Phased array cellular base station and associated methods for enhanced power efficiency
First Claim
1. A base station for a cellular communications system including a plurality of coverage areas, said base station comprising:
- radio channel generating means for generating a plurality of individual cellular radio channel signals each at a different frequency from one another;
at least four individual phased array antennas, positioned such that at least two of said at least four phased array antennas illuminate at least one common coverage area of the plurality of coverage areas; and
linking means operatively connecting said radio channel generating means and said phased array antennas so that each individual phased array antenna transmits only one individual cellular radio channel signal.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A base station includes a radio channel generating circuit for generating a plurality of individual radio channel signals each at a different frequency from one another, and a plurality of individual phased array antennas operatively connected to the radio channel generating circuit so that each individual phased array antenna transmits only one individual radio channel signal at a time. Each of the phased array antennas preferably includes a substrate and a plurality of radiating elements mounted thereon in a predetermined pattern. Each radiating element is readily provided by a stripline, and the substrate is preferably a circuit board. Accordingly, another feature of the base station according to the invention is that power radiated by each phased array antenna can be selectively controlled to reduce possible interference while maintaining communications with respective mobile units that are both near and far from the base station. A switch may be provided between the radio channel generating circuit and the phased array antennas to facilitate cell splitting. Method aspects for operating the base station are also disclosed.
170 Citations
58 Claims
-
1. A base station for a cellular communications system including a plurality of coverage areas, said base station comprising:
-
radio channel generating means for generating a plurality of individual cellular radio channel signals each at a different frequency from one another; at least four individual phased array antennas, positioned such that at least two of said at least four phased array antennas illuminate at least one common coverage area of the plurality of coverage areas; and linking means operatively connecting said radio channel generating means and said phased array antennas so that each individual phased array antenna transmits only one individual cellular radio channel signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A base station for a cellular communications system, said base station comprising:
-
radio channel generating means for generating a plurality of individual radio channel signals each at a different frequency from one another; a plurality of individual phased array antennas; and linking means operatively connecting said radio channel generating means and said phased array antennas so that each individual phased array antenna transmits only one individual radio channel signal; wherein each of said phased array antennas comprises a substrate and a plurality of radiating elements mounted thereon in a predetermined pattern; said base station further comprising signal quality receiver means for receiving a signal transmitted from a mobile unit relating to signal quality received at the mobile unit, and further comprising antenna power control means connected to said signal quality receiver means and said phased array antennas for selectively operating predetermined ones of said radiating elements in each respective phased array antenna responsive to said signal quality received at the mobile unit.
-
-
12. A base station for a cellular communications system, said base station comprising:
-
radio channel generating means for generating a plurality of individual radio channel signals each at a different frequency from one another; a plurality of individual phased array antennas; and linking means operatively connecting said radio channel generating means and said phased array antennas so that each individual phased array antenna transmits only one individual radio channel signal; wherein each of said phased array antennas comprises a substrate and a plurality of radiating elements mounted thereon in a predetermined pattern; said base station further comprising signal strength means for sensing received signal strength from a mobile unit, and further comprising antenna power control means connected to said signal strength means and said phased array antennas for selectively operating predetermined ones of said radiating elements in each respective phased array antenna responsive to the sensed received signal strength.
-
-
13. A base station for a cellular communications system, said base station comprising:
-
radio channel generating means for generating a plurality of individual radio channel signals each at a different frequency from one another; a plurality of individual phased array antennas; linking means operatively connecting said radio channel generating means and said phased array antennas so that each individual phased array antenna transmits only one individual radio channel signal; and switch means connected between said radio channel generating means and said phased array antennas and movable between first and second positions so that said switch means when in the first position couples together two or more predetermined phased array antennas for increasing radiated antenna power for a respective radio channel signal, and so that said switch means when in the second position decouples the two or more predetermined phased array antennas for increasing radio channel capacity for the base station.
