METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CREATING SHPAED ANTENNA RADIATION PATTERNS

• US 20050277441A1
• Filed: 07/15/2005
• Published: 12/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Woodbury Wireless LLC
• Original Assignee: Rotani, Inc.
• Inventors: Woodbury, Brian C, Funke, Nicholas, Spenik, John, Lastinger, Roc
• Granted Patent: US 7,349,701 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/561
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/521 reducing the coupling between adjacent antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/526 Electromagnetic shields
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/12 Longitudinally slotted cylinder antennas; Equivalent structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/102 wherein the surfaces are of convex toroïdal shape biconical horns H01Q13/04
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/20 the units being spaced along or adjacent to a curvilinear path slotted waveguide arrays H01Q21/005; circularly or helically slotted waveguides H01Q21/0062
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/00 Antennas or antenna systems providing at least two radiating patterns arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern H01Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/00 Arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern of the waves radiated from an antenna or antenna system means for positioning H01Q1/125
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0495 using overlapping sectors in the same base station to implement MIMO for antennas

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for antennas, wireless cells and networks are described. Antennas use a shield to provide a shape of coverage, area of coverage, and channel assignment pattern configured for high throughput wireless cells and networks. Diplexers are used to form wireless cells configured for high throughput wireless cells and networks.

Claims

1. An apparatus configured to facilitate wireless communication, comprising:

an antenna having a frequency of operation; and

,

a shield having at least two openings, wherein the antenna is positioned in the shield, and a coverage lobe extends from the antenna through each of the openings.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the shape of the shield is substantially at least one of cylindrical, oval, spherical, cubical, and rectangular.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the shield comprises at least two shaped shield parts.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the openings includes three openings.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the shaped shield parts includes three shaped shield parts.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the shield further comprises a top and a bottom.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the size of at least one of the openings is substantially a multiple of the frequency of operation of the antenna.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the shield is composed of at least one of an RF absorptive material, an RF reflective material, and an RF selectively permeable material.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the openings is at least partially covered by at least one of an RF absorptive material, an RF reflective material, and an RF selectively permeable material.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the antenna is at least one of omni-directional, patch, omni-directional with reflector, omni-directional positioned in a horn, yagi, MIMO, array, adaptive array, dish, beam, and parabolic antennas.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the antenna is adapted for at least one of IEEE 802.11, Bluetooth, ultra-wideband, IEEE 802.15, and IEEE 802.16 communication protocols.

12. A method for facilitating wireless communication, comprising:

selecting at least two shields, wherein each of the shields has an antenna and at least two coverage lobes, wherein each coverage lobe extends from the antenna and uses the channel assigned to the antenna;

stacking each of the shields; and

,

rotating each of the shields, whereby the coverage lobes from each of the shields form at least one of an overlapping coverage pattern and a non-overlapping coverage pattern.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the channel assigned to the antenna of each of the shields is different.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the channel assigned to the antenna is different.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein at least one coverage lobe from each of the shields at least partially overlaps at least one coverage lobe from any other shield.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the shields include two shields.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the antenna in each of the shields includes one antenna.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the coverage lobes for each of the shields includes three coverage lobes.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein substantially adjacent and partially overlapping coverage lobes are assigned different channels.

20. An apparatus configured to facilitate wireless communication, comprising:

a processor;

at least two radios interfacing with the processor; and

,

a shield interfacing with each of the radios, the shield having an antenna and at least two coverage lobes.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the shield is stacked and rotated, whereby the coverage lobes form a coverage pattern which is at least one of overlapping and non-overlapping.

22. An apparatus configured to facilitate wireless communication, comprising:

a processor;

a radio interfacing with the processor;

a diplexer interfacing with the radio; and

,

at least two antennas interfacing with the diplexer, wherein each of the antennas is associated with a physical sector and the physical sectors of the antennas form a coverage pattern which is at least one of overlapping and non-overlapping.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein at least one of the antennas is directional.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein at least one of the processor, the radio, and the antennas are adapted for at least one of IEEE 802.11, Bluetooth, ultra-wideband, IEEE 802.15, and IEEE 802.16 communication protocols.

25. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the radio includes three radios.

26. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the diplexer includes three diplexers.

27. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the antennas include six antennas.

28. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein at least one of the antennas is at least one of patch, omni-directional with reflector, omni-directional positioned in a horn, yagi, MIMO, array, adaptive array, dish, beam, and parabolic antennas.

29. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the physical sectors of the antennas form an angle of coverage of at least one of about 45, 90, 180, 270, and 360 degrees.

30. An apparatus configured to facilitate wireless communication, comprising:

a processor;

a radio interfacing with the processor;

an attenuator interfacing with a radio;

a diplexer interfacing with the attenuator; and

,

at least two antennas interfacing with the diplexer, wherein each of the antennas is associated with a physical sector and the physical sectors of the antennas form a coverage pattern which is at least one of overlapping and non-overlapping.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein at least one of the antennas is directional.

32. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein at least one of the processor, the radio, and the antennas are adapted for at least one of IEEE 802.11, Bluetooth, ultra-wideband, IEEE 802.15, and IEEE 802.16 communication protocols.

33. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the radio includes three radios.

34. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the attenuator includes three attenuators.

35. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the diplexer includes three diplexers.

36. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the antennas includes six antennas.

37. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein at least one of the antennas is at least one of patch, omni-directional with reflector, omni-directional positioned in a horn, yagi, MIMO, array, adaptive array, dish, beam, and parabolic antennas.

38. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the physical sectors of the antennas form an angle of coverage of at least one of about 45, 90, 180, 270, and 360 degrees.