Abstract: In a radio communications system, a plurality of transceivers are each connected to one element of an array of antenna elements. In addition, at least one of the transceivers is additionally connected to a calibration antenna for transmitting or receiving test signals via the antenna elements. At least one calibration processor is provided for determining variations of the test signals in the transceivers. A beamforming processor is provided for taking into account the determined variations for beamforming or determination of direction of arrival of respectively transmitted and received radio signals by the antenna elements.

Abstract: A method for reducing intermodulation beams includes applying a beam-smearing phase distribution in addition to a beam-steering distribution for scanning to an array of antenna elements such that multiple higher-order intermodulation products are simultaneously reduced.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for removing interference in a transmitting end of a multi-antenna system are provided. The method includes receiving channel information for all Receive (Rx) antennas; calculating a beam-forming matrix that maximizes a Signal-to-Interference plus Noise Ratio (SINR) for each Rx antenna by using the received channel information; calculating an integer value which is in proportion to an interference signal for each Rx antenna by using the received channel information and the calculated beam-forming matrix, and performing Dirty Paper Coding (DPC) on a Transmit (Tx) signal by using the calculated integer value; and performing beam-forming by multiplying the Tx signal that has undergone the DPC by the calculated beam-forming matrix. Accordingly, a highest data rate for each user and a highest diversity can be obtained.

Abstract: A beam-forming antenna system includes an array of integrated antenna circuits. Each integrated antenna circuit includes an oscillator coupled to an antenna. A network couples to the integrated antenna units to provide phasing information to the oscillators. A controller controls the phasing information provided by the network to the oscillators. In an alternative embodiment, the phasing to each antenna element is controlled through a fixed corporate feed network. The relative gains of the antenna signals received or transmitted through the fixed corporate feed may be adjusted with respect to each other to provide a beam steering capability.

Abstract: An electrically steerable phased array antenna system includes an array of antenna elements and a corporate feed network having an inner region for input of two input signals A and B. The corporate feed network has two outer regions and generating vector combinations of respective input signals and other input signal fractions. Each outer region has a splitting and combining network providing the vector combinations as signals to antenna elements connected predominantly peripherally to itself. Each splitting and combining network has input signal connections from the inner region disposed peripherally of the corporate feed network. Each consists of splitters and adding/subtracting elements implemented as hybrid couplers some of which have re-entrant or meandered track sections. Hybrid meandered track sections have multiple widths for signal weighting. The corporate feed network is configured to avoid track cross-overs.

Abstract: A phased array antenna system with variable electrical tilt comprises an array (60) of antenna elements (60L1) etc. incorporating a divider (44) dividing a radio frequency (RF) carrier signal into two signals between which a phase shifter (46) introduces a variable phase shift. A phase to power converter (50) converts the phase shifted signals into signals with powers dependent on the phase shift. Power splitters (52, 54) divide the converted signals into two sets of divided signals with total number equal to the number of antenna elements in the array. Power to phase converters (561) etc. combine pairs of divided signals from different power splitters (52, 54) this provides vector sum and difference components with appropriate phase for supply to respective pairs of antenna elements (60U1, 60L1) etc. located equidistant from an array centre. Adjustment of the phase shift provided by phase shifter (46) changes the angle of electrical tilt of the antenna array (60).

Abstract: A novel implementation of a planar 4×4 RF Butler matrix layout is disclosed that permits, by moving the beam ports to the interior of the layout, for combining beam ports that are not disposed on the same side of the layout without the imposition of long delay times or crossover points. The implementation admits of using microstrip and/or stripline technologies.

Abstract: An improved OFDM receiver is realized by employing a simplified delay function for the transmissions channel. The simplified delay function yields a simplified frequency-domain correlation that is applied to develop an Eigen matrix U that is used in developing estimates of the channels. Those channel estimates are used in the receiver to develop the output signals.

