Ceiling assembly with integrated repeater antenna

• US 9,742,060 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2015
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Happy SOAP LLC
• Original Assignee: Michael Clyde Walker
• Inventors: Walker, Michael Clyde
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Graham
• Application Number:
  US14/816,706
• Publication Number:
  US 20160043473A1
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 343835
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/007 specially adapted for indoor communication
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1221 onto a wall
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/30 the primary active element being centre-fed and substantially straight, e.g. Yagi antenna
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/205 providing an omnidirectional coverage turnstile aerials H01Q21/26
• 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 9/26 with folded element or elements, the folded parts being spaced apart a small fraction of operating wavelength resonant loop antennas H01Q7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/285 Planar dipole H01Q9/065 takes precedence; patch antenna H01Q9/0407

Abstract

An active antenna may be installed within a ceiling assembly of a building to improve the range of a wireless and/or cellular network. Further, a ground plane may be installed throughout the ceiling to reduce the occurrence of multipath interference of radio frequency (RF) signals. In addition, one or more active and/or passive antennas may also be installed in the ceiling to further extend the range of the wireless and/or cellular network within the building. Each of the antennas may be designed to facilitate (RF) signal gain for a collection or range of frequencies. In some instances, the installation of active and/or passive antennas may increase the range of a communications network, while the installation of a ground plane throughout the ceiling may reduce the occurrence on multipath interference resulting in improved wireless and/or cellular network performance including increased bandwidth and range.

Claims

1. A t-bar mounted active antenna ceiling assembly comprising:

at least one t-bar support beam;

a ground plane structure comprising a plurality of ground plane tiles without an antenna layer, wherein each ground plane tile comprises an electromagnetically reflective layer; and

a t-bar mounted active antenna tile having a same approximate area as a ground plane tile from the plurality of ground plane tiles, the t-bar mounted active antenna tile comprising;

a first dielectric layer;

an antenna layer comprising a number of antennas configured to receive and transmit radio frequency (RF) signals, the antenna layer disposed on the first dielectric layer; and

a ground plane layer disposed above the antenna layer and in electrical communication with the ground plane structure, wherein a ratio between a number of ground plane tiles and a number of t-bar mounted active antenna tiles is greater than or equal to 8 to 1;

wherein the t-bar mounted active antenna tile is mounted on the at least one t-bar support beam.

2. The t-bar mounted active antenna ceiling assembly of claim 1, wherein each ground plane tile further comprises a dielectric layer.

3. The t-bar mounted active antenna ceiling assembly of claim 1, wherein the t-bar mounted active antenna tile further comprises a second dielectric layer disposed between the antenna layer and the first ground plane layer.

4. The t-bar mounted active antenna ceiling assembly of claim 1, wherein the ground plane layer comprises an electromagnetically reflective layer.

5. The t-bar mounted active antenna ceiling assembly of claim 1, wherein the t-bar mounted active antenna tile further comprises a bidirectional power divider in electrical communication with at least two antennas of the number of antennas.

6. The t-bar mounted active antenna ceiling assembly of claim 5 wherein the bidirectional power divider is configured to divide a RF signal received from a donor antenna among the at least two antennas.

7. The t-bar mounted active antenna ceiling assembly of claim 5 wherein the bidirectional power divider is configured to combine RF signals received from the at least two antennas.

8. The t-bar mounted active antenna ceiling assembly of claim 1, wherein the t-bar mounted active antenna tile further comprises a router and wherein the number of antennas are configured to serve as wireless antennas for the router.

9. The t-bar mounted active antenna ceiling assembly of claim 1, wherein the ground plane structure is coextensive with a ceiling of a floor in a building.

10. The t-bar mounted active antenna ceiling assembly of claim 1, wherein the ground plane structure further comprises one or more windows without ground plane tiles for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) access.

11. The t-bar mounted active antenna ceiling assembly of claim 1, further comprising a passive antenna tile comprising a number of passive antennas.

12. The t-bar mounted active antenna ceiling assembly of claim 1, further comprising a bidirectional amplifier configured to communicate an RF signal between the t-bar mounted active antenna tile and a donor antenna.

13. The t-bar mounted active antenna ceiling assembly of claim 1, further comprising a number of electrically conductive staples configured to combine the plurality of ground plane tiles together to form the ground plane structure.

14. The t-bar mounted active antenna ceiling assembly of claim 1, further comprising a number of clamps configured to combine the plurality of ground plane tiles together to form the ground plane structure.

15. The t-bar mounted active antenna ceiling assembly of claim 1, wherein the active antenna ceiling assembly is configured for a building with a floor plan of at least 50,000 ft² for at least one floor in the building.

16. A method of installing a wireless communication system in a building, the method comprising:

installing a plurality of ground plane tiles without an antenna layer in a ceiling of a building, the ground plane tiles installed beneath a set of structures between the ceiling and a floor above the ceiling, wherein the ground plane tiles are configured to be electromagnetically reflective;

joining the plurality of ground plane tiles together in a lateral plane using a conductive joining element to create a ground plane;

installing a t-bar mounted active antenna tile in the ceiling, wherein the t-bar mounted active antenna tile has the same approximate area as a ground plane tile from the plurality of ground plane tiles and wherein a ground plane layer of the t-bar mounted active antenna tile is positioned within the lateral plane of the plurality of ground plane tiles; and

joining the ground plane layer of the t-bar mounted active antenna tile to at least one of the plurality of ground plane tiles thereby including the ground plane layer of the active antenna layer as part of the ground plane, wherein a ratio between the number of ground plane tiles and the number of t-bar mounted active antenna tiles is greater than or equal to 8 to 1.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the ground plane is substantially coextensive with the ceiling.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising electrically connecting the t-bar mounted active antenna tile to at least one of a bidirectional power divider, a router, a bidirectional amplifier, and a donor antenna.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

installing a t-bar mounted passive antenna tile in the ceiling, wherein a ground plane layer of the passive antenna tile is positioned within the lateral plane of the plurality of ground plane tiles; and

joining the ground plane layer of the t-bar mounted passive antenna tile to at least one of the plurality of ground plane tiles, thereby including the ground plane layer of the t-bar mounted passive antenna tile as part of the ground plane.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the conductive joining element comprises at least one of a conductive staple, a conductive hold down clamp, and a conductive frame.