Base station beam sweeping method and apparatus using multiple rotating antennas
First Claim
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1. Wireless communication base station comprising:
- an antenna assembly comprising a first predetermined number of directional antennas, wherein said first predetermined number of directional antennas are assembled into said antenna assembly such that the radiation pattern of each said antenna is directed radially outward from the center of said antenna assembly;
a motor, mechanically connected to said antenna assembly, for rotating said antenna assembly continuously in one direction about its axis; and
a signal switch for routing signals between each of said directional antennas and a second predetermined number of sector connections.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for wireless communications wherein a base station transmits and receives wireless signals through multiple directional antennas mounted on a rotating antenna assembly. Signal beams from each directional antenna sweep in one angular direction through multiple sector coverage areas. As a signal beam crosses from one sector to another, the routing of forward and reverse link signals associated with that signal beam are switched from the sector it is exiting to the sector it is entering.
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Citations
53 Claims
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1. Wireless communication base station comprising:
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an antenna assembly comprising a first predetermined number of directional antennas, wherein said first predetermined number of directional antennas are assembled into said antenna assembly such that the radiation pattern of each said antenna is directed radially outward from the center of said antenna assembly;
a motor, mechanically connected to said antenna assembly, for rotating said antenna assembly continuously in one direction about its axis; and
a signal switch for routing signals between each of said directional antennas and a second predetermined number of sector connections. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method of transmitting an information signal comprising:
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routing one forward link signal of a first predetermined number of forward link signals to a first directional antenna of a second predetermined number of directional antennas, wherein said second predetermined number of directional antennas are assembled into an antenna assembly such that the radiation pattern of each of said second predetermined number of directional antennas is directed radially outward from the center of said antenna assembly, and wherein said routing is based on an angular position of said first directional antenna;
rotating said antenna assembly continuously in one direction; and
transmitting said one forward link signal through a signal beam corresponding to said first directional antenna. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A method of receiving an information signal comprising:
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receiving a first reverse link signal through a first signal beam corresponding to a first directional antenna of a first predetermined number of directional antennas, wherein said first predetermined number of directional antennas are assembled into an antenna assembly such that the radiation pattern of each of said first predetermined number of directional antennas is directed radially outward from the center of said antenna assembly;
rotating said antenna assembly continuously in one direction; and
routing, based on an angular position of said first predetermined number of directional antennas, said first reverse link signal to a finger demodulator through a first sector connection of a second predetermined number of sector connections. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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Specification