Abstract: An antenna system for sharing of operation employs contiguous transmit frequencies. Transmit frequencies are separated into non-contiguous sub-groups isolated from one another by filters 158(+) and 160(?) associated with positive and negative polarisation. Received frequencies are filtered and split into five signals for input to base station receive ports. Non-contiguous transmit frequency sub-groups are combined by a quadrature hybrid 110 and pass with 90 degree relative phase shift to mutually orthogonal antenna stack ports P(+) and P(?) associated with orthogonally polarised sets of antenna elements AS(+) and AS(?): the ports P(+) and P(?) are isolated from one another by the hybrid 110. The 90 degree phase shift results in one transmit subgroup being radiated with left hand circular polarisation and the other transmit subgroup being radiated with right hand circular polarisation.

Abstract: A beam forming method for a smart antenna and smart antennas configured to employ the method, in which pre-multibeam processing and time delay aligning are implemented to array signals, and then a suboptimum weight is calculated by means of a pilot frequency symbol, and an optimum weight is iteratively calculated with the suboptimum weight as an initial value, and finally the beams are formed by means of the optimum weight.

Abstract: A method for downlink beamforming in a frequency-division-duplex wireless communications system comprising a base station with an antenna array and terminals that are physically remote from said base station, the method comprising the steps of: receiving at said base station antenna array combinations of arriving uplink signals from said plurality of remote terminals, estimating an uplink beamforming weight vector for each of said terminals from said combinations of arriving uplink signal; identifying uplink nulls and an uplink main beam position from said uplink beamforming weight vector; transforming each of said uplink nulls to form a corresponding downlink null; generating a downlink beamforming weight vector from all downlink nulls; and transmitting a set of information signals from said base station antenna array according to said downlink. beamforming weights.

Abstract: The invention relates to compensation of a radiation pattern in a radio system. The solution comprises forming a primary radiation pattern by weighting signals of antenna branches with primary weights. The primary radiation pattern is compensated with a compensating radiation pattern after one or more antenna branches have been disconnected. The solution enables operation of the radio system without interruptions in certain fault situations of the base station.

Abstract: A plurality of virtual wireless networks are defined. Each of the plurality of virtual wireless networks has a different set of requirements. A node is capable of producing a plurality of antenna beams or patterns. Each virtual wireless network is associated with a unique group of the antenna beams or patterns. Users of each of the virtual wireless networks communicate using the antenna beams or patterns associated with that virtual wireless network.

Abstract: A radiator includes a waveguide having an aperture and a patch antenna disposed in the aperture. In one embodiment, an antenna includes an array of waveguide antenna elements, each element having a cavity, and an array of patch antenna elements including an upper patch element and a lower patch element disposed in the cavity.

Abstract: A beam-forming apparatus and method for improving system performance using a spatial interpolation and at least one Angle of Arrival (AoA) in a system based on regular spatial sampling is provided. The AoA is estimated using a carrier-to-interference ratio. Beam-forming angles are distributed and steered in a predefined scheme such that an identical process is applied in all directions. According to this steering, a linear system model is computed based on regular spatial sampling using regular spatial separation at beam angles. Beam-forming performance is improved by compensating for a difference between adaptive and sector-type arrays. Only the steps of computing a spatial interpolation and determining an angle range for beam-forming using at least one AoA are added. The precision of estimating an AoA and the precision of beam-forming increase without an additional antenna. Because the system is simpler than that of an adaptive beam-forming system, significant gain is obtained.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments relate to a system and method for providing user specific beams in a fixed beam network. In one embodiment, there is provided a mobile transceiver comprising a first device configured to receive phase reference signal data from a base station, the phase reference signal data being indicative of a first phase reference signal and a second phase reference signal that may be used by the mobile transceiver during a communication session, and a second device configured to determine whether the second phase reference signal is likely to provide improved reception between the base station and the mobile transceiver with respect to the first phase reference signal, wherein the second device is configured to transmit data to the base station, the data being indicative of whether the first phase reference signal or the second phase reference signal is likely to provide improved reception between the base station and the mobile transceiver.

Abstract: Beamforming systems having a few bits of channel state information fed back to the transmitter benefit from low complexity decoding structures and performances gains compared with systems that do not have channel state feedback. Both unit rank and higher rank systems are implemented. Substantial design effort may be avoided by following a method of using functions formulated for space-time systems with the change that the channel coherence time is equated to the number of transmit antennas and the number of antennas in the space-time formulation is fixed at one.

Abstract: An antenna system has multiple antenna feed elements combined in a number of element sets independently controlled to provide a beam of a variable size. Multiple input power dividers are provided for dividing an input signal, and multiple phase controllers are respectively connected to outputs of the power dividers for producing a plurality of phase-shifted signals having prescribed phases. The phase-shifted signals are supplied to respective inputs of a hybrid matrix. Predetermined outputs of the hybrid matrix are connected to summation circuitry for providing in-phase power summation of signals produced at these outputs. The antenna elements in at least one of the element sets are controlled by a sum signal produced by the summation circuitry. The other element sets may be controlled by respective output signals of the hybrid matrix.

Abstract: An adaptive beam-forming system using hierarchical weight banks for antenna arrays in wireless communication systems is disclosed. The present invention can be applied for both reception and transmission beam-forming. The hierarchical weight banks contain weights that are pre-calculated based on pre-set beam look directions. By comparing measurements of chosen signal quality metrics for pre-set look directions, the best weights, and thus the best beam look direction, can be selected from the weight banks.

Abstract: An antenna for use with a receiver in a wireless communications system includes antenna elements for generating antenna patterns, and a first module for applying weights to a signal received at each of the antenna elements to generate a selected one of the antenna patterns. A second module detects the received signal at each of the antenna elements. A combiner combines the received signal detected at each of the antenna elements to produce a combined received signal for a selected antenna pattern. A third module determines a signal quality metric for the combined received signal at each selected antenna pattern. The first module is responsive to the determined signal quality metrics for adjusting the weights to generate a preferred antenna pattern.

Abstract: A method of producing a digital beamformer signal by a number of antenna modules that are alike and by providing a system that implements the method. This is accomplished by introducing signal processing on each antenna module and by creating an asynchronous serial adding chain through the antenna modules to at least in part calculate the digital beamformer signal. Advantageous embodiments according to the invention perform time and space signal processing multiplexing to calculate additional digital beamformer signals.

Abstract: A multi-beam antenna transmitter/receiver includes reception beam formation units (1041-104M) which form a plurality of reception beams, and transmission beam formation units (1131-113J) which form a plurality of transmission beams. The multi-beam antenna transmitter/receiver further includes reception beam calculation units (1081-108M) which calculate overall reception qualities from the reception qualities for the path delays of user signals for respective reception beams, and a transmission beam selection unit (109) which selects a reception beam excellent in overall reception quality and selects a transmission beam having a direction which coincides with or is close to the direction of the selected reception beam. An optimum transmission beam can be selected even in the multipath environment.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for allocating a power in a multiple-input multiple-output communication system is disclosed. A method of allocating power can include estimating a channel condition based on a reference signal received from a receiver, estimating power gains from the estimated channel condition, and determining respective power levels of transmission signals and a number of available antenna elements for the transmission signals by using the power gains.

Abstract: A satellite amplifier system 100 adapted to amplify and distribute flexibly P input transmission channels to N outputs each corresponding to one beam includes a switch 102 having at least P inputs for routing the plurality P of transmission channels to a plurality of outputs, at least one Butler matrix 103 each input of which is connected to an output of the switch, and at least one inverse Butler matrix 104, each output of the Butler matrix being connected to a corresponding input of the inverse Butler matrix by an amplifier 105. The system 100 further includes a plurality of output demultiplexers 109 for separating a plurality of transmission channels by frequency, the input of each of the output demultiplexers being connected to an output of the inverse Butler matrix.

Abstract: An automotive radar system includes a beamformer circuit and a beamcombiner circuit. The beamformer circuit forms a plurality of antenna beams at a plurality of beam ports. The beam combiner circuit receives the beams provided thereto from the beamformer circuit and combines the beams to provide a desired number of beams, with each of the beams having a desired beam shape. In one embodiment, the beamcombiner provides first and second end beams having a beamwidth which is less than a beamwidth of middle beams.

