Multibeam antenna devices

A multibeam antenna device comprising:

• a plurality of antenna elements arranged along at least two sides of a polygon, two adjoining ones of said plurality of antenna elements being connected at a split angle .beta. satisfying the condition .beta.<180.degree., each of said plurality of antenna elements comprising:
• two radiators, and
• means for setting relative feed phase angles for said two radiators, said means for setting relative feed phase angles comprising:
• a hybrid circuit including first and second antenna-side terminals and first and second base station-side terminals, said hybrid circuit having directional coupling characteristics such that respective signals at said first and second base station-side terminals become 90.degree. out-of-phase signals at said first and second antenna-side terminals;
• each of said antenna elements forming two directional beams outwards, wherein said plurality of antenna elements comprise:
• a first array antenna and a second array antenna each comprising N vertically arrayed radiators (where N is an integer equal to or greater than 2), said first array antenna being adjacent to said second array antenna, each of said first array antenna and said second array antenna being divided into M blocks (where M is an integer such that 2.ltoreq.M.ltoreq.N);
• a plurality of hybrid circuits, each of said plurality of hybrid circuits including:
• a first and a second antenna-side terminal, and
• a first and a second base station-side terminal,
• each of said plurality of hybrid circuits having directional coupling characteristics such that respective signals at said first and second base station-side terminals become 90.degree. out-of-phase signals at said first and second antenna-side terminals;
• a plurality M of first phase shifters;
• a plurality M of second phase shifters;
• first and second power dividers which respectively have a plurality of terminals on an antenna-side and one terminal on a base station-side;
• and
• a plurality M of third power dividers and a plurality M of fourth power dividers which respectively have a plurality of terminals on an antenna-side and one terminal on a base station-side;
• said first and second antenna-side terminals of each of said plurality of hybrid circuits are connected respectively to two corresponding horizontally adjacent ones of said radiators of said first array antenna and said second array antenna;
• said first base station-side terminals of ones of said plurality of hybrid circuits pertaining to a same block are respectively connected to said antenna-side terminals of one of said plurality M of third power dividers;
• said second base station-side terminals of ones of said plurality of hybrid circuits pertaining to said same block are respectively connected to said antenna-side terminals of one of said plurality M of fourth power dividers;
• said base station-side terminals of said one of said plurality M of third power dividers and said one of said plurality M of fourth power dividers are respectively connected via respective ones of said plurality M of first phase shifters and said plurality M of second phase shifters to said first and second power dividers.

A multibeam antenna device comprising:

• at least two first radiators on a first surface of a polygon forming a first antenna element, said first antenna element forming at least two directional beams outwards;
• at least two second radiators on a second surface of said polygon forming a second antenna element, said second antenna element forming at least two directional beams outwards, said second antenna element being joined to said first antenna element at a split angle .beta.<180.degree.;
• a first hybrid circuit for setting a first relative feed phase angle for said at least two first radiators of said first antenna element, and a second hybrid circuit for setting a second relative feed phase angle for said at least two second radiators of said second antenna element, said first hybrid circuit and said second hybrid circuit each including first and second antenna-side terminals and first and second base station-side terminals, said first hybrid circuit and said second hybrid circuit having directional coupling characteristics such that respective signals at said first and second base station-side terminals become 90.degree. out-of-phase signals at said first and second antenna-side terminals, wherein:
• at each of said first and second antenna elements, said two directional beams are formed symmetrically with respect to a perpendicular to a face of said respective one of said first and second antenna elements;
• and
• when an angle between said two directional beams is .alpha. degrees, said split angle .beta. between said first and second antenna elements is set, in degrees, substantially to:
• .beta.=18- .alpha. .

A multibeam antenna device comprising:

• a plurality of antenna elements arranged along at least two sides of a polygon, two adjoining ones of said plurality of antenna elements being connected at a split angle .beta. satisfying the condition .beta.<180.degree., each of said plurality of antenna elements comprising:
• two radiators, and
• means for setting relative feed phase angles for said two radiators, said means for setting relative feed phase angles comprising:
• a hybrid circuit including first and second antenna-side terminals and first and second base station-side terminals, said hybrid circuit having directional coupling characteristics such that respective signals at said first and second base station-side terminals become 90.degree. out-of-phase signals at said first and second antenna-side terminals;
• each of said two antenna elements forming two directional beams outwards, wherein:
• said two directional beams are formed asymmetrically with respect to a perpendicular to a face of said respective one of said plurality of antenna elements;
• when an angle between said two directional beams is .alpha. and a straight line that bisects said angle between said two directional beams is set at an inclination of .delta. from said perpendicular to said face of said respective one of said plurality of antenna elements in a direction of a joining part of said two adjoining ones of said plurality of antenna elements, said split angle .beta. between said two adjoining ones of said plurality of antenna elements is set, in degrees, substantially to:
• .beta.=180-2(.alpha.+.delta.).

A multibeam antenna device comprising:

• at least two first radiators on a first surface of a polygon forming a first antenna element, said first antenna element forming at least two directional beams outwards;
• at least two second radiators on a second surface of said polygon forming a second antenna element, said second antenna element forming at least two directional beams outwards, said second antenna element being joined to said first antenna element at a split angle .beta.<180.degree.;
• a first hybrid circuit for setting a first relative feed phase angle for said at least two first radiators of said first antenna element, and a second hybrid circuit for setting a second relative feed phase angle for said at least two second radiators of said second antenna element, said first hybrid circuit and said second hybrid circuit each including first and second antenna-side terminals and first and second base station-side terminals, said first hybrid circuit and said second hybrid circuit having directional coupling characteristics such that respective signals at said first and second base station-side terminals become 90.degree. out-of-phase signals at said first and second antenna-side terminals, wherein
• said two directional beams are formed asymmetrically with respect to a perpendicular to a face of said respective one of said first and second antenna elements;
• when an angle between said two directional beams is .alpha. and a straight line that bisects said angle between said two directional beams is set at an inclination of .delta. from said perpendicular to said face of said respective one of said first and second antenna elements in a direction of a joining part of said two adjoining ones of said first and second antenna elements, said split angle .beta. between said two adjoining ones of said first and second antenna elements is set, in degrees, substantially to:
• .beta.=18- 2(.alpha.+.delta.).