A SIMPLIFIED MULTI-BAND MULTI-BEAM BASE-STATION ANTENNA ARCHITECTURE AND ITS IMPLEMENTATION

• US 20180301801A1
• Filed: 02/29/2016
• Published: 10/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Communications Components Antenna Inc.
• Original Assignee: Communications Components Antenna Inc.
• Inventors: HOJJAT, Nasrin, FARZANEH, Sadegh, SHEN, Lin-Ping, JONES, Bret, WANG, Hua, GAVRILOVIC, Minya, BROMLEY, Des, LOTZ, Willi, VAN BEEK, Jacob
• Granted Patent: US 11,177,565 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/523 between antennas of an array
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/062 using dipole aerials; H01Q21/067, H01Q21/068 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/065 Patch antenna array
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/08 the units being spaced along or adjacent to a rectilinear path waveguide fed H01Q21/0037
• 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 21/30 Combinations of separate antenna units operating in different wavebands and connected to a common feeder system
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/2605 Array of radiating elements provided with a feedback control over the element weights, e.g. adaptive arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/40 Imbricated or interleaved structures; Combined or electromagnetically coupled arrangements, e.g. comprising two or more non-connected fed radiating elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/48 Combinations of two or more dipole type antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/16 with feed intermediate between the extremities of the antenna, e.g. centre-fed dipole H01Q9/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/285 Planar dipole H01Q9/065 takes precedence; patch antenna H01Q9/0407

Abstract

A multi-band generalized antenna architecture using two or more types of antenna element is presented. Linear arrays of a first type of antenna element are used for one or more frequencies while a second antenna element type is used for other frequencies. The second type of antenna element is located between the linear arrays of the first antenna element type. The second antenna element type may be arranged in a staggered configuration or they may be arranged as linear arrays as well. The first type of antenna element may be a patch antenna element while the second type of antenna element may be a dipole antenna element. The patch antenna element may be used for high band frequencies while the dipole antenna element may be used in low band frequencies. The spacing in vertical direction is not equal to minimize the effect of arrays on each other.

Claims

1. An antenna system comprising:

a first antenna array comprising a plurality of first antenna array elements, said first antenna array being for use with low frequency band signals;

at least one second antenna array comprising a plurality of second antenna array elements, said at least one second antenna array being for use with high frequency band signals;

wherein

said second antenna array elements are interspersed among said first antenna array elements;

said first antenna array elements are of a first type of antenna array elements;

said second antenna array elements are of a second type of antenna array elements;

each of said first antenna array elements is at a different location from any of said second antenna array elements; and

each of said first antenna array elements and each of said second antenna array elements is a single band antenna element.

2. An antenna system according to claim 1, wherein said second antenna array elements are divided into a plurality of groups.

3. An antenna system according to claim 2, wherein each group of second antenna array elements is longitudinally separated from adjacent groups by a first predetermined spacing.

4. An antenna system according to claim 3, wherein within each group of second antenna array elements, each second antenna array element is longitudinally separated from adjacent second antenna array elements by a second predetermined spacing.

5. An antenna system according to claim 4, wherein said first predetermined spacing is different from said second predetermined spacing.

6. An antenna system according to claim 4, wherein said first predetermined spacing is greater than said second predetermined spacing.

7. An antenna system according to claim 2, wherein a longitudinal spacing between groups of second antenna elements is greater than a longitudinal spacing between second antenna elements within a group.

8. An antenna system according to claim 1, wherein said first antenna array elements are dipole antenna array elements.

9. An antenna system according to claim 1, wherein said second antenna array elements are patch antenna array elements.

10. An antenna system according to claim 2, wherein each group of said second antenna array elements is longitudinally located between elements of said first antenna array elements.

11. An antenna system according to claim 1, wherein said first antenna array comprises a plurality of rows of said first antenna array elements.

12. An antenna system according to claim 11, wherein at least two rows of said first antenna array elements have different numbers of first antenna array elements per row.

15. An antenna system according to claim 11, wherein rows of said second antenna array elements are located between at least two rows of said first antenna array elements.

16. An antenna system according to claim 1, wherein the antenna system produces multiple beams.

18. An antenna system according to claim 1, wherein said antenna system is a dual-beam dual-band antenna system.

19. An antenna system according to claim 1, wherein the at least two second antenna arrays comprise two independent second antenna arrays.

23. An antenna system according to claim 9, wherein at least one group of patch antenna array elements are fed from a back of patch antenna array elements by an integrated beamformer.

24. An antenna system according to claim 8, wherein at least one dipole antenna element is fed from a bottom or a top of a reflector of said antenna system.

25. An antenna system according to claim 23, wherein said integrated beamformer uses asymmetrical weightings for said patch antenna array elements.

26. An antenna system according to claim 23, wherein said integrated beamformer is used to remove a dispersion from crossover and to stabilize a sidelobe level of beams produced by said antenna system.

13-14. -14. (canceled)

17. (canceled)

20-22. -22. (canceled)

27-37. -37. (canceled)