WO2021053114A1

WO2021053114A1 - Antenna having a beam steering device

Info

Publication number: WO2021053114A1
Application number: PCT/EP2020/076044
Authority: WO
Inventors: Markus Mohr; Robert Bieber
Original assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget Lm Ericsson (Publ)
Priority date: 2019-09-18
Filing date: 2020-09-17
Publication date: 2021-03-25
Also published as: DE102019125172A1

Abstract

An antenna having a beam steering device is proposed, at least the following devices being provided inside the antenna: at least one phase shifter, control electronics provided in the beam steering device which contain or can determine control information for controlling the at least one phase shifter and status information of the antenna. Furthermore, a drive unit is provided which is electrically connected to the control electronics and operatively connected to at least one phase shifter, and which is set up to adjust the at least one phase shifter based on signals of the control electronics, characterised by a data memory which has a communication connection to the control electronics and is set up to receive status information of the antenna obtained from the control electronics, to store said information, to make said information available to the control electronics and to provide the obtained and/or stored status information of the antenna via a transmitting and/or receiving antenna connected to a RF interface in such a way that it can be queried.

Description

Antenna having a beam steering device

The invention relates to an antenna having a beam steering device.

Beam steering devices, as described, for example, in WO2011116862 (see e.g. Fig. 1b), are used, inter alia, in mobile communications base station an tennas and enable a local, remote-controlled change of the beam character istics, i.e. the horizontal orientation, the vertical orientation, the beam width, etc., of the relevant antenna. Whereas single and dual band antennas were used in the past, today 8-band antennas are already required by network op- erators and are being incorporated in networks. The thus increasing com plexity of an antenna requires new technologies that give rise to modularity, scalability and thus greater flexibility.

Beam steering devices as currently available on the market usually consist of one or more motors (drive unit), which allow a mechanical adjustment of the so-called phase shifter or the phase shifters directly or via gears or levers. The drive units can be integrated into the antenna completely, i.e. in such a way that the drive unit cannot be replaced without opening the antenna, or partly, i.e. can be replaced without opening the antenna, or else they can be connected externally to the antenna, i.e. likewise in a manner such that they are relatively easy to replace. Externally mounted drive units are mounted, for example, on the bottom or else on the back of the antenna. Partly inte grated, i.e. replaceable drive units are usually inserted into the antenna from below.

In addition to the remote-controlled adjustment of the beam characteristics, customers also demand the visual readability of the currently set down-tilt value on the antenna as a measure of the changed beam characteristics without having to interfere with the existing installation, e.g. by removing an AISG cable from the beam steering device and connecting an AISG service device by means of which the tilt value could be read out. The down-tilt value is determined and documented on site by visual reading, for example during site maintenance and installation checks, for example checks for reversed RF cables between the base station and antenna. This requirement for the antenna product has been and is mechanically implemented in a wide variety of ways. For example, a pointer is connected to the phase shifter axis with a tilt value display via a scale attached to the radome of the antenna. In order for the antenna function not to be impaired by this display, such displays are usually provided on the back of the antenna, which can make said displays more difficult to read on the mast, that is at the installation site. In another variant, for example, rods provided with scales extend out of the bottom of the antenna in order to display the tilt value set for each phase shifter or phase shifter group such that said value can be visually read. In a further im plementation, the rods provided with scales are mechanically connected to the antenna via a spring. If tilt values are adjusted, this has no direct influ ence on these display elements. Flowever, a mechanical stop within the an tenna is moved according to the current tilt values in such a way that the cur rent tilt values can be visually read by pulling the rods provided with scales downwards against the spring force as far as the mechanical stop. This means that, in order to read the display element, it must be pulled down wards manually until it reaches its mechanical stop. The disadvantage here is that a purely visual tilt value reading and the asso ciated storage, i.e. manual writing, etc. of this value, increases the probability of errors.

The implementation of a corresponding mechanical system is becoming in creasingly difficult, because the mechanical complexity, i.e., inter alia, gears, levers, rods, shafts, display elements, is scaled according to the number of bands to be integrated into the antenna and appropriate installation space must also be kept in the antenna. Thus, the manufacturing costs are also in creased.

Various solutions are known in the prior art. Described in W00205383A1 is, inter alia, an “actuation means” provided on or in the antenna that has a communication interface, such as a wireless interface (for example, in the in frared range) in a frequency range suitable for this purpose. The “actuation means” is designed here, inter alia, to control actuators, which in this way ad just phase shifters of the antenna in a targeted manner to control the beam characteristics. In summary, this document refers to a control box (“actuation means”) having connected “actuators” for adjusting phase shifters, which control box can be controlled via a wired or wireless communication inter face. In order to achieve the aforementioned functions, this system is perma nently supplied with power. The communication for controlling the actuator takes place in a wired or wireless manner via the aforementioned interface. Apart from for wireless communication, this is implemented in principle in products and systems according to the prior art.

In the present invention, however, a further, that is to say a second, commu nication interface to that in this prior art is proposed as a technical solution, which further interface can be operated or used completely independently of the first interface. In other words, the communication at the interface after the can take place at the same time as and without coordination with the com munication taking place at the first communication interface. Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment, this further communication interface allows data ex change or data transmission even if the antenna system is not supplied with power, as may be the case, for example, in service operations.

Furthermore, US Pat. No. US8971827B2 describes a cascadable radio com munication module for an active antenna system, in which, inter alia, a radio module having an antenna element is located. The module contains an inter nal communication bus for the internal transmission of the digital radio sig nals. By means of so-called inter-module interfaces, the internal communica tion bus of a first module can be extended to include the internal communica tion bus of a second module, provided said second module is arranged in the vicinity of the first module. The contactless inter-module interface described in US8971827B2 is used to extend the internal communication bus to the other radio communication modules attached in the vicinity. The patent US8971827B2 describes neither an RFID tag nor any other possibility than that described for the transmission of antenna-specific data and setting val ues.

WO201 2130366 describes a beam shaping device (RET, M-RET) which has reading or writing electronics with an RFID transmitting or receiving antenna. The beam shaping device is to be mounted on an antenna in such a way that the built-in RFID transmitting or receiving antenna is positioned in such a way that allows bidirectional communication between the beam shaping de vice (RET, M-RET) and the RFID tag attached to or in the antenna. This means that the reading or writing electronics are mounted on the antenna and the RFID tag must be positioned accordingly in or on the antenna so that it can be read or written to. The RFID tag is written to or read out by way of the air interface exclusively via an RFID transmitting or receiving antenna that is connected to the reading or writing electronics.

In view of the background outlined above, a solution to the aforementioned problems is desirable. It is a particular technical challenge to provide a less complex solution for displaying the current down-tilt value on the antenna which saves on space, material and costs, the implementation of which is in dependent of the number of bands, i.e. the number of phase shifters in stalled, and which meets the current standards.

Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide an antenna having a beam steering device which solves the aforementioned problems.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by the features of the inde pendent claims. The dependent claims relate to advantageous embodiments.

An antenna having a beam steering device is proposed, at least the following devices being provided inside the antenna: at least one phase shifter, control electronics provided in the beam steering device which contain or can deter mine control information for controlling the at least one phase shifter and sta tus information of the antenna. Furthermore, a drive unit is provided which is electrically connected to the control electronics and operatively connected to at least one phase shifter, and which is set up to adjust the at least one phase shifter based on signals of the control electronics. Furthermore, there is a data memory which has a communication connection to the control elec tronics and is set up to receive status information of the antenna obtained from the control electronics, to store said information, to make said infor mation available to the control electronics and to provide the obtained and/or stored status information of the antenna via a transmitting and/or receiving antenna connected to a RF interface in such a way that it can be queried.

The proposed data memory with the associated (communication) interfaces can ameliorate or even prevent various disadvantages of previously known options for reading the tilt value. For example, in addition to the tilt values, additional antenna-specific data of the mobile communications antenna can be transmitted via the wireless interface or radio interface, which allows these antenna-specific data to be uniquely assigned to the mobile communi cations antenna located at the site of the data transmission.

In a further embodiment, it is provided that the communication connection between the control electronics and the data memory takes place via a wired or wireless communication interface.

In a further embodiment, it is provided that the data memory is a rewritable, non-volatile memory, including EEPROM and/or flash memory.

In a further embodiment, it is provided that the receiving and/or transmitting antenna is integrated, outside the control electronics, in a housing part of the antenna, including a lower cover of the antenna, or is mounted thereon.