-
-
14. A base station for a cellular communications system including a plurality of coverage areas, said base station comprising:
-
radio channel generating means for generating a plurality of individual cellular radio channel signals each at a different frequency from one another; and at least four individual phased array antennas positioned such that at least two of said at least four phased array antennas illuminate at least one common coverage area of the plurality of coverage areas and connected to said cellular radio channel generating means so that each individual phased array antenna transmits only one individual radio channel signal. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
-
-
22. A base station for a cellular communications system, said base station comprising:
-
radio channel generating means for generating a plurality of individual radio channel signals each at a different frequency from one another; and a plurality of individual phased array antennas connected to said radio channel generating means so that each individual phased array antenna transmits only one individual radio channel signal; wherein each of said phased array antennas comprises a substrate and a plurality of radiating elements mounted thereon in a predetermined pattern; said base station further comprising signal quality receiver means for receiving a signal transmitted from a mobile unit relating to signal quality received at the mobile unit, and further comprising antenna power control means connected to said signal quality receiver means and said phased array antennas for selectively operating predetermined ones of said radiating elements in each respective phased array antenna responsive to said signal quality received at the mobile unit.
-
-
23. A base station for a cellular communications system, said base station comprising:
-
radio channel generating means for generating a plurality of individual radio channel signals each at a different frequency from one another; and a plurality of individual phased array antennas connected to said radio channel generating means so that each individual phased array antenna transmits only one individual radio channel signal; wherein each of said phased array antennas comprises a substrate and a plurality of radiating elements mounted thereon in a predetermined pattern; said base station further comprising signal strength means for sensing received signal strength from a mobile unit, and further comprising antenna power control means connected to said signal strength means and said phased array antennas for selectively operating predetermined ones of said radiating elements in each respective phased array antenna responsive to the sensed received signal strength.
-
-
24. A base station for a cellular communications system, said base station comprising:
-
radio channel generating means for generating a plurality of individual radio channel signals each at a different frequency from one another; a plurality of individual phased array antennas connected to said radio channel generating means so that each individual phased array antenna transmits only one individual radio channel signal; and switch means connected between said radio channel generating means and said phased array antennas and movable between first and second positions so that said switch means when in the first position couples together two or more predetermined phased array antennas for increasing radiated antenna power for a respective radio channel signal, and so that said switch means when in the second position decouples the two or more predetermined phased array antennas for increasing radio channel capacity for the base station.
-
-
25. A base station for a cellular communications system, said base station comprising:
-
radio channel generating means for generating a plurality of radio channel signals; at least one phased array antenna connected to said radio channel generating means, said at least one phased array antenna comprising a plurality of radiating elements; signal quality receiver means for receiving a signal transmitted from a mobile unit relating to signal quality received at the mobile unit; and antenna power control means connected to said signal quality receiver means and said at least one phased array antenna for selectively operating predetermined ones of said radiating elements responsive to said signal quality received at the mobile unit. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29)
-
-
30. A base station for a cellular communications system including a plurality of coverage areas, said base station comprising:
-
radio channel generating means for generating a plurality of individual cellular radio channel signals each at a different frequency from one another, said radio channel generating means further comprising multiplexing means for time division multiplexing a plurality of input signals for each cellular radio channel signal; at least four individual phased array antennas positioned such that at least two of said at least four phased array antennas illuminate at least one common coverage area of the plurality of coverage areas; and linking means operatively connecting said radio channel generating means and said phased array antennas so that each individual phased array antenna transmits only one individual cellular radio channel signal. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 39)
-
-
38. A base station for a cellular communications system, said base station comprising:
-
radio channel generating means for generating a plurality of individual radio channel signals each at a different frequency from one another, said radio channel generating means further comprising multiplexing means for time division multiplexing a plurality of input signals for each radio channel signal; a plurality of individual phased array antennas; and linking means operatively connecting said radio channel generating means and said phased array antennas so that each individual phased array antenna transmits only one individual radio channel signal; wherein each of said phased array antennas comprises a substrate and a plurality of radiating elements mounted thereon in a predetermined pattern; said base station further comprising signal quality receiver means for receiving a signal transmitted from a mobile unit relating to signal quality received at the mobile unit, and further comprising antenna power control means connected to said signal quality receiver means and said phased array antennas for selectively operating predetermined ones of said radiating elements in each respective phased array antenna responsive to said signal quality received at the mobile unit.
