Variable beam control antenna for mobile communication system

• US 9,917,361 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2014
• Issued: 03/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KMW Incorporated
• Original Assignee: KMW Incorporated
• Inventors: Moon, Young-Chan, So, Sung-Hwan, Kim, In-Ho, Choi, Oh-Seog, Yang, Hyoung-Seok
• Primary Examiner(s): MUNOZ, DANIEL
• Application Number:
  US14/444,439
• Publication Number:
  US 20140333500A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,324 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1264 Adjusting different parts or elements of an aerial unit
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/42 Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/48 Earthing means; Earth screens; Counterpoises
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/13 the primary radiating source being a single radiating element, e.g. a dipole, a slot, a waveguide termination H01Q19/15 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/062 using dipole aerials; H01Q21/067, H01Q21/068 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/08 the units being spaced along or adjacent to a rectilinear path waveguide fed H01Q21/0037
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/08 for varying two co-ordinates of the orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/18 wherein the primary active element is movable and the reflecting device is fixed
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/28 Conical, cylindrical, cage, strip, gauze, or like elements having an extended radiating surface; Elements comprising two conical surfaces having collinear axes and adjacent apices and fed by two-conductor transmission lines waveguide horns or mouths H01Q13/00; slot antennas H01Q13/00

Abstract

The present invention relates to a variable beam control antenna for a mobile communication system, the antenna comprising: a radome formed on the front surface at which a signal is emitted; multiple emitters vertically arranged in at least one row; a frame portion for supporting the radome and the multiple emitters; and a direction-changing module which rotates each of the multiple emitters vertically and horizontally with respect to a reference point in order to change the emission direction of the multiple emitters.

Claims

1. A variable beam control antenna for a mobile communication system, the variable beam control antenna comprising:

a radome formed on a front surface from which signals are radiated;

a number of radiation units vertically arranged in at least one column;

a frame unit configured to support the radome and the radiation units; and

a direction variable module configured to rotate each of the radiation units upwards or downwards and leftwards or rightwards with respect to one reference point so as to vary a radiation direction of the radiation units,

wherein each of the radiation units comprises;

a radiation element;

a reflection plate configured to support the corresponding radiation element at a rear surface of the radiation element;

a spherical structure connected to the reflection plate via a first connection rod; and

a support platform configured to support the spherical structure using a ball-and-socket joint,

wherein the direction variable module has a structure configured to rotate the first connection rod and the spherical structure upwards or downwards and leftwards or rightwards using a separate appendage connected directly or indirectly,

wherein the separate appendage is at least one second connection rod formed on a second shaft that is perpendicular to, on a plane, a first shaft of the spherical structure to which the first connection rod and the reflection plate are connected, and the at least one second connection rod is fixedly connected to a rotation center shaft of at least one pinion gear,

wherein the direction variable module comprises;

a rack gear unit elongated upwards or downwards to be connected to at least one pinion gear installed on at least one second connection rod of the spherical structure;

an up or down variable unit configured to support the rack gear unit while enabling the rack gear unit to move upwards or downwards and installed to be able to rotate upwards or downwards with respect to a vertical shaft of the spherical structure; and

a left or right variable unit configured to rotate the up or down variable unit leftwards or rightwards with respect to the vertical shaft of the spherical structure,

wherein the rack gear unit is commonly connected to pinion gears formed on second connection rods of respective spherical structures of the radiation units, and

wherein the radiation units connected to the rack gear unit rotates upwards or downwards and leftwards or rightwards simultaneous by operation of the up or down variable unit and the left or right variable unit.

2. The variable beam control antenna as claimed in claim 1, wherein the frame unit having the signal processing and control equipment for signal processing operations for amplification and filtering of transmitted or received signals of the corresponding antenna and control operations for posture control of the antenna, and heat radiation pins are formed on an outer surface to discharge heat.

3. The variable beam control antenna as claimed in claim 1, wherein each radiation element of the radiation units is composed of a dipole element having a radiator and a balloon structure, the radiator is formed in a partially spherical shape that is convex in a forward direction as a whole, and

a reflection plate of each of the radiation units is formed in a dish shape or a partially spherical shape that has a concave portion with respect to the radiation element.

4. The variable beam control antenna as claimed in claim 3, wherein the radome is formed so that its surfaces, which correspond to respective convex radiation elements of the radiation units, similarly have partially spherical surfaces that are convex in the forward direction.

5. The variable beam control antenna as claimed in claim 1, wherein multiple phase shifters are mounted on the rack gear unit for electric vertical beam tilt.