Patents by Inventor Martin L. Zimmerman

Martin L. Zimmerman has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20200243951
    Abstract: A base station antenna includes a first reflector structure that extends along a first longitudinal axis, the first reflector structure having a first transverse cross-section, a second reflector structure that extends along a second longitudinal axis, the second reflector structure having a second transverse cross-section that is different from the first transverse cross-section, and the second reflector structure extending above the first reflector structure, a first array of first frequency band radiating elements that are mounted to extend outwardly from the first reflector structure, a second array of second frequency band radiating elements that are mounted to extend outwardly from the second reflector structure, the first frequency band being non-overlapping with the second frequency band, and a radome that extends around the first reflector structure and the second reflector structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2020
    Publication date: July 30, 2020
    Inventors: Maosheng Liu, Rui An, Martin L. Zimmerman, Peter J. Bisiules, ZhaoHui Liu, Ruixin Su, Puliang Tang
  • Patent number: 10714808
    Abstract: A tilt adapter configured to facilitate a desired tilt of a first radio frequency (RF) band and a second RF band of an antenna is disclosed. The antenna supports two or more frequency bands, in which the vertical tilt of each of the supported frequency bands is separately controlled by a coarse level of phase shifting, but commonly controlled by a fine level of phase shifting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: Commscope Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Guomin Ding, Martin L. Zimmerman
  • Publication number: 20200162141
    Abstract: A small cell cellular base station includes an eight port radio and an eight-port base station antenna that has four linear arrays of dual-polarized radiating elements. Each of the linear arrays has a different azimuth boresight pointing direction and each dual-polarized radiating element includes first and second radiators that have respective directional radiation patterns. The radio is configured to determine and apply a first set of amplitude and phase weights to RF signals that are received through the eight ports of the antenna, and to apply a second set of amplitude and phase weights to RF signals that are output by the radio to the eight ports of the antenna.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2019
    Publication date: May 21, 2020
    Inventor: Martin L. Zimmerman
  • Publication number: 20200144701
    Abstract: A base station antenna includes a reflector having a plurality of pairs of opposed faces, a connector port, a plurality of radiating elements mounted to extend outwardly from the respective faces of the reflector, where each of the radiating elements is coupled to the connector port, and a plurality of RF lenses, each RF lens mounted outwardly of a respective one of the radiating elements and associated with the respective radiating element. The number of radiating elements coupled to the connector port is equal to the number of faces on the reflector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2019
    Publication date: May 7, 2020
    Inventor: Martin L. Zimmerman
  • Publication number: 20200136689
    Abstract: A base station antenna includes a first set of radiating elements that are configured to generate a first antenna beam that has a first peanut-shaped antenna pattern in an azimuth plane and a second set of radiating elements that are configured to generate a second antenna beam that has a second peanut-shaped antenna pattern in the azimuth plane. A longitudinal axis of the first peanut-shaped antenna pattern in the azimuth plane is rotated approximately ninety degrees from a longitudinal axis of the second peanut-shaped antenna pattern in the azimuth plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2019
    Publication date: April 30, 2020
    Inventors: Peter J. Bisiules, Martin L. Zimmerman
  • Patent number: 10587034
    Abstract: A base station antenna includes a radiating element that extends forwardly from a backplane and that is configured to transmit and receive signals in the 5.15-5.25 GHz frequency band and a radio frequency lens that is mounted forwardly of the radiating element. The RF lens is configured to re-direct a portion of an RF signal emitted by the radiating element downwardly so that a first peak emission of RF energy through a combination of the radiating element and the RF lens at elevation angles that are greater than 30° from a boresight pointing direction of the radiating element is less than a second peak emission of RF energy through the combination of the radiating element and the RF lens at elevation angles that are less than ?30° from the boresight pointing direction of the radiating element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: CommScope Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Martin L. Zimmerman, Peter J. Bisiules, Hangsheng Wen, Zhiqing Zheng
  • Publication number: 20200076079
    Abstract: A dipole antenna includes a planar reflector and a radiating element. The radiating element includes first and second pairs of dipoles on a surface of the planar reflector. The first and second pairs of dipoles respectively include arm segments arranged around a central region in a box dipole arrangement. The arm segments may be printed circuit board portions having respective metal segments and respective inductor-capacitor circuits thereon. The inductor-capacitor circuits define a filter aligned to a frequency range higher than an operating frequency range of the first and second pairs of dipoles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2018