Abstract: A wireless communication system for transmitting and receiving wireless communications using at least one beam is disclosed. The system comprises a plurality of WTRUs, at least one beam-forming antenna, and at least one radio network controller (RNC). The antenna is capable of beam-forming and beams emanating from the antenna may be adjusted in accordance with actual conditions in the wireless communication system. The antenna is further capable of dithering beams in the azimuth and/or elevation plane for breaking up null areas due to beam overlap.

Abstract: A beam shaping antenna matrix for use in wireless cell towers that is manually-configured at a patch panel by a wireless operator based on selection of a desired beam size and point of direction. The traffic matrix allows a wireless operator to sculpt and resculpt the beams to accommodate demographic or other changes preferably without a large amount of hardware or intensive processing capability.

Abstract: Techniques to correct for phase and amplitude mismatches in a radio device in order to maintain channel symmetry when communicating with another device using MIMO radio communication techniques. Correction for the amplitude and phase mismatches among the plurality of transmitters and plurality of receivers of a device may be made at baseband using digital logic (such as in the modem) in the receiver path, the transmitter path or both paths of that device. In a device, amplitude and phase offsets are determined among the plurality of radio transmitter and radio receiver paths by measuring phase and amplitude responses when supplying a signal to a transmitter in a first antenna path of the device and coupling the radio signal from a first antenna to a second antenna path of that device where the signal is downconverted by a receiver associated with the second antenna path, and similarly coupling a signal from the second antenna path to the first antenna path.

Abstract: A communication system and method for controlling an antenna pattern is disclosed. The communication system may be situated on a mobile station, a base station, or a combination thereof. The communication system comprises a smart antenna module, a speed sensor, and a beam steering module. The smart antenna module may be situated on the mobile station, the base station, or a combination thereof. The smart antenna module generates at least one initial antenna pattern. The speed sensor is configured to determine a speed of a mobile station. The beam steering module generates an operating antenna pattern that is different from the initial antenna pattern. The operating antenna pattern is affected by changes in the speed of the mobile station.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for pointing the beams (63–67) of a wind profiler comprising a stationary antenna matrix (61) with several individual antenna elements (62). According to the method an input signal is fed to the antenna matrix (61), and the phase of the input signal is adjusted for the individual antenna elements (62) in order to point the beam (63–67) of the profiler. In accordance with the invention separate feeder lines for each beam are used for feeding the signals to the antenna elements (62), and the phase differences between the individual antenna elements (62) are controlled with hybrid coupler elements (3, 4).

Abstract: A beamforming method based on broadband antenna is provided, comprising: detecting the frequency of input signals of an antenna; determining the effective antenna aperture between elements of the antenna array according to the detected frequency; computing the weight vector of each element of the antenna array to the signals according to the determined effective antenna aperture and the transmission function of the antenna array; multiplying the input signals with said weight vector of each element of the antenna array to the signals, combining them and outputting the beam signals. By performing weighting operation respectively to the input signals after a series of delaying operation, and then combining them, the single digital signals can be acquired. This effectively reduces the odds produced by the antenna between transmitting signals and receiving signals, and thus dramatically improves the communication quality.

Abstract: A shared beamformer flexibly allocates beams among phased array antenna apertures of a satellite (or other type of platform). By sharing the beamformer among the apertures, if one aperture is not providing useful coverage (due to orientation, traffic volume, signal frequency, signal polarization, etc.), the beams may be reallocated to one or more other apertures that are providing useful coverage. To share the beamformer among the phased array antenna apertures, a selector network (e.g., one or more switches) is used to select which particular apertures are to send or receive signals.

Abstract: A method for shaping beams in a radio communication system employs current weighting vectors determined from first weighting vectors. The first weighting vectors used for the beam shaping are chosen to be orthogonal to each other.

Abstract: A calibration device for a switchable antenna array, distinguished by the following improvements provides at least two inputs of two or more available inputs of the beam forming network fed simultaneously and/or jointly and/or in the same phase. The antenna elements have been trimmed in advance in order to produce intermediate lobes or further different azimuth beam directions, such that the individual lobes which are produced when at least two inputs are connected can be added with the correct phase.

