Integrated circuit and system with tracking

1 . An integrated circuit (IC) that enables local monitoring of far field output transmit signals, the IC having a transmit mode in which the IC is actively transmitting to the far field and is not actively processing receive signals from the far field and a receive mode in which the IC is actively processing receive signals from the far field, the IC comprising:

a plurality of transmit/receive channels, each transmit/receive channel comprising a transmit branch configured to produce an output transmit signal for far field transmission when in the transmit mode, a sampling circuit configured to sample the output transmit signal to produce a distinct sample signal, and a receive branch configured (a) to receive a far field input signal when in the receive mode and (b) to receive the distinct sample signal and modify the phase of the distinct sample signal to produce a distinct modified sample signal when in the transmit mode;

a summing system that combines a plurality of the distinct modified sample signals from the receive branches into a combined output signal copy that mimics an actual far field transmit output signal of the IC; and

a sample controller configured to control which of the plurality of transmit/receive channels are combined to form the combined output signal copy.

2 . The IC as defined by claim 1 , wherein the sampling circuit comprises an electrical coupling having a passive circuit element, and wherein the electrical coupling is configured to passively sample the output transmit signal with the passive circuit element.

3 . The IC as defined by claim 1 , wherein the receive branch has a receive phase shifter and the transmit branch has a transmit phase shifter, and wherein the receive phase shifter and the transmit phase shifter are configured to have opposite polarities when in the transmit mode.

4 . The IC as defined by claim 1 , further comprising a processor configured to process the combined output signal copy.

5 . The IC as defined by claim 4 , wherein the processor is configured to adjust at least one IC function based on the processing of the combined output signal copy.

6 . The IC as defined by claim 1 , further comprising a digital pre-distorter configured to receive a modified sample signal associated with a given transmit branch and to pre-distort the output transmit signal of the given transmit branch as a function of the received modified sample signal.

7 . A beamforming system that enables local monitoring of far field output transmit signals, the beamforming system comprising:

a plurality of elements for transmission and reception of far field signals;

at least one IC having a transmit mode in which the IC is actively transmitting to the far field and is not actively processing receive signals from the far field and a receive mode in which the IC is actively processing receive signals from the far field, the IC comprising a plurality of transmit/receive channels, each transmit/receive channel comprising a transmit branch configured to produce an output transmit signal for far field transmission when in the transmit mode, a sampling circuit configured to sample the output transmit signal to produce a distinct sample signal, and a receive branch configured (a) to receive a far field input signal when in the receive mode and (b) to receive the distinct sample signal and modify the phase of the distinct sample signal to produce a distinct modified sample signal when in the transmit mode, wherein each transmit branch and each receive branch is coupled to an element of the plurality of elements;

a summing system that combines a plurality of the distinct modified sample signals from the receive branches into a combined output signal copy that mimics an actual far field transmit output signal of the beamforming system; and

a sample controller configured to control which of the plurality of transmit/receive channels are combined to form the combined output signal copy.

8 . The beamforming system as defined by claim 7 , further comprising a processor configured to process a sum of a plurality of combined output signal copies.

9 . The beamforming system as defined by claim 8 , wherein the processor is configured to adjust at least one beamforming system function based on the processing of the sum of the combined output signal copies.

10 . The beamforming system as defined by claim 7 , further comprising at least one substrate supporting the at least one IC, wherein at least a portion of the summing system is formed by the at least one substrate.

11 . The beamforming system as defined by claim 10 , wherein the at least one substrate comprises a printed circuit board having a plurality of conductive layers, and wherein the plurality of conductive layers comprises the portion of the summing system.

12 . The beamforming system as defined by claim 7 , wherein the at least one IC comprises a plurality of ICs producing a plurality of combined IC output signal copies, and wherein the summing system combines a plurality of the combined IC output signal copies into the combined output signal copy.

13 . The beamforming system as defined by claim 7 , wherein at least one sampling circuit of at least one IC comprises an electrical coupling having a passive circuit element, and wherein the electrical coupling is configured to passively sample the output transmit signal with the passive circuit element.

14 . The beamforming system as defined by claim 7 , further comprising a digital pre-distorter configured to receive a modified sample signal associated with a given transmit branch and to pre-distort the output transmit signal of the given transmit branch as a function of the received modified sample signal.

15 . A beamforming method that enables local monitoring of far field output transmit signals, the beamforming method comprising:

providing at least one IC having a transmit mode in which the IC is actively transmitting to the far field and is not actively processing receive signals from the far field and a receive mode in which the IC is actively processing receive signals from the far field, the IC comprising a plurality of transmit/receive channels, each transmit/receive channel comprising a transmit branch configured to produce an output transmit signal for far field transmission when in the transmit mode, a sampling circuit configured to sample the output transmit signal to produce a distinct sample signal, and a receive branch configured (a) to receive a far field input signal when in the receive mode and (b) to receive the distinct sample signal and modify the phase of the distinct sample signal to produce a distinct modified sample signal when in the transmit mode;

placing the at least one IC in the transmit mode; and

combining a plurality of the distinct modified sample signals from the receive branches into a combined output signal copy that mimics an actual far field transmit output signal of the beamforming system,

wherein the at least one IC comprises a plurality of ICs producing a plurality of combined IC output signal copies, and wherein combining the plurality of the distinct modified sample signals comprises combining the combined IC output signal copies into the combined output signal copy.

16 . The beamforming method as defined by claim 15 , further comprising processing the sum of the plurality of combined output signal copies and adjusting at least one beamforming system function based on the processing of the sum of the combined output signal copies.

17 . The beamforming method as defined by claim 15 , further comprising receiving a modified sample signal associated with a given transmit branch and pre-distorting the output transmit signal of the given transmit branch as a function of the received modified sample signal.

18 . A beamforming system that enables local monitoring of far field output transmit signals, the beamforming system comprising:

a plurality of elements for transmission and reception of far field signals;

at least one IC having a transmit mode in which the IC is actively transmitting to the far field and is not actively processing receive signals from the far field and a receive mode in which the IC is actively processing receive signals from the far field, the IC comprising a plurality of transmit/receive channels, each transmit/receive channel comprising a transmit branch configured to produce an output transmit signal for far field transmission when in the transmit mode, a sampling circuit configured to sample the output transmit signal to produce a distinct sample signal, and a receive branch configured (a) to receive a far field input signal when in the receive mode and (b) to receive the distinct sample signal and modify the phase of the distinct sample signal to produce a distinct modified sample signal when in the transmit mode, wherein each transmit branch and each receive branch is coupled to an element of the plurality of elements; and

a summing system that combines a plurality of the distinct modified sample signals from the receive branches into a combined output signal copy that mimics an actual far field transmit output signal of the beamforming system,

wherein the at least one IC comprises a plurality of ICs producing a plurality of combined IC output signal copies, and wherein the summing system combines a plurality of the combined IC output signal copies into the combined output signal copy.

19 . The beamforming system as defined by claim 18 , wherein at least one sampling circuit of at least one IC comprises an electrical coupling having a passive circuit element, and wherein the electrical coupling is configured to passively sample the output transmit signal with the passive circuit element.

20 . The beamforming system as defined by claim 18 , further comprising a processor configured to sum a plurality of combined output signal copies and adjust at least one beamforming system function based on the sum of the combined output signal copies.