US-12627037-B2 - In-panel antenna isolation for a dual-polarized massive multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antenna array

Abstract

An apparatus includes a substrate and first and second antenna panels on the substrate. The first antenna panel includes an array of first antenna elements. The second antenna panel includes an array of second antenna elements and a first wall isolator. The first wall isolator protrudes from the second antenna panel. The first wall isolator forms a border to surround at least one of the second antenna elements on the second antenna panel. The first wall isolator is configured to electromagnetically isolate the at least one second antenna element from the first antenna elements to produce N-to-N antenna isolation.

Inventors

• Jiantong Li
• Khurram Muhammad

Assignees

• SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20230405

Claims (20)

1. 1 . An apparatus comprising: a substrate; a first antenna panel on the substrate and comprising an array of transmit antenna elements; and a second antenna panel on the substrate comprising: an array of receive antenna elements, and a first wall isolator (i) protruding from the second antenna panel, (ii) forming a border to surround at least one of the receive antenna elements on the second antenna panel, and (iii) configured to electromagnetically isolate the at least one receive antenna element from the transmit antenna elements to produce N-to-N antenna isolation.
2. 2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein one or more of a length, a width, a height, or a shape of the first wall isolator is based on a mmWave frequency band used by the at least one receive antenna element.
3. 3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein: the length is a value in a range from 1.75λ to 2.5λ, the width is a value in a range from 0.5λ to 0.55λ, and the height is a value in a range from 0.35λ to 0.4λ.
4. 4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein: the first wall isolator surrounds at least two of the receive antenna elements, and the first wall isolator includes an interior wall isolator that subdivides and isolates the at least two of the receive antenna elements.
5. 5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the interior wall isolator subdivides at least two receive antenna elements from at least two other receive antenna elements within the first wall isolator.
6. 6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second antenna panel further comprises: a second wall isolator extending from the first antenna panel and forming a border to surround at least one of the transmit antenna elements on the first antenna panel and configured to isolate the at least one of the transmit antenna elements from the receive antenna elements.
7. 7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein one or more of a length, a width, a height, or a shape of the second wall isolator is based on a mmWave frequency band used by the at least one transmit antenna element.
8. 8 . An electronic device comprising: a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antenna comprising: a substrate; a first antenna panel on the substrate and comprising an array of first transmit antenna elements; and a second antenna panel on the substrate comprising: an array of receive antenna elements, and a first wall isolator (i) protruding from the second antenna panel, (ii) forming a border to surround at least one of the receive antenna elements on the second antenna panel, and (iii) configured to electromagnetically isolate the at least one receive antenna element from the transmit antenna elements to produce N-to-N antenna isolation; transmit (TX) processing circuitry coupled to the first antenna panel and configured to provide signals to the array of transmit antenna elements; and receive (RX) processing circuitry coupled to the second antenna panel and configured to receive signals from the array of receive antenna elements.
9. 9 . The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein one or more of a length, a width, a height, or a shape of the first wall isolator is based on a mmWave frequency band used by the at least one receive antenna element.
10. 10 . The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein: the length is a value in a range from 1.75λ to 2.5λ, the width is a value in a range from 0.5λ to 0.55λ, and the height is a value in a range from 0.35λ to 0.4λ.
11. 11 . The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein: the first wall isolator surrounds at least two of the receive antenna elements, and the first wall isolator includes an interior wall isolator that subdivides and isolates the at least two of the receive antenna elements.
12. 12 . The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the interior wall isolator subdivides at least two receive antenna elements from at least two other receive antenna elements within the first wall isolator.
13. 13 . The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the second antenna panel further comprises: a second wall isolator extending from the first antenna panel and forming a border to surround at least one of the transmit antenna elements on the first antenna panel and configured to isolate the at least one of the transmit antenna elements from the receive antenna elements.
14. 14 . The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein one or more of a length, a width, a height, or a shape of the second wall isolator is based on a mmWave frequency band used by the at least one transmit antenna element.
15. 15 . A method of using a massive MIMO antenna comprising: providing signals to a first antenna panel including an array of transmit antenna elements on a substrate; receiving signals from a second antenna panel including an array of receive antenna elements on the substrate; and reducing wave propagation between the array of first transmit antenna elements and the array of receive antenna elements using a first wall isolator (i) protruding from the second antenna panel, (ii) forming a border to surround at least one of the receive antenna elements on the second antenna panel, and (iii) isolating the at least one receive antenna element from the first-transmit antenna elements to produce N-to-N antenna isolation.
16. 16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein one or more of a length, a width, a height, or a shape of the first wall isolator is based on a mmWave frequency band used by the at least one receive antenna element.
