Small base station antenna equipment

Abstract

A small base station antenna device is provided that has the advantages of improving the workability of indoor installation and facilitating the construction of a small cell base station. The small base station antenna device includes a radio unit (RU), at least one antenna module that is tiltable and steerable relative to the radio unit, and a multi-function link that mediates the installation of each antenna module relative to the radio unit. The multi-function link includes a male connector that is electrically connected to a female connector provided on the antenna module and the radio unit.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a small base station antenna apparatus, and more particularly to a small base station antenna apparatus that prevents cables from being exposed externally, facilitates the construction of indoor small cells, and enables beamforming to achieve dual bands by separating a portion of one antenna module to cover different frequency bands or by providing multiple antenna modules each covering a different frequency band. [Background technology]

[0002] Since the commercialization of 4G communication systems, efforts are underway to develop improved 5G or pre-5G communication systems to meet the increasing demand for wireless data traffic. For this reason, 5G or pre-5G communication systems are also referred to as beyond-4G or post-LTE systems. To achieve high data rates, 5G communication systems are being considered for implementation in ultra-high frequency (mmWave) bands (e.g., the 60 GHz band). To mitigate radio wave path loss and increase radio wave transmission distance in ultra-high frequency bands, beamforming, massive MIMO, full-dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antennas, analog beamforming, and large-scale antenna technologies are being discussed for 5G communication systems.

[0003] In particular, various technologies that improve frequency efficiency can be applied to future 5G cellular networks, which will require much higher capacity than current networks.Small Cell Network (SCN), one of the candidate technologies, can improve channel utility by reducing cell size and increase cell density, thereby improving frequency efficiency and increasing capacity.

[0004] A small cell is a small base station with low transmission power and narrow coverage, unlike the existing macro cell, which has wide coverage with high transmission power. The category of small cells includes low-power base station devices of 10W or less, pico cells, femto cells, Wi-Fi, etc. The advantages of small cells are that they cost less to build than macro cells and are smaller in size, which allows for greater space efficiency.

[0005] By stacking these small cells in public places, densely populated areas, and indoor locations such as large shopping malls and airport buildings, it is possible to increase capacity per unit area. This also has the advantage of reducing the power consumption and installation costs of each macrocell base station. A small cell base station alone can achieve 1,000 times the capacity of existing LTE, and small cells are expected to become a fundamental technology connecting 4G and 5G.

[0006] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a base station antenna device according to a conventional embodiment.

[0007] As shown in Fig. 1, the base station antenna device according to the conventional embodiment is installed outdoors, and has an antenna module 10 mounted on an upright support pole 11 by fixing brackets 30 and 31, a wireless unit 12 mounted below the antenna module 10 by fixing brackets 32 and 33, and a structure in which the antenna module 10 and the wireless unit 12 are electrically connected using a plurality of cables 14. Fixing brackets 30 and 31 are respectively disposed at the upper and lower ends of the antenna module 10 to fix it to the support pole 11, and are respectively disposed at the upper and lower ends of the wireless unit 12 to fix it to the support pole 11. Fixing brackets 30-33 serve to secure the antenna module 10 using fasteners such as screws, bolts, nuts, etc.

[0008] However, conventional base station antenna devices have a structure that is limited to outdoor installation via a support pole 11, and the antenna module 10 is attached to the relatively upper part of the support pole 11, and the wireless unit 12, for example, an RRH (Remote Radio Head) is attached to the relatively lower part, and then connected using a cable 14, which poses a problem of the cable 14 being exposed to the outside and detracting from the aesthetic appearance.

[0009] When installing a small cell base station indoors, there are problems such as a poor appearance due to the complicated cable connections between the radio unit (RRH) and the antenna module, and there is also a problem that it is difficult to practically cover dual-band frequency bands because each radio unit (RRH) is equipped with only one antenna module. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] The present invention has been made to solve the above technical problems, and aims to provide a small base station antenna device that makes it easy to build small cell base stations in public places, densely populated areas, and places such as large shopping malls and airport buildings.

[0011] In addition, another object of the present invention is to provide a small base station antenna device that can adjust the direction without exposing various cables electrically connecting the wireless unit and the antenna module to the outside, thereby preventing a decrease in aesthetic appearance (appearance).

[0012] Another object of the present invention is to provide a small base station antenna device that can be used in dual bands in various locations by separating a portion of one antenna module to cover different frequency bands, or by providing multiple antenna modules each covering a different frequency band.

[0013] Another object of the present invention is to provide a small base station antenna device that can secure a wide range of directional adjustment angles by each multi-function link that mediates the installation of multiple antenna modules on a wireless unit.

[0014] The technical problems of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description. [Means for solving the problem]

[0015] A base station antenna device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a radio unit (RU), at least one antenna module that is tiltable and steerable relative to the radio unit, and a multi-function link that mediates the installation of each antenna module relative to the radio unit, wherein the multi-function link includes a male connector that is electrically connected to a female connector provided on the antenna module and the radio unit.

[0016] Here, the multi-function link further includes a fixing part having an opening on one side and fixed to the wireless unit, and a ball joint part partially housed and coupled in the internal space of the fixing part and adapted to adjust the directionality of the antenna module by tilting or steering the antenna module, and the male connector can be connected to one end and the other end of a plurality of coaxial cables housed inside the fixing part and the ball joint part.

[0017] In addition, the multi-function link may further include a cable accommodating pipe, one end of which is connected to the wireless unit and the other end of which is connected to the fixed part, for accommodating the plurality of coaxial cables and hiding them from the outside.

[0018] The male connector may also include a male terminal block connected to one end and the other end of the coaxial cable, and a plurality of terminal pins extending from the coaxial cable and protruding from the male terminal block toward the female connector.

[0019] The male connector may further include a plurality of guide pins protruding from the male terminal block toward the female connector, and a retainer nut that maintains the electrical connection force of the plurality of terminal pins to the female connector.

[0020] In addition, the retainer nut can maintain the connecting force by fastening to a nut fastening end of the female connector.

[0021] The male connector may further include a guide ring that surrounds the terminal pins and the guide pins and protrudes toward the female connector.

[0022] The plurality of terminal pins and the plurality of guide pins may be formed to protrude to a size that allows them to be inserted into a plurality of terminal grooves and a plurality of guide grooves formed in the female connector.

[0023] In addition, the antenna module has multiple antenna sub-arrays covering dual frequency bands arranged on a single antenna board, and can achieve antenna beamforming in different frequency bands within the same direction of the antenna module set by the multi-function link.

[0024] The antenna module has a plurality of antenna sub-arrays arranged to cover different frequency bands, and the directionality can be set in different directions by the multi-function link.

[0025] The antenna module may also be provided for a small cell base station.

[0026] The wireless unit may be provided on any one of a support pole, a wall, and a ceiling provided in a room.

[0027] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a small base station antenna device includes a radio unit (RU), at least one antenna module provided with respect to the radio unit so as to be capable of tilting and steering, and a multi-function link (MFL) that mediates installation of each of the antenna modules with respect to the radio unit, wherein the MFL includes a center body, a first fixing part connected to one of both end portions of the center body between the antenna module, a second fixing part connected to one of both end portions of the center body between the radio unit, a first ball joint part having a portion housed and coupled to an internal space of the first fixing part and the other end connected to the antenna module, thereby adjusting the directionality of the antenna module by tilting or steering, and a second ball joint part having a portion housed and coupled to an internal space of the second fixing part and the other end connected to a cable housing pipe that mediates connection with the radio unit, thereby allowing additional directionality adjustment of the antenna module.

[0028] Here, the multi-function link may further include a male connector electrically connected to a female connector provided on the antenna module and the wireless unit.

[0029] The antenna module may further include a male connector electrically connected to the female connectors provided on the antenna module and the cable housing pipe.

