Antenna apparatus and beam state switching method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10958322-B2
Application number	US-202016910922-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 24, 2020
Priority date	Dec 27, 2017
Publication date	Mar 23, 2021
Grant date	Mar 23, 2021

Abstract

One example antenna apparatus includes S groups of antenna bays, S groups of phase-shift feeding networks, and S beamforming networks. An ith group of antenna bays include Ni bays, an ith group of phase-shift feeding networks include Ni phase-shift feeding networks, and the Ni bays are connected to the Ni phase-shift feeding networks. In a first state, an ith beamforming network is configured to form ni beams corresponding to the Ni bays, where Ni first ports corresponding to the beamforming network are connected to the Ni phase-shift feeding networks, ni second ports corresponding to the beamforming network are connected to ni antenna ports, and ni is less than Ni. In a second state, an ith beamforming network is configured to form Ni beams corresponding to the Ni bays, where Ni first ports corresponding to the beamforming network are connected to the Ni phase-shift feeding networks, and Ni second ports corresponding to the beamforming network are connected to Ni antenna ports.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An antenna apparatus, comprising S groups of antenna bays, S groups of phase-shift feeding networks, and S beamforming networks, wherein S is an integer greater than or equal to 1;
wherein an i th group of antenna bays in M groups of the S groups of antenna bays comprise N i bays, wherein an i th group of phase-shift feeding networks in M groups of the S groups of phase-shift feeding networks comprise N i phase-shift feeding networks, wherein the N i bays are connected to the N i phase-shift feeding networks in a one-to-one correspondence, wherein M is an integer less than or equal to S, wherein i is any integer from 1 to M, and wherein N i is an integer greater than 1; and
when the antenna apparatus is in a first state, an i th beamforming network in M beamforming networks of the S beamforming networks is configured to form n i beams corresponding to the N i bays, wherein N i first ports corresponding to the i th beamforming network are connected to the N i phase-shift feeding networks in a one-to-one correspondence, wherein n i second ports corresponding to the i th beamforming network are connected to n i antenna ports in a one-to-one correspondence, and wherein n i is an integer less than or equal to N i ; or
when the antenna apparatus is in a second state, an i th beamforming network in M beamforming networks of the S beamforming networks is configured to form N i beams corresponding to the N i bays, wherein N i first ports corresponding to the i th beamforming network are connected to the N i phase-shift feeding networks in a one-to-one correspondence, and wherein N i second ports corresponding to the i th beamforming network are connected to N i antenna ports in a one-to-one correspondence.

2. The antenna apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the antenna apparatus further comprises L antenna ports, a port correction network corresponding to the L antenna ports, and a correction port, wherein L is greater than or equal to 1, and wherein the port correction network is configured to couple signals corresponding to the L antenna ports to the correction port.

3. The antenna apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein when the antenna apparatus is in the second state, the correction port is connected to a port corresponding to a correction module in a radio frequency system.

4. The antenna apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein when the antenna apparatus is in the first state, the correction port is connected to a port corresponding to a correction module in a radio frequency system.

5. The antenna apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the i th beamforming network comprises an n i -driving-N i multi-beam feeding network, an N i -driving-N i through feeding network, N i first switch circuits, and N i second switch circuits, and wherein:
when the antenna apparatus is in the first state, the N i phase-shift feeding networks are connected, in a one-to-one correspondence, to N i first ports corresponding to the N i first switch circuits, wherein N i second ports corresponding to the N i first switch circuits are connected, in a one-to-one correspondence, to N i first ports corresponding to the n i -driving-N i multi-beam feeding network, wherein n i second ports corresponding to the n i driving-N i multi-beam feeding network are connected, in a one-to-one correspondence, to n i first ports corresponding to n i second switch circuits, wherein n i second ports corresponding to the n i second switch circuits are connected to n i antenna ports in a one-to-one correspondence, and wherein the n i -driving-N i multi-beam feeding network is configured to form n i orthogonal beams corresponding to the N i bays; or
when the antenna apparatus is in the second state, the N i phase-shift feeding networks are connected, in a one-to-one correspondence, to N i first ports corresponding to the N i first switch circuits, wherein N i second ports corresponding to the N i first switch circuits are connected, in a one-to-one correspondence, to N i first ports corresponding to the N i -driving-N i through feeding network, wherein N i second ports corresponding to the N i -driving-N i through feeding network are connected, in a one-to-one correspondence, to N i first ports corresponding to the N i second switch circuits, N i second ports corresponding to the N i second switch circuits are connected to the N i antenna ports in a one-to-one correspondence, and wherein the N i antenna ports are connected to the port correction network, wherein the N i -driving-N i through feeding network is configured to form N i through beams corresponding to the N i bays.

6. The antenna apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the N i -driving-N i through feeding network is bypassed to the n i -driving-N i multi-beam feeding network.

7. The antenna apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein S is greater than or equal to 2, wherein a j th group of antenna bays in the S groups of antenna bays comprise N j bays, wherein a j th group of phase-shift feeding networks comprise N j phase-shift feeding networks, wherein the N j bays are connected to the N j phase-shift feeding networks in a one-to-one correspondence, wherein N j is an integer greater than or equal to 1;
wherein the i th group of phase-shift feeding networks are configured to control downtilt angles of beams corresponding to the i th group of antenna bays, wherein a downtilt angle of a beam corresponding to each bay in the i th group of antenna bays is within a first preset range;
wherein the j th group of phase-shift feeding networks are configured to control downtilt angles of beams corresponding to the j th group of antenna bays, wherein a downtilt angle of a beam corresponding to each bay in the j th group of antenna bays is within a second preset range; and
wherein the downtilt angle is an azimuth angle or a pitch angle.

8. The antenna apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein:
when the antenna apparatus is in the first state, | ET i − ET j |>(d i +d j )/2, wherein ET i is an average value of downtilt angles of beams corresponding to the N i bays in the i th group of antenna bays, wherein ET j is an average value of downtilt angles of beams corresponding to the N j bays in the j th group of antenna bays, wherein d i is an average beam width of n i beams corresponding to the i th group of antenna bays, and wherein d j is an average beam width of the beams corresponding to the j th group of antenna bays.

9. The antenna apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein:
when the antenna apparatus is in the second state, ET i = ET j wherein ET i is an average value of downtilt angles of beams corresponding to the N i bays in the i th group of antenna bays, and wherein ET j is an average value of downtilt angles of beams corresponding to the N j bays in the j th group of antenna bays.

10. A beam state switching method, wherein the method is applied to an antenna apparatus, wherein the antenna apparatus comprises S groups of antenna bays, S groups of phase-shift feeding networks, and S beamforming networks, wherein S is an integer greater than or equal to 1;
wherein an i th group of antenna bays in M groups of the S groups of antenna bays comprise N i bays, wherein an i th group of phase-shift feeding networks in M groups of the S groups of phase-shift feeding networks comprise N i phase-shift feeding networks, wherein the N i bays are connected to the N i phase-shift feeding networks in a one-to-one correspondence, wherein M is an integer less than or equal to S, wherein i is any integer from 1 to M, and wherein N i is an integer greater than or equal to 1;
when the ant

Assignees

• Huawei Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Wang Linlin
• Xiao Weihong
• Yang Chaohui
• Qin Jian

Classifications

• H04B7/0691

  using subgroups of transmit antennas · CPC title

• H04B7/0617

  for beam forming · CPC title

• H04B7/0408

  using two or more beams, i.e. beam diversity · CPC title

• H01Q3/36

  with variable phase-shifters · CPC title

• H01Q1/50

  Structural association of antennas with earthing switches, lead-in devices or lightning protectors · CPC title