US 12,136,977 B2
Systems and methods for beamforming in hybrid beamforming antennas
Eric Pepin, Seattle, WA (US); Kim W. Schulze, Seattle, WA (US); Amir Agah, Kirkland, WA (US); Dean A. De Carli, Seattle, WA (US); and Philippe Riondet, Laguna Hills, CA (US)
Assigned to Space Exploration Technologies Corp., Hawthorne, CA (US)
Filed by Space Exploration Technologies Corp., Hawthorne, CA (US)
Filed on May 15, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/197,597.
Application 18/197,597 is a continuation of application No. 17/703,831, filed on Mar. 24, 2022, granted, now 11,652,525.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/167,625, filed on Mar. 29, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0283338 A1, Sep. 7, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H04B 7/06 (2006.01); H04B 17/11 (2015.01)
CPC H04B 7/0617 (2013.01) [H04B 7/0686 (2013.01); H04B 17/11 (2015.01)] 24 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method comprising:
determining a plurality of digital beamforming weights associated with a plurality of digital beamforming paths between digital beamformers and groups of analog beamforming circuits in a phased array antenna, wherein:
each digital beamforming path is coupled to a respective group of analog beamforming circuits from the groups of analog beamforming circuits; and
each analog beamforming circuit from each respective group of analog beamforming circuits is coupled to a respective set of antenna elements of the phased array antenna; and
determining analog beamforming weights associated with the groups of analog beamforming circuits, wherein the analog beamforming weights are estimated to put analog beamforming paths associated with the groups of analog beamforming circuits in a desired phase and gain relationship with each other.