Cylindrical Small Cell Antenna Assembly for Compact Monopole Mounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cellular Base Stations are becoming less available, and available spectrum limits additional capacity, necessitating the development of small cell RRU and antenna combinations to fill in underserved or congested areas, particularly in urban environments, where monopole arrangements are desirable for their compactness and lower height requirements.
Innovation Solution
The design of an antenna assembly comprising antenna-radio units with a mounting assembly that includes a foundation, cap, and spine, with antenna-radio units mounted at circumferentially equally spaced locations, and spacers with arcuate external surfaces forming a cylindrical structure, allowing for efficient and aesthetically pleasing mounting on monopoles, which can be adapted for various configurations including 5G performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If conventional Base Stations with multiple legs are used, then antenna capacity and coverage are improved, but structure height and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from horizontal/ground-based antenna arrangements on multi-legged towers to a vertical cylindrical configuration on monopoles. Multiple antenna-radio units are arranged circumferentially around a central vertical axis, utilizing the vertical dimension and radial space to achieve high antenna capacity while minimizing ground footprint and structure height.
Solution Approach 2:
The antenna-radio units are mounted on the exterior surface of a cylindrical spine structure, with each unit nested within its own mounting bracket assembly. The spacers are nested between adjacent antenna units, creating a compact integrated configuration that maximizes antenna density within the limited monopole surface area.
2Length of stationary object
If monopole structures are used for small cell deployment, then structure height and space requirements are reduced, but mounting complexity and aesthetic appearance become concerns
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting system is segmented into modular components: individual mounting brackets for each antenna-radio unit, separate spacers positioned between adjacent units, and a central spine structure. This segmentation allows for simplified assembly where each component performs a specific function and can be independently installed or replaced.
Solution Approach 2:
The cylindrical spine serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides the structural support for mounting antenna-radio units, acts as a spacer between units, creates the aesthetic cylindrical profile, and enables circumferential arrangement of multiple antennas. The spacers also serve dual purposes of spacing and aesthetic completion of the cylindrical form.
3Productivity
If antenna-radio units are mounted circumferentially on monopoles, then wireless data service capacity is enhanced, but mounting precision and alignment requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting brackets and spacers are pre-configured with fixed geometric relationships before installation. The spacers are positioned at predetermined intervals around the circumference, and mounting brackets are attached at predetermined locations. This preliminary configuration ensures proper spacing and alignment of antenna-radio units without requiring complex field measurements or adjustments during installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The cylindrical geometry of the spine and spacers provides natural radial alignment references. The arcuate external surfaces of spacers and the cylindrical profile create consistent geometric relationships between mounting points, facilitating precise circumferential spacing through simple radial measurements from the central axis rather than requiring complex angular calculations.
Data Source
AI summary
An antenna assembly includes: a plurality of antenna-radio units, each of the antenna-radio units comprising an antenna and a radio transceiver in an integrated unit, each antenna having an external face; and a mounting assembly comprising a foundation, a cap and a spine, the foundation being mounted to a lower end of the spine and the cap mounted to an upper end of the spine. The antenna-radio units are mounted at circumferentially equally spaced locations between the foundation and the cap, with their respective external faces facing radially outwardly. The assembly also includes a plurality of spacers, each spacer located between two adjacent antenna-radio units, and each antenna-radio unit between located between two adjacent spacers, each of the spacers including an arcuate external surface. The external faces of the antennas and the external surfaces of the spacers generally define a cylinder.