Abstract: A method of calibrating a transmitter chain in a phased array system in which a lower guard band is assigned to a lower side of an operating carrier of a communication channel and an upper guard band is assigned an upper side of the operating carrier includes injecting a first calibration tone into the transmitter chain and detecting its arrival at the end of the transmitter chain, at which point a first detected calibration signal is generated. The first detected calibration signal and the injected first calibration tone are then compared to produce a first comparison signal. The transmitter chain's phase and/or gain is then adjusted based on this first comparison signal. The first calibration tone located within one of the lower and upper guard bands of the communication channel of the transmitter chain.

Abstract: A method of calibrating a transmitter chain in a phased array system in which a lower guard band is assigned to a lower side of an operating carrier of a communication channel and an upper guard band is assigned an upper side of the operating carrier includes injecting a first calibration tone into the transmitter chain and detecting its arrival at the end of the transmitter chain, at which point a first detected calibration signal is generated. The first detected calibration signal and the injected first calibration tone are then compared to produce a first comparison signal. The transmitter chain's phase and/or gain is then adjusted based on this first comparison signal. The first calibration tone located within one of the lower and upper guard bands of the communication channel of the transmitter chain.

Abstract: A method employing an array of antenna elements and a plurality of transceivers, each including (1) a transmitter chain; (2) a receiver chain; and (3) a duplexer having an input electrically connected to the transmitter chain, an output electrically connected to the receiver chain, and a duplexed port electrically connected to a different antenna element, the method involving: identifying among the plurality of transceivers a first and second subsets of transceivers such that together the first and second subsets of transceivers constitute all of the transceivers among the plurality of transceivers; for each transceiver within the first subset of transceivers, but not for the transceivers within the second subset of transceivers, introducing a ? degree phase shift between the duplexed port of the duplexer and the antenna element to which the duplexed port is electrically connected, wherein ?=?(2n+1)90°, and wherein n is an integer.

Abstract: A method of using a phased array antenna system to communicate with a mobile user equipment (UE), the method involving: repeatedly switching between a downlink (DL) transmission time period and an uplink (UL) transmission time period; during the DL transmission time period, simultaneously generating a DL transmit beam and a DL receive beam, wherein the DL transmit beam during the DL transmission time periods has a first DL transmit beam pattern; and during the UL transmission time period, simultaneously generating a DL transmit beam and a DL receive beam, wherein the DL transmit beam during the UL transmission time period has a second DL transmit beam pattern and wherein the second DL transmit beam pattern during the UL transmission time period is different from the first DL transmit beam pattern during the DL transmission time period.

Abstract: A method employing an array of antenna elements and a plurality of transceivers, each including (1) a transmitter chain; (2) a receiver chain; and (3) a duplexer having an input electrically connected to the transmitter chain, an output electrically connected to the receiver chain, and a duplexed port electrically connected to a different antenna element, the method involving: identifying among the plurality of transceivers a first and second subsets of transceivers such that together the first and second subsets of transceivers constitute all of the transceivers among the plurality of transceivers; for each transceiver within the first subset of transceivers, but not for the transceivers within the second subset of transceivers, introducing a ? degree phase shift between the duplexed port of the duplexer and the antenna element to which the duplexed port is electrically connected, wherein ?=?(2n+1)90°, and wherein n is an integer.

Abstract: A method involving an antenna array for wirelessly transmitting information carried by a source signal stream that includes a plurality of individual transmit signal streams, the method involving: mapping the plurality of transmit signal streams to a plurality of individual beam signal streams, wherein at least one of the beam signal streams of the plurality of beam signal streams is a combination of multiple transmit signal streams of the plurality of transmit signal streams; using the antenna array to generate a plurality of transmit beams; and sending each beam signal stream of the plurality of beam signal streams over a different transmit beam of the plurality of transmit beams.

Abstract: A method of providing cellular coverage involving: using an antenna system including S 2-dimensional, downward tilting phased array panels arranged about a common vertical axis, wherein with the S panels are organized into a plurality of groups, each of which includes L adjacent panels; generating a first plurality of narrow beams covering a first plurality of cells forming an outer ring of cellular coverage; and generating a second plurality of narrow beams covering a second plurality of cells forming an inner ring of coverage, wherein generating the first plurality of narrow beams involves, with each panel, generating N narrow beams of the first plurality of narrow beams; and wherein generating the second plurality of narrow beams involves, with each group of panels, generating M narrow beams of the second plurality of narrow beams.

