Method and apparatus for creating shape antenna radiation patterns

• US 7,349,701 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2005
• Issued: 03/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Woodbury Wireless LLC
• Original Assignee: Rotani, Inc.
• Inventors: Funke, Nicholas, Lastinger, Roc, Spenik, John, Woodbury, Brian C
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Lee
• Application Number:
  US11/160,937
• Publication Number:
  US 20050277441A1
• Time in Patent Office: 984 Days
• Field of Search: 455/25, 455/446, 455/447, 455/562.1, 455/63.4, 343/767, 343/770
• US Class Current: 455/446
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/521 reducing the coupling between adjacent antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/526 Electromagnetic shields
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/12 Longitudinally slotted cylinder antennas; Equivalent structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/102 wherein the surfaces are of convex toroïdal shape biconical horns H01Q13/04
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/20 the units being spaced along or adjacent to a curvilinear path slotted waveguide arrays H01Q21/005; circularly or helically slotted waveguides H01Q21/0062
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/00 Antennas or antenna systems providing at least two radiating patterns arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern H01Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/00 Arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern of the waves radiated from an antenna or antenna system means for positioning H01Q1/125
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0495 using overlapping sectors in the same base station to implement MIMO for antennas

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for antennas, wireless cells and networks are described. Antennas use a shield to provide a shape of coverage, area of coverage, and channel assignment pattern configured for high throughput wireless cells and networks. Diplexers are used to form wireless cells configured for high throughput wireless cells and networks.

Claims

1. An apparatus that facilitates wireless communication, comprising:

at least two omni-directional antennas, and;

a shield having at least two openings, wherein;

the antennas are positioned in the shield;

a coverage lobe extends from each antenna through each of the at least two openings;

a number of coverage lobes for each antenna corresponds to a number of the at least two openings; and

the coverage lobes from each antenna overlap.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the shape of the shield is substantially at least one of cylindrical, oval, spherical, cubical, and rectangular.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the shield comprises at least two shield parts positioned to reduce a reception of a multipath signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least two openings comprise three openings.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each antenna is assigned a different channel.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the shield further comprises a top and a bottom.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the size of at least one of the openings is substantially a multiple of a frequency of operation of the antenna.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the shield comprises at least one of an RF absorptive material, an RF reflective material, and an RF selectively permeable material.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one of the openings is at least partially covered by at least one of an RF absorptive material, an RF reflective material, and an RF selectively permeable material.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the omni-directional antennas comprise a MIMO antenna.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one of the at least two antennas is adapted for at least one of a IEEE 802.11, Bluetooth, ultra-wideband, IEEE 802.15, and IEEE 802.16 communication protocol.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a processor and at least two radios, wherein;

the radios couple to the processor; and

each one radio couples to at least one of the at least two omni-directional antennas respectively.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an absorptive material inside the shield to reduce a strength of a reflected signal.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the shield is electrically coupled to ground.

15. An apparatus that facilitates wireless communication, comprising:

a first shield having at least two omni-directional antennas and at least two openings;

a second shield having at least two omni-directional antennas and at least two openings, wherein;

a coverage lobe extends from each antenna through each of the at least two openings of the respective first shield and second shield;

the first shield is stacked and rotated relative to the second shield in such a way that at least one coverage lobe from the first shield overlaps at least one coverage lobe from the second shield, thereby forming at least one virtual lobe.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising:

a processor;

a first radio and a second radio, wherein;

the first radio and the second radio couple to the processor;

the first radio couples to the at least two antennas of the first shield;

the second radio couples to the at least two antennas of the second shield.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein:

the at least two antennas of the first shield comprise a first MIMO antenna; and

the at least two antennas of the second shield comprise a second MIMO antenna.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein:

the at least two antennas of the first shield are assigned a first channel;

the at least two antennas of the second shield are assigned a second channel; and

the first channel is different from the second channel.