Base station antennas and multiband base station antennas

Abstract

The invention relates to a base station antenna comprising a first array configured to emit electromagnetic radiation within a first frequency band to form a first antenna beam, the first array comprising a first column of radiating elements arranged substantially along a first longitudinal axis of the base station antenna, the first column comprising a first radiating element and a second radiating element pair, wherein the first radiating element is a cross-dipole radiating element; and the second radiating element pair comprises a pair of second radiating elements arranged facing each other on either side of the first longitudinal axis, wherein each second radiating element comprises first and second radiating arms extending substantially along the first longitudinal axis in opposite directions, respectively, and a third radiating arm extending substantially perpendicular to the first and second radiating arms towards the first longitudinal axis. The invention also relates to a multi-band base station antenna.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of communications, and more specifically, to base station antennas and multi-band base station antennas. BACKGROUND

[0002] Each cell in a cellular communication system has one or more base station antennas configured to provide bi-directional wireless / radio frequency (RF) communication to mobile users located geographically within the given cell. Multiple base station antennas are typically used and each base station antenna is configured to provide service to one sector of the cell. In a cellular base station having a conventional 3-sector configuration, each sector antenna is typically expected to have a beamwidth of approximately 65° (herein when referring to "beamwidth," unless specifically indicated, the azimuth plane (-3dB) half-power beamwidth is meant).

[0003] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of a conventional base station 60. The base station 60 includes a base station antenna 50 that can be mounted on a raised structure 30. The raised structure 30 can be an antenna tower. However, it should be understood that a variety of mounting locations can be used, including, for example, utility poles, buildings, water towers, etc. The base station 60 also includes base station equipment, such as a baseband unit 40 and a radio 42. For simplicity of the drawing, Figure 9 A single baseband unit 40 and a single radio 42 are shown in FIG. 1. However, it should be understood that more than one baseband unit 40 and / or radio 42 can be provided. In addition, while the radio 42 is shown co-located with the baseband unit 40 at the base of the raised structure 30, it should be understood that in other cases the radio 42 can be a remote radio head mounted on the raised structure 30 adjacent to the antenna. The baseband unit 40 can receive data from another source (e.g., a backhaul network (not shown)) and can process the data and provide data streams to the radio 42. The radio 42 can generate RF signals that include data encoded therein and can amplify and transmit these RF signals to the base station antenna 50 for transmission over the cable connection 44. It should also be understood that Figure 9 The base station 60 of FIG. 1 can typically include a variety of other equipment (not shown), such as power supplies, backup batteries, power bus, Antenna Interface Signal Group (AISG) controller, etc.

[0004] A three-element monopole radiating element is known in the art, such as Figure 10AThe tri-pole radiating element 10 has three radiating arms (which can be dipole arms, for example): two side arms 11, 12 and a central arm 13. The length of each arm can be about 1 / 4 wavelength of the operating band. The side arms 11, 12 are connected to the center conductors of coaxial lines 16, 17 for feeding. The central arm 13 is connected to the outer conductors of the coaxial lines 16 and 17. The outer conductors of the coaxial lines 16 and 17 are connected to a reflector 20 that is spaced apart from the side arms 11, 12 and the central arm 13 by a distance of about 1 / 4 wavelength. In Figure 10A In the example shown, coaxial lines 16 and 17 are used to feed the tri-pole radiating element. However, other types of transmission lines (e.g., microstrip transmission lines, stripline transmission lines, coplanar waveguide transmission lines, etc.) can also be used to feed the tri-pole radiating element.

[0005] The tri-pole radiating element 10 can be viewed as a combination of two dipole radiating elements, each of which is bent so that the angle between its two radiating arms is approximately 90°. Referring to Figure 10B , the current on each radiating arm and the polarization vector of the radiated field (+45 and -45 slant polarization) are shown. Note that the +45° slant and -45° slant are with respect to the side arms 11 and 12. Thus, the side arms 11 and 12 can be oriented horizontally or vertically with respect to the longitudinal axis of the reflector 20 to obtain ±45° polarization. This is in contrast to a cross-dipole radiating element. In a cross-dipole radiating element, the radiated field of each dipole is slanted by 0° with respect to the dipole arm, so each dipole must be oriented at ±45° to the longitudinal axis of the reflector 20 to obtain ±45° slant polarization. This makes the tri-pole radiating element with ±45° slant polarization smaller in size than the cross-dipole radiating element with ±45° slant polarization. For example, the width (the dimension in the plane parallel to the reflector 20 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis) of the tri-pole radiating element can be about 0.25 wavelengths (about the length of the central arm), and the width of the cross-dipole radiating element is about 0.35 wavelengths.

[0006] This feature of the tri-pole radiating element is friendly for multi-band antenna applications. For efficient transmission and reception of radio frequency (RF) signals, the size of the radiating element is typically matched to the wavelength of the predetermined operational frequency band. For example, the tri-pole radiating element described above can be designed to operate at least a portion of the 617-960 MHz frequency band. The multi-band antenna can further include a radiating element having a higher operational frequency band, for example, designed to operate at least a portion of the 1695-2690 MHz frequency band. The length of the radiating element having the higher operational frequency band extends forward from the planar reflector less than the length of the radiating element having the lower operational frequency band extends forward from the reflector, e.g., planar reflector. In one example of a multi-band antenna, the radiating elements of different operational frequency bands are arranged adjacent to each other on the planar reflector, which can cause the radiating element having the lower operational frequency band to scatter the radiated signals of the radiating element having the higher operational frequency band. SUMMARY

[0007] It is an object of the present invention to provide a base station antenna and a multi-band base station antenna.

[0008] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a base station antenna comprising a first array of radiating elements configured to emit electromagnetic radiation within a first frequency band to form a first antenna beam, the first array comprising a first column of radiating elements arranged substantially along a first longitudinal axis of the base station antenna, the first column comprising a first radiating element and a pair of second radiating elements, wherein the first radiating element is a cross-dipole radiating element; and the pair of second radiating elements comprises a pair of second radiating elements arranged facing each other on either side of the first longitudinal axis, wherein each second radiating element comprises first and second radiating arms extending substantially in opposite directions along the first longitudinal axis, respectively, and a third radiating arm extending substantially perpendicular to the first and second radiating arms towards the first longitudinal axis.

[0009] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a multi-band base station antenna comprising: a first array of radiating elements configured to operate in a lower first frequency band, comprising a tri-pole radiating element comprising first to third radiating arms extending substantially parallel to a major surface of the base station antenna, respectively, wherein each radiating arm is oriented substantially at right angles between the directions of extension of the first and second radiating arms, and between the directions of extension of the second and third radiating arms; and a second array of radiating elements configured to operate in a higher second frequency band, comprising a first radiating element, wherein at least one of the first to third radiating arms is configured to reduce a current excited onto the at least one radiating arm in the second frequency band, the at least one radiating arm extending substantially in a direction parallel or perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the base station antenna.

[0010] According to a third aspect of the application, there is provided a multi-band base station antenna comprising: a first array comprising first radiating elements configured to operate in a higher frequency band; a second array comprising a tri-pole radiating element configured to operate in a lower frequency band, the tri-pole radiating element comprising first to third radiating arms extending substantially parallel to a main surface of the base station antenna, respectively, wherein each radiating arm is oriented substantially at right angles between the extension directions of the first and second radiating arms, and between the extension directions of the second and third radiating arms, and at least one of the first to third radiating arms extends substantially in a direction parallel or perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the base station antenna; and a third array comprising a cross-dipole radiating element configured to operate in the lower frequency band, wherein at least one dipole arm of the cross-dipole radiating element is configured to reduce a current excited onto the at least one dipole arm in the higher frequency band.

