Phased array cellular base station and associated methods for enhanced power efficiency

A base station for a cellular communications system, said base station comprising:

• radio channel generating means for generating a plurality of individual radio channel signals each at a different frequency from one another;
• a plurality of individual phased array antennas;
• and
• linking means operatively connecting said radio channel generating means and said phased array antennas so that each individual phased array antenna transmits only one individual radio channel signal;
• wherein each of said phased array antennas comprises a substrate and a plurality of radiating elements mounted thereon in a predetermined pattern;
• said base station further comprising signal quality receiver means for receiving a signal transmitted from a mobile unit relating to signal quality received at the mobile unit, and further comprising antenna power control means connected to said signal quality receiver means and said phased array antennas for selectively operating predetermined ones of said radiating elements in each respective phased array antenna responsive to said signal quality received at the mobile unit.

A base station for a cellular communications system, said base station comprising:

• radio channel generating means for generating a plurality of individual radio channel signals each at a different frequency from one another;
• a plurality of individual phased array antennas;
• and
• linking means operatively connecting said radio channel generating means and said phased array antennas so that each individual phased array antenna transmits only one individual radio channel signal;
• wherein each of said phased array antennas comprises a substrate and a plurality of radiating elements mounted thereon in a predetermined pattern;
• said base station further comprising signal strength means for sensing received signal strength from a mobile unit, and further comprising antenna power control means connected to said signal strength means and said phased array antennas for selectively operating predetermined ones of said radiating elements in each respective phased array antenna responsive to the sensed received signal strength.

A base station for a cellular communications system, said base station comprising:

• radio channel generating means for generating a plurality of individual radio channel signals each at a different frequency from one another;
• a plurality of individual phased array antennas;
• linking means operatively connecting said radio channel generating means and said phased array antennas so that each individual phased array antenna transmits only one individual radio channel signal;
• and
• switch means connected between said radio channel generating means and said phased array antennas and movable between first and second positions so that said switch means when in the first position couples together two or more predetermined phased array antennas for increasing radiated antenna power for a respective radio channel signal, and so that said switch means when in the second position decouples the two or more predetermined phased array antennas for increasing radio channel capacity for the base station.

A base station for a cellular communications system, said base station comprising:

• radio channel generating means for generating a plurality of individual radio channel signals each at a different frequency from one another;
• and
• a plurality of individual phased array antennas connected to said radio channel generating means so that each individual phased array antenna transmits only one individual radio channel signal;
• wherein each of said phased array antennas comprises a substrate and a plurality of radiating elements mounted thereon in a predetermined pattern;
• said base station further comprising signal quality receiver means for receiving a signal transmitted from a mobile unit relating to signal quality received at the mobile unit, and further comprising antenna power control means connected to said signal quality receiver means and said phased array antennas for selectively operating predetermined ones of said radiating elements in each respective phased array antenna responsive to said signal quality received at the mobile unit.

A base station for a cellular communications system, said base station comprising:

• radio channel generating means for generating a plurality of individual radio channel signals each at a different frequency from one another;
• and
• a plurality of individual phased array antennas connected to said radio channel generating means so that each individual phased array antenna transmits only one individual radio channel signal;
• wherein each of said phased array antennas comprises a substrate and a plurality of radiating elements mounted thereon in a predetermined pattern;
• said base station further comprising signal strength means for sensing received signal strength from a mobile unit, and further comprising antenna power control means connected to said signal strength means and said phased array antennas for selectively operating predetermined ones of said radiating elements in each respective phased array antenna responsive to the sensed received signal strength.

A base station for a cellular communications system, said base station comprising:

• radio channel generating means for generating a plurality of individual radio channel signals each at a different frequency from one another;
• a plurality of individual phased array antennas connected to said radio channel generating means so that each individual phased array antenna transmits only one individual radio channel signal;
• and
• switch means connected between said radio channel generating means and said phased array antennas and movable between first and second positions so that said switch means when in the first position couples together two or more predetermined phased array antennas for increasing radiated antenna power for a respective radio channel signal, and so that said switch means when in the second position decouples the two or more predetermined phased array antennas for increasing radio channel capacity for the base station.

A base station for a cellular communications system, said base station comprising:

• radio channel generating means for generating a plurality of radio channel signals;
• at least one phased array antenna connected to said radio channel generating means, said at least one phased array antenna comprising a plurality of radiating elements;
• signal quality receiver means for receiving a signal transmitted from a mobile unit relating to signal quality received at the mobile unit;
• and
• antenna power control means connected to said signal quality receiver means and said at least one phased array antenna for selectively operating predetermined ones of said radiating elements responsive to said signal quality received at the mobile unit.

A base station for a cellular communications system including a plurality of coverage areas, said base station comprising:

• radio channel generating means for generating a plurality of individual cellular radio channel signals each at a different frequency from one another, said radio channel generating means further comprising multiplexing means for time division multiplexing a plurality of input signals for each cellular radio channel signal;
• at least four individual phased array antennas positioned such that at least two of said at least four phased array antennas illuminate at least one common coverage area of the plurality of coverage areas;
• and
• linking means operatively connecting said radio channel generating means and said phased array antennas so that each individual phased array antenna transmits only one individual cellular radio channel signal.

A base station for a cellular communications system, said base station comprising:

• radio channel generating means for generating a plurality of individual radio channel signals each at a different frequency from one another, said radio channel generating means further comprising multiplexing means for time division multiplexing a plurality of input signals for each radio channel signal;
• a plurality of individual phased array antennas;
• and
• linking means operatively connecting said radio channel generating means and said phased array antennas so that each individual phased array antenna transmits only one individual radio channel signal;
• wherein each of said phased array antennas comprises a substrate and a plurality of radiating elements mounted thereon in a predetermined pattern;
• said base station further comprising signal quality receiver means for receiving a signal transmitted from a mobile unit relating to signal quality received at the mobile unit, and further comprising antenna power control means connected to said signal quality receiver means and said phased array antennas for selectively operating predetermined ones of said radiating elements in each respective phased array antenna responsive to said signal quality received at the mobile unit.

A base station for a cellular communications system, said base station comprising:

• radio channel generating means for generating plurality of individual radio channel signals each at a different frequency from one another, said radio channel generating means further comprising multiplexing means for time division multiplexing a plurality of input signals for each radio channel signal;
• a plurality of individual phased array antennas;
• and
• linking means operatively connecting said radio channel generating means and said phased array antennas so that each individual phased array antenna transmits only one individual radio channel signal;
• wherein each of said phased array antennas comprises a substrate and a plurality of radiating elements mounted thereon in a predetermined pattern;
• said base station further comprising signal strength means for sensing received signal strength from a mobile unit, and further comprising antenna power control means connected to said signal strength means and said phased array antennas for selectively operating predetermined ones of said radiating elements in each respective phased array antenna responsive to the sensed received signal strength.

A base station for a cellular communications system, said base station comprising:

• radio channel generating means for generating a plurality of individual radio channel signals each at a different frequency from one another, said radio channel generating means further comprising multiplexing means for time division multiplexing a plurality of input signals for each radio channel signal;
• a plurality of individual phased array antennas;
• and
• linking means operatively connecting said radio channel generating means and said phased array antennas so that each individual phased array antenna transmits only one individual radio channel signal;
• wherein said multiplexing means comprises means for multiplexing each input signal into predetermined time slot in respective repetitive multiplex frames for a plurality of predetermined radio channel signals;
• said base station further comprising switch means connected between said radio channel generating means and said phased array antennas and movable between first and second positions so that said switch means when in the first position couples together two or more predetermined phased array antennas for increasing radiated antenna power for a respective radio channel signal, and so that said switch means when in the second position decouples the two or more predetermined phased array antennas for increasing radio channel capacity for the base station.

A base station for a cellular communications system, said base station comprising:

• radio channel generating means for generating a plurality of radio channel signals;
• a plurality of phased array antennas connected to said radio channel generating means;
• and
• switch means connected between said radio channel generating means and said phased array antennas and movable between first and second positions so that said switch means when in the first position couples together two or more predetermined phased array antennas for increasing radiated antenna power for a respective radio channel signal, and so that said switch means when in the second position decouples the two or more predetermined phased array antennas for increasing radio channel capacity for the base station.

A method for operating a base station for a cellular radio communications system of the type including a plurality of individual phased array antennas, said method comprising the steps of:

• generating a plurality of individual radio channel signals each at a different frequency from one another;
• and
• operating each individual phased array antenna to transmit only one individual radio channel signal;
• wherein each of the phased array antennas includes a plurality of radiating elements, and further comprising the step of receiving a signal transmitted from a mobile unit relating to signal quality received at the mobile unit, and selectively operating predetermined ones of the radiating elements in each respective phased array antenna responsive to said signal quality received at the mobile unit.

A method for operating a base station for a cellular radio communications system of the type including a plurality of individual phased array antennas, said method comprising the steps of:

• generating a plurality of individual radio channel signals each at a different frequency from one another;
• operating each individual phased array antenna to transmit only one individual radio channel signal;
• and
• coupling together two or more predetermined phased array antennas for increasing radiated antenna power for a respective radio channel signal.

A method for operating a base station for a radio cellular radio communications system including at least one phased array antenna comprising a plurality of radiating elements, the method comprising the steps of:

• generating a plurality of radio channel signals and transmitting the plurality of radio channel signals from the at least one phased array antenna;
• receiving a signal transmitted from a mobile unit relating to signal quality received at the mobile unit;
• and
• selectively operating predetermined ones of the radiating elements responsive to signal quality received at the mobile unit.