting a beam of an adaptive antenna array (302). A receiving node (101) receives, via a group of antenna array elements (302), a signal from a transmitting node (101). Each received signal from the antenna array elements (101) is digitized and recorded. K+1 output signals are generated from the recorded digitized signal. The k+1 output signals are generated by applying each of a group of weight sets to the recorded digitized signal. Each of the weight sets corresponds to a different one of k known neighboring nodes (101) and a weight set for generating an omnidirectional propagation pattern. Which one of the k+1 output signals to process is determined. The determined one of the k+1 output signals is processed and the packet encoded in the determined one of the k+1 output signals is decoded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignees: Verizon Corporate Services Group Inc., BBN Technologies Corp.
    Inventors: Jason Keith Redi, Stephen R. Kolek
  • Patent number: 7126531
    Abstract: An array antenna system comprises an array antenna unit including multiple antenna elements and multiple phase shifters for setting weighting coefficients of the associated antenna elements; and a weight controller that generates and outputs a control signal for adjusting the weighting coefficient for each of the antenna elements, using a known signal received at each of the antenna elements. The weight controller has a channel impulse response estimation unit that estimates a channel impulse response for each of the antenna elements based on a linear combination of a first received signal obtained from the known signal when a first set of weighting coefficients is set for the antenna elements and a second received signal obtained from the known signal when a second set of weighting coefficients is set for the antenna elements; and an output unit that outputs the control signal based on the estimated channel impulse responses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Yuuta Nakaya, Takeshi Toda
  • Patent number: 7123191
    Abstract: A communications device for separating source signals provided by M signal sources includes an antenna array comprising N antenna elements for receiving at least N different summations of the M source signals. A respective in-phase and quadrature module is connected downstream to each antenna element for separating each one of the N different summations of the M source signals received thereby into an in-phase and quadrature component set. A blind signal separation processor forms a mixing matrix comprising at least 2N different summations of the M source signals, with each in-phase and quadrature component set providing 2 inputs into the mixing matrix. The mixing matrix has a rank equal up to 2N. The desired source signals are separated from the mixing matrix by the blind signal separation processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2006
    Assignee: InterDigital Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Steven J. Goldberg
  • Patent number: 7117014
    Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods which provide communication links optimized with respect to particular subscriber units. Preferred embodiments utilize multiple information components with respect to the arrival of signals associated with target subscriber units in providing optimized communication links. Most preferably, direction information and information with respect to the signal spread experienced in the communication channel is used. Moreover, preferred embodiments utilize subscriber unit speed information in providing optimized communication link determinations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2006
    Assignee: Kathrein-Werke KG
    Inventors: Cornelius Van Rensburg, Piu Bill Wong
  • Patent number: 7116271
    Abstract: A communications device for separating source signals provided by M signal sources includes an antenna array comprising N antenna elements for receiving at least N different summations of the M source signals. A code despreader is connected to the N antenna elements for decoding the at least N different summations of the M source signals. Each one of the N different summations includes k codes for providing k different summations of the M source signals associated therewith. A blind signal separation processor forms a mixing matrix comprising at least kN different summations of the M source signals, and separates desired source signals from the mixing matrix. The mixing matrix has a rank equal up to kN.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2006
    Assignee: InterDigital Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Ivica Kostanic, Steven J. Goldberg
  • Patent number: 7113129
    Abstract: A communications device for separating source signals provided by M signal sources includes an antenna array comprising N antenna elements for receiving at least N different summations of the M source signals, with N and M being greater than 1. The N antenna elements include at least one antenna element for receiving at least one of the N different summations of the M source signals, and at least two correlated antenna elements for receiving at least two of the N different summations of the M source signals. The at least two correlated antenna elements are uncorrelated with the at least one antenna element. A receiver is connected to the antenna array. A blind signal separation processor is connected to the receiver for forming a mixing matrix comprising the at least N different summations of the M source signals, and for separating desired source signals from the mixing matrix. The mixing matrix has a rank equal up to at least N.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2006
    Assignee: InterDigital Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Steven J. Goldberg
  • Patent number: 7109919
    Abstract: A phased array antenna system operative to broadcast multiple beams that each include coded data for specific users located within the coverage area of the corresponding beam. An appropriate receiver then receives and decodes a particular beam to extract the specific data for a corresponding user. Multiple users may be assigned to each beam using frequency division or orthogonal code multiplexing, and the user data may be encoded into the beams using frequency shift key or phase shift key encoding. For each coding technique, the encoded antenna control signals are combined into a total gain and total phase shift control signal, which drives a single phase and gain control device for each antenna element. In addition, a single data modulator generates the coding parameters for the entire communication system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2006
    Assignee: EMS Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: James M. Howell
  • Patent number: 7098849
    Abstract: A communications device for separating source signals provided by M signal sources includes an antenna array comprising N antenna elements for generating N initial antenna patterns for receiving N different summations of the M source signals, with N being less than M. The antenna array includes an elevation controller for selectively changing an elevation of at least one of the N initial antenna patterns for generating at least one additional antenna pattern so that at least one additional different summation of the M source signals is received thereby. A blind signal separation processor forms a mixing matrix comprising the N different summations of the M source signals, and the at least one additional different summation of the M source signals. The mixing matrix has a rank equal to N plus the number of additional different summations of the M source signals received using the additional antenna patterns. The blind signal separation processor separates desired source signals from the mixing matrix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Assignee: InterDigital Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Steven J. Goldberg
  • Patent number: 7088288
    Abstract: A method of controlling an antenna system of a wireless communication network having a plurality of cells is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of determining antenna weights to enable communication between a wireless communication network and the wireless communication device within the wireless communication network; storing the antenna weights in a programmable memory associated with the wireless communication network; and providing predetermined stored antenna weights to the antenna system based upon a location of the wireless communication device. A circuit and wireless communication network for controlling an antenna system are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael A. Margolese, James A. Watson