[0011] According to a fourth aspect of the application, there is provided a base station antenna comprising: a first radio frequency port; a second radio frequency port; and a first array of radiating elements configured to operate in a first frequency band, the first array comprising first and second radiating elements, wherein the first radiating element is configured to have an impedance in the first frequency band that is lower than an impedance in a second frequency band, at least a portion of frequencies in the second frequency band being higher than frequencies in the first frequency band; the second radiating element is configured to have an impedance in the first frequency band that is not lower than an impedance in the second frequency band; and each of the first and second radiating elements is coupled to both the first and second radio frequency ports.

[0012] According to a fifth aspect of the application, there is provided a base station antenna comprising: a first radio frequency port; a second radio frequency port; a vertically extending array of radiating elements, wherein each radiating element in the array is coupled to the first and second radio frequency ports, the array comprising at least one cross-dipole radiating element, and at least one radiating element having a vertically extending dipole arm or a horizontally extending dipole arm.

[0013] According to a sixth aspect of the application, there is provided a base station antenna comprising: a first radio frequency port; a second radio frequency port; a vertically extending array of radiating elements, wherein each radiating element in the array is coupled to the first and second radio frequency ports, the array comprising first and second radiating elements, the first radiating element comprising a dipole arm tilted at -45 degrees and a dipole arm tilted at +45 degrees, the second radiating element comprising a vertical dipole arm and a horizontal dipole arm.

[0014] Other features of the application will be apparent from the following detailed description of example embodiments of the application, taken in conjunction with the drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0015] The accompanying drawings, which constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the present application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present application.

[0016] Figures 1A-1C are front views schematically illustrating a structure of a base station antenna according to an embodiment of the present application, respectively.

[0017] Figure 2A and 2B are front views schematically illustrating a structure of a base station antenna according to an embodiment of the present application, respectively.

[0018] Figure 3A and 3B are front views schematically illustrating a structure of a base station antenna according to an embodiment of the present application, respectively.

[0019] Figure 4 is a front view schematically illustrating a structure of a base station antenna according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0020] Figures 5A-5C are front views schematically illustrating a structure of a base station antenna according to an embodiment of the present application, respectively.

[0021] Figure 6 is a front view schematically illustrating a structure of a base station antenna according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0022] Figure 7 is a diagram for illustrating one radiating arm of a radiating element having a stealth characteristic.

[0023] Figure 8A and 8B are front views schematically illustrating a structure of a tri-pole radiating element in a base station antenna according to an embodiment of the present application, respectively.

[0024] Figure 9 is a simplified schematic diagram schematically illustrating a conventional base station in a cellular communication system.

[0025] Figure 10A is a schematic diagram schematically illustrating a structure of a tri-pole radiating element in a prior art base station antenna.

[0026] Figure 10B schematically illustrates Figure 10A electromagnetic fields generated by a tri-pole radiating element in

[0027] Figure 11A and 11B are front views schematically illustrating a structure of a base station antenna according to an embodiment of the present application, respectively.

[0028] Figure 12A and12B are front views schematically showing a structure of a base station antenna according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0029] Figure 13A and 13B are front views schematically showing a structure of a base station antenna according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0030] Figure 14A and 14B are front views schematically showing a structure of a base station antenna according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0031] Note that, in the following embodiments, the same reference numerals are sometimes used to designate the same parts or parts having the same function among different drawings, and repeated explanation thereof is omitted. In some cases, similar reference numerals and letters are used to designate similar items, and once an item is defined in one drawing, it need not be further discussed in subsequent drawings.

[0032] For ease of understanding, the position, size, range, and the like of each structure shown in the drawings and the like are sometimes not actual position, size, range, and the like. Therefore, the present application is not limited to the position, size, range, and the like disclosed in the drawings and the like. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The present application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate several embodiments of the present application. It is to be understood, however, that the present application can be presented in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be complete and fully convey the scope of the present application to those skilled in the art. It is also to be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein can be combined in various ways, thereby providing more additional embodiments.

[0034] It is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. As used herein, all technical and scientific terms have the meaning commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art unless otherwise defined. For simplicity and / or clarity, well-known functions or constructions can not be shown in detail.

[0035] In the present document, when an element or node or feature is referred to as being "on", "attached" to, "connected" to, "coupled" to, or "in contact" with another element or node or feature, it can be directly on, attached to, connected to, coupled to, or in contact with the other element or node or feature, or one or more intervening elements can also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly on", "directly attached" to, "directly connected" to, "directly coupled" to, or "directly in contact" with another element, there are no intervening elements present. In the present document, when an element or feature is referred to as being "adjacent" to another element or feature, it can mean that the element has a portion that overlaps the adjacent element or a portion that is above or below the adjacent element.

[0036] In the present document, reference can be made to elements or nodes or features being "coupled" together. Unless specifically stated otherwise, "coupled" means that two elements / nodes / features can be directly in contact with each other, or can be electrically, mechanically, logically, or otherwise directly or indirectly in connection with each other to allow interactions between them, even though the two features can not be directly connected. That is, "coupled" is intended to cover both direct connections and indirect connections of elements or other features, including connections with one or more intervening elements.

[0037] In the present document, spatially relative terms such as "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front", "back", "horizontal", "vertical", and the like can be used herein for the purpose of illustrating one feature with respect to another feature in the drawings. It will be understood that spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation, in addition to the orientations depicted in the drawings. For example, if a device is turned over in the drawings, a feature described as being "below" or "beneath" another feature would then be oriented "above" or "over" the other feature. The device can be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative terms will be interpreted accordingly.

[0038] In the present document, the term "A or B" includes "A and B" as well as "A or B" but does not exclude only "A" or only "B" unless specifically stated otherwise.

[0039] In the present document, the term "exemplary" means "serving as an example, instance, or illustration," and should not necessarily be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. In addition, the present disclosure is not limited to any particular stated implementation, example, or embodiment, nor is it limited to any particular set of described features.

[0040] In this document, the term "substantially" means any minor variation caused by design or manufacturing defects, device or component tolerances, environmental influences, and / or other factors. The term "substantially" also allows for differences from the perfect or ideal situation due to parasitic effects, noise, and other practical considerations that may exist in actual implementations.

[0041] Additionally, terms such as “first,” “second,” etc., may be used in this document for reference purposes only and are not intended to be limiting. For example, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the words “first,” “second,” and other such numerical terms relating to structures or elements do not imply order or sequence.

[0042] It should also be understood that when the term “including / comprises” is used herein, it indicates the presence of the indicated feature, step, operation, unit and / or component, but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, units and / or components and / or combinations thereof.

[0043] Figures 1A-1C These are schematic front views illustrating the structure of a base station antenna 100 (and 100', 100") according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1A As shown, the base station antenna 100 includes a linear array of multiple crossed dipole radiating elements 120 arranged in a row generally along the longitudinal axis 140 of the base station antenna, a pair of tripole radiating elements 130, and a reflector 110. The tripole radiating elements 131 and 132 in the crossed dipole radiating elements 120 and the pair of tripole radiating elements 130 extend forward from the reflector 110.

