Base station antenna with dummy elements between subarrays

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016240919-A1
Application number	US-201514976383-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 21, 2015
Priority date	Feb 13, 2015
Publication date	Aug 18, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Apparatus include two or more radiating elements connected to a feed network of an antenna, and one or more dummy elements positioned between the two or more radiating elements. The dummy elements are not connected to the feed network of the antenna. Such an arrangement may result in reduced mutual coupling of the two or more radiating elements, and increased antenna performance.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An antenna comprising:
two or more first-band radiating elements, configured to operate in a first frequency band and connected to a feed network of the antenna; and one or more dummy elements positioned between two of the two or more first-band radiating elements, wherein the one or more dummy elements are disconnected from the feed network.

2 . The antenna of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more dummy elements is configured to absorb or reflect energy radiated from at least one of the two or more first-band radiating elements.

3 . The antenna of claim 2 , wherein the amount of energy absorbed or reflected is based on a load resistance of at least one of the one or more dummy elements.

4 . The antenna of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the two or more first-band radiating elements comprises a subarray of first-band radiating elements.

5 . The antenna of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one second-band radiating element, the at least one second-band element configured to operate in a second frequency band, wherein the first frequency band is different from the second frequency band.

6 . The antenna of claim 5 , wherein the first frequency band comprises a band of frequencies higher than the second band.

7 . The antenna of claim 6 , wherein at least one of the one or more dummy elements includes a dipole having a length in a range of 0.3 wavelength to 1 wavelength of the first or second frequency bands.

8 . The antenna of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more dummy elements comprises a pair of crossed dipole elements.

9 . A multi-band base station antenna comprising:
two or more first-band radiating elements connected to a feed network of the antenna, the two or more first-band radiating elements being configured to operate in a first frequency band; at least one second band radiating element, the at least one second-band element configured to operate in a second frequency band; and one or more dummy elements positioned between two of the two or more first-band radiating elements, wherein the one or more dummy elements are disconnected from the feed network.

10 . The antenna of claim 9 , wherein the first band comprises a band of frequencies higher or lower than the second band.

11 . The antenna of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the one or more dummy elements is configured to absorb or reflect energy radiated from at least one of the two or more first-band radiating elements.

12 . The antenna of claim 11 , wherein the amount of energy absorbed or reflected is based on a load resistance of the at least one or more dummy elements.

13 . The antenna of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the one or more dummy elements includes a dipole having a length in a range of 0.3 wavelength to 1 wavelength of the first or second frequency bands.

14 . The antenna of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the one or more dummy elements comprises a pair of crossed dipole elements.

15 . The antenna of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the two or more first-band radiating elements comprises a subarray of first band radiating elements.

16 . A method comprising:
connecting two or more first-band radiating elements, configured to operate in a first frequency band to a feed network of an antenna; and positioning one or more dummy elements between two of the two or more first-band radiating elements, the one or more dummy elements being disconnected from the feed network.

17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising connecting to the feed network at least one second-band radiating element, the at least one second band radiating element configured to operate in a second frequency band different from the first frequency band.

18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein at least one of the one or more dummy elements is configured to absorb or reflect energy radiated from at least one of the two or more first-band radiating elements.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the amount of energy absorbed or reflected is based on a load resistance of at least one of the one or more dummy elements.

20 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the antenna is a base station antenna.

Assignees

• Commscope Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Wu Bo
• Li Fan
• Wu Ligang

Classifications

• H01Q1/246 Primary

  specially adapted for base stations · CPC title

• H01Q3/44

  varying the electric or magnetic characteristics of reflecting, refracting, or diffracting devices associated with the radiating element · CPC title

• H01Q5/49 Primary

  with parasitic elements used for purposes other than for dual-band or multi-band, e.g. imbricated Yagi antennas · CPC title

• H01Q1/523

  between antennas of an array · CPC title

• H01Q21/26

  Turnstile or like antennas comprising arrangements of three or more elongated elements disposed radially and symmetrically in a horizontal plane about a common centre · CPC title