[0030] In addition, the male connector can be connected to one end and the other end of a plurality of coaxial cables housed inside the first ball joint portion, the first fixed portion, the center body, the second fixed portion, and the second ball joint portion.

[0031] In addition, the male connector can be connected to one end and the other end of a plurality of coaxial cables housed inside the first ball joint portion, the first fixing portion, the center body, the second fixing portion, the second ball joint portion, and the cable housing pipe.

[0032] Furthermore, the cable accommodating pipe connected to the second ball joint portion may accommodate fixed cables in a number corresponding to the plurality of coaxial cables, and one end of the cable accommodating pipe connected to the plurality of coaxial cables may be provided with a one-side cable connector having the same structure as the female connector, and the other end of the cable accommodating pipe connected to the wireless unit may be provided with a other-side cable connector having the same structure as the male connector.

[0033] In addition, the cable accommodating pipe accommodates a plurality of coaxial cables and conceals them from the outside, and has one end connected to the wireless unit and the other end connected to the fixed part, and the male connector can be connected to one end and the other end of the coaxial cables.

[0034] The male connector may also include a male terminal block connected to one end and the other end of the plurality of coaxial cables, a plurality of guide pins protruding from the male terminal block toward the female connector, a plurality of terminal pins extending from the coaxial cables and protruding from the male terminal block toward the female connector, and a retainer nut that maintains the electrical connection force of the plurality of terminal pins to the female connector.

[0035] Also, the multi-function link may further include an over-rotation prevention locking portion that prevents the first ball joint portion or the second ball joint portion from over-rotating relative to the first fixed portion or the second fixed portion.

[0036] The over-rotation prevention locking portion may include a pair of locking protrusions provided on the first fixed portion and the second fixed portion, fixed in an internal space corresponding to between the first fixed portion and the first ball joint portion or between the second fixed portion and the second ball joint portion, and protruding in opposing directions in the internal space; and a pair of locking plates provided on the first ball joint portion and the second ball joint portion, extending toward the center body so as to be locked with the pair of locking protrusions at least within a rotation radius. [Effects of the Invention]

[0037] According to the base station antenna apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, the following various effects can be derived.

[0038] First, the use of a multi-function link makes it easy to adjust the direction of the antenna module even in a small space, which has the effect of making it easy to build small cell base stations.

[0039] Second, various cables electrically connecting the wireless unit and the antenna module can be provided in an adjustable direction without being exposed to the outside, which has the effect of preventing deterioration of the aesthetic appearance.

[0040] Third, by making the angle of the multi-function link adjustable at two points on both ends of the center body using ball joints, it is possible to ensure a wide range of directional adjustment angles for multiple antenna modules relative to the wireless unit. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0041] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a small base station antenna device according to the prior art. [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a small base station antenna device according to the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 3 is a front view and a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2. [Figure 5] FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of FIG. 2. [Figure 6] 3 is a side view showing the tilting state of the antenna module in the configuration of FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 7] 3 is a perspective view showing an embodiment in which the specifications of the wireless unit are different from those of the configuration in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 8] This is a conceptual diagram showing beamforming using two frequency bands, CBRS and DoD, within a single antenna module. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a plan view of the actual antenna device of FIG. 8. [Figure 10A] 10A and 10B are front views showing various implementation examples of dual frequency bands for each antenna module, including a pole-coupled type. [Figure 10B] 10A and 10B are front views showing various wall-coupled examples of dual frequency bands per antenna module. [Figure 11] 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a small base station antenna device (coupling type) according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a small base station antenna device (wall-coupled type) according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a small base station antenna device (ceiling coupled type) according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] 1A and 1B are perspective views of a short type (a) and a long type (b) of a multi-function link for connecting a wireless unit and an antenna module, and cutaway perspective views thereof (a, b). [Figure 15] 1A and 1B are perspective views of a short type (a) and a long type (b) of a multi-function link for connecting a wireless unit and an antenna module, and cutaway perspective views thereof (a, b). [Figure 16] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. [Figure 17]FIG. 16 is an exploded perspective view showing a long type (b) multifunction link among the multifunction links shown in FIGS. 14 and 15. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a small base station antenna device to which a modified example of a multi-function link is applied. [Figure 19A] FIG. 19 is an exploded perspective view of the front side of FIG. 18. [Figure 19B] FIG. 19 is an exploded rear perspective view of FIG. 18. [Figure 20] FIG. 19 is an exploded perspective view of a modified multi-function link shown in FIG. 18. [Figure 21] 19 is a cross-sectional view showing the male-female coupling portion of the multi-function link according to the modified example of FIG. 18. FIG. [Figure 22] FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of a multi-function link according to a modified example of FIG. 18. [Figure 23] 19 is a cross-sectional view showing a male connector of the multi-function link according to a modified example of FIG. 18. [Figure 24] FIG. 19 is an exploded perspective view of a modified multi-function link of FIG. 18. [Figure 25] FIG. 25 is a cutaway perspective view of FIG. 24. [Figure 26] FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 24. [Figure 27] FIG. 27 is a cutaway perspective view showing the over-rotation prevention locking portion shown in FIGS. 24 to 26. [Figure 28] 28 is an internal front view showing the operation of the over-rotation prevention locking portion of FIG. 27. FIG. [Figure 29] 19A and 19B are a cross-sectional view, a cutaway perspective view, and a partially enlarged view showing a cable accommodation pipe in the configuration of the multi-function link according to the modified example of FIG. 18. [Figure 30] 19 is a projection plan view for explaining the effects of the multi-function link according to the modified example of FIG. 18. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0042] Hereinafter, small base station antenna devices according to various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0043] When assigning reference numerals to components in each drawing, it should be noted that the same components are assigned the same numerals as much as possible even if they are displayed in different drawings. Furthermore, when describing the embodiments of the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of such well-known configurations or functions would hinder understanding of the embodiments of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted.

[0044] When describing components of embodiments of the present invention, terms such as "first," "second," "A," "B," "(a)," and "(b)" may be used. These terms are merely used to distinguish the component from other components and do not limit the nature, order, or procedure of the components. Furthermore, unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted to have a meaning consistent with the meaning they have in the context of the relevant art, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly defined in this application.

[0045] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a small base station antenna device according to the present invention, FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 2, FIG. 4 is a front view and a cross-sectional view along line AA of FIG. 2, FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view of FIG. 2, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the tilting of the antenna module in the configuration of FIG. 2.

[0046] 2 to 5, a small base station antenna device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a wireless unit 120 and an antenna module 110 that are installed in a predetermined location. Here, the predetermined location where the small base station antenna device 100 according to the present invention is installed refers to a location such as a public place, a densely populated area, a large shopping mall, or an airport building so that the device functions as a small cell base station, and may be a structure suitable for in-building (indoor) installation, such as a pole-coupled type (see FIG. 11 described later), a wall-coupled type (see FIG. 12 described later), or a ceiling-coupled type (see FIG. 13 described later).

[0047] The antenna module 110 may refer to an antenna module having at least one frequency band. The radio unit 120 (RU) refers to a device connected to an antenna for each frequency band provided in the antenna module 110 to transmit / receive between the antenna and a base station. An example of the radio unit 120 is a remote radio head (RRH), which is a part of a radio unit remotely separated from the base station equipment. The radio unit 120 is a relay device that receives, amplifies, and retransmits weakened signals between a base station and a mobile communication terminal in a mobile communication system, rectifies distorted waveforms, and readjusts timing.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 3, the small base station antenna device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention is configured such that the wireless unit 120 is first mounted on a structure such as a support pole, wall, or ceiling in an indoor (house) and the antenna module 110 is mounted on the front of the wireless unit 120 via the antenna clamping unit 200 described later so as to be tiltable and steerable.

