Method and system for high-throughput and low-power communication links in a distributed transceiver network
A device comprises a plurality of distributed transceivers, a plurality of distributed beamformers, a baseband processor, and a network management engine. The distributed transceivers perform beamforming in a radio frequency band. The distributed beamformers, however, performs beamforming in an intermediate frequency band. Each of the distributed transceivers is coupled to a corresponding one of the distributed beamformers. Each transceiver-beamformer pair is coupled to the baseband processor utilizing a same communication medium such as a cable. For transmission, a data stream generated at baseband is converted to intermediate frequencies. With a low-power transmission, the distributed beamformers transmit the data stream wirelessly in the intermediate frequencies to a receiving device. With a normal-power transmission, the distributed transceivers transmit the data stream to the receiving device in the radio frequency band. The transceivers and the beamformers are turned OFF whenever not being used. A high-throughput communication link may be established through resource sharing.
1. A method of processing signals, the method comprising:
in a first device comprising (i) a plurality of distributed beamformers, each distributed beamformer comprising an antenna array comprising a plurality of antennas and (ii) a plurality of baseband processors, each baseband processor associated with a different set of distributed beamformers in the plurality of distributed beamformers;
generating, at baseband, a different data stream in a plurality of data streams by each of the plurality of baseband processors;
converting the plurality of data streams at baseband to a set of intermediate frequencies within an intermediate frequency band; and
transmitting the different data stream generated by each particular baseband processor wirelessly at said set of intermediate frequencies to a second device through the antenna arrays of the set of distributed beamformers corresponding to the particular baseband processor.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein each beamformer performs beamforming in the intermediate frequency band without up-converting the signals to a radio frequency band.
3. The method of claim 2 , the first device further comprising a plurality of distributed transceivers for performing beamforming in a radio frequency band, each of the plurality of distributed transceivers coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of distributed beamformers, each of the plurality of distributed transceivers and the corresponding coupled distributed beamformer connected to a same corresponding baseband processor from the plurality of baseband processors, the method further comprising:
identifying a set of capabilities of the first and second devices;
turning on a set of distributed transceivers in the plurality of distributed transceivers of the first device based on the identified capabilities; and
converting, by each distributed transceiver in the set of distributed transceivers, the data stream generated by the corresponding baseband processor to said radio frequency band.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the identified capabilities of each of the first and second devices comprise one or more of a battery life, a number of transceivers, a number of antennas per transceiver, a number of beamformers, a number of antennas per beamformer, device interface types, a maximum transmit power, processing protocols, service types, service classes, service requirements, storage capabilities, and a remaining power level.
5. The method of claim 3 further comprising transmitting, by each distributed transceiver in the set of distributed transceivers, the corresponding converted data stream at said radio frequency band to the second device.
6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising turning off a set of beamformers corresponding to the set of distributed transceivers during the transmitting of said data stream through the antenna arrays of the set of distributed transceivers.
7. The method of claim 6 further comprising determining that a low-power communication link is not required between the first and second devices based on the identified set of capabilities, wherein turning on the set of distributed transceivers and turning off the set of distributed beamformers are based on the determination that a low-power link is not required between the first and second devices.
8. The method of claim 1 , the first device further comprising a plurality of distributed transceivers for performing beamforming in a radio frequency band, each of the plurality of distributed transceivers coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of distributed beamformers, each of the plurality of distributed transceivers and the corresponding coupled distributed beamformer connected to a same corresponding baseband processor from the plurality of baseband processors, the method further comprising:
identifying a set of capabilities of the first and second devices; and
turning off the plurality of distributed transceivers of the first device based on the identified capabilities while transmitting the plurality of data streams using the plurality of distributed beamformers.
9. The method of claim 8 further comprising determining that a low-power communication link is required between the first and second devices based on the identified set of capabilities, wherein turning off the set of distributed transceivers and transmitting the plurality of data streams using the plurality of distributed beamformers are based on the determination that a low-power link is required between the first and second devices.
10. The method of claim 8 further comprising identifying a set of communication environment information, wherein turning off the plurality of distributed transceivers and transmitting the plurality of data streams using the plurality of distributed beamformers are further based on the identified set of communication environment information.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the identified set of communication environment information comprises one or more of propagation environment conditions, a link quality, device capabilities, antennas polarization, radiation patterns, antennas spacing, antenna arrays geometry, device locations, target throughput, quality of service (QoS) requirements, and transmitter and receiver locations.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the intermediate frequency band comprises 60 GHz frequency range, the method further comprising transmitting the plurality of data streams in mmWave.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of distributed beamformers is a first plurality of distributed beamformers, wherein first device further comprises a processor and a second plurality of distributed beamformers, wherein each distributed beamformer in the second plurality of distributed beamformers comprises an antenna array comprising a plurality of antennas, the method further comprising:
sending, from the processor, a corresponding different data stream in the intermediate frequency band to each distributed beamformer in the second plurality of distributed beamformers; and
transmitting the corresponding different data stream at the intermediate frequency band from the antenna array of each beamformer in the second plurality of beamformers to the second device through the antenna arrays.
