Abstract: An antenna system adapted to provide antenna beams having various characteristics, such as various beam widths and/or different orientations, is disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, the antenna system is adapted to provide forward link signals in wide antenna beams while providing reverse link signals in narrow antenna beams. In the preferred embodiment multiple forward link wide beams are provided to allow uniform radiation of forward link signals throughout a desired area, such as a sector of a cell, while multiple non-overlapping narrow antenna beams are provided in the reverse link. In the preferred embodiment passive or parasitic antenna elements are utilized in the antenna array to provide symmetric current distribution in the antenna array to provide multiple beams having uniform characteristics.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing antenna beams having reduced grating and side lobes when steered off of the antenna broadside are disclosed. According to the present invention an arrangement of antenna elements suitable for use in generating antenna beams steered at greater angles off of the antenna broadside is utilized with a beam feed network consistent with the antenna beams being steered at the greater angles and reduced antenna element spacing to provide the reduced grating and side lobes. A preferred embodiment utilizes a 2n+1 Butler matrix coupled to 2n+1 antenna columns spaced according to the present invention to provide 2n antenna beams.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for avoiding nulls in a composite radiation pattern synthesized from a plurality of antenna beams. The disclosed invention teaches the use of delays in the signal paths associated with ones of the antenna beams utilized to synthesize the desired radiation pattern in order to avoid destructive combining of the signals. In a preferred embodiment delays are introduced in each antenna beam signal having a common attribute such as a common phase center. Accordingly, a minimum number of phase differential boundaries are introduced in order that certain communications, such as CDMA, are not adversely affected.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for providing calibration of the phase relationships of signals simulcast from a transmission system. In a preferred embodiment, a calibration signal is introduced into the transmission system and provided to various antenna elements. Samples of the calibration signal are taken at a point very near the antenna elements so as to sample phase shifts introduced by the transmission system. The signals of sets of the antenna elements are combined after sampling for transmission down the antenna mast to the active circuitry of the present invention. Accordingly, the present invention operates to selectively energize antenna elements of the sets so as to provide a single calibration signal down the combined signal path. Through reference to sampled signals one at a time, the present invention determines a necessary phase adjustment to result in the desired phase relationship of the signals at the antenna elements.