Adjustable-tilt housing with flattened dome shape, array antenna, and bracket mount

• US 10,170,828 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2016
• Issued: 01/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ubiquiti Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ubiquiti Networks, Inc. (Ubiquiti Inc.)
• Inventors: Huerta, Gerardo, Lee, Jude, Chen, Hsin-Ming, Pera, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Levi, Dameon E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dawkins, Collin
• Application Number:
  US15/351,218
• Publication Number:
  US 20170062921A1
• Time in Patent Office: 778 Days
• Field of Search: 343872, 343892, 343882
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/14 with ball-joint ball-jointed hinges F16C11/06 ; adjustable mountings employing universal joints for lighting devices F21V21/26 - F21V21/30
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/125 Means for positioning
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2291 used in bluetooth or WI-FI devices of Wireless Local Area Networks [WLAN] H01Q1/241 takes precedence; WLAN in general H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/42 Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/428 Collapsible radomes; rotatable, tiltable radomes
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0087 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing antenna arrays manufacturing waveguides H01P11/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/065 Patch antenna array
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/08 for varying two co-ordinates of the orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/50 Feeding or matching arrangements for broad-band or multi-band operation
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0428 radiating a circular polarised wave
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/045 with particular feeding means for circular polarisation H01Q9/0428
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49018 with other electrical component

Abstract

Radio devices for wireless transmission including an integrated adjustable mount allowing mounting to a pole or stand and adjustment of the angle of the device (e.g., the altitude). The device may include a compact array antenna having a high gain configured to operate in, for example, the 5.15 to 5.85 GHz band and/or the 2.40-2.48 GHz band. The antenna emitters may be arranged in a separate plane from a plane containing the antenna feed connecting the emitting elements and also from a ground plane. The antenna array may be contained within a protective weatherproof housing along with the radio control circuitry.

Claims

1. A radio and antenna device for providing wireless broadband access, the device comprising:

a disc-shaped housing having a flattened, dome-shaped front region and a back region having an integrated bracket mount, wherein the integrated bracket mount comprises a slotted channel;

a bubble level integrated onto the housing;

a plurality of antenna emitters held within the housing and arranged as an array antenna; and

a bracket configured to support the device, the bracket further configured to engage with the integrated bracket mount, where the bracket and integrated bracket mount may be adjusted to form a plurality of selectable positions securing the housing at different tilt angles relative to the bracket.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the bracket comprises a ball socket and threaded clamp.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the bracket mount comprises a deformable locking projection.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising a lock configured to secure the bracket to the housing.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the bracket comprises an arm and a ball joint at an end of the arm.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising optical indicators within the housing that are visible through a wall of the housing.

7. The device of claim 1, further comprising a region of a wall of the housing that is thinner than other regions of the wall, through which a plurality of lights within the housing may be visible.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the disc-shaped housing forms a waterproof enclosure around the plurality of antenna emitters.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of antenna emitters comprises at least four patch antennas, arranged across a surface within the housing as an array antenna.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of antenna emitters comprises at least nine patch antennas arranged across a surface within the housing as an array antenna.

11. The device of claim 1, further comprising a power over Ethernet (PoE) port through the housing and configured to receive a PoE cable.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the bracket comprises a concave pole mount region configured to be connected at least partially around a pole.

13. The device of claim 1, further comprising a controller connected to the antenna emitters and configured to send and receive wireless broadband signals from the antenna.

14. The device of claim 1, further comprising a controller connected to the antenna emitters and configured to send and receive wireless broadband signals using a time division multiple access (TDMA) protocol.