Active antenna roof top system and method

• US 6,710,742 B1
• Filed: 10/23/2001
• Issued: 03/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Kathrein-Werke KG. (Kathrein SE)
• Inventors: Meredith, Sheldon K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Dao
• Application Number:
  US10/002,518
• Time in Patent Office: 882 Days
• Field of Search: 342/368, 342/372, 342/373, 342/374
• US Class Current: 342/373
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/28 varying the amplitude

Abstract

Disclosed are systems and methods for providing amplitude or power adjustment of a plurality of corresponding signals by shifting power among various outputs associated with the corresponding signals. Accordingly, power steering circuitry of the present invention is provided in a signal path to accept input signals and distribute the power of the input signal among output signals. A preferred embodiment of the power steering circuitry of the present invention provides a multiple stage configuration wherein a first stage operates to shift power and select a power bias among subsets of the outputs while a subsequent stage or stages provide further granularity with respect to shifting of power among the outputs. According to a preferred embodiment, power shifters include an arrangement of back-to-back hybrid combiners having phase adjusting circuitry disposed there between. Accordingly, a preferred embodiment of the power steering circuitry of the present invention provides a matrix of back-to-back hybrid combiners to provide desired steering of signal power.

Claims

1. A system providing steering of input signal power between a plurality of outputs, said system comprising:

a first signal combiner element having at least one input configured to accept said input signal and at least two outputs;

a second signal combiner element having at least two inputs and at least two outputs, wherein said at least two inputs of said second signal combiner element are coupled to said at least two outputs of said first signal combiner element, and wherein said plurality of outputs include said at least two outputs of said second signal combiner element; and

a controllable phase shifter disposed in a signal path connecting an output of said at least two outputs of said first signal combiner element with an input of said at least two inputs of said second signal combiner element.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least two outputs of said first signal element have a predetermined phase offset with respect to each other.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said predetermined phase offset is substantially 90°

.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least two outputs of said second signal combiner element have a predetermined phase offset with respect to each other.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said predetermined phase offset is substantially 90°

.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

controllable bias selection circuitry coupled to said at least one input of said first signal element, wherein said bias selection circuitry is operable to select a bias of power with respect to a subset of outputs of said plurality of outputs.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein operation of said controllable phase shifter provides selection of a level of said bias of power with respect to said subset of outputs of said plurality of outputs.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said controllable phase shifter comprises:

a plurality of different phase shift values selectable in operation of said system.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said plurality of different phase shift values define a range of phase shifts incremented in approximately 5°

increments.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein said plurality of different phase shift values define approximately a 50°

range of phase shifts.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein said plurality of different phase shift values define a range of phase shifts from approximately −

25°

to approximately +25°

.

12. A system providing steering of input signal power between a plurality of outputs, said system comprising:

a first power shifting stage having at least one input configured to accept said input signal and at least two outputs, wherein said first stage provides power shifting between subsets of said plurality of outputs; and

a second power shifting stage having at least two inputs and more than two outputs, wherein said at least two inputs of said second stage are coupled to said at least two outputs of said first stage, wherein said second stage provides power shifting between outputs of said subsets of said plurality of outputs.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said first stage comprises:

a first signal combiner having at least one input and at least two outputs, wherein said at least one input corresponds to said at least one input of said first stage;

a second signal combiner having at least two inputs and at least two outputs, wherein said at least two inputs of said second signal combiner are coupled to said at least two outputs of said first signal combiner, and wherein said at least two outputs of said second signal combiner correspond to said at least two outputs of said first stage; and

a controllable phase shifter disposed in a signal path connecting an output of said at least two outputs of said first signal combiner with an input of said at least two inputs of said second signal combiner.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said first and second signal combiners each comprise a hybrid combiner.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein said controllable phase shifter comprises at least one high power single pole double throw switch.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said high power single pole double throw switch comprises an electromechanical switch.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein said high power single pole double throw switch comprises a diode switching circuit.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein said controllable phase shifter comprises at least one selectable signal path providing a predetermined signal propagation delay.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein said controllable phase shifter comprises at least one high power single pole multiple throw switch.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said high power single pole multiple throw switch comprises a multi-position electromechanical switch.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein said high power single pole multiple throw switch comprises a diode switching circuit.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein said controllable phase shifter comprises a plurality of selectable signal paths ones of which provide a different predetermined signal propagation delay.

23. The system of claim 13, wherein said first stage further comprises:

controllable bias selection circuitry coupled to said at least one input of said first signal combiner, wherein said bias selection circuitry is operable to select a bias of power with respect to said at least two outputs of said first stage.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein operation of said controllable phase shifter provides selection of a level of said bias of power with respect to said subset of outputs of said plurality of outputs.

25. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

a controller coupled to said controllable phase shifter and operable to provide control signals thereto to thereby at least in part control said power shifting between subsets of said plurality of outputs.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein said controller provides said control signals at least in part as a function of communication metrics selected from the group consisting of:

a position of a corresponding communication system;

a direction of a corresponding communication system;

an angle of arrival of a signal of a corresponding communication system; and

a distance to a corresponding communication system.

