Abstract: Radiating elements comprise a first dipole radiator that includes a first dipole arm and a second dipole arm, a second dipole radiator that includes a third dipole arm and a fourth dipole arm and first through fourth electromagnetic bandgap structures that are coupled to distal end portions of the respective first through fourth dipole arms.

Abstract: An antenna includes a radiating element on a forward-facing surface of an underlying reflector, and a lens extending in front of and within a radio frequency (RF) transmission path of the radiating element. The lens includes a two-dimensional array of lens elements having at least three rows and at least three columns therein. The array includes: a first row of equivalently-sized lens elements having geometric centers that are collinear with each other, a last row of equivalently-sized lens elements having geometric centers that are collinear with each other, and an intermediate row of lens elements having geometric centers that are collinear with each other. Each of the lens elements in the intermediate row includes a respective forward-facing metal surface having a respective metal opening therein.

Abstract: An antenna assembly includes a backplane and a polymer substrate mounted over the backplane to define an air gap there-between. The polymer substrate supports radiating elements comprising a polymer-based waveguide feed stalk and a polymer-based pair of radiating arms supported by and electrically coupled to the waveguide feed stalk. A conductive layer is formed on the polymer substrate such that the conductive layer faces the backplane. A phase shifter including a movable element such as a dielectric member or trombone member may be positioned in the air gap for adjusting the phase of a radiating element or a phase shifter assembly may be positioned to the back side of the back plane.

Abstract: An RF lens comprises a multilayer printed circuit board that comprises a plurality of dielectric layers and a plurality of metallization layers that are alternatingly stacked, the plurality of metallization layers including at least a first metallization layer and a second metallization layer. Each metallization layer comprises a plurality of meta-structures. The meta-structures are arranged to form a step approximation of a Luneburg lens in at least one direction.

Abstract: A sector-splitting base station antenna includes a plurality of RF ports, a plurality of columns of radiating elements, a first beamforming network that is coupled between a first subset of the RF ports and a first antenna array that comprises a first subset of the columns of radiating elements, and a second beamforming network that is coupled between a second subset of the RF ports and a second antenna array that comprises a second subset of the columns of radiating elements. The first beamforming network and the first antenna array are configured to generate a first plurality of antenna beams that provide coverage to a first side of a sector of a cell of a cellular communications system but not to a second side of the sector, and the second beamforming network and the second antenna array are configured to generate a second plurality of antenna beams that provide coverage to the second side of the sector but not to the first side of the sector.

Abstract: Base station antennas include a main module that has a first backplane that includes a first reflector. A vertically-extending array of first radiating elements is mounted to extend forwardly from the first reflector, and at least one first RF port is coupled to the vertically-extending array of first radiating elements. These antennas further include a sub-module that is attached to the first backplane. The sub-module includes a second backplane that has a second reflector that is separate from the first reflector. A vertically-extending array of second radiating elements is mounted to extend forwardly from the second reflector and is transversely spaced-apart from the vertically-extending array of first radiating elements. A plurality of second RF ports are coupled to the vertically-extending array of second radiating elements. The vertically-extending array of first radiating elements and the vertically-extending array of second radiating elements are configured to serve a common sector of a base station.

Abstract: An antenna includes a radiating element on a forward-facing surface of an underlying reflector, and a multi-element planar broadband lens in front of and within a radio frequency (RF) transmission path of the radiating element. The broadband lens includes first lens elements having first RF characteristics and second lens elements having second RF characteristics, which are different from the first RF characteristics. The first lens elements are arranged as a plurality of the first lens elements, which are encircled by an array of the second lens elements. Each of the first lens elements includes a first LC circuit, and each of the second LC circuits includes a second LC circuit with a smaller inductance relative to the first LC circuit.

Abstract: Base station antennas include a first RF port having a plurality of first radiating elements coupled thereto that form a first array and a second RF port having a plurality of second radiating elements coupled thereto that form a second array. At least some of the first radiating elements are arranged as a plurality of vertically-stacked triangular arrangements of first radiating elements and at least some of the second radiating elements are arranged as a plurality of vertically-stacked triangular arrangements of second radiating elements. One of the first radiating elements i a first of the triangular arrangements of first radiating elements is positioned in between two of the second radiating elements in a first of the triangular arrangements of second radiating elements.

Abstract: An antenna includes a cross-polarized feed signal network configured to convert first and second radio frequency (RF) input feed signals to first and second pairs of cross-polarized feed signals at respective first and second pairs of feed signal output ports. A feed signal pedestal is provided, which is electrically coupled to the first and second pairs of feed signal output ports, and a patch radiating element is provided, which is electrically coupled by the feed signal pedestal to the first and second pairs of feed signal output ports. This patch radiating element may be capacitively coupled to first and second pairs of feed signal lines on the feed signal pedestal, which are electrically connected to the first and second pairs of feed signal output ports.

Abstract: A base station antenna includes a reflector, a first radiating element that extends forwardly from the reflector and that is configured to operate in a first frequency band, and a second radiating element that extends forwardly from the reflector and that is configured to operate in a second frequency band that is different from the first frequency band. The first radiating element comprises a first dipole radiator that has first and second dipole arms, a second dipole radiator that has third and fourth dipole arms, a first dielectric block positioned adjacent the first dipole arm, and a first metal pattern positioned between the first dielectric block and the reflector.

