Polarization and angular diversity among antenna beams

• US 6,351,237 B1
• Filed: 11/29/1999
• Issued: 02/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Metave Asset Holdings LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Metawave Communications Corp.
• Inventors: Reudink, Mark, Reudink, Douglas O., Meredith, Sheldon K., Martek, Gary A., Feuerstein, Martin J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Blum, Theodore M.
• Application Number:
  US09/450,318
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 342/361, 342/362, 342/363, 342/364, 342/365, 342/366
• US Class Current: 342/361
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/22 varying the orientation in accordance with variation of frequency of radiated wave
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/2682 Time delay steered arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/40 with phasing matrix
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/10 Polarisation diversity; Directional diversity

Abstract

A receiving system 100 is disclosed which includes at least one antenna 101 providing a plurality of antenna beams providing signal diversity between communicated signals. A first processing branch 103 is included for processing a first plurality of signals appearing within a first plurality of the antenna beams. The first processing branch 103 includes a plurality of signal paths, some of which include delays 105, each receiving a one of the first plurality of signals from a corresponding one of the first plurality of antenna beams. Delays 105 apply a predetermined amount of delay proportionate to the corresponding one of the beams. First processing branch 103 further includes a combiner 106 for combining the first plurality of signals after output from the plurality of signal paths. A second processing branch 104 is provided for processing a second plurality of signals appearing within a second plurality of the antenna beams. Second processing branch 104 includes a plurality of signal paths, some of which include delays 105, each receiving one of the second plurality of signals from a corresponding one of the second plurality of antenna beams. Delays 105 applying a pre-selected amount of delay to the corresponding one of the beams. Second processing branch 104 further includes a combiner 106 for combining the second plurality of signals after output from the plurality of signal paths. Finally, a radio 102 is provided having a first port coupled to an output of first processing branch 103 and a second port coupled to a second processing branch 104.

Claims

1. A system for use in communicating signals between a plurality of communication devices, said system comprising:

a communication device having at least a first signal port associated therewith adapted to communicate with antenna beam signals;

a plurality of antenna beams including overlapping ones of said antenna beams, wherein ones of said antenna beams are adapted to communicate signals of a first polarization and other ones of said antenna beams are adapted to communicate signals of a second polarization;

a first signal feed network coupling signals of a first set of signal beams of said plurality of antenna beams to said first signal port, wherein ones of said first set of antenna beams are selected to have said first polarization and other ones of said first set of signal beams are selected to have said second polarization, wherein adjacent antenna beams of said first set have alternate polarizations of said first and second polarizations.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said first polarization is slant left polarization and said second polarization is slant right polarization.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said first polarization is vertical polarization and said second polarization is horizontal polarization.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said first polarization is right circular polarization and said second polarization is left circular polarization.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second signal feed network coupling signals of a second set of antenna beams of said plurality of antenna beams to a second signal port of said communication device, wherein ones of said second set of antenna beams are selected to have said first polarization and other ones of said second set of signal beams are selected to have said second polarization, wherein adjacent antenna beams of said second set have alternate polarizations of said first and second polarizations, and wherein ones of said first and second set of antenna beams overlap.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said first signal port is a main communication port of said communication device and said second signal port is a diversity communication port of said communication device.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein said first signal feed network comprises an antenna beam signal management unit initially deployed for active service and said second signal feed network comprises an antenna beam signal management unit initially deployed for standby service.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein coupling of signals having said first polarization and said second polarization to said first and second signal port of said communication device by said first and second signal feed networks is accomplished in only a single link direction.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said single link direction is a forward communication link.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein said single link direction is a reverse communication link.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein an opposite signal link direction utilizes antenna beams of said plurality of antenna beams having polarization of only one of said first and second polarizations.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of antenna beams are narrow antenna beams of approximately 30°

azimuthal width.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein said communication device is an AMPS radio.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein said communication device is a DAMPS radio.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein said communication device is a TDMA radio.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein said communication device is a CDMA radio.

17. A system for use in communicating signals between a plurality of communication devices, said system comprising:

a communication device having at least a first and second signal port associated therewith;

a plurality of signal beams including overlapping signal beams, wherein overlapping ones of said plurality of signal beams have signal diversity attributes;

a first signal feed network coupling signals of a first set of signal beams of said plurality of signal beams to said first signal port, wherein ones of said first set of signal beams are selected to have a first signal diversity attribute of said signal diversity attributes and other ones of said first set of signal beams arc selected to have a second signal diversity attribute of said signal diversity attributes; and

a second signal feed network coupling signals of a second set of signal beams of said plurality of signal beams to said second signal port, wherein ones of said second set of signal beams are selected to have said first signal diversity attributes of said signal diversity attributes and other ones of said second set of signal beams are selected to have said second signal diversity attributes of said signal diversity attributes.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said first and second signal diversity attributes are orthogonal polarizations.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein said first signal port is a main signal port of said communication device and said second signal port is a diversity port of said communication device.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein said first signal feed network combines for coupling to said first signal port adjacent non-overlapping ones of said signal beams.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein adjacent ones of said non-overlapping ones of said signal beams combined by said first signal feed network have alternate ones of said first and said second signal diversity attributes.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said first and second signal diversity attributes are different signal polarizations.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein said first signal diversity attribute is slant left polarization and said second signal diversity attribute is slant right polarization.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein said first signal diversity attribute is vertical polarization and said second signal diversity attribute is horizontal polarization.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein said first signal diversity attribute is right circular polarization and said second signal diversity attribute is left circular polarization.