27. The system of claim 12, wherein said second stage comprises:

a first signal combiner having at least one input and at least two outputs, wherein said at least one input of said first signal combiner corresponds to a first input of said at least two inputs of said second stage;

a second signal combiner having at least two inputs and at least two outputs, wherein said at least two inputs of said second signal combiner are coupled to said at least two outputs of said first signal combiner, and wherein said at least two outputs of said second signal combiner correspond to outputs of said more than two outputs said second stage; and

a third signal combiner having at least one input and at least two outputs, wherein said at least one input of said third signal combiner corresponds to a second input of said at least two inputs of said second stage;

a fourth signal combiner having at least two inputs and at least two outputs, wherein said at least two inputs of said fourth signal combiner are coupled to said at least two outputs of said third signal combiner, and wherein said at least two outputs of said fourth signal combiner correspond to outputs of said more than two outputs said second stage;

a first controllable phase shifter disposed in a signal path connecting an output of said at least two outputs of said first signal said at least two inputs of said second signal combiner; and

a second controllable phase shifter disposed in a signal path connecting an output of said at least two outputs of said third signal combiner with an input of said at least two inputs of said fourth signal combiner.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein said first, said second, said third, and said fourth signal combiners each comprise a hybrid combiner.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein said first and said second controllable phase shifters each comprises at least one high power single pole double throw switch.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein said high power single pole double throw switch comprises an electromechanical switch.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein said high power single pole double throw switch comprises a diode switching circuit.

32. The system of claim 29, wherein said first and said second controllable phase shifters each comprise at least one selectable signal path providing a predetermined signal propagation delay.

33. The system of claim 27, wherein said first and said second controllable phase shifters each comprise at least one high power single pole multiple throw switch.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein said high power single pole multiple throw switch comprises a multi-position electro-mechanical switch.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein said high power single pole multiple throw switch comprises a diode switching circuit.

36. The system of claim 33, wherein said first and said second controllable phase shifters each comprise a plurality of selectable signal paths ones of which provide a different predetermined signal propagation delay.

37. The system of claim 27, wherein said second stage further comprises:

first switching circuitry coupled to said at least one input of said first signal combiner, wherein said first switching circuitry is operable to select a bias of power with respect to said at least two outputs of said second signal combiner; and

second switching circuitry coupled to said at least one input of said third signal combiner, wherein said second switching circuitry is operable to select a bias of power with respect to said at least two outputs of said fourth signal combiner.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein operation of said first controllable phase shifter provides selection of a level of said bias of power with respect to said at least two outputs of said second signal combiner, and wherein operation of said second controllable phase shifter provides selection of a level of said bias of power with respect to said at least two outputs of said fourth signal combiner.

39. The system of claim 27, further comprising:

a controller coupled to said first controllable phase shifter and said second controllable phase shifter and operable to provide control signals thereto to thereby at least in part control said power shifting between said outputs of said subsets of said plurality of outputs.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein said controller provides said control signals at least in part as a function of communication metrics selected from the group consisting of:

a position of a corresponding communication system;

a direction of a corresponding communication system;

an angle of arrival of a signal of a corresponding communication system; and

a distance to a corresponding communication system.

41. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a phase compensation circuit disposed in a signal path connecting an output of said at least two outputs of said first stage with an input of said at least two inputs of said second stage.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein said phase compensation circuit comprises at least one high power single pole multiple throw switch.

43. The system of claim 42, wherein said high power single pole multiple throw switch comprises a multi-position electromechanical switch.

44. The system of claim 42, wherein said high power single pole multiple throw switch comprises a diode switching circuit.

45. The system of claim 42, wherein said phase compensation circuit comprises a plurality of selectable signal paths ones of which provide a different predetermined signal propagation delay.

46. The system of claim 42, further comprising:

a controller coupled to said phase compensator circuit and operable to provide control signals thereto to thereby at least in part control a desired phase relationship between said subsets of said plurality of outputs.

47. The system of claim 12, wherein said system further comprises:

a plurality of signal transducers associated with said plurality of outputs;

a third power shifting stage having at least one input configured to accept a second input signal and at least two outputs, wherein said second stage provides power shifting between subsets of said plurality of signal transducers; and

a fourth power shifting stage having at least two inputs and more than two outputs, wherein said at least two inputs of said second stage are coupled to said at least two outputs of said third stage, wherein said fourth stage provides power shifting between signal transducers of said subsets of said plurality of signal transducers.

48. The system of claim 47, wherein said input signal and said second input signal are associated with signals of different communication services.

49. The system of claim 47, wherein said input signal and said second input signal are associated with communication service signals to be provided in at least partially overlapping radiation patterns.

50. The system of claim 47, wherein said plurality of signal transducers comprise antenna elements.

51. The system of claim 50, wherein said antenna elements are configured to coupled antenna elements having a first attribute to said outputs of said second power shifting stage and antenna elements having a second attribute to said outputs of said fourth power shifting stage.

52. The system of claim 51, wherein said first and second attributes provide signal orthogonality.

53. The system of claim 52, wherein signal orthogonality comprises cross polarization.

54. A method for providing a desired power distribution at a plurality of outputs, said method comprising:

splitting an input signal into a plurality of signal components;

phase adjusting one or more of said signal components; and

combining at least two of said plurality of signal components after said phase adjustment.

55. The method of claim 54, further comprising:

providing a first signal output after said combining;

providing a second signal output after said combining;

splitting said first signal output into a plurality of first output signal components;

phase adjusting one or more of said first output signal components;

combining ones of said plurality of first output signal components after said phase adjustment;

splitting said second signal output into a plurality of second output signal components;

phase adjusting one or more of said second output signal components; and

combining ones of said plurality of second output signal components after said phase adjustment.

56. The method of claim 55, further comprising:

compensating a phase differential between said first signal output and said second signal output.

57. The method of claim 54, further comprising:

providing said signal components after said combining to inputs of a multiple beam antenna array.

58. The method of claim 57, wherein said input signal is a PCS wireless communication signal.

59. The method of claim 57, wherein said input signal is a cellular wireless communication signal.

60. The method of claim 54, wherein each of said splitting, said phase adjusting, and said combining are separately provided for a first input signal and a second input signal.

61. The method of claim 60, wherein said first input signal and said second input signal are associated with different communication services.

62. The method of claim 60, wherein said first input signal and said second input signal are associated with a same communication service.