In a further embodiment, it is provided that status information comprises tilt values of the individual frequency bands of the antenna and/or further an tenna-specific data of the antenna, including serial number, antenna type, lo cation and/or antenna orientation.

In a further embodiment, it is provided that status information is written into the data memory during the manufacturing process of the antenna and/or is stored therein during operation of the antenna.

In a further embodiment, it is provided that the data memory has a passive or an active transponder. A passive transponder draws the power required for its operation from the electrical, magnetic or electromagnetic waves gener ated by the reader via an antenna connected to its RF interface. The antenna is part of the transponder. The antenna can be integrated in the transponder or is set apart therefrom via a cable.

In contrast thereto, an active transponder draws the power required for its operation from a source that is not connected to the reader. In a further embodiment, it is provided that the antenna is a mobile communi cations antenna, and the transmission of the status information of the an tenna by means of the receiving and/or transmitting antenna to outside the mobile communications antenna is accomplished wirelessly and at transmis sion frequencies that are outside the frequencies offered by the mobile com munications antenna for mobile communications services.

The present invention also provides a software application that processes and stores status information obtained from the antenna and displays all or part of the status information on a display of a reader wirelessly connected to the antenna after processing for preparing the data.

A system for determining status information of an antenna is also provided within the scope of the present invention, the system having a described an tenna and a reader having a display for displaying information and having a wireless interface, which is set up to establish a communication connection to the receiving and/or transmitting antenna of the antenna, the described software application being implemented in the reader.

Further features and advantages of the invention can be found in the follow ing description of embodiments of the invention, with reference to the figures of the drawings, which show details according to the invention, and in the claims. The individual features can each be implemented individually or col lectively in any combination in a variant of the invention.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a schematic illustration of a system for determining status infor mation of an antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a detail view of the structure of the beam steering device from Fig. 1 , as well as the communication interfaces and the reader according to an em bodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a detail view of the alternative structure of the beam steering device from Fig. 1 , as well as the communication interfaces and the reader accord ing to an embodiment of the present invention.

In the following descriptions of the figures, the same elements or functions are provided with the same reference signs.

Phase shifters 11 of an antenna 1 are moved by means of a beam steering device 10, which usually has one or more motors, the so-called drive unit 102. This provides for a mechanical adjustment of the phase shifter(s) 11 di rectly or via gears or levers. In order to provide for an improved and uniform system for visual tilt value detection at the site of the antenna 1 , an antenna 1 having a beam steering device 10 is proposed and described below, the control electronics 101 of which are connected to a wired data memory 12, namely an EEPROM or a flash memory in one embodiment, which memory comprises, inter alia, a transponder. Said transponder in turn has a RF inter face 14 and is thereby connected indirectly, via a line 15 (e.g. a coaxial line), or directly to a receiving and/or transmitting antenna 13 of the antenna 1 , which is formed in one embodiment as a mobile communications antenna 1. The RF interface 14 is located in the passive or active transponder and is de signed accordingly as a passive or active RF interface 14. The data memory 12 thus has, inter alia, a transponder, which in turn has, inter alia, the an tenna 13 and, therefore, also the RF interface 14. The receiving and/or trans mitting antenna 13 is arranged inside or on the mobile communications an tenna 1 in such a way that it can be brought within the transmitting and/or re ceiving range of a reader 2 located outside the mobile communications an tenna 1 , e.g. by said reader approaching the mobile communications an tenna 1 accordingly as shown in Fig. 1 to 3. An exchange of data between the mobile communications antenna 1 and the reader 2 is thus made possi ble by a wireless (communication) interface or radio interface 22. For exam ple, the receiving and/or transmitting antenna 13 is integrated in the lower cover 31 of the mobile communications antenna 1 or is mounted thereon. Thus, the receiving and/or transmitting antenna 13 can be fixed in or on the antenna 1 by mounting the cover 31 at a suitable position.

Fig. 2 shows an embodiment in which the data memory 12 having the RF in terface 14 is provided within the beam steering device 10 and the receiving and/or transmitting antenna 13 is provided outside the beam steering device 10. Fig. 3 shows an embodiment in which the data memory 12 having the RF interface 14 and the receiving and/or transmitting antenna 13 are provided outside the beam steering device 10.

In addition to the tilt values, other antenna-specific data of the mobile com munications antenna 1 , such as the serial number, the antenna type, the lo cation, the antenna orientation, etc., can also be transmitted via the wireless interface or radio interface 22, which allows these antenna-specific data to be uniquely assigned to the mobile communications antenna 1 located at the site of the data transmission. The aforementioned data or status information are written into the EEPROM or the flash memory during the manufacturing process of the mobile communications antenna 1 , for example, and/or stored therein during operation of the antenna 1. Thus, via the aforementioned radio interface 22, the current tilt values of the individual bands of the mobile com munications antenna 1, as well as desired status information, can always be detected and stored by means of the reader 2 and visualised via its display 21 , if present.

In particular, transmission frequencies which are outside, for example below and possibly above, the frequencies offered by the mobile communications antenna 1 for mobile communications services are suitable for this purpose. Likewise, for such a radio interface 22, the transmission power should ideally be selected such that only a single transmitting and/or receiving antenna 13 connected to the RF interface 14 of the EEPROM or the flash memory can be within the transmitting and/or receiving range of the reader 2. This en sures that the exchanged data is uniquely assigned to the mobile communi cations radio antenna 1 .

The RF interface 14 described above can be, for example, interfaces such as those used in Private Area Networks (PAN) and Wireless Area Networks (WAN). These include, inter alia, active transmission technologies such as Bluetooth, Zigbee, Z-Wave, Wi-Fi, etc. In particular, purely passive RF inter faces, such as those implemented in transponder technology, are available, as these still allow data exchange even when the mobile communications an tenna 1 and/or its interface electronics are not supplied with voltage. This may be the case, for example, in warehouses, during transport, in the dis mantled state and in the event of repairs. The corresponding passive tran sponders can be found, for example, in RFID technology and preferably in near-field communication technology, which operate in the frequency ranges of, for example, 135 kFIz and 13.56 MFIz, which are favourable for this appli cation.

The proposed antenna 1 having an associated beam steering device 10, which has a data memory 12 having a communication connection to the con trol electronics 101 , reduces the mechanical complexity, and therefore shorter development times are required, lower production costs can be ex pected and less installation space is required. In addition, no openings or bores in the radome or housing parts 3 or the cover elements 31 are neces sary.

In addition, the costs are independent of the number of bands of the antenna 1 and are not scaled according to the complexity thereof. Due to the fact that fewer components are processed, the weight of the antenna 1 is also re duced. Furthermore, no manual reading is necessary, and therefore the probability of errors is reduced and safe storage can take place. In addition, further an tenna-specific data can be transmitted, which provides for a unique assign ment to, inter alia, antenna type, frequency band and antenna serial number. Depending on the interface, smartphones or tablets can also be used as readers 2 to read out, store, display and, if necessary, transmit the data. A software application can be provided for this purpose, for example, as an app.

This creates the possibility of querying antenna-specific data or setting val ues for the antenna 1 without installing a specific RFID reader, but using commercially available smartphones or tablets as an external reader 2, for example. These data or setting values are made available in a wired manner via the wireless (communication) interface 22 between the beam steering de vice 10 and the data memory 12 having the RF interface 14. The focus here is on the local, i.e. on-site, detection of the currently set tilt values, which pre viously could only be read visually on complex mechanical display elements.

The antenna 1 has in particular a reflector arrangement (not shown). Ar ranged on a first side of this reflector arrangement is a plurality of radiating elements, which are designed to transmit and/or receive a mobile communi cations signal. The radiating elements are also preferably designed to trans mit and/or receive the mobile communications signal in two different polarisa tions, both polarisations preferably being oriented orthogonally (± 45°, hor./ver, elliptical or circular) to one another. Preferably arranged on a sec ond side of the reflector arrangement, which is opposite the first side, are the data memory 12 and/or the control electronics 101 and/or the RF interface 14 and/or the transmitting and/or receiving antenna 13 and/or the drive unit 102 and/or the at least one phase shifter 11 . The transmitting and/or receiving antenna 13 is preferably arranged on the bottom of the antenna 1. It could be arranged at the bottom left, bottom right, bottom front and/or bottom rear. Said antenna is furthermore preferably ori ented in such a way that its main emission direction points towards the floor. This provides for particularly simple communication with the reader 2.