    Publication date: March 5, 2020
    Inventors: Long Shan, Jinchun He, YueMin Li, Yunzhe Li, Martin L. Zimmerman
  • Publication number: 20200044345
    Abstract: Base station antennas include a plurality of multiplexer filters and a multi-column array of radiating elements that includes a plurality of sub-arrays. Each filter may have a first and second ports that are configured to pass RF signals in respective first and second frequency bands and a third common port that is coupled to a respective one of a plurality of sub-arrays. These antennas also include first frequency band ports that are coupled to the first ports of respective subsets of the multiplexer filters and second frequency band ports that are coupled to the second ports of at least some of the multiplexer filters. The antenna may operate as a MIMO sector antenna in the first frequency band and as a sector-splitting antenna in the second frequency band.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2019
    Publication date: February 6, 2020
    Inventor: Martin L. Zimmerman
  • Patent number: 10530440
    Abstract: A base station antenna includes a first set of radiating elements that are configured to generate a first antenna beam that has a first peanut-shaped antenna pattern in an azimuth plane and a second set of radiating elements that are configured to generate a second antenna beam that has a second peanut-shaped antenna pattern in the azimuth plane. A longitudinal axis of the first peanut-shaped antenna pattern in the azimuth plane is rotated approximately ninety degrees from a longitudinal axis of the second peanut-shaped antenna pattern in the azimuth plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: CommScope Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Peter J. Bisiules, Martin L. Zimmerman
  • Patent number: 10505609
    Abstract: A small cell cellular base station includes an eight port radio and an eight-port base station antenna that has four linear arrays of dual-polarized radiating elements. Each of the linear arrays has a different azimuth boresight pointing direction and each dual-polarized radiating element includes first and second radiators that have respective directional radiation patterns. The radio is configured to determine and apply a first set of amplitude and phase weights to RF signals that are received through the eight ports of the antenna, and to apply a second set of amplitude and phase weights to RF signals that are output by the radio to the eight ports of the antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: CommScope Technologies LLC
    Inventor: Martin L. Zimmerman
  • Publication number: 20190334636
    Abstract: A base station antenna includes a backplane and a plurality of radiating elements that extend forwardly from the backplane. The antenna further includes a plurality of feed boards, and each of the feed boards has a respective group of one or more of the radiating elements mounted thereon. The antenna also includes a calibration port and a calibration circuit that has a calibration combiner that has an output that is coupled to the calibration port and a plurality of directional couplers that are coupled to the calibration combiner. At least a first portion of a first of the first directional couplers is implemented on a first of the feed boards.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2019
    Publication date: October 31, 2019
    Inventors: Hong Hui Li, Martin L. Zimmerman, Bo Wu, Ligang Wu
  • Publication number: 20190326662
    Abstract: A base station antenna (BSA) system includes a radio-frequency (RF) generator having a plurality of power-amplifying circuits therein, and an antenna, which includes a plurality of columns of radiating elements. These radiating elements are electrically coupled by RF signal routing to a corresponding plurality of ports of the antenna that receive a corresponding plurality of RF input signals. These RF input signals have respective amplitudes and phases that support the concurrent generation of three spaced-apart RF beams by the antenna and are derived from respective RF signals generated by the plurality of power-amplifying circuits. The RF input signals including: (i) a first RF input signal defined by at least two linearly superposed RF signals of equivalent frequency having unequal combinations of amplitude and phase weighting, and (ii) a second RF input signal defined by at least two linearly superposed RF signals of equivalent frequency having unequal combinations of amplitude and phase weighting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2019
    Publication date: October 24, 2019
    Inventors: Martin L. Zimmerman, Björn Lindmark
  • Publication number: 20190103660
    Abstract: A base station antenna includes a radiating element that extends forwardly from a backplane and that is configured to transmit and receive signals in the 5.15-5.25 GHz frequency band and a radio frequency lens that is mounted forwardly of the radiating element. The RF lens is configured to re-direct a portion of an RF signal emitted by the radiating element downwardly so that a first peak emission of RF energy through a combination of the radiating element and the RF lens at elevation angles that are greater than 30° from a boresight pointing direction of the radiating element is less than a second peak emission of RF energy through the combination of the radiating element and the RF lens at elevation angles that are less than ?30° from the boresight pointing direction of the radiating element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2018
    Publication date: April 4, 2019
    Inventors: Martin L. Zimmerman, Peter J. Bisiules, Hangsheng Wen, Zhiqing Zheng
  • Publication number: 20190074602
