US6894653B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Low cost multiple pattern antenna for use with multiple receiver systems
Assignee: Tantivy Communications Inc
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Filing: 2003-09-17
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Granted: 2005-05-17
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Expires: 2023-09-17
Abstract
Abstract An antenna assembly includes at least two active or main radiating omni-directional antenna elements arranged with at least one beam control or passive antenna element used as a reflector. The beam control antenna element(s) may have multiple reactance elements that can electrically terminate it to adjust the input or output beam pattern(s) produced by the combination of the active antenna elements and the beam control antenna element(s). More specifically, the beam control antenna element(s) may be coupled to different terminating reactances to change beam characteristics, such as the directivity and angular beamwidth. Processing may be employed to select which terminating reactance to use. Consequently, the radiator pattern of the antenna can be more easily directed towards a specific target receiver/transmitter, reduce signal-to-noise interference levels, and/or increase gain by using Radio Frequency (RF), Intermediate Frequency (IF), or baseband processing. A Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output (MIMO) processing technique may be employed to operate the antenna assembly with simultaneous beam patterns.
Inventors
- 👤 Bing Chiang
- 👤 Kenneth M. Gainey
- 👤 James A. Proctor, Jr.
- 👤 Antoine J. Rouphael
- 👤 Griffin K. Gothard
- 👤 Michael J. Lynch
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 06:27
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01Q; H01Q21/00; H01Q3/00; H01Q3/26; H01Q3/2605; H01Q3/2611; H01Q3/2629; H01Q3/2635; H01Q3/2641; H01Q1/00; H01Q1/12; H01Q1/22; H01Q1/2258; H01Q19/00; H01Q19/22; H01Q19/26; H01Q19/28; H01Q19/32; H01Q21/06; H01Q21/08; H01Q21/20; H01Q21/29; H01Q3/28; H01Q9/00; H01Q9/04; H01Q9/16
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 46
Claim 1
Independent Claim
38 words
An antenna assembly, comprising: multiple active antenna elements; and at least one beam control antenna element electromagnetically coupled to a subset of the active antenna elements and electromagnetically disposed between at least two of said active antenna elements.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
38 words
An antenna assembly, comprising: multiple active antenna elements; and at least one beam control antenna element electromagnetically coupled to a subset of the active antenna elements and electromagnetically disposed between at least two of said active antenna elements.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
37 words
The antenna assembly according to claim 1 further including at least one device operatively coupled to said at least one beam control antenna element to effect at least one antenna beam pattern formed by the antenna assembly.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
39 words
The antenna assembly according to claim 2 wherein said at least one device is operatively coupled to said at least one beam control antenna element to affect the electromagnetic coupling between at least two of the active antenna elements.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
24 words
The antenna assembly according to claim 2 wherein said at least one device provides at least two modes of operation for the antenna assembly.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
22 words
The antenna assembly according to claim 4 wherein said at least two modes include a non-omnidirectional mode and a substantially omni-directional mode.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
29 words
The antenna assembly according to claim 4 wherein said at least two modes reduces electromagnetic coupling by respective amounts between at least a subset of the active antenna elements.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
The antenna assembly according to claim 1 wherein the beam control antenna element is directly attached to ground or connected to ground through a reactance.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
16 words
The antenna assembly according to claim 4 wherein said at least one device includes a switch.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
27 words
The antenna assembly according to claim 8 wherein the switch includes a number of switch states and a like number of reactance elements coupled to the switch.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
33 words
The antenna assembly according to claim 1 wherein the spacing between the active antenna elements is about half of the wavelength of a carrier signal transmitted or received by the active antenna elements.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
38 words
The antenna assembly according to claim 1 wherein the spacing between the active antenna elements and beam control antenna elements is about one-quarter of the wavelength of a carrier signal transmitted or received by the active antenna elements.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
46 words
The antenna assembly according to claim 2 further including a processor coupled to the active antenna elements and said at least one device, the logic used to select state settings for said at least one device based on a signal received by the active antenna elements.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
21 words
The antenna assembly according to claim 1 wherein the active antenna elements are arranged in a one-dimensional array or curvilinear array.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
18 words
The antenna assembly according to claim 1 wherein the active antenna elements are arranged in a 2-dimensional array.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
16 words
The antenna assembly according to claim 14 wherein the 2-dimensional array is substantially a circular pattern.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
25 words
The antenna assembly according to claim 1 including multiple beam control antenna elements, wherein the beam control antenna elements are arranged in a 1-dimensional array.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
25 words
The antenna assembly according to claim 1 including multiple beam control antenna elements, wherein the beam control antenna elements are arranged in a 2-dimensional array.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
29 words
The antenna assembly according to claim 1 further including a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) processing unit having multiple transmitters or receivers adapted to operate with the multiple active antenna elements.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
22 words
The antenna assembly according to claim 1 used in a base station, hand set, wireless access point, or client or station device.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
32 words
