EP-4740305-A1 - ANTENNA APPARATUS, METHOD OF OPERATING AND METHOD OF MANFUACTURING THEREOF

Abstract

An antenna apparatus comprising: a plurality of antenna modules, each of the antenna modules comprising one or more antenna units, each of the one or more antenna units comprising an antenna element and an integrated circuit, the integrated circuit comprising: a first low noise amplifier, LNA, configured to receive a first input signal from the antenna element via a first input and provide a first output signal to a phase shifter; a second LNA configured to receive a second input signal from the antenna element via a second input and provide a second output signal to the phase shifter, wherein the first input signal and the second input signal have different polarisations; and a polarisation control circuit, configured to selectively switch, into an on state or an off state, at least one of: the first LNA and the second LNA with a controlled input and output impedance in each state. A corresponding method of operating an antenna apparatus and a method of manufacturing an antenna apparatus is also disclosed.

Inventors

• STEEL, VICTOR
• WITHER, David
• CHRISTIE, ANDREW

Assignees

• Sofant Technologies Ltd

Dates

Publication Date

20260513

Application Date

20240703

Claims (20)

1. 1. An antenna apparatus comprising: a plurality of antenna modules, each of the antenna modules comprising one or more antenna units, each of the one or more antenna units comprising an antenna element and an integrated circuit, the integrated circuit comprising: a first low noise amplifier, LNA, configured to receive a first input signal from the antenna element via a first input and provide a first output signal to a phase shifter; a second LNA configured to receive a second input signal from the antenna element via a second input and provide a second output signal to the phase shifter, wherein the first input signal and the second input signal have different polarisations; and a polarisation control circuit, configured to selectively switch, into an on state or an off state, at least one of: the first LNA and the second LNA.
2. 2. The antenna apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the polarisation control circuit is positioned after the first and second LNAs on the integrated circuit.
3. 3. The antenna apparatus of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the first input is directly connected to the first LNA and the second input is directly connected to the second LNA.
4. 4. The antenna apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein an input impedance of the first LNA in either the on state or the off state is equal to an input impedance of the second LNA in either the on state or the off state.
5. 5. The antenna apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein an input impedance of the first LNA is less than 650 and an input impedance of the second LNA is less than 650.
6. 6. The antenna apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the polarisation control circuit is configured to switch one of the first and second LNAs into the on state and the other LNA into the off state to provide either the first output signal or the second output signal to the phase shifter at any one time.
7. 7. The antenna apparatus of claim 6, wherein the ratio of an output impedance of the LNA in the off state to an output impedance of the LNA in the on state is 10: 1 , optionally, wherein the output impedance of the LNA in the off state is 5000 and the output impedance of the LNA in the on state is 500.
8. 8. The antenna apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the first LNA is connected to a first power rail and the second LNA is connected to a second power rail, and the polarisation control circuit is configured to control the connection to the first and second power rails to selectively switch at least one of the first LNA and the second LNA into the on or off state.
9. 9. The antenna apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein at least one of: the total number of individually switchable LNAs per antenna unit is greater than the total number of antenna elements per antenna unit, and the first and second inputs from the antenna element are parts (typically opposite ends) of a continuous conductor.
10. 10. The antenna apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the polarisation control circuit is configured to alternately switch the first and second LNAs into the on state while switching the other LNA into the off state, optionally wherein the first LNA and the second LNA are alternately switched on every switching period, optionally wherein the maximum switching period is 100 microseconds.
11. 11. The antenna apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein at least one of the first LNA and the second LNA are selectively switched in dependence on: formation of a communication link between the antenna apparatus and a transmitter and/or receiver, and/or. transmission of an RF signal through the antenna apparatus.
12. 12. The antenna apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein at least one of: a track of the first input on the integrated circuit is orthogonal to a track of the second input on the integrated circuit; and each of the first input and the second input are each located between a first ground and a second ground on the integrated circuit.
13. 13. A phased array comprising at least one of the antenna apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim.
14. 14. A method of operating an antenna apparatus, the antenna apparatus comprising a plurality of antenna modules, each of the antenna modules comprising one or more antenna units, each of the one or more antenna units comprising an antenna element and an integrated circuit comprising a first low noise amplifier, LNA, a second LNA and a phase shifter, the method comprising: the first LNA receiving a first input signal from the antenna element via a first input; the second LNA receiving a second input signal from the antenna element via a second input, wherein the first input signal and the second input signal have different polarisations; receiving a polarisation control signal; selectively switching, into an on state or an off state in dependence on the polarisation control signal, at least one of: the first LNA and the second LNA; and the first LNA providing a first output signal to the phase shifter and/or the second LNA providing a second output signal to the phase shifter.
15. 15. The method of operating an antenna apparatus of claim 14, comprising switching one of the first and second LNAs into the on state and the other LNA into the off state to provide either the first output signal or the second output signal to the phase shifter at any one time.
16. 16. The method of operating an antenna apparatus according to claim 15, comprising providing a ratio of an output impedance of the LNA in the off state to an output impedance of the LNA in the on state of 10:1 , optionally comprising providing the output impedance of the LNA in the off state of 5000 and the output impedance of the LNA in the on state of 500.
17. 17. The method of operating an antenna apparatus of any of claims 14 to 16, wherein the first LNA is connected to a first power rail and the second LNA is connected to a second power rail, and the method comprises controlling the connection to the first and second power rails to selectively switch at least one of the first LNA and the second LNA into the on or off state.
18. 18. The method of operating an antenna apparatus of any of claims 14 to 17, comprising alternately switching the first and second LNAs into the on state while switching the other LNA into the off state, optionally comprising alternately switching on the first LNA and the second LNA every switching period, optionally wherein the maximum switching period is 100 microseconds.
19. 19. The method of operating an antenna apparatus of any of claims 14 to 18, comprising selectively switching at least one of the first LNA and the second LNA in dependence on: formation of a communication link between the antenna apparatus and a transmitter and/or receiver; and/or transmission of an RF signal through the antenna apparatus.
20. 20. A method of manufacturing an antenna apparatus comprising: providing a plurality of antenna modules, each of the antenna modules comprising one or more antenna units; providing the one or more antenna units, each of the one or more antenna units comprising an antenna element and an integrated circuit; providing the antenna element and the integrated circuit, wherein providing the integrated circuit comprises: providing a first low noise amplifier, LNA, configured to receive a first input signal from the antenna element via a first input and provide a first output signal to a phase shifter; providing a second LNA configured to receive a second input signal from the antenna element via a second input and provide a second output signal to the phase shifter, wherein the first input signal and the second input signal have different polarisations; and providing a polarisation control circuit configured to selectively switch, into an on state or an off state, at least one of: the first LNA and the second LNA.

