Dual-beam antenna aperture

Abstract

An improved antenna arrangement for base stations in communication networks is disclosed. The arrangement has panel apertures generating a multi-beam pattern while producing acceptable side-lobe levels. A typical arrangement includes a plurality of radiator elements arranged in three separate vertical columns along the antenna panels thereby forming the radiation aperture. A number of such panels may form a base station antenna, where each aperture produces two beams. Each group of three columns may be further divided into sub-panels for providing different elevation patterns. Feeding signals for the two lobes from each group of columns are connected to an elevation beam-forming network and to an azimuth beam-forming network having three output terminals forming antenna ports. The beam-forming network generally creates a 90° phase-gradient between the signals appearing at the antenna ports. The angle may also be arbitrary. The three separate columns are typically vertically polarized. The aperture-coupled radiator elements may include patch antenna elements, which are separately fed by a strip-line network.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.