Abstract: A method of using a phased array antenna system to communicate with a mobile user equipment (UE), the method involving: repeatedly switching between a downlink (DL) transmission time period and an uplink (UL) transmission time period; during the DL transmission time period, simultaneously generating a DL transmit beam and a DL receive beam, wherein the DL transmit beam during the DL transmission time periods has a first DL transmit beam pattern; and during the UL transmission time period, simultaneously generating a DL transmit beam and a DL receive beam, wherein the DL transmit beam during the UL transmission time period has a second DL transmit beam pattern and wherein the second DL transmit beam pattern during the UL transmission time period is different from the first DL transmit beam pattern during the DL transmission time period.

Abstract: A method of providing cellular coverage involving: using an antenna system including S 2-dimensional, downward tilting phased array panels arranged about a common vertical axis, wherein with the S panels are organized into a plurality of groups, each of which includes L adjacent panels; generating a first plurality of narrow beams covering a first plurality of cells forming an outer ring of cellular coverage; and generating a second plurality of narrow beams covering a second plurality of cells forming an inner ring of coverage, wherein generating the first plurality of narrow beams involves, with each panel, generating N narrow beams of the first plurality of narrow beams; and wherein generating the second plurality of narrow beams involves, with each group of panels, generating M narrow beams of the second plurality of narrow beams.

Abstract: A method of testing a phased array antenna that includes a plurality of antenna element pairs, each antenna element pair of the plurality of antenna element pairs including a first antenna element and a second antenna element, the method including: for each antenna element pair of the plurality of antenna element pairs, performing a first cross element gain measurement from the first antenna element to the second antenna element of that antenna element pair; and determining whether there is a problem associated with the phased array antenna by examining the first cross element gain measurements for the plurality of antenna element pairs.

Abstract: A method of testing a phased array antenna that includes a plurality of antenna element pairs, each antenna element pair of the plurality of antenna element pairs including a first antenna element and a second antenna element, the method including: for each antenna element pair of the plurality of antenna element pairs, performing a first cross element gain measurement from the first antenna element to the second antenna element of that antenna element pair; and determining whether there is a problem associated with the phased array antenna by examining the first cross element gain measurements for the plurality of antenna element pairs.

Abstract: A method of testing a phased array antenna that includes a plurality of antenna element pairs, each antenna element pair of the plurality of antenna element pairs including a first antenna element and a second antenna element, the method including: for each antenna element pair of the plurality of antenna element pairs, performing a first cross element gain measurement from the first antenna element to the second antenna element of that antenna element pair; and determining whether there is a problem associated with the phased array antenna by examining the first cross element gain measurements for the plurality of antenna element pairs.

Abstract: A method of testing a phased array antenna that includes a plurality of antenna element pairs, each antenna element pair of the plurality of antenna element pairs including a first antenna element and a second antenna element, the method including: for each antenna element pair of the plurality of antenna element pairs, performing a first cross element gain measurement from the first antenna element to the second antenna element of that antenna element pair; and determining whether there is a problem associated with the phased array antenna by examining the first cross element gain measurements for the plurality of antenna element pairs.

Abstract: A method involving providing a phased array antenna system having M antenna element pairs, each antenna element pair including a vertically oriented antenna element and a horizontally oriented antenna element; and with the phased array antenna system, generating n cross-polarized beams Bj, where j=1 . . . n, each cross-polarized beam Bj having either a +45° polarization or a ?45° polarization, wherein generating each cross-polarized beam Bj involves: with the vertically polarized antenna elements of Nj antenna element pairs among the M antenna element pairs, generating a vertically polarized beam BVj; and with the horizontally polarized antenna elements of the Nj antenna element pairs, generating a horizontally polarized beam BHj, wherein the vertically polarized beam BVj and the horizontally polarized beam BHj are identically shaped and directed and wherein a superposition of the beams BVj and BHj produces the cross-polarized beam Bj.

Abstract: A method involving an antenna array for wirelessly transmitting information carried by a source signal stream that includes a plurality of individual transmit signal streams, the method involving: mapping the plurality of transmit signal streams to a plurality of individual beam signal streams, wherein at least one of the beam signal streams of the plurality of beam signal streams is a combination of multiple transmit signal streams of the plurality of transmit signal streams; using the antenna array to generate a plurality of transmit beams; and sending each beam signal stream of the plurality of beam signal streams over a different transmit beam of the plurality of transmit beams.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed which accurately measures, over a wide ambient temperature range, the average power derived from an electrical signal. Furthermore, embodiments of the present invention can be fabricated with inexpensive, off-the-shelf components and can have excellent circuit characteristics at RF frequencies. These results are obtained in an illustrative embodiment of the present invention that comprises a first thermal detector, a second thermal detector, an error amplifier and a summer. The first thermal detector provides a reference signal, which varies with the ambient temperature, to the error amplifier. The summer receives the signal to be measured and the signal output from the error amplifier, and outputs to the second thermal detector a composite signal, which is indicative of the sum of the power derived from input signal and the output signal from the error amplifier.