Antenna with adjustable beam characteristics

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9768494-B2
Application number	US-201013577605-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 8, 2010
Priority date	Feb 8, 2010
Publication date	Sep 19, 2017
Grant date	Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

The present invention relates to an antenna comprising multiple array elements with a first and second feeding point, each associated with orthogonal polarizations, each array element has a first and second phase centre each associated with the orthogonal polarizations, the first and second phase centres of said array elements are arranged in at least two columns, and one antenna port connected to the first and second feeding points of at least two array elements with first phase centre and second phase centre arranged in the at least two columns via a respective feeding network. The feeding network comprises a beam forming network having a primary connection, connected to the antenna port, and at least four secondary connections. The beam forming network divides power between the first feeding point and the second feeding point and controls phase shift differences between the respective feeding points with phase centre arranged in different columns.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An antenna with adjustable beam characteristics comprising:
an antenna configuration comprising multiple array elements, one or more antenna ports, and a distribution network, wherein
the multiple array elements comprises:
respective first feeding points associated with a first polarization and
respective second feeding points associated with a second polarization, orthogonal to said first polarization,
the multiple array elements further having respective first phase centres associated with the first polarization and respective second phase centres associated with the second polarization, wherein the first phase centres are arranged in at least two columns and the second phase centres are arranged in the at least two columns, and

wherein said multiple array elements are arranged in at least two groups of array elements, each of said at least two groups comprising at least two array elements,
wherein each of the one or more antenna ports is connected to the first feeding points and the second feeding points of at least two of the array elements, wherein the first phase centres and the second phase centres are arranged in said at least two columns via a feeding network, the feeding network comprising a beam forming network and a plurality of distribution networks, the beam forming network having:
a primary connection, connected to a respective one of the one or more antenna ports, and
at least four secondary connections, wherein said beam forming network further comprises:
a power combiner/splitter configured to divide power between the first feeding points associated with the first polarization and the second feeding points associated with the second polarization, and
a phase shifting device configured to:
control phase shift differences between i) the first phase centres of the first feeding points of the array elements in one of at least two columns with ii) the first phase centres of the first feeding points of the array elements in a different one of the at least two columns and
control phase shift differences between i) the second phase centres of the second feeding points of the array elements in one of the at least two columns with ii) the second phase centres of the second feeding points of the array elements in a different one of the at least two columns, and

wherein each of said distribution networks is arranged to perform at least one of the following:
connect a respective one of the at least four secondary connections of said beam forming network to the first feeding points of the at least two groups of array elements,
connect another respective one of the at least four secondary connections of said beam forming network to the second feeding points of said the at least two groups of array elements.

2. The antenna according to claim 1 , wherein the first phase centres and the second phase centres of at least one array element are arranged in two columns.

3. The antenna according to claim 1 , wherein the first phase centres and the second phase centres of at least one array element are arranged in the same column.

4. The antenna according to claim 1 , wherein a first distance between the first phase centres arranged in different columns is greater than 0.3 wavelengths; and a second distance between the second phase centres arranged in different columns is greater than 0.3 wavelengths.

5. The antenna according to claim 1 , wherein said multiple array elements comprise at least a first set and a second set, each set comprising a subset of multiple array elements, the first phase centres and the second phase centres of the first set of array elements and the first phase centres and the second phase centres of the second set of array elements are arranged in each of said at least two columns, respectively; wherein said antenna further comprises at least two antenna ports, each being connected to array elements in the first set and second set, respectively, via feeding networks.

6. The antenna according to claim 5 , wherein the array elements are arranged in columns and each column comprises array elements of said first set interleaved with array elements of said second set.

7. The antenna according to claim 5 , wherein said array elements are arranged in multiple rows, each row comprises array elements of said first set interleaved with array elements of said second set.

8. The antenna according to claim 5 , wherein said array elements are arranged in multiple rows, each row comprises array elements of said first set superimposed with array elements of said second set.

9. The antenna according to claim 1 , wherein said array elements are arranged in at least three columns, each beam forming network further comprising at least six secondary connections.

10. The antenna according to claim 1 , wherein the power combiner/splitter in the beam forming network is a primary power combiner/splitter connected to the respective antenna port and configured to divide the power between the first feeding point and the second feeding point of connected array elements.

11. The antenna according to claim 1 , wherein the phase shifting device of the beam forming network comprises two phase shifting networks, including i) a first phase shifting network configured to control the phase shift difference and further split power between the first feeding point of connected array elements with the first phase centre arranged in different columns and ii) a second phase shifting network configured to control phase shift difference and further split power between the second feeding point of connected array elements with the second phase centre arranged in different columns.

12. The antenna according to claim 11 , wherein each phase shifting network comprises an integrated phase shifting and power splitting device.

13. The antenna according to claim 11 , wherein each phase shifting network comprises a secondary power combiner/splitter configured to feed the first feeding point or the second feeding point of connected array elements having the first phase centre or a second phase centre, respectively, arranged in the same column via a phase shifter.

14. The antenna according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of distribution networks is configured to exclusively connect a respective secondary connection of the beam forming network to the first feeding points of the connected array elements with the first phase centres arranged in a respective column, or to exclusively connect a respective secondary connection of the beam forming network to the second feeding points of the connected array elements with the second phase centres arranged in a respective column.

15. The antenna according to claim 14 , wherein the beam forming network further is configured to perform azimuth beam forming and each distribution network further is configured to perform elevation beam forming.

16. The antenna according to claim 1 , wherein an output of the phase shifting device is arranged to be an input into the power combiner/splitter.

17. The antenna according to claim 1 , wherein said antenna is capable of said adjustable beam characteristics without mechanically rotating or moving parts.

18. An antenna with adjustable beam characteristics comprising:
first, second, third, and fourth distribution networks coupled respectively to first, second, third, and fourth ports;
a plurality of antenna groups, each antenna group comprising first, second, third, and fourth radiating elements, each radiating element having first and second feeding points, wherein for eac

Assignees

• Johansson Stefan
• Johansson Martin
• Petersson Sven Oscar
• ERICSSON TELEFON AB L M (publ)

Inventors

• Johansson Stefan
• Johansson Martin
• Petersson Sven Oscar

Classifications

• H01Q3/26

  varying the relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of energy across a radiating aperture ({H01Q3/12,} H01Q3/22, H01Q3/24 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01Q25/001

  Crossed polarisation dual antennas (orthomode horns H01Q13/0258; cross-polarised rear feeds H01Q19/136; orthomode transducers H01P1/161) · CPC title

• H01Q21/29

  Combinations of different interacting antenna units for giving a desired directional characteristic (H01Q25/00 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01Q1/246 Primary

  specially adapted for base stations · 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