Antenna deployment sector cell shaping system and method
First Claim
1. A system for dynamically adjusting a sector size of a plurality of sectors of a radiation pattern, the radiation pattern impacting a communication device having a plurality of inputs, wherein ones of said plurality of inputs are associated with a particular sector of said plurality of sectors of said radiation pattern, said system comprising:
- means for providing a plurality of predefined narrow beams composited to form said radiation pattern, each beam having a discrete signal associated therewith suitable for input into particular inputs of said plurality of inputs, wherein a sector of said plurality of sectors is at least in part defined as a function of ones of said discrete signals input into a same particular input of said communication device; and
means for periodically altering said ones of said discrete signals input into said same particular input of said communication device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method are disclosed for dynamically sizing sectors of a multi-sectored radiation pattern. The disclosed invention teaches the use of multiple narrow beams composited to form a radiation pattern. Signals associated with each such narrow beam may be provided to inputs of a scan receiver or signaling radio which inputs are associated with a particular sector of the radiation pattern. The number of narrow beam signals provided inputs associated with a particular sector defines the azimuthal width of that sector. By altering the number of narrow beam signals provided each such input, the azimuthal width of the sectors may be adjusted. The disclosed invention also teaches the use of attenuators in the signal path between the narrow beams and the scan receiver or signalling radio. By adjusting these attenuators, the effective length of the sectors may be adjusted.
123 Citations
48 Claims
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1. A system for dynamically adjusting a sector size of a plurality of sectors of a radiation pattern, the radiation pattern impacting a communication device having a plurality of inputs, wherein ones of said plurality of inputs are associated with a particular sector of said plurality of sectors of said radiation pattern, said system comprising:
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means for providing a plurality of predefined narrow beams composited to form said radiation pattern, each beam having a discrete signal associated therewith suitable for input into particular inputs of said plurality of inputs, wherein a sector of said plurality of sectors is at least in part defined as a function of ones of said discrete signals input into a same particular input of said communication device; and means for periodically altering said ones of said discrete signals input into said same particular input of said communication device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A system for providing a plurality of variable size sectors in a radiation pattern including a plurality of predefined beams each providing a discrete beam signal suitable for input into a communication device having a plurality of inputs, wherein ones of said plurality of inputs are associated with a particular sector of a plurality of sectors in said radiation pattern, said system comprising:
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a plurality of beam signal path control means for providing ones of said plurality of beam signals to select said inputs of said communication device, wherein a sector of said plurality of sectors is defined at least in part as a function of said beam signals provided to a same said input of said communication device; and a plurality of signal combining means for combining into a composite signal ones of said plurality of beam signals to be provided to a same said select input of said communication device by said beam signal path control means, wherein at least one of said plurality of signal combining means is disposed between each of said beam signal path control means and each of said communication device inputs. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method for providing a variable size sector in a radiation pattern including a plurality of predefined beams each providing a discrete beam signal suitable for input into a transceiver having a plurality of inputs, wherein ones of said plurality of inputs are associated with a particular sector of a plurality of sectors identifiable in said radiation pattern, said method comprising the steps of:
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splitting ones of said plurality of beam signals into substantially identical split beam signals suitable for simultaneous provision to more than one input of said plurality of inputs of said transceiver; and selecting said inputs of said transceiver for input of ones of said split beam signals based at least in part on a particular sector said ones of said split beam signals are to be associated with. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. An apparatus for dynamically adjusting sector size of a plurality of sectors of a radiation pattern composed of a plurality of predefined narrow beams each providing a discrete signal suitable for input into a communication device having a plurality of inputs, wherein ones of said plurality of inputs are associated with a particular sector of said plurality of sectors of said radiation pattern, said apparatus comprising:
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a signal splitter associated with each said discrete signal operable to split said discrete signals into multiple signals each suitable for simultaneous provision to more than one input of said plurality of inputs of said communication device; a switch matrix associated with each said discrete signal operable to switchably connect ones of said multiple signals to any combination of said plurality of inputs of said communication device; and a set of signal attenuators operable to attenuate ones of said multiple signals associated with a particular discrete signal, wherein attenuation of said ones of said multiple signals is controlled to artificially force a handing off of a communication signal present in an associated one of said discrete signals. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 48)
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42. An apparatus for dynamically adjusting sector size of a plurality of sectors of a radiation pattern composed of a plurality of predefined narrow beams each providing a discrete signal suitable for input into a communication device having a plurality of inputs, wherein ones of said plurality of inputs are associated with a particular sector of said plurality of sectors of said radiation pattern, said apparatus comprising:
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a signal splitter associated with each said discrete signal operable to split said discrete signals into multiple signals each suitable for simultaneous provision to more than one input of said plurality of inputs of said communication device; a set of signal amplifier/attenuators associated with each said discrete signal operable to amplify/attenuate ones of said multiple signals associated with said discrete signal, wherein low order attenuation of said multiple signals provides communication of said multiple signal to a particular input of said plurality of inputs and high order attenuation of said multiple signals substantially interrupts communication of said multiple signal to said particular input; and a signal combiner associated with each input of said plurality of inputs of said communication device operable to combine ones of said multiple signals provided to a same input of said plurality of inputs into a composite signal for input into said communication device, wherein a width of each sector of said plurality of sectors is at least in part defined as a function of said multiple signals provided said inputs associated with each said sector. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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Specification