It should again be highlighted that a transponder, in particular in the form of an RFID transponder, may contain the RF interface 14 and the transmitting and/or receiving antenna 13. This transponder is then preferably also part of the data memory 12. The data memory 12 is preferably accommodated in its own housing and connected, for example, to the control electronics 101 via a corresponding communication connection (in particular via a cable connec tion). The communication connection between the data memory 12 and the control electronics 101 is accomplished without the use of the RF interface 14 and the transmitting and/or receiving antenna 13.

In a preferred embodiment, the antenna 1 also comprises an energy store. This energy store is, for example, a battery or rechargeable battery. The re chargeable battery could be charged accordingly when the antenna 1 is in operation. The energy store is designed to supply the data memory 12 with electrical power if the power supply to the antenna 1 is switched off. Said power supply is often switched off during maintenance work. In this case, the data memory 12 is still ready for operation. This means that the data memory 12 continues to transmit status information to the reader 2 via the RF inter face 14 and the transmitting and/or receiving antenna 13 even when the power supply to the antenna 1 is switched off.

In normal operation, that is to say when the antenna 1 is switched on, the data memory 12 is supplied with power preferably via the power supplied to the antenna 1. An energy store in the form of a rechargeable battery can be charged in this operating state. The energy store preferably serves only to IB supply the data memory 12 and more preferably not to supply the control electronics 101 with electrical power.

In addition or as an alternative to an energy store in the form of a battery or a rechargeable battery, the data memory 12 can also be supplied with electri cal power via the transponder. In this case, the reader 2 would preferably transmit power towards the data memory 12 by generating a corresponding electromagnetic field. The data memory 12 becomes active in this operating state (power is transmitted from the reader 2) and could thus transmit status information to the reader 2 or receive and store commands from the reader 2.

The data memory 12 is therefore designed in particular to transmit status in formation to the reader 2 via the transponder and thus in particular via the RF interface 14 and the transmitting and/or receiving antenna 13 even when the power supply to the antenna 1 is switched off. Furthermore, the data memory 12 is also designed to receive commands from the reader 2, for ex ample via the transponder, and to store them accordingly when the power supply to the antenna 1 is switched off. The data memory 12 is then prefera bly also designed to transmit these commands to the control electronics 101 after the power supply to the antenna 1 has been restored, the control elec tronics 101 being designed to then execute these commands. These com mands may, for example, contain setting parameters (tilt values) for the phase shifter for the individual frequency bands of the antenna 1. Such re programming of the control electronics 101 would of course also be possible with the power supply switched on.

The data memory 12 could also be arranged on the same printed circuit board as the control electronics 101. The data memory 12 and the control electronics 101 can also be arranged on different printed circuit boards and, if appropriate, in different housings. The data memory 12 is designed in particular to wirelessly communicate via the RF interface 14 and the transmitting and/or receiving antenna 13 only with external devices, such as the reader 2, these external devices not being arranged on or in the antenna 1 , especially no attached to the antenna 1 .

The communication to the control electronics 101 does not take place via the transmitting and/or receiving antenna 13 in this case.

The data memory 12 has in particular two interfaces. The data memory 12 is electrically connected (for example by cable or wirelessly) to the control elec tronics 101 via a first interface. The data memory 12 is electrically connected (by cable) to the transmitting and/or receiving antenna 13 via a second inter face, which is the RF interface 14.

The data memory 12 is preferably arranged, together with the RF interface 14 and the transmitting and/or receiving antenna 13, inside the antenna 1 so as not to be visible from outside the antenna 1 .

The antenna 1 is preferably free of any (optical) display means which are vis ible from outside the antenna 1 and which display the status of the at least one or all phase shifters 11 . This can reduce the costs. Furthermore, the space requirement is also reduced within the limited region of the cable con nections of the antenna 1 .

The distance between the reader 2 and the transmitting and/or receiving an tenna 13 is depending on the intended use greater than 3 m, 4 m, 5 m, 6 m,

7 m, 8 m, 9 m, 10 m, 11 m, 12 m, 13 m, 14 m, 15 m, 16 m, 20 m, 25 m, 30 m or larger than 35 m but preferably smaller than 50 m, 45 m, 40 m, 35 m, 30 m, 20 m or smaller than 15 m. In this case the reader 2 could be located near the floor and be held e.g. by a technician. The reader 2 can preferably communicate with several transmitting and/or receiving antennas 13 of different antennas 1. Preferably, the reader 2 dis plays the individual antennas 1 that are within range. The technician can download the configurations of some or all antennas 1 , change the configu ration and upload it again to the respective antenna 1 .

