Back to results
US 5,973,641 AGranted
Antenna feed network arrangement
AssigneeNorthern Telecom Limited
InventorsAdrian David Smith, Martin Stevens Smith, David Neil Adams
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
Loading patent…
AssigneeNorthern Telecom Limited
InventorsAdrian David Smith, Martin Stevens Smith, David Neil Adams
Estimating the term…
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a linear antenna array comprising a number of antenna elements and a feed network, wherein the feed network is operable to apply the cumulative effect of a progressive phase shift across the antenna elements of the array and a stepped complex operator shift to selected groups of antenna elements of the array, whereby a down tilted and null-free coverage by a resulting radiation pattern can thereby be provided. The complex operator can be phase, amplitude or a combination of both. The antenna array can be a layered antenna and the phase shifts in the feed network can be provided by differing length transmission paths, whilst any amplitude shift can be provided by unequal power dividers. In order to provide no down tilt and just null fill-in, then the progressive phase shift can be specified to be zero.
A linear array comprising a number (N) of antenna elements and a feed network, wherein the feed network is operable to apply non-progressive levels in phase distribution to one or more selected groups of two or more antenna elements to provide a null free coverage over a specific part of a resultant radiation pattern, wherein the number (n) of antenna elements in any group is less than N.
A method of operating a linear antenna array comprising a number (N) of radiation elements and a feed network;
A linear antenna array comprising a number (N) of antenna elements and a feed network, wherein the feed network is operable to apply non-progressive levels in phase distribution to one or more selected groups of two or more antenna elements to provide a null free coverage over a specific part of a resultant radiation pattern, and wherein amplitude shifts are provided by unequal power dividers and are effected to further selected groups of antennas, wherein the number (n) of antenna elements in any group is less than N.
A method of operating a linear antenna array comprising a number (N) of radiation elements and a feed network, the method comprising the application of non-progressive levels in phase distribution to one or more groups of antenna elements whereby a null free coverage is provided in a resultant radiation pattern over a specific part of a resultant radiation pattern, and wherein amplitude shifts provided in the feed network by unequal power dividers and are effected to further selected groups of antennas, wherein the number (n) of antenna elements in any group is less than N.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.