Dual-polarization antenna array

• US 6,985,123 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2002
• Issued: 01/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Kathrein-Werke KG. (Kathrein SE)
• Inventors: Göttl, Maximilian
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Hoanganh
• Application Number:
  US10/433,953
• Publication Number:
  US 20040051677A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,201 Days
• Field of Search: 343/700.MS, 343/853, 343/795, 343/810, 343/813, 343/814, 343/820, 343/821, 343/850
• US Class Current: 343/853
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/24 Combinations of antenna units polarised in different directions for transmitting or receiving circularly and elliptically polarised waves or waves linearly polarised in any direction circularly polarised patch antennas H01Q9/0428; circularly polarised horns H01Q13/0241; cross-polarised horns H01Q13/0258; polarisation converters H01Q15/242; cross-polarised rear feeds H01Q19/136; crossed polarisation dual antenna H01Q25/001
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/32 by mechanical means

Abstract

An improved antenna array, having at least two groups of individual antenna elements comprising a dipole square and/or patch antenna elements with a square antenna element structure. Individual antenna element arranged at least horizontally offset with respect to one another are provided for each of the two polarizations which are at right angles to one another. At least two additional antenna elements are horizontally offset with respect to one another, and/or at least two pairs of vertically aligned individual antenna elements, which are arranged with a horizontal offset with respect to one another, are provided for each of the two orthogonal polarizations. The individual antenna elements which are in each case arranged with a horizontal offset with respect to one another and are aligned parallel to one another are fed with different phase angles as a function of the depression angle.

Claims

1. A dual-polarized antenna array having a main lobe which can be depressed, said array having a changeable down tilt angle, said antenna array comprising:

a reflector;

plural antenna element arrangements, at least some of which are arranged on different height lines when seen in the vertical direction in front of the reflector,

the antenna element arrangements being constructed and arranged for radiating and/or receiving two polarizations at right angles to one another, with the polarizations being aligned at an angle, inclined to the vertical, of approximately +45°

on the one hand and −

45°

on the other hand,

the antenna element arrangements comprising;

dipole structures,

the plural antenna element arrangements further comprising a compensation arrangement for compensating for movement drift, as a function of the depression angle, of the horizontal overall polar diagram in the horizontal or azimuth direction for at least one of said polarizations,

the compensation arrangement comprising at least one adjustable compensation antenna element arrangement, whose associated polar diagram is changed or shifted in the opposite sense to the polar diagram of the at least one other antenna element arrangement as the polar diagram is increasingly depressed.

2. The dual-polarized antenna array as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the compensation antenna element arrangement comprises, with respect to the relevant polarization, at least one pair of dipole antenna elements, which are fed with a phase difference which depends on the depression angle of the antenna array, and

the at least one pair of dipole antenna elements are ranged with a horizontal offset with respect to one another or are at a distance from one another, at least when seen in the horizontal direction.

3. The dual-polarized antenna array as claimed in claim 2, wherein the pain of dipole antenna elements which are arranged at least with the horizontal component offset with respect to one another and are driven by a phase difference which is dependent on the depression angle form a square dipole structure, in the form of a dipole square.

4. The dual-polarized antenna array as claimed in claim 2, wherein the pairs of dipole antenna elements which are ranged at least with the horizontal component offset with respect to one another and are driven by a phase difference which is dependent on the depression angle form a cruciform dipole structure, in the form of two cruciform dipoles which are arranged at least with the horizontal components offset with respect to one another.

5. The dual-polarized antenna array as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the compensation antenna element arrangement comprising, with respect to the relevant polarization, at least one patch antenna element with two feed points, or at least two patch antenna elements with at least one feed point, with the respective at least two feed points being arranged with a horizontal offset with respect to one another, or at a distance from one another, at least in the horizontal direction.

6. The dual-polarized antenna array as claimed in claim 1, wherein the compensation antenna element arrangement is fed with phases which can be set differently via phase shifters in the form of phase shifter assemblies.

7. The dual-polarized antenna array as claimed in claim 1, wherein the compensation arrangement comprises power splitting with respect to the feeding of the compensation antenna element arrangements, by which means the level of compensation can be adjusted.

8. The dual-polarized antenna array as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in addition to the compensation antenna element arrangement, the antenna element arrangement comprising dipole structures, in the form of cruciform or cruciform-like dipoles and/or dipole squares and/or in the form of patch antenna elements having at least one feed point for one polarization, and having two feed points for one polarization.