Description

ANTENNA APPARATUS, METHOD OF OPERATING AND METHOD OF MANFUACTURING THEREOF Field of the invention The present invention relates to an antenna apparatus, a method of operating an antenna apparatus and a method of manufacturing an antenna apparatus for radio frequency (RF) signals. Background to the invention It is known to provide a low noise amplifier (LNA) to amplify a received radio frequency (RF) signal. Existing antenna apparatus typically include a 1 to 1 ratio of LNAs per antenna element. The LNAs are centrally located in the antenna module of which the antenna elements are a part. This means that, on the RF signal path, the antenna RF input and the LNAs are separated by a large distance. As a result, pre-amplification losses of the RF signal are high. It is desired to reduce pre-amplification losses whilst also providing low noise amplification. US2020/0303833 (Ueda) uses multiple LNAs and provides polarisation switching but requires additional matching components. US5,659,322 (Caille) and US 5,270,719 (Roth) use polarisation switches at LNA outputs. It would be advantageous to not require separate matching components and polarisation switches, which have a power requirement. JP2000022440 (Yagi Antenna) discloses a circuit in which the gain of one amplifier is set relative to another to give a desired wave/interference wave ratio downstream of a further amplifier. DE29703243U (Chen) discloses a circuit with multiple LNAs which can be switched on and off but without appreciating the implications of not controlling their output impedances. It is in this context that the present inventions have been devised. Summary of the invention In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an integrated circuit comprising a first low noise amplifier, LNA, configured to receive a first input signal from an antenna element via a first input and provide a first output signal to a phase shifter. The integrated circuit also comprises a second LNA configured to receive a second input signal from the antenna element via a second input and provide a second output signal to the phase shifter. The first input signal and the second input signal have different polarisations. The integrated circuit also comprises a polarisation control circuit, configured to selectively switch, into an on state or an off state, at least one of: the first LNA and the second LNA. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an antenna apparatus comprising: a plurality of antenna modules, each of the antenna modules comprising one or more antenna units, each of the one or more antenna units comprising an antenna element and an integrated circuit. The integrated circuit comprises a first low noise amplifier, LNA, configured to receive a first input signal from the antenna element via a first input and provide a first output signal to a phase shifter. The integrated circuit comprises a second LNA configured to receive a second input signal from the antenna element via a second input and provide a second output signal to the phase shifter. The first input signal and the second input signal have different polarisations. The integrated circuit also comprises a polarisation control circuit, configured to selectively switch, into an on state or an off state, at least one of: the first LNA and the second LNA. According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of operating an integrated circuit comprising a first LNA, a second LNA and a phase shifter. The method comprises the first LNA receiving a first input signal from an antenna element via a first input. The method also comprises the second LNA receiving a second input signal from the antenna element via a second input. The first input signal and the second input signal have different polarisations. The method comprises receiving a polarisation control signal. The method comprises selectively switching, into an on state or an off state in dependence on the polarisation control signal, at least one of: the first LNA and the second LNA. The method comprises the first LNA providing a first output signal to the phase shifter and/or the second LNA providing a second output signal to the phase shifter. According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of operating an antenna apparatus. The antenna apparatus comprises a plurality of antenna modules, each of the antenna modules comprising one or more antenna units, each of the one or more antenna units comprising an antenna element and an integrated circuit. The integrated circuit comprises a first low noise amplifier, LNA, a second LNA and a phase shifter. The method comprising the first LNA receiving a first input signal from the antenna element via a first input. The method comprises the second LNA receiving a second input signal from the antenna element via a second input. The first input signal and the second input signal have diffe