Cellular antenna and systems and methods therefor

• US 20070063911A1
• Filed: 07/18/2006
• Published: 03/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Andrew LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sorells, Philip, Webb, Bobby, Meyer, Louis, Linehan, Kevin, Davidson, D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,018,390 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/810
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/26 Turnstile or like antennas comprising arrangements of three or more elongated elements disposed radially and symmetrically in a horizontal plane about a common centre
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/06 over a restricted angle
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/32 by mechanical means

Abstract

A cellular communications antenna including sensors for determining position and/or orientation of the antenna. Position information may be obtained using, for example, a GPS receiver or by triangulation. Orientation information may be obtained using, for example, an electronic compass and/or gyroscope and/or an inclinometer. Position and/or orientation information may be utilised locally to control attributes of the antenna or may be communicated to a central controller which may control attributes of the antenna. Signals may be sent to a central controller to indicate that an attribute of the antenna is outside a desired range.

Claims

1. A cellular communications antenna comprising:

an array antenna configured to produce a beam and mounted for adjustable orientation;

an antenna orientation sensor mounted upon or near the antenna and configured to develop a signal characterizing the physical orientation of the antenna;

an electrical actuator for adjusting an attribute of the array antenna or the beam; and

an antenna controller responsive to the sensor signal and configured to control the actuator to achieve a desired antenna orientation or beam orientation or configuration.

2. A cellular communications antenna as claimed in claim 1 wherein the actuator adjusts the physical orientation of the array antenna.

3. A cellular communications antenna as claimed in claim 2 wherein the adjustment in physical orientation produces changes in beam azimuth, beam elevation or beam roll.

4. A cellular communications antenna as claimed in claim 1 wherein the actuator adjusts the orientation of the antenna beam with respect to the array antenna.

5. A cellular communications antenna as claimed in claim 4 wherein the beam orientation adjustment comprise adjustment in beam elevation, beam azimuth or beam width.

6. A cellular communications antenna as claimed in claim 1 wherein the antenna orientation sensor includes an electronic compass, inclinometer, or a gyroscope.

7. A cellular communications antenna as claimed in claim 1 including a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver.

8. A cellular communications antenna as claimed in claim 1 including RF receivers for determining the position of each array antenna by triangulation.

9. A cellular communications antenna as claimed in claim 1 wherein the antenna orientation sensor is permanently fixed to the array antenna.

10. A cellular communications antenna system comprising:

a plurality of array antennas producing beams covering a plurality of cell sectors;

a plurality of antenna orientation sensors associated with said plurality of antennas and configured to respectively sense the physical orientations of said array antennas;

a plurality of actuators for respectively adjusting an attribute of the array antennas; and

a control arrangement configured to receive orientation information from the orientation sensors and adjust an attribute of each of the array antennas to achieve for each antenna a desired antenna orientation or beam orientation or configuration.

12. A cellular communications antenna system as claimed in claim 12 wherein the desired antenna attribute of at least one antenna is selected to achieve one of:

system coverage, system usage and desired antenna orientation.

11. A cellular communications antenna system as claimed in claim 12 wherein the control arrangement adjusts attributes of the array antennas to match desired attribute values stored by the control arrangement.

13. A cellular communications antenna system as claimed in claim 12 wherein the control arrangement controls the actuators via an addressable serial bus.

14. A cellular communications antenna system as claimed in claim 12 wherein the control arrangement controls the actuators via a wireless link.

15. A cellular communications system comprising:

a plurality of antenna systems as claimed in claim 12;

and

a central controller in communication with the antenna systems to receive orientation information and send control information to adjust one or more attribute of the antenna systems.

18. A cellular communications system as claimed in claim 18 wherein each antenna system supplies orientation information to the central controller when requested by the central controller.

16. A cellular communications system as claimed in claim 17 wherein each antenna system supplies orientation information to the central controller.

17. A cellular communications system as claimed in claim 18 wherein each antenna system periodically supplies orientation information to the central controller.

19. A cellular communications system as claimed in claim 17 wherein each antenna system supplies orientation information to the central controller upon the occurrence of a specified event.

20. A cellular communications system as claimed in claim 21 wherein the specified event is an array antenna orientation outside of a permitted range.

21. A cellular communications system as claimed in claim 17 wherein each antenna system is responsive to commands from the central controller.

22. A cellular communications system as claimed in claim 17 wherein the central controller periodically sends desired attribute information to each antenna system.

23. A cellular communications system as claimed in claim 17 wherein each antenna system includes a position sensor for determining the position of each antenna system and providing position information to the central controller.

24. A method of controlling the orientation of a cellular communications antenna having an orientation sensor for measuring the orientation of the antenna and an actuator for adjusting the orientation of the antenna, comprising:

determining the orientation of the antenna; and

, if the orientation of the antenna is not within a desired range,

driving the actuator and monitoring the orientation of the antenna measured by the orientation sensor until the orientation of the antenna is within the desired range.

26. A method of controlling a beam attribute of a cellular communications antenna having an orientation sensor for measuring the orientation of the antenna and an actuator for adjusting a variable element of an antenna feed network of the antenna, comprising:

determining the orientation of the antenna; and

controlling the actuator of the antenna to achieve a desired beam pattern in dependence upon the orientation of the antenna.

