Lucent Technologies Inc.

Alcatel Lucent

Ncr Corporation

Nokia Technologies Oy

At+t Corp.

Cuong Tran

Martin V Schneider

Dragan Samardzija

Howard C Huang

Reinaldo A Valenzuela

Ralph Francis Trambarulo

Susan Walker

James G Evans

Michael E Flaster

Yoshitaka Utsumi

Clifford Eric Martin

Samuel Suresh Martin

Lawrence M Drabeck

Michael Scott Rawles

Ajit Reddy

Wee Teck Ng

Robert Fairfield

Lawrence Milton Drabeck

Martin Victor Schneider

Susan J Walker

Dragan M Samardzija

A switched-beam communication node (e.g., transmitter, receiver, or transceiver) has an antenna array, an (N&#xd7;N) passive multibeamformer (e.g., Butler matrix (BM)), a phase network, a switch network, and a controller. The phase network has N phase shifters, one for each different beam port of the Butler matrix. The controller configures the node to support either (i) any one of N main beampatterns supported by the Butler matrix by controlling the switch network to select one of the phase shifters and its corresponding BM beam port or (ii) any one of up to at least (N&#x2212;1) combined beampatterns by controlling the switch network to select two of the phase shifters and their two corresponding BM beam ports. Each combined beampattern is a combination of two phase-shifted main beampatterns. In some embodiments, the node can be configured to provide two concurrent beampatterns for transmit and/or receive operations, thereby supporting space-division multiple-access systems.

Switched-beam communication node

The present invention relates to a conformal antenna array. Embodiments of the present invention provide a transceiver for communicating data in a cell site of a wireless communication system. The transceiver includes the conformal antenna array including a plurality of antenna elements, where the plurality of antenna elements has a non-linear antenna configuration to occupy at least two dimensions, and a controller configured to transmit multiple beamforming signals using at least two same antenna elements of the plurality of antenna elements.

Conformal antenna array

The present invention relates to an antenna array for supporting multiple beam architectures. For example, a transceiver may include an antenna array. The antenna array includes a plurality of antenna elements, where the plurality of antenna elements is configured to support at least two beam architectures in a cell site. Each beam architecture is associated with a different configuration of sectors and beamforming signals. According to one embodiment, each beam architecture is associated with a different wireless standard. According to another embodiment, each beam architecture is associated with a different carrier within one wireless standard. The antenna elements may be arranged as a circular array.

Antenna array for supporting multiple beam architectures

An RF antenna grid design in which the antenna array is installed on a patch panel cover allows for the retrofitting of an RF antenna grid on existing patch panel based systems without disrupting network operation. An apparatus for determining connectivity between device ports on a patch panel and cable ends having corresponding RFID tags attached thereto comprises a patch panel having a plurality of device ports and a patch panel cover comprising a plurality of RFID antennas, where each of the RFID antennas comprises one or more protruding portions thereof, each of the protruding portions of the RFID antennas being in close physical proximity to one or more of the plurality of device ports when the patch panel cover is positioned in a fixed positional relationship to the patch panel (e.g., when the patch panel cover is 'attached' to the patch panel).

Patch panel cover mounted antenna grid for use in the automatic determination of network cable connections using RFID tags

A miniature, multi-branch patch antenna suitable for operating in the 1 GHz to 100 GHz frequency range, a method for making same and a communication system using the same is disclosed. In one embodiment, the antenna comprises a planar dielectric substrate, a plurality of conducting antenna elements each having a feed port, a ground plane and a septum located between each conducting antenna element. In a second embodiment, the antenna comprises a planar dielectric substrate, a plurality of conducting antenna elements each having a feed port, a ground plane and a superstrate that is disposed on the plurality of conducting antenna elements and at least a portion of the dielectric substrate. The septum and the superstrate suppress undesirable coupling mechanisms. In a communication system according to the present invention, the miniature, multi-branch patch antenna is coupled to a transmitter and/or receiver.

Miniature multi-branch patch antenna

An electronic price label which is suitable for use in both small EPLs having lengths of about 1.5 to 2 inches and large size EPLs having lengths of about 3 to 4 inches. The antenna includes a folded planar conductor including a generally planar radiator portion coupled to a antenna port on a printed circuit board, a generally planar ground plane portion coupled to a ground on the printed circuit board having a width and oriented generally parallel to the radiator portion, and a dielectric layer between the radiator portion and the ground plane portion. The width of the ground plane portion is larger than the width of the radiator portion by a distance sufficient to produce an electric field which is linearly polarized in the width direction, thereby eliminating a need for shielding.

Electronic price label antenna for electronic price labels of different sizes

A loop antenna includes a dielectric substrate, and an antenna conductor forming a loop that extends over a surface of the substrate. A matching circuit near the conductor is dimensioned and arranged for electromagnetically coupling a radio frequency circuit with the antenna conductor. In one embodiment, the antenna conductor forms a closed loop on a surface of a first substrate layer, and the matching network includes a strip transmission line on a surface of a second substrate layer overlying the antenna conductor on the first substrate layer. The substrate layers form part of an interface unit that provides a wireless data link with a residential electric utility meter.

Loop antenna configuration for printed wire board applications

A band-reject filter includes a three port circulator having an input port, a second port connected to a bandpass filter terminated in a matched load, and a third output port. The loss of the band-reject filter is enhanced by controlling the amplitude and phase of a feed-forward signal, passing between the input port and output port, relative to the amplitude and phase of a reflected signal from the matched load.

Notch-enhancement in band-reject filters

The disclosed method of making a semiconductor device comprises a screening procedure that facilitates identification of devices having relatively low flicker noise. The devices are typically semiconductor diodes. The procedure utilizes our discovery of a correlation between the reverse bias current I.sub.r of a semiconductor device and the flicker noise power, and comprises measurement of the reverse bias current and comparison of the measured value with a predetermined comparison value I.sub.rc. Devices having I.sub.r .ltoreq.I.sub.rc are those that have relatively low flicker noise. The screening procedure is simple and quick, and can be readily performed in a manufacturing environment.

Method of making a low noise semiconductor device comprising a screening

A wireless electronic module includes a folded monopole antenna having an antenna port impedance which is reactive at the RF frequency of operation and which conjugately matches the reactive impedance of the electronic circuit which connects to the antenna port. A grounded shield is interposed between the antenna and the electronic circuit to reduce RF losses at the antenna.

Wireless electronic module

An RF apparatus (e.g., a wireless label) provides improved backscattering of an incident RF signal by utilizing a separate modulator diode, which connects across the antenna, to modulate the backscattering of the antenna. A separate detector diode connects across the antenna through an impedance matching network to detect modulated signals received by the antenna.

Detector and modulator circuits for passive microwave links

A diode detector is integrated into a microstrip patch antenna. Tuning and matching of the detector are accomplished by adjusting the geometry of the patch. Cost, power consumption, losses, and spurious responses are reduced. The antenna may be adapted to a mixer, video detector, i.f. detector, or audio detector.

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Howell, NJ, United States of America

Cuong Tran