[0044] The longitudinal axis 140 of the base station antenna refers to a virtual axis extending along the length direction (also referred to herein as the vertical direction) of the base station antenna 100 (no physical structure is required to serve as an axis). It should be noted that, for simplicity, the longitudinal axis is not shown in some figures, but it should be understood that such a virtual axis also exists in the embodiments depicted in these figures. Although Figure 1A The longitudinal axis 140 shown is located at the center of the base station antenna 100. Those skilled in the art will understand that the longitudinal axis referred to herein is not limited to a central axis. Although the cross-dipole radiating elements 120 arranged in a row in the illustrated linear array are aligned along the longitudinal axis 140, those skilled in the art will understand that at least some of the cross-dipole radiating elements 120 may be arranged in a known staggered manner along the longitudinal axis 140 to narrow the azimuth beamwidth of the antenna beam generated by the linear array. Furthermore, although the illustrated linear array includes multiple cross-dipole radiating elements 120, those skilled in the art will understand that the linear array may include only one cross-dipole radiating element 120.

[0045] The tripole radiating element pair 130 includes a pair of tripole radiating elements 131 and 132 arranged facing each other on both sides of the longitudinal axis 140. The structure of each tripole radiating element 131 and 132 can be similar to Figure 9 The illustrated tripole radiating element or a variation thereof. Two tripole radiating elements 131 and 132 are oriented such that the two side arms of each tripole radiating element 131 and 132 extend upward and downward, respectively, in a direction generally parallel to the longitudinal axis 140, and that the central arm of one tripole radiating element extends towards the other tripole radiating element in a direction generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 140. In one embodiment, the distance between the phase centers of the two tripole radiating elements 131 and 132 in 130 can be 0.5 to 1 wavelength of the center operating frequency. Although the two illustrated tripole radiating elements 131 and 132 facing each other are aligned longitudinally, those skilled in the art will understand that the longitudinal positions of the two tripole radiating elements 131 and 132 can be staggered.

[0046] The crossed dipole radiating element 120 is configured to operate in a first operating frequency band, and the tripole radiating elements 131 and 132 are configured to operate in a second operating frequency band, wherein the first and second operating frequency bands at least partially overlap. In one embodiment, the first and second operating frequency bands completely overlap. For example, the crossed dipole radiating element 120 and the tripole radiating elements 131 and 132 are each configured to operate in at least a portion of a frequency band from 617 MHz to 960 MHz. The linear array of the crossed dipole radiating element 120 and the entire array composed of the tripole radiating elements 130 can generate a combined antenna beam.

[0047] The base station antenna 100 also includes radio frequency ports 151 and 152, respectively, for providing signals with two different polarizations (e.g., via from...). Figure 9The radio unit 42 shown receives signals). For example, one leg of each of the tri-pole radiating elements 131, 132 can be coupled to the radio frequency port 151 to receive signals having a +45 degree polarization and the other leg can be coupled to the radio frequency port 152 to receive signals having a -45 degree polarization. One dipole leg of each of the cross-dipole radiating elements 120 can be coupled to the radio frequency port 151 to receive signals having a +45 degree polarization and the other dipole leg of each of the cross-dipole radiating elements 120 can be coupled to the radio frequency port 152 to receive signals having a -45 degree polarization. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that any of the radiating elements (including the cross-dipole and tri-pole radiating elements) involved in the present application can be coupled to the radio frequency ports in any known manner. It is noted that the radio frequency ports are not shown in some of the drawings for the sake of simplicity, but it is understood that the radio frequency ports are present in the embodiments depicted in those drawings.

[0048] The beamwidth of the antenna beam produced by the linear array of cross-dipole radiating elements 120 and tri-pole radiating element pairs 130 depends on a number of factors, including the height of the cross-dipole radiating elements 120 (the dimension extending forward from the reflector, typically about ¼ of the wavelength corresponding to the center frequency of its operational frequency band), the configuration of the radiating arms, and the size of the reflector 110, among others. For example, in one particular example, the width of the reflector 110 can be 300 mm, and the beamwidth of the linear array of cross-dipole radiating elements 120 can be in the range of 63° to 79° (averaging about 71°) in the 617 MHz to 960 MHz frequency band (or can be in the 694 MHz to 960 MHz frequency band). As noted above, it is desirable for the linear array to have a beamwidth of about 65°, e.g., 65 ± 5°. To achieve a narrower beamwidth without significantly increasing the width of the antenna (e.g., without using two linear arrays, or without using a significantly wider reflector), the tri-pole radiating element pairs 130 can be added to the linear array. In one aspect, as noted above, tri-pole radiating elements have a smaller size than cross-dipole radiating elements having similar operational frequency bands and characteristics. In another aspect, a pair of side-by-side arranged radiating elements (or a pair of side-by-side arranged columns of radiating elements) can achieve a narrower beamwidth than a single radiating element (or a single column of radiating elements). In yet another aspect, because each of the tri-pole radiating element pairs 131 and 132 is oriented with its outer arms extending in a direction generally parallel to the longitudinal axis 140, each tri-pole radiating element 131 and 132 can be positioned so that its outer arms are relatively close to the edge of the reflector 110, thereby enabling a relatively large distance between the phase centers of the two tri-pole radiating elements 131 and 132 even though the width of the reflector is narrow. Thus, without increasing the width of the reflector 110, the tri-pole radiating element pairs 130 can achieve a larger horizontal distance (the horizontal direction being the width direction of the base station antenna) between the two radiating elements than two cross-dipole radiating elements placed side-by-side, which helps to reduce the azimuthal beamwidth of the antenna beam produced by the linear array. Accordingly, the azimuthal beamwidth of the combined antenna beam of the entire array formed by the linear array of cross-dipole radiating elements 120 and the tri-pole radiating element pairs 130 is less than the beamwidth of the linear array of cross-dipole radiating elements 120, and thus the base station antenna 100 can achieve the desired narrower beamwidth, e.g., 65 ± 5°.

[0049] In one embodiment, as Figure 1AAs shown, the tripole radiating element pair 130 is positioned above and / or below the linear array (not shown) along the longitudinal axis. For example, the distance between the tripole radiating element pair 130 and the nearest cross dipole radiating element 120 can be 0.8 wavelengths of the center operating frequency. In one embodiment, as... Figure 1C As shown, a pair of tripole radiating elements 130 is positioned between two crossed dipole radiating elements 120 in a linear array. In one embodiment, as... Figure 1B As shown, the tripole radiating element pair 130 is positioned at the center of the linear array along the longitudinal axis. For the linear array of crossed dipole radiating elements 120 and the entire array formed by the tripole radiating element pair 130, the energy of the RF signal sub-component fed to the radiating element closer to the center of the array is generally higher than the energy of the RF signal sub-component fed to the radiating element closer to the top or bottom of the array, in order to facilitate antenna beam shaping in the elevation plane. Therefore, Figure 1B In the embodiment shown, the energy of the tripole radiating element for the RF signal sub-component fed to 130 may be higher than Figure 1C In the illustrated embodiment, the tripole radiating element provides energy to the RF signal sub-components fed to 130, and Figure 1C In the embodiment shown, the energy of the tripole radiating element for the RF signal sub-component fed to 130 may be higher than Figure 1A The illustrated embodiment shows the energy of the RF signal sub-component fed by the tripole radiating element pair 130. Those skilled in the art will understand that the higher the energy of the RF signal sub-component fed by the tripole radiating element pair 130 (referring to the higher energy relative to the RF signal sub-component fed by the crossed dipole radiating element 120 in the linear array), the greater the impact of the tripole radiating elements 131 and 132 on the overall composite antenna beam (the narrowing effect on the azimuth beamwidth). Therefore, the position of the tripole radiating element pair 130 in the entire array can be arranged according to performance requirements such as the radiation pattern of the base station antenna.

[0050] In some embodiments, such as when the narrowing effect of a single pair of tripole radiating elements on the overall antenna beam of the array is insufficient, the base station antenna may include two or more pairs of tripole radiating elements. Each pair of tripole radiating elements comprises, similar to what has been described above, a pair of tripole radiating elements arranged facing each other on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis. Figure 2A and 2B These are schematic front views illustrating the structure of a base station antenna 200 (200') according to an embodiment of the present invention. In one embodiment, such as Figure 2AAs shown, the pair of tri-pole radiating elements 231, 232 are positioned above and below the linear array of cross-dipole radiating elements 220 along the longitudinal axis, respectively. In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 2B As shown, the pair of tri-pole radiating elements 231 is positioned at the middle of the linear array of cross-dipole radiating elements 220 along the longitudinal axis, and the pair of tri-pole radiating elements 232 is positioned above (not shown) or below the linear array along the longitudinal axis. In one embodiment, although not shown, each of the pair of tri-pole radiating elements is positioned between two cross-dipole radiating elements in the linear array.

[0051] Figure 3A and 3B are front views schematically showing the structure of a base station antenna 300 (300') according to an embodiment of the present application. The base station antenna 300 is a multi-band antenna. The base station antenna 300 includes a linear array composed of cross-dipole radiating elements 320 having a lower operating frequency band (e.g., at least part of the 617-960 MHz band), a pair of tri-pole radiating elements 330 having the lower operating frequency band, an array composed of cross-dipole radiating elements 340 having a higher operating frequency band (e.g., at least part of the 1695-2690 MHz band), and a reflector 310. The cross-dipole radiating elements 320, 340, and the tri-pole radiating elements of the pair of tri-pole radiating elements 330 extend forward from the reflector 310. Since the length by which a radiating element extends forward from the reflector 310 matches the wavelength of its operating frequency band, the cross-dipole radiating elements 340 extend forward from the reflector 310 by a length that is smaller than the length by which either of the cross-dipole radiating elements 320 and the tri-pole radiating elements extend forward from the reflector 310. The structure and orientation of the pair of tri-pole radiating elements 330 are similar to those described above and are not described here. Although the radiating elements 340 having the higher operating frequency band shown in the drawings of the present application are cross-dipole radiating elements, those skilled in the art will understand that they can be other radiating elements.

[0052] Each cross-dipole radiating element 320 in the linear array includes four radiating arms (also referred to as "dipole arms"), each of which is configured to reduce the current (hereinafter referred to simply as the excitation current) excited on the radiating arm by the electromagnetic radiation of the radiating elements 340, i.e., to reduce the excitation current in the higher operating frequency band. This characteristic of the radiating arm is hereinafter referred to as the cloaked characteristic. In the drawings of the present application, the circuit structure capable of reducing the excitation current is represented using a diagram as shown in Figure 7 For example, in Figure 3A each dipole arm of each cross-dipole radiating element 320 is configured as such a structure. Although Figure 7The structure shown includes two capacitive elements and one inductive element, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, Figure 7 The diagram shown is merely illustrative and does not limit the number of capacitive elements and inductive elements.

[0053] Since the cross-dipole radiating element 320 has dipole arms that reduce the excitation current in the higher operating frequency band, the scattering of the signal radiated by the cross-dipole radiating element 340 having the higher operating frequency band caused by the cross-dipole radiating element 320 having the lower frequency band can be reduced or avoided. As such, the cross-dipole radiating element 320 can be disposed in the vicinity of, e.g., above, the cross-dipole radiating element 340 such that the cross-dipole radiating element 320 is positioned so that at least one arm of at least some of the cross-dipole radiating element 320 overlaps with a radiator portion of one or more of the cross-dipole radiating element 340 in a front view of the base station antenna (i.e., a front view extending along an axis normal to a major surface of the base station antenna), e.g., as shown in Figure 3A The major surface of the base station antenna refers to the surface of the reflector used to mount the radiating elements, e.g., the surface of the reflector 310 visible in FIG. 1. Although not shown in the figures, the base station antenna can include a reflector having multiple surfaces used to mount the radiating elements. In such a case, the base station antenna can have multiple major surfaces.

[0054] For the radiating elements of the tri-pole radiating element pair 330 that do not have stealth characteristics, the position of the tri-pole radiating element pair 330 can be appropriately arranged to reduce or avoid causing scattering of the radiated signal of the cross-dipole radiating element 340 having the higher operating frequency band. In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 3A The tri-pole radiating element pair 330 is positioned above or below the array of cross-dipole radiating elements 340 along the longitudinal axis, as shown. In consideration of shaping the vertical plane antenna beam, the cross-dipole radiating elements 340 at the upper and lower ends of the array are fed with less energy (relative to the energy of the RF signal sub-components of the cross-dipole radiating elements 340 at other positions) and thus, arranging the tri-pole radiating element pair 330 at positions in the array that are fed with less energy can reduce the impact of the tri-pole radiating element pair 330 on the radiation of the entire array of cross-dipole radiating elements 340. In addition, arranging the tri-pole radiating element pair 330 farther away from the array of radiating elements 340 can also reduce the impact on the radiation of the radiating elements 340. For example, in Figure 3AIn the illustrated embodiment, the holographic element 320 with stealth characteristics is located closer to the holographic element 340, while the holographic element 330 without stealth characteristics is positioned farther from the holographic element 340. This reduces the intensity of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the holographic element 340 when it reaches the vicinity of the tripole holographic element 330, thereby minimizing the impact on the radiation emitted by the holographic element 340. In one embodiment, such as Figure 3B As shown, the tripole radiating element pair 330 is positioned such that the two side arms and the central arm of each tripole radiating element do not overlap with the radiator of the radiating element 340 in the front view. In this way, the radiating arms of the tripole radiating element pair 330 are positioned to avoid interference with the radiating aperture of the radiating element 340, thereby reducing the impact on the radiation of the radiating element 340. Figure 3A and 3B In the illustrated embodiment, the dipole arms of the cross-dipole radiating element 340, which has a higher operating frequency band, extend at an angle of ±45 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis. The radiating arms of the tripole radiating elements 331 and 332 in 330, which have a lower operating frequency band, are parallel or perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. This makes it very easy to position the radiating arms of the tripole radiating elements 331 and 332 in the gaps between columns and / or rows of the cross-dipole radiating element 340 (in the front view), i.e., avoiding the position of the radiating aperture of the cross-dipole radiating element 340. Figure 3B and 5C As shown, this reduces the impact of radiation on the radiating element 340.

[0055] Figure 4 This is a schematic front view illustrating the structure of a base station antenna 400 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Some components 410, 420, and 440 of the base station antenna 400 are similar to components 310, 320, and 340 in the base station antenna 3A, and will not be described further here. The radiating arm of each of the tripole radiating elements in the tripole radiating element pair 430 included in the base station antenna 400 is configured to reduce the excitation current of the electromagnetic radiation of the radiating element 440 on that radiating arm, i.e., to reduce the excitation current in higher operating frequency bands. Thus, the tripole radiating element pair 430 can be positioned such that the radiating arm reducing the excitation current in higher operating frequency bands at least partially overlaps with the radiator of the radiating element 440 in the front view. Although the radiating arms of each tripole radiating element in the tripole radiating element pair 430 shown in the figure are constructed to be stealthy, those skilled in the art will understand that the effects of the present invention can be achieved as long as at least one radiating arm of at least one tripole radiating element is constructed in this way. It should be noted that although the figures of the present invention use the term... Figure 4The diagram marked 431 represents a tri-pole radiating element with cloaking properties, but the skilled person will appreciate that this diagram is merely illustrative and does not limit the structure of each radiating arm of the tri-pole radiating element to reduce excitation current in the higher operating frequency band, for example, the diagram marked 431 can also be used to refer to a tri-pole radiating element as shown in Figure 8A , 8B .

[0056] In one embodiment, the radiating arm of the tri-pole radiating element that is configured to reduce excitation current in the higher operating frequency band comprises a resonant circuit formed by an inductive element and a capacitive element coupled in series, the resonant circuit being configured such that current passing through the radiating arm is at least partially attenuated in the higher operating frequency band and passes through in the lower operating frequency band, thereby causing the radiating arm to reduce excitation current in the higher operating frequency band. For example, the resonant circuit can be configured to resonate around 800 MHz, to pass current passing through the radiating arm in the 617-960 MHz frequency band and to have a relatively significant attenuation of current passing through the radiating arm in at least part of the 1695-2690 MHz frequency band, thereby causing the radiating arm of the tri-pole radiating element to be configured to reduce excitation current of electromagnetic radiation of the radiating element 440 on the radiating arm. In one embodiment, the radiating arm of each tri-pole radiating element comprises at least one inductive element configured to have a higher impedance in the higher operating frequency band and a lower impedance in the lower operating frequency band, thereby reducing excitation current in the higher operating frequency band.

[0057] Figures 5A-5C are front views schematically illustrating the structure of a multi-band base station antenna 500 (500', 500") according to embodiments of the application, respectively. The multi-band base station antenna 500 comprises a first array of radiating elements 510 having a higher operating frequency band, and a second array of tri-pole radiating elements 520, 530 having a lower operating frequency band. At least one radiating arm of each tri-pole radiating element 520 is configured to reduce excitation current of electromagnetic radiation of the radiating elements 510 on the radiating arm, i.e. to reduce excitation current in the higher operating frequency band, thereby mitigating the effect of the radiating elements 520 on the electromagnetic radiation of the radiating elements 510. The structure of the at least one radiating arm can be as previously described with reference to Figure 4The at least one radiating arm can be a side arm extending substantially in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the base station antenna, or a central arm extending substantially in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the base station antenna. The triplex radiating element 520 can be positioned such that its at least one radiating arm overlaps the radiator portion of the radiating element 510 in the front view of the base station antenna. The radiating arms of the triplex radiating element 530 can have a different configuration than the triplex radiating element 520, i.e. not configured to have stealth characteristics in the higher operating frequency band. In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 5A the triplex radiating element 530 is positioned above and / or below the first array along the longitudinal axis. In this embodiment, the triplex radiating elements 520, 530 are arranged longitudinally forming a second array. In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 5B , 5C the triplex radiating element 530 is positioned such that its radiating arms do not overlap the radiator of the radiating element 510 in the front view. In the embodiment shown in Figure 5B two triplex radiating elements 530 face each other forming a pair of triplex radiating elements, with the triplex radiating elements 520 arranged longitudinally forming a second array. In the embodiment shown in Figure 5C two triplex radiating elements 520 face each other forming a pair of triplex radiating elements, with the triplex radiating elements 530 arranged longitudinally forming a second array.

[0058] Figure 6 is a front view schematically illustrating the structure of a multi-band base station antenna 600 according to an embodiment of the present application. The multi-band base station antenna 600 comprises a first array of radiating elements 610 having a higher operating frequency band, and a second array of triplex radiating elements 620 having a lower operating frequency band. Two triplex radiating elements 620 face each other forming a pair of triplex radiating elements, with the other triplex radiating element 620 arranged longitudinally forming a second array. At least one radiating arm of each triplex radiating element 620 is configured to reduce the excitation current of the electromagnetic radiation of the radiating elements 610 on the radiating arm, i.e. to reduce the excitation current in the higher operating frequency band, thereby mitigating the effect of the radiating elements 620 on the electromagnetic radiation of the radiating elements 610. The structure of the at least one radiating arm can be as described previously with reference to Figure 4 The at least one radiating arm can be a side arm extending substantially in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the base station antenna, or a central arm extending substantially in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the base station antenna. The triplex radiating element 620 is positioned such that its at least one radiating arm at least partially overlaps the radiator of the radiating element 610 in the front view.

[0059] Figure 11A and11B These are schematic front views illustrating the structure of a base station antenna 700 (700') according to an embodiment of the present invention. The base station antenna 700 includes an array formed by arranging a plurality of crossed dipole radiating elements 720 and a tripole radiating element 730 generally in a row along a longitudinal axis 740. Each radiating element extends forward from a reflector 710. The base station antenna 700 also includes radio frequency ports 751 and 752 for providing signals with polarizations of +45 degrees and -45 degrees, respectively. Each crossed dipole radiating element 720 includes a dipole arm tilted at +45 degrees and a dipole arm tilted at -45 degrees, each dipole arm being coupled to radio frequency ports 751 and 752, respectively. Figure 11A The tripole radiating element 730 in the illustrated embodiment includes two vertical dipole arms and one horizontal dipole arm, with the two vertical dipole arms respectively coupled to radio frequency ports 751 and 752. Figure 11B The tripole radiator 730 in the illustrated embodiment includes one vertical dipole arm and two horizontal dipole arms, each of which is coupled to RF ports 751 and 752, respectively. The azimuth half-power beamwidth of the tripole radiator 730 is typically larger than that of the crossed dipole radiator 720, but this array configuration of the base station antenna 700 is useful. First, compared to the crossed dipole radiator, the tripole radiator has one less dipole arm, which allows for cost reduction and simplified feeding. Second, the tripole radiator is smaller in size, for example… Figure 11A The space on the left side of the tripole radiating element 730 is saved, allowing for the arrangement of antenna elements (such as radiating elements operating in higher frequency bands) as needed, which is beneficial for a compact antenna design. Furthermore, the tripole and cross-dipole radiating elements can compensate for each other's shortcomings in the radiation pattern, improving the overall array radiation pattern.

[0060] Figure 12A and 12B These are schematic front views illustrating the structure of a base station antenna 800 (800') according to an embodiment of the present invention. The base station antenna 800 includes a first array of radiating elements 820 and 830 configured to operate in a lower frequency band, and a second array of radiating elements 810 configured to operate in a higher frequency band. The radiating element 820 has… Figure 7 The circuit structure shown reduces the excitation current; the radiating element 830 does not have... Figure 7 The circuit structure shown includes radiating elements. At least one radiating element 810 in the second array is positioned close to radiating element 820 and away from radiating element 830. Figure 12A In the illustrated embodiment, radiating element 820 is a cross-dipole radiating element, and radiating element 830 is a tripole radiating element.Figure 12B In the illustrated embodiment, the radiating elements 830 are cross-dipole radiating elements and the radiating elements 820 are tri-pole radiating elements. As described above, the base station antenna 800 can also include two radio frequency ports, each of the radiating elements 820, 830 being coupled to the two radio frequency ports. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the first array can include a plurality of linear arrays extending in the longitudinal direction, wherein any one of the linear arrays can include only one of the radiating elements 820, 830, or both as Figure 12A 、 12B illustrated.

[0061] In the above illustrated embodiments, the array of radiating elements having the lower operating frequency is illustrated as only one linear array arranged in the longitudinal direction. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that a base station antenna according to embodiments of the present application can include a plurality of linear arrays positioned adjacent to each other in the lateral and / or longitudinal direction, and at least one of the plurality of linear arrays having the structure described in the above embodiments.

[0062] Figure 13A and 13B are respectively a front view schematically illustrating the structure of a base station antenna 900 (900') according to embodiments of the present application. The base station antenna 900 includes 2 linear arrays of radiating elements 910, 920 arranged in the longitudinal direction, each of the linear arrays including a plurality of radiating elements 910, 920 arranged in the lateral direction. The linear arrays 910, 920 are arranged in the longitudinal direction such that the linear arrays 910, 920 are adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction. The linear arrays 910, 920 are arranged in the lateral direction such that the linear arrays 910, 920 are adjacent to each other in the lateral direction. The linear arrays 910, 920 are arranged in the longitudinal direction such that the linear arrays 910, 920 are not aligned in the longitudinal direction. The linear arrays 910, 920 are arranged in the lateral direction such that the linear arrays 910, 920 are aligned in the lateral direction. Figure 2A 、 2Blinear array by cross-dipole radiating elements 922 and tri-pole radiating element pairs 933, 934 are arranged in a column generally along longitudinal axis 942, the cross-dipole radiating elements 922 and tri-pole radiating element pairs 933, 934 operating in a second frequency band. The first frequency band and the second frequency band at least partially overlap. The base station antenna 900 further includes radio frequency ports 951-954, each cross-dipole radiating element 921, and each tri-pole radiating element of tri-pole radiating element pairs 931, 932 in the first linear array are each coupled to both radio frequency ports 951 and 952, and each cross-dipole radiating element 922, and each tri-pole radiating element of tri-pole radiating element pairs 933, 934 in the second linear array are each coupled to both radio frequency ports 953 and 954. The base station antenna 900 can be used in, for example, a communication system using MIMO technology to increase channel capacity. In the case where the arrays are configured to operate in more frequency bands, the antenna can further include more pairs of radio frequency ports. For example, in the case where the first linear array is configured to also operate in a third frequency band, the base station antenna 900 can further include another pair of radio frequency ports to provide signals within the third frequency band. Each cross-dipole radiating element 921, and each tri-pole radiating element of tri-pole radiating element pairs 931, 932 are each coupled to the pair of radio frequency ports 951 and 952, and to the another pair of radio frequency ports described above. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9A, the longitudinal positions of the tri-pole radiating element pairs in the first and second linear arrays are the same, for example, both are positioned in the first and fourth rows. This array pattern can be used in the case where the antenna width is sufficient. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9B, the longitudinal positions of the tri-pole radiating element pairs in the first and second linear arrays are different, for example, the tri-pole radiating element pairs are positioned in the first and fourth rows in the first linear array, and are positioned in the third and seventh rows in the second linear array. This array pattern can be used to reduce the antenna width. Figure 13A Figure 13B

[0063] Figure 14A 14B ​​​These are schematic front views illustrating the structure of a base station antenna 1000 (1000') according to an embodiment of the present invention. Compared to base station antenna 900, base station antenna 1000 further includes an array of radiating elements operating in a higher frequency band (high-frequency array). In antenna 1000, the radiating elements operating in a lower frequency band (which constitute a low-frequency array) have stealth characteristics against the high-frequency array (similar to the stealth characteristics described above, and will not be described again here). The low-frequency array includes first and second linear arrays arranged by radiating elements 1021, 1022 and radiating element pairs 1031 to 1034, which are similar in structure to the first and second linear arrays in base station antenna 900, and will not be described again here. In one embodiment, when the space between the first and second linear arrays is large, more than one column of radiating elements operating in the higher frequency band can be arranged between the first and second linear arrays. Figure 14A As shown, the array of radiating elements operating in the higher frequency band includes first to fourth columns 1041 to 1044, wherein two columns 1042 and 1043 are arranged between the first and second linear arrays, and the two columns 1041 and 1043 are arranged along the sides of the antenna. It should be understood that in some embodiments, even if the space between the first and second linear arrays is large, only one column, or no radiating elements operating in the higher frequency band, may be arranged between the first and second linear arrays. In one embodiment, when the space between the first and second linear arrays is small, only one column of radiating elements operating in the higher frequency band may be arranged between the first and second linear arrays. Figure 14B As shown, the array of radiating elements operating in the higher frequency band includes first to third columns 1045 to 1047, wherein one column 1046 is arranged between the first and second linear arrays, and the two columns 1045 and 1047 are arranged along the respective sides of the antenna. It should be understood that in some embodiments, even if the space between the first and second linear arrays is small, more than one column of radiating elements operating in the higher frequency band may be arranged between the first and second linear arrays, or no radiating elements may be arranged at all. It should be understood that in some embodiments, only one column, more than one column, or no radiating elements operating in the higher frequency band may be arranged on either side of the low-frequency array. For simplicity, Figure 14A and 14B Radio frequency ports are not shown, but it should be understood that in a communication system using MIMO technology, any column of radiating elements in the base station antenna 1000 can be coupled to one or more pairs of radio frequency ports.

[0064] In addition, embodiments of this disclosure may also include the following examples:

[0065] 1. A base station antenna comprising a first array of radiating elements configured to emit electromagnetic radiation within a first frequency band to form a first antenna beam, the first array comprising a first column of radiating elements arranged generally along a first longitudinal axis of the base station antenna, the first column comprising a first radiating element and a pair of second radiating elements, wherein,

[0066] the first radiating element is a cross-dipole radiating element; and

[0067] the pair of second radiating elements comprises a pair of second radiating elements arranged facing each other on either side of the first longitudinal axis, wherein each second radiating element comprises first and second radiating arms extending generally along the first longitudinal axis in opposite directions, respectively, and a third radiating arm extending generally perpendicular to the first and second radiating arms toward the first longitudinal axis.

[0068] 2. The base station antenna of claim 1, wherein the pair of second radiating elements is positioned at an end of the first array along the first longitudinal axis.

[0069] 3. The base station antenna of claim 1, wherein the first column comprises at least two of the first radiating elements, the pair of second radiating elements being positioned between two of the first radiating elements.

[0070] 4. The base station antenna of claim 1, wherein the first column comprises at least two of the pair of second radiating elements.

[0071] 5. The base station antenna of claim 4, wherein two of the pair of second radiating elements are positioned at two ends of the first array along the first longitudinal axis, respectively.

[0072] 6. The base station antenna of claim 4, wherein one of the pair of second radiating elements is positioned at a middle of the first array along the first longitudinal axis, and the other is positioned at an end of the first array along the first longitudinal axis.

[0073] 7. The base station antenna of claim 4, wherein the first column comprises at least two of the first radiating elements, at least one of the pair of second radiating elements being positioned between two of the first radiating elements.

[0074] 8. The base station antenna of claim 1, further comprising a second array of third radiating elements configured to operate in a second frequency band, at least a portion of frequencies within the second frequency band being higher than frequencies within the first frequency band,

[0075] wherein at least one dipole arm of the first radiating element is configured to at least partially attenuate current in the second frequency band.

[0076] 9. The base station antenna of 8, wherein the second pair of radiating elements are positioned above or below the second array along the first longitudinal axis.

[0077] 10. The base station antenna of 8, wherein the second pair of radiating elements are positioned such that the first through third radiating arms of each second radiating element do not overlap with the third radiating element in a front view of the base station antenna.

[0078] 11. The base station antenna of 1, further comprising a second array of third radiating elements configured to operate in a second frequency band, at least a portion of frequencies in the second frequency band being higher than frequencies in the first frequency band,

[0079] wherein at least one radiating arm of at least one second radiating element is configured to at least partially attenuate current in the second frequency band.