-
-
40. A base station for a cellular communications system, said base station comprising:
-
radio channel generating means for generating plurality of individual radio channel signals each at a different frequency from one another, said radio channel generating means further comprising multiplexing means for time division multiplexing a plurality of input signals for each radio channel signal; a plurality of individual phased array antennas; and linking means operatively connecting said radio channel generating means and said phased array antennas so that each individual phased array antenna transmits only one individual radio channel signal; wherein each of said phased array antennas comprises a substrate and a plurality of radiating elements mounted thereon in a predetermined pattern; said base station further comprising signal strength means for sensing received signal strength from a mobile unit, and further comprising antenna power control means connected to said signal strength means and said phased array antennas for selectively operating predetermined ones of said radiating elements in each respective phased array antenna responsive to the sensed received signal strength.
-
-
41. A base station for a cellular communications system, said base station comprising:
-
radio channel generating means for generating a plurality of individual radio channel signals each at a different frequency from one another, said radio channel generating means further comprising multiplexing means for time division multiplexing a plurality of input signals for each radio channel signal; a plurality of individual phased array antennas; and linking means operatively connecting said radio channel generating means and said phased array antennas so that each individual phased array antenna transmits only one individual radio channel signal; wherein said multiplexing means comprises means for multiplexing each input signal into predetermined time slot in respective repetitive multiplex frames for a plurality of predetermined radio channel signals; said base station further comprising switch means connected between said radio channel generating means and said phased array antennas and movable between first and second positions so that said switch means when in the first position couples together two or more predetermined phased array antennas for increasing radiated antenna power for a respective radio channel signal, and so that said switch means when in the second position decouples the two or more predetermined phased array antennas for increasing radio channel capacity for the base station.
-
-
42. A base station for a cellular communications system, said base station comprising:
-
radio channel generating means for generating a plurality of radio channel signals; a plurality of phased array antennas connected to said radio channel generating means; and switch means connected between said radio channel generating means and said phased array antennas and movable between first and second positions so that said switch means when in the first position couples together two or more predetermined phased array antennas for increasing radiated antenna power for a respective radio channel signal, and so that said switch means when in the second position decouples the two or more predetermined phased array antennas for increasing radio channel capacity for the base station. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
-
-
49. A method for operating a base station for a cellular radio communications system of the type including a plurality of coverage areas, the base station of the type including at least four individual phased array antennas positioned such that at least two of the at least four phased array antennas illuminate at least one common coverage area of the plurality of coverage areas, said method comprising the steps of:
-
generating a plurality of individual cellular radio channel signals each at a different frequency from one another; and operating each individual phased array antenna to transmit only one individual cellular radio channel signal. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52)
-
-
53. A method for operating a base station for a cellular radio communications system of the type including a plurality of individual phased array antennas, said method comprising the steps of:
-
generating a plurality of individual radio channel signals each at a different frequency from one another; and operating each individual phased array antenna to transmit only one individual radio channel signal; wherein each of the phased array antennas includes a plurality of radiating elements, and further comprising the step of receiving a signal transmitted from a mobile unit relating to signal quality received at the mobile unit, and selectively operating predetermined ones of the radiating elements in each respective phased array antenna responsive to said signal quality received at the mobile unit.
-
-
54. A method for operating a base station for a cellular radio communications system of the type including a plurality of individual phased array antennas, said method comprising the steps of:
-
generating a plurality of individual radio channel signals each at a different frequency from one another; operating each individual phased array antenna to transmit only one individual radio channel signal; and coupling together two or more predetermined phased array antennas for increasing radiated antenna power for a respective radio channel signal. - View Dependent Claims (55)
-
-
56. A method for operating a base station for a radio cellular radio communications system including at least one phased array antenna comprising a plurality of radiating elements, the method comprising the steps of:
-
generating a plurality of radio channel signals and transmitting the plurality of radio channel signals from the at least one phased array antenna; receiving a signal transmitted from a mobile unit relating to signal quality received at the mobile unit; and selectively operating predetermined ones of the radiating elements responsive to signal quality received at the mobile unit. - View Dependent Claims (57)
-
-
58. A method for operating a base station for a cellular radio communications system of the type including a plurality of phased array antennas, the method comprising the steps of:
-
generating a radio channel signal and delivering same to a plurality of predetermined phased array antennas coupled together for increasing radiated antenna power for the radio channel signal; and later decoupling the plurality of predetermined phased array antennas and operating the predetermined phased array antennas with respective different radio frequency channels for increasing radio channel capacity for the base station.
-
Specification