US 12,476,659 B1
System for scalable adaptive digital beamforming in a phased antenna-array
Benjamin Peiffer, Cedar Rapids, IA (US); and Jeremiah D. Wolf, Atkins, IA (US)
Assigned to Rockwell Collins, Inc., Cedar Rapids, IA (US)
Filed by Rockwell Collins, Inc., Cedar Rapids, IA (US)
Filed on Sep. 6, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/242,708.
Int. Cl. H04B 1/00 (2006.01); H01Q 3/36 (2006.01); H04B 7/0426 (2017.01)
CPC H04B 1/0003 (2013.01) [H01Q 3/36 (2013.01); H04B 7/043 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A digital beamformer comprising:
a plurality of element processing hardware; wherein each of the plurality of element processing hardware comprise:
a plurality of analog-to-digital converters; wherein the plurality of analog-to-digital converters generate a plurality of digital signals;
a digital phase shifter; wherein the digital phase shifter multiplies the plurality of digital signals by a plurality of beamforming weights; wherein the digital phase shifter sums the plurality of digital signals in response to multiplying by the plurality of beamforming weights to generate a summed digital signal; and
a digital-to-analog converter; wherein the digital-to-analog converter converts the summed digital signal to a summed analog signal;
a radio frequency combiner; wherein the radio frequency combiner combines the summed analog signal from each of the plurality of element processing hardware to generate a combined analog signal;
a beam processing hardware; wherein the plurality of element processing hardware converts the combined analog signal to a combined digital signal; wherein the beam processing hardware generates a global feedback based on the combined digital signal;
wherein the digital phase shifter of each of the plurality of element processing hardware adapts the plurality of beamforming weights based on the global feedback.