Multi-link antenna array that conforms to cellular leasing agreements for only one attachment fee

• US 7,394,439 B1
• Filed: 06/19/2006
• Issued: 07/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Johnson, Harold W., Rausch, Walter F., Hoffman, Bruce E.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, THO GIA
• Application Number:
  US11/471,069
• Time in Patent Office: 743 Days
• Field of Search: 343/700.MS, 343/878, 343/890, 343/853, 343/702
• US Class Current: 343/890
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1242 Rigid masts specially adapted for supporting an aerial
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• 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 25/00 Antennas or antenna systems providing at least two radiating patterns arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern H01Q3/00

Abstract

A system and method for mounting a plurality of antenna elements onto a cell tower is disclosed. A plurality of antennas are mounted onto a mounting system. The mounting system is configured to attach to a cellular antenna mount using the same physical mounting system as the cellular antenna elements. The plurality of antennas provide multiple point-to-point links that may be used for wireless backhaul links or other applications.

Claims

1. A multi-link antenna array, comprising:

an antenna mounting system configured to mount a plurality of antennas;

an array mounting system coupled to the antenna mounting system and configured to attach to a cellular antenna element mount;

the plurality of antennas attached to the antenna mounting system where the plurality of antennas fits inside a physical envelope, and where the physical envelope matches size and shape requirements for a cellular antenna element in a cellular leasing agreement.

2. The multi-link antenna array of claim 1 where a width of the physical envelope is approximately equal to a minimum spacing between two cellular antenna elements mounted on a cellular tower.

3. The multi-link antenna array of claim 1 where a width of the physical envelope is approximately equal to a width of the cellular antenna element.

4. The multi-link antenna array of claim 1 where the physical envelope has a maximum width of approximately two feet.

5. The multi-link antenna array of claim 1 where the physical envelope has generally cylindrical shape.

6. The multi-link antenna array of claim 5 where the generally cylindrical shape of the physical envelope has a maximum width of between 10 and 16 inches in diameter.

7. The multi-link antenna array of claim 5 where the generally cylindrical shape of the physical envelope has a diameter of approximately 12 inches and where the generally cylindrical shape of the physical envelope is approximately 6 feet in length.

8. The multi-link antenna array of claim 1 where the physical envelope has a generally rectangular shape.

9. The multi-link antenna array of claim 8 where the generally rectangular shape of the physical envelope has a width of approximately 12 inches, a length of approximately 12 inches and a height of approximately 6 feet.

10. The multi-link antenna array of claim 1 where at least one antenna of the plurality of antennas is configured to operate using a common carrier band.

11. The multi-link antenna array of claim 10 where the common carrier band is selected from the 2, 4, and 6 GHz common carrier bands.

12. The multi-link antenna array of claim 1 where at least one antenna of the plurality of antennas is configured to operate at a wavelength band selected from the group:

broadband radio service (BRS) 2.5 GHz, local multipoint distribution service (LMDS 24 GHz-39 GHz), Unlicensed bands 2.4 GHz, 3.6 GHz, 5.8 GHz, and licensed cellular bands 800 MHz, 1900 MHz.

13. The multi-link antenna array of claim 1 where at least one antenna of the plurality of antennas selected from the group:

a patch antenna, a parabolic antenna, a helical antenna, and a yagi antenna.

14. The multi-link antenna array of claim 1 where at least one antenna of the plurality of antennas includes a radio frequency (RF) head.

15. The multi-link antenna array of claim 1 where the antenna mount system is configured to allow the plurality of antennas to be aligned anywhere within a 360 degree azimuth range.

16. The multi-link antenna array of claim 1 where the antenna mount system is configured to mount the plurality of antennas that are essentially identical.

17. The multi-link antenna array of claim 1 where the antenna mount system is configured to mount the plurality of antennas that are configured for a plurality of different wavelength bands.

18. The multi-link antenna array of claim 1 where the antenna mount system comprises a vertical cylindrical rod.

19. The multi-link antenna array of claim 1 where the multi-link antenna array is mounted on a cell tower.

20. The multi-link antenna array of claim 1 further comprising:

a single cable exiting from a radome enclosure and configured to feed a plurality of signals to the plurality of antennas.

21. The multi-link antenna array of claim 20 where the single cable comprises a plurality of intermediate frequency (IF) signal lines and at least one power line.

22. The multi-link antenna array of claim 1 where at least one antenna of the plurality of antennas further comprises an RF modem.

23. The multi-link antenna array of claim 1 further comprising:

a first motor attached to a first antenna of the plurality of antennas and configured to move the first antenna in an azimuth direction.

24. The multi-link antenna array of claim 23 further comprising:

a second motor attached to the first antenna and configured to move the first antenna in a direction perpendicular to the azimuth direction.

25. The multi-link antenna array of claim 24 where the first motor is controlled remotely.

26. A method for creating a plurality of point-to-point links, comprising:

mounting a plurality of antennas onto an antenna mount, where the plurality of antennas fit inside a physical envelope and where the physical envelope matches size and shape requirements for a cellular antenna element in a cellular leasing agreement and where each of the plurality of antennas is configured to form one end of one of the plurality of point-to-point links;

attaching the antenna mount to a cellular tower using a cellular antenna element mounting system.

27. The method for creating a plurality of point-to-point links of claim 26 where a width of the physical envelope is approximately equal to a minimum spacing between two cellular antenna elements mounted on the cellular tower.

28. The method for creating a plurality of point-to-point links of claim 26 where a width of the physical envelope is approximately equal to a width of the cellular antenna element.

29. The method for creating a plurality of point-to-point links of claim 26 where the physical envelope has a maximum width of approximately two feet.

30. The method for creating a plurality of point-to-point links of claim 26 where the physical envelope has a generally cylindrical shape.

31. The method for creating a plurality of point-to-point links of claim 30 where the generally cylindrical shape of the physical envelope has a maximum width of between 10 and 16 inches in diameter.

32. The method for creating a plurality of point-to-point links of claim 30 where the generally cylindrical shape of the physical envelope has a diameter of approximately 12 inches and where the generally cylindrical shape of the physical envelope is approximately 6 feet in length.

33. The method for creating a plurality of point-to-point links of claim 26 where the physical envelope has a generally rectangular shape.

34. The method for creating a plurality of point-to-point links of claim 33 where the generally rectangular shape of the physical envelope has a width of approximately 12 inches, a length of approximately 12 inches and a height of approximately 6 feet.

35. The method for creating a plurality of point-to-point links of claim 26 where the plurality of antennas are aligned anywhere within a 360 degree azimuth range using the antenna mount.

36. The method for creating a plurality of point-to-point links of claim 26 where at least one of the plurality of antennas is configured to operate using a common carrier band.

37. The method for creating a plurality of point-to-point links of claim 36 where the common carrier band is selected from the 2, 4, and 6 GHz common carrier bands.

38. The method for creating a plurality of point-to-point links of claim 26 where at least one antenna of the plurality of antennas is configured to operate at a wavelength band selected from the group:

broadband radio service (BRS) 2.5 GHz, local multipoint distribution service (LMDS 24 GHz-39 GHz), Unlicensed bands 2.4 GHz, 3.6 GHz, 5.8 GHz, and licensed cellular bands 800 MHz, 1900 MHz.

39. The method for creating a plurality of point-to-point links of claim 26 where at least one of the plurality of antennas includes an RF head.

40. The method for creating a plurality of point-to-point links of claim 26 where the plurality of antennas are configured for a plurality of different wavelength bands.

41. The method for creating a plurality of point-to-point links of claim 26 where the plurality of antennas are mounted using the antenna mount comprising a vertical cylindrical rod.

42. The method for creating a plurality of point-to-point links of claim 26 further comprising:

coupling a single cable into a radome enclosure where the single cable is configured to feed a plurality of signals to the plurality of antennas.

43. The method for creating a plurality of point-to-point links of claim 42 where the single cable comprises a plurality of IF signal lines and at least one power line.

44. The method for creating a plurality of point-to-point links of claim 26 where at least one of the plurality of point-to-point links is used as a backhaul link.