[0080] 12. The base station antenna of 11, wherein the second pair of radiating elements are positioned such that the at least one radiating arm at least partially overlaps with the third radiating element in a front view of the base station antenna.

[0081] 13. The base station antenna of 11, wherein the at least one radiating arm comprises a resonant circuit formed by an inductive element and a capacitive element coupled in series, the resonant circuit being configured such that the at least one radiating arm at least partially attenuates current in the second frequency band and passes current in the first frequency band.

[0082] 14. The base station antenna of 11, wherein the at least one radiating arm comprises at least one inductive element configured to have a higher impedance in the second frequency band and a lower impedance in the first frequency band.

[0083] 15. The base station antenna of 11, wherein the at least one radiating arm comprises the third radiating arm.

[0084] 16. The base station antenna of 1, further comprising a second array configured to emit electromagnetic radiation in a third frequency band to form a second antenna beam, the second array comprising a second column of radiating elements arranged generally along a second longitudinal axis of the base station antenna, the second column comprising a fourth radiating element and a fifth pair of radiating elements, wherein,

[0085] the fourth radiating element is a cross-dipole radiating element; and

[0086] The fifth pair of radiating elements includes a pair of fifth radiating elements arranged facing each other on either side of the second longitudinal axis, wherein each fifth radiating element includes fourth and fifth radiating arms extending generally in opposite directions along the second longitudinal axis, respectively, and a sixth radiating arm extending generally perpendicular to the fourth and fifth radiating arms toward the second longitudinal axis.

[0087] 17. The base station antenna of 16, wherein the first and second columns are adjacent to each other, and the second and fifth pairs of radiating elements are positioned at different longitudinal positions.

[0088] 18. The base station antenna of 16, wherein the third frequency band at least partially overlaps the first frequency band.

[0089] 19. A multi-band base station antenna, comprising:

[0090] a first array of radiating elements configured to operate in a lower first frequency band, the first array including a tri-pole radiating element including first through third radiating arms extending generally parallel to a major surface of the base station antenna, respectively, wherein each radiating arm is oriented at a generally right angle between the first and second radiating arms and between the second and third radiating arms; and

[0091] a second array of radiating elements configured to operate in a higher second frequency band, the second array including a first radiating element, wherein

[0092] at least one of the first through third radiating arms is configured to reduce current excited on the at least one radiating arm in the second frequency band, the at least one radiating arm extending generally in a direction parallel to or perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the base station antenna.

[0093] 20. The base station antenna of 19, wherein the at least one radiating arm includes a resonant circuit formed by a series coupling of an inductive element and a capacitive element, the resonant circuit configured to reduce current excited on the at least one radiating arm in the second frequency band.

[0094] 21. The base station antenna of 19, wherein the at least one radiating arm includes at least one inductive element configured to have a higher impedance in the second frequency band and a lower impedance in the first frequency band.

[0095] 22. The base station antenna of 19, wherein the tri-pole radiating element is positioned such that the at least one radiating arm at least partially overlaps the first radiating element in a front view of the base station antenna.

[0096] 23. The base station antenna of 19, wherein the first array further comprises a second radiating element that does not have a radiating arm configured to reduce excitation current in the second frequency band.

[0097] 24. The base station antenna of 23, wherein the second radiating element is positioned above or below the second array along the longitudinal axis.

[0098] 25. The base station antenna of 23, wherein the second radiating element is positioned such that each radiating arm of the second radiating element does not overlap the first radiating element in a front view of the base station antenna.

[0099] 26. The base station antenna of 23, wherein the second radiating element is a tri-pole radiating element and / or a cross-dipole radiating element.

[0100] 27. The base station antenna of 19, wherein each of the first and second arrays comprises one or more columns, each column comprising one or more radiating elements arranged substantially along the longitudinal axis.

[0101] 28. A multi-band base station antenna, comprising:

[0102] a first array comprising a first radiating element configured to operate in a higher frequency band;

[0103] a second array comprising a tri-pole radiating element configured to operate in a lower frequency band, the tri-pole radiating element comprising first to third radiating arms extending substantially parallel to a major surface of the base station antenna, respectively, wherein each radiating arm is oriented at substantially right angles between the directions of extension of the first and second radiating arms and between the directions of extension of the second and third radiating arms, and at least one of the first to third radiating arms extends substantially in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the base station antenna; and

[0104] a third array comprising a cross-dipole radiating element configured to operate in the lower frequency band,

[0105] wherein at least one dipole arm of the cross-dipole radiating element is configured to reduce current excited on the at least one dipole arm in the higher frequency band.

[0106] 29. The base station antenna of 28, wherein the cross-dipole radiating element is positioned such that the at least one dipole arm at least partially overlaps the first radiating element in a front view of the base station antenna.

[0107] 30. The base station antenna of 28, wherein the tripo!ant radiating element is positioned above or below the first array along the longitudinal axis.

[0108] 31. The base station antenna of 28, wherein the tripo!ant radiating element is positioned such that the first through third radiating arms do not overlap the first radiating element in a front view of the base station antenna.

[0109] 32. The base station antenna of 28, wherein at least one of the first through third radiating arms is configured to reduce current excited thereon in the higher frequency band.

[0110] 33. The base station antenna of 32, wherein the at least one radiating arm includes a resonant circuit formed by an inductive element and a capacitive element coupled in series, the resonant circuit configured to reduce current excited thereon in the higher frequency band.

[0111] 34. The base station antenna of 32, wherein the at least one radiating arm includes at least one inductive element configured to have a higher impedance in the higher frequency band and a lower impedance in the lower frequency band.

[0112] 35. The base station antenna of 32, wherein the tripo!ant radiating element is positioned such that the at least one radiating arm at least partially overlaps the first radiating element in a front view of the base station antenna.

[0113] 36. The base station antenna of 28, wherein the first radiating element is a cross-dipole radiating element.

[0114] 37. The base station antenna of 28, wherein each of the first through third arrays includes one or more columns, each column including one or more radiating elements arranged substantially along the longitudinal axis.

[0115] 38. A base station antenna, comprising:

[0116] a first radio frequency port;

[0117] a second radio frequency port; and

[0118] a first array of radiating elements configured to operate in a first frequency band, the first array including a first radiating element and a second radiating element, wherein,

[0119] the first radiating element is configured to have an impedance in the first frequency band that is lower than an impedance in a second frequency band, wherein at least a portion of frequencies within the second frequency band are higher than frequencies within the first frequency band;

[0120] the second radiating element is configured to have an impedance in the first frequency band that is not lower than an impedance in the second frequency band; and

[0121] each of the first and second radiating elements is coupled to both the first and second radio frequency ports.

[0122] 39. The base station antenna of 38, further comprising a second array of radiating elements configured to operate in the second frequency band, wherein at least one radiating element in the second array is positioned proximate to the first radiating element and distal from the second radiating element.

[0123] 40. The base station antenna of 38, wherein the first radiating element comprises first through third radiating arms that each extend substantially parallel to a major surface of the base station antenna, wherein each radiating arm is oriented at a substantial right angle between an extension direction of the first and second radiating arms and between an extension direction of the second and third radiating arms.

[0124] 41. A base station antenna, comprising:

[0125] a first radio frequency port;

[0126] a second radio frequency port;

[0127] a vertically extending array of radiating elements, wherein each radiating element in the array is coupled to the first radio frequency port and the second radio frequency port, the array comprising at least one cross-dipole radiating element and at least one radiating element having a vertically extending dipole arm or a horizontally extending dipole arm.

[0128] 42. The base station antenna of 41, wherein the at least one radiating element having a vertically extending dipole arm or a horizontally extending dipole arm comprises both a vertically extending dipole arm and a horizontally extending dipole arm.

