High frequency-based array antenna and communication method therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11658413-B2
Application number	US-202217712767-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 4, 2022
Priority date	Apr 2, 2021
Publication date	May 23, 2023
Grant date	May 23, 2023

Abstract

An array antenna capable of steering a beam in a first communication node of a wireless communication system may comprise: a plurality of single antennas each capable of variably adjusting a beam steering direction; a plurality of beamforming control units each of which is connected to each of the plurality of single antennas to control a beamforming operation of each of the plurality of single antennas; and an array antenna control unit connected to the plurality of beamforming control units to control a beamforming operation of the entire array antenna, wherein the plurality of single antennas are arranged in a cylindrical shape and are installed to face a direction opposite to a central direction of the cylinder shape, and the array antenna is configured to steer a beam to a predetermined area around the first communication node through at least one single antenna among the plurality of single antennas.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A first array antenna capable of steering a beam in a first communication node of a wireless communication system, the first array antenna comprising:
a plurality of single antennas each capable of variably adjusting a beam steering direction;
a plurality of beamforming control units each of which is connected to each of the plurality of single antennas to control a beamforming operation of each of the plurality of single antennas; and
an array antenna control unit connected to the plurality of beamforming control units to control a beamforming operation of the entire first array antenna,
wherein the plurality of single antennas are arranged in a cylindrical shape and are installed to face a direction opposite to a central direction of the cylinder shape, and the first array antenna is configured to steer a beam to a predetermined area around the first communication node through at least one single antenna among the plurality of single antennas.

2. The array antenna according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of single antennas includes a primary mirror, a secondary mirror, and a beam emitter, and each of the plurality of beamforming control units connected to each of the plurality of single antennas is configured to steer a beam by controlling a phase of the beam formed and radiated by the beam emitter.

3. The array antenna according to claim 2 , wherein the beam emitter of each of the plurality of single antennas is an array emitter formed by arranging a plurality of sub-emitters each capable of forming and radiating a beam.

4. The array antenna according to claim 3 , wherein each of the plurality of beamforming control units is configured to variably control a beam steering direction of each of the plurality of single antennas by controlling whether or not to form and emit a beam of each of the plurality of sub-emitters included in each of the connected plurality of single antennas.

5. The array antenna according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of single antennas is formed as an antenna of a Cassegrain structure capable of performing beamforming.

6. The array antenna according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of single antennas is formed as at least one of a horn antenna, a dielectric patch antenna, and a slot antenna.

7. The array antenna according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of single antennas is formed as an antenna using a metal type or dielectric substrate.

8. A first array antenna capable of steering a beam in a first communication node in a wireless communication system, the first array antenna comprising:
a plurality of single antennas each capable of variably adjusting a beam steering direction;
a plurality of beamforming control units each of which is connected to each of the plurality of single antennas to control a beamforming operation of each of the plurality of single antennas; and
an array antenna control unit connected to the plurality of beamforming control units to control a beamforming operation of the entire first array antenna,
wherein the plurality of single antennas are arranged in a spherical shape and are installed to face a direction opposite to a central direction of the spherical shape, the first array antenna is configured to steer a beam to a predetermined area around the first communication node through at least one single antenna among the plurality of single antennas, and a first cavity in which the plurality of single antennas are not arranged is formed on one side of the first array antenna.

9. The array antenna according to claim 8 , wherein each of the plurality of single antennas includes a primary mirror, a secondary mirror, and a beam emitter, and each of the plurality of beamforming control units connected to each of the plurality of single antennas is configured to steer a beam by controlling a phase of the beam formed and radiated by the beam emitter.

10. The array antenna according to claim 9 , wherein the beam emitter of each of the plurality of single antennas is an array emitter formed by arranging a plurality of sub-emitters each capable of forming and radiating a beam.

11. The array antenna according to claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of beamforming control units is configured to variably control a beam steering direction of each of the plurality of single antennas by controlling whether or not to form and emit a beam of each of the plurality of sub-emitters included in each of the connected plurality of single antennas.

12. The array antenna according to claim 8 , wherein each of the plurality of single antennas is formed as an antenna of a Cassegrain structure capable of performing beamforming.

Assignees

• Electronics & Telecommunications Res Inst

Inventors

• Lee Jung Nam
• Byun Woo Jin
• Kim Kwang Seon

Classifications

• H01Q21/205

  providing an omnidirectional coverage (turnstile aerials H01Q21/26) · CPC title

• H01Q15/14

  Reflecting surfaces; Equivalent structures {(electromagnetic shields H01Q1/526)} · CPC title

• H01Q15/0033

  used for beam splitting or combining, e.g. acting as a quasi-optical multiplexer (H01Q19/191 and H01Q19/195 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01Q3/36 Primary

  with variable phase-shifters · CPC title

• H01Q1/246 Primary

  specially adapted for base stations · CPC title