Abstract: Twin-beam base station antennas are provided. A twin-beam base station antenna includes a plurality of radiating elements. The twin-beam base station antenna includes a power divider. Moreover, the twin-beam base station antenna includes a hybrid coupler that is coupled between the power divider and some, but not all, of the radiating elements. Related methods of operating twin-beam base station antennas are also provided.

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: A phase shifter, which may include an input port configured to receive a radio frequency (RF) signal. The phase shifter may include a first conductive trace that is electrically connected to a first output port. The first output port may be configured to output a first phase-shifted sub-component of the RF signal. The phase shifter may include a wiper configured to couple the input port to the first conductive trace. The wiper may include a first conductive pad adapted to slide on the first conductive trace. The first conductive trace may include a first metal trace that has a plurality of slits formed therein where the metal is omitted. Each slit may include an enlarged portion formed along a length thereof. The enlarged portion of at least some of the slits may be formed at a tip end of the slit and/or at a middle of the length of the slit.

Abstract: A hybrid coupler is disclosed. The hybrid coupler comprises a printed circuit board having a first metallization layer and a second metallization layer arranged below the first metallization layer. The first metallization layer comprises at least two input ports and at least two output ports. The hybrid coupler further comprises a plurality of couplers coupled adjacent to each other on the first metallization layer. Each coupler of the plurality of couplers comprises transmission traces electrically coupled with the transmission traces of an adjacent coupler and the transmission traces of the plurality of couplers extend between the input ports and the output ports of the first metallization layer. The hybrid coupler furthermore comprises a defective ground structure having a pre-defined shape defined in the second metallization layer below each coupling junction formed between the transmission traces of the plurality of couplers.

Abstract: Twin-beam base station antennas are provided. A twin-beam base station antenna includes a plurality of vertical columns of radiating elements that are configured to transmit radio frequency signals in a frequency band. The radiating elements have bent metal radiator arms including tip portions that face respective center axes of the radiating elements.

Abstract: Base station antennas are provided. A base station antenna includes a first array of radiating elements and a second array of radiating elements that is interleaved with the first array. Each of the first and second arrays has a plurality of non-rectangular sub-arrays that include radiating elements in one or more outer columns and radiating elements in an inner column that is between the first and second outer columns.

Abstract: Base station antennas are provided. A base station antenna includes a reflector having a first surface and a second surface that is opposite the first surface. The antenna includes first and second feed boards having first and second integrated beamforming networks, respectively, on the first surface of the reflector. The antenna includes a first plurality of high-band radiating elements that extend forward from the first feed board. The antenna includes a second plurality of high-band radiating elements that extend forward from the second feed board. Moreover, the antenna includes a plurality of low-band radiating elements on the first surface of the reflector.

Abstract: A base station antenna includes a calibration circuit that has a plurality of pairs of directional couplers and an antenna array that includes a plurality of columns of radiating elements. The first polarization radiators of the radiating elements in each column are electrically connected to a first directional coupler of a respective one of the pairs, and the second polarization radiators of the radiating elements in the column are electrically connected to a second directional coupler of the respective one of the pairs. The directional couplers may be arranged in a manner that reduces in-column coupling and/or that reduces cross-column coupling between adjacent columns of radiating elements.

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: A dipole antenna includes a reflector, a radiating element, and a feed element. The radiating element includes first and second dipoles above a surface of the reflector. The first and second dipoles respectively include arm segments and are arranged in a crossed dipole arrangement. The feed element includes first and second conductive transmission lines that are electrically isolated from one another and are capacitively coupled to the arm segments of the first and second dipoles, respectively. The arm segments of the first and second dipoles are between the feed element and the surface of the reflector.

Abstract: Base station antenna calibration boards are provided. A base station antenna calibration board includes directional couplers and radio frequency (RF) transmission lines that are coupled to the directional couplers, respectively. Moreover, a first pair of the directional couplers has a coupler section that is between and coupled to a first pair of the RF transmission lines and that has a non-rectangular interior shape. Related base station antennas are also provided.

Abstract: In order to reduce large sidelobes that may result from using a base station antenna with increased electronic downtilt, base station antennas according to the present disclosure may have a plurality of modules in which the columns of radiating elements of at least one of the modules are staggered or offset with respect to each other. For example, a multi-beam cellular antenna may include an antenna array having a plurality of modules, each module comprising at least three columns of radiating elements each having first polarization radiators, wherein the columns of radiating elements of at least one of the modules are staggered with respect to each other; and an antenna feed network configured to couple at least a first input signal and a second input signal to each first polarization radiator of each of the radiating elements included in a first of the plurality of modules.