[0049] However, it is not necessary that the wireless unit 120 should be first attached to the indoor structures (support pole, wall and ceiling) as shown in Figures 2 to 5. It is also possible that the antenna module 110 is first provided on the wireless unit 120, and then the wireless unit 120 is attached to the indoor structures, as shown in Figures 11 to 13 described below.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 4, the antenna module 110 may include an antenna housing 111 and a radome 113 that is provided to cover the front surface of the antenna housing 111 and forms a predetermined space between the antenna housing 111 and the radome 113.

[0051] A printed circuit board type antenna board 115 is provided in a predetermined space of the antenna housing 111, and a plurality of radiating elements can be mounted on the front surface of the antenna board 115. The radiating elements mounted on the antenna board 115 may vary depending on the type of antenna, but in one embodiment of the present invention, a patch type element (patch element 117) is used.

[0052] Meanwhile, the base station antenna device 100 according to the present invention may further include a multi-function link 200 for mediating coupling to the front surface of the wireless unit 120, as shown in FIGS.

[0053] More specifically, as shown in Figures 2 to 5, the wireless unit 120 includes a rear housing 122 that is installed via an installation panel (see reference numeral "121" in Figure 11 and subsequent figures) on any one of a support pole (P), wall (W), and ceiling (C) provided in the room, and a front housing 123 that forms a predetermined space between the rear housing 122 and the front housing 123, and various internal components may be installed in the predetermined space.

[0054] Although not shown, the internal components provided inside the wireless unit 120 may include a main board, two power amplifying units (PAUs), and a power supplying unit (PSU).

[0055] A plurality of heat sink fins 125 are integrally formed on the front surface of the front housing 123 of the radio unit 120, so that heat generated in a predetermined space can be dissipated to the outside through the plurality of heat sink fins 125. In the compact base station antenna device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention, the description has been limited to the case where the plurality of heat sink fins 125 are formed only on the front housing 123 of the radio unit 120, but this is not necessarily limited thereto, and it will be clarified in advance that a plurality of heat sink fins 125 can also be formed on the rear housing 122, as in other embodiments of the present invention described below.

[0056] Meanwhile, the front surface of the front housing 123 is provided with an installation groove 127 in which a portion of the heat sink fins 125 is cut out into a rectangular surface, and the multi-function link 200 can be coupled to the installation groove 127 with a plurality of assembly screws 217. However, the installation groove 127 does not necessarily have to be cut out into a rectangular surface on the front surface of the front housing 123 in order to install the multi-function link 200, and the multi-function link 200 may be connected to a side portion of the wireless unit 120 (i.e., a concept including an upper portion, a lower portion, a left portion, and a right portion that form the front and rear thickness portions) as in the embodiments (100A, 100B, 100C) shown in Figures 11 to 13 described below.

[0057] Here, the multi-function link 200 may include a fixed part 210 having a cylindrical shape with a portion open on one side and connected to the wireless unit 120 on the other side via a cable accommodating pipe 230 described below or directly without the cable accommodating pipe 230, and a ball joint part 220 having one end portion inserted into the open side of the fixed part 210 and having the other end to which the antenna module 110 is connected.

[0058] An embodiment in which the fixing part 210 is connected to the wireless unit 120 via the cable housing pipe 230 will be described in more detail later after describing the first to third embodiments in Figures 11 to 13. In particular, since the multi-function link 200 including the cable housing pipe 230 basically functions as an intermediary for connecting the antenna module 110 to the wireless unit 120, it is preferable that the cable housing pipe 230 be made of a rigid material that can partially function as a support pole.

[0059] The ball joint part 220 housed and installed inside the fixed part 210 may be formed in a ball shape with a portion of one end open, and may be provided so as to be engaged with the open end of the fixed part 210 and not to come off to the outside (especially forward). Here, the reason why one end of the ball joint part 220 is formed with a portion open is to allow a plurality of coaxial cables 240, which will be described later, to be inserted therethrough.

[0060] In addition, the ball joint portion 220 is open from the portion provided on the fixed portion 210 to the portion provided on the antenna module 110, and is connected to the internal space of the fixed portion 210, and a coaxial cable 240 that provides an electrical connection between the wireless unit 120 and the antenna module 110 may be provided in the internal space that is connected between the fixed portion 210 and the ball joint portion 220.

[0061] Here, the coaxial cable 240 is preferably made of a flexible material so that the antenna module 110 can perform tilting and steering operations, which will be described later, and so that it does not interfere with at least the movement of the ball joint part 220 relative to the fixed part 210.

[0062] An antenna-side male connector (see reference numeral "250A" in FIG. 15 described later) and a wireless unit-side male connector (see reference numeral "250B" in FIG. 15 described later) are provided at one end and the other end of coaxial cable 240, respectively, and an antenna-side female connector (see reference numeral "150A" in FIG. 16 described later) and a wireless unit-side female connector (see reference numeral "150B" in FIG. 16 described later) for connection with antenna-side connector 250A or wireless unit-side connector 250B may be provided at the rear surface of antenna module 110 and the outer surface of wireless unit 120, respectively. Specific details regarding this will be described in more detail later.

[0063] In this way, the small base station antenna device 100 according to the present invention can prevent the aesthetic appearance from being deteriorated by concealing the multiple coaxial cables 240 electrically connecting the radio unit 120 and the antenna module 110 from the outside without twisting.

[0064] The ball joint unit 220 is capable of tilting and steering so as to maintain a predetermined angle in all directions, including up and down and left and right, relative to the fixed unit 210. Here, the term tilting operation is a concept that includes all operations in which the upper and lower ends of the antenna module 110 swing in the forward and backward directions, and the term steering operation is a concept that includes all operations in which the left and right ends of the antenna module 110 swing in the left and right directions. In the compact base station antenna device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the ball joint unit 220 may be configured to perform both the tilting operation and the steering operation of the antenna module 110 simultaneously, rather than performing only one of the tilting operation and the steering operation.

[0065] More specifically, the ball joint unit 220 can tilt and steer at a predetermined angle in all four directions, including up and down and left and right, around an arbitrary reference point at one end of the ball joint unit 220 housed inside the fixing unit 210. As the ball joint unit 220 tilts and steers, the antenna module 110 coupled thereto can also tilt and steer, allowing the designer to adjust the directionality of the antenna module 110 in a desired direction.

[0066] Here, the ball joint unit 220 performs tilting and steering operations while generating some frictional force with the inner surface of the fixed unit 210. For this purpose, a friction pad (or friction member, not shown) for generating a predetermined frictional force may be further provided on the inner surface of the fixed unit 210 or on a part of the outer surface into which the ball joint unit 220 is inserted.

[0067] Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 5, the antenna clamping unit 200 may further include a moving lock portion 225 that fixes the ball joint portion 220 to the fixed portion 210 at a moving fixed point after the ball joint portion 220 tilts and steers to a predetermined angle relative to the fixed portion 210.

[0068] The moving locking part 225 may be any means capable of fixing the ball joint part 220 to the fixed part 210, and as one example, locking may be achieved by a fixing bolt 219 that passes through a fixing bolt through-hole 218 formed to pass through the outside of the fixed part 210 in which the ball joint part 220 is housed and interferes with a part of the outer circumferential surface of the ball joint part 220. Here, the fixing bolt 219 is provided as a headless bolt that is not exposed outside the fixing bolt through-hole 218, thereby preventing deterioration of the appearance.

[0069] As described above, according to the small base station antenna device 100 of the present invention, the multi-function link 200 prevents the external exposure of the multiple coaxial cables 240 connecting the radio unit 120 and the antenna module 110, thereby preventing a deterioration in aesthetics. In addition, the tilting and steering of only the antenna module 110 is performed, while the tilting and steering of the radio unit 120 is not performed, thereby maximizing space utilization.