26. The system of claim 17, wherein said first signal feed network comprises an antenna beam signal management unit initially deployed for active service and said second signal feed network comprises an antenna beam signal management unit initially deployed for standby service.

27. The system of claim 17, wherein ones of said signals of said signal beams having said second signal diversity attribute are combined for communication through a common signal path between antennas forming said signal beams and said communication device.

28. The system of claim 17, wherein ones of said signals of said signal beams having said first signal diversity attribute and ones of said signals of said signal beams having said second signal diversity attribute are combined for communication through a common signal path between antennas forming said signal beam and said communication device.

29. The system of claim 17, wherein coupling of signals having said first signal diversity attribute and said second signal diversity attribute to said first and second signal port of said communication device by said first and second signal feed networks is accomplished in only a single link direction.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein said single link direction is a forward communication link.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein said single link direction is a reverse communication link.

32. The system of claim 17, wherein said first set of signal beams includes contiguous signal beams and said second set of signal beams includes contiguous signal beams, and wherein the signal beams of said first set and the signal beams of said second set provide communication within a same area of service.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein said plurality of signal beams arc narrow antenna beams of approximately 30°

azimuthal width.

34. The system of claim 17, wherein said communication device is an AMPS radio.

35. The system of claim 17, wherein said communication device is a DAMPS radio.

36. The system of claim 17, wherein said communication device is a TDMA radio.

37. The system of claim 17, wherein said communication device is a CDMA radio.

38. A communication system comprising:

an antenna array providing a plurality of antenna beams ones of which are disposed to provide corresponding pairs of antenna beams, said antenna array adapted for providing polarization diversity as among each antenna beam of a corresponding pair;

a first antenna beam signal path branch for coupling a first group of antenna beams of said plurality of antenna beams to a first interface, wherein said first branch is operable to select beams having alternating polarization for coupling to said first interface; and

a second antenna beam signal path branch for coupling a second group of antenna beams of said plurality of antenna beams to a second interface, wherein said second branch is operable to select beams having alternating polarization for coupling to said second interface, and wherein said ones of antenna beams of said second group are an antenna beam of a corresponding pair of antenna beams wherein another antenna beam of the corresponding pair of antenna beams is of said first group.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein said first and said second antenna beam signal path branches are adapted to provide substantially redundant communications with respect to each other to thereby provide continued operation of said communication system in the event of a failure of either one of said first and said second antenna beam signal path branches.

40. The system of claim 38, wherein said first antenna beam signal path branch comprises circuitry initially deployed as an active antenna beam signal path branch portion and said second antenna beam path branch comprises circuitry initially deployed as a standby antenna beam signal path branch portion.

41. The system of claim 38, wherein said antenna array comprises a plurality of multiple beam antenna panels each of which is adapted to provide a plurality of substantially non-overlapping antenna beams of at least one polarization of said polarization diversity.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein each multiple beam antenna panel of said plurality is also adapted to provide a plurality of substantially non-overlapping antenna beams of another polarization of said polarization diversity.

43. The system of claim 42 wherein said plurality of antenna beams of said at least one polarization and said plurality of antenna beams of said another polarization substantially overlap.

44. A method of providing communications within multiple antenna beams, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of antenna beams ones of which are disposed to provide corresponding pairs of antenna beams, wherein antenna beams of each corresponding pair of antenna beams are of orthogonal polarization;

coupling a first group of antenna beams of said plurality of antenna beams to a first interface including the step of selecting beams having alternating polarization for coupling to said first interface; and

coupling a second group of antenna beams of said plurality of antenna beams to a second interface including the step of selecting beams having alternating polarization for coupling to said second interface, wherein said ones of antenna beams of said second group are an antenna beam of a corresponding pair of antenna beams wherein another antenna beam of the corresponding pair of antenna beams is of said first group.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein said step of coupling said first group of antenna beams utilizes circuitry initially deployed as an active antenna beam signal path branch portion and said step of coupling said second group of antenna beams utilizes circuitry initially deployed as a standby antenna beam signal path branch portion.

46. The method of claim 44, further comprising the step of:

combining signals of said antenna beams having a same polarization for discrete communication through a common signal path portion between antennas forming said antenna beams and said first and said second interfaces.

47. The method of claim 44, further comprising the step of:

combining signals of said antenna beams of said first group of antenna beams for discrete communication through a common signal path portion between antennas forming said antenna beam and said first interface.

48. The method of claim 44, wherein said first interface is a main interface of a radio unit and said second interface is a diversity interface of said radio units.

49. The method of claim 44, wherein said first and said second interfaces are associated with a cellular telephony radio unit.

50. The method of claim 44, wherein said first and said second interfaces are associated with a personal communication services radio unit.