Airspan IP Holdco LLC

Hassanein Daniel Rabah

Andrew Logothetis

Richard Brooke Keeton

David Clive Taylor

An antenna apparatus is provided that has a strip of antenna elements extending in a first dimension, and a signal processing interface for connection to signal processing circuitry. A plurality of beamforming networks are also provided, wherein each beamforming network is arranged, when coupled to the strip of antenna elements, to cause an associated beam pattern of the beamforming network to be generated by the strip of antenna elements. Switching circuitry is used to enable any one of the plurality of beamforming networks to be inserted between the strip of antenna elements and the signal processing interface. Each beamforming network couples a first node of the beamforming network with multiple second nodes of the beamforming network in accordance with a coupling pattern of that beamforming network. As a result, when the switching circuitry causes a given beamforming network to be inserted between the strip of antenna elements and the signal processing interface, the signal processing interface is coupled to the first node, each antenna element is coupled to an associated one of the second nodes, and the coupling pattern of the given beamforming network causes the associated beam pattern to be generated by the strip of antenna elements.

Antenna apparatus, antenna system and method of operation

A dipole antenna apparatus, and method of manufacture of such an apparatus, are provided. The antenna apparatus has a conductive plate extending in a first plane, and a pair of conductive elements arranged to form a dipole antenna, where the pair of conductive elements are located in a second plane parallel to the first plane. Each conductive element forms a conductive ring in the second plane that surrounds a non-conductive inner area. The first conductive element in the pair of conductive elements has a conductive bridge extending across the conductive ring to divide the non-conductive inner area into at least two portions. A conductive connection then extends from the conductive bridge to the conductive plate. As a result, in normal use the conductive plate acts as a reflector for the dipole antenna, but in the event of a direct current event the presence of the conductive bridge and the conductive connection causes the conductive plate to operate as a ground plane for direct current within the first conductive element of the dipole antenna. It has been found that such an approach provides a particularly efficient, low cost, design for a dipole antenna.

Dipole antenna apparatus and method of manufacture

A technique is provided for tuning the resonance frequency of an electric-based antenna formed by a radiator element coupled to an antenna ground plane. The disclosed method comprises providing a plurality of parasitic capacitive elements extending in an electric field direction of the electric-based antenna so as to lower the resonance frequency of the electric-based antenna below a desired resonance frequency. The electric-based antenna is then integrated within a deployment environment of interest, and thereafter an indication of an actual frequency response of the electric-based antenna within the deployment environment is obtained. One or more of the parasitic capacitive elements may then be removed so as to adjust the actual resonance frequency towards the desired resonance frequency. By such an approach, a significant degree of adjustment in the resonance frequency of the antenna can be made after the antenna has been integrated within the deployment environment.

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Slough, United Kingdom

Hassanein Daniel Rabah