[0070] Furthermore, according to the small base station antenna device 100 of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 6, the radio unit 120 is provided on the front side thereof with a multi-function link 200 capable of tilting and steering (only the tilting operation is shown in FIG. 6), thereby providing the advantage of enabling customized direction adjustment for densely populated or multiple demand spaces regardless of where it is installed, whether indoors or outdoors.

[0071] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the configuration of FIG. 2 in which the specifications of the radio unit are different, FIG. 8 is a conceptual diagram showing beamforming using two frequency bands, CBRS and DoD, within one antenna module, FIG. 9 is a plan view of the actual antenna device of FIG. 8, and FIGS. 10A and 10B are front views showing various examples of realizing dual frequency bands per antenna module, including a pole-coupled type and a wall-coupled type.

[0072] As shown in Fig. 7, the antenna modules 110 may have the same specifications in which a patch antenna element is applied, but the specifications of the wireless units 120 may be different. More specifically, compared to the wireless units 120 shown in Fig. 2 to Fig. 6, the wireless unit 120 shown in Fig. 7 may be provided with specifications that are relatively shorter in width in the left-right direction but relatively longer in length in the up-down direction. In this case, it is preferable that the installation position of the antenna module 110 is set to an appropriate position taking into consideration the weight of the antenna module 110 and the tilting and steering operations.

[0073] However, the small base station antenna device 100 according to the present invention is not necessarily applicable so that only the specifications of the radio unit 120 are different.

[0074] That is, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, the front surface of the antenna module 110 may be provided with a radiating element module 119 in which a plurality of patch elements 117 for forming beamforming in a specific frequency band are arranged to form a plurality of antenna subarrays 118.

[0075] The multiple radiating element modules 119 are in a format that constructs a frequency band corresponding to a small cell base station, and can be realized on an antenna board 115 within one antenna module 110, but as shown in Figures 8 and 9, they can also be realized in a dual-band form that covers frequency bands corresponding to DoD (Department of Defense) and CBRS (Citizens Broadband Radio Services) on one antenna board 115 for macro use.

[0076] More specifically, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, the multiple radiating element modules 119 may be arranged such that multiple antenna subarrays 118 each consisting of multiple patch elements 117 are arranged on the upper front side of the macro antenna board 115 so as to realize DoD channels in the frequency band of 3450 to 3550 MHz of the dual frequency band and achieve a gain of 17.5 dBi, and multiple antenna subarrays 118 each consisting of multiple patch elements 117 are arranged on the lower front side of the macro antenna board 115 so as to realize CBRS channels in the frequency band of 3550 to 3700 MHz of the dual frequency band and achieve a gain of 15.5 dBi.

[0077] In this way, the multiple radiating element module 119 configured to be capable of covering dual frequency bands can form antenna beamforming for both DoD and CBRS channels, with the H-Beam width having a value of 55° to 90°, as shown in FIG. 8, and can form different antenna beamforming for the V-Beam width, with the DoD channel having a value of 7.5° and the CBRS channel having a value of 14.6°.

[0078] That is, the antenna module 110 can be realized to form antenna beamforming that covers the frequency band for macro and the frequency band for small cells as described above within one antenna board 115. In addition, even if the directionality of the antenna module 110 is adjusted to be the same, it can provide an advantage that UL (Up Link) coverage can be maximized by separating the TRx and antenna subarray 118 for each band.

[0079] However, it goes without saying that antenna subarray 118 does not necessarily have to be arranged on one antenna board 115 to enable coverage of dual frequency bands. As shown in Figures 10A and 10B described below, one wireless unit 120 can be provided with two or more antenna modules 110A, 110B, each capable of covering a unique frequency band, each via a multi-function link 200, and the directionality of each antenna module 110A, 110B can be adjusted using multi-function link 200 in the direction where coverage requirements are strongest.

[0080] For example, as shown in FIG. 10A (a) where the antenna modules 110A and 110B are provided in a pole-coupled configuration and as shown in FIG. 10B (a) where the antenna modules are provided in a wall-coupled configuration, the directionality of the antenna modules 110A and 110B provided in two dual frequency band configurations can be adjusted in the same direction (front); as shown in FIG. 10A (b) where the antenna modules 110A and 110B are provided in a pole-coupled configuration and as shown in FIG. 10B (b) where the antenna modules 110A and 110B are provided in a wall-coupled configuration, the directionality of the antenna modules 110A and 110B can be adjusted in opposite directions or to the left and right, respectively; as shown in FIG. 10A (c) where the antenna modules 110A and 110B are provided in a pole-coupled configuration and as shown in FIG. 10B (c) where the antenna modules 110A and 110B are provided in a wall-coupled configuration, the directionality of one of the antenna modules 110A and 110B (110A) can be adjusted to the front, and the directionality of the other one (110B) can be adjusted to the side.

[0081] In this case, each radiating element module 119 of antenna modules 110A and 110B is provided with specifications suitable for a small cell base station that is not for a macro use, and is provided with specifications that can achieve a maximum gain rate of either 15 dBi, 13 dBi, or 11 dBi, so that directionality can be adjusted to the desired direction, thereby maximizing the effectiveness of the small cell base station.

[0082] Figure 11 is an oblique view showing the appearance of a small base station antenna device (pillar-pole coupled type) according to a first embodiment of the present invention, Figure 12 is an oblique view showing the appearance of a small base station antenna device (wall coupled type) according to a second embodiment of the present invention, Figure 13 is an oblique view showing the appearance of a small base station antenna device (ceiling coupled type) according to a third embodiment of the present invention, Figures 14 and 15 are oblique views and cutaway oblique views (a, b) of a short type (a) and a long type (b) of a multi-function link for connecting a wireless unit and an antenna module, Figure 16 is a cross-sectional view along line BB in Figure 10, and Figure 17 is an exploded oblique view showing a long type (b) multi-function link of the multi-function links of Figures 14 and 15.

[0083] As shown in Figures 11 to 13, the small base station antenna device 100 of the present invention is arranged so that the rear housing 122 of the radio unit 120 is fixed to or concealed on any one of an indoor support pole P, a wall W, or a ceiling C via an installation panel part 121, and at least one (two in this embodiment) or more antenna modules 110A, 110B can be connected to the radio unit 120 via a multi-function link 200 in a tiltable or steerable manner.

[0084] Referring to FIG. 11, a support pole P for installing the base station antenna device 100 according to this embodiment may be installed inside a large building or the like, and the small base station antenna device 100A according to the first embodiment of the present invention may be installed and provided as a support pole coupling type that can be fixed to the support pole (P, Pole) so that the directionality of the rear housing 122 corresponding to the rear part of the wireless unit 120 is preset.

[0085] For example, the rear housing 122 of the wireless unit 120 can be connected to the support pole P via the installation panel portion 121 and firmly fixed so that the direction can be adjusted in the required coverage direction, and then the detailed direction can be adjusted via the multi-function link 200 described later.

[0086] Also, referring to FIG. 12, the small base station antenna device 100B according to the second embodiment of the present invention may be installed and provided as a wall-mounted type that can be fixed so that the rear housing 122 corresponding to the rear part of the wireless unit 120 is in close contact with a wall (W, Wall) corresponding to the interior of a large building or the like.

[0087] In this case, it is not necessary for the installation panel portion 121 to be connected to the rear housing 122, and the installation panel portion 121 may be provided and fixed to the wall surface W in advance before being connected to the rear housing 122 or the front housing 123, and then the wireless unit 120 may be connected to the installation panel portion 121 so as to be stationary thereon.

[0088] In addition, referring to Figure 13, the small base station antenna device 100C according to the third embodiment of the present invention may be installed and provided as a ceiling-coupled type in which the rear housing 122 corresponding to the rear part of the radio unit 120 is fixed to the ceiling (C, Ceiling) inside a room of a large building or the like so that it is in close contact with the ceiling, or the radio unit 120 can be fixed so that it is hidden inside the ceiling C.

