WO2003017424A1 - Waveguide antennas - Google Patents

Waveguide antennas Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2003017424A1
WO2003017424A1 PCT/AU2002/000367 AU0200367W WO03017424A1 WO 2003017424 A1 WO2003017424 A1 WO 2003017424A1 AU 0200367 W AU0200367 W AU 0200367W WO 03017424 A1 WO03017424 A1 WO 03017424A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
waveguide
antenna
feed
parallel plate
waveguides
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/AU2002/000367
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Bevan Beresford Jones
Original Assignee
Argus Technologies (Australia) Pty Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Argus Technologies (Australia) Pty Ltd filed Critical Argus Technologies (Australia) Pty Ltd
Publication of WO2003017424A1 publication Critical patent/WO2003017424A1/en

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
    • H01Q13/00—Waveguide horns or mouths; Slot antennas; Leaky-waveguide antennas; Equivalent structures causing radiation along the transmission path of a guided wave
    • H01Q13/06—Waveguide mouths
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
    • H01Q19/00—Combinations of primary active antenna elements and units with secondary devices, e.g. with quasi-optical devices, for giving the antenna a desired directional characteristic
    • H01Q19/10—Combinations of primary active antenna elements and units with secondary devices, e.g. with quasi-optical devices, for giving the antenna a desired directional characteristic using reflecting surfaces
    • H01Q19/12—Combinations of primary active antenna elements and units with secondary devices, e.g. with quasi-optical devices, for giving the antenna a desired directional characteristic using reflecting surfaces wherein the surfaces are concave
    • H01Q19/13—Combinations of primary active antenna elements and units with secondary devices, e.g. with quasi-optical devices, for giving the antenna a desired directional characteristic using reflecting surfaces wherein the surfaces are concave the primary radiating source being a single radiating element, e.g. a dipole, a slot, a waveguide termination
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
    • H01Q21/00—Antenna arrays or systems
    • H01Q21/0006—Particular feeding systems
    • H01Q21/0031—Parallel-plate fed arrays; Lens-fed arrays

