USING ANTENNA ARRAYS TO PRODUCE OMNI-DIRECTIONAL TRANSMISSIONS

• US 20070135063A1
• Filed: 12/12/2005
• Published: 06/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Zangi, Kambiz
• Granted Patent: US 8,666,333 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/101
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/34 by electrical means active lenses or reflecting arrays H01Q3/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/02 Transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/42 in systems with time, space, frequency or polarisation diversity

Abstract

Diversity arrays of antenna elements and phased arrays of antenna elements can be used to produce omni-directional transmissions. Communication signaling is produced based on a desired communication signal that is to be transmitted omni-directionally. In response to the communication signaling, the antenna elements cooperate to effect approximately omni-directional antenna transmission of the desired communication signal.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus, comprising:

a diversity array of antenna elements; and

a drive arrangement coupled to said diversity array for producing communication signaling based on a desired communication signal that is to be transmitted omni-directionally, said antenna elements cooperable in response to said communication signaling to effect approximately omni-directional antenna transmission of said desired communication signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said antenna elements transmit with approximately equal power during said approximately omni-directional antenna transmission.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said drive arrangement includes a plurality of antenna paths respectively coupled to said antenna elements, each of said antenna paths including a signal amplifier.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said signal amplifiers respectively include signal multipliers.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein all of said signal amplifiers receive a common input signal that corresponds to said desired signal.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein each of said signal amplifiers applies an amount of amplification to said common input signal that is approximately equal to an amount of amplification applied to said common input signal by each of a remainder of said signal amplifiers.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said approximately equal amounts of amplification are based on a number of said antenna elements in said diversity array.

8. The apparatus of claim 1X provided as a fixed-site apparatus.

9. A communication apparatus, comprising:

a phased array of antenna elements; and

a drive arrangement coupled to said phased array for producing communication signaling based on a desired communication signal that is to be transmitted omni-directionally, said antenna elements cooperable in response to said communication signaling to effect approximately omni-directional antenna transmission of said desired communication signal.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said antenna elements transmit with approximately equal power during said approximately omni-directional antenna transmission.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said drive arrangement includes a plurality of antenna paths respectively coupled to said antenna elements, each of said antenna paths including a signal combiner.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said signal combiners include respective signal multipliers.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein all of said signal combiners receive a common input signal that corresponds to said desired signal.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said signal combiners combine said common input signal with respectively corresponding signals that represent respectively corresponding random variables.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said random variables are independent of one another.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said random variables are Gaussian variables.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said random variables are Gaussian variables.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein all of said signal combiners receive a common input signal that is a frequency domain signal which corresponds to said desired signal, each of said signal combiners combining said common input signal with a further frequency domain signal to produce a combined signal in the frequency domain, each of said antenna paths including a converter coupled to the associated signal combiner for converting the associated combined signal into a corresponding time domain signal that drives the associated antenna element.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said signal combiners respectively include signal multipliers.

20. A method of operating a diversity array of antenna elements, comprising:

producing communication signaling based on a desired communication signal that is to be transmitted omni-directionally; and

using said communication signaling in combination with cooperation among said antenna elements to effect approximately omni-directional antenna transmission of said desired communication signal.

21. A method of operating a phased array of antenna elements, comprising:

producing communication signaling based on a desired communication signal that is to be transmitted omni-directionally; and

using said communication signaling in combination with cooperation among said antenna elements to effect approximately omni-directional antenna transmission of said desired communication signal.