Antenna apparatus supporting adjustability of an antenna beam direction

US10608334B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. · DE

Inventors

• Mario Schuehler · Effeltrich, DE
• Lars Weisgerber · Ebersbach-Neugersdorf, DE
• Johannes Arendt · Erlangen, DE
• Rainer Wansch · Geiselhöring, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 24, 2017
• Grant date: Mar 31, 2020
• Expiry date: Feb 3, 2038

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H04B7/086
• WIPO field: Telecommunications
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A support of an adjustability of an antenna beam direction is rendered less expensive in terms of implementation by the following measure: a beam forming network switchable between fixedly preconfigured beam forming states is coupled to an antenna array via a switching network switchable between different connecting states according to which the antenna interfaces of the beam forming network are connected to the antennas so that relative positions of the antennas connected to the antenna interfaces differ among the connection states, or more than one beam forming network is provided, each switchable between fixedly preconfigured beam forming states and coupled to a respective set of antennas of an antenna array, respectively, with the beam directions of provided be the beam forming networks being mutually disjoint.