Base station antenna apparatus for mobile communication system

• US 10,056,990 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2014
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Denki Kogyo Company Limited, KDDI Corporation
• Original Assignee: Denki Kogyo Company Limited, KDDI Corporation
• Inventors: Takahashi, Yukitaka, Sato, Keisuke, Nakano, Masayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Rachedine, Mohammed
• Application Number:
  US15/502,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20170346576A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,470 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/08 the units being spaced along or adjacent to a rectilinear path waveguide fed H01Q21/0037
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/26 varying the relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of energy across a radiating aperture H01Q3/12, H01Q3/22, H01Q3/24 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/267 Phased-array testing or checking devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/28 varying the amplitude
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/34 by electrical means active lenses or reflecting arrays H01Q3/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/00 Monitoring; Testing of line transmission systems H04B3/46; arrangements for monitoring or testing transmission systems employing electromagnetic waves other than radio waves H04B10/07
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/12 of transmit antennas, e.g. of the amplitude or phase
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/14 of the whole transmission and reception path, e.g. self-test loop-back
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/17 Detection of non-compliance or faulty performance, e.g. response deviations H04B17/18 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

The apparatus automatically corrects deformation of directivity in a vertical plane caused by abnormality in transmission paths and receiving paths. The apparatus includes transmission system detection means (13-1 to 13-4) configured to individually detect abnormality occurring in each of the transmission paths, receiving system detection means (23-1 to 23-4) configured to individually detect abnormality occurring in each of the receiving paths, and control means (30, 40) configured, if any abnormal transmission path has been detected by the transmission system detection means (13-1 to 13-4), to correct deformation of directivity of the transmission antenna in a vertical plane caused due to abnormality in the transmission path by changing and setting a phase and an amplitude of the transmission signal passing through a normal transmission path, and if any abnormal receiving path has been detected by the receiving system detection means (23-1 to 23-4), to correct deformation of directivity of the receiving antenna in a vertical plane caused due to abnormality in the receiving path by changing and setting a phase and an amplitude of the receiving signal passing through a normal receiving path.

Claims

1. A base station antenna apparatus for a mobile communication system, the apparatus being configured to feed a high frequency power signal of a radio signal frequency to transmission antennas connected respectively to two or more transmission paths via the transmission paths and to synthesize reception signals received by receiving antennas respectively connected to two or more receiving paths via the receiving paths, in which both the transmission antennas and the receiving antennas are respectively arranged in a vertical direction at a predetermined distance, the apparatus comprising:

transmission system detection means configured to individually detect abnormality occurring in each of the transmission paths;

receiving system detection means configured to individually detect abnormality occurring in each of the receiving paths; and

control means for, when an abnormal transmission path is detected by the transmission system detection means, disconnecting the abnormal transmission path from the corresponding transmission antenna and correcting deformation of directivity of the transmission antenna in a vertical plane caused due to abnormality in the transmission path by changing and setting a phase and an amplitude of a transmission signal in a normal transmission path, and for, when an abnormal receiving path is detected by the receiving system detection means, disconnecting the abnormal receiving path from the corresponding receiving antenna and correcting deformation of directivity of the receiving antenna in a vertical plane caused due to abnormality in the receiving path by changing and setting a phase and an amplitude of a reception signal in a normal receiving path,

wherein the correction of directivity of the transmission antenna in a vertical plane and the correction of directivity of the receiving antenna in a vertical plane by the control means are performed such that a tilt angle greater than a tilt angle of the electric wave imparted in normal states by an adjustment angle α

is set, and

wherein a magnitude of the adjustment angle α

prevents variation of a service area resulting from increment of the half value width of directivity in a vertical plane which is due to reduction of number of operating transmission antennas from abnormality in a transmission path and to reduction of number of operating receiving antennas from abnormality in a receiving path.

2. The base station antenna apparatus for a mobile communication system according to claim 1, wherein the control means is configured to perform setting for changing the phase and the amplitude of the transmission signal in a normal transmission path and setting for changing the phase and the amplitude of the reception signal in a normal receiving path, based on data in a data table previously stored in a storage means.

3. The base station antenna apparatus for a mobile communication system according to claim 1, wherein the transmission system detection means for individually detecting abnormality occurring in each of the transmission paths is configured to compare a level of the transmission signal passing through each of the transmission paths with a reference value, and the receiving system detection means for individually detecting abnormality occurring in each of the receiving paths is configured to compare a level of the reception signal passing through each of the receiving paths with a reference value.

4. The base station antenna apparatus for a mobile communication system according to claim 1,

wherein the control means includes:

transmission system phase and amplitude setting means separately provided for each of the transmission paths, which is configured to set both the phase and the amplitude of the transmission signal passing through each of the transmission paths; and

receiving system phase and amplitude setting means separately provided for each of the receiving paths, which is configured to set both the phase and the amplitude of the receiving signal passing through each of the receiving paths,

wherein the phase and the amplitude of the transmission signal in the normal transmission path are changed and set by using the transmission system phase and amplitude setting means provided for the normal transmission path of the transmission paths, and the phase and the amplitude of the receiving signal in the normal receiving path are changed and set by using the receiving system phase and amplitude setting means provided for the normal receiving path of the receiving paths.

5. The base station antenna apparatus for a mobile communication system according to claim 4, wherein an amplification device is arranged for each of, and at a stage subsequent to, the separately provided transmission system phase and amplitude setting means.

6. The base station antenna apparatus for a mobile communication system according to claim 4, wherein an amplification device is arranged for each of, and at a stage preceding, the separately provided receiving system phase and amplitude setting means.

7. The base station antenna apparatus for a mobile communication system according to claim 1, wherein a transmission and reception shared antenna used in a shared manner for a radio signal frequency for transmission and a radio signal frequency for receiving is used as each of the transmission antennas and each of the receiving antennas, and the transmission and reception shared antenna is connected to the corresponding transmission path and the corresponding receiving path via a distribution and synthesis device.

8. The base station antenna apparatus for a mobile communication system according to claim 7, wherein the apparatus includes a plurality of transmission and reception shared antennas connected via the distribution and synthesis device.

9. The base station antenna apparatus for a mobile communication system according to claim 1, the apparatus further comprising:

means for, when said abnormal transmission path is detected, disconnecting the transmission antenna connected to the abnormal transmission path from the transmission path and terminating the path to a characteristic impedance of the path; and

means for, when said abnormal receiving path is detected, disconnecting the receiving antenna connected to the abnormal receiving path from the receiving path and terminating the path to a characteristic impedance of the path.

10. The base station antenna apparatus for a mobile communication system according to claim 1, wherein both the distance of arrangement of the transmission antennas and the distance of arrangement of the receiving antennas are set to satisfy the following condition:

0.5λ

≤

d≤

1λ

where λ

is a wavelength of a center frequency of an operating frequency band.

11. The base station antenna apparatus for a mobile communication system according to claim 1, wherein the control means is configured, when the transmission path in which abnormality has occurred has returned to a normal state, to perform processing for restoring a directivity of the transmission antenna in a vertical plane to a normal directivity, and when the receiving path in which abnormality has occurred has returned to a normal state, to perform processing for restoring a directivity of the receiving antenna in a vertical plane to a normal directivity.