Patent Application
20240339748
This invention relates to wireless radio communication, and, in particular, to a compact, dual-polarized, broadband, multiband, MIMO, diversity antenna system for a small cell base station antenna system application.
With the rapid development of wireless telecommunications technologies, the demand for wireless networks will continue to grow. Small cell base station systems are ideal for complementing and consolidating wireless networks, especially in urban centers, areas with high user density and high demand (such as pedestrian areas), or popular city squares. They can significantly increase network capacity, that is, increase the number of people using mobile data services simultaneously in a small area while maintaining high data throughput.
A small cell base station system refers to a mobile communication cellular network with low transmission power for small coverage with a range of about 150 meters. Small cell base station antennas mostly use multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology, which can further improve data throughput, system capacity, and signal quality for a better user experience.
Due to the increasingly complex electromagnetic environment in which small cell base station systems are deployed, stringent requirements are imposed on the design of small cell antennas to support small standing wave ratio, dual-polarization, high isolation, high gain, and long transmitting distance. Moreover, the design mandates an omnidirectional, multi-band, wide-band, and multi-antenna array in a very small space to achieve a compact, lightweight, reliable, and cost-effective package.
Sending the same data stream via multiple transmission paths, i.e. spatial diversity, provided by multiple antennas increases signal quality and reduces interference from other users.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,333,720 B1 (“Göttl et al.”) is a patent for a dual-polarized multiband dipole antenna. It includes the first and the second radiating element modules composed of the first and second dipole elements. The first dipole elements are positioned at right angles to one another to transmit and/or receive signals in the first frequency band with two linear dual polarizations. The dipole elements form a dipole square. The second radiating element module transmits and receives signals in the second frequency band higher than the first frequency band. The second module has dipole elements orthogonally to one another and they are aligned in parallel or at right angles to the first dipole elements. The second dipoles are arranged in a cruciform structure. The antenna of Göttl et al. does not cover a broad frequency range.
U.S. Pat. No. 10,868,354 (“He et al.”) is a patent for a 5G broadband antenna. This 5G broadband antenna comprises two radiating elements. both of which have a middle section with a slot therein. The antenna apparatus covers the first frequency band of 617 MHz-960 MHz, the second frequency band of 1.4 GHz-1.6 GHz, the third frequency band of 1.71 GHZ-2.7 GHZ, and the fourth frequency band of 3.3 GHZ-4.2 GHz. The antenna of He et al. does not support MIMO, antenna array, and antenna diversity.
U.S. Pat. No. 11,018,416 B2 (“Bisiules et al.”) is a patent for a small cell antenna suitable for MIMO operation. The small cell antenna includes two sets of radiating elements. The first set of radiating elements is configured to generate an antenna beam that has a peanut-shaped antenna pattern in an azimuth plane. The second set of radiating elements is configured to generate an antenna beam that has a second peanut-shaped antenna pattern in the azimuth plane. The longitudinal axis of the first peanut-shaped antenna pattern in the azimuth plane is rotated approximately ninety degrees from the longitudinal axis of the second peanut-shaped antenna pattern in the azimuth plane. Bisiules et al. discloses an arrangement on each backplane of a plurality of linear antenna arrays that are arranged to each other in separate, non-overlapping vertical columns, respectively. However, such respectively non-overlapping arrangement does not fully optimize the available space of each backplane.
US 2017/0062940 A1 (“CAO”) is a patent application publication for a compact wideband dual-polarized dipole antenna using a meander line component. The antenna assembly includes a pair of open-stub baluns with a radiating dual-polarized top Printed Circuit Board (PCB) perpendicular to the baluns. The radiating dual-polarized top PCB includes the meander line component. The compact dipole solution, through the use of the meander line component, may be employed in more complex multi-band products to reduce the metal required without compromising performance in a multi-band operation. The compact wideband dual-polarized dipole antenna assembly covers multiple radio frequency bands. However, CAO neither claims to support an omnidirectional small cell antenna for 3G/4G/5G wireless telecommunications, nor a wideband, high-isolation antenna system.
Unlike any existing invention, this invention proposes an antenna system for small cell base station systems to support 3G/4G/5G wireless communication.
According to the invention: including multiple antenna array integration technology in a limited space.
According to the invention: including a Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) technology.
According to the invention: Including compact, broadband, high-isolation antenna design technology
According to the invention: including small standing wave ratio and dual-polarized antenna design technology.
According to the invention: including flexible platform and multiple antenna arrangements design technology.
According to the invention: including 360° omnidirectional coverage antenna design technology.
According to the invention: including efficient power dividers.
According to the invention: including efficient antenna feeding networks.
According to the invention: another technical solution adopted in this invention is to provide a multi-antenna array optimization technology.
According to the invention: including three reflectors and radome.
This antenna achieves broadband, high isolation, low VSWR, MIMO, diversity, dual-polarization, quasi-omnidirectional high performance in a very limited space.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a small cell MIMO (Multiple-Input Multiple-Output) antenna communications system suitable for use by a base station. The flexible small cell platform may enable different antenna arrangements for different applications. Three sector modules may operate together to form a 360-degree radiation pattern for radio coverage. Three sector modules may be combined to achieve quasi-omnidirectional coverage in the horizontal plane. The radiation elements may achieve dual-polarization, broad operating frequency bands, high isolation, low VSWR, and quasi-omnidirectional MIMO antenna performance. The multi-band and MIMO antenna array modules may achieve high gain and resolve mutual influence among elements of various frequency bands. The MIMO antenna arrays may increase system capacity and enhance interference immunity. The mechanical structure of the antenna communications system may improve reliability and consistency, may simplify the production process, may be fully customizable, and may make the system easy to install and troubleshoot.
The three sector modules may include a combination of sector modules. Each sector module may include four different antenna modules. The antenna modules include the first group associated with the first frequency band from 696 MHz-960 MHz, the second group with the third frequency band from 1695 MHz-2700 MHz, the third group with the fourth frequency band from 3300 MHz-4200 MHz, and the fourth group with the second frequency band from 5150 MHz-5925 MHz. An antenna module may include a planar dipole antenna that employs slot radiating elements at the top of the radiating element formed therein. The antenna module may include one or more of a transformer, feeding networks, and power splitters. Different combinations of these antenna modules can produce different applications. An antenna radiator may be made of a PCB (printed circuit board), and may achieve ultra-wideband performance. A conductor element positioned on the top surface of a radiator element may improve the bandwidth characteristic of the antenna, and may achieve desired wideband impedance characteristics. A top PCB structure of the radiator may be included in an ultra-wideband antenna. A transformer structure may be utilized at the two sides of the radiator. The transformer structure may achieve high isolation. PCB structures of the transformers may provide a high-isolation characteristic. The placements of antenna modules may optimize VSWR. The antenna modules may be placed at VSWR-optimized positions. Each port may be capable of covering a wide operating frequency range to support 3G/4G/5G wireless communications while achieving low VSWR. All the radiating elements may exhibit dual-polarization while providing high isolation. The multi-band multi-antenna arrays and system optimization may resolve mutual influence between antennas in each frequency band. The small cell antenna system may achieve high performance in a compact size. The antennas may be arranged separately to form spatial multiplexing to work under the MIMO antenna configuration. As a result, the data transmission rate can be doubled without increasing the bandwidth. The three antenna sector modules may be attached at the angle of 120° to achieve quasi-omnidirectional coverage on the horizontal plane. A very compact multi-antenna array design is realized and fully customizable to improve the gain of the antenna. The small cell antenna may include a fiberglass radome. The radome may have a height of 619.5 mm (24.4 inches), a lower width of 420 mm (16.5 inches), and an upper width of 380 mm (15.0 inches). The radome may be used to ensure high reliability in harsh environments. The flexible platform may include different arrangements of antenna modules to realize different application scenarios.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a multiband dual-polarized quasi-omnidirectional MIMO antenna apparatus. The apparatus includes: (a) a first-band pair of first-band sets of radiating elements for radiating in a first frequency band, the first-band pair being mounted on a sector module along a longitudinal axis defined by the sector module; and (b) a plurality of second-band sets of radiating elements for radiating in a second frequency band higher than the first frequency band, the plurality of second-band sets being mounted on the sector module along the longitudinal axis between the first-band sets of the first-band pair.
The sector module may have a length no greater than 570 mm and a width no greater than 280 mm. The longitudinal axis may be a central longitudinal axis of the printed circuit board. The first frequency band may be from 696 MHz to 960 MHz. The second frequency band may from 5150 MHz to 5925 MHz. The first-band pair may include a proximate first-band set that is proximate to one end of the sector module. The first-band pair may include a distal first-band set that is distal from the one end. The proximate first-band set may include a proximate first-band first-polarity pair of diagonally opposed radiating elements associated with a first polarity and a proximate first-band second-polarity pair of diagonally opposed radiating elements associated with a second polarity orthogonal to the first polarity. The distal first-band set may include a distal first-band first-polarity pair of diagonally opposed radiating elements associated with the first polarity and a distal first-band second-polarity pair of diagonally opposed radiating elements associated with the second polarity. The apparatus may further include a first first-band RF connector in electrical communication with the proximate first-band first-polarity pair, a second first-band RF connector in electrical communication with the proximate first-band second-polarity pair, a third first-band RF connector in electrical communication with the distal first-band first-polarity pair, and a fourth first-band RF connector in electrical communication with the distal first-band second-polarity pair. Each second-band set of the plurality of second-band sets may include a second-band first-polarity pair of diagonally opposed radiating elements associated with a first polarity and a second-band second-polarity pair of diagonally opposed radiating elements associated with a second polarity orthogonal to the first polarity. The apparatus may further include a first second-band RF connector in electrical communication with both diagonally opposed radiating elements of the second-band first-polarity pair of each of the second-band sets, and may further include a second second-band RF connector in electrical communication with both diagonally opposed radiating elements of the second-band second-polarity pair of each of the second-band sets. The plurality of second-band sets may include four of the second-band sets. Each second-band set of the plurality of second-band sets may be mounted along the longitudinal axis. The sector module may define a left side of the sector module and may define a right side of the sector module. The apparatus may include a plurality of left-side third-band sets of radiating elements for radiating in a third frequency band having frequencies between the first and second frequency bands, and may further include a plurality of right-side third-band sets of radiating elements for radiating in the third frequency band. The plurality of left-side third-band sets may be disposed on the sector module at the left side. The plurality of right-side third-band sets may be disposed on the sector module at the right side. The third frequency band may be from 1695 MHz to 2700 MHZ. Each left-side third-band set of the plurality of left-side third-band sets may include a left-side third-band first-polarity pair of diagonally opposed radiating elements associated with a first polarity and a left-side third-band second-polarity pair of diagonally opposed radiating elements associated with a second polarity orthogonal to the first polarity. Each right-side third-band set of the plurality of right-side third-band sets may include a right-side third-band first-polarity pair of diagonally opposed radiating elements associated with the first polarity and a right-side third-band second-polarity pair of diagonally opposed radiating elements associated with the second polarity. The apparatus may further include a first third-band RF connector in electrical communication with both diagonally opposed radiating elements of the left-side third-band first-polarity pair of each of the left-side third-band sets, a second third-band RF connector in electrical communication with both diagonally opposed radiating elements of the left-side third-band second-polarity pair of each of the left-side third-band sets, a third third-band RF connector in electrical communication with both diagonally opposed radiating elements of the right-side third-band first-polarity pair of each of the right-side third-band sets, and a fourth third-band RF connector in electrical communication with both diagonally opposed radiating elements of the right-side third-band second-polarity pair of each of the right-side third-band sets. The plurality of left-side third-band sets may include two of the left-side third-band sets. The plurality of right-side third-band sets may include two of the right-side third-band sets. The apparatus may include a plurality of left-side fourth-band sets of radiating elements for radiating in a fourth frequency band having frequencies between the first and second frequency bands, and may further include a plurality of