The antenna assembly according to claim 1 used in a cellular network, Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) system, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system, or GSM system.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
51 words
A method for supporting RF communications, comprising: forming at least one antenna beam pattern by multiple active antenna elements; and affecting the at least one antenna beam pattern by at least one beam control antenna element electromagnetically coupled to and electromagnetically disposed between at least two of the active antenna elements.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
51 words
A method for supporting RF communications, comprising: forming at least one antenna beam pattern by multiple active antenna elements; and affecting the at least one antenna beam pattern by at least one beam control antenna element electromagnetically coupled to and electromagnetically disposed between at least two of the active antenna elements.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method according to claim 21 further including adjusting a reactance of said at least one beam control antenna element to effect the at least one antenna beam pattern formed by the active antenna elements.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method according to claim 22 wherein adjusting the reactance of said at least one beam control antenna element affects electromagnetic coupling between at least two active antenna elements.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method according to claim 22 wherein adjusting the reactance of said at least one beam control antenna element provides at least two modes of operation.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method according to claim 24 wherein the two modes of operation include a non-omnidirectional mode and a substantially omni-directional mode.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method according to claim 25 wherein said at least two modes reduces electromagnetic coupling by respective amounts between at least a subset of the active antenna elements.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method according to claim 21 wherein the beam control antenna element is directly attached to ground or connected to ground through a reactance.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method according to claim 24 wherein providing at least two modes of operation includes operating a device coupled to said at least one beam control antenna element.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method according to claim 28 wherein operating the device includes selectably coupling at least one reactance element to said at least one beam control antenna element.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method according to claim 21 wherein the spacing between the active antenna elements is less than about half of the wavelength of a carrier signal transmitted or received by the active antenna elements.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method according to claim 30 wherein the spacing between the active antenna elements and beam control antenna elements is about one-quarter of the wavelength of a carrier signal transmitted or received by the active antenna elements.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method according to claim 22 wherein adjusting the reactance of said at least one beam control antenna element includes processing a signal received by the active antenna elements to adjust the reactance.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method according to claim 21 further including operating the active antenna elements in a one-dimensional array or curvi-linear array.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method according to claim 21 further including operating the active antenna elements in a two-dimensional array.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method according to claim 34 wherein the 2-dimensional array is substantially a circular pattern.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method according to claim 21 wherein the multiple beam control antenna elements are arranged in a 1-dimensional array.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method according to claim 21 wherein the multiple beam control antenna elements are arranged in a 2-dimensional array.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method according to claim 21 further including passing RF signals between the active antenna elements and a Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output (MIMO) processing unit having multiple transmitters or receivers adapted to operate with the active antenna elements.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method according to claim 21 used in a base station, hand set, wireless access point, or client or station device.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method according to claim 21 used in a cellular network, Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) system, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system, or GSM network.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
46 words
An antenna assembly, comprising: multiple active antenna elements; and beam control means for affecting at least one antenna beam pattern formed by the multiple active antenna elements, the beam control means electromagnetically coupled to and electromagnetically disposed between at least two of the active antenna elements.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
46 words
An antenna assembly, comprising: multiple active antenna elements; and beam control means for affecting at least one antenna beam pattern formed by the multiple active antenna elements, the beam control means electromagnetically coupled to and electromagnetically disposed between at least two of the active antenna elements.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
61 words
An antenna assembly, comprising: multiple active antenna elements; at least one beam control antenna element electromagnetically coupled to the active antenna elements and electromagnetically disposed between at least two of the active antenna elements; and means for adjusting a reactance of said at least one passive antenna element to effect at least one antenna beam pattern formed by the antenna assembly.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
61 words
An antenna assembly, comprising: multiple active antenna elements; at least one beam control antenna element electromagnetically coupled to the active antenna elements and electromagnetically disposed between at least two of the active antenna elements; and means for adjusting a reactance of said at least one passive antenna element to effect at least one antenna beam pattern formed by the antenna assembly.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2008-05-16 | 2008-11-15 | 2009-05-17 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2012-05-16 | 2012-11-15 | 2013-05-17 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2016-05-16 | 2016-11-15 | 2017-05-17 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |