Quintel Technology Limited

Qinetiq Limited

Quintel Technology Limtied

Philip Edward Haskell

Louis David Thomas

David Edwin Barker

Stephen Thomas Newbold

Paul Anthony Hickling

Duncan Alan Wynn

Clive Richard Harding

Duncan A Wynn

A phased array antenna system with electrical tilt control incorporates a tilt controller () for splitting an input signal into three intermediate signals, two of which are delayed by variable delays Tand Trelative to the third. A corporate feed () contains splitters Sto Sand hybrids Hto Hfor processing the intermediate signals to produce drive signals for elements of an antenna array (); the drive signals are fractions and vector combinations of the intermediate signals. The tilt controller () and the corporate feed () in combination impose relative phasing on the drive signals as appropriate for phased array beam steering in response to variable delay of two intermediate signals relative to the third intermediate signal.

Phased array antenna system with electrical tilt control

A phased array antenna system with multiple beams incorporates a CDMA base station () with multiple portstofor positive and negative polarisation signals connected to portstoof an antenna assembly (). The antenna assembly () is single stack and multi-port, and it provides multiple antenna beams with polarisation diversity and different vertical angles of electrical tilt which are fixed or variable. It is suitable for 3G mobile radio using CDMA. Different antenna beams may carry groups of data channels distinguished either by different channelisation process coding or by different scrambling process coding. An operator may use two or more beams simultaneously. Control of angle of electrical tilt of antenna beams may be implemented by introducing variable relative delay between signals associated with different antenna ports A(+) and B(+) and feeding them to a signal splitting and combining network providing antenna element signals.

Phased array antenna system with multiple beam

A diversity antenna system with electrical tilt has two dual polarized, tilt adjustable antenna stacks (A) and (B) with physical separation providing space diversity. Each antenna stack (A) or (B) has two polarizations associated with independently adjustable electrical tilt angles. The electrical tilt angles of each antenna stack (A) or (B) are controlled to be equal to those of the other antenna stack to provide co-polarization or anti-polarization tilt coupling. The antenna system () may operate with multiple carrier frequencies each associated with a respective pair of polarizations of different antenna stacks (A) and (B) with co-polarization or anti-polarization tilt coupling. Antenna tilt angles are controllable so that different carrier frequencies are associated with independently adjustable angles of electrical tilt. The system may be used with groups of both contiguous and non-contiguous carrier frequencies.

Diversity antenna system with electrical tilt

An electrically tilted antenna system with polarization diversity has a dual polarized, tilt adjustable antenna (). The antenna () has dipoles () of two orthogonal polarizations associated with independently adjustable electrical tilt angles. The tilt angles are implemented by relative delays between corporate feed input or output signals, the delays being introduced by an antenna tilt assembly (). Two signal feeders (F, F) associated with different antenna polarizations connect the antenna tilt assembly () to a base station filter assembly (): the base station filter assemblyroutes transmit signals from base stations (BS, BS) to different antenna polarizations via respective feeders (F, F) and the antenna tilt assembly (). This assembly also divides receive signals from feeders (F, F) between both base stations (BS, BS). Each antenna polarization is associated with transmit and receive signals of a respective base station (BSor BS) and with a polarization diversity signal of the other base station (BSor BS). The antenna system may be used with two or more base stations operating with contiguous frequencies.

Electrically tilted antenna system with polarisation diversity

A mobile-radio base station for a telecommunications system includes vector modulator means for independently controlling the phase and/or amplitude of a plurality of component signals representative of the signal to be transmitted or received, such that when these signals pass through a plurality of antenna elements, a beam is formed in a direction according to the phase relationship of the component signals. The invention also includes interface means allowing other base stations to be coupled to the same antenna, with each base station having independent control of its beam direction. Provision is includes for phase compensation of the signals to correct for errors introduced by unequal and variable component signal path lengths between the base station and the antenna. The vector modulator means is arranged to operate at low power levels, where it can operate more efficiently.

Method and system for controlling a direction of a receive beam produced by an antenna connected to at least two base stations

A phased array antenna system with variable electrical tilt comprises an array of antenna elements etc. incorporating a divider dividing a radio frequency (RF) carrier signal into two signals between which a phase shifter introduces a variable phase shift. A phase to power converter converts the phase shifted signals into signals with powers dependent on the phase shift. Power splitters divide the converted signals into two sets of divided signals with total number equal to the number of antenna elements in the array. Power to phase converters etc. combine pairs of divided signals from different power splitters this provides vector sum and difference components with appropriate phase for supply to respective pairs of antenna elements etc. located equidistant from an array center. Adjustment of the phase shift provided by phase shifter changes the angle of electrical tilt of the antenna array.

Phased array antenna system with variable electrical tilt

Methods for coded aperture imaging, and processing the data from coded aperture imaging are taught. Several snapshots of an image are acquired, each using a different coded aperture array. The several snapshots are combined together with appropriate weightings to form a single equivalent frame as are the aperture functions for the coded aperture arrays used. Combining several frames of data can improve the signal to noise ratio of the decode image and increase the resolution of the image. Preferably a balanced weighting system is used and image reconstruction is performed by inverting the covariance matrix formed by the covariance of the signals from a number of estimated trial points. Using a balanced weighting system reduces the covariance matrix to a diagonal or near diagonal matrix with a corresponding reduction in computational load. The techniques also reduces additive noise. Various technique for compensating for camera motion and identifying motion in the scene are also taught along with suitable apparatus for performing the invention.

Method and apparatus for coded aperture imaging

A phased array antenna system with two dimensional scanning includes a two dimensional array A of antenna elements Ato Aarranged in lines; each line is associated with a respective first rank corporate feed networktohaving outputstoconnected to respective antenna elements Ato Aand inputs for variable relative phase input signals. These corporate feed networks each have first and second inputs A/Bto A/Bconnected respectively to outputstoof different second rank corporate feed networksand. The corporate feed networkstoconvert input signals of variable relative phase into relatively greater numbers of output signals for a phased array. The system () includes a phase varying circuitfor varying phase differences between input signals to each second rank corporate feed networkorand between input signals to different second rank corporate feed networksandto provide control of antenna beam direction in two dimensions.

Phased array antenna system with two dimensional scanning

A phased array antenna system with variable electrical tilt comprises an array of antenna elements etc. incorporating a divider dividing a radio frequency (RF) carrier signal into two signals between which a phase shifter introduces a variable phase shift. A phase to power converter converts the phase shifted signals into signals with powers dependent on the phase shift. Power splitters divide the converted signals into two sets of divided signals with total number equal to the number of antenna elements in the array. Power to phase converters etc. combine pairs of divided signals from different power splitters this provides vector sum and difference components with appropriate phase for supply to respective pairs of antenna elements etc. located equidistant from an array centre. Adjustment of the phase shift provided by phase shifter changes the angle of electrical tilt of the antenna array.

An antenna system for sharing of operation employs contiguous transmit frequencies. Transmit frequencies are separated into non-contiguous sub-groups isolated from one another by filters(+) and(&#x2212;) associated with positive and negative polarization. Received frequencies are filtered and split into five signals for input to base station receive ports. Non-contiguous transmit frequency sub-groups are combined by a quadrature hybridand pass with 90 degree relative phase shift to mutually orthogonal antenna stack ports P(+) and P(&#x2212;) associated with orthogonally polarized sets of antenna elements AS(+) and AS(&#x2212;): the ports P(+) and P(&#x2212;) are isolated from one another by the hybrid. The 90 degree phase shift results in one transmit subgroup being radiated with left hand circular polarization and the other transmit subgroup being radiated with right hand circular polarization. Changing the relative phase shift changes the radiated polarization to linear or elliptical, and signal amplitude weighting provides control of antenna beam polarization direction.

Antenna system for sharing of operation

An electrically steerable phased array antenna system includes an array of antenna elements and a corporate feed network having an inner region for input of two input signals A and B. The corporate feed network has two outer regions and generating vector combinations of respective input signals and other input signal fractions. Each outer region has a splitting and combining network providing the vector combinations as signals to antenna elements connected predominantly peripherally to itself. Each splitting and combining network has input signal connections from the inner region disposed peripherally of the corporate feed network. Each consists of splitters and adding/subtracting elements implemented as hybrid couplers some of which have re-entrant or meandered track sections. Hybrid meandered track sections have multiple widths for signal weighting. The corporate feed network is configured to avoid track cross-overs.

Electrically steerable phased array antenna system

A phased array antenna system with adjustable electrical tilt includes an array () of antenna elements, to. It has a splitter () dividing a radio frequency (RF) carrier signal into two signals between which a phase shifter () introduces a variable phase shift. Further splitters () and () divide the relatively phase shifted signals into two sets of five signals. Four of each of the sets of five signals are vectorially combined in a network of 180 degree hybrid couplers, to. This provides vector sum and difference components which together with the fifth members of the sets are fed to respective fixed phase shifters () and 64, to. The phase shifters, toprovide signals which are appropriately phased for use as phased array drive signals for respective antenna elements 62, to 62. Adjustment of the single phase shift provided by the variable phase shifter () changes the angle of electrical tilt of the entire antenna array ().

Phased array antenna system with adjustable electrical tilt

A mobile-radio base station for a teleconununicaions system includes vector modulator means for independently controlling the phase and/or amplitude of a plurality of component signals representative of the signal to be transmitted or received, such that when these signals pass through a plurality of antenna elements, a beam is formed in a direction according to the phase relationship of the component signals. The base station further includes interface means allowing other base stations to be coupled to the same antenna, with each base station having independent control of its beam direction.

Mobile radio base station

A phased array antenna system with controllable electrical tilt generates two signals Vand Vwith variable relative delay therebetween. The signals are converted into antenna element drive signals by a power distribution network. The network splits each of the two signals Vand Vinto three signal components. Pairs of components of different signals are input respective hybrid coupling devices (hybrids), which provide vector sums and differences of their inputs and act as phase-to-power converters. Their outputs are distributed between further hybrids, which act as power-to-phase converters and provide antenna element drive signals with phase varying both with element array position and also with the variable relative delay between the two signals Vand VAntenna electrical tilt is therefore controllable by altering a single relative delay.

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Gosport, United Kingdom

Philip Edward Haskell