Dual Staggered Antenna Array for Variable Azimuth Beamwidth Control

Solution Overview

Problem

Modern wireless antenna systems require precise mechanical phase shifters for beamwidth control, which are costly, heavy, and inefficient due to the need for expensive dielectric materials and rigid support, and often fail to suppress passive intermodulation under high power RF signals.

Innovation Solution

A dual staggered vertically polarized antenna array with pivotally coupled radiators and actuators allows for adjustable beamwidth by configuring radiators at different angles relative to a reflector, using a multipurpose control port for beamwidth and tilt control signals, and an RF power signal dividing-combining network with phase shifting for elevation beam tilt.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If mechanical phase shifters are used for beamwidth control, then beamwidth accuracy is improved, but weight and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebeamwidth accuracyVSAvoidantenna array weight

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes mechanical phase shifters from the antenna array system entirely, extracting the problematic component that caused weight and cost issues. Instead, it uses a fixed antenna array geometry combined with digital signal processing at the receiver to achieve beamwidth control, thereby eliminating the need for heavy mechanical phase shifting mechanisms while maintaining beamwidth accuracy through computational methods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical phase shifter system with an electronic/digital signal processing system. Rather than mechanically adjusting phase and amplitude of RF signals, the invention uses a fixed antenna array with post-reception signal processing to control beamwidth, substituting mechanical operations with electronic/computational operations that are lighter and more reliable.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Measurement precision

If mechanical phase shifters are used for beamwidth control, then beamwidth accuracy is improved, but cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebeamwidth accuracyVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes mechanical phase shifters from the antenna array system entirely, extracting the problematic component that caused weight and cost issues. Instead, it uses a fixed antenna array geometry combined with digital signal processing at the receiver to achieve beamwidth control, thereby eliminating the need for heavy mechanical phase shifting mechanisms while maintaining beamwidth accuracy through computational methods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical phase shifter system with an electronic/digital signal processing system. Rather than mechanically adjusting phase and amplitude of RF signals, the invention uses a fixed antenna array with post-reception signal processing to control beamwidth, substituting mechanical operations with electronic/computational operations that are lighter and more reliable.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Adaptability or versatility

If mechanical phase shifters are used for beamwidth control, then beamwidth adjustability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebeamwidth adjustabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes mechanical phase shifters from the antenna array system entirely, extracting the problematic component that caused weight and cost issues. Instead, it uses a fixed antenna array geometry combined with digital signal processing at the receiver to achieve beamwidth control, thereby eliminating the need for heavy mechanical phase shifting mechanisms while maintaining beamwidth accuracy through computational methods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical phase shifter system with an electronic/digital signal processing system. Rather than mechanically adjusting phase and amplitude of RF signals, the invention uses a fixed antenna array with post-reception signal processing to control beamwidth, substituting mechanical operations with electronic/computational operations that are lighter and more reliable.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS7990329B2Dual staggered vertically polarized variable azimuth beamwidth antenna for wireless network

Publication Date: 2011.08.02 TAHOE RES LTD

AI summary

An antenna system for wireless networks having a dual stagger antenna array architecture is disclosed. The antenna array contains a number of driven radiator elements that are spatially arranged in two vertically aligned groups each having pivoting actuators so as to provide a controlled variation of the antenna array's azimuth radiation pattern.