9. The dual-polarized antenna array as claimed in claim 1, wherein the further antenna element arrangements which are provided in addition to the compensation antenna element arrangement are constructed as group antenna elements, which comprise at least two dipoles for each polarization or, in the case of a patch antenna element, at least two feed points for each polarization, which are fed with the same phase angle or with a fixed predetermined phase angle with respect to one another.

10. A dual-polarized antenna array, having a main lobe which can be depressed, comprising:

plural antenna element arrangements, at least some of which are arranged on different height lines when seen in the vertical direction in front of a reflector,

the antenna element arrangements being constructed and arranged such that two polarizations which are at right angles to one another can be received and/or transmitted via them, with the polarizations being aligned at an angle, inclined to the vertical, of approximately +45°

on the one hand and −

45°

on the other hand,

the antenna element arrangements comprising;

(a) dipole structures, in the form of cruciform or cruciform-like dipole structures or in the form of square dipole structures, and/or

(b) patch antenna elements having at least two or four feed points,

further including the following further features;

a compensation device or compensation arrangement for minimizing, for preventing or for overcompensation for movement drift, as a function of the depression angle, of the horizontal overall polar diagram in the horizontal or azimuth direction is provided for at least one or both polarizations,

the compensation device or compensation arrangement comprising, with respect to the relevant polarization, at least one compensation antenna element device or at least one compensation antenna element arrangement, whose associated polar diagram is changed or shifted in the opposite sense to the polar diagram of the at least one other antenna element arrangement as the polar diagram is increasingly depressed, and

wherein the compensation antenna element arrangement or compensation antenna element device comprises at least one pair of vertical or horizontal antenna elements for one polarization, which are arranged with a horizontal offset or spaced apart from one another in the horizontal direction, symmetrically with respect to a vertical central plane of symmetry, with the relevant pair of vertical antenna elements being fed with a phase difference which is dependent on the depression angle of the antenna.

11. A dual-polarized antenna array having a main lobe which can be depressed, comprising:

plural antenna element arrangements, at least some of which are arranged on different height lines when seen in the vertical direction in front of a reflector,

the antenna element arrangements being constructed and ranged such that two polarizations which are at right angles to one another can be received and/or transmitted via them, with the polarizations being aligned at an angle, inclined to the vertical, of approximately +45°

on the one hand and −

45°

on the other hand,

the antenna element arrangements comprising;

(a) dipole structures, in the form of cruciform or cruciform-like dipole structures or in the form of square dipole structures, and/or

(b) patch antenna elements having at least two or four feed points,

further including the following further features;

a compensation device or compensation arrangement for minimizing, for preventing or for overcompensation for movement drift, as a function of the depression angle, of the horizontal overall polar diagram in the horizontal or azimuth direction is provided for at least one or both polarizations,

the compensation device or compensation arrangement comprising, with respect to the relevant polarization, at least one compensation antenna element device or at least one compensation antenna element arrangement, whose associated polar diagram is changed or shifted in the opposite sense to the polar diagram of the at least one other antenna element arrangement as the polar diagram is increasingly depressed, and

wherein, in the case of an antenna array having a compensation device or compensation arrangement with at least two dipole squares, the respectively parallel dipoles which are located closer together of the two dipole squares are connected to one another via a common connecting line, and are interconnected via an addition point, by means of an associated feed line.

12. The dual-polarized antenna array as claimed in claim 11, wherein, in the case of an antenna array having at least two dipole squares, the dipole which is in each case in parallel with the interconnected dipoles is connected to a separate input of a phase shifter.

13. A dual-polarized antenna array having a main lobe which can be depressed, comprising:

plural antenna element arrangements, at least some of which are arranged on different height lines when seen in the vertical direction in front of a reflector,

the antenna element arrangements being constructed and arranged such that two polarizations which are at right angles to one another can be received and/or transmitted via them, with the polarizations being aligned at an angle, inclined to the vertical, of approximately +45°

on the one hand and −

45°

on the other hand,

the antenna element arrangements comprising;

(a) dipole structures, in the form of cruciform or cruciform-like dipole structures or in the form of square dipole structures, and/or

(b) patch antenna elements having at least two or four feed points,

further including the following further features;

a compensation device or compensation arrangement for minimizing, for preventing or for overcompensation for movement drift, as a function of the depression angle, of the horizontal overall polar diagram in the horizontal or azimuth direction is provided for at least one or both polarizations,

the compensation device or compensation arrangement comprising, with respect to the relevant polarization, at least one compensation antenna element device or at least one compensation antenna element arrangement, whose associated polar diagram is changed or shifted in the opposite sense to the polar diagram of the at least one other antenna element arrangement as the polar diagram is increasingly depressed, and

wherein, in the case of an antenna array having a compensation device or a compensation arrangement having at least two patch antenna element which each have two pairs of feed points, the feed points which are in each case closer for the relevant polarization are in each case connected to one another via a connecting line, and are means of an associated feed line.

