Antenna array apparatus and beamforming method using GPS signal for base station in mobile telecommunication system

• US 20020147032A1
• Filed: 08/16/2001
• Published: 10/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Yoon, Jae-Seung, Chun, Kyong-Joon, Chun, Byung-Jin
• Granted Patent: US 7,013,165 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/562.1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• 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 3/30 varying the relative phase between the radiating elements of an array H01Q3/2605, H01Q3/2658, H01Q3/2682, H01Q3/44 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0408 using two or more beams, i.e. beam diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/086 using weights depending on external parameters, e.g. direction of arrival [DOA], predetermined weights or beamforming

Abstract

There is provided an antenna array apparatus using a GPS signal in a base station and a beamforming method thereof. In the antenna array apparatus, a GPS signal processor receives GPS position information from a mobile station and calculates the position information of the mobile station. A signal processor calculates a weight vector using the position information to form a transmission/reception beam. A transmission/reception beamformer forms the transmission/reception beam according to the weight vector.

Claims

1. A transmission antenna array apparatus of a base station in a mobile communication system having a mobile station that receives GPS (Global Positioning System) position information of the mobile station from satellites and outputs the GPS information representative of the absolute position of the mobile station, the apparatus comprising:

a position information generator for receiving the GPS position information from the mobile station and generating position information of the mobile station;

an array signal processor for calculating a weight vector using the position information to form a transmission beam; and

a forward processor having a transmission beamformer, for forming the transmission beam according to the weight vector in the direction of the mobile station through the transmission beamformer and outputting a transmission message to the antenna array by the transmission beam.

2. The transmission antenna array apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transmission beamformer forms transmission beams by generating as many transmission signals as M antenna devices by duplicating the transmission signal and multiplying each duplicated signal by a corresponding forward weight vector generated from the array signal processor, wherein M is a number of antenna devices.

3. The transmission antenna array apparatus of claim 1, wherein the weight vector is an optimum transmission array weight vector calculated by

w_T=k_Tα

(θ

, φ

, λ

_T) 

 

(11)

where w_T is the weight vector for the transmission array, k_T is an arbitrary positive real number, and λ

_T is the wavelength of the transmission signal and θ

is an elevation angle of the z axis by a position data the mobile station receives from the satellite and φ

is an azimuth angle by a position data that the mobile station receives from the satellites.

4. A reception antenna array apparatus of a base station in a mobile communication system having a mobile station that receives GPS position information of the mobile station from satellites and outputs the GPS information representative of the absolute position of the mobile station, the apparatus comprising:

a position information generator for receiving the GPS position information from the mobile station and generating position information of the mobile station;

an array signal processor for calculating a weight vector using the position information to form a reception beam; and

a reverse processor having a reception beamformer, for forming the reception beam according to the weight vector in the direction of the mobile station through the reception beamformer and processing a message received through the antenna array by the reception beam.

5. The reception antenna array apparatus of claim 4, wherein the reception beamformer obtains a final array output signal by receiving signals through M antenna devices, multiplying each antenna device output signal by a corresponding reverse weight generated from the array signal processor, and summing the multiplied signals, wherein M is a number of antenna devices.

6. The reception antenna array apparatus of claim 4, wherein the weight vector is an optimum reception array weight vector calculated by

w_R=k_Rα

(θ

, φ

, λ

_R) 

 

(12)

where w_R is the weight vector for the reception array, k_R s an arbitrary positive real number, and λ

_R is the wavelength of the received signal and θ

is an elevation angle of the z axis by a position data the mobile station receives from the satellite and φ

is an azimuth angle by a position data that the mobile station receives from the satellites.

7. An antenna array apparatus of a base station in a mobile communication system having a mobile station that receives GPS position information of the mobile station from satellites and outputs the GPS information representative of the absolute position of the mobile station, the apparatus comprising:

a position information generator for receiving the GPS position information from the mobile station and generating position information of the mobile station;

a relative coordinates calculator for calculating relative coordinates of the mobile station with respect to abs6lute coordinates of the base station from the position information;

a position angle calculator for calculating a position angle of the mobile station with respect to the base station from the relative coordinates of the mobile station;

a weight vector calculator for calculating a weight vector using the position angle of the mobile station to form a beam; and

a beamformer for forming the beam according to the weight vector in an intended direction.

8. An antenna array apparatus of a base station in a mobile communication system having a mobile station that receives GPS position information of the mobile station from satellites and outputs the GPS information representative of the absolute position of the mobile station, the apparatus comprising:

a position information generator for receiving the GPS position information from the mobile station and generating position information of the mobile station;

a relative coordinates calculator for calculating relative coordinates of the mobile station from the position information;

a position angle calculator for calculating a position angle of the mobile station with respect to the base station from the relative coordinates of the mobile station;

a distance calculator for calculating a distance between the mobile station and the base station from the relative coordinates of the mobile station;

a beam width controller for determining a transmission/reception beam width increment or decrement according to the distance between the mobile station and the base station;

a weight vector calculator for calculating a weight vector using the position angle of the mobile station and a beam width control signal to form a beam; and

a beamformer for forming the beam according to the weight vector in an intended direction.

9. The antenna array apparatus of claim 8, wherein a new weight vector w_inc is calculated to control the transmission/reception beam width according to the distance between the mobile station and the base station by

10. An antenna array apparatus of a base station in a mobile communication system having a mobile station that receives GPS position information of the mobile station from satellites and outputs the GPS information representative of the absolute position of the mobile station, the apparatus comprising:

a position information generator for receiving the GPS position information from the mobile station and generating position information of the mobile station;

a weight vector storage for storing optimum weight vectors versus position coordinates within a predetermined base station area in the form of a table;

a processor for selecting a weight vector corresponding to the position information of the mobile station or a weight vector most approximate to the weight vector corresponding to the position information from the table; and

a beamformer for forming a beam according to the selected weight vector in an intended direction.

11. A beamforming method for an antenna array apparatus of a base station in a mobile communication system having a mobile station that receives GPS position information of the mobile station from satellites and outputs the GPS information representative of the absolute position of the mobile station, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving the GPS position information from the mobile station and generating position information of the mobile station;

calculating relative coordinates of the mobile station from the position information;

calculating a position angle of the mobile station with respect to the base station from the relative coordinates of the mobile station;

calculating a weight vector using the position angle of the mobile station to form a beam; and

forming the beam according to the weight vector in an intended direction.

12. A beamforming method for an antenna array apparatus of a base station in a mobile communication system having a mobile station that receives GPS position information of the mobile station from satellites and outputs the GPS information representative of the absolute position of the mobile station, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving the GPS position information from the mobile station and generating position information of the mobile station;

calculating relative coordinates of the mobile station from the position information;

calculating a position angle of the mobile station with respect to the base station from the relative coordinates of the mobile station, calculating the distance between the mobile station and the base station from the relative coordinates of the mobile station, and determining a transmission/reception beam width increment or decrement according to the distance between the mobile station and the base station;

calculating a weight vector using the position angle of the mobile station and a beam width control signal to form a beam; and

forming the beam according to the weight vector in an intended direction.

13. A beamforming method for an antenna array apparatus of a base station having a weight vector storage for storing optimum weight vectors versus position coordinates in a predetermined base station area in a mobile communication system having a mobile station that outputs GPS position information, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving the GPS position information from the mobile station and generating the position coordinates of the mobile station;

detecting a weight vector most approximate to a weight vector corresponding to the position coordinates of the mobile station from the weight vector storage; and

forming a beam according to the detected weight vector in an intended direction.