Feeding network for base station antenna

• US 9,559,429 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2014
• Issued: 01/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tongyu Communication Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tongyu Communication Inc.
• Inventors: Fang, Fengming
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benny
• Assistant Examiner(s): SALAZAR JR, JORGE L
• Application Number:
  US14/503,900
• Publication Number:
  US 20150155609A1
• Time in Patent Office: 853 Days
• Field of Search: 333/125, 333/126, 333/128, 333/134, 333/135, 333/136, 333/137, 333156-161, 343/853
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 1/182 Waveguide phase-shifters H01P1/181, H01P1/185, H01P1/19 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 1/183 Coaxial phase-shifters H01P1/181, H01P1/185, H01P1/19 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 1/184 Strip line phase-shifters H01P1/181, H01P1/185, H01P1/19 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/084 Suspended microstriplines
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/12 Coupling devices having more than two ports H01P5/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0075 Stripline fed arrays H01Q21/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/32 by mechanical means

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to feeding networks for base station antenna. Embodiments of the disclosure may comprise first and second phase shifters, and a 3-way power divider, including an input terminal, a first output terminal for feeding a first unit, a second output terminal connecting to the first phase shifter, and a third output terminal connecting to the second phase shifter. The feeding network may also comprise a first 2-way power divider, including an input terminal connecting to the first phase shifter, a first output terminal for feeding a second unit, and a second output terminal for cascading a third phase shifter. In addition, the feeding network may comprise a second 2-way power divider, including an input terminal connecting to the second phase shifter, a first output terminal for feeding a third unit, and a second output terminal for cascading a fourth phase shifter.

Claims

1. A feeding network for base station antenna, comprising a multi-level feeding structure, wherein:

each level includes;

first and second phase shifters;

a 3-way power divider, including an input terminal for connecting to a feeding port, a first output terminal for feeding a first unit of the base station antenna, a second output terminal connecting to the first phase shifter, and a third output terminal connecting to the second phase shifter;

a first 2-way power divider, including an input terminal connecting to the first phase shifter, a first output terminal for feeding a second unit of the base station antenna, and a second output terminal for cascading a third phase shifter; and

a second 2-way power divider, including an input terminal connecting to the second phase shifter, a first output terminal for feeding a third unit of the base station antenna, and a second output terminal for cascading a fourth phase shifter;

adjacent levels are connected to each other through tiling or laminating;

the 3-way power divider, the first and second 2-way power dividers, and the first and second phase shifters in a same level are all placed in an integrally formed metal housing;

the input terminal and the first output terminal of the 3-way power divider, the first output terminal of the first 2-way power divider, and the first output terminal of the second 2-way power divider are distributed along a same long side of the metal housing;

the 3-way power divider, the first 2-way power divider, and the second 2-way power divider in a same level all include an air strip line in branch form.

2. The feeding network of claim 1, wherein the first phase shifter in each level includes a fixed transmission line and a sliding transmission line.

3. The feeding network of claim 2, wherein the fixed transmission line in each level includes a hollow metal tube.

4. The feeding network of claim 2, wherein the sliding transmission line in each level includes a U-shape metal rod inserted into the fixed transmission line.

5. The feeding network of claim 4, wherein the U-shape metal rod in each level is coated with an insulation layer.

6. The feeding network of claim 1, wherein the shape of a cross section of the air strip line is selected from a group consisting of:

a flat shape, a round shape, a square shape, and a combination of the above.

7. The feeding network of claim 1, wherein the shape of a cross section of the metal housing is selected from a group consisting of:

a single rectangle, a one-side-opened single rectangle, an up-down dual rectangle, an up-down one-side-opened dual rectangle, a left-right dual rectangle, a left-right one-side-opened dual rectangle, and a multi-cavity structure formed by combining two or more of the above.

8. The feeding network of claim 1, wherein the first and second phase shifters in a same level are configured to apply an equal-difference phase change.

9. The feeding network of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first or second phase shifter in a same level is configured to perform phase shifting by adjusting an electrical length of a transmission line.