right-side fourth-band sets of radiating elements for radiating in the fourth frequency band. The plurality of left-side fourth-band sets may be disposed on the sector module at the left side. The plurality of right-side fourth-band sets may be disposed on the sector module at the right side. The fourth frequency band may be from 3300 MHz to 4200 MHz. Each left-side fourth-band set of the plurality of left-side fourth-band sets may include a left-side fourth-band first-polarity pair of diagonally opposed radiating elements associated with a first polarity and a left-side fourth-band second-polarity pair of diagonally opposed radiating elements associated with a second polarity orthogonal to the first polarity. Each right-side fourth-band set of the plurality of right-side fourth-band sets may include a right-side fourth-band first-polarity pair of diagonally opposed radiating elements associated with the first polarity and a right-side fourth-band second-polarity pair of diagonally opposed radiating elements associated with the second polarity. The apparatus may further include a first fourth-band RF connector in electrical communication with both diagonally opposed radiating elements of the left-side fourth-band first-polarity pair of each of the left-side fourth-band sets, a second fourth-band RF connector in electrical communication with both diagonally opposed radiating elements of the left-side fourth-band second-polarity pair of each of the left-side fourth-band sets, a third fourth-band RF connector in electrical communication with both diagonally opposed radiating elements of the right-side fourth-band first-polarity pair of each of the right-side fourth-band sets, and a fourth fourth-band RF connector in electrical communication with both diagonally opposed radiating elements of the right-side fourth-band second-polarity pair of each of the right-side fourth-band sets. The plurality of left-side fourth-band sets may include three of the left-side fourth-band sets. The plurality of right-side fourth-band sets may include three of the right-side fourth-band sets. The apparatus may further include three of the sector modules oriented at 120 degrees relative to each other such that the apparatus is quasi-omnidirectional.
The plurality of left-side third-band sets and the plurality of left-side fourth-band sets may be colinear. The plurality of right-side third-band sets and the plurality of right-side fourth-band sets may be colinear.
In drawings that illustrate by way of example only embodiments of the invention:
To make the purpose, technical solutions, and advantages of the present application clearer, the following sections will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application. The described embodiments are only some, but not all, embodiments of the present application. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of this application.
The present application will be further described in detail below through specific embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Referring to
The apparatus 10 in the exemplary embodiment of
The antenna module 100 includes a proximate first-band set (e.g. lower first-band set 18) that is proximate to one end (e.g. the lower, connectorized end 20) of the sector module 30. The antenna module 100 also includes a distal first-band set (e.g. upper first-band set 22) that is distal from the lower, connectorized end 20.
The apparatus 10 in the exemplary embodiment of
As an example,
Specifically, the radiating elements 110 adopt the slotted structure 115, which further reduces the size of the antenna radiating element 110. As a result, the antenna module 100 achieves low profile, high performance, and ease of assembly in a very limited space. The radiation unit 110 is made of PCB material. Preferably, the selected material supports good stability, ductility, and strength, thereby providing the antenna module 100 with high stability and high resistance to bending and deformation.
Thus, in at least some embodiments the proximate first-band set comprises a proximate first-band first-polarity pair of diagonally opposed radiating elements associated with a first polarity and a proximate first-band second-polarity pair of diagonally opposed radiating elements associated with a second polarity orthogonal to the first polarity. Also, in at least some embodiments the distal first-band set comprises a distal first-band first-polarity pair of diagonally opposed radiating elements associated with the first polarity and a distal first-band second-polarity pair of diagonally opposed radiating elements associated with the second polarity.
As shown in
Specifically, the antenna module 200 includes a radiator 210 and a transformer 220 that is coupled and fed orthogonally to each other. Transformer 220 brings several advantages in the same fashion as transformer 120 to the antenna module 100. The transformer 220 is connected to the upper and lower surfaces of the radiating element to increase the isolation of the antenna. The antenna module 200 is also made of PCB material with good stability, ductility, and strength.