[0089] However, although not shown, it goes without saying that the wireless unit 120 does not necessarily have to be installed on the ceiling C or the lower part of the ceiling surface via the installation panel part 121, but can also be fixed to a separate support pole installed on the ceiling C.

[0090] Here, the wireless unit 120 and each antenna module 110A, 110B can be electrically signal-connected via a multi-function link 200 appropriately adopted as either a short type multi-function link (hereinafter abbreviated as "short type link 200S") or a long type multi-function link (hereinafter abbreviated as "long type link 200L") as shown in Figures 14 and 15, depending on different surrounding environments such as the installation location and whether or not there is interference with surrounding configurations for adjusting the directionality of the antenna modules 110A, 110B.

[0091] 14 and 15(a) and 15(b), the short type link 200S and the long type link 200L have the same configuration and function, and can be distinguished by whether the length of the cable accommodation pipe 230 that accommodates the multiple coaxial cables 240 is relatively short or long. Generally, the length of the cable accommodation pipe 230 refers to the separation distance between the connection point with the wireless unit 120 and the fixed part 210 of the multi-function link 200. Therefore, if the separation distance is long, it is preferable to provide the long type link 200L, and if the separation distance is short, it is preferable to provide the short type link 200S.

[0092] 14 to 17, in the small base station antenna device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the multi-function link 200 may include the above-mentioned fixed part 210, the ball joint part 220, the cable accommodating pipe 230, and a plurality of coaxial cables 240.

[0093] In addition, the multi-function link 200 is provided at each end of a plurality of coaxial cables 240, and one end of the plurality of coaxial cables 240 may further be provided with antenna side male connectors 250, 250A for electrical connection to the antenna module 110, and the other end of the plurality of coaxial cables 240 may further be provided with wireless unit side male connectors 250, 250B for electrical connection to the wireless unit 120.

[0094] As shown in FIG. 15, antenna side male connector 250A is provided so that male guide pins 252 and terminal pins 253, which will be described later, are exposed at the antenna side end of ball joint portion 220, and wireless unit side male connector 250B may also be provided so that male guide pins 252 and terminal pins 253, which will be described later, are exposed at the end of cable accommodating pipe 230, as shown in FIG. 15.

[0095] In the following description, the antenna side male connector 250A and the wireless unit side male connector 250B will be referred to as "male connector 250" because they have the same basic configuration except for their positions.

[0096] In addition, the antenna module 110 and the wireless unit 120 may further include antenna-side female connectors 150, 150A and wireless unit-side female connectors 150, 150B for connection with the male connector 250, respectively.

[0097] As shown in Figures 11 to 13 and 15, antenna side female connector 150A is provided on the back surface of antenna module 110 so that female-shaped guide grooves 152 and terminal grooves 153, which will be described later, are exposed, and wireless unit side female connector 150B may also be provided on the side surface of wireless unit 120 so that female-shaped guide grooves 152 and terminal grooves 153, which will be described later, are exposed.

[0098] In the following description, the antenna side female connector 150A and the wireless unit side female connector 150B will be referred to as the "female connector (150)" because they have the same basic configuration except for their different locations.

[0099] A plurality of coaxial cables 240 are housed inside the cable housing pipe 230, four of which are provided to transmit electrical signals, and one end and the other end can be connected to the male connector 250, respectively.

[0100] The male connector 250 further includes a male terminal block 251 to which one ends of the four coaxial cables 240 are coupled and which mediate connection to a plurality of terminal pins 252, respectively, and the female connector 150 may further include a female terminal block 151 on which the above-mentioned guide grooves 152 and terminal grooves 153 are machined.

[0101] Four guide pins 252 may be arranged protruding from the male terminal block 251 at 90-degree intervals, and four terminal pins 253 may be arranged protruding from the male terminal block 251 at 90-degree intervals as long as they do not overlap with the four guide pins 252.

[0102] In addition, the female terminal block 151 may have four guide grooves 152 into which the four guide pins 252 of the male terminal block 251 can be inserted and accommodated, and four terminal grooves 153 into which the four terminal pins 253 of the male terminal block 251 can be inserted and connected, arranged at corresponding positions.

[0103] Additionally, male terminal block 251 may further include guide ring 254 surrounding four guide pins 252 and four terminal pins 253 and protruding in a ring shape toward female connector 150. Female terminal block 151 may further include ring receiving groove 154 into which guide ring 254 of male terminal block 251 is inserted. Here, foreign matter inflow prevention ring 155 for preventing inflow of external foreign matter may further be provided inside ring receiving groove 154.

[0104] The four guide pins 252, guide ring 254, and four terminal pins 253 provided on the male connector 250 are inserted into the four guide grooves 152, ring accommodating groove 154, and four terminal grooves 153 provided on the female connector 150, respectively, to make electrical connection to the antenna module 110 and wireless unit 120 of the multi-function link 200.

[0105] Meanwhile, the multi-function link 200 may further include a retainer nut 256 that provides a predetermined retention force so that the electrical connection of the male connector 250 to the female connector 150 is maintained, as shown in Figures 15 to 17.

[0106] A female thread 256a is formed on the inner surface of the retainer nut 256, and the above-mentioned predetermined retaining force can be generated by fastening the female thread 256a of the retainer nut 256 to the male thread 156a formed on the outer surface of the nut fastening end 156 formed on the outer surface of the female terminal block 151 of the female connector 150.

[0107] Here, a C-ring 257 can be interposed at the end of the male terminal block 151 to limit the fastening force of the retainer nut 256.

[0108] As described above, the compact base station antenna device 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention provides the advantage of easier and more convenient on-site installation by electrically connecting the wireless unit 120 and the multiple antenna modules 110 via the multi-function link 200 and enabling tilting or steering of each antenna module 110. In particular, the four coaxial cables 240 are housed inside the fixing part 210, the ball joint part 220, and the cable housing pipe 230 and are arranged concealed so as not to be observed from the outside, which provides the advantage of preventing deterioration of the external appearance.

[0109] Furthermore, since the male connector 250 and the female connector 150 are formed symmetrically to each other, it is only necessary to connect the four terminal pins 253 and the four terminal grooves 153 in any direction, which provides the advantage of further increasing the diversity of the directional design of the antenna module 110.

[0110] Figure 18 is an oblique view showing a small base station antenna device to which a modified multi-function link is applied, Figures 19A and 19B are exploded oblique views of the front and rear sides of Figure 18, and Figure 20 is an exploded oblique view of the multi-function link according to the modified example of Figure 18.

[0111] The small base station antenna device 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention can include a modified multi-function link 200' as shown in FIGS.

[0112] The multifunction link 200' according to the modified example differs from the multifunction link 200 previously described with reference to Figures 5 to 7 and Figures 11 to 17 (hereinafter referred to as a "general multifunction link") in that, as shown in Figure 18, the fixed portion 210 is separated into two (210A, 210B), a center body 205 is positioned between the two fixed portions 210A, 210B, and the two fixed portions 210A, 210B can be connected perpendicular to the center body 205.

[0113] For ease of explanation, the fixing portion of the two fixing portions 210A, 210B that is connected to the antenna module 110 side will be referred to as the first fixing portion 210A, and the fixing portion of the two fixing portions 210A, 210B that is connected to the cable accommodating pipe 230 side will be referred to as the second fixing portion 210B.

[0114] That is, unlike the general multi-function link 200 described above, which only has a fixed part 210 and a ball joint part 220 connected to the antenna module 110 side, allowing the tilting and steering directionality of the antenna module 110 to be adjusted at only one location, the multi-function link 200' according to the modified example differs in that it not only has a first fixed part 210A and a first ball joint part 220A that connect the antenna module 110 side, but also a second fixed part 210B and a second ball joint part 220B that mediate an additional connection to the cable accommodating pipe 230 side.

[0115] 18 to 20, the multi-function link 200′ according to the modified example may include a center body 205, a first fixing part 210A connected between the center body 205 and the antenna module 110 at one of both ends thereof, a second fixing part 210B connected between the center body 205 and the cable housing pipe 230 at one of both ends thereof, a first ball joint part 220A having one end partially housed and coupled within the internal space of the first fixing part 210A and the other end connected to the antenna module 110, thereby adjusting the directionality of the antenna module 110 by tilting or steering the antenna module 110, and a second ball joint part 220B having one end partially housed and coupled within the internal space of the second fixing part 210B and the other end connected to the cable housing pipe 230 that mediates the connection with the wireless unit 120, thereby enabling additional directionality adjustment of the antenna module 110.

[0116] Figure 21 is a cross-sectional view showing the male and female connection portions of a multi-function link according to a modified example of Figure 18, Figure 22 is a cross-sectional view of a multi-function link according to a modified example of Figure 18, Figure 23 is a cross-sectional view showing the male connector of a multi-function link according to a modified example of Figure 18, Figure 24 is an exploded oblique view of a multi-function link according to a modified example of Figure 18, Figure 25 is a cut-away oblique view of Figure 24, Figure 26 is a cross-sectional view of Figure 24, Figure 27 is a cut-away oblique view showing the over-rotation prevention locking portion shown in Figures 24 to 26, Figure 28 is an internal front view showing the operation of the over-rotation prevention locking portion of Figure 27, and Figure 29 is a cross-sectional view, cut-away oblique view and a partially enlarged view of a cable accommodating pipe in the configuration of a multi-function link according to a modified example of Figure 18.

[0117] In the modified multi-function link 200', the male connector 250 provided at the end of the first ball joint portion 220A or the second ball joint portion 220B can be coupled to the female connector 150 provided on the antenna module 110 or the wireless unit 120 by a male-female coupling operation, as shown in Figure 21.

[0118] More specifically, the guide ring 254 of the male connector 250 is accommodated inside the ring accommodating groove 154 formed in the female terminal block 151 of the female connector 150, and comes into contact with the foreign matter inflow prevention ring 155 interposed inside the ring accommodating groove 154, thereby achieving waterproofing, and at the same time, the guide pin 252 and terminal pin 253 of the male connector 250 can be inserted into the guide groove 152 and terminal groove 153 of the female connector 150, thereby enabling electrical connection.

[0119] 21, a ground washer 258 may be further provided between the female connector 150 and the male connector 250. The ground washer 258 is fixed to a washer installation groove (see reference numeral 258h in FIG. 25) provided on the front surface of the male terminal block 251 of the male connector 250, and when the male connector 250 is mated with the female connector 150, it can induce contact between the male terminal block 251 of the male connector 250 and the female terminal block 151 of the female connector 150, thereby performing a grounding (GND) function.

[0120] In such a male connector 250, a part of the male terminal block 251 can be inserted and fixed to the tip end side of the first ball joint portion 220A or the second ball joint portion 220B.

[0121] Here, the male connector 250 can be fixed via at least one headless bolt 259 so as not to rotate relative to the first ball joint portion 220A or the second ball joint portion 220B.

[0122] More specifically, as shown in Figures 22 to 24, two bolt through holes 259h-1 may be formed at the tip of first ball joint portion 220A or second ball joint portion 220B, spaced apart by 180 degrees, and a corresponding bolt fastening hole 259h-2 into which headless bolt 259 is fastened may be formed on the outer circumferential surface of male terminal block 251 of male connector 250.

[0123] A tool groove 259T is formed on the outer surface of headless bolt 259 for inserting the tip of a fastening tool (not shown) having a square cross section, and the male connector 250 can be easily fixed using a fastening tool with tool groove 259T without exposing headless bolt 259 to the outside.

[0124] In this way, male connector 250 is inserted and fixed to the tip of first ball joint portion 220A or second ball joint portion 220B by headless bolt 259, and is also locked in the rotational direction, thereby preventing arbitrary rotation of male connector 250 relative to first ball joint portion 220A or second ball joint portion 220B, and preventing the coupling direction of terminal pin 253 or guide pin 252 relative to terminal groove 153 or guide groove 152 of female connector 150 from being changed.

[0125] Meanwhile, a retainer nut 256 is pre-fitted onto the outer peripheral surface of the first ball joint portion 220A or the second ball joint portion 220B during pre-assembly, and once the electrical connection of the male connector 250 to the female connector 150 is completed as described above, the retainer nut 256 can be firmly fastened by tightening it onto a male thread (not shown in the drawing) formed on the outer peripheral surface of the female terminal block 151 of the female connector 150.

[0126] At this time, a C-ring fastening groove 257h is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the first ball joint part 220A or the second ball joint part 220B, and when a C-ring 257 is fastened in the C-ring fastening groove 257h, the rotational force is limited when fastening the retainer nut 256, thereby preventing damage to parts due to over-assembly of the retainer nut 256.

[0127] On the other hand, the multi-function link 200' according to a modified example may further be provided with an over-rotation prevention locking portion 226A that prevents over-rotation of the first ball joint portion 220A or the second ball joint portion 220B relative to the first fixed portion 210A or the second fixed portion 210B, as shown in Figures 25 to 28.

[0128] The over-rotation prevention locking portion 226A is provided on the first fixed portion 210A and the second fixed portion 210B, and is fixed in the internal space corresponding to the space between the first fixed portion 210A and the first ball joint portion 220A or the space between the second fixed portion 210B and the second ball joint portion 220B. The over-rotation prevention locking portion 226A has a pair of locking protrusions 226A-1 that protrude in opposing directions in the internal space. That is, the pair of locking protrusions 226A-1 are provided on the over-rotation prevention locking portion 226A at a distance of approximately 180 degrees and extend a predetermined distance into the internal space.

[0129] On the other hand, a pair of locking plates 228 may be formed inside the first ball joint portion 220A or the second ball joint portion 220B and extend toward the center body 205 so as to be engaged with a pair of locking protrusions 226A-1 at least within the rotation radius.

[0130] As shown in Figure 28, when no tilting or steering rotation operation is performed, the pair of locking plates 228 of the first ball joint portion 220A or the second ball joint portion 220B are positioned so that the rotational angle between them and the pair of locking protrusions 226A-1 is 90 degrees (see (a) of Figure 28), so when the first ball joint portion 220A or the second ball joint portion 220B rotates in one direction or the other for tilting or steering rotation operation, the rotation angle in each direction can be limited to a maximum of 90 degrees.

[0131] This is to prevent the plurality of coaxial cables 240 from twisting in the internal space due to excessive rotation of the first ball joint portion 220A or the second ball joint portion 220B.

[0132] The first ball joint portion 220A is connected to the female connector 150 of the antenna module 110 via the male connector 250, and the second ball joint portion 220B is connected to the upper end of the cable accommodating pipe 230 arranged vertically above and below via the male connector 250. Therefore, theoretically, if the over-rotation prevention locking portion 226A is not provided, the left and right steering rotation angle of the antenna module 110 is 360 degrees and there is no limit.

[0133] However, because the rotation angle of the second ball joint part 220B relative to the upper end of the cable accommodation pipe 230 is limited to 90 degrees by the over-rotation prevention locking part 226A, the rotation can be limited to only 90 degrees in addition to the maximum rotation limit angle a in one and other physical directions of the second ball joint part 220B, which will be described later. For example, if the maximum rotation limit angle a, which will be described later, is 40 degrees, the maximum steering rotation angle of the antenna module 110 is limited to 130 degrees in one and other directions.

