Antennas with polarization diversity

• US 20080129640A1
• Filed: 12/26/2006
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ruckus Wireless, Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shtrom, Victor, Kish, William, Barron, Bernard
• Granted Patent: US 7,498,996 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/876
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/148 with means for varying the reflecting properties H01Q15/147 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/24 the primary active element being centre-fed and substantially straight, e.g. H-antenna
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/062 using dipole aerials; H01Q21/067, H01Q21/068 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/205 providing an omnidirectional coverage turnstile aerials H01Q21/26
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/24 Combinations of antenna units polarised in different directions for transmitting or receiving circularly and elliptically polarised waves or waves linearly polarised in any direction circularly polarised patch antennas H01Q9/0428; circularly polarised horns H01Q13/0241; cross-polarised horns H01Q13/0258; polarisation converters H01Q15/242; cross-polarised rear feeds H01Q19/136; crossed polarisation dual antenna H01Q25/001
• 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 3/24 varying the orientation by switching energy from one active radiating element to another, e.g. for beam switching
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/285 Planar dipole H01Q9/065 takes precedence; patch antenna H01Q9/0407

Abstract

A horizontally polarized antenna array allows for the efficient distribution of RF energy into a communications environment through selectable antenna elements and redirectors that create a particular radiation pattern such as a substantially omnidirectional radiation pattern. In conjunction with a vertically polarized array, a particular high-gain wireless environment may be created such that one environment does not interfere with other nearby wireless environments and avoids interference created by those other environments. Lower gain patterns may also be created by using particular configurations of a horizontal and/or vertical antenna array. In a preferred embodiment, the antenna systems disclosed herein are utilized in a multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) wireless environment.

Claims

1. A multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) antenna system, comprising:

at least one horizontally polarized antenna array; and

a vertically polarized antenna array coupled to the at least one horizontally polarized antenna array.

2. The MIMO antenna system of claim 1, wherein the vertically polarized antenna array is configured to generate a radiation pattern substantially perpendicular to a radiation pattern generated by the at least one horizontally polarized antenna arrays.

3. The MIMO antenna system of claim 1, wherein the vertically polarized antenna array is configured to generate a radiation pattern substantially similar to a radiation pattern generated by the at least one horizontally polarized antenna array.

4. The MIMO antenna system of claim 1, wherein the vertically polarized antenna array is configured to generated a radiation pattern substantially dissimilar to a radiation pattern generated by the at least one horizontally polarized antenna array.

5. The MIMO antenna system of claim 1, wherein the at least one horizontally polarized antenna array includes a plurality of antenna elements configured to be selectively coupled to a radio frequency feed port.

6. The MIMO antenna system of claim 5, wherein a substantially omnidirectional radiation pattern substantially in the plane of the at least one horizontally polarized antenna array is generated when a first antenna element and a second antenna element of the plurality of antenna elements are coupled to the radio frequency feed port.

7. The MIMO antenna system of claim 5, wherein at least one of the plurality of antenna elements includes a loading structure configured to slow down electrons and change the resonance of the at least one of the plurality of antenna elements.

8. The MIMO antenna system of claim 5, wherein the plurality of antenna elements on the at least one horizontally polarized antenna array are oriented substantially to the edges of a square shaped substrate.

9. The MIMO antenna system of claim 5, wherein the plurality of antenna elements on the at least one horizontally polarized antenna array are oriented substantially to the middle of a square shaped substrate.

10. The MIMO antenna system of claim 5, wherein the plurality of antenna elements on the at least one horizontally polarized antenna array are oriented substantially to the edges of a triangular shaped substrate.

11. The MIMO antenna system of claim 5, wherein the plurality of antenna elements on the at least one horizontally polarized antenna array are oriented substantially to the middle of a triangular shaped substrate.

12. The MIMO antenna system of claim 5, wherein the radio frequency feed port is selectively coupled to at least one of the plurality of antenna elements by an antenna element selector.

13. The MIMO antenna system of claim 12, wherein the antenna element selector comprises an RF switch.

14. The MIMO antenna system of claim 12, wherein the antenna element selector comprises a PIN diode.

15. The MIMO antenna system of claim 6, further comprising at least one reflector or director configured to influence the radiation pattern of the first antenna element and the second antenna element coupled to the radio frequency feed port.

