High gain antenna systems for cellular use
First Claim
1. A multi-beam antenna system, suitable for use in a communication system including a sector antenna having a beamwidth providing sector coverage, a transmitter, and a receiver system for receiving user signals from a user located in said sector, comprising:
- multi-beam first antenna means for providing a plurality of first antenna beams which are narrower than said sector and collectively cover at least a portion of said sector;
a plurality of beam ports, each arranged for coupling first antenna beam signals received in one of said first antenna beams;
multicoupler means, coupled to each of said beam ports, for making first antenna beam signals received in each said first antenna beam available at a plurality of parallel ports;
a plurality of switching means, each coupled to each of said beam ports via said parallel ports and having a switch output port and each responsive to selection signals, for selectively providing any one of said first antenna beam signals at a first switch output port coupled to said receiver system and any one of said first antenna beam signals at a second switch output port; and
controller means, coupled to said second switch output port of said switching means, (a) for providing selection signals to said switching means to cause first antenna beam signals received in different ones of said first antenna beams to be sequentially provided at said second switch output port, (b) for analyzing said sequentially provided beam signals and selecting, on a predetermined basis, first antenna beam signals received in one of said first antenna beams, and (c) for providing selection signals to said switching means to cause said selected first antenna beam signals to be coupled to said receiver system via said first switch output port to enable reception of said user signals.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In a cellular type communication system a sector antenna 12 provides coverage of a sector with a relatively low receive gain. A multi-beam antenna 20 covers the same sector with a plurality of narrower beams 21'"'"', 22'"'"', 23'"'"' and 24'"'"' providing higher gain. A multi-beam antenna system 10 provides higher gain operation by selecting the one of the narrower beams 21'"'"', 22'"'"', 23'"'"' or 24'"'"' currently providing best reception of a signal transmitted by a user and coupling that selected beam to a system receiver 18. Beam selection is accomplished by sequentially coupling each narrow beam to a microprocessor based control unit 40 and storing samples of user signals as received in each narrow beam on a continuing repetitive basis. The stored samples are then analyzed in order to select the beam currently providing best reception. If, based on analysis of subsequent samples, a different one of beams 21'"'"', 22'"'"', 23'"'"' or 24'"'"' provides best reception (because of user movement or changing transmission conditions) that different beam is coupled to the system receiver 18. Spaced diversity reception is achieved by providing a second multi-beam antenna 20a and enabling the system receiver 18 to choose either of two, or both, inputs. Fail/safe operation is provided by coupling the sector antenna 12 to the system receiver 18 in the absence of coupling of a superior narrow beam signal.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. A multi-beam antenna system, suitable for use in a communication system including a sector antenna having a beamwidth providing sector coverage, a transmitter, and a receiver system for receiving user signals from a user located in said sector, comprising:
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multi-beam first antenna means for providing a plurality of first antenna beams which are narrower than said sector and collectively cover at least a portion of said sector; a plurality of beam ports, each arranged for coupling first antenna beam signals received in one of said first antenna beams; multicoupler means, coupled to each of said beam ports, for making first antenna beam signals received in each said first antenna beam available at a plurality of parallel ports; a plurality of switching means, each coupled to each of said beam ports via said parallel ports and having a switch output port and each responsive to selection signals, for selectively providing any one of said first antenna beam signals at a first switch output port coupled to said receiver system and any one of said first antenna beam signals at a second switch output port; and controller means, coupled to said second switch output port of said switching means, (a) for providing selection signals to said switching means to cause first antenna beam signals received in different ones of said first antenna beams to be sequentially provided at said second switch output port, (b) for analyzing said sequentially provided beam signals and selecting, on a predetermined basis, first antenna beam signals received in one of said first antenna beams, and (c) for providing selection signals to said switching means to cause said selected first antenna beam signals to be coupled to said receiver system via said first switch output port to enable reception of said user signals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A multi-beam antenna system, for receiving user signals from a user located in an azimuth sector and providing said user signals to a receiver, comprising:
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a sector antenna providing a sector beam for coverage in said sector with a first gain; antenna means for providing a plurality of narrow beams, each narrower than said sector beam and providing higher gain; a plurality of beam ports, each for providing signals received in one of said sector and narrow beams; controller means, coupled to each of said beam ports and responsive to a user identification provided via said sector beam, for analyzing narrow beam signals received in each of said narrow beams with respect to presence of said user signals from said user, for selecting one of said narrow beam signals on a predetermined basis, and for causing said selected narrow band signals to be coupled to an output port to enable coupling to a receiver for processing of said user signal.
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16. A multi-beam antenna system, for receiving user signals from a user located in an azimuth sector and providing said user signals to a receiver, comprising:
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antenna means for providing a plurality of narrow beams, each narrower than said azimuth sector; a plurality of beam ports, each for providing signals received in one of said narrow beams; controller means, coupled to each of said beam ports, for sequentially analyzing, on a continuing basis, signals received in each of said narrow beams with respect to presence of said user signals from said user, for selecting signals in one of said narrow beams on a predetermined basis, for causing said selected signals to be coupled to an output port to enable coupling to a receiver for processing of said user signal and for subsequently causing signals in a different one of said narrow beams to be coupled to said output port when said sequential analysis results in selection of signals in said different one of said narrow beams on said predetermined basis. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method for receiving cellular communication signals from a user located in an azimuth sector by use of an antenna beam narrower than said sector, comprising the steps of:
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(a) identifying a user signal by use of sector beam signals received in a sector beam providing antenna beam coverage of said sector; (b) providing a first plurality of narrow beams, each providing antenna beam coverage narrower than said sector and collectively providing coverage of at least a portion of said sector; (c) analyzing narrow beam signals received in each of said narrow beams with respect to the presence of said user signal; (d) selecting, on a predetermined basis, one of said narrow beam signals; and (e) coupling said selected narrow beam signal to an output port to enable coupling to a receiver to provide said user signal with higher gain than provided by said sector beam. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A beam selection method, usable in a communication system wherein a user signal may initially be received in different ones of a plurality of available time slots, comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a plurality of contiguous antenna beams; (b) receiving an initial signal from a user in a first time slot of a repetitive series of time slots; (c) determining the antenna beam which provided the strongest reception of said initial signal; (d) assigning the antenna beam determined in step (c) for reception of subsequent signals from said user in all available time slots within a time period; (e) providing a relative count for each antenna beam of occurrences of strongest reception of signals from said user in available time slots within said time period; and (f) selecting for reception of signals from said user the antenna beam for which said step (e) relative count is the highest. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification