Configurable antenna and method of operating such a configurable antenna

• US 10,098,018 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2016
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airspan IP Holdco LLC (Airspan Networks Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Airspan Networks Inc.
• Inventors: Lysejko, Martin, Parrott, Stuart
• Primary Examiner(s): MANCUSO, HUEDUNG XUAN CAO
• Application Number:
  US15/187,680
• Publication Number:
  US 20160380355A1
• Time in Patent Office: 841 Days
• Field of Search: 343853
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/06 allowing pivoting
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/24 Acquisition or tracking or demodulation of signals transmitted by the system synchronisation aspects of direct sequence spread spectrum modulation H04B1/7073
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/53 Determining attitude
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/043 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/14 Systems for determining direction or deviation from predetermined direction aerial arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern H01Q3/00; combinations of different interacting aerial units for giving a desired directional characteristic H01Q21/29; aerials or aerial systems providing at least two radiation patterns H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0247 Determining attitude
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/02 Arrangements for de-icing; Arrangements for drying-out ; Arrangements for cooling; Arrangements for preventing corrosion
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1207 for fastening a rigid aerial element
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1228 on a boom
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1257 using the received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/36 Structural form of radiating elements, e.g. cone, spiral, umbrella; Particular materials used therewithH01Q1/08, H01Q1/14 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/42 Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/50 Structural association of antennas with earthing switches, lead-in devices or lightning protectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/00 Antenna arrays or systems arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern of the waves radiated from an antenna or antenna system H01Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/065 Patch antenna array
• 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 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 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/002 : providing at least two patterns of different beamwidth; Variable beamwidth antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/005 : providing two patterns of opposite direction; back to back antennas H01Q25/004 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/02 : using mechanical movement of antenna or antenna system as a whole
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/04 : for varying one co-ordinate of the orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/10 : to produce a conical or spiral scan
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/12 : using mechanical relative movement between primary active elements and secondary devices of antennas or antenna systems
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/24 : varying the orientation by switching energy from one active radiating element to another, e.g. for beam switching
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/26 : varying the relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of energy across a radiating aperture H01Q3/12, H01Q3/22, H01Q3/24 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/2611 : Means for null steering; Adaptive interference nulling
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/36 : with variable phase-shifters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0456 : Selection of precoding matrices or codebooks, e.g. using matrices antenna weighting
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 : for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0621 : Feedback content
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0691 : using subgroups of transmit antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0695 : using beam selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0817 : with multiple receivers and antenna path selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/086 : using weights depending on external parameters, e.g. direction of arrival [DOA], predetermined weights or beamforming
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0874 : using subgroups of receive antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/088 : using beam selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 : for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 : the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 : Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 : involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 : specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 : using beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 : Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 : Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 : Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0236 : radio quality, e.g. interference, losses or delay
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0268 : using specific QoS parameters for wireless networks, e.g. QoS class identifier [QCI] or guaranteed bit rate [GBR] negotiating SLA or negotiating QoS H04W28/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0284 : detecting congestion or overload during communication monitoring arrangements H04L43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/24 : Negotiating SLA [Service Level Agreement]; Negotiating QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 : Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/22 : using selective relaying for reaching a BTS [Base Transceiver Station] or an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/06 : based on traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 : in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 : using measured or perceived quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/02 : Hierarchically pre-organised networks, e.g. paging networks, cellular networks, WLAN [Wireless Local Area Network] or WLL [Wireless Local Loop]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 : using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 : adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20 : Modifications to facilitate cooling, ventilating, or heating

Abstract

Antenna apparatus and a method of operating the antenna apparatus are provided. The antenna apparatus comprises a directional antenna comprising antenna array components, RF chains connected to the antenna array components, and a transceiver connected to the RF chains. Each RF chain comprises in sequence: a switching stage having switching circuitry selectively to connect an antenna array component, a phase shifting stage having phase shifting circuitry, and a summation stage having summation circuitry, wherein at least two of the RF chains share phase shifting circuitry and at least two of the RF chains share summation circuitry. The at least partial sharing of the RF chains, an in particular of the phase shifting circuitry provides a compact and cheap antenna apparatus, which is nonetheless capable of degree of configurability in direction and beam pattern to enable it to operate in a busy and changing environment.

Claims

1. Antenna apparatus comprising:

a directional antenna comprising a plurality of antenna array components;

a plurality of RF chains connected to the plurality of antenna array components;

a transceiver connected to the plurality of RF chains,

wherein each RF chain comprises in sequence;

a switching stage having switching circuitry selectively to connect an antenna array component;

a phase shifting stage having phase shifting circuitry; and

a summation stage having summation circuitry,

wherein at least two of the RF chains connected to different antenna array components share phase shifting circuitry and at least two of the RF chains connected to different antenna array components share summation circuitry, and wherein the plurality of RF chains comprises a further summation stage having further summation circuitry, wherein the further summation stage is between the switching stage and the phase shifting stage, and the further summation stage is configured to combine output from two of the plurality of antenna array components to forward to the shared phase shifting circuitry.

2. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of RF chains comprises a gain stage having gain circuitry, wherein at least two of the RF chains connected to different antenna array components share gain circuitry.

3. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the gain circuitry of the gain stages is responsive to a gain control signal to select a fixed gain.

4. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the gain circuitry of the gain stages is responsive to a gain control signal to select a variable gain.

5. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the phase shifting circuitry of the phase shifting stages comprises a plurality of fixed length phase paths, and the phase circuitry comprises phase selection circuitry responsive to a phase selection signal to route the RF chain via one of the plurality of fixed length phase paths.

6. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the directional antenna is a uniform linear antenna array.

7. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of antenna array components comprises a plurality of antenna array elements arranged in columns to form the antenna array components.

8. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the antenna array elements at one end of the columns of antenna array elements are connected to a first RF chain which is independent of a second RF chain connected to the antenna array elements at an opposite end of the columns of antenna array elements.

9. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a mounting portion configured to be fixed relative to a physical location of the antenna apparatus, wherein the directional antenna is configured to be rotatably positioned about an axis with respect to the mounting portion, and the plurality of RF chains is fixedly located with respect to the directional antenna.

10. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the plurality of RF chains is located behind the plurality of antenna array components.

11. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a rear directional antenna, wherein a rear RF chain of the plurality of RF chains is connected to the rear directional antenna and the rear RF chain is at least partially shared with a RF chain connected to an antenna array component of the plurality of antenna array components; and

at least one RF chain comprises a further switching stage, wherein the further switching stage is configured to selectively connect only one of;

the antenna array component and the rear directional antenna to the at least partially shared RF chain.

12. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the rear directional antenna is fixedly mounted with respect to the directional antenna, wherein the rear directional antenna is oriented in a substantially opposite direction to the directional antenna, and wherein the plurality of RF chains are located between the directional antenna and the rear directional antenna.

13. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the rear directional antenna is a rear uniform linear antenna array.

14. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a uniform circular antenna array comprising a plurality of circular antenna array components, wherein a uniform circular antenna RF chain of the plurality of RF chains is connected to a uniform circular antenna array component and the uniform circular antenna RF chain is at least partially shared with a RF chain connected to an antenna array component of the plurality of antenna array components; and

at least one RF chain comprises a further switching stage, wherein the further switching stage is configured to selectively connect only one of;

the antenna array component and the uniform circular antenna array component to the at least partially shared RF chain.

15. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 14, comprising control circuitry to time-multiplex operation of the uniform circular antenna array and the directional antenna.

16. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising beam pattern control circuitry to control activation, gain and phase of the antenna or antennas of the antenna apparatus such that the antenna apparatus is operated in a selected mode with a selected beam pattern of a set of beam patterns, wherein the set of beam patterns provides a range of directionality and interference nulling.

17. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the beam pattern control circuitry is responsive to an instruction received from a wireless network controller for a wireless network comprising more than one antenna apparatus to cause the antenna apparatus to be operated in the selected mode with the selected beam pattern.

18. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the beam pattern control circuitry is responsive to a configuration determined in the antenna apparatus to cause the antenna apparatus to be operated in the selected mode with the selected beam pattern.

19. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the selected mode and beam pattern are used to operate the antenna apparatus in a point-to-point mode in a wireless network.

20. The antenna apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the selected mode and beam pattern are used to operate the antenna apparatus in a point to multi-point mode in a wireless network.

21. A method of operating an antenna apparatus comprising the steps of:

connecting a plurality of antenna array components via a plurality of RF chains to a transceiver, wherein at least two of the RF chains connected to different antenna array components share phase shifting circuitry and at least two of the RF chains connected to different antenna array components share summation circuitry; and

in forward or reverse sequence in at least one RF chain;

selectively connecting an antenna array component to a shared RF chain;

phase shifting using a shared phase shifting stage of the shared RF chain;

summing using a shared summation stage of the shared RF chain; and

in the plurality of RF chains, further summing between the selectively connecting and the phase shifting, and the further summing combines output from two RF chains of the plurality of antenna array components to forward to the shared phase shifting stage.

22. Antenna apparatus comprising:

means for directionally transmitting and receiving wireless signals comprising a plurality of antenna array components;

means for providing a plurality of RF chains to connected the plurality of antenna array components to a transceiver;

means for transceiving signals carried by the plurality of RF chains,

wherein each RF chain comprises in sequence;

means for selectively disconnecting an antenna array component;

means for phase shifting; and

means for summing,

wherein at least two of the RF chains connected to different antenna array components share the means for phase shifting and at least two of the RF chains connected to different antenna array components share the means for summing, wherein;

the means for providing a plurality of RF chains comprises a further 20 means for summation, wherein the further means for summation is between the means for selectively disconnecting and the means for phase shifting, and the further means for summation for combining output from two of the plurality of antenna array components to forward to the shared means for phase shifting.