[0129] 43. The base station antenna of 41, wherein the at least one radiating element having a vertically extending dipole arm or a horizontally extending dipole arm comprises at least one pair of tri-pole radiating elements, each of the tri-pole radiating elements comprising a first and second vertically extending dipole arms and a horizontally extending dipole arm.

[0130] 44. The base station antenna of 41, wherein the vertically extending array is configured to operate in at least a portion of an operating frequency band of 617-960 MHz.

[0131] 45. The base station antenna of 41, further comprising at least one additional vertically- extending array of radiating elements, wherein the at least one additional vertically- extending array of radiating elements is positioned adjacent to the at least one cross-dipole radiating element and spaced apart from the at least one radiating element having a vertically- extending dipole arm or a horizontally-extending dipole arm.

[0132] 46. The base station antenna of 41, wherein an azimuthal half-power beamwidth of the at least one radiating element having a vertically-extending dipole arm or a horizontally- extending dipole arm is greater than an azimuthal half-power beamwidth of the at least one cross-dipole radiating element.

[0133] 47. A base station antenna, comprising:

[0134] a first radio frequency port;

[0135] a second radio frequency port;

[0136] a first array of vertically-extending radiating elements, wherein each radiating element in the first array is coupled to the first radio frequency port and the second radio frequency port, the first array comprising a first radiating element and a second radiating element, the first radiating element comprising a tilted -45 degree dipole arm and a tilted +45 degree dipole arm, the second radiating element comprising a vertical dipole arm and a horizontal dipole arm.

[0137] 48. The base station antenna of 47, wherein:

[0138] the first radio frequency port is configured to receive a radio frequency signal having a first polarization,

[0139] the second radio frequency port is configured to receive a radio frequency signal having a second polarization,

[0140] the two tilted -45 degree and tilted +45 degree dipole arms of the first radiating element are each coupled to the first and second radio frequency ports, respectively,

[0141] the second radiating element has two vertical dipole arms and one horizontal dipole arm, wherein the two vertical dipole arms are each coupled to the first and second radio frequency ports, respectively.

[0142] 49. The base station antenna of 47, wherein:

[0143] the first radio frequency port is configured to receive a radio frequency signal having a first polarization,

[0144] the second radio frequency port is configured to receive a radio frequency signal having a second polarization,

[0145] the two dipole arms of the first radiating element that are tilted -45 degrees and +45 degrees are each coupled to the first and second radio frequency ports, respectively,

[0146] the vertical dipole arm and the two horizontal dipole arms of the second radiating element are each coupled to the first and second radio frequency ports, respectively.

[0147] 50. The base station antenna of claim 47, further comprising:

[0148] a third radio frequency port;

[0149] a fourth radio frequency port;

[0150] a second array of radiating elements extending vertically and positioned on a side of the first array, wherein each radiating element in the second array is coupled to the third radio frequency port and the fourth radio frequency port, the second array including a third radiating element and a fourth radiating element, the third radiating element including a dipole arm tilted -45 degrees and a dipole arm tilted +45 degrees, the fourth radiating element including a vertical dipole arm and a horizontal dipole arm.

[0151] While certain specific embodiments of this application have been described in detail, it should be understood that the examples are for illustrative purposes only and not intended to limit the scope of the application. The embodiments disclosed herein can be combined in any manner without departing from the spirit and scope of the application. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made to the embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the application. The scope of the application is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A multi-band base station antenna, comprising: a first array of radiating elements configured to operate in a lower first frequency band, the first array comprising a tri-pole radiating element comprising first to third radiating arms respectively extending parallel to a major surface of the base station antenna, wherein each radiating arm is oriented at right angles between the directions of extension of the first and second radiating arms and between the directions of extension of the second and third radiating arms; and a second array of radiating elements configured to operate in a higher second frequency band, the second array comprising a first radiating element, wherein at least one of the first to third radiating arms is configured to reduce current excited on the at least one radiating arm in the second frequency band, the at least one radiating arm extending in a direction parallel or perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the base station antenna.

2. The base station antenna of Claim 1, wherein, the at least one radiating arm comprises a resonant circuit formed by a series coupling of an inductive element and a capacitive element, the resonant circuit being configured to reduce current excited on the at least one radiating arm in the second frequency band.

3. The base station antenna of Claim 1, wherein, the at least one radiating arm comprises at least one inductive element configured to have a higher impedance in the second frequency band and a lower impedance in the first frequency band.

4. The base station antenna of Claim 1, wherein, the tri-pole radiating element is positioned such that the at least one radiating arm at least partially overlaps the first radiating element in a front view of the base station antenna.

5. The base station antenna of Claim 1, wherein, the first array further comprises a second radiating element that does not have a radiating arm configured to reduce excited current in the second frequency band.

6. The base station antenna of Claim 5, wherein, the second radiating element is positioned above or below the second array along the longitudinal axis.

7. The base station antenna of Claim 5, wherein, the second radiating element is positioned such that each radiating arm of the second radiating element does not overlap the first radiating element in the front view of the base station antenna.

8. The base station antenna of Claim 5, wherein, the second radiating element is a tri-pole radiating element and / or a cross-dipole radiating element.

9. The base station antenna of Claim 1, further characterized by, each of the first and second arrays comprises one or more columns, each column comprising one or more radiating elements arranged along the longitudinal axis.

10. A multi-band base station antenna, comprising: a first array comprising a first radiating element configured to operate in a higher frequency band; a second array comprising a tri-pole radiating element configured to operate in a lower frequency band, the tri-pole radiating element comprising first to third radiating arms respectively extending parallel to a major surface of the base station antenna, wherein each radiating arm is oriented at right angles between the directions of extension of the first and second radiating arms and between the directions of extension of the second and third radiating arms, and at least one of the first to third radiating arms extends in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the base station antenna; and a third array comprising a cross-dipole radiating element configured to operate in the lower frequency band, wherein at least one dipole arm of the cross-dipole radiating element is configured to reduce current excited on the at least one dipole arm in the higher frequency band, ​ wherein at least one of the first to third radiating arms is configured to reduce current excited on the at least one radiating arm in the higher frequency band.

11. The base station antenna of Claim 10, wherein, The cross-dipole radiating element is positioned such that the at least one dipole arm at least partially overlaps the first radiating element in a front view of the base station antenna.

12. The base station antenna of Claim 10, wherein, The tri-pole radiating element is positioned above or below the first array along the longitudinal axis.

13. The base station antenna of Claim 10, further characterized by, The tri-pole radiating element is positioned such that the first to third radiating arms do not overlap the first radiating element in a front view of the base station antenna.

14. The base station antenna of Claim 10, further characterized by, The at least one radiating arm includes a resonant circuit formed by a series coupling of an inductive element and a capacitive element, the resonant circuit configured to reduce current excited on the at least one radiating arm in the higher frequency band.

15. The base station antenna of Claim 10, further characterized by, The at least one radiating arm includes at least one inductive element configured to have a higher impedance in the higher frequency band and a lower impedance in the lower frequency band.

16. The base station antenna of Claim 10, further characterized by, The tri-pole radiating element is positioned such that the at least one radiating arm at least partially overlaps the first radiating element in a front view of the base station antenna.

17. The base station antenna of Claim 10, further characterized by, The first radiating element is a cross-dipole radiating element.

18. The base station antenna of Claim 10, further characterized by, Each of the first to third arrays includes one or more columns, each column including one or more radiating elements arranged along the longitudinal axis.

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