High performance, directional cellular band antenna

• US 6,281,858 B1
• Filed: 11/22/1999
• Issued: 08/28/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TRW Limited (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: Rucker, Donald L., Serrano, Francisco J., Humphrey, Brent R., Jennetti, Anthony G., Manassero, Greg A., Belingheri, Ralph A.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, HOANGANH T
• Application Number:
  US09/447,166
• Time in Patent Office: 645 Days
• Field of Search: H01/Q 2.100, 343/818, 343/820, 343/821, 343/822, 343/823, 343/795, 343/793, 343/816
• US Class Current: 343/818
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/007 specially adapted for indoor communication
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/42 Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/106 using two or more intersecting plane surfaces, e.g. corner reflector antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/108 Combination of a dipole with a plane reflecting surface H01Q19/106 takes precedence; strip line H01Q9/065
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/28 Conical, cylindrical, cage, strip, gauze, or like elements having an extended radiating surface; Elements comprising two conical surfaces having collinear axes and adjacent apices and fed by two-conductor transmission lines waveguide horns or mouths H01Q13/00; slot antennas H01Q13/00

Abstract

An indoor cellular band antenna has an outer metal housing having a 90° inner configuration and a radome positioned over the front of the housing. An antenna dipole is mounted in the housing and includes two dipole members. Each dipole member includes a rectangular dipole element extended transmission balun members and a back mounting plate. An antenna cable extends through the top panel of the housing. An outer conductor of the cable is electrically connected to one of the transmission balun member of one dipole member and an inner conductor is electrically connected to the dipole element of the same dipole member. The inner and outer conductors of the cable are mounted to the dipole member by connectors formed from the dipole member.

Claims

1. An antenna system comprising:

a housing, said housing having at least one housing panel defining a reflector;

a dipole antenna positioned within the housing, said dipole antenna including a first dipole member and a second dipole member that are electro-magnetically coupled together, said first dipole member including a first rectangular-shaped dipole element and said second dipole member including a second rectangular-shaped dipole element, where the first and second dipole members are positioned on substantially the same plane, said first dipole member further including a first transmission balun member; and

a cable extending into the housing and being electrically connected to the first dipole member, wherein an outer conductor of the cable is electrically connected to the first transmission balun member and an inner conductor of the cable is electrically connected to the first dipole element.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein the first dipole member includes a first mounting plate and the second dipole member includes a second transmission balun member and a second mounting plate, said first and second mounting plates being mounted to the housing, wherein the first and second transmission balun members are spaced apart a predetermined distance and are substantially parallel to each other, and wherein the first transmission balun member is substantially perpendicular to the first dipole element and the second transmission balun member is substantially perpendicular to the second dipole element.

3. The system according to claim 2 wherein the first dipole element, transmission balun member and mounting plate are formed of a single piece of metal, and the second dipole element, transmission balun member and mounting plate are formed of a single piece of formed metal.

4. The system according to claim 2 wherein the cable is mounted between the first and second transmission balun members.

5. The system according to claim 4 wherein the cable is mounted to the first dipole member.

6. The system according to claim 5 wherein the cable is connected to the first transmission balun member by a stand-off so as to separate the cable from the first dipole member, said stand-off being formed from the first transmission balun member.

7. The system according to claim 1 wherein the outer conductor of the cable is connected to the first transmission balun member by a punched-out section of the first transmission balun member and the inner conductor of the cable is connected to the first dipole element by a punched-out section of the first dipole element.

8. The system according to claim 1 wherein the housing includes first and second side panels that are angled relative to each other at about 90°

and are connected to a rectangular-shaped back panel to form a truncated corner configuration.

9. The system according to claim 8 wherein the housing further includes trapezoidal-shaped top and bottom panels.

10. The system according to claim 1 wherein the housing further includes a front panel radome, said front panel radome being removably attached to side panels of the housing by extended clips.

11. The system according to claim 1 wherein the antenna system provides high performance reception and transmission in the 800 to 1050 MHz range.

12. An antenna for receiving and transmitting cellular-band frequencies, said antenna comprising:

a housing, said housing including angled side panels positioned at about 90°

relative to each other, trapezoidal-shaped top and bottom panels, and a back panel defining a truncated corner configuration, said housing panels being an antenna reflector;

a first dipole member positioned within the housing, said first dipole member including a first dipole element, a first elongated transmission balun member connected to the first dipole element, and a first mounting plate connected to the first transmission balun member and the back panel, wherein the first transmission balun member is substantially perpendicular to the first dipole element;

a second dipole member positioned within the housing, said second dipole member including a second dipole element, a second elongated transmission balun member connected to the second dipole element, and a second mounting plate connected to the second transmission balun member and the back panel, wherein the second transmission balun member is substantially perpendicular to the second dipole element; and

a coaxial cable extending through the housing, wherein an outer conductor of the cable is electrically connected to the first transmission balun member and an inner conductor of the cable is electrically connected to the first dipole element, said cable extending along the first balun member between the first and second balun members.

13. The antenna according to claim 12 wherein the first and second dipole elements are rectangular plates.

14. The antenna according to claim 13 wherein the first and second dipole elements are positioned on the same plane.

15. The antenna according to claim 12 wherein the first and second transmission balun members oppose each other and are substantially parallel.

16. The system according to claim 12 wherein the cable is connected to the first transmission balun member by a stand-off so as to separate the cable from the first dipole, said stand-off being formed from the first transmission balun member.

17. The system according to claim 12 wherein the outer conductor of the cable is connected to the first transmission balun member by a punched out section of the first transmission balun member and the inner conductor of the cable is connected to the first dipole element by a punched-out section of the first dipole element.

18. The system according to claim 12 wherein the housing further includes a front panel radome, said front panel radome being removably attached to side panels of the housing by extended clips.

19. A method of providing an antenna system, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a housing that includes at least one housing panel defining a reflector;

providing a dipole antenna having a first dipole member and a second dipole member where the first dipole member includes a first rectangular-shaped dipole element and a first transmission balun member and said second dipole member includes a second rectangular-shaped dipole element;

mounting the first dipole member and the second dipole member within the housing so that the first and second rectangular-shaped dipole elements are on substantially the same plane and the first dipole member and the second dipole member are electro-magnetically coupled together; and

extending a cable into the housing and electrically connecting an outer conductor of the cable to the first transmission balun member and connecting an inner conductor of the cable to the first dipole element.

20. The method according to claim 19 wherein the step of providing a dipole antenna includes forming the first dipole member from a single piece of metal to include the first dipole element, the first transmission balun member and a first mounting plate, and forming the second dipole member from a single piece of metal to include the second dipole element, a second transmission balun member and a second mounting plate, and wherein the step of mounting the dipole antenna within the housing includes electrically connecting the first and second mounting plates to the housing so that the first and second transmission balun members are parallel to each other and define a balun.

21. The method according to claim 19 wherein the step of providing a housing includes providing a housing having first and second side panels that are angled relative to each other at about 90°

and are connected to a rectangular-shaped back panel to form a truncated corner configuration.