Abstract: A low profile, vehicle mounted, in-motion tracking, satellite antenna includes a pair of antenna assemblies mounted in parallel on a rotatable platform. Each antenna assembly includes two subreflectors with a plastic matching element. The outputs of the two antenna assemblies are coupled with a single phase shifter. The combined outputs are retransmitted to a receiver inside the vehicle. The satellite antenna also includes a receiver for receiving channel selection data and/or for providing two-way communication with equipment inside the vehicle. The antennae, transmitter and receiver are self-powered by a storage device which is charged by a wind driven generator. A retractable radome lowers to a lower profile when the antenna is not in use.

Abstract: An angle scanning radar system having a group antenna controlled via a beam-shaping network, a coupling device that allows the group antenna to be operated for both the transmitting and receiving directions, and a device to mix radar receiving signals with radar transmitting signals to form a mixed baseband signal, and to digitally evaluate the mixed baseband signal with regard to the solid-angle information.

Abstract: An adaptive array apparatus includes a control unit 50 and a plurality of radio units 10˜40 that each have a modulator 11, a transmission circuit 12, a switch 13, a phase detecting unit 14, a reception circuit 15, and a demodulator 16. For each radio unit 10˜40, the control unit 50 compensates a phase amount for generating a directivity pattern used for an output signal according to a difference in phase shift amounts between a transmission subsystem and a reception subsystem.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for a base station including an antenna array calculates a direction of a weight vector of a transmission beam to maximize in-phase component power for a common channel signal in a transmission channel signal for transmission to a mobile station and to minimize a sum of quadrature-phase power component and interference power for other mobile stations inside and outside a cell due to a transmission channel signal for the mobile station.

Abstract: An intermodulation suppression method using phased array antenna electronics insignificantly degrades the desired primary main beams while substantially suppressing undesired intermodulation product beams, and particularly undesired third-ordered intermodulation product beams. The beam smearing method has two aspects, including phase smearing and angle smearing for respective subarrays to reduce the intermodulation-product beams of the phased array antenna beam patterns. With a 1 dB degradation of the primary main beams, a 6 dB to 10 dB suppression of the intermodulation product beams is achieved.

Abstract: In a radio communication system, a beam is formed between subscriber stations and a base station which has an antenna device with several antenna elements. The antenna elements emit a downlink signal based on respective weighing with coefficients of a weighting vector. A plurality of weighting vectors are determined at the subscriber station in an initialization phase and transmitted to the base station. In a subsequent working phase, the subscriber station selects a dominant weighting vector from the weighting vectors and transmits a designation of the selected weighting vector to the base station.

Abstract: A genetic processor is used to process a plurality of baseband signals in a communication system. Signals received at an antenna array are processed to form chromosomes based on signal-to-interference-and-noise ratios. The chromosomes are further processed to determine a fitness of the chromosomes, and a weight set corresponding to a determined best fitness level is used to selectively process each signal corresponding to each antennae of the array to increase the dynamic range of the receiver. In-phase, quadrature, amplitude and phase are signal characteristics that may be processed. In the transmit direction, the chromosomes are used to process the modulating signal supplied to each RF antenna, thus resulting in beamforming, the actual signal processing occurs digitally in the baseband spectrum. Chromosomes comprise a number of genes, or bits, based on the type of encoding scheme and the polarization, number and array grouping of antenna elements.

Abstract: An antenna beamformer consisting of optical irises coupled to Wavelength Division Multiplexers (WDMs). The ports of the WDMs are coupled to lens ports, where each lens port corresponds to a different antenna beam. The optical irises are optical filters with selectable center frequencies and selectable passband widths. Selection of different center frequencies and passband widths enables the selection of different ports of the WDMs, which allows the selection of one or more antenna beams. The beamformer may also have controllable delay lines to provide for additional beam steering.