Thus, the sector module 30 (
As shown in
Thus, the apparatus 10 comprises a plurality of left-side fourth-band sets of radiating elements for radiating in a fourth frequency band having frequencies between the first and second frequency bands, and further comprising a plurality of right-side fourth-band sets of radiating elements for radiating in the fourth frequency band, the plurality of left-side fourth-band sets being disposed on the sector module at the left side, the plurality of right-side fourth-band sets being disposed on the sector module at the right side. In at least some embodiments, the fourth frequency band is from 3300 MHz to 4200 MHz. In at least some embodiments, each left-side fourth-band set of the plurality of left-side fourth-band sets comprises a left-side fourth-band first-polarity pair of diagonally opposed radiating elements associated with a first polarity and a left-side fourth-band second-polarity pair of diagonally opposed radiating elements associated with a second polarity orthogonal to the first polarity, and each right-side fourth-band set of the plurality of right-side fourth-band sets comprises a right-side fourth-band first-polarity pair of diagonally opposed radiating elements associated with the first polarity and a right-side fourth-band second-polarity pair of diagonally opposed radiating elements associated with the second polarity. In at least some embodiments, the plurality of left-side fourth-band sets comprises three of the left-side fourth-band sets, and the plurality of right-side fourth-band sets comprises three of the right-side fourth-band sets.
As shown in
Thus, in at least some embodiments each second-band set of the plurality of second-band sets comprises a second-band first-polarity pair of diagonally opposed radiating elements associated with a first polarity and a second-band second-polarity pair of diagonally opposed radiating elements associated with a second polarity orthogonal to the first polarity. In at least some embodiments, the plurality of second-band sets comprises four of the second-band sets, and each second-band set of the plurality of second-band sets is mounted along the longitudinal axis.
In addition, the small cell antenna system also includes three antenna reflectors 500, a fiberglass radome 600, an antenna baseplate 700, and fourteen RF (radio-frequency) connectors 800, as illustrated in
Thus, in at least some embodiments the apparatus 10 includes a first first-band RF connector in electrical communication with the proximate first-band first-polarity pair, a second first-band RF connector in electrical communication with the proximate first-band second-polarity pair, a third first-band RF connector in electrical communication with the distal first-band first-polarity pair, a fourth first-band RF connector in electrical communication with the distal first-band second-polarity pair, a first second-band RF connector in electrical communication with both diagonally opposed radiating elements of the second-band first-polarity pair of each of the second-band sets, a second second-band RF connector in electrical communication with both diagonally opposed radiating elements of the second-band second-polarity pair of each of the second-band sets, a first third-band RF connector in electrical communication with both diagonally opposed radiating elements of the left-side third-band first-polarity pair of each of the left-side third-band sets, a second third-band RF connector in electrical communication with both diagonally opposed radiating elements of the left-side third-band second-polarity pair of each of the left-side third-band sets, a third third-band RF connector in electrical communication with both diagonally opposed radiating elements of the right-side third-band first-polarity pair of each of the right-side third-band sets, a fourth third-band RF connector in electrical communication with both diagonally opposed radiating elements of the right-side third-band second-polarity pair of each of the right-side third-band sets, a first fourth-band RF connector in electrical communication with both diagonally opposed radiating elements of the left-side fourth-band first-polarity pair of each of the left-side fourth-band sets, a second fourth-band RF connector in electrical communication with both diagonally opposed radiating elements of the left-side fourth-band second-polarity pair of each of the left-side fourth-band sets, a third fourth-band RF connector in electrical communication with both diagonally opposed radiating elements of the right-side fourth-band first-polarity pair of each of the right-side fourth-band sets, and a fourth fourth-band RF connector in electrical communication with both diagonally opposed radiating elements of the right-side fourth-band second-polarity pair of each of the right-side fourth-band sets.
Elements of different sizes and shapes may be used to form the antenna by using the techniques of this invention. Therefore, this invention is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed as the best modes for carrying out the invention, but it is to include all embodiments that fall within the scope of the appended claims. All equivalent structures or equivalent transformations made by using the contents and drawings of this application, or directly or indirectly applied in other related technical fields, are similarly included in the scope of patent protection of this application.
