Adaptive antenna

• US 5,936,577 A
• Filed: 10/17/1997
• Issued: 08/10/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Yokoi, Tokihiko, Shoki, Hiroki, Mukai, Manabu
• Primary Examiner(s): Hellner, Mark
• Application Number:
  US08/953,666
• Time in Patent Office: 662 Days
• Field of Search: 342/373, 455/422, 455/33.3, 379/59, 370/339
• US Class Current: 342/373
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/00 Antennas or antenna systems providing at least two radiating patterns arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern H01Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/2605 Array of radiating elements provided with a feedback control over the element weights, e.g. adaptive arrays

Abstract

Features of an adaptive antenna are a controlling portion 11 as a method for detecting the communication amount of each beam and an antenna controlling portion 7 as a controlling method for controlling the pattern of each beam corresponding to information of the detected communication amount. In particular, an exciting weight of each antenna element is controlled corresponding to the detected communication amount and thereby the pattern of each beam is controlled. Thus, the communication amounts of individual beams can be flexibly well-balanced. Consequently, the communication capacity of the base station can be effectively used.

Claims

1. An adaptive antenna, comprising:

a plurality of antenna elements for forming a plurality of beams that cover a predetermined service area;

detecting means for detecting a communication amount of data transmitted or received with each of the beams; and

controlling means for controlling a direction and width of each of the beams corresponding to the detected communication amount.

2. The adaptive antenna as set forth in claim 1,

wherein said controlling means has beam pattern controlling means for controlling the direction and width of each of the beams corresponding to the detected communication amount so as to cause the communication amounts of the beams to be nearly matched.

3. The adaptive antenna as set forth in claim 1,

wherein said controlling means has means for controlling the direction and width of each of the beams when a maximum communication amount of each of the beams exceeds a predetermined value.

4. The adaptive antenna as set forth in claim 2,

wherein said beam pattern controlling means controls an exciting weight of each of the antenna elements so as to control the direction and width of each of the beam.

5. The adaptive antenna as set forth in claim 2,

wherein said beam pattern controlling means controls the width of at least a first beam and a second beam, the first beam having a maximum communication amount, the second beam having a minimum communication amount.

6. The adaptive antenna as set forth in claim 2,

wherein said beam pattern controlling means controls the width of at least a first beam and a second beam, the first beam having a maximum communication amount, the second beam having a minimum communication amount while keeping a sum of widths nearly constant.

7. The adaptive antenna as set forth in claim 4,

wherein said beam pattern controlling means has:

a weight information storing unit for storing exciting weight information of each of the antenna elements so as to accomplish optimum control of each of the beams corresponding to the communication amount of each of the beams; and

means for selecting relevant exciting weight information in said weight information storing unit.

8. The adaptive antenna as claimed in claim 4,

wherein said beam pattern controlling means has:

a pattern information storing unit for storing optimum direction and width information for each of the beams corresponding to the communication amount of each of the beams; and

means for calculating an exciting weight corresponding to a minimum difference between direction and width of each of the beams and the optimum direction and width information stored in said pattern information storing unit.

9. The adaptive antenna as set forth in claim 4,

wherein said beam pattern controlling means switches an exciting weight of each of said antenna elements in steps so as to control the direction and width of each of the beams.

10. An adaptive antenna, comprising:

a plurality of antenna elements for forming a plurality of beams that cover a predetermined service area;

detecting means for detecting for each of the beams a communication amount of data transmitted or received with each of the beams; and

controlling means for controlling a direction and width of each of the beams corresponding to the detected communication amount for each of the beams.

11. The adaptive antenna as set forth in claim 10,

wherein said controlling means has beam pattern controlling means for controlling the direction of each of the beams corresponding to the detected communication amount so as to cause the communication amounts of the beams to be nearly matched.

12. The adaptive antenna as set forth in claim 10,

wherein said controlling means has means for controlling the direction and width of each of the beams when a maximum communication amount of each of the beams exceeds a predetermined value.

13. The adaptive antenna as set forth in claim 11,

wherein said beam pattern controlling means controls an exciting weight of each of the antenna elements so as to control the direction and width of each of the beam.

14. The adaptive antenna as set forth in claim 11,

wherein said beam pattern controlling means controls the width of at least a first beam and a second beam, the first beam having a maximum communication amount, the second beam having a minimum communication amount.

15. The adaptive antenna as set forth in claim 11,

wherein said beam pattern controlling means controls the width of at least a first beam and a second beam, the first beam having a maximum communication amount, the second beam having a minimum communication amount while keeping a sum of width nearly constant.

16. The adaptive antenna as set forth in claim 13,

wherein said beam pattern controlling means has:

a weight information storing unit for storing exciting weight information of each of the antenna elements so as to accomplish optimum control of each of the beams corresponding to the communication amount of each of the beams; and

means for selecting relevant exciting weight information in said weight information storing unit.

17. The adaptive antenna as claimed in claim 13,

wherein said beam pattern controlling means has:

a pattern information storing unit for storing optimum direction and width information for each of the beams corresponding to the communication amount of each of the beams; and

means for calculating an exciting weight corresponding to a minimum difference between direction and width of each of the beams and the optimum direction and width information stored in said pattern information storing unit.

18. The adaptive antenna as set forth in claim 13,

wherein said beam pattern controlling means switches an exciting weight of each of said antenna elements in steps so as to control the direction and width of each of the beams.