Patent · US Expired

Sparse array antenna

US6351243B1 · kind B1 · utility

16Cited by
4References
15Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 8, 2000
Grant dateFeb 26, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 8, 2020

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01Q21/061
  • WIPO fieldTelecommunications
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An antenna array for a base station for communication systems presenting a sparse element grid in a one-dimensional scanned array or multi-beam array is presented. The element spacing is primarily governed by scanning in a horizontal direction. In a triangular element grid the individual element spacing in a vertical direction is increased to an order of a wavelength (dy≈&lgr;) without generating grating lobes in visible space for the obtained main lobe, and maintaining about half a wavelength spacing in a horizontal direction (dx≈0.48&lgr;). This results in a reduction of radiating elements compared to a square grid of radiating elements arranged with a spacing of half a wavelength. By taking into account and limiting the horizontal scan, the vertical spacing may be further increased (dy≈1.25&lgr;−2&lgr;) to obtain an optimum sparse antenna element grid for a one-dimensional scanned beam or a multi-beam pattern e.g., for a communication system base station.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.