Method and apparatus for a multi-beam antenna system
US7664533B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 10, 2003 |
| Grant date | Feb 16, 2010 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 22, 2025 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01Q25/002
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An antenna array in a radio node includes multiple antenna elements for transmitting a wider beam covering a majority of a sector cell that includes a common signal and a narrower beam covering only a part of the sector cell that includes a mobile user-specific signal. Transmitting circuitry is coupled to the antenna array, and processing circuitry is coupled to the transmitting circuitry. The processing circuitry ensures the user-specific signal and the common signal in a mixed beam embodiment are in-phase and time-aligned at the antenna array. In a steered beam embodiment, the processing circuitry ensures the user-specific signal and the common signal are time-aligned and have a controlled phase difference when received at mobile stations in the sector cell. In both embodiments, distortions in the common signal and the user-specific signal associated with their conversion from baseband frequency to radio frequency are also compensated. And in the steered beam embodiment, beam forming weights are used not only to radiate a narrower beam to the desired mobile user but also to direct a wider common signal beam to reach all mobile users in the cell.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.