METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AN ANTENNA MODULE

• US 20060164320A1
• Filed: 01/19/2006
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Woodbury Wireless LLC
• Original Assignee: Rotani, Inc.
• Inventors: Spenik, John, Lastinger, Roc, Woodbury, Brian C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,489,282 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/893
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/16 curved in two dimensions, e.g. paraboloidal
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0495 using overlapping sectors in the same base station to implement MIMO for antennas

Abstract

An antenna module comprising at least two antennas in substantial close proximity and a shield configured to reduce interference between the antennas and/or to shape the antenna coverage areas is disclosed. A substantially triangular shield with antennas positioned at each of the vertices may shape the antenna coverage areas to form virtual sectors.

Claims

1. An antenna module comprising:

at least two antennas in substantial close proximity, each of the antennas having a coverage area; and

,

a shield having a shape, wherein each of the antennas connect to the shield, and wherein the shield forms the coverage area of each antenna.

2. The antenna module of claim 1, wherein the shape of the shield is substantially at least one of triangular, triangular with vertices extended and enlarged, parabolic on the inner curves, hexagonal, rectangular, rectangular with bottom angled shield, rectangular with top and bottom angled shield, and cubical.

3. The antenna module of claim 1, wherein at least one of the antennas is at least one of omni-directional, directional, patch, yagi, dish, beam, whip, and parabolic antennas.

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

5. The antenna module of claim 1, comprising three antennas and the shape of the shield is substantially triangular.

6. The antenna module of claim 1, comprising three antennas, the shape of the shield is substantially triangular with vertices extended and enlarged, and each antenna is positioned about mid-way between two vertices.

7. The antenna module of claim 1, comprising three antennas, the shape of the shield is substantially parabolic on the inner curves, and each antenna is positioned about in the center of a parabolic curve.

8. The antenna module of claim 1, comprising three antennas, the shape of the shield is substantially hexagonal, and each antenna is positioned about on non-adjacent sides of the hexagon.

9. The antenna module of claim 1, comprising two antennas, the shape of the shield is substantially rectangular with a bottom angled shield, and each antenna is positioned on a side of the rectangle above the bottom angled shield.

10. The antenna module of claim 1, comprising two antennas, the shape of the shield is substantially rectangular with a top and bottom angled shield, and each antenna is positioned on a side of the rectangle substantially between the top and bottom angled shields.

11. An antenna module comprising:

at least two antennas in substantial close proximity, each of the antennas having

a coverage area;

an antenna spacer connected to each of the antennas; and

,

a shield having a shape, wherein each of the antenna spacers are connected to the shield, wherein each antenna is offset from the shield, and wherein the shield forms the coverage area of each antenna.

12. The antenna module of claim 11, wherein the shape of the shield is substantially at least one of triangular, triangular with vertices extended and enlarged, parabolic on the inner curves, hexagonal, rectangular, rectangular with bottom angled shield, rectangular with top and bottom angled shield, and cubical.

13. The antenna module of claim 11, wherein at least one of the antennas is at least one of omni-directional, directional, patch, yagi, dish, beam, and parabolic antennas.

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

15. The antenna module of claim 11, comprising three antennas and the shape of the shield is substantially triangular.

16. The antenna module of claim 11, comprising three antennas, the shape of the shield is substantially triangular with vertices extended and enlarged, and each antenna is positioned about mid-way between two vertices.

17. The antenna module of claim 11, comprising three antennas, the shape of the shield is substantially parabolic on the inner curves, and each antenna is positioned about in the center of a parabolic curve.

18. The antenna module of claim 11, comprising three antennas, the shape of the shield is substantially hexagonal, and each antenna is positioned substantially on non-adjacent sides of the hexagon.

19. An antenna module comprising:

a mounting base;

at least two antennas in substantial close proximity, wherein each of the antennas is connected to the mounting base;

an antenna cover associated with each of the antennas, wherein each antenna cover is connected to the mounting base and substantially covers the antenna.

20. The antenna module of claim 19, additionally comprising a substantially rectangular shield, wherein the shield is connected to the mounting base and is positioned between at least two antennas.

21. A method for adjusting an area of coverage shape, said method comprising:

determining a desired coverage area shape;

selecting an antenna having a coverage area;

selecting a shield having a plurality of mounting positions and configured to alter the shape of the antenna coverage area;

selecting an antenna spacer having a length, size, and shape;

connecting the antenna to the antenna spacer;

mounting the antenna spacer to the shield at a mounting position;

comparing the altered antenna coverage area shape to the desired coverage area shape;

adjusting at least one of mounting position, antenna spacer length, antenna spacer size, and antenna spacer shape;

repeating the mounting, comparing, and adjusting steps until the altered antenna coverage area shape is substantially the same as the desired coverage area shape.

22. An antenna module comprising:

at least two antennas in substantial close proximity, wherein the antennas are organized into at least one group of at least two antennas in each of the groups, and wherein the antennas of each group are configured as at least one of a MIMO, an array, and an adaptive array antenna; and

,

a shield having a shape, wherein each of the antennas are connected to the shield.

23. The antenna module of claim 22, wherein the shape of the shield is substantially at least one of triangular, triangular with vertices extended and enlarged, parabolic on the inner curves, hexagonal, rectangular, rectangular with bottom angled shield, rectangular with top and bottom angled shield, and cubical.

24. The antenna module of claim 22, wherein at least one of the antennas is at least one of omni-directional, directional, patch, yagi, dish, beam, and parabolic antennas.

25. The antenna module of claim 22, wherein at least one of the antennas is adapted for at least one of IEEE 802.11, Bluetooth, ultra-wideband, IEEE 802.15, and IEEE 802.16 communication protocols.

26. The antenna module of claim 22, wherein the number of groups is at least one of two, three, four, and five, and wherein the number of antennas in each group is at least one of two, three, four, and five.

27. The antenna module of claim 22, comprising six antennas organized into three groups of two antennas in each group, and the shape of the shield is selected from the group of cubical and hexagonal, wherein each antenna is positioned on a different face of the shield.

28. The antenna module of claim 22, comprising six antennas organized into two groups of three antennas in each group, and the shape of the shield is substantially parabolic on the inner curves, wherein each antenna is positioned about in the center of a different parabolic curve.