Time-based Circuits and Systems for Wideband Spatial Signal Processing

Unmet Need: Competent spatial signal processing for large modulated bandwidths

Next-generation phased-array systems with large modulated bandwidths and high energy efficiency will enable wireless communication at the speed of Gigabyte/second such as in 5G communications. The state-of-the-art phase-shifter based arrays and true-time-delay based spatial signal processing at this large scale cause unsolved challenges such as beam-nulling with a swept single tone in a baseband to radio-frequency (RF) impedance translation, frequency-dependent filtering for applications at lower RF carrier frequencies, increased power consumption due to increased need of Analog-to-Digital converters and insufficient support of the existing switched-capacitor implementations for large modulated bandwidths.

The Technology: Processing and sensing spatial signals using time-based circuits and systems

Researchers at WSU present an N-element baseband time-domain spatial signal processor for large modulated bandwidth multi-antenna receivers. The time-based circuits and systems presented herein overcome the challenges mentioned above through modified beamforming and beam-nulling operations combined with simultaneous spatial filtering of interferences by non-uniform true-time delay implementation.

Applications:

• Spatial signal processing for applications such as 5G communication and signals over a wide bandwidth for modulations comprising orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing and orthogonal frequency-division multiple-access.

Advantages:

• Time-based systems enable digitization and other processing of large modulated bandwidths.

• Technology-scaling is possible through benefits of digital-friendly implementation.

• Achieves high energy efficiency for large modulated bandwidths.

Patent Information:

U.S. Patent No. US 2021/0344400 A1 has been allowed.