Active Antenna Subarray Patterns for Secondary Angular Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Active antenna systems (AAS) face limitations in providing reasonable antenna gain in the secondary coverage angular range due to sub-array patterns with nulls, leading to poor coverage for user equipment (UEs) in mobile telecommunications systems.
Innovation Solution
Implementing an AAS with a plurality of subarrays having different radiation patterns, including varying phase taper, amplitude taper, height, element separation, and number of radiating elements to create subarrays with distinct angular regions of gain below threshold values, ensuring these regions differ from each other to avoid nulls.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If identical subarrays are used to optimize array aperture and number of radio chains, then primary coverage angular range is improved, but secondary coverage angular range suffers due to low gain regions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making different subarrays have different radiation patterns tailored to specific angular regions. Subarrays are configured with different phase tapers, amplitude tapers, heights, or element separations to provide appropriate gain characteristics in different spatial directions, thereby improving secondary coverage without compromising primary coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the subarrays into different types based on their radiation pattern characteristics. By dividing the subarray array into multiple groups with different configurations (e.g., different phase tapers or heights), the system can address different angular coverage requirements independently, resolving the contradiction between optimized primary coverage and adequate secondary coverage.
2Manufacturing precision
If subarray pattern has nulls in certain directions to optimize main beam coverage, then primary coverage is improved, but coverage in secondary angular range falls outside main beam
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes physical parameters of subarrays such as height, element separation, phase taper, and amplitude taper to create different radiation patterns. By adjusting these parameters, subarrays can be optimized for different angular regions, allowing the system to maintain precise main beam coverage while extending adequate coverage to secondary angular ranges that fall outside the main beam.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to an active antenna system, AAS, for controlling coverage in a telecommunication network, and the AAS comprising a plurality of subarrays each having multiple radiating elements. The AAS is configured to provide coverage in a coverage angular range and the plurality of subarrays comprising at least two types of subarrays. The at least two types of subarrays comprises: a first type of subarray with a first radiation pattern having at least a first angular region with gain below a first threshold value, and a second type of subarray with a second radiation pattern having at least a second angular region with gain below a second threshold value, wherein the second radiation pattern deviates from the first radiation pattern and the first angular region in the first radiation pattern differs from the second angular region in the second radiation pattern.