Abstract: A dipole antenna includes a reflector, a radiating element, and a feed element. The radiating element includes first and second dipoles above a surface of the reflector. The first and second dipoles respectively include arm segments and are arranged in a crossed dipole arrangement. The feed element includes first and second conductive transmission lines that are electrically isolated from one another and are capacitively coupled to the arm segments of the first and second dipoles, respectively. The arm segments of the first and second dipoles are between the feed element and the surface of the reflector.

Abstract: A lensed base station antenna includes a first array that includes a plurality of radiating elements that are configured to transmit respective sub-components of a first RF signal, a second array that includes a plurality of radiating elements that are configured to transmit respective sub-components of a second RF signal and a skeletal RF lens positioned to receive electromagnetic radiation from a first of the radiating elements of the first array and from a first of the radiating elements of the second array. In some embodiments, the skeletal RF lens includes a plurality of layers of dielectric material that are separated by air gaps.

Abstract: A cross-dipole radiating element includes a first antenna element that includes a first stalk and a first dipole arm and a second antenna element that includes a second stalk and a second dipole arm. The first dipole arm includes an inner dipole segment that extends along a first longitudinal axis and an outer dipole segment that extends along a different second longitudinal axis, and the second dipole arm includes an inner dipole segment that extends along a third longitudinal axis and an outer dipole segment that extends along a different fourth longitudinal axis. A distal end of the inner dipole segment of the first dipole arm merges with a base of the outer dipole segment of the first dipole arm, and a distal end of the inner dipole segment of the second dipole arm merges with a base of the outer dipole segment of the second dipole arm.

Abstract: A cross-dipole radiating element includes a first dipole radiator that has a first dipole arm assembly that includes a first stalk and a first dipole arm that extends from the first stalk and a second dipole arm assembly that includes a second stalk and a second dipole arm that extends from the second stalk, as well as a second dipole radiator that has a third dipole arm assembly that includes a third stalk and a third dipole arm that extends from the third stalk and a fourth dipole arm assembly that includes a fourth stalk and a fourth dipole arm that extends from the fourth stalk. The first and second stalks form a first microstrip transmission line and the third and fourth stalks form a second microstrip transmission line. The first and second microstrip transmission lines directly feed the respective first and second dipole radiators.

Abstract: A lensed base station antenna includes a first array that includes a plurality of radiating elements that are configured to transmit respective sub-components of a first RF signal, a second array that includes a plurality of radiating elements that are configured to transmit respective sub-components of a second RF signal and a skeletal RF lens positioned to receive electromagnetic radiation from a first of the radiating elements of the first array and from a first of the radiating elements of the second array. In some embodiments, the skeletal RF lens includes a plurality of layers of dielectric material that are separated by air gaps.

Abstract: A cross-dipole radiating element includes a first dipole radiator that has a first dipole arm assembly that includes a first stalk and a first dipole arm that extends from the first stalk and a second dipole arm assembly that includes a second stalk and a second dipole arm that extends from the second stalk, as well as a second dipole radiator that has a third dipole arm assembly that includes a third stalk and a third dipole arm that extends from the third stalk and a fourth dipole arm assembly that includes a fourth stalk and a fourth dipole arm that extends from the fourth stalk. The first and second stalks form a first microstrip transmission line and the third and fourth stalks form a second microstrip transmission line. The first and second microstrip transmission lines directly feed the respective first and second dipole radiators.

Abstract: In order to reduce large sidelobes that may result from using a base station antenna with increased electronic downtilt, base station antennas according to the present disclosure may have a plurality of modules in which the columns of radiating elements of at least one of the modules are staggered or offset with respect to each other. For example, a multi-beam cellular antenna may include an antenna array having a plurality of modules, each module comprising at least three columns of radiating elements each having first polarization radiators, wherein the columns of radiating elements of at least one of the modules are staggered with respect to each other; and an antenna feed network configured to couple at least a first input signal and a second input signal to each first polarization radiator of each of the radiating elements included in a first of the plurality of modules.

Abstract: Multiband base station antennas include first and second arrays. The first array has a plurality of radiating elements that are arranged in a plurality of columns and rows, where both an uppermost and a lowermost of the rows of the first array include a first number of radiating elements, and at least one of the other rows of the first array includes a second, larger number of radiating elements. The second array includes a plurality of radiating elements that are vertically offset from each other. At least one of the radiating elements in the uppermost of the rows of the first array is not vertically aligned with any of the radiating elements in the lowermost of the rows of the first array.