14. The dual-polarized antenna array as claimed in claim 13, wherein, in case of an antenna array having at least two patch antenna elements which each have two feed points, the feed point, which is in each case the further feed point with respect to the interconnected feed points, of the relevant patch antenna element is connected to a separate input of a phase shifter.

15. A dual-polarized antenna array having a main lobe which can be depressed, comprising:

plural antenna element arrangements, at least some of which are arranged on different height lines when seen in the vertical direction in front of a reflector,

the antenna element arrangements being constructed and arranged such that two polarizations which are at right angles to one another can be received and/or transmitted via them, with the polarizations being aligned at an angle, inclined to the vertical, of approximately +45°

on the one hand and −

45°

on the other hand,

the antenna element arrangements comprising;

(a) dipole structures, in particular in the form of cruciform or cruciform-like dipole structures or in the form of square dipole structures, and/or

(b) patch antenna elements having at least two or four feed points,

further including the following further features;

a compensation device or compensation arrangement for minimizing, for preventing or for overcompensation for movement drift, as a function of the depression angle, of the horizontal overall polar diagram in the horizontal or azimuth direction is provided for at least one or both polarizations,

the compensation device or compensation arrangement comprising, with respect to the relevant polarization, at least one compensation antenna element device or at least one compensation antenna element arrangement, whose associated polar diagram is changed or shifted in the opposite sense to the polar diagram of the at least one other antenna element arrangement as the polar diagram is increasingly depressed, and

wherein the compensation antenna element device or the compensation antenna element arrangement comprising a dipole square or a patch antenna element having two pairs of feed points for each polarization, with the mutually parallel dipoles of the square or the two feed points, which are provided for one polarization, of the patch antenna element of the compensation antenna element device or compensation antenna element arrangement being connected to the two inputs of a phase shifter.

16. A compensation antenna element arrangement comprising:

at least one pair of vertical or horizontal antenna elements for a common polarization, said at least one pair of antenna elements being arranged with a horizontal offset and/or spaced apart from one another in the horizontal direction, symmetrically with respect to the vertical central plane of symmetry;

a feed arrangement including a teed line, said feed arrangement feeding said at least one pair of antenna elements with a phase difference that is dependent on the depression angle of the antenna; and

a compensation device coupled to said feed arrangement, said compensation device comprising at least two dipole squares providing parallel dipole elements, said parallel dipole elements being connected to one another via a common connecting line and being interconnected via an additional point by means of said feed line.

17. A dual-polarized antenna array having a main lobe which can be depressed, comprising:

plural antenna element arrangements, at least some of which are arranged on different height lines when seen in the vertical direction in front of a reflector,

the antenna element arrangements being constructed and arranged such that two polarizations which are at right angles to one another can be received and/or transmitted via them, with the polarizations being aligned at an angle, inclined to the vertical, of approximately +45°

on the one hand and −

45°

on the other hand,

the antenna element arrangements comprising at least one of;

(a) dipole structures in the form of cruciform or cruciform-like dipole structures or in the form of square dipole structures, and

(b) patch antenna elements having at least two or four feed points,

the antenna element arrangements having at least one phase shifter or one phase shifter group,

further including following further features;

a compensation device or compensation arrangement for minimizing, for preventing or for overcompensation for movement drift, as a function of the depression angle, of the horizontal overall polar diagram in the horizontal or azimuth direction is provided for at least one or both polarizations, wherein;

the compensation device or compensation arrangement comprising, with respect to the relevant polarization, at least one adjustable compensation antenna clement device or at least one compensation antenna element arrangement, whose associated polar diagram is changed or shifted in the opposite sense to the polar diagram of the at least one other antenna element arrangement as the polar diagram is increasingly depressed,

wherein;

the compensation antenna element device or compensation antenna element arrangement comprising, with respect to the relevant polarization, at least one patch antenna element with two feed points, or at least two patch antenna elements with at least one feed point, with the respective at least two feed points being arranged with a horizontal offset with respect to one another, or at a distance from one another, at least in the horizontal direction.

