Distributed transmitter topology for enhanced communication systems
Apparatus, systems, and methods for a transmitter array for enhanced communication systems may be provided. According to an aspect a transmitter array may be provided. The transmitter array may include a plurality of equivalent transmitter units. Each equivalent transmitter unit may include an antenna and a QPSK modulator. Each equivalent transmitter unit may be selectively activatable. In some embodiments, upon activation of a set of equivalent transmitter units selected from the plurality of equivalent transmitter units, a desired modulated output signal is generated. According to another aspect, a method of generating a desired modulated output signal may be provided. The method may include receiving a plurality of local oscillator (LO) signals at a transmitter array. The method may further include selectively activating a set of equivalent transmitter units of the plurality of equivalent transmitter units to generate the desired modulated output signal.
1 . A transmitter array comprising:
a plurality of equivalent transmitter units;
each equivalent transmitter unit including an antenna and a quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) modulator;
each equivalent transmitter unit selectively activatable; and
upon activation of a set of equivalent transmitter units selected from the plurality of equivalent transmitter units, a desired modulated output signal is generated, wherein each equivalent transmitter unit of the set of equivalent transmitter units is selectively activated by modulating, via the corresponding QPSK modulator, a local oscillator (LO) signal to generate a corresponding modulated output signal.
2 . The transmitter array of claim 1 further comprising one or more power generation units for generating an LO signal at each equivalent transmitter unit of the plurality of equivalent transmitter units, wherein:
the plurality of equivalent transmitter units is organized into one or more groups of equivalent transmitter units, each group of equivalent transmitter units comprising one or more equivalent transmitter units and corresponding to a power generation unit of the one or more power generation units; and
each equivalent transmitter unit of each group of equivalent transmitter units is configured to receive the LO signal of the power generation unit corresponding to said each group of equivalent transmitter units.
3 . The transmitter array of claim 1 , wherein each equivalent transmitter unit of the plurality of equivalent transmitter units further comprises a power generation unit for generating the LO signal at said each equivalent transmitter unit.
4 . The transmitter array of claim 1 , wherein each equivalent transmitter unit of the plurality of equivalent transmitter units further comprises a power amplifier for amplifying an output of the corresponding QPSK modulator.
5 . The transmitter array of claim 1 , wherein the selective activation of each equivalent transmitter unit of the set of equivalent transmitter units is based on receiving, at the corresponding QPSK modulator, digital data bits for modulating the LO signal, the digital data bits indicating a phase state of the corresponding modulated output signal, the phase state being one of: 45, 135, 225, and 315 degrees.
6 . The transmitter array of claim 1 , wherein the desired modulated output signal corresponds to a symbol in a quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) constellation generated based on: a number of equivalent transmitter units in the set of equivalent transmitter units, and a phase state of the corresponding modulated output signal of each equivalent transmitter unit of the set of equivalent transmitter units.
7 . The transmitter array of claim 1 , wherein:
each equivalent transmitter unit of the plurality of equivalent transmitter units is configured to generate an equivalent output power when activated; or
upon activation of the set of equivalent transmitter units, the transmitter array is further configured to selectively deactivate remaining equivalent transmitter units from the plurality of equivalent transmitter units that are not in the activated set.
8 . A method of generating a desired modulated output signal, the method comprising:
receiving a plurality of local oscillator (LO) signals at a transmitter array, the transmitter array comprising a plurality of equivalent transmitter units, each equivalent transmitter unit selectively activatable and comprising an antenna and a quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) modulator; and
selectively activating a set of equivalent transmitter units of the plurality of equivalent transmitter units to generate the desired modulated output signal, said selectively activating comprising, for each equivalent transmitter unit of the set of equivalent transmitter units, modulating, via the corresponding QPSK modulator, an LO signal of the plurality of LO signals to generate a corresponding modulated output signal.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein selectively activating the set of equivalent transmitter units of the plurality of equivalent transmitter units to generate the desired modulated output signal comprises:
combining a set of modulated output signals to generate the desired modulated output signal, the set of modulated output signals comprising the corresponding modulated output signal of each equivalent transmitter unit of the set of equivalent transmitter units.
10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of LO signals is received from one or more power generation units.
11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein:
the plurality of equivalent transmitter units is organized into one or more groups of equivalent transmitter units, each group of equivalent transmitter units comprising one or more equivalent transmitter units and corresponding to a power generation unit of the one or more power generation units; and
receiving the plurality of LO signals at the transmitter array comprises:
receiving, at each equivalent transmitter unit of each group of equivalent transmitter units, an LO signal of the plurality of LO signals from the power generation unit corresponding to said each group of equivalent transmitter units.
12 . The method of claim 8 , wherein:
each equivalent transmitter unit of the plurality of equivalent transmitter units further comprises a power generation unit; and
receiving the plurality of LO signals at the transmitter array comprises:
receiving, at each equivalent transmitter unit of the plurality of equivalent transmitter units, an LO signal from the corresponding power generation unit.
13 . The method of claim 8 , wherein each equivalent transmitter unit of the plurality of equivalent transmitter units further comprises a power amplifier for amplifying an output of the corresponding QPSK modulator.
14 . The method of claim 8 , wherein selectively activating the set of equivalent transmitter units of the plurality of equivalent transmitter units to generate the desired modulated output signal comprises:
receiving, at the corresponding QPSK modulator of said each equivalent transmitter unit of the set of equivalent transmitter units, digital data bits for modulating the LO signal of the plurality of LO signals to selectively activate said each equivalent transmitter unit; and
modulating, by the corresponding QPSK modulator, the LO signal to generate the corresponding modulated output signal based on the digital data bits, the digital data bits indicating a phase state of the corresponding modulated output signal, the phase state being one of: 45, 135, 225, and 315 degrees.
15 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the desired modulated output signal corresponds to a symbol in a quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) constellation generated based on: a number of equivalent transmitter units in the set of equivalent transmitter units, and a phase state of the corresponding modulated output signal of each equivalent transmitter unit of the set of equivalent transmitter units.
16 . An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one non-transitory machine-readable medium storing executable instructions which when executed by the at least one processor configure the apparatus for:
receiving a plurality of local oscillator (LO) signals at a transmitter array, the transmitter array comprising a plurality of equivalent transmitter units, each equivalent transmitter unit selectively activatable and comprising an antenna and a quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) modulator; and
selectively activating a set of equivalent transmitter units of the plurality of equivalent transmitter units to generate a desired modulated output signal, said selectively activating comprising, for each equivalent transmitter unit of the set of equivalent transmitter units, modulating, via the corresponding QPSK modulator, an LO signal of the plurality of LO signals to generate a corresponding modulated output signal.
17 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein selectively activating the set of equivalent transmitter units of the plurality of equivalent transmitter units to generate a desired modulated output signal comprises:
combining a set of modulated output signals to generate the desired modulated output signal, the set of modulated output signals comprising the corresponding modulated output signal of each equivalent transmitter unit of the set of equivalent transmitter units.
18 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein:
the plurality of LO signals is received from one or more power generation units;
the plurality of equivalent transmitter units is organized into one or more groups of equivalent transmitter units, each group of equivalent transmitter units comprising one or more equivalent transmitter units and corresponding to a power generation unit of the one or more power generation units; and
receiving the plurality of LO signals at the transmitter array comprises: receiving, at each equivalent transmitter unit of each group of equivalent transmitter units, an LO signal of the plurality of LO signals from the power generation unit corresponding to said each group of equivalent transmitter units.
19 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein selectively activating the set of equivalent transmitter units of the plurality of equivalent transmitter units to generate the desired modulated output signal comprises:
receiving, at the corresponding QPSK modulator of said each equivalent transmitter unit of the set of equivalent transmitter units, digital data bits for modulation to selectively activate said each equivalent transmitter unit; and
modulating, by the corresponding QPSK modulator, an LO signal to generate the corresponding modulated output signal based on the digital data bits, the digital data bits indicating a phase state of the corresponding modulated output signal, the phase state being one of: 45, 135, 225, and 315 degrees.
20 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the desired modulated output signal corresponds to a symbol in a quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) constellation generated based on: a number of equivalent transmitter units in the set of equivalent transmitter units, and a phase state of the corresponding modulated output signal of each equivalent transmitter unit of the set of equivalent transmitter units.