Antenna apparatus, antenna system, and antenna electrical tilting method

• US 9,496,607 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2014
• Issued: 11/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Pei, Shubao, Zhang, Tingting, Wang, Jisong, Xie, Shoubo
• Primary Examiner(s): HUANG, WEN WU
• Application Number:
  US14/514,811
• Publication Number:
  US 20150029057A1
• Time in Patent Office: 762 Days
• Field of Search: 455/25, 455/63.4, 455/562.1, 455/575.7, 455/97
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• 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: H01Q 3/005 using remotely controlled antenna positioning or scanning
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/06 over a restricted angle
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/34 by electrical means active lenses or reflecting arrays H01Q3/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide an RCU (remote control unit), an antenna apparatus, an antenna electrical tilting method and an antenna system. The RCU includes a reading device and a driver. The reading device is configured to read, from a memory inside the antenna apparatus, when the antenna apparatus is communicatively connected with the RCU, antenna information of an antenna controlled by the antenna apparatus and configuration data corresponding to the antenna. The antenna information includes the antenna serial number and the antenna model of the antenna. The driver is configured to control the antenna apparatus to adjust an electrical down-tilt angle of the antenna in accordance with the configuration data.

Claims

1. A remote control unit (RCU), configured to remotely control an antenna apparatus, the RCU comprising:

a reading device that reads, from the antenna apparatus, antenna information of an electrical tilting antenna controlled by the antenna apparatus and configuration data corresponding to the electrical tilting antenna, wherein the antenna information comprises an antenna serial number and an antenna model of the electrical tilting antenna, and the configuration data defines a moving length specific to at least one of the antenna serial number and the antenna model;

a driver that controls movement of the electrical tilting antenna according to the moving length to set an electrical down-tilt angle of the electrical tilting antenna;

wherein the reading device comprises a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader.

2. The RCU according to claim 1, wherein the reading device reads the antenna information of the electrical tilting antenna and the configuration data corresponding to the electrical tilting antenna from a memory inside the antenna apparatus via wireless communication.

3. The RCU according to claim 2, wherein the memory inside the antenna apparatus comprises a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag.

4. The RCU according to claim 1, wherein the reading device reads the configuration data by obtaining the configuration data in accordance with the antenna information read by the reading device.

5. An antenna electrical tilting method, comprising:

requesting, by a remote control unit (RCU) from an antenna apparatus controlled by the RCU, antenna information of an electrical tilting antenna controlled by the antenna apparatus and configuration data corresponding to the electrical tilting antenna;

reading, by the RCU, the antenna information and the configuration data from the antenna apparatus, wherein the antenna information comprises an antenna serial number and an antenna model of the electrical tilting antenna, and the configuration data defines a moving length specific to at least one of the antenna serial number and the antenna model; and

controlling, by the RCU, movement of the electrical tilting antenna according to the moving length to set an electrical down-tilt angle of the electrical tilting antenna.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein reading the antenna information and the configuration data comprises:

reading, by the RCU from the antenna apparatus, the antenna information and the configuration data without manual input.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein reading the antenna information comprises:

receiving, by the RCU from the antenna apparatus, a grant to access to the stored antenna information.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the reading device in the RCU comprises a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader for reading the antenna information stored in a memory in the antenna apparatus.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the memory comprises a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag.