Cellular antennas with improved front-to-back performance
AssigneeGEC-Marconi Hazeltine Corporation Electronic Systems Division
InventorGary A. Schay
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A 90 degree azimuth beamwidth is achieved in a narrow cellular antenna, by inclusion of sidewalls. To improve front-to-back performance, slot radiating elements extending through the sidewalls re-radiate signals behind the antenna. Signals re-radiated from the slot elements are effective to partially cancel signals otherwise radiated behind the antenna as a result of diffraction. H-shaped slots are described for sidewall use and side-to-side slots are described for endwall use. Slots may be dielectrically loaded by contiguous portions of a radome.
Claims22
A cellular antenna, providing an azimuth beamwidth and having improved front-to-back performance, comprising:
- a plurality of vertically aligned dipole radiators in a single vertical column;
- a reflective backwall positioned behind said dipole radiators and having a width inadequate to achieve said azimuth beamwidth;
- sidewalls extending forward from said backwall to increase beam focus to achieve said azimuth beamwidth;
- and
- a plurality of slot radiating elements formed in said sidewalls to re-radiate signals behind said antenna to partially cancel signals otherwise radiated behind said antenna.
A cellular antenna, including a reflector with re-radiating slots to improve front-to-back performance, comprising:
- a plurality of radiators arrayed in a vertical column;
- said reflector cooperating with said radiators, said reflector including sidewall portions extending forward;
- and
- a plurality of slot radiating elements formed in said sidewalls to re-radiate signals behind said reflector to improve front-to-back performance by partially canceling signals otherwise radiated behind said antenna, said slot radiating elements proportioned to be non-resonant within an operating frequency band.
A cellular antenna, providing an azimuth beamwidth and having improved front-to-back performance, comprising:
- a plurality of vertically aligned dipole radiators in a single vertical column;
- a reflective backwall of planar rectangular shape positioned behind said dipole radiators and having a width inadequate to achieve said azimuth beamwidth;
- sidewalls of planar rectangular shape and extending forward from said backwall to increase beam focus to achieve said azimuth beamwidth;
- and
- a plurality of H-shaped slot radiating elements formed in said sidewalls to re-radiate signals behind said antenna to improve front-to-back performance by partially canceling signals otherwise radiated behind said antenna.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.