25. A method of controlling the orientation of a cellular communications antenna as claimed in claim 26 wherein the orientation is one or more selected from the group of Azimuth, vertical orientation and yaw.

28. In a cellular communications system a method of determining the configuration of a plurality of antenna systems comprising a plurality of antennas having orientation sensors for measuring the orientation of the antennas and position sensors for determining the positions of the antennas, the method comprising:

obtaining position and orientation readings for antennas of each antenna system and communicating the readings to a central controller.

27. A method of controlling a beam attribute of a cellular communications antenna as claimed in claim 28 wherein the beam attribute is selected from the group of beam azimuth, down tilt and beam width.

30. A method as claimed in claim 30 wherein the central controller maintains a database of antenna positions and orientations and sends desired attribute values to the antenna systems.

29. A method as claimed in claim 30 wherein the central controller maintains a database of antenna positions and orientations and controls the antenna systems to achieve a desired coverage.

31. A method of configuring a cellular communications antenna including an orientation sensor for measuring the orientation of the antenna and a position sensor for determining the position of the antenna comprising:

determining the position and orientation of the antenna;

storing position and orientation information in a controller; and

controlling actuators to adjust attributes of the antenna to provide desired beam coverage based on the stored position and orientation information.

33. A cellular communications antenna comprising:

an array antenna for producing a beam;

antenna position and orientation sensors mounted upon or near the antenna and configured to develop a signal characterizing the position and orientation of the antenna;

an actuator for adjusting an attribute of the array antenna or the beam; and

an antenna controller responsive to the sensor signal and configured to control the actuator to achieve a desired antenna or beam configuration.

32. A method of configuring a cellular communications antenna as claimed in claim 33 wherein the position and orientation sensor is a portable unit that is temporarily secured to the antenna to determine position and orientation and supply the position and orientation information to the controller.

34. A method of controlling coverage in a cellular communications system including one or more base station, comprising the steps of:

a. obtaining information as to the position and orientation of an antenna of the one or more base station;

b. obtaining desired beam coverage information;

c. calculating a desired antenna orientation for the antenna based at least in part upon the desired beam coverage information; and

d. controlling the antenna so that its beam conforms to the desired antenna orientation.

35. A method as claimed in claim 34 further comprising the steps of:

a. obtaining information as to the configuration of one or more beam shaping element of the antenna;

b. calculating a desired beam shape for the antenna; and

c. controlling the antenna so that its beam shape corresponds with the desired beam shape.

36. A method as claimed in claim 34 wherein the beam coverage information includes information as to obstructions.

37. A method as claimed in claim 34 wherein the beam coverage information includes information as to current cellular traffic.

38. A method as claimed in claim 34 wherein the beam coverage information includes information as to historical cellular traffic.

39. A method as claimed in claim 34 wherein information is obtained as to the position and orientation of a plurality of antennas.

40. A method as claimed in claim 36 wherein the some of the plurality of antennas are associated with different base stations.

41. A method of controlling coverage in a cellular communications system including one or more base station, comprising the steps of:

a. obtaining information as to the position and orientation of an antenna of the one or more base station;

b. displaying a virtual projection of the antenna beam onto a virtual topography corresponding to the environment in which the antenna is located;

c. modifying the antenna beam orientation via a user input device;

d. displaying a modified virtual antenna beam in the virtual environment corresponding to modification via the user input device; and

e. controlling the antenna so that the beam conforms to the desired antenna orientation.

42. A method as claimed in claim 41 wherein information as to the configuration of one or more beam shaping element of the antenna is obtained and used to generate the virtual antenna beam.

43. A method as claimed in claim 42 wherein the user input device can modify attributes of beam shape and the antenna is controlled to conform to the attributes set via the user input device.

44. A method as claimed in claim 41 wherein the user input device is a virtual reality data glove.

45. A cellular communications system comprising:

a. a central controller;

b. one or more base station, each base station having one or more antenna and a base station controller which provides information as to the orientation of each antenna to the central controller;

c. wherein the central controller controls the orientation of each antenna to achieve a desired coverage.

46. A cellular communications system as claimed in claim 45 wherein each base station sends information as to antenna beam shape to the central controller and the central controller controls the beam shape of each antenna.

47. A cellular communications system as claimed in claim 45 wherein each base station includes a position sensor and sends information as to its physical position to the central controller.

48. A cellular communications system comprising:

a. a central controller; and

b. one or more base station, each base station having one or more antenna and a base station controller which provides information as to the orientation of each antenna to the central controller;

wherein the central controller includes display means for displaying virtual antenna beams representative of the antenna beams of the base stations superposed on a virtual topology and a user input device enabling a user to manipulate a virtual beam to generate control signals sent to control attributes of the corresponding antenna.

49. A cellular communications system as claimed in claim 48 wherein each base station controller provides information as to the beam shape of each antenna beam to the central controller.

50. A cellular communications system as claimed in claim 48 wherein each base station controller provides information as to the position of each base station to the central controller.

51. cellular communications system as claimed in claim 48 wherein the user input device is a virtual reality data glove.