17. 17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein: the length is a value in a range from 1.75λ to 2.5λ, the width is a value in a range from 0.5λ to 0.55λ, and the height is a value in a range from 0.35λ to 0.4λ.
18. 18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein: the first wall isolator surrounds at least two of the receive antenna elements, and the first wall isolator includes an interior wall isolator that subdivides and isolates the at least two of the receive antenna elements.
19. 19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the interior wall isolator subdivides at least two receive antenna elements from at least two other receive antenna elements within the first wall isolator.
20. 20 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising: reducing wave propagation between the array of first antenna elements and the array of receive antenna elements using a first wall isolator using a second wall isolator extending from the first antenna panel and forming a border to surround at least one of the transmit antenna elements on the first antenna panel and configured to isolate the at least one of the transmit antenna elements from the receive antenna elements, wherein one or more of a length, a width, a height, or a shape of the second wall isolator is based on a mmWave frequency band used by the at least one transmit antenna element.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION AND PRIORITY CLAIM This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/341,496 filed on May 13, 2022, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD This disclosure relates generally to multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna array devices and processes. More specifically, this disclosure relates to an in-panel antenna isolation enhancement component for a dual-polarized MIMO antenna array. BACKGROUND As the two main operation modes of cellular communication systems, frequency division duplexing (FDD) and time division duplexing (TDD) each have unique advantages. To maintain the uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) communication, FDD works with different frequency bands, while TDD operates within several distinct time periods. One advantage of FDD is that coverage as FDD can access all time resources, while TDD assigns a small portion of time resources to UL, thus reducing the overall coverage. FDD performs with better latency because TDD requires gap timing periods, longer than FDD. Compared with FDD, TDD is capable of allocating time resources to UL and DL based on the specific data traffic of both directions. Typically, the majority of time resources are used by the DL due to its heavy data traffic. Moreover, it is not required to consume large gap bands between UL and DL channels for TDD systems. SUMMARY This disclosure provides an in-panel antenna isolation enhancement component for a dual-polarized massive MIMO antenna array. In a first embodiment, apparatus includes a substrate and first and second antenna panels on the substrate. The first antenna panel includes an array of first antenna elements. The second antenna panel includes an array of second antenna elements and a first wall isolator. The first wall isolator protrudes from the second antenna panel. The first wall isolator forms a border to surround at least one of the second antenna elements on the second antenna panel. The first wall isolator is configured to electromagnetically isolate the at least one second antenna element from the first antenna elements to produce N-to-N antenna isolation. In a second embodiment, an electronic device includes a MIMO antenna, transmit (TX) processing circuitry, and receive (RX) processing circuitry. The MIMO antenna includes a substrate and first and second antenna panels on the substrate. The first antenna panel includes an array of first antenna elements. The second antenna panel includes an array of second antenna elements and a first wall isolator. The first wall isolator protrudes from the second antenna panel. The first wall isolator forms a border to surround at least one of the second antenna elements on the second antenna panel. The first wall isolator is configured to electromagnetically isolate the at least one second antenna element from the first antenna elements to produce N-to-N antenna isolation. The TX processing circuitry is coupled to the first antenna panel and configured to provide signals to the array of first antenna elements. The RX processing circuitry is coupled to the second antenna panel and configured to receive signals from the array of second antenna elements. In a third embodiment, a method includes providing signals to a first antenna panel including an array of first antenna elements on a substrate. The method also includes receiving signals from a second antenna panel including an array of second antenna elements on the substrate. The method further includes reducing wave propagation between the array of first antenna elements and the array of second antenna elements using a first wall isolator (i) protruding from the second antenna panel, (ii) forming a border to surround at least one of the second antenna elements on the second antenna panel, and (iii) isolating the at least one second antenna element from the first antenna elements to produce N-to-N antenna isolation. Other technical features may be readily apparent to one skilled in the art from the following figures, descriptions, and claims. Before undertaking the DETAILED DESCRIPTION below, it may be advantageous to set forth definitions of certain words and phrases used throughout this patent document. The term “couple” and its derivatives refer to any direct or indirect communication between two or more elements, whether or not those elements are in physical contact with one another. The terms “transmit,” “receive,” and “communicate,” as well as derivatives thereof, encompass both direct and indirect communication. The terms “include” and “comprise,” as well as derivatives thereof, mean inclusion without limitation. The term “or” is inclusive, meaning and/or. The phrase “associated with,” as well as derivatives thereof, means to include, be included within, interconnect with, contain, be contained within, connect to or with, couple to or with, be communicable with, cooperate with, interleave, ju