Abstract: An on chip diversity antenna switch includes a first switch, a second switch, a third switch, and a fourth switch. The first switch is operably coupled to a pin associated with a first antenna, to a transmit path and to receive a transmit receive (T/R) control signal. The second switch is operably coupled to the pin associated with the first antenna, to a receive path, and to receive the T/R control signal. The third switch is operably coupled to a pin associated with a second antenna, the transmit path, and to receive the T/R control signal. The fourth switch is operably coupled to the pin associated with the second antenna, to the receive path, and to receive the T/R control signal. Based on the T/R control signal, the first or second antenna is coupled to the transmit or receive path via a single switch.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an omnidirectional base station antenna arrangement with a number of antenna elements and a number of transceiver means for transmitting and receiving signals to/from a number of user stations. A feeding network is provided which comprises a number of phase ports, a number of which form first phase ports connected to a number of transceiver means for downlink communication and a number of which form second phase ports connected to a number of transceiver means for uplink communication. The feeding network comprises a number of antenna ports connected to antenna elements and the feeding network generates substantially independent, orthogonal signals to provide for phase diversity and the antenna elements are arranged to form at least one cylindrical array antenna.

Abstract: A phased array antenna system divides the array into a plurality of subarrays that are driven by fine phase shifters with each subarray having a plurality of antenna elements driven by respective coarse phase shifters that are preferably MEMS coarse phase shifters having low weight and low cost and are infrequently used for improved reliability for selecting a coarse beam coverage area while the fine phase shifters are used to scan a high-gain antenna pattern within the selected coarse beam coverage area. Two-bit MEMS phase shifters are used to scan the beams from subarrays to various coverage areas within the required antenna field of view, thereby providing coarse beam steering for an array.

Abstract: An antenna system installation comprising a tower/support structure, and an antenna structure mounted at the top of said tower/support structure, said antenna structure comprises a plurality of antenna elements, a plurality of power amplifiers, each power amplifier being operatively coupled with one of said antenna elements and mounted closely adjacent to the associated antenna element, such that no appreciable power loss occurs between the power amplifier and the associated antenna element, each said power amplifier comprising a relatively low power, relatively low cost per watt linear power amplifier chip, a first RF to fiber transceiver mounted at the top of said tower/support structure and operatively coupled with said antenna structure, and a second RF to fiber transceiver mounted adjacent a base portion of said tower/support structure and coupled with said first RF transceiver by an optical fiber cable.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments relate to a system and method for providing user specific beams in a fixed beam network, the fixed beam network comprising a plurality of fixed beams, each of the plurality of fixed beams being defined by a plurality of fixed beam correlation coefficients. The system may comprise a device that computes reception correlation data for a received signal, and a beamformer that is adapted to determine transmission weighting coefficients to be applied to a return signal based on the difference between the reception correlation data and the fixed beam weighting coefficients associated with at least one of the plurality of fixed beams.

Abstract: A radio receiver is provided with a beam-width-variable antenna that receives a radio signal and is capable of changing the beam-width; an interference canceler for removing interference waves from the received radio signal and outputting an interference-wave-removed signal; a measuring device for measuring reception quality of the received signal based on the interference-wave-removed signal; and a beam-width controller for controlling the beam-width of the beam-width-variable antenna based on the reception quality from the measuring device.

Abstract: An antenna comprised of a plurality of identical subarrays each having N antenna elements. The antenna elements of a core of subarrays all contribute outputs which are used for forming sum and difference beams. A peripheral area surrounding the core has subarrays which have a lesser number of antenna elements which participate in the signal processing operation to derive the sum and difference beams. The antenna elements of each subarray are combined in a manifold having one output, for the peripheral subarrays, and three outputs for the core subarrays. The manifold outputs are provided to various digital receivers which process the manifold signals with predetermined weighting functions. A digital beamformer processes the digital receiver outputs to derive the sum and difference beams which are used by a radar processor for tracking targets.

Abstract: An improved antenna arrangement is distinguished by the following features: at least two antenna element systems are provided and each has at least one antenna element, which are arranged offset with respect to one another, at least in the horizontal direction, the at least two antenna element systems transmit and receive at least in one common polarization plane, a network is provided, via which the at least two antenna element systems can be supplied with a signal (Ain1, Ain2) with an intensity or amplitude which can be set differently or which can be adjusted relative to one another and preferably with a different phase angle.