Definitions

  • the invention relates generally to antennas and in particular to antennas of base stations of cellular communications systems.
  • Cellular base station antennas are typically implemented as phased-array antennas that use stripline- or microstrip-circuit technology or cable harnesses to feed radiating elements, such as dipoles or patches.
  • a disadvantage of this technology is that, as higher frequencies are used, losses increase.
  • phase shifters are required.
  • a waveguide antenna for use with a cellular-communications base station.
  • This antenna includes: parallel plate waveguides, one or more portions of the waveguides forming a curved backwall reflector; one or more radiating elements coupled to the parallel plate waveguides to shape a radiation beam pattern; a feed having at least one source of electromagnetic energy located within the parallel plate waveguides; and a polarizer for rotating a plane of polarization of a radiation beam.
  • the shape of the curved backwall portion may approximate a portion of a parabolic curve.
  • the curved backwall portion may be shaped to achieve a particular antenna pattern textures or characteristics.
  • the feed has two sources of electromagnetic energy located therein in the form of two probes, but may have other numbers of probes.
  • sources of electromagnetic energy can be used, such as loops or slots.
  • the feed is moveably coupled to the parallel plate waveguide for adjusting the tilt of the radiation beam.
  • Each waveguide antenna may have a rectangularly shaped portion of waveguide, with the rectangularly shaped portions of waveguide arranged in parallel with each other.
  • the antenna portions containing the curved backwall portions may be located adjacent each other or at opposite ends from each other.
  • each waveguide antenna has a curved shape portion of waveguide.
  • Figs 1 A and IB are side elevation and top plan views of a waveguide antenna for use in cellular communications in accordance with a first configuration
  • Fig. 1C is a side elevation view of the movable feed 130 of Fig. 1A;
  • Fig. 2 is a feed pattern for the antenna of Figs. 1A and IB;
  • Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a waveguide antenna for use in cellular communications in accordance with a second configuration
  • Fig. 4 is a top plan view of a waveguide antenna for use in cellular communications in accordance with a third configuration
  • Fig. 5 is a top plan view of a waveguide antenna for use in cellular communications in accordance with a fourth configuration
  • Fig. 6 is a top plan view of a waveguide antenna for use in cellular communications in accordance with a fifth configuration
  • Figs. 7 A and 7B are side elevation and top plan views of a waveguide antenna for use in cellular communications in accordance with a sixth configuration.
  • the antennas implement high gain, low loss waveguide antemias. Generic features of these antenna configurations are as follows:
  • a parallel plate waveguide region comprising a pair of conducting plates supporting the TEM mode with a shaped reflecting wall is used to form a beam with desired characteristics.
  • the spacing of the parallel plates is less than half a wavelength so that the only waveguide mode that can propagate is one in which the electric field is uniform between the plates.
  • a feed typically comprising probes or slots, is used to illuminate the reflector from a focal region.
  • the feed normally directs a signal towards the reflecting wall.
  • cellular base station antennas require a narrow beam in the elevation plane and a wide beam in the azimuth plane.
  • the plates of the parallel plate waveguide region are therefore mounted vertically.
  • the parallel plate region is expanded into a horn to form the desired azimuth beam shape.
  • the antenna radiates horizontal polarization, since this is the orientation of the field emerging from the parallel plate region.
  • Cellular base station antennas are normally required to radiate vertical polarization or slant polarization (linear polarization with the electric vector inclined at 45 degrees to the vertical). Where a polarization other than horizontal is required, a polarizer is placed in front of the horn to effect a rotation of the plane of polarization.
  • Steering of the beam over a limited range of angle such as is required to provide adjustable electrical downtilt of the beam may be accomplished by physically changing the location if the feed, typically in a vertical direction. The motion of the feed can, if desired be derived from a motor and be remotely controlled.
  • the polarizer may consist of spaced layers of printed patterns designed to produce different phase shifts for the transmission of different polarizations.
  • two of the waveguide structures of the type described above can be arranged in any of a number of arrangements shown in the drawings. These arrangements involve the notion of "wrapping" or interlocking the waveguide cavities to provide a more compact structure.
  • a waveguide antenna 100 for use with a cellular-communications base station is shown in Figs. 1A and IB.
  • the corresponding feed pattern is depicted in Fig. 2.
  • the antenna includes parallel plate waveguides 110, a vertical horn 120 coupled to the parallel plate waveguides, a feed 130 having at least one probe 132, and a polarizer 140 for rotating the plane of polarization of a radiation beam.
  • the waveguides 110 have a curved backwall reflector, which may have a parabolic or semi-parabolic shape. Optionally, the profile of the curved waveguide backwall may be varied for beam shaping.
  • the probe 132 is located within the parallel plate waveguides 110 in the focal region of the curved backwall reflector.
  • the feed 130 may have two probes 132.
  • the feed is moveably connected to the parallel plate waveguide 110 for adjusting the tilt of the radiation beam.
  • the antenna 100 uses an extremely low-loss parallel plate waveguide region to form the required beam. As stripline- and microstrip-circuit components are dispensed with, losses are consequently reduced compared with existing technology.
  • Figs. 7A and 7B illustrate a different configuration for the antenna in which the reflector portion is semi-parabolic in shape.
  • Figs. 3 and 5 respectively illustrate a pair of waveguide antennas 300 and 500.
  • each waveguide pair 310A and 310B is curved, outwardly or inwardly from or to each other, respectively.
  • Moveable probes 330 and 530 are located in the waveguides 310 and 510.
  • Figs. 4 and 6 respectively illustrate a pair of waveguide antennas 400 and 600.
  • a portion of the waveguide 410 and 610 is rectangularly shaped with the reflectors in parallel at one end and at opposite ends, respectively.
  • the reflectors in Fig. 6 may be angled from the central axis of each rectangular portion of waveguide.

Abstract

A waveguide antenna (100) for use with a cellular-communications base station includes a pair of parallel plate waveguides (110), a vertical horn (120) coupled to said waveguide (110), a feed (130) having at least one probe (132), and a polarizer (140) for rotating the plane of polarization of a radiation beam. A wall of the waveguide (110) forms the curved backwall reflector, which may have a parabolic or semi-parabolic shape. The probe (312) is located within the parallel plate waveguides (110) and the vertical horn (120). The feed (130) may have two probes (132) and be moveably connected to the waveguides (110) for adjusting the tilt of the radiation beam.

Description

WAVEGUIDE 'ANTENNAS
Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to antennas and in particular to antennas of base stations of cellular communications systems.
Background
Cellular base station antennas are typically implemented as phased-array antennas that use stripline- or microstrip-circuit technology or cable harnesses to feed radiating elements, such as dipoles or patches. A disadvantage of this technology is that, as higher frequencies are used, losses increase.
If the beam is desired to be tilted electrically, phase shifters are required.
Disadvantageously, this further increases the complexity and loss in such antennas. Also, as the size of apertures of such antennas is increased, the gain increases. However, losses increase with the size of the antenna, leading to a diminishing return of gain as length is increased.
Thus, a need clearly exists for an improved antenna for use with a base station in a cellular communications system.
Summary
A waveguide antenna is provided for use with a cellular-communications base station. This antenna includes: parallel plate waveguides, one or more portions of the waveguides forming a curved backwall reflector; one or more radiating elements coupled to the parallel plate waveguides to shape a radiation beam pattern; a feed having at least one source of electromagnetic energy located within the parallel plate waveguides; and a polarizer for rotating a plane of polarization of a radiation beam.
The shape of the curved backwall portion may approximate a portion of a parabolic curve. The curved backwall portion may be shaped to achieve a particular antenna pattern textures or characteristics.
Optionally, the feed has two sources of electromagnetic energy located therein in the form of two probes, but may have other numbers of probes. Alternatively, other sources of electromagnetic energy can be used, such as loops or slots.
The feed is moveably coupled to the parallel plate waveguide for adjusting the tilt of the radiation beam.
At least two waveguide antennas can are used in combination to provide dual polarization. Each waveguide antenna may have a rectangularly shaped portion of waveguide, with the rectangularly shaped portions of waveguide arranged in parallel with each other. The antenna portions containing the curved backwall portions may be located adjacent each other or at opposite ends from each other. Alternatively, each waveguide antenna has a curved shape portion of waveguide.
Brief Description of the Drawings
A small number of waveguide antenna configurations are described hereinafter with reference to the drawings, in which:
Figs 1 A and IB are side elevation and top plan views of a waveguide antenna for use in cellular communications in accordance with a first configuration;
Fig. 1C is a side elevation view of the movable feed 130 of Fig. 1A;
Fig. 2 is a feed pattern for the antenna of Figs. 1A and IB;
Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a waveguide antenna for use in cellular communications in accordance with a second configuration;
Fig. 4 is a top plan view of a waveguide antenna for use in cellular communications in accordance with a third configuration;
Fig. 5 is a top plan view of a waveguide antenna for use in cellular communications in accordance with a fourth configuration; Fig. 6 is a top plan view of a waveguide antenna for use in cellular communications in accordance with a fifth configuration; and
Figs. 7 A and 7B are side elevation and top plan views of a waveguide antenna for use in cellular communications in accordance with a sixth configuration.
Detailed Description
A number of waveguide antenna configurations are described hereinafter. The antennas implement high gain, low loss waveguide antemias. Generic features of these antenna configurations are as follows:
• A parallel plate waveguide region comprising a pair of conducting plates supporting the TEM mode with a shaped reflecting wall is used to form a beam with desired characteristics. The spacing of the parallel plates is less than half a wavelength so that the only waveguide mode that can propagate is one in which the electric field is uniform between the plates.
• A feed, typically comprising probes or slots, is used to illuminate the reflector from a focal region. The feed normally directs a signal towards the reflecting wall.
If a narrow beam is required the optimum reflector shape approximates a parabola.
• Typically, cellular base station antennas require a narrow beam in the elevation plane and a wide beam in the azimuth plane. The plates of the parallel plate waveguide region are therefore mounted vertically. The parallel plate region is expanded into a horn to form the desired azimuth beam shape.
• The antenna radiates horizontal polarization, since this is the orientation of the field emerging from the parallel plate region. Cellular base station antennas are normally required to radiate vertical polarization or slant polarization (linear polarization with the electric vector inclined at 45 degrees to the vertical). Where a polarization other than horizontal is required, a polarizer is placed in front of the horn to effect a rotation of the plane of polarization. • Steering of the beam over a limited range of angle such as is required to provide adjustable electrical downtilt of the beam may be accomplished by physically changing the location if the feed, typically in a vertical direction. The motion of the feed can, if desired be derived from a motor and be remotely controlled.
• The polarizer may consist of spaced layers of printed patterns designed to produce different phase shifts for the transmission of different polarizations.
To provide a dual-polarisation capability for an antenna system, two of the waveguide structures of the type described above can be arranged in any of a number of arrangements shown in the drawings. These arrangements involve the notion of "wrapping" or interlocking the waveguide cavities to provide a more compact structure.
The following variations are foreseen:
• Offset feeding of the reflecting wall to prevent blockage by the feed.
• Use of radiating elements such as dipoles or patches fed from probes or slots in the parallel plate waveguide.
• Shaping of reflector to compensate for phase characteristics of feed.
• Shaping of reflector to modify sidelobe structure for example to reduce the sidelobe level above the main beam at the expense of those below the main beam or to fill certain nulls in the pattern below the main beam.
A waveguide antenna 100 for use with a cellular-communications base station is shown in Figs. 1A and IB. The corresponding feed pattern is depicted in Fig. 2. The antenna includes parallel plate waveguides 110, a vertical horn 120 coupled to the parallel plate waveguides, a feed 130 having at least one probe 132, and a polarizer 140 for rotating the plane of polarization of a radiation beam. The waveguides 110 have a curved backwall reflector, which may have a parabolic or semi