Node in a wireless communication network with at least two antenna columns

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9653795-B2
Application number	US-201615043666-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 15, 2016
Priority date	Dec 13, 2011
Publication date	May 16, 2017
Grant date	May 16, 2017

Abstract

A node in a wireless communication network, the node comprising at least two antenna columns which are physically separated from each other, each antenna column comprising at least one dual polarized antenna element. Each antenna element has a first polarization and a second polarization. The node further comprises at least two four-port power dividers/combiners, each power divider/combiner having a first port pair and a second port pair, where, for each power divider/combiner, power input into any port in a port pair is isolated from the other port in said port pair, but divided between the ports in the other port pair. Antenna ports of antenna columns that are pair-wise physically separated, from those pairs of antenna columns that are most physically separated to those that are least physically separated, are cross-wise connected to the first port pair in corresponding power dividers/combiners.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A node in a wireless communication network, the node comprising:
(a) at least two antenna columns physically separated from each other, each antenna column including:
(i) at least one dual polarized antenna element, each antenna element having a first polarization and a second polarization, the first polarization and second polarization being mutually orthogonal
(ii) a first antenna port, associated with the first polarization, and
(iii) a second antenna port, associated with the second polarization; and

(b) at least two four-port power dividers/combiners, each power divider/combiner having a first port pair and a second port pair, each port pair has a first port and a second port associated with the first polarization and the second polarization, respectively,
wherein for each power divider/combiner, power input into any port in a port pair is isolated from the other port in said port pair, but divided between the ports in the other port pair, and
wherein, in a decreasing order with respect to a distance between antenna ports, antenna ports from a pair of different antenna columns which are most physically separated, and antenna ports of a pair of different antenna columns which are least physically separated, are cross-wise connected to the first port pair in corresponding power dividers/combiners, such that each first port and each second port of the first port pair are associated with orthogonal polarizations of corresponding different antenna columns.

2. The node according to claim 1 , wherein the antenna columns have respective main extensions in an elevation direction.

3. The node according to claim 2 , wherein the antenna columns are separated in either an azimuth direction or the elevation direction, the azimuth direction and the elevation direction being mutually orthogonal.

4. The node according to claim 3 , wherein, when there is an odd number of antenna columns, the antenna ports of the central antenna column are connected to the same power divider/combiner.

5. The node according to claim 4 , wherein the antenna columns are arranged in at least two aligned rows, each row extending in an azimuth direction and having the same number of antenna columns, the rows being separated from each other in the elevation direction, the azimuth direction and the elevation direction being mutually orthogonal.

6. The node according to claim 1 , wherein, for each power divider/combiner, power input into any port in a port pair is divided equally between the ports in the other port pair.

7. The node according to claim 1 , wherein the antenna columns are separated in either an azimuth direction or an elevation direction, the azimuth direction and the elevation direction being mutually orthogonal.

8. The node according to claim 1 , wherein, when there is an odd number of antenna columns, the antenna ports of the central antenna column are connected to the same power divider/combiner.

9. The node according to claim 1 , wherein the antenna columns are arranged in at least two aligned rows, each row extending in an azimuth direction and having the same number of antenna columns, the rows being separated from each other in the elevation direction, the azimuth direction and the elevation direction being mutually orthogonal.

Assignees

• Ericsson Telefon Ab L M
• Telefonaktiebolget Lm Ericsson (Publ)

Inventors

• Stjernman Anders

Classifications

• H01Q15/24

  Polarising devices; Polarisation filters  (H01Q15/12, H01Q15/22 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01Q1/52

  Means for reducing coupling between antennas; Means for reducing coupling between an antenna and another structure (absorbing means H01Q17/00) · CPC title

• H01Q1/246 Primary

  specially adapted for base stations · CPC title

• H01Q3/30

  varying the {relative} phase {between the radiating elements of an array (H01Q3/2605, H01Q3/2658, H01Q3/2682, H01Q3/44 take precedence)} · CPC title

• H01Q21/24

  Combinations of antenna units polarised in different directions for transmitting or receiving circularly and elliptically polarised waves or waves linearly polarised in any direction {(circularly polarised patch antennas H01Q9/0428; circularly polarised horns H01Q13/0241; cross-polarised horns H01Q13/0258; polarisation converters H01Q15/242; cross-polarised rear feeds H01Q19/136; crossed polarisation dual antenna H01Q25/001)} · CPC title