Abstract: A method and apparatus for increasing capacity and performance of a base station for a sectorized cellular wireless network is disclosed in which one of the sector antennas is replaced or supplanted by a novel sub-sector antenna that generates a plurality of asymmetrical sub-sector coverage areas that collectively substantially cover the coverage area of the replaced sector antenna. The use of asymmetrical coverage areas permits the total coverage area to closely approximate the symmetrical sector coverage area without creating excessively large sub-sector handover zones or introducing severe degradation in the network performance. This in turn permits the selective replacement of a single sector antenna rather than the wholesale replacement of all sector antennas in a region, leading to lower transitional costs and the ability to provide a focused approach to capacity planning.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for increasing capacity and performance of a base station for a sectorized cellular wireless network is disclosed in which one of the sector antennas is replaced or supplanted by a novel sub-sector antenna that generates a plurality of asymmetrical sub-sector coverage areas that collectively substantially cover the coverage area of the replaced sector antenna. The use of asymmetrical coverage areas permits the total coverage area to closely approximate the symmetrical sector coverage area without creating excessively large sub-sector handover zones or introducing severe degradation in the network performance. This in turn permits the selective replacement of a single sector antenna rather than the wholesale replacement of all sector antennas in a region, leading to lower transitional costs and the ability to provide a focused approach to capacity planning.

Abstract: A system for highly accurate radio location of a passive radio beacon coincident with an object to be tracked is disclosed. The beacon directs radio signals to an antenna array located proximate to the warehouse aisles and is positioned such that it receives signals that reflect off the aisle walls grazing angles that are generally less than a maximum, and as such act effectively as mirrors. Ray-tracing techniques may be applied to calculate the response at the antenna array. The multiplicity of reflections may be considered virtual radiating elements setting up a MIMO environment of a plurality of orthogonal modes. Because the location of the beacon is calculated, noise effects can be substantially omitted with an increase in precision of the estimate.

Abstract: A method of beam forming is provided for an appliqué intelligent antenna system. The appliqué system uses a watchdog function to monitor broadcast channels of an existing mobile wireless base station to which it is attached. The appliqué system synchronizes itself in frequency and time to the base station. In GSM timing delays are used to prevent collision of timeslots from various mobile terminals. The appliqué system uses this time delay mechanism to compensate for its own processing delays so that its presence is transparent to the existing base station. Angle of arrival calculations are made to determining beamforming parameters. The antenna of the four element antenna system are separated by is (51/2?1)/2 times the wavelength. Angle of arrival for the strongest uplink multipath signal are used to direct the downlink beam.

Abstract: A suspended microstrip line structure for feeding a tapered slot antenna has a ground layer separated by means of an air gap from a dielectric slab with a strip line conductor feed running on the surface of the dielectric. The strip line may run along the surface of the dielectric which faces away from the ground layer, or the structure may be inverted such that the strip line runs along the surface of the dielectric which faces the ground layer. These suspended microstrip line structures exhibit lower transmission loss. In another embodiment, a printed transmission line having a slot in its ground layer feeds a tapered slot antenna element which lies in a plane which intersects, and so is not parallel to, the printed transmission line structure. The ground layer slots cut the current on the ground of the transmission line and couple energy from the line to the tapered slot antenna element.

Abstract: Telecommunications system in which an outside antenna is positioned to direct radio signals in a divergent beam towards a predetermined wall surface area of a building. The outside antenna is sufficiently close to the building to require constancy of the radio signals to noise ratio of radio signals transmitted by the outside antenna. The signals transmitted at the building are received by patch antennas located on the wall surface area (e.g. in practice upon windows) for connection of the outside antenna to individual terminal outlets in the building. These terminal outlets are preferably connected by cable to the patch antennas, but the terminal outlets may be radio receivers.

Abstract: Methods are known for finding the bearing of an incoming radio signal. The system disclosed, which enables accurate bearings of radio signals to be obtained rapidly, employs a rosette array of directional Beverage antennas. The antennas are rapidly scanned to find which one is receiving the largest amplitude signal; this gives an approximate bearing. This signal is then compared with the signals of two adjacent antennas in the array and the results of these comparisons provide a measure of the amount and direction that the true bearing differs from the approximate bearing.