[0134] Meanwhile, in the configuration of the multi-function link 200' according to the modified example, the cable accommodating pipe 230 may be provided with one-side cable connector 230A and the other-side cable connector 230B at both ends, as shown in FIG. 29, which are formed with the same structure as the male connector 250 and the female connector 150 described above, respectively, and a fixed cable 240' can be accommodated inside the cable accommodating pipe 230 corresponding to the space between the one-side cable connector 230A and the other-side cable connector 230B.

[0135] That is, unlike the multiple coaxial cables 240 provided outside the cable accommodating pipe 230, the multiple fixed cables 240′ fixed inside the cable accommodating pipe 230 are provided in a fixed form that does not move, and one end of the cable accommodating pipe 230 may be provided with a one-side cable connector 230A having the same structure as the above-mentioned female connector 150 so as to be connected to the male connector 250 exposed to the outside of the second ball joint portion 220B, and the other end of the cable accommodating pipe 230 may be provided with a other-side cable connector 230B having the same structure as the above-mentioned male connector 250 so as to be connected to the female connector 150B of the wireless unit 120.

[0136] Therefore, one side cable connector 230A of cable accommodating pipe 230 may be formed with a plurality of terminal grooves 233A, a plurality of guide grooves (not shown), and a ring accommodating groove 234A similar to those of female connector 150 described above, and male threads 231A-s for fastening retainer nut 256 may be formed on the outer circumferential surface of female terminal block 231A. Furthermore, a foreign matter inflow prevention ring 235A may be interposed inside ring accommodating groove 234A.

[0137] Additionally, the other cable connector 230B of the cable accommodation pipe 230 may be formed with a plurality of terminal pins 233B, a plurality of guide pins 232B, and a guide ring 234B similar to those of the male connector 250 described above, and a ground washer 238B may be provided at an intermediate portion of the plurality of terminal pins 233B. Also, a C-ring fastening groove 237B-h may be formed on the outer circumferential surface of the male terminal block 231B, in which a C-ring 237B is provided to prevent the retainer nut 256 of the wireless unit 120 from being over-assembled.

[0138] Here, unlike the coaxial cables 240 provided inside the center body 205, the first fixing portion 210A, the second fixing portion 210B, the first ball joint portion 220A and the second ball joint portion 220B which are made of a flexible material so as to move in conjunction with the tilting or steering rotation operation of the antenna module 110, the multiple coaxial cables 240 do not need to move inside the cable accommodating pipe 230 and therefore may be made of a strong material or may be firmly fixed so as not to move inside the cable accommodating pipe 230.

[0139] In addition, at both ends of the cable accommodating pipe 230, in order to distinguish the installation direction, the portion that is to be coupled to the male connector 250 of the second ball joint portion 220B may be provided with one side cable connector 230A in the form of a female connector, and the portion that is to be coupled to the female connector 150 of the wireless unit 120 may be provided with the other side cable connector 230B in the form of a male connector.

[0140] FIG. 30 is a projection plan view for explaining the effects of the multi-function link according to the modified example of FIG.

[0141] The multi-function link 200' configured in this manner according to the modified example increases the tilting or steering movement of the antenna module 110 compared to the general multi-function link 200, as shown in FIG. 30, thereby enabling additional directional adjustment of the antenna module 110.

[0142] More specifically, the coaxial cables 240 generally housed in the cable housing pipe 230 may be provided in two pieces when the antenna module 110 constructs a 2T2R transmission channel, or in four pieces when the antenna module 110 constructs a 4T4R transmission channel.

[0143] Here, with a general multi-function link 200, after one end of the cable accommodating pipe 230 is fixed to the female connector 150 of the antenna module 110 using the male connector 250, when steering the antenna module 110 in the direction of the arrow (including both one direction and the other direction), there is a limitation in that steering rotation is only possible within the range of the maximum rotation angle a in the left and right horizontal directions of the ball joint part 220.

[0144] In particular, when two coaxial cables 240 are housed in the cable housing pipe 230, although not shown, the terminal grooves 153 and terminal pins 253 in the female connector 150 and male connector 250 for electrically connecting the two coaxial cables 240 to the wireless unit 120 are formed at the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions relative to the ground, respectively, making it impossible to adjust the direction of the antenna module 110 by steering more than 90 degrees in one direction or the other. This is because the connection directions of the two coaxial cables 240 to the female connector 150 of the wireless unit 120 are preset at the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions.

[0145] For this reason, when two coaxial cables 240 are provided, it is impossible to set the directionality of antenna module 110 exactly to a 90-degree angle to the left or right relative to the front surface of wireless unit 120 unless the maximum horizontal rotation angle a described above is 90 degrees to the left or right (this is also impossible when reassembling after separating female connector 150 and male connector 250 and changing the connection position of terminal pin 253 relative to terminal groove 153). To make this possible, it is necessary to reassemble so that the installation position of terminal groove 153 of female connector 150 coupled to wireless unit 120 is changed, and even in this case, there is still a limitation in that it is impossible to set the directionality to a 90-degree angle to either one direction.

[0146] However, this limitation is reduced when four coaxial cables 240 are housed in the cable housing pipe 230 because, as shown in Fig. 30, the terminal grooves 153 and terminal pins 253 in the female connector 150 and the male connector 250 for electrically connecting each of the four coaxial cables 240 to the wireless unit 120 are formed at four locations spaced apart at 90 degrees in the circumferential direction. In this case, even without the process of separating and reassembling the female connector 150 from the wireless unit 120, the designer can simply disconnect the female connector 150 and the male connector 250 and then reconnect them in accordance with the terminal pins 253 and terminal grooves 153, which allow for desired directional design, thereby enabling adjustment of the directionality in 90 degrees left and right directions relative to the front surface of the wireless unit 120.

[0147] In contrast, the multi-function link 200′ according to the modified example includes a first fixing portion 210A and a first ball joint portion 220A and a second fixing portion 210B and a second ball joint portion 220B that are perpendicular to both ends of the center body 205. Therefore, even in an embodiment in which two coaxial cables 240 are housed in the cable housing pipe 230, when the antenna module 110 is rotated to one side or the other by a steering operation to adjust the directionality, the restriction on the maximum limit steering angle a by the second fixing portion 210B and the second ball joint portion 220B, which are provided to be able to steer 360 degrees around a vertical axis among the two fixing portions 210A, 210B and the two ball joint portions 220A, 220B, is eliminated. This makes it possible to adjust the directionality in all 360 degrees directions without the need to separate and reconnect the female connector 150 from the wireless unit 120. Of course, as described above, even when the rotation of the second ball joint portion 220B relative to the second fixed portion 210B is limited to 90 degrees by the over-rotation prevention locking portion 226A, the same result can be derived in that the rotation limit in one or the other direction of the antenna module 110 is extended by 90 degrees in addition to the above-mentioned maximum limit steering angle a.

[0148] In other words, the modified multi-function link 200' eliminates the limited range of steering movement of the antenna module 110 relative to the wireless unit 120 by adding the second fixing portion 210B and the second ball joint portion 220B, so that even when setting a new directional adjustment, it is not necessary to separate and reconnect the female connector 150 from the wireless unit 120, and the directional adjustment of the antenna module 110 can be easily made on-site.

[0149] For reference, even during tilting operation of the antenna module 110, as shown by the reference symbol "a" in FIG. 30, it is possible to have a maximum tilting limit angle in the up and down direction. Therefore, the maximum tilting limit angle a of the antenna module 110 connected via the multi-function link 200' according to the modified example can be advantageously increased by twice the angle 2a, as two fixing parts 210A, 210B and two ball joint parts 220A, 220B are provided at both ends based on the center body 205.