Abstract: Base station antennas include a main module that has a first backplane that includes a first reflector. A vertically-extending array of first radiating elements is mounted to extend forwardly from the first reflector, and at least one first RF port is coupled to the vertically-extending array of first radiating elements. These antennas further include a sub-module that is attached to the first backplane. The sub-module includes a second backplane that has a second reflector that is separate from the first reflector. A vertically-extending array of second radiating elements is mounted to extend forwardly from the second reflector and is transversely spaced-apart from the vertically-extending array of first radiating elements. A plurality of second RF ports are coupled to the vertically-extending array of second radiating elements. The vertically-extending array of first radiating elements and the vertically-extending array of second radiating elements are configured to serve a common sector of a base station.

Abstract: A base station antenna includes a reflector assembly having at least first through third panels that are angled with respect to each other, first and second feed board PCBs that are mounted outwardly of the respective first panels of the reflector assembly, the first and second feed board PCBs including respective first and second RF transmission lines, and a feed line PCB having a third RF transmission line that connects directly to the first RF transmission line via a first tab-through-PCB connection and a fourth RF transmission line that connects directly to the second RF transmission line via a second tab-through-PCB connection.

Abstract: A base station antenna includes first and second RF ports, a first array of radiating elements that are configured to transmit and receive RF signals in a first operating frequency band, where each of the radiating elements in the first array is coupled to the first RF port, and a second array of radiating elements that are configured to transmit and receive RF signals in a second (higher) operating frequency band, where each of the radiating elements in the second array is coupled to the second RF port. A first of the radiating elements in the first array includes a first dipole radiator that has a center-fed first dipole arm that comprises a first conductor, where at least a first portion of the first conductor has a helix-shape.

Abstract: Active antenna units and/or base station antennas are provided that include a reflector body with heat dissipation structures that can be directly exposed to environmental conditions during use. The heat dissipation structures have frequency selective surfaces and can be formed of sheet metal or provided as separate extruded or die cast members that can be coupled to the reflector body.

Abstract: A cross-dipole radiating element includes first and second polymer-based coplanar waveguide feed stalks, and first and second pairs of polymer-based radiating arms, which are supported by and electrically coupled to the first and second coplanar waveguide feed stalks. These polymer-based feed stalks and radiating arms are configured as a unitary polymer substrate, which is selectively metallized to define a cross-dipole radiating element. The first and second feed stalks may be configured as finite grounded coplanar waveguide (GCPW) feed stalks, which are spaced-apart from each other on an underlying polymer base. The unitary polymer substrate may include the polymer base.

Abstract: Antennas are provided. An antenna includes an antenna array having a plurality of sub-arrays that each include a plurality of radiating elements. Moreover, the antenna includes a multi-stage beamforming network having a first stage including a plurality of first Butler matrices and a second stage including a plurality of second Butler matrices that are coupled between the first Butler matrices and the sub-arrays. The first Butler matrices are each coupled to each of the second Butler matrices. The second Butler matrices are coupled to the sub-arrays, respectively, without any cables between the second Butler matrices and the sub-arrays.

Abstract: Base station antennas comprise a multi-column, multiband beamforming array that includes a first sub-array of first radiating elements, a second sub-array of second radiating elements and a third sub-array of third radiating elements. The first radiating elements are configured to operate in a first frequency band, the second radiating elements are configured to operate in a second frequency band, and the third radiating elements are configured to operate in both the first frequency band and the second frequency band. Each of the first through third sub-arrays has the same number of columns. A width of the first sub-array exceeds a width of the third sub-array, and a width of the third sub-array exceeds a width of the second sub-array.

Abstract: Radiating elements include a first and second dipole arms that extend along a first axis and that are configured to transmit RF signals in a first frequency band. The first dipole arm is configured to be more transparent to RF signals in a second frequency band than it is to RF signals in a third frequency band, and the second dipole arm is configured to be more transparent to RF signals in the third frequency band than it is to RF signals in the second frequency band. Related base station antennas are also provided.

Abstract: Radiating elements include a first dipole radiator that extends along a first axis, the first dipole radiator including a first pair of dipole arms that are configured to resonate at a first frequency and a second pair of dipole arms that are configured to resonate at a second frequency that is different than the first frequency. Each dipole arm in the first pair of dipole arms comprises a plurality of widened sections that are connected by intervening narrowed sections.

Abstract: A sector-splitting base station antenna includes a plurality of RF ports, a plurality of columns of radiating elements, a first beamforming network that is coupled between a first subset of the RF ports and a first antenna array that comprises a first subset of the columns of radiating elements, and a second beamforming network that is coupled between a second subset of the RF ports and a second antenna array that comprises a second subset of the columns of radiating elements. The first beamforming network and the first antenna array are configured to generate a first plurality of antenna beams that provide coverage to a first side of a sector of a cell of a cellular communications system but not to a second side of the sector, and the second beamforming network and the second antenna array are configured to generate a second plurality of antenna beams that provide coverage to the second side of the sector but not to the first side of the sector.