Ipr Licensing, Inc.

Tantivy Communications, Inc.

Joe T Richeson

James Arthur Proctor, Jr

Bing Chiang

Kenneth Marvin Gainey

Griffin Keith Gothard

Christopher A Snyder

Douglas Harold Wood

Alton S Keel, Jr

An antenna apparatus, which can increase capacity in a cellular communication system or Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), such as an 802.11 network, operates in conjunction with a mobile subscriber unit or client station. At least one antenna element is active and located within multiple passive antenna elements. The passive antenna elements are coupled to selectable impedance components for phase control of re-radiated RF signals. Various techniques for determining the phase of each antenna element are supported to enable the antenna apparatus to direct an antenna beam pattern toward a base station or access point with maximum gain, and, consequently, maximum signal-to-noise ratio. By directionally receiving and transmitting signals, multipath fading is greatly reduced as well as intercell interference.

Adaptive antenna for use in wireless communication systems

An antenna apparatus which can increase capacity in a cellular communication system. The antenna operates in conjunction with a mobile subscriber unit and provides a plurality of antenna elements. At least one active antenna element is active and essentially centrally located within multiple passive antenna elements. The passive antenna elements are coupled to selectable impedance components. Through proper control of the passive antenna elements, the cellular communication system directs an antenna beam pattern toward an antenna tower of a base station to maximize gain, and, consequently, signal-to-noise ratio. Thus, optimum reception is achieved during, for example, an idle mode which receives a pilot signal. The antenna array creates a beamformer for signals to be transmitted from the mobile subscriber unit, and a directional receiving array to more optimally detect and receive signals transmitted from the base station. By directionally receiving and transmitting signals, multipath fading is greatly reduced as well as intercell interference. Various techniques for determining the proper phase of each antenna element are accommodated.

A directive antenna includes plural antenna elements in an antenna assemblage. A feed network connected to the antenna elements includes at least one switch to select a state of one of the antenna elements to be in an active state in response to a control signal. The other antenna elements are in a passive state, electrically coupled to an impedance to be in a reflective mode. The antenna elements in the passive state are electromagnetically coupled to the active antenna element, allowing the antenna assemblage to directionally transmit and receive signals. The directive antenna may further include an assisting switch associated with each antenna element to assist coupling the antenna elements, while in the passive state, to the respective impedances. The antenna assemblage may be circular for a 360&deg; discrete scan in N directions, where N is the number of antenna elements. The directive antenna is suitable for use in a high data rate network having greater than 50 kbits per second data transfer rates, where the high data rate network may use CDMA2000, 1eV-DO, 1Extreme, or other such protocol.

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Melbourne, FL, United States of America

Joe T Richeson