14. A communication device comprising:
a plurality of distributed beamformers, each distributed beamformer comprising an antenna array comprising a plurality of antennas; and
a plurality of baseband processors, each baseband processor associated with a different set of distributed beamformers in the plurality of distributed beamformers;
each baseband processor configured to:
generate, at baseband, a different data stream in a plurality of data streams; and
convert the plurality of data streams at baseband to a set of intermediate frequencies within an intermediate frequency band; and
the antenna arrays of the set of distributed beamformers corresponding to each particular baseband processor configured to transmit the different data stream generated by the particular baseband processor wirelessly at said set of intermediate frequencies to a destination device.
15. The communication device of claim 14 , wherein each beamformer is configured to perform beamforming in the intermediate frequency band without up-converting the signals to a radio frequency band.
16. The communication device of 14 further comprising:
a network management engine; and
a plurality of distributed transceivers for performing beamforming in a radio frequency band, each of the plurality of distributed transceivers coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of distributed beamformers, each of the plurality of distributed transceivers and the corresponding coupled distributed beamformer connected to a same corresponding baseband processor from the plurality of baseband processors;
the network management engine configured to:
identify a set of capabilities of the communication device and the destination device; and
turn on a set of distributed transceivers in the plurality of distributed transceivers of the communication device based on the identified capabilities; and
each distributed transceiver in the set of distributed transceivers configured to convert the data stream generated by the corresponding baseband processor to said radio frequency band.
17. The communication device of claim 16 , wherein the identified capabilities of each of the communication device and the destination device comprise one or more of a battery life, a number of transceivers, a number of antennas per transceiver, a number of beamformers, a number of antennas per beamformer, device interface types, a maximum transmit power, processing protocols, service types, service classes, service requirements, storage capabilities, and a remaining power level.
18. The communication device of claim 16 , each distributed transceiver in the set of distributed transceivers configured to transmit the corresponding converted data stream at said radio frequency band to the destination device.
19. The communication device of claim 18 , the network management engine configured to turn off a set of beamformers corresponding to the set of distributed transceivers during the transmitting of said data stream through the antenna arrays of the set of distributed transceivers.
20. The communication device of claim 19 , the network management engine configured to determine that a low-power communication link is not required between the communication device and the destination device based on the identified set of capabilities, wherein turning on the set of distributed transceivers and turning off the set of distributed beamformers are based on the determination that a low-power link is not required between the communication device and the destination device.
21. The communication device of claim 15 further comprising:
a network management engine; and
a plurality of distributed transceivers for performing beamforming in a radio frequency band, each of the plurality of distributed transceivers coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of distributed beamformers, each of the plurality of distributed transceivers and the corresponding coupled distributed beamformer connected to a same corresponding baseband processor from the plurality of baseband processors;
the network management engine configured to:
identify a set of capabilities of the communication device and the destination device; and
turn off the plurality of distributed transceivers of the communication device based on the identified capabilities while transmitting the plurality of data streams using the plurality of distributed beamformers.
22. The communication device of claim 21 , the network management engine configured to determine that a low-power communication link is required between the communication device and the destination device based on the identified set of capabilities,
wherein turning off the set of distributed transceivers and transmitting the plurality of data streams using the plurality of distributed beamformers are based on the determination that a low-power link is required between the communication device and the destination device.
23. The communication device of claim 21 , the network management engine configured to identify a set of communication environment information, wherein turning off the plurality of distributed transceivers and transmitting the plurality of data streams using the plurality of distributed beamformers are further based on the identified set of communication environment information.
24. The communication device of claim 23 , wherein the identified set of communication environment information comprises one or more of propagation environment conditions, a link quality, device capabilities, antennas polarization, radiation patterns, antennas spacing, antenna arrays geometry, device locations, target throughput, quality of service (QoS) requirements, and transmitter and receiver locations.
25. The communication device of claim 14 , wherein the intermediate frequency band comprises 60 GHz frequency range, wherein the antenna arrays of the set of distributed beamformers transmit the plurality of data streams in mmWave.
26. The communication device of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of distributed beamformers is a first plurality of distributed beamformers, the communication device further comprising:
a second plurality of distributed beamformers, each distributed beamformer in the second plurality of distributed beamformers comprising an antenna array comprising a plurality of antennas; and
a processor configured to send a different data stream in the intermediate frequency band to each distributed beamformer in the second plurality of distributed beamformers;
wherein the antenna arrays of each distributed beamformer in the second plurality of distributed beamformers is configured to:
receive the corresponding different data stream from the processor; and
transmit the corresponding different data stream wirelessly in the intermediate frequency band to the destination device.