The distance between the reader 2 and the transmitting and/or receiving an tenna 13 could also be less than 3 m, 2 m, 1 m, 75 cm, 50 cm, or less than 25 cm, depending on the intended use. In addition or alternatively, the dis tance could also be larger than 5 cm, 10 cm, 25 cm, 50 cm, 1 m or larger than 2 m. In this case the technician would hold the reader 2 on the antenna mast.

The reader 2 can preferably communicate with data memories 12 of different antennas 1 via their respective transmitting and/or receiving antenna 13. Preferably, the reader 2 displays the individual antennas 1 or data memories 12 that are within range. The technician can download the status information of some or all antennas 1 and generate appropriate commands and upload them to the data memory 12 of a specific antenna 1 . The generated com mands can also be uploaded to the data memories 12 of multiple antennas 1.

When the antenna 1 is in operation, the data memory 12 is preferably de signed in such a way that it only transmits status information via the transmit ting and/or receiving antenna 13 if it has previously received a signal from the reader 2.

The data memory 12 could also contain an AISG modem to receive and store AISG signals. For example, commands such as setting parameters (tilt values) for the phase shifter for the individual frequency bands could be transmitted via the base station to the data memory 12, the data memory 12 transmitting these commands to the control electronics 101 after the power supply has been restored.

In a further embodiment, the data memory 12 itself could also contain a radio modem (for example GSM, UMTS, LTE), via which it transmits status infor mation to the reader 2 or a higher-level control room and receives com mands therefrom, an energy store preferably being used so that communica tion would also be possible in the event of maintenance when the power sup ply to the antenna 1 is switched off. The communication could be accom plished by using the transmitting and/or receiving antenna 13. A separate transmitting and/or receiving antenna could also be provided for the corre sponding radio standard.

It would preferably also be possible for the data memory 12 to be arranged together with the RF interface 14 and the transmitting and/or receiving an tenna 13 on a common printed circuit board. Of course, this also applies in the event that the RF interface 14 and the transmitting and/or receiving an tenna 13 are part of a transponder.

The data memory 12 and the control electronics 101 are preferably not in line of sight to one another.

In contrast to the already mentioned WO2012130366, no wireless data trans mission takes place between the beam shaping device (RET, M-RET) and the data memory 12 via the RF interface 14. Due to the wired communication interface 23 between the beam steering device 10, more precisely the control electronics 101 , and the data memory 12 having the RF interface 14, no par ticular spatial position of these components relative to one another has to be taken into account, as is required in WO2012130366. In addition, the pro posed beam steering device does not have any reading or writing electronics (RFID reader) with an RFID transmitting or receiving antenna for writing or reading an RFID tag. Patent US8971827B2 describes neither an RFID tag as in WO2012130366 nor, as demonstrated in the present invention, a data memory 12 having a RF interface 14 for transmitting antenna-specific data and setting values. Likewise, the communication interface 23 mentioned in the present invention does not offer the possibility of cascading a plurality of beam steering de vices with a corresponding extension of an internal communication bus.

The proposed antenna 1 , the software application and the system resolve the following problems and limitations: - the increasing complexity in the creation of beam steering devices for multi-band mobile communications base station antennas,

- the MTTF deterioration due to the mechanical components integrated in the antenna or distributed in the antenna for tilt value display,

- the shortage of installation space for a suitable mechanical implemen- tation for visual tilt value display in multiband antennas,

- the costs for the mechanical components for tilt value display, which are scaled according to the number of bands,

- the disadvantages that can arise from the mechanical implementation of the display elements due to the radome or the antenna cover, e.g. aging, breakage, risk of injury, ingress protection class, i.e. dust, in sects, and

- the precise, secure and error-free detection/transmission and storage of the determined value and the unique assignment to, inter alia, the antenna type, frequency band and antenna serial number.

