Antenna Apparatus, Antenna System, and Antenna Electrical Tilting Method

• US 20130127666A1
• Filed: 01/11/2013
• Published: 05/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Xie, Shoubo, Zhang, Tingting, Wang, Jisong, Pei, Shubao
• Granted Patent: US 9,653,798 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/359
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/00 Arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern of the waves radiated from an antenna or antenna system means for positioning H01Q1/125
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/005 using remotely controlled antenna positioning or scanning
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/06 over a restricted angle
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/34 by electrical means active lenses or reflecting arrays H01Q3/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide an antenna apparatus, a system, and an adjusting method. The antenna apparatus is configured to be used in conjunction with an RCU (remote control unit, external remote control unit). The antenna apparatus includes a readable and writable memory and a motor. The readable and writable memory is configured to store configuration data of an antenna and antenna information corresponding to the configuration data, where the configuration data is used to control the RCU to drive the motor to move, so as to adjust an electrical down-tilt angle of the antenna.

Claims

1. An antenna apparatus, configured to be used in conjunction with a remote control unit (RCU), the antenna apparatus comprising:

a readable and writable memory, configured to store configuration data of an antenna and antenna information corresponding to the configuration data, wherein when the configuration data is loaded to the RCU, the RCU is enabled to drive a motor to move according to the configuration data, so as to adjust an electrical down-tilt angle of the antenna.

2. The antenna apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the antenna information comprises one or more of antenna frequency bands, antenna serial numbers, and antenna models.

3. The antenna apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the readable and writable memory is an electronic label radio frequency identification (RFID) tag.

4. The antenna apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an external reading and writing device, wherein the external reading and writing device is configured to perform read and write operations on the readable and writable memory so as to read the antenna information, retrieve the configuration data of the antenna from the readable and writable memory according to the antenna information, and then load the configuration data to the RCU.

5. The antenna apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the external reading and writing device is built in the RCU.

6. The antenna apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a visualization window unit connected with the RCU, wherein the visualization window unit is configured to deliver a query command to control the external reading and writing device to obtain the antenna information.

7. (canceled)

8. An antenna electrical tilting method, comprising:

retrieving configuration data that corresponds to antenna information and is stored in a readable and writable memory inside an antenna according to the antenna information;

loading the configuration data to a remote control unit; and

driving a motor inside the antenna to move according to the configuration data to adjust an electrical down-tilt angle of the antenna.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the antenna information comprises one or more of antenna frequency bands, antenna serial numbers, and antenna models.

10. An antenna system, comprising:

a remote control unit (RCU); and

an antenna apparatus that comprises an antenna, a readable and writable memory, and a motor, wherein the RCU is used in conjunction with the antenna apparatus;

wherein the readable and writable memory is configured to store configuration data of the antenna and antenna information corresponding to the configuration data, wherein, when the configuration data is loaded to the RCU, the RCU drives the motor inside the antenna to move according to the configuration data to adjust an electrical down-tilt angle of the antenna.

11. The antenna system according to claim 10, wherein the antenna information comprises one or more of antenna frequency bands, antenna serial numbers, and antenna models.

12. The antenna system according to claim 10, wherein the readable and writable memory comprises an electronic label radio frequency identification (RFID) tag.

13. The antenna system according to claim 10, further comprising an external reading and writing device, wherein the external reading and writing device is configured to perform read and write operations on the readable and writable memory, so as to read the antenna information, retrieve the configuration data of the antenna from the readable and writable memory according to the antenna information, and then load the configuration data to the RCU.

14. The antenna system according to claim 13, wherein the external reading and writing device is built in the RCU.

15. The antenna system according to claim 14, further comprising a visualization window unit connected with the RCU, wherein the visualization window unit is configured to deliver a query command to control the external reading and writing device to obtain the antenna information.