ANTENNA ARRANGEMENT

• US 20080094299A1
• Filed: 07/03/2007
• Published: 04/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ITI Scotland Limited (Scottish Government)
• Original Assignee: ITI Scotland Limited (Scottish Government)
• Inventors: WILLIAMS, Neil
• Granted Patent: US 7,898,492 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/836
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/007 specially adapted for indoor communication
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/0026 said selective devices having a stacked geometry or having multiple layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/242 Circumferential scanning
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/28 Arrangements for establishing polarisation or beam width over two or more different wavebands

Abstract

There is provided an antenna arrangement for use in an ultra-wideband network, the antenna arrangement comprising a plurality of active elements for emitting radio signals; and a reflecting structure disposed between at least two of the active elements for reflecting radio signals, the reflecting structure comprising an outer reflecting surface for reflecting radio signals in a first frequency range within a frequency band and an inner reflecting surface for reflecting radio signals having a second frequency range within the frequency band. In an alternative embodiment, the antenna arrangement comprises an active element for emitting radio signals, and a reflecting structure. The reflecting structure comprises a first surface for reflecting radio signals having a first frequency range within a frequency band, the first surface being substantially transparent to radio signals outside the first frequency range, and a second surface for reflecting radio signals passed by the first surface, the second surface reflecting radio signals having a second frequency range within the frequency band.

Claims

1. An antenna arrangement for use in an ultra-wideband network, the antenna arrangement comprising:

a plurality of active elements for emitting radio signals; and

a reflecting structure disposed between at least two of the active elements for reflecting radio signals, the reflecting structure comprising an outer reflecting surface for reflecting radio signals having a first frequency range within a frequency band and an inner reflecting surface for reflecting radio signals having a second frequency range within the frequency band.

2. An antenna arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first frequency range comprises a set of frequencies which are higher than the set of frequencies in the second frequency range.

3. An antenna arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the distance between an active element and a corresponding reflecting surface is dependent on the frequency range of the radio signals reflected by said reflecting surface.

4. An antenna arrangement as claimed in claim 3, wherein the distance between an active element and a corresponding reflective surface is equal to one quarter of the wavelength of a centre frequency in the frequency range reflected by said surface.

5. An antenna arrangement as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least one additional inner reflecting surface between the outer reflecting surface and the inner reflecting surface, the at least one additional inner reflecting surface being suitable for reflecting radio signals in a third frequency range.

6. An antenna arrangement as claimed in claim 5, wherein said at least one additional inner reflecting surface is suitable for reflecting radio signals having a frequency range between the first and second frequency ranges reflected by the outer reflecting surface and the inner reflecting surface.

7. An antenna arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reflecting surfaces are planar.

8. An antenna arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reflecting surfaces are curved.

9. An antenna arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein each active element is individually controllable.

10. An antenna arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein each frequency range is approximately 528 MHz wide.

11. An antenna arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein each frequency range is a multiple of 528 MHz wide.

12. An antenna arrangement, substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to, and as shown in, FIGS. 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.

13. An antenna arrangement for use in an ultra-wideband network, the antenna arrangement comprising:

an active element for emitting radio signals; and

a reflecting structure comprising;

a first surface for reflecting radio signals having a first frequency range within a frequency band, the first surface being substantially transparent to radio signals outside the first frequency range; and

a second surface for reflecting radio signals passed by the first surface, the second surface reflecting radio signals having a second frequency range within the frequency band.

14. An antenna arrangement as claimed in claim 13, wherein the distance between the active element and the first and second surfaces respectively, is dependent on the frequency range of the radio signals reflected by said first and second surface.

15. An antenna arrangement as claimed in claim 14, wherein the distance between the active element and the first and second surfaces respectively, is equal to one quarter of the wavelength of a centre frequency in the frequency range reflected by said first and second surface.

16. An antenna arrangement as claimed in claim 13, further comprising at least one additional surface between the first surface and the second surface, the at least one additional surface being suitable for reflecting radio signals in a third frequency range, the at least one additional surface being substantially transparent to radio signals at least in the second frequency range.

17. An antenna arrangement as claimed in claim 13, wherein at least one of the surfaces is planar.

18. An antenna arrangement as claimed in claim 13, wherein at least one of the surfaces is curved.

19. An antenna arrangement, substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to, and as shown in, FIG. 4 of the accompanying drawings.