US-12627070-B2 - Assymetric antenna-in-package for use in multiple polarizations

Abstract

An Antenna-in-Package. (AiP: 100 ) is provided, including an array antenna ( 120 ) with antenna elements ( 122 ), control ICs ( 130 ), and AiP contacting elements ( 140 ). Each antenna element is configured for transmitting radio signals having a first polarization (pi) and receiving radio signals having a second polarization (p 2 ). The antenna elements are arranged equidistantly spaced in a rectangular, planar lattice at a first side ( 112 ) of the AiP. The AiP is rectangular, and the lattice is shifted towards a first corner ( 116 a ) of the AiP. An AiP pair assembly, an AiP quartet assembly, an AiP multi-assembly (all including two or more such AiPs), a network node, as well as a method of operating such an AiP quartet assembly or AiP multi-assembly, are also provided.

Inventors

• Per Ingelhag
• Magnus Nilsson
• Agneta Ljungbro

Assignees

• TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20211109

Claims (17)

1. 1 . An Antenna-in-Package (AiP), comprising: an array antenna comprising a plurality of antenna elements configured for transmitting and receiving radio signals; one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured for controlling the radio signals, and a plurality of AiP contacting elements electrically connected to the one or more ICs, wherein the antenna elements are arranged equidistantly spaced in a rectangular, planar lattice at a first side of the AiP, each antenna element is configured for at least transmitting radio signals having a first polarization, and configured for at least receiving radio signals having a second polarization orthogonal to the first polarization, the AiP is rectangular and the lattice is shifted towards a first corner of the AiP, such that first and second distances from the lattice to first and second edges of the AiP are shorter than third and fourth distances from the lattice to third and fourth edges of the AiP, wherein the first and second edges adjoin at the first corner, and wherein the third and fourth edges adjoin at another corner of the AiP diagonally opposite to the first corner, the first distance is measured from centers of the antenna elements along the first edge to the first edge, the second distance is measured from centers of the antenna elements along the second edge to the second edge, the first distance is less than one fourth of a particular wavelength, and the second distance is less than one fourth of the particular wavelength.
2. 2 . The AiP according to claim 1 , wherein an upper frequency of the radio signals transmitted and received by the antenna elements corresponds to the particular wavelength, and wherein an equidistant spacing of the antenna elements is approximately half of the particular wavelength.
3. 3 . The AiP according to claim 1 , wherein at least a majority of the AiP contacting elements are arranged along the third and fourth edges of the AiP.
4. 4 . The AiP according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the second, third and fourth corner of the rectangular AiP is slanted.
5. 5 . The AiP according to claim 1 , wherein one of the first polarization and the second polarization is directed along the first edge of the AiP.
6. 6 . The AiP according to claim 1 , wherein one of the first polarization and the second polarization is directed at a 45-degree angle with respect to the first edge of the AiP.
7. 7 . An Antenna-in-Package (AiP) pair assembly, comprising a first and second AiP according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second AiP are arranged side by side with their first sides facing in a same direction, the second AiP is rotated 180 degrees relative to the first AiP, such that a particular edge of the first AiP faces a same particular edge of the second AiP, where the particular edge of both the first AiP and of the second AiP is either the first edge or the second edge, and the antenna elements of the first AiP along the particular edge of the first AiP are aligned with the antenna elements of the second AiP along the particular edge of the second AiP, such that the antenna elements of both the first and second AiP together form a combined array antenna for transmitting combined radio signals having the first polarization and receiving combined radio signals having the second polarization.
8. 8 . The AiP pair assembly according to claim 7 , wherein an upper frequency of the radio signals transmitted and received by the antenna elements of the first AiP corresponds to the particular wavelength, and wherein a fifth distance between centers of antenna elements of the first AiP along the particular edge of the first AiP to centers of antenna elements of the second AiP along the particular edge of the second AiP is approximately half of the particular wavelength.
9. 9 . The AiP pair assembly according to claim 7 , further comprising a printed circuit board (PCB), wherein the first AiP and the second AiP are both mounted to the PCB using their respective AiP contacting elements, and with respective second sides, opposite to the first sides, facing towards the PCB.