    Abstract: A multi-band antenna system includes an array of wide-band radiating elements and a multi-band electrical tilt circuit. The multi-band electrical tilt circuit includes a plurality of combiners, a first RF band variable phase shifter and a second RF band variable phase shifter implemented in a common medium. The common medium may comprise a PCB, a stripline circuit, or the like. Each combiner includes a combined port, a first RF band port, and a second RF band port. The combined ports are coupled to the radiating elements. The first RF band phase shifter has a first plurality of variably phase shifted ports connected to the first RF band ports of the combiners via transmission line, and the second RF band phase shifter has a second plurality of variably phase-shifted ports connected to the second RF band ports of the combiners via transmission line. The phase shifters are independently configurable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2018
    Publication date: March 7, 2019
    Inventors: Morgan C. Kurk, Martin L. Zimmerman
  • Publication number: 20190028159
    Abstract: A base station antenna includes a first set of radiating elements that are configured to generate a first antenna beam that has a first peanut-shaped antenna pattern in an azimuth plane and a second set of radiating elements that are configured to generate a second antenna beam that has a second peanut-shaped antenna pattern in the azimuth plane. A longitudinal axis of the first peanut-shaped antenna pattern in the azimuth plane is rotated approximately ninety degrees from a longitudinal axis of the second peanut-shaped antenna pattern in the azimuth plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2018
    Publication date: January 24, 2019
    Inventors: Peter J. Bisiules, Martin L. Zimmerman
  • Publication number: 20180375220
    Abstract: Antenna arrays include first and second radiating elements, which are responsive to respective first and second hybrid radio frequency (RF) signals, and a power divider circuit. The power divider circuit is configured to generate the first and second hybrid RF signals as power-reduced combinations of first and second RF input signals received at input terminals thereof. For example, the first hybrid RF signal may be generated as a combination of a 70-90 percent energy contribution of the first RF input signal with a 0.26-2.7 percent energy contribution of the second RF input signal. Similarly, the second hybrid RF signal may be generated as a 70-90 percent energy contribution of the second RF input signal with a 0.26-2.7 percent energy contribution of the first RF input signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2018
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Inventors: XIA MEI, YUEMIN LI, MARTIN L. ZIMMERMAN, HAIFENG LI, LONG SHAN
  • Publication number: 20180367199
    Abstract: A small cell cellular base station includes an eight port radio and an eight-port base station antenna that has four linear arrays of dual-polarized radiating elements. Each of the linear arrays has a different azimuth boresight pointing direction and each dual-polarized radiating element includes first and second radiators that have respective directional radiation patterns. The radio is configured to determine and apply a first set of amplitude and phase weights to RF signals that are received through the eight ports of the antenna, and to apply a second set of amplitude and phase weights to RF signals that are output by the radio to the eight ports of the antenna.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2017
    Publication date: December 20, 2018
    Inventor: Martin L. Zimmerman
  • Patent number: 10148017
    Abstract: A multi-band antenna system includes an array of wide-band radiating elements and a multi-band electrical tilt circuit. The multi-band electrical tilt circuit includes a plurality of combiners, a first RF band variable phase shifter and a second RF band variable phase shifter implemented in a common medium. The common medium may comprise a PCB, a stripline circuit, or the like. Each combiner includes a combined port, a first RF band port, and a second RF band port. The combined ports are coupled to the radiating elements. The first RF band phase shifter has a first plurality of variably phase shifted ports connected to the first RF band ports of the combiners via transmission line, and the second RF band phase shifter has a second plurality of variably phase-shifted ports connected to the second RF band ports of the combiners via transmission line. The phase shifters are independently configurable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: CommScope Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Morgan C. Kurk, Martin L. Zimmerman
  • Publication number: 20180323491
    Abstract: A tilt adapter configured to facilitate a desired tilt of a first radio frequency (RF) band and a second RF band of an antenna is disclosed. The antenna supports two or more frequency bands, in which the vertical tilt of each of the supported frequency bands is separately controlled by a coarse level of phase shifting, but commonly controlled by a fine level of phase shifting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2018
    Publication date: November 8, 2018
    Inventors: Guomin Ding, Martin L. Zimmerman
  • Patent number: 10116425
    Abstract: Systems and methods for a diplexed antenna with semi-independent tilt are disclosed. The diplexed antenna supports two or more frequency bands, in which the vertical tilt of each of the supported frequency bands is separately controlled by a coarse level of phase shifting, but commonly controlled by a fine level of phase shifting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: CommScope Technologies LLC
    Inventor: Martin L. Zimmerman