18. A dual-polarized antenna array having a main lobe which can be depressed, the antenna array, comprising:

a reflector;

plural dual-polarized antenna elements arranged in front of the reflector such that said elements are, in use, offset from one another in the vertical direction and the first and second polarizations are aligned at an angle, inclined to the vertical, of substantially ±

45°

,

a compensation device for compensating for movement drift, as a function of the depression angle, of the polar diagram in the horizontal and/or azimuth direction for at least one of said first and second polarizations,

the compensation device comprising at least one adjustable compensation antenna element device whose associated polar diagram is changed or shifted by an adjustable amount in the opposite sense to the polar diagram of the at least one other antenna element arrangement as the polar diagram is increasingly depressed.

19. The antenna array of claim 18 wherein the antenna elements comprise cruciform or cruciform-like dipole structures.

20. The antenna array of claim 18 wherein the antenna elements comprise square dipole structures.

21. The antenna array of claim 18 wherein the antenna elements comprise patch antenna elements.

22. The antenna array of claim 18 further including at least one adjustable phase shifter coupled to said antenna elements.

23. The antenna array of claim 18 wherein said compensation device comprises at least one patch antenna.

24. The antenna array of claim 18 wherein said compensation device comprises at least one pair of dipole antenna elements, which are fed with a phase difference which depends on the depression angle of the antenna array.

25. A dual-polarized antenna array having a main lobe which can be depressed, said array having a changeable down tilt angle, said antenna array comprising:

a reflector;

plural antenna element arrangements, at least some of which are arranged on different height lines when seen in the vertical direction in front of the reflector,

the antenna element arrangements being constructed and ranged for radiating and/or receiving two polarizations at right angles to one another, with the polarizations being aligned at an angle, inclined to the vertical, of approximately +45°

on the one hand and −

45°

on the other hand,

the antenna element arrangements comprising patch antenna elements, and

at least one phase shifter coupled to the antenna element arrangement, adjustment of the adjustable phase shifter adjusting the antenna array downtilt angle,

the arrangement further comprising a compensation arrangement for compensating for movement drift, as a function of the depression angle, of the horizontal overall polar diagram in the horizontal or azimuth direction for at least one of said polarizations,

the compensation arrangement comprising at least one adjustable compensation antenna element arrangement, whose associated polar diagram is changed or shifted in the opposite sense to the polar diagram of the at least one other antenna element arrangement as the polar diagram is increasingly depressed.

26. The antenna array of claim 25 wherein said patch elements have at least two feed points.

27. The antenna array of claim 25 wherein said patch elements have at least four feed points.

28. A dual-polarized antenna array, having a main lobe which can be depressed, comprising:

plural antenna element arrangements, at least some of which are arranged on different height lines when seen in the vertical direction in front of a reflector,

the antenna element arrangements being constructed and arranged such that two polarizations which are at right angles to one another can be received and/or transmitted via them, with the polarizations being aligned at an angle, inclined to the vertical, of approximately +45°

on the one hand and −

45°

on the other hand,

the antenna element arrangements comprising;

(a) dipole structures, in the form of cruciform or cruciform-like dipole structures or in the form of square dipole structures, and/or

(b) patch antenna elements having at least two or four feed points,

further including the following further features;

a compensation device or compensation arrangement for minimizing, for preventing or for overcompensation for movement drift, as a function of the depression angle, of the horizontal overall polar diagram in the horizontal or azimuth direction is provided for at least one or both polarizations,

the compensation device or compensation arrangement comprising, with respect to the relevant polarization, at least one compensation antenna element device or at least one compensation antenna element arrangement, whose associated polar diagram is changed or shifted in the opposite sense to the polar diagram of the at least one other antenna element arrangement as the polar diagram is increasingly depressed, and

wherein the compensation antenna element arrangement or compensation antenna element device comprises at least one pair of antenna elements arranged such to receive or transmit in at least one polarization plane which is parallel to the at least one polarization plane in which the plural antenna elements are receiving or transmitting, which are arranged with a horizontal offset or spaced apart from one another in the horizontal direction with respect to a vertical central plane of symmetry, with the relevant pair of antenna elements arranged in parallel to the antenna element arrangements being fed with a phase difference which is dependent on the depression angle of the antenna.