US 12,074,372 B2Granted

Method and apparatus for antenna with notched multi-element reflector

AssigneeNokia Solutions and Networks Oy

InventorJuha Samuel Hallivuori

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Abstract

An apparatus is provided that includes: a multi-element reflector, each element comprising a concave reflective surface, the curvature of each element and focal distance of each element being common, the concave reflective surface of each element being configured to steer a radio-frequency beam in a different direction to that of the other elements; and a directional antenna feed, configurable to direct a beam towards each element of the multi-element reflector and positionable to be concurrently spaced said common focal distance from all of the elements of the multi-element reflector. One or more mechanisms are also provided by which, for example, a commercially viable millimeter wave base station can be realised. In particular, antenna arrangements are provided which support a field of view which facilitates establishment and maintenance of an effective communication link between a base station and a user with a desired level of reliability.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An apparatus, comprising:

a multi-element reflector comprising a plurality of elements, respective ones of the plurality of elements comprising a concave reflective surface, a curvature and a focal distance of the respective ones of the plurality of elements being the same, the concave reflective surface of a respective one of the plurality of elements being configured to steer a radio-frequency beam in a different direction to that of other elements of the plurality of elements, wherein the plurality of elements are located so that an edge of a respective element of the plurality of elements overlaps an edge of an adjacent element so as to result in an elongate overlap region extending along the edges of the respective element of the plurality of elements and the adjacent element;
and a directional antenna feed, configurable to direct a beam towards the respective ones of the plurality of elements, wherein the directional antenna feed is positionable (i) in a narrow beam mode to be concurrently spaced from the plurality of elements by the focal distance and (ii) in a wide beam mode to be concurrently spaced from the plurality of elements by less than the focal distance, and wherein the directional antenna feed is configured to be positioned in the wide beam mode while attempting to establish a link between a user device and a base station.

A method, comprising providing a multi-element reflector comprising a plurality of elements, respective ones of the plurality of elements comprising a concave reflective surface, a curvature and a focal distance of the respective ones of the plurality of elements being the same;

configuring a respective one of the plurality of elements such that the concave reflective surface of the respective one of the plurality of elements steers a radio frequency beam in a different direction to that of other elements of the plurality of elements, wherein the plurality of elements are configured so as to be located so that an edge of a respective element of the plurality of elements overlaps an edge of an adjacent element so as to result in an elongate overlap region extending along the edges of the respective element of the plurality of elements and the adjacent element;
providing a directional antenna feed, configurable to direct a beam towards the respective ones of the plurality of elements of the multi-element reflector;
and positioning the directional antenna feed to be (i) concurrently spaced from the plurality of elements in a narrow beam mode by the focal distance and (ii) concurrently spaced from the plurality of elements of the multi-element reflector in a wide beam mode by less than the focal distance, wherein the directional antenna feed is positioned in the wide beam mode while attempting to establish a link between a user device and a base station.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/479,059Filed 20 Sep 2021
Priority: FI 2020592123 Sep 2020
Published: US 2022/0094069 A124 Mar 2022
Granted: 27 Aug 2024
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

H01Q 15/166
Composed of a plurality of rigid panels: sector shaped
H01Q 15/002
Said selective devices working as frequency-selective reflecting surfaces, e.g. FSS, dichroic plates, surfaces being partly transmissive and…:…
H01Q 15/165
Curved in two dimensions [2D], e.g. paraboloidal: composed of a plurality of rigid panels
H01Q 19/17
Wherein the surfaces are concave: the primary radiating source comprising two or more radiating elements