Antenna structure for beamforming

• US 10,644,396 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2017
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Petersson, Sven, Athley, Fredrik, Johansson, Martin, Nilsson, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Graham P
• Application Number:
  US15/515,327
• Publication Number:
  US 20180248263A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,163 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/065 Patch antenna array
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/245 provided with means for varying the polarisation polarising devices H01Q15/24; tracking by comparing linear polarisation compounds G01S3/146; reducing depolarisation effects H04B7/00; polarisation diversity H04B7/10
• 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 3/2682 Time delay steered arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/42 using two or more imbricated arrays H01Q5/49 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0413 MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/043 using best eigenmode, e.g. beam forming or beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0479 for multi-dimensional arrays, e.g. horizontal or vertical pre-distortion matrix index [PMI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming

Abstract

An antenna structure (10, 20) for beamforming is disclosed. The antenna structure (10, 20) comprises: a first set of antenna elements (12a, 12b; 21a, 21b, 21c, 21d, 21e, 21f) connected by a first analog distribution network (14a; 24a) to a first baseband chain (11a; 23a), and a second set of antenna elements (13a, 13b; 22a, 22b, 22c, 22d, 22e, 22f) connected by a second analog distribution network (14b; 24b) to a second baseband chain (11b; 23b), wherein the first set of antenna elements (12a, 12b; 21a, 21b, 21c, 21d, 21e, 21f) are arranged interleaved with the second set of antenna elements (13a, 13b; 22a, 22b, 22c, 22d, 22e, 22f) and wherein the antenna elements of the first and second sets are designed for use on same carrier frequency.

Claims

1. An antenna structure for beamforming, the antenna structure comprising:

at least two separate baseband chains, including a first baseband chain and a second baseband chain;

a first set of antenna elements connected by a first analog distribution network to the first baseband chain; and

a second set of antenna elements connected by a second analog distribution network to the second baseband chain that is separate from the first baseband chain, wherein

the first set of antenna elements are arranged interleaved with the second set of antenna elements, and

the antenna elements of the first and second sets are designed for use on same carrier frequency.

2. The antenna structure of claim 1, wherein the vertical distance, d_v, between two consecutive antenna elements of the first set is larger than 0.5λ

.

3. The antenna structure of claim 1, wherein the vertical distance, d_v, between two consecutive antenna elements of the second set is larger than 0.5λ

.

4. The antenna structure of claim 1, wherein the vertical distance, d_v, between two consecutive antenna elements of the first set and between two consecutive antenna elements of the second set is at least 0.8λ

.

5. The antenna structure as claimed in claim 4, wherein the horizontal distance, d_h, between two consecutive antenna elements of the first set and between two consecutive antenna elements of the second set is less than 0.7λ

.

6. The antenna structure of claim 1, wherein the antenna elements of the first set and the antenna elements of the second set comprises dual-polarized elements.

7. The antenna structure of claim 1, wherein the antenna elements of the first set and the antenna elements of the second set are arranged in a two dimensional antenna panel.

8. The antenna structure of claim 1, wherein the antenna elements of the first set and the antenna elements of the second set are arranged in a one dimensional antenna panel.

9. A method comprising:

using the antenna structure of claim 1, for communication device specific beamforming.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein no precoding is applied simultaneously over the first and second baseband chains for a layer.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein different signals are sent on the first and second sets of antenna elements.