10. 10 . An Antenna-in-Package (AiP) quartet assembly, comprising a first, second, third and fourth AiP according to claim 1 , wherein the first, second, third and fourth AiP are all arranged with their first sides facing in a same direction, the first and second AiP are arranged side by side and form a first AiP pair assembly, wherein the second AiP is rotated 180 degrees relative to the first AiP, such that a first particular edge of the first AiP faces a same first particular edge of the second AiP, the third and fourth AiP are arranged side by side and form a second AiP pair assembly, wherein the third AiP is rotated 90 degrees relative to the first AiP, and wherein the fourth AiP is rotated 180 degrees with respect to the third AiP, such that a second particular edge of the third AiP faces a same second particular edge of the fourth AiP, the first particular edge of both the first and second AiP is the first edge and the second particular edge of both the third and fourth AiP is the second edge, or the first particular edge of both the first and second AiP is the second edge and the second particular edge of both the third and fourth AiP is the first edge, the antenna elements of the first AiP along the first particular edge of the first AiP are aligned with the antenna elements of the second AiP along the first particular edge of the second AiP, such that the antenna elements of both the first and second AiP together form a first combined array antenna for transmitting combined radio signals having the first polarization and receiving combined radio signals having the second polarization, and the antenna elements of the third AiP along the second particular edge of the third AiP are aligned with the antenna elements of the fourth AiP along the second particular edge of the fourth AiP, such that the antenna elements of both the third and fourth AiP together form a second combined array antenna for transmitting combined radio signals having the second polarization and receiving combined radio signals having the first polarization.
11. 11 . The AiP quartet assembly according to claim 10 , wherein an upper frequency of the radio signals transmitted and received by the antenna elements of the first AiP corresponds to the particular wavelength, a sixth distance between centers of antenna elements of the first AiP along the first particular edge of the first AiP to centers of antenna elements of the second AiP along the first particular edge of the second AiP is approximately half of the particular wavelength, and a seventh distance between centers of antenna elements of the third AiP along the second particular edge of the third AiP to centers of antenna elements of the fourth AiP along the second particular edge of the fourth AiP is approximately half of the particular wavelength.
12. 12 . The AiP quartet assembly according to claim 10 , further comprising at least one printed circuit board (PCB), wherein the first, second, third and fourth AiP are mounted to the at least one PCB using their respective AiP contacting elements, and with respective second sides, opposite to the first sides, facing towards the at least one PCB.
13. 13 . An Antenna-in-Package (AiP) multi-assembly, wherein the AiP multi-assembly comprises: at least a first and second AiP quartet assembly according to claim 11 .
14. 14 . The AiP multi-assembly according to claim 13 , wherein, in each one of the first and second AiP quartet assemblies, the first and second AiP pair assemblies are arranged next to each other along a first direction, and wherein the first and second AiP quartet assemblies are arranged next to each other along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.
15. 15 . The AiP multi-assembly according to claim 13 , further comprising at least one printed circuit board (PCB), wherein, in both the first and second AiP quartet assemblies, all of the first, second, third and fourth AiP are mounted to the at least one PCB using their respective AiP contacting elements, and with respective second sides, opposite to the first sides, all facing towards the at least one PCB.
16. 16 . A method of operating an Antenna-in-Package (AiP) quartet assembly, wherein the AiP quartet assembly comprises: a first, second, third and fourth AiP according to claim 1 , wherein the first, second, third and fourth AiP are all arranged with their first sides facing in a same direction, the first and second AiP are arranged side by side and form a first AiP pair assembly, wherein the second AiP is rotated 180 degrees relative to the first AiP, such that a first particular edge of the first AiP faces a same first particular edge of the second AiP, the third and fourth AiP are arranged side by side and form a second AiP pair assembly, wherein the third AiP is rotated 90 degrees relative to the first AiP, and wherein the fourth AiP is rotated 180 degrees with respect to the third AiP, such that a second particular edge of the third AiP faces a same second particular edge of the fourth AiP, the first particular edge of both the first and second AiP is the first edge and the second particular edge of both the third and fourth AiP is the second edge, or the first particular edge of both the first and second AiP is the second edge and the second particular edge of both the third and fourth AiP is the first edge, the antenna elements of the first AiP along the first particular edge of the first AiP are aligned with the antenna elements of the second AiP along the first particular edge of the second AiP, such that the antenna elements of both the first and second AiP together form a first combined array antenna for transmitting combined radio signals having the first polarization and receiving combined radio signals having the second polarization, and the antenna elements of the third AiP along the second particular edge of the third AiP are aligned with the antenna elements of the fourth AiP along the second particular edge of the fourth AiP, such that the antenna elements of both the third and fourth AiP together form a second combined array antenna for transmitting combined radio signals having the second polarization and receiving combined radio signals having the first polarization, and the method comprises: during a first time slot, using the antenna elements of the first and second AiP pair assemblies of each AiP quartet assembly to simultaneously transmit combined radio signals having both the first polarization and the second polarization, and during a second time slot different from the first time slot, using the antenna elements of the first and second AiP pair assemblies of each AiP quartet assembly to simultaneously receive combined radio signals having both the first polarization and the second polarization.
17. 17 . A network node for a telecommunication network, the network node comprising an Antenna-in-Package according to claim 1 .

