Triple stagger offsetable azimuth beam width controlled antenna for wireless network

• US 20080309568A1
• Filed: 06/11/2008
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Powerwave Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Deng, Gang Yi, Dickson, John J., Rabinovich, Alexander, Hunt, Nando, Wilson, John Stewart
• Granted Patent: US 8,643,559 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/757
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/104 using a substantially flat reflector for deflecting the radiated beam, e.g. periscopic antennas periscopic fed Cassegrain antennas H01Q19/191; passive relays H04B7/145
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/062 using dipole aerials; H01Q21/067, H01Q21/068 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/002 providing at least two patterns of different beamwidth; Variable beamwidth antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/01 varying the shape of the antenna or antenna system
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/02 using mechanical movement of antenna or antenna system as a whole
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/285 Planar dipole H01Q9/065 takes precedence; patch antenna H01Q9/0407

Abstract

A variably controlled stagger antenna array architecture is disclosed. The array employs a plurality of driven radiating elements that are spatially arranged having each radiating element or element groups orthogonally movable relative to a main vertical axis. This provides a controlled variation of the antenna array'"'"'s azimuth radiation pattern without excessive side lobe radiation over full range of settings.

Claims

1. An antenna for a wireless network, comprising:

a generally planar reflector;

a plurality of radiators; and

one or more actuators coupled to at least some of the radiators;

wherein the radiators are reconfigurable from a first configuration where the radiators are all aligned to a second configuration where the radiators are configured in three columns, each column having plural radiators generally aligned.

2. The antenna of claim 1, wherein said plurality of radiators comprise a first and second plurality of radiators which are movable and a third plurality of radiators which are fixed.

3. The antenna of claim 2, wherein the first and second plurality of radiators are movable in opposite directions.

4. The antenna of claim 2, further comprising a first plurality of radiator mount plates coupled to the first plurality of radiators and slidable relative to the reflector and a second plurality of radiator mount plates coupled to the second plurality of radiators and slidable relative to the reflector.

5. The antenna of claim 4, wherein said reflector has a plurality of orifices and wherein said first and second plurality of radiator mount plates are configured behind said orifices.

6. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the reflector is generally planar defined by a Y-axis and a Z-axis parallel to the plane of the reflector and an X-axis extending out of the plane of the reflector, and wherein the radiators are spaced apart a distance VS in the Z direction.

7. The antenna of claim 6, wherein the reflectors in said first configuration are aligned along a center line parallel to the Z-axis of the reflector.

8. The antenna of claim 7, wherein the reflectors in said second configuration are offset in opposite Y directions from said center line by a distance HS₁ and HS₂ respectively.

9. The antenna of claim 8, wherein the radiators are spaced apart by a stagger distance (SD) defined by the following relationship:

SD=√

{square root over (HS²+VS²)}

where

HS=HS₁+HS₂.

10. The antenna of claim 1, further comprising a multipurpose port coupled to the one or more actuators to provide beam width control signals to the antenna.

11. The antenna of claim 1, further comprising a signal dividing-combining network for providing RF signals to the plurality of radiators wherein the signal dividing-combining network includes a phase shifting network for controlling elevation beam tilt by controlling relative phase of the RF signals applied to the radiators.

12. A mechanically variable beam width antenna, comprising:

a generally planar reflector;

a first plurality of radiators configured in a first column adjacent the reflector;

a second plurality of radiators configured in a second column adjacent the reflector;

a third plurality of radiators configured in a third column adjacent the reflector;

at least one actuator coupled to the first and second plurality of radiators,

wherein the first plurality of radiators and the second plurality of radiators are movable relative to each other in a direction generally parallel to the plane of the reflector from a first configuration wherein the first and second columns are spaced a first distance apart to a second configuration wherein the first and second columns are spaced a second distance apart.

13. The antenna of claim 12, further comprising a multipurpose port coupled to the at least one actuator to provide beam width control signals to the antenna.

14. The antenna of claim 12, further comprising a signal dividing-combining network for providing RF signals to the plurality of radiators wherein the signal dividing-combining network includes a phase shifting network for controlling elevation beam tilt by controlling relative phase of the RF signals applied to the radiators.

15. The antenna of claim 12, wherein the first and second plurality of radiators are configured in rows aligned perpendicularly to said columns and the third plurality of radiators are offset from the rows of said first and second plurality of radiators.

16. The antenna of claim 14, wherein the columns comprising the first and second plurality of radiators are spaced apart a distance HS and the orthogonal offset between the first and second plurality of radiators and the third plurality of radiators is VS, and a stagger distance (SD) between the first and second plurality of radiators and the third plurality of radiators is defined by the following relationship:

17. The antenna of claim 12, further comprising a first plurality of radiator mount plates coupled to the first plurality of radiators and slidable relative to the reflector and a second plurality of radiator mount plates coupled to the second plurality of radiators and slidable relative to the reflector, wherein pairs of first and second mount plates are coupled to a common actuator.

18. A method of adjusting signal beam width in a wireless antenna having a plurality of radiators at least some of which are movable in a direction generally parallel to a plane of the reflector, the method comprising:

providing the radiators in a first configuration where the radiators are all aligned in a single column generally parallel to the reflector axis to provide a first signal beam width; and

adjusting at least some of the radiators in a direction generally orthogonal to the axis of the column to a second configuration wherein the radiators are configured in at least three separate columns of plural radiators to provide a second signal beam width.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising providing at least one beam width control signal for remotely controlling the position setting of the radiators.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein in the first configuration all radiators are aligned with a center line of the reflector and wherein in the second configuration alternate radiators are offset from the center line of the reflector in opposite directions.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising providing variable beam tilt by controlling the phase of the RF signals applied to the radiators through a remotely controllable phase shifting network.

22. A method of adjusting signal beam width in a wireless antenna having a plurality of radiators at least some of which are movable in a direction generally parallel to a plane of the reflector, the method comprising:

providing the radiators in a first configuration wherein the radiators are aligned in at least three separate columns of plural radiators to provide a first signal beam width; and

adjusting at least some of the radiators in a direction generally orthogonal to the axis of the columns to a second configuration, wherein the radiators are configured in at least three separate columns of plural radiators and wherein at least two of the columns have a different spacing between the axes of the columns than in said first configuration, to provide a second signal beam width.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the at least three separate columns of plural radiators comprise first and second columns configured with rows of radiators aligned generally orthogonal to the axis of the columns.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the at least three separate columns of plural radiators further comprise a third column of radiators with radiators offset in a direction orthogonal to the rows of radiators comprising said first and second columns.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the radiators comprising said first and second columns are movable relative to each other in the direction of said rows.