List of reference symbols

I Antenna

10 Beam steering device

101 Control electronics

102 Drive unit

3 Housing part

31 Cover

I I Phase shifter

12 Data memory

13 Transmitting and/or receiving antenna

14 RF interface

15 Line

Reader

Display

22 Wireless interface

23 Wired communication interface

Claims

1 An antenna (1) having a beam steering device (10), at least the following devices being provided inside the antenna (1): at least one phase shifter (11 ),

- control electronics (101) provided in the beam steering device (10) which contain or can determine control information for controlling the at least one phase shifter (11 ) and status information of the antenna (1 ),

- a drive unit (102) which is electrically connected to the control elec tronics (101) and operatively connected to at least one phase shifter, and which is set up to adjust the at least one phase shifter (11) based on signals of the control electronics (101), characterised by

- a data memory (12) which has a communication connection to the control electronics (101) and is designed to receive status infor mation of the antenna (1) obtained from the control electronics (101), to store said information and to make said information avail able to the control electronics (101), and the data memory (12) being further designed to provide the obtained and/or stored status infor mation of the antenna (1 ) via a transmitting and/or receiving antenna (13) connected to a RF interface (14) in such a way that it can be queried.

2 The antenna (1) according to claim 1, wherein the communication connection between the control electronics (101) and the data memory (12) takes place via a wired or wireless communication inter face (23).

3 The antenna according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the data memory is a rewritable, non-volatile memory, including an EEPROM and/or a flash memory.

4. The antenna (1 ) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the receiving and/or transmitting antenna (13) is integrated, outside the control electronics (101), in a housing part (3) of the antenna (1), in- eluding a lower cover (31 ) of the antenna (1 ), or is mounted thereon.

5. The antenna (1 ) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein status information comprises the following data:

- tilt values of the individual frequency bands of the antenna (1); and/or

- antenna-specific data of the antenna (1), including: serial number, antenna type, location and/or antenna orientation.

6. The antenna (1 ) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein status information is written into the data memory (12) during the man ufacturing process of the antenna (1 ) and/or is stored therein during operation of the antenna (1 ).

7. The antenna (1 ) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the data memory (12) has a passive or an active transponder.

8. The antenna (1 ) according to claim 7, wherein the transponder com prises the RF interface (14) and the transmitting and/or receiving an tenna (13).

9. The antenna (1 ) according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the data memory (12) can be supplied with electrical power via an energy store in the form of a battery or a rechargeable battery and/or via the transponder.

10. The antenna (1) according to claim 9, wherein the data memory (12) is designed to be able to transmit status information to a reader (2) via the transponder and to receive and store commands from the reader (2) via the transponder even when the power supply to the antenna (1) is switched off, wherein the data memory (12) is further designed to transmit these commands to the control electronics (101) after the power supply to the antenna (1) has been restored, wherein the con trol electronics (101) is designed to execute the commands.

11. The antenna (1 ) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the data memory (12) is designed to wirelessly communicate via the RF interface (14) and the transmitting and/or receiving antenna (13) only with external devices that are not arranged on or in the antenna (1).

12. The antenna (1 ) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the antenna (1 ) has a reflector arrangement and wherein a plurality of ra diating elements are arranged on a first side of the reflector arrange- ment and wherein the data memory (12) is arranged on a second side of the reflector arrangement and wherein the transmitting and/or re ceiving antenna (13) is arranged and oriented on the bottom of the an tenna (1) in such a way that the main emission direction points to wards a floor.

13. The antenna (1 ) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the antenna (1) is a mobile communications antenna (1), and the trans mission of the status information of the antenna (1 ) by means of the receiving and/or transmitting antenna (13) to outside the mobile com- munications antenna (1 ) is accomplished wirelessly and at transmis sion frequencies that are outside the frequencies offered by the mobile communications antenna (1) for mobile communications services.

14. A software application that processes and stores status information obtained from the antenna (1 ) according to any of the preceding claims and displays all or part of the status information on a display (21 ) of a reader (2) connected wirelessly to the antenna (1 ) after pro cessing for preparing the data.

15. A system for determining status information of an antenna, wherein the system has an antenna (1) according to any of claims 1 to 13 and a reader (2) having a display (21) for displaying information and hav ing a wireless interface (22) which is set up to establish a communica tion connection to the receiving and/or transmitting antenna (13) of the antenna (1), wherein the software application according to claim 14 is implemented in the reader (2).