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a 35 U.S.C. § 371 National Stage of International Patent Application No. PCT/EP2021/081095, filed 2021 Nov. 9. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to the field of high-frequency communication. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a so-called Antenna-in-Package (AiP) integrating both array antenna elements and driving circuits for enabling such communication. BACKGROUND Array antennas are believed to form a major part of both present and future communication and sensing technologies, such as for example in fifth generation (5G), and sixth generation (6G), mobile communication systems. Especially in high-frequency applications, such as for e.g. 6G bands at 100 GHz or more, the use of low-loss interconnects between e.g. antenna elements in an array antenna and various driving circuits becomes more important. This makes so called Antenna-in-Packages (AiPs) suitable candidates, as they offer to integrate both the antenna elements and the various driving circuits (such as e.g. low-noise amplifiers, LNAs, and power amplifiers, PAs) in a single package. Due to various manufacturing constraints (such as e.g. limited wafer sizes available for production, yield loss and board level reliability), both the sizes of the AiPs that can be manufactured and the number of antenna elements that can be fit into a single AiP are however limited. For example, building larger array antenna matrices than 8×8 in a single AiP can be both difficult and costly. A common solution to build an array antenna is to use dual polarized antenna elements together with an RF frontend including an LNA, a PA and an antenna switch. In such a configuration, each antenna element can be configured (using the antenna switch) to alternately receive and transmit both in a horizontal and in a vertical polarization. However, the antenna switch adds losses, and the limited building area and high heat dissipation can be challenging. By splitting the array antenna over two AiPs, where one AiP is hardwired and used to e.g. only receive in the vertical polarization and transmit in the horizontal polarization, while the other AiP is hardwired and used to e.g. receive only in the horizontal polarization and transmit in the vertical polarization, can address the above problem. This because in such a configuration, the antenna switch is no longer required, the available building area is doubled, and the heat dissipation per area is halved, at the expense of doubling the required overall area for the array antenna. However, in the above configuration using two AiPs, it should be noted that as the two AiPs are not identical and need to be e.g. differently wired internally, manufacturing and provisioning of two different AiPs are needed. SUMMARY To avoid the above need to manufacture and provision two different variants of AiPs in order to create an array antenna having the functionality discussed above, the present disclosure provides an improved AiP, various assemblies of two or more such AiPs, a network node, and a method of operating an assembly of two or more such AiPs as defined in the accompanying independent claims. Various alternative embodiments of the AiP and assemblies are defined in the dependent claims. According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, an Antenna-in-Package (AiP) is provided. The AiP includes an array antenna including a plurality of antenna elements configured for transmitting and receiving radio signals. The AiP further includes one or more integrated circuits configured for controlling the radio signals. The AiP further includes a plurality of AiP contacting elements electrically connected to the one or more ICs. The antenna elements are arranged equidistantly spaced in a rectangular, planar lattice at a first side of the AiP. Each antenna element is configured for at least transmitting radio signals having a first polarization, and configured for at least receiving radio signals having a second polarization orthogonal to the first polarization. The AiP is rectangular, and the lattice is shifted towards a first corner of the AiP, such that first and second distances from the lattice to first and second edges, respectively, of the AiP are shorter than third and fourth distances from the lattice to third and fourth edges, respectively, of the AiP. The first and second edges adjoin at the first corner, and the third and fourth edges adjoin at another corner of the AiP diagonally opposite to the first corner. Within the present disclosure, unless explicitly stated to the contrary, an AiP and a so called “Antenna-on-Package” (AoP) are considered as being equivalent to each other. Thus, in what remains of the description of the present disclosure and in the claims, only the term AiP is used. With “radio signal”, it is meant a signal carried by an electromagnetic wave belonging to the radio frequency spectrums, such as used in e.g. 5G and 6G radio communi