Dual Vertical Beam Cellular Array for Coverage Gain Trade-off
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cellular antenna arrays produce a single, narrow vertical beam, requiring complex and costly adjustments to achieve optimal network coverage, and compromise between network capacity and coverage area, lacking a simple and cost-effective solution for broad coverage without sacrificing directivity and gain.
Innovation Solution
A dual vertical beam cellular array is implemented using a single antenna aperture with pairs of discrete radiators and hybrid couplers to produce two simultaneous beams, one for high-gain operation and another for broader coverage, eliminating the need for remote elevation tilt systems and allowing independent steering of beams.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a single narrow vertical beam is produced by current cellular antenna arrays, then the beam directivity and gain are improved, but the coverage area is limited and requires complex remote elevation tilt systems for adjustment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the single beam function into multiple discrete radiators arranged in pairs, where each pair can be independently controlled to produce separate beams. This segmentation allows the antenna array to generate multiple simultaneous beams with different characteristics, resolving the contradiction between narrow beam directivity and broad coverage area.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from producing a single beam in the vertical plane to producing multiple beams simultaneously by utilizing phase and amplitude control across discrete radiator pairs. This dimensional expansion in the beam space allows one beam to maintain narrow directivity while another provides broad coverage, eliminating the need for mechanical elevation tilt adjustment.
2Adaptability or versatility
If remote elevation tilt systems are used to adjust beam angle for optimal coverage, then the coverage optimization is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical remote elevation tilt (RET) system with an electronic beam forming approach using discrete radiators and phase control. Instead of physically tilting the entire antenna array mechanically, the beam angle is adjusted electronically by controlling the phase and amplitude of signals fed to individual radiator pairs, significantly reducing system complexity and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamically adjustable beam characteristics through electronic control of discrete radiator pairs. The beam angle, width, and direction can be changed in real-time by modifying the phase and amplitude of feeding signals, providing adaptability without mechanical moving parts or complex tilt adjustment mechanisms.
3Power
If antenna arrays with long antenna length are used, then the gain and directivity are improved, but the beam pattern becomes narrower reducing overall coverage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the antenna array into multiple discrete radiator pairs that can be independently controlled. This allows the system to synthesize different effective aperture sizes dynamically - using all radiators for broad coverage when needed, or subsets for higher gain applications - thus resolving the fixed trade-off between antenna length and beam width.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters (phase and amplitude) of discrete radiator pairs to dynamically adjust beam characteristics. By varying these parameters, the system can transform a physically long antenna structure to produce both narrow high-gain beams and broad coverage beams as needed, eliminating the fixed inverse relationship between gain and beam width.
Data Source
AI summary
A dual vertical beam cellular array is disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a cellular array includes discrete radiators coupled in pairs and arranged in-line. The radiators are connected to hybrid couplers configured to sum the output from the pairs of discrete radiators. A first power distribution network is configured to receive a first output from the hybrid couplers and produce a first beam, and a second power distribution network configured to receive a second output from the hybrid couplers and produce a second beam. According to some embodiments, the first beam is a main beam with high gain and the second beam is a coverage beam with a large coverage area.