The present invention relates to mobile communication technologies and, in particular, to an omni-directional ceiling antenna.
Mobile communication indoor omni-directional ceiling antennas, as a main antenna type for indoor wireless signal coverage, are widely used in indoor distribution systems, of which performance and quality have direct effects on quality of indoor wireless communications and investment efficiency of the indoor distribution system. The omni-directional ceiling antenna generally applies half-wave dipole principles, using a structure of a conical oscillator with a reflecting plate. The conical oscillator can extend impedance bandwidth of the antenna, and existing domestic omni-directional ceiling antennas also use impedance matching lines (sheets) connected between the radiation oscillator and the reflecting plate to reduce size and further extend bandwidth at lower frequency, which can satisfy a requirement that a voltage standing wave ratio (Voltage Standing Wave Ratio; VSWR for short) is less than 1.5 both in 806-960 MHz (low frequency band) and 1710-2500 MHz band or a wider frequency range. However, existing omni-directional ceiling antenna products do not take radiation pattern bandwidth properties into consideration, and have common technical defects, such as downward signals aggregation, i.e. high gains at small radiation angles and low gains at large radiation angles, and poor roundness of radiation pattern in the frequency band of 1710-2500 MHz. These defects in combination with loss characteristics that radio signals attenuate with frequency and propagation distance, result in that signals at a high frequency band, such as that of 3G and 4G, have strong electromagnetic radiation just under the antennas, and coverage thereof is far smaller than signals at a low frequency band, such as that of 2G. In fact, for indoor omni-directional ceiling antennas, a large radiation angle of 85° (taking vertically down as 0°, similarly hereinafter) is generally corresponding to the maximum coverage radius edge, and a small radiation angle of 30° is corresponding to a small vicinity area under antennas. In an indoor signal coverage scenario, it is expected that signal strength at the coverage radius edge should be strong enough to make the coverage more effective; and signal strength just under antennas should be as weak as possible to reduce the electromagnetic radiation. Thus, gains of indoor omni-directional antennas need to be modified by the radiation angle, so that properties thereof can be expounded exactly. High gain means strong coverage capacity at a large radiation angle, but strong radiation at a small radiation angle, whereas low gain means weak coverage capacity at a large radiation angle, but low electromagnetic radiation at a low radiation angle.
In order to solve problems described above, an omni-directional ceiling antenna with improved technique, which has special structures and certain dimensions of a cone-cylinder monopole and a discone reflecting plate without any impedance matching line(s), has been provided. The antenna improved radiation pattern properties at high frequency, ensured complete axial symmetry, and solved the problems of downward signals aggregation and poor roundness of radiation pattern in the frequency band of 1710-2500 MHz. The gain at a small low radiation angle of 30° is significantly reduced by 7-15 dB, the gain at a large radiation angle of 85° is increased by 3-6 dB, and both radiation pattern bandwidth and impedance bandwidth exceed 102%, which greatly improved coverage efficiency of high frequency signals, such as that of 3G.
However, with deployment of higher frequency networks, such as LTE/4G, the above omni-directional ceiling antenna with improved technique could not consider the problem of downward signals aggregation for even higher frequencies in LTE/4G. The radiation angle of maximum gain for frequencies above 2500 MHz directs about 60°, and the gain at 85° is reduced by up to 2 dB or so. The downward signals aggregation is still obvious which causes inefficient coverage of signals and high radiation just under the antenna at even higher frequencies in LTE/4G.
The present invention provides an omni-directional ceiling antenna, which takes ultra-wideband properties of both impedance bandwidth and radiation pattern bandwidth into consideration to solve the problem of downward signals aggregation in the entire high frequency band (1710-2700 MHz) including mobile communications 2G, 3G and 4G, which can extend effective coverage of signals in the high frequency band to make the indoor signal coverage more uniform, and reduce the electromagnetic radiation under the antenna effectively to ensure the security of indoor electromagnetic environments.
The present invention provides an omni-directional ceiling antenna, including: a cone cylinder-shaped radiation oscillator, a cone cylinder-shaped reflector, a disc cylinder-shaped base plate, a hollow tubular wiring terminal, a dielectric ring and a feed cable; where a tip of the reflector faces toward a tip of the radiation oscillator, the tip of the radiation oscillator is connected with an inner conductor of the feed cable, and the tip of the reflector is connected to an outer conductor of the feed cable via the wiring terminal;
The reflector includes a first hollow cone and a first cylindrical ring, a flared end of the hollow cone is connected with the first cylindrical ring, and an outer diameter of the first cylindrical ring is smaller than that of the flared end of the first hollow cone;
A second cylindrical ring is provided on the base plate, and the second cylindrical ring sockets to the first cylindrical ring to form a spatially separated coupling structure;
The dielectric ring is provided between the second cylindrical ring and the first cylindrical ring to realize separation and fixed support between the reflector and the base plate.
The omni-directional ceiling antenna provided in the present invention further extends the radiation pattern bandwidth and the impedance bandwidth by changing the structure of the reflector, that is, the outer diameter of the first cylindrical ring in the reflector is smaller than that of the flared end of the first hollow cone in the reflector, thereby solving the problem of downward signals aggregation in the entire high frequency band (1710-2700 MHz), in particular, the frequency band of 2500-2700 MHz; the radiation angle with the maximum gain is adjusted to about 80°, which can extend the effective coverage of the antenna for the signals in the high frequency band, and make the indoor signal coverage more uniform. Meanwhile, the antenna adds the base plate having the disc cylinder structure, and the second cylindrical ring of the base plate sockets to the first cylindrical ring in the reflector to form a spatially separated coupling structure, so that the capacitance reactance on the bottom of the reflector is increased, and the current distribution on the surface of the reflector is changed. The electronic currents distributed on the reflector and the base plate have reserved phases, which further makes electromagnetic waves of the high frequency signals offset each other at the low radiation angle direction, thereby reducing the electromagnetic radiation under the antenna effectively and ensuring the security of indoor electromagnetic environments.
Optionally, the antenna may further include a fixed kit (which is not shown in figures), a plastic cover, etc.
In this embodiment, the signal radiator of the antenna is formed by the radiation oscillator 1, the reflector 2 and the base plate 4. The radio frequency signal is fed from the feed cable 3, then passes the wiring terminal 7, and radiates toward surrounding space from between the tip 1a of the radiation oscillator 1 and the tip 2a of the reflector 2. For low frequency signals (806-960 MHz), the radiation oscillator 1 with a cone cylinder structure, the reflector 2, and the base plate 4 form an asymmetric half-wave dipole, a radiation pattern has the maximum gain in the direction of a radiation angle of 90° (horizontal); for high frequency signals (1710-2700 MHz), a relative electrical length of the asymmetric dipole exceeds ½ wavelength, the radiation pattern lobes usually split, and the radiation angle with the maximum gain reduces as the frequency increases, which causes that the high frequency signals are aggregated under the antenna. However, in the present invention, since the tips of tapered sections of the reflector 2 and the radiation oscillator 1 are disposed opposite to each other, which are equivalent to a biconical antenna for high frequency signals, the problem of downward signals aggregation at high frequencies existing with conventional omni-directional ceiling antennas is changed, and gains at large radiation angles are increased. The radiation angle with the maximum gain is adjusted to about 80°, which can extend effective coverage of signals in the high frequency band and make the indoor signal coverage more uniform. Thereby an ultra-wideband antenna is formed which has the same radiation patterns basically at working frequencies including high and low frequency bands.
Furthermore, the antenna in this embodiment adds the base plate 4 having the disc cylinder structure, and the second cylindrical ring of the base plate 4 sockets to the first cylindrical ring 22 in the reflector 2 to form a spatially separated coupling structure, so that the capacitance reactance on the bottom of the reflector 2 is increased, and the current distribution on the surface of the reflector 2 is changed. The electronic currents distributed on the reflector 2 and the base plate 4 have reserved phases, which further makes electromagnetic waves of the high frequency signals offset each other at the low radiation angle direction, thereby reducing the electromagnetic radiation under the antenna effectively and ensuring the security of indoor electromagnetic environments. The degree of coupling between the reflector 2 and the base plate 4 is adjusted by changing the height of the second cylindrical ring on the base plate 4, and/or a way in which the reflector 2 sockets to the base plate 4 and the gap therebetween. Low radiation angle gains of the antenna at different frequency points in the high frequency band are adjusted, which can optimize gains at the low radiation angles over the entire high frequency band.
In order to further illustrate beneficial effects of the omni-directional ceiling antenna according to the present invention, details at frequency points of 806 MHz, 870 MHz, 960 MHz, 1710 MHz, 1795 MHz, 1880 MHz, 1920 MHz, 1990 MHz, 2170 MHz, 2300 MHz, 2400 MHz, 2500 MHz, 2600 MHz and 2700 MHz are given about major technical indicators in this embodiment, such as measured gain, roundness of radiation pattern, E-plane radiation pattern, voltage standing wave ratio, and third-order intermodulation, etc.
Table 1 shows measured results of major technical indicators such as gains (30° and 85°) at each frequency point, roundness of radiation pattern (85°), voltage standing wave ratio, and third-order intermodulation.