16. The MIMO antenna system of claim 1, wherein the at least one horizontally polarized antenna array is coupled to the vertically polarized antenna array by fitting the vertically polarized antenna array inside at least one rectangular slit formed within the printed circuit board of the at least one horizontally polarized antenna array.

17. The MIMO antenna system of claim 16, wherein a connector tab on the vertically polarized antenna array is soldered to the at least one horizontally polarized array at the at least one rectangular slit formed within the printed circuit board of the at least one horizontally polarized antenna array.

18. The MIMO antenna system of claim 1, wherein the at least one horizontally polarized antenna array is coupled to the vertically polarized antenna array by a printed circuit board connector element by fitting a portion of the printed circuit board connector element inside a rectangular slit formed within the printed circuit board of the at least one horizontally polarized antenna array thereby allowing a radio frequency (RF) feed to traverse the at least one horizontally polarized array and the vertically polarized array.

19. The MIMO antenna system of claim 18, wherein a connector tab on the printed circuit board connector element is soldered to the at least one horizontally polarized array at the rectangular slit formed within the printed circuit board of the at least one horizontally polarized antenna array.

20. The MIMO antenna system of claim 19, wherein the printed circuit board connector element is also soldered to the vertically polarized antenna array at a connector tab.

21. The MIMO antenna system of claim 1, wherein each antenna array is coupled to a different radio.

22. The MIMO antenna system of claim 1, wherein the at least one horizontally polarized antenna array is coupled to the vertically polarized antenna array at an intersecting trace element in the printed circuit board of both the at least one horizontally polarized antenna array and the vertically polarized antenna array thereby allowing an RF feed to traverse the at least one horizontally polarized array and the vertically polarized array.

23. The MIMO antenna system of claim 22, wherein the at least one horizontally polarized antenna array and vertically polarized antenna array are further coupled by a zero Ohm resistor jumper at the intersecting trace element.

24. The MIMO antenna system of claim 1, wherein each of the at least one horizontally polarized antenna array and the vertically polarized antenna array includes a plurality of parasitic antenna elements, at least two of the plurality of parasitic antenna elements on each array configured to be selectively coupled to one another by a switching network, the selective coupling of the at least two of the plurality of parasitic antenna elements causing each of the at least two of the plurality of parasitic antenna elements to collectively reflect a radiation pattern energy back toward a source of the radiation pattern, the reflection of the radiation pattern increasing gain of the reflected radiation pattern in the direction of pattern reflection.

25. The MIMO antenna system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least one horizontally polarized antenna array and the vertically polarized antenna array includes a plurality of parasitic antenna elements, at least two of the plurality of parasitic antenna elements on each array configured to be selectively coupled to one another by a switching network, the selective coupling of the at least two of the plurality of parasitic antenna elements causing each of the at least two of the plurality of parasitic antenna elements to collectively reflect a radiation pattern energy back toward a source of the radiation pattern, the reflection of the radiation pattern increasing gain of the reflected radiation pattern in the direction of pattern reflection.

26. A multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) antenna system, comprising:

a plurality of horizontally polarized antenna arrays each including a plurality of antenna elements configured to be selectively coupled to a radio frequency feed port, wherein coupling a first antenna element and a second antenna element to the radio frequency feed port generates a substantially omnidirectional radiation pattern substantially in the plane of the horizontally polarized antenna arrays; and

a plurality of vertically polarized antenna arrays coupled to the plurality of horizontally polarized antenna arrays, wherein the plurality of vertically polarized antenna arrays are configured to generate a radiation pattern substantially perpendicular to a radiation pattern generated by the plurality of horizontally polarized antenna arrays.

27. The MIMO antenna system of claim 26, wherein each of the plurality of horizontally polarized antenna arrays are coupled to one of the plurality of vertically polarized antenna arrays by fitting each one of the plurality of vertically polarized antenna arrays inside at least one rectangular slit formed within the printed circuit board of one of the plurality of horizontally polarized antenna arrays.

28. The MIMO antenna system of claim 26, wherein each of the plurality of horizontally polarized antenna arrays are coupled to one of the plurality of vertically polarized antenna arrays by fitting a portion of a printed circuit board connector element inside at least one rectangular slit formed within the printed circuit board of one of the horizontally polarized antenna arrays and soldering each of the plurality of vertically polarized antenna arrays to a printed circuit board connector element at a connector tab.