System and method for miniaturized cell tower antenna arrays and highly directional electronic communication
AssigneeAmerican Antenna Corporation
InventorRalph E. Hayles, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A solution to the growing customer demand on cell tower signal capacity is needed. As such, a directional antenna for cellular communication, a communications system using the directional antenna, and a method of communicating using the directional antenna are provided herein. In one example, the directional antenna includes: (1) a Luneburg lens having a spherical shape, and (2) a curved substrate that conforms to the spherical shape of the Luneburg lens, the curved substrate having a feed network of signal conveyors affixed to a front side and a ground plane back side, wherein the signal conveyors are aligned with the Luneburg lens to communicate radio frequency signals within a sector.
Claims17
A directional antenna for wireless communications within a single sector, comprising:
- a Luneburg lens having a spherical shape and an equator;
- and
- a feed network of signal conveyors that are positioned in an arrangement conforming to a curved portion of the spherical shape and aligned with the Luneburg lens to communicate radio frequency signals within the single sector that is less than or equal to 120 degrees, wherein each of the signal conveyors are a same type of signal conveyor and are adjustably positioned with respect to the equator of the Luneburg lens, and the feed network of signal conveyors is aligned with the Luneburg lens to exclude transmission of the radio frequency signals to receivers outside of the single sector and exclude receiving the radio frequency signals that originate outside of the single sector.
A communications system, comprising:
- radio equipment;
- and
- a directional antenna coupled to the radio equipment via communications circuitry, wherein the directional antenna includes:
- a Luneburg lens having a spherical shape;
- and
- a feed network of signal conveyors that are positioned along a curved portion of the spherical shape and aligned with the Luneburg lens to communicate radio frequency signals within a single sector that is less than or equal to 120 degrees, wherein each of the signal conveyors are positioned with respect to the equator of the Luneburg lens and the feed network of signal conveyors is aligned with the Luneburg lens to exclude transmission of the radio frequency signals to receivers outside the single sector and exclude receiving the radio frequency signals that originate outside of the single sector,
- wherein the Luneburg lens has a diameter of a first size and the communications system includes at least one more directional antenna that includes another Luneburg lens with a diameter of a second size that differs from the first size.
A method of communicating using a communications system having a directional antenna and radio equipment, comprising:
- receiving voice or data via radio frequency signals within a sector defined by the directional antenna, wherein the directional antenna includes a Luneburg lens having a spherical shape, and a feed network of signal conveyors that are positioned along a curved portion of the spherical shape and aligned with the Luneburg lens to communicate radio frequency signals within a single sector that is 120 degrees or less, wherein each of the signal conveyors are adjustably positioned with respect to the equator of the Luneburg lens and the feed network of signal conveyors is aligned with the Luneburg lens to exclude transmission of the radio frequency signals to receivers outside the single sector and exclude receiving the radio frequency signals that originate outside of the single sector;
- providing the received voice or data to the radio equipment;
- and
- transmitting within the single sector and employing the directional antenna, voice or data received from the radio equipment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.