Streetlight Small Cell with Visually Integrated Antennas
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional small cell housings for streetlights lack efficient integration of external antennas, leading to visibility issues and potential interference, while also facing challenges in withstanding harsh environmental conditions such as wind and temperature variations.
Innovation Solution
A small cell housing design that incorporates a NEMA-based connector and antenna-containment structures, allowing antennas to appear integrated with the housing, while providing electromagnetic shielding and heat transfer structures to ensure reliable operation in adverse conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If external antennas are mounted on small cell housing, then communication function is improved, but visual appearance deteriorates (antennas become visible)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the antenna from the traditional external mounting position and relocates it into a concealed position within the housing structure. The antenna is positioned in a cavity or recessed area that is not visible from the exterior, allowing the antenna to perform its communication function while remaining visually hidden, thus resolving the contradiction between functional visibility and aesthetic appearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The antenna is nested within the housing structure, specifically positioned in an internal cavity or recessed compartment. This nesting approach allows the antenna to be contained within the overall form of the housing, making it visually undetectable from the outside while maintaining full communication functionality. The antenna is effectively hidden within the larger housing structure.
2Reliability
If antennas are positioned externally for better signal, then communication performance is improved, but susceptibility to environmental factors worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The antenna is nested within a protected cavity in the housing, shielding it from direct exposure to environmental factors such as wind, rain, and temperature extremes. The housing structure acts as a protective envelope that maintains a more stable microenvironment for the antenna while still allowing it to function effectively for signal transmission and reception.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing structure serves as an intermediary between the antenna and the external environment. It provides a protective barrier that filters and moderates environmental factors reaching the antenna, reducing direct exposure to harmful conditions while maintaining communication functionality. The housing material and design act as a buffer against environmental stressors.
3Shape
If antennas are integrated into housing, then aesthetic appearance is improved, but antenna visibility for maintenance worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is segmented into accessible compartments or removable panels that provide access to the concealed antenna. This segmentation allows the antenna to remain hidden during normal operation for aesthetic purposes, while enabling easy access for installation, maintenance, and repair by opening specific access points without compromising the overall integrated appearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing incorporates dynamic access mechanisms such as removable panels, hinged covers, or accessible compartments that can be opened or removed when maintenance is needed. This dynamic design allows the antenna to appear permanently integrated during normal use, while providing straightforward access pathways for technicians when repair or installation is required.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables seamless communication by visually integrating antennas, reducing wind loading, and enhancing durability against environmental stressors, thus improving the performance and aesthetics of small cell deployments on streetlights.
Implementation Method 1
The at least one antenna-containment structure arranged to contain the at least one antenna and visually appear integrated with at least a portion of one or more visible external surfaces of the housing
Implementation Method 2
A signal conduit communicatively couples the at least one antenna to the cellular-based transceiver circuitry
Data Source
AI summary
A streetlight-mountable small cell includes a housing having one or more external surfaces exposed to atmospheric conditions when the small cell is deployed on a streetlight. The small cell also includes one or more internal chambers formed in the housing, power supply circuitry, and cellular-band transceiver circuitry. A standardized connector is arranged to pass power to the power supply circuitry when the small cell housing is deployed on the streetlight. At least one antenna-containment structure visually appears integrated with the one or more external surfaces. Each antenna-containment structure is arranged to contain at least one antenna positioned external to the one or more internal chambers, and at least one sub-structure is arranged to route a signal conduit from the at least one antenna to the cellular-band transceiver circuitry.