[0150] The above describes in detail the small base station antenna device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it goes without saying that the embodiments of the present invention are not necessarily limited to the above-described embodiments, and that various modifications and equivalent implementations are possible by those skilled in the art. Therefore, the true scope of the present invention is defined by the claims below. [Industrial Applicability]

[0151] The present invention provides a small base station antenna device that allows easy construction of small cell base stations in public places, densely populated areas, large shopping malls, airport buildings, and other locations; that allows for directionality adjustment without the need for various cables electrically connecting a wireless unit and an antenna module to be exposed to the outside, thereby preventing a decrease in aesthetic appearance; that allows dual bands in various locations by separating a portion of one antenna module to cover different frequency bands or by providing multiple antenna modules each covering a different frequency band; and that can ensure a wide range of directionality adjustment angles through each multi-function link that mediates the installation of multiple antenna modules relative to a wireless unit. [Explanation of symbols]

[0152] 100: Base station antenna device, 110: Antenna module 111: Antenna housing, 113: Radome 115: antenna board, 117: patch element 118: Antenna subarray, 119: Radiating element module 120: Wireless unit, 121: Installation panel 122: Rear housing, 123: Front housing 150: Female connector, 151: Female terminal block 152: Guide groove, 153: Terminal groove 154: Ring receiving groove, 155: Foreign matter inflow prevention ring 200: Multifunction link, 205: Center body 200': modified multi-function link, 210: fixed part 210A: 1st fixed part, 210B: 2nd fixed part 217: Assembly screw, 220: Ball joint part 220A: First ball joint portion, 220B: Second ball joint portion 225: Moving lock part, 230: Cable accommodation pipe 240: Coaxial cable, 250: Male connector 251: Male terminal block, 252: Guide pin 253: Terminal pin, 254: Guide ring 256: Retainer nut, 257: C-ring

Claims

1. a radio unit (RU); at least one antenna module provided to the wireless unit so as to be tiltable and steerable; a multi-function link that mediates the installation of each of the antenna modules to the wireless unit; The multi-function link includes a male connector electrically connected to a female connector provided on the antenna module and the wireless unit, in a compact base station antenna device.

2. The multi-function link is a fixing part having an opening on one side and fixed to the wireless unit; a ball joint part, a part of which is housed and coupled in an internal space of the fixing part, for adjusting the directionality of the antenna module by tilting or steering the antenna module; 2. The small base station antenna device according to claim 1, wherein the male connector is connected to one end and the other end of a plurality of coaxial cables housed inside the fixed portion and the ball joint portion.

3. The multi-function link is The small base station antenna device according to claim 2 , further comprising a cable housing pipe, one end of which is connected to the wireless unit and the other end of which is connected to the fixed part, housing the plurality of coaxial cables and hiding them from the outside.

4. The male connector male terminal blocks connected to one end and the other end of the coaxial cable; 3. The small base station antenna device according to claim 2, further comprising: a plurality of terminal pins extending from said coaxial cable and projecting from said male terminal block toward said female connector.

5. The male connector a plurality of guide pins protruding from the male terminal block toward the female connector; 5. The compact base station antenna device according to claim 4, further comprising: a retainer nut that maintains the electrical connection force of said plurality of terminal pins to said female connector.

6. The small base station antenna device according to claim 5 , wherein the retainer nut maintains the connecting force by fastening to a nut fastening end of the female connector.

7. 6. The small base station antenna device according to claim 5, wherein the male connector further includes a guide ring that surrounds the plurality of terminal pins and the plurality of guide pins and protrudes in a ring-type manner toward the female connector.

8. 8. The small base station antenna device according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of terminal pins and the plurality of guide pins are formed to protrude to a size that allows them to be inserted into a plurality of terminal grooves and a plurality of guide grooves formed in the female connector.

9. The antenna module includes: A plurality of antenna sub-arrays covering dual frequency bands are arranged on one antenna board; The small-sized base station antenna device according to claim 1 , which realizes antenna beamforming in different frequency bands within the same direction of the antenna module established by the multifunction link.

10. The antenna module includes: A plurality of antenna sub-arrays are arranged to cover different frequency bands, The small base station antenna device according to claim 1 , wherein the multi-function links are set to directivity in different directions.

11. The small base station antenna device according to claim 1 , wherein the antenna module is provided for a small cell base station.

12. 2. The small base station antenna device according to claim 1, wherein the wireless unit is mounted on one of a support pole, a wall, and a ceiling provided indoors.

13. a radio unit (RU); at least one antenna module provided to the wireless unit so as to be tiltable and steerable; a multi-function link that mediates the installation of each of the antenna modules to the wireless unit; The multi-function link is The center body and a first fixing portion connected to one of both end portions of the center body between the antenna module; a second fixing portion connected to one of both end portions of the center body and the wireless unit; a first ball joint part, one of the ends of which is partially accommodated and coupled to an internal space of the first fixing part, and the other end of which is connected to the antenna module, and which adjusts the directionality of the antenna module by tilting or steering the antenna module; a second ball joint portion, one of the ends of which is partially accommodated and coupled to the internal space of the second fixing portion, and the other end of which is connected to a cable accommodation pipe that mediates connection with the wireless unit, thereby enabling additional directionality adjustment of the antenna module.

14. The multi-function link is 14. The compact base station antenna device according to claim 13, further comprising a male connector electrically connected to a female connector provided on the antenna module and the wireless unit.

15. The multi-function link is The compact base station antenna device according to claim 13, further comprising a male connector electrically connected to the antenna module and a female connector provided on the cable-accommodating pipe.

16. 16. The small base station antenna device according to claim 14, wherein the male connector is connected to one end and the other end of a plurality of coaxial cables housed inside the first ball joint portion, the first fixing portion, the center body, the second fixing portion, and the second ball joint portion.

17. 16. The small base station antenna device according to claim 14, wherein the male connector is connected to one end and the other end of a plurality of coaxial cables housed inside the first ball joint portion, the first fixing portion, the center body, the second fixing portion, the second ball joint portion, and the cable housing pipe.

18. The cable housing pipe connected to the second ball joint portion houses fixed cables in a number corresponding to the plurality of coaxial cables, a first cable connector having the same structure as the female connector is provided at one end of the cable housing pipe connected to the plurality of coaxial cables; The small base station antenna device according to claim 16, wherein the other end of the cable housing pipe connected to the wireless unit is provided with a second cable connector having the same structure as the male connector.

19. The cable accommodation pipe is a plurality of coaxial cables are housed and hidden from the outside, one end of the coaxial cables is connected to the wireless unit, and the other end of the coaxial cables is connected to the second ball joint portion of the second fixed portion; The compact base station antenna device according to claim 14, wherein the male connectors are coupled to one end and the other end of the coaxial cable.

20. The male connector a male terminal block connected to one end and the other end of the plurality of coaxial cables; a plurality of guide pins protruding from the male terminal block toward the female connector; a plurality of terminal pins extending from the coaxial cable and projecting from the male terminal block toward the female connector; 17. The compact base station antenna device according to claim 16, further comprising: a retainer nut that maintains electrical connection force of the plurality of terminal pins to the female connector.

21. 14. The small base station antenna device according to claim 13, wherein the multi-function link further includes an over-rotation prevention locking portion that prevents over-rotation of the first ball joint portion or the second ball joint portion relative to the first fixed portion or the second fixed portion.

22. The over-rotation prevention locking portion is a pair of locking protrusions provided on the first fixing portion and the second fixing portion, fixed in an internal space corresponding to a space between the first fixing portion and the first ball joint portion or a space between the second fixing portion and the second ball joint portion, and protruding in directions opposite to each other in the internal space; a pair of locking plates provided on the first ball joint portion and the second ball joint portion and extending toward the center body so as to be engaged with the pair of locking protrusions at least within a rotation radius.

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