Base station antennas having an active antenna module and related devices and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12119545-B2
Application number	US-202218048084-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 20, 2022
Priority date	Mar 24, 2020
Publication date	Oct 15, 2024
Grant date	Oct 15, 2024

Abstract

Base station antennas include an externally accessible active antenna module releasably coupled to a recessed segment that is over a chamber in the base station antenna and that is longitudinally and laterally extending along and across a rear of a base station antenna housing. The base station antenna housing has a passive antenna assembly that cooperates with the active antenna module.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A base station antenna, comprising:
a base station antenna housing comprising a top, a bottom, a front, a rear and right and left side walls extending between the top and the bottom and joining the front and rear, wherein the rear comprises a recessed segment that extends longitudinally and laterally across the rear of the base station antenna housing;
a passive antenna assembly in the base station antenna housing; and
an active antenna module that includes radio circuitry and a plurality of radiating elements, wherein the active antenna module resides behind and at least partially over the recessed segment of the rear of the base station antenna housing.

2. The base station antenna of claim 1 , wherein the front and the right and left side walls comprise at least part of a radome, and wherein the active antenna module is sealably coupled to the rear of the base station antenna housing.

3. The base station antenna of claim 1 , wherein the base station antenna housing comprises a bracket that is configured to attach to a mounting structure, and wherein the active antenna module is slidably positionable to reside over the recessed segment while the bracket is attached to the mounting structure.

4. The base station antenna of claim 1 , wherein the active antenna module comprises at least one bracket that projects rearwardly.

5. The base station antenna of claim 1 , further comprising a back plate in the base station antenna housing with an open aperture, wherein the open aperture extends longitudinally and laterally across the rear of the base station antenna housing, and wherein the active antenna module covers the open aperture of the back plate.

6. The base station antenna of claim 1 , wherein the active antenna module and/or a back plate and/or first and second longitudinally extending rails in the base station antenna housing comprise a seal configured to sealably couple the active antenna module to the base station antenna housing.

7. The base station antenna of claim 1 , wherein the right and left side walls have a first height along the recessed segment, wherein the right and left side walls have a second height that is greater than the first height at a second segment longitudinally spaced apart from the recessed segment, and wherein a difference between the first and second heights is in a range of about 0.25 inches and about 6 inches.

8. The base station antenna of claim 1 , wherein the recessed segment extends a length that is in a range of about 20%-60% of a length of the rear of the base station antenna housing and extends in a width direction, perpendicular to the length direction, that is in a range of about 30-110% of a width of the rear of the base station antenna housing.

9. The base station antenna of claim 1 , further comprising a seal cap sealably coupled to the left and right side walls and the rear of the base station antenna housing at a location that is adjacent a bottom of the recessed segment.

10. The base station antenna of claim 1 , further comprising a reflector in the base station antenna housing, wherein at least a portion of the reflector resides forwardly of a back plate in the base station antenna housing.

11. The base station antenna of claim 10 , wherein the reflector comprises an open aperture that, with the base station antenna in operative position, resides forward of the open aperture of the back plate.

12. The base station antenna of claim 1 , wherein the recessed segment resides adjacent the top of the base station antenna housing and terminates above a medial segment of the rear of the base station antenna housing.

13. The base station antenna of claim 5 , wherein the back plate is rectangular and has a rectangular perimeter that surrounds the open aperture and that is sealably coupled to the active antenna module.

14. The base station antenna of claim 2 , further comprising first and second rails that are laterally spaced and that longitudinally extend inside the base station antenna, wherein the first and second rails are coupled to the base station antenna housing.

15. The base station antenna of claim 14 , further comprising first and second cross-members coupled to the first and second rails that together surround a window configured to receive the active antenna module.

16. The base station antenna of claim 14 , wherein the first and second rails are sealably coupled to the active antenna module.

17. The base station antenna of claim 14 , wherein the first and second rails are coupled to a reflector in the base station antenna housing.

18. The base station antenna of claim 1 , further comprising a bolt that extends through a first one of at least one internal rail in the base station antenna housing, a rear wall of the base station antenna housing and a first one of at least one external rail attached to the base station antenna housing.

19. The base station antenna of claim 18 , further comprising a spacer with a first portion comprising a bolt hole surrounded by a second portion of a different material, wherein the first portion of the spacer resides in a hole in the rear wall of the base station antenna housing that has an opening with a shape that corresponds to the first portion of the spacer, and wherein the bolt extends through the external rail, through the bolt hole of the spacer and into the internal rail.

20. The base station antenna of claim 1 , wherein the passive antenna assembly comprises feed boards on right and left sides of the base station antenna that are perpendicular to a reflector of the active antenna module.

21. The base station antenna of claim 1 , wherein the base station antenna housing comprises at least one frequency selective surface that extends laterally and longitudinally, and wherein the base station antenna housing further comprises feed stalks of radiating elements that project laterally inwardly over the frequency selective surface.

22. The base station antenna of claim 9 , wherein the seal cap extends rearward and downward at an angle in a longitudinal direction from the recessed segment of the base station antenna housing.

23. A base station antenna, comprising:
a base station antenna housing comprising a top, a bottom, a front, a rear and right and left side walls extending between the top and the bottom and joining the front and rear, wherein the rear comprises a recessed segment that extends longitudinally and laterally across the rear of the base station antenna housing;
a passive antenna assembly in the base station antenna housing;
a reflector comprising a frequency selective surface and/or substrate in the base station antenna housing that is configured to reflect RF energy at a low band and pass RF energy at a higher band; and
an active antenna module that includes radio circuitry and a plurality of radiating elements, wherein the active antenna module resides behind and at least partially over the recessed segment of the rear of the base station antenna housing.

24. The base station antenna of claim 18 , wherein the reflector is positioned a distance in a range of about 0.5 inches to about 4 inches in a front to back direction from the rear of the base station antenna housing, between the front and the rear of the base station antenna housing.

25. The base station antenna of claim 23 , wherein the frequency selective surface and/or substrate extends laterally and longitudinally, and wherein the base st

Assignees

• Outdoor Wireless Networks LLC

Inventors

• Hou Xiaohua
• Xu Yongjie
• Li Xiang
• Bisiules Peter J
• Merta Samantha
• Li Haifeng
• Varnoosfaderani Mohammad Vatankhah
• Wu Bo
• Tian Xiaohua
• Yu Junfeng
• Wang Dongmin
• Zhang Shanguang
• Liu Jian

Classifications

• H01Q15/23

  Combinations of reflecting surfaces with refracting or diffracting devices · CPC title

• H01Q15/14

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

• H01Q1/48

  Earthing means; Earth screens; Counterpoises · CPC title

• H01Q23/00

  Antennas with active circuits or circuit elements integrated within them or attached to them · CPC title

• H01Q21/061

  Two dimensional planar arrays · CPC title