Detect results of embodiment samples show that, compared with the omni-directional ceiling antenna in the prior art, the omni-directional ceiling antenna according to the present invention has the maximum gain at the radiation angle of about 80°. When the radiation angle θ=85°, gains of signals in the low frequency band (806-960 MHz) are the same basically. Gains of signals in the high frequency band (1710-2700 MHz) are increased significantly, meanwhile the gains at a low radiation angle equal to or less than 30° in the high frequency band (1710-2700 MHz) are reduced, which can improve coverage efficiency of the high frequency signals and reduce indoor electromagnetic radiation intensity. Moreover, voltage standing wave ratios are less than 1.5 in the frequency band of 806-960 MHz and 1710-2700 MHz, and ultra-wideband properties of radiation pattern bandwidth and impedance bandwidth are realized. Relative bandwidth reaches 108%, gains of signals in the frequency band of 2500-2700 MHz are improved significantly in a direction of a high radiation angle, and gains of signals in the low frequency band, in particular, the frequency band of 1710-2170 MHz, are further reduced in a direction of a low radiation angle. The consistent coverage of 2G, 3G and LTE/4G signals is realized, and the radiation intensity in indoor electromagnetic environments is reduced effectively.
In this embodiment, the radiation pattern bandwidth and the impedance bandwidth are further extended by shrinking the cylindrical ring of the reflector (that is, the outer diameter of the first cylindrical ring in the reflector is smaller than that of the flared end of the first hollow cone). The problem of downward signals aggregation in the entire high frequency band (1710-2700 MHz), in particular, the frequency band of 2500-2700 MHz is solved; the radiation angle with the maximum gain is adjusted to about 80°, which can extend the effective coverage of the antenna for the signals in the high frequency band, and make the indoor signal coverage more uniform. Meanwhile, the antenna adds the base plate having the disc cylinder structure, and the second cylindrical ring of the base plate sockets to the first cylindrical ring in the reflector to form a spatially separated coupling structure, so that the capacitance reactance on the bottom of the reflector is increased, and the current distribution on the surface of the reflector is changed. The electronic currents distributed on the reflector and the base plate have reserved phases, which further makes electromagnetic waves of the high frequency signals offset each other at the low radiation angle direction, thereby reducing the electromagnetic radiation under the antenna effectively and ensuring the security of indoor electromagnetic environments.
Furthermore, in another embodiment of the present invention,
Furthermore, optionally, the antenna may also include a dielectric sleeve 6 disposed between the tip 1a of the radiation oscillator 1 and the tip 2a of the reflector 2 so as to realize the separation and fixed support between the radiation oscillator 1 and the reflector 2.
Optionally, the flared end of the first hollow cone 21 is connected to the first cylindrical ring 22, and the outer diameter of the circle at the bottom of the flared end of the first hollow cone 21 is larger than the outer diameter of the first cylindrical ring 22.
The base plate 4 is provided with a disc ring 42 at its edge, and the inner edge of the disc ring 42 is connected to the second cylindrical ring 41. The second cylindrical ring 41 sockets to the first cylindrical ring 22 of the reflector 2, and is separated and fixed via the dielectric ring 5 to form a spatially separated coupling structure.
Optionally, in order to facilitate one-time stamp-forming and reduce production costs effectively, the base plate 4 is designed in a center-projected disc shape, which includes the second cylindrical ring 41, the disc ring 42, a chamfer 43 and a disc bottom 44, where the disc bottom 44 has a hole at the center to connect a plastic fixed kit 8 and make the feed cable 3 passing through conveniently.
Furthermore, the center of the tip 1a of the radiation oscillator 1 is connected to an inner conductor 31 of the feed cable 3. An end of the wiring terminal 7 passes through the central hole of the tip 2a of the reflector 2, and is tightly connected to the tip 2a of the reflector 2 via a fixing nut 71, and another end of the wiring terminal 7 is connected to an outer conductor 32 of the feed cable 3.
More specifically, the feed cable 3 can use a 50 ohm coaxial cable. The feed cable 3 passes through the central hole of the fixed kit 8, the plastic protective jacket and an outer conductor layer of the cable are peeled off, and the insulation layer and the inner conductor 31 are passing through the hollow wiring terminal. The inner conductor 31 is welded to the radiation oscillator 1, and the outer conductor 32 of the feed cable 3 is electrically connected to the end of the wiring terminal 7.
In this embodiment, spatially separated coupling structure is formed by shrinking a cylindrical ring of the reflector (that is, the outer diameter of the first cylindrical ring in the reflector is smaller than that of the flared end of the first hollow cone in the reflector), adding the base plate in the antenna, and socketing the second cylindrical ring on the base plate to the first cylindrical ring in the reflector. The radiation pattern bandwidth and impedance bandwidth are further extended, thereby solving the problem of downward signals aggregation in the high frequency band 2500-2700 MHz particularly, which exists in the conventional omni-directional ceiling antenna and the improved omni-directional ceiling antenna. Both the radiation pattern bandwidth and the impedance bandwidth reach 108%, and gains of signals in the frequency band of 1710-2500 MHz are further improved at high radiation angles. Compared with the traditional omni-directional ceiling antenna in the prior art, gains of signals in the low frequency band (806˜960 MHz) are the same basically when the radiation angle is 85°. Gains of signals in the high frequency band (1710-2700 MHz) are increased significantly when the radiation angleθ=85°, and gains at a low radiation angle equal to or less than 30° are reduced. The roundness of the radiation pattern of the antenna is improved, which makes signal coverage more uniform and extends effective coverage of the high frequency signals. The consistent coverage of 2G, 3G and LTE/4G signals is realized, and the radiation intensity in indoor electromagnetic environments is reduced effectively.
It should also be noted that, the antenna in the present invention also realizes impedance bandwidth properties of ultra-wideband over the entire band of 806-2700 MHz. The spatially separated coupling structure is formed by shrinking a cylindrical ring of the reflector (that is, the outer diameter of the first cylindrical ring in the reflector is smaller than that of the flared end of the first hollow cone in the reflector), adding a base plate in the antenna, and socketing a second cylindrical ring on the base plate to a first cylindrical ring in the reflector. The ultra-wideband property of radiation pattern bandwidth and the property of reducing electromagnetic radiation under the antenna effectively are realized. Meanwhile, the better roundness of radiation pattern is ensured because of removing the impedance matching lines (sheets) and the completely axially symmetrical in structure.
Furthermore, the antenna has a simple structure and a good integrity. The radiation oscillator 1, the reflector 2 and the base plate 4 may be integrally molded, which are easy to manufacture by stamping. Because of advantages such as compact structure, simple assembly, less welding points and adjustment-free, the antenna has a broad application prospect in indoor distribution systems of mobile communication networks.
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As shown in
Furthermore, in another embodiment of the present invention, based on embodiments above, the radiation oscillator 1 has a height of 35-45 mm. The heights of the third cylindrical ring 11 and the third hollow cone 12 are half of the height of the radiation oscillator 1 respectively. Moreover, the taper angle of the third hollow cone 12 is 30-35 degrees. In addition, the tip of the third hollow cone 12 is opened at the center, and the diameter of the hole is 0.5-2 mm.
Optionally, the height of reflector 2 is 53-55 mm, and the diameter is 170-178 mm. The tip of the first hollow cone 21 is opened at the center, and the outer diameter at its bottom of the first hollow cone is 170-173 mm. The outer diameter of the first cylindrical ring 22 is 160-163 mm and the height is 5-7 mm.
Optionally, the base plate 4 has a hollow discone structure. The conical section bulges from the middle of the disc, and has a hole in the center. The diameter of the hole is 4-6 mm, and the hole is tightly connected to the outer conductor 32 of the feed cable 3. The outer diameter of the bulged cone is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the hollow cylinder (that is, the first cylindrical ring 22) of the reflector 2, and is about 150-153 mm.
Optionally, in this embodiment, the cover of the antenna can be molded by using an acrylonitrile butadiene styrene copolymers (Acrylonitrile butadiene Styrene copolymers; ABS for short) material. Snap connection is used between the cover and the base plate of the antenna, which can realize simple installation and fixed connection.
Furthermore, optionally, the radiation oscillator 1 can be molded by using an aluminum sheet having a thickness of 0.5-2 mm, and the dielectric ring 5 can also be molded by using the ABS material.
It should also be noted that, in order to reduce the processing cost, other metal components can also be stamped by using the aluminum sheet.
Finally, it should be noted that the foregoing embodiments are merely used for describing the technical solution of the present invention rather than limiting the present invention. Although the present invention is described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, persons of ordinary skill in the art should understand that they also can modify the technical solution described in the foregoing embodiments, or replace some or all technical features equivalently. However, these modifications or replacements do not make the nature of the corresponding technical solutions departing from the scope of the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2014 1 0270634 | Jun 2014 | CN | national |
This application is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/CN2015/081186, filed on Jun. 10, 2015, which claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 201410270634.9, filed on Jun. 17, 2014, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20160226149 A1 | Aug 2016 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/CN2015/081186 | Jun 2015 | US |
Child | 15092485 | US |