Staggered Antenna Array Sub-Arrays for Side Lobe Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing antenna arrays with wideband operating frequency face challenges in meeting the half-wavelength spacing requirement for radiating elements, leading to high energy in horizontal side lobes and poor ultra-wideband performance, which affects communication system capacity.
Innovation Solution
The antenna array configuration includes at least two sub-arrays arranged vertically, with radiating elements at corresponding positions in adjacent sub-arrays staggered in a horizontal direction, reducing horizontal side lobe energy and improving ultra-wideband performance by aligning and spacing radiating elements appropriately.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If radiating elements are arranged with horizontal spacing less than half wavelength in conventional antenna sub-arrays, then low side lobes in horizontal beams can be met under certain power distribution, but in wideband operating frequency scenarios the half-wavelength requirement cannot be met for each frequency point, leading to high energy in horizontal side lobes and poor ultra-wideband performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from conventional two-dimensional planar arrangement to a three-dimensional staggered arrangement where adjacent antenna sub-arrays are offset horizontally by half the element spacing distance. This dimensional change enables the array to maintain effective half-wavelength spacing across wide frequency bands while controlling side lobe energy through the vertical stacking configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces asymmetric positioning where radiating elements in adjacent sub-arrays are horizontally offset from each other by half the element spacing distance. This asymmetric arrangement breaks the conventional symmetric grid structure, enabling ultra-wideband performance by effectively maintaining half-wavelength spacing across frequency variations while controlling side lobe energy distribution.
2Reliability
If radiating elements are spaced at half the operating wavelength as shown in JP-2000236213-A, then low side lobes can be achieved, but this fixed spacing cannot accommodate wideband operating frequencies where the half-wavelength requirement varies across the frequency spectrum
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic spatial arrangement where the effective element spacing adapts to frequency variations across the operating band. The staggered three-dimensional configuration allows the array to dynamically maintain half-wavelength spacing relationships for different frequency points, enabling both side lobe suppression and wideband adaptability simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the spatial arrangement parameters from fixed two-dimensional grid spacing to variable three-dimensional staggered spacing. By offsetting adjacent sub-arrays horizontally by half the element spacing distance, the effective electrical spacing between elements adapts across the frequency spectrum, maintaining half-wavelength relationships for wideband operation while controlling side lobe energy.
Data Source
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AI summary
Embodiments of the present invention relate to an antenna array, an antenna apparatus, and a base station. The antenna array includes: at least two antenna sub-arrays, where the at least two antenna sub-arrays are arranged in a vertical direction, each of the antenna sub-arrays includes multiple radiating elements, and in at least two adjacent antenna sub-arrays in the vertical direction, radiating elements at corresponding positions in the respective antenna sub-arrays are arranged in a staggered manner in a horizontal direction. In the embodiments of the present invention, horizontal side lobes and vertical far side lobes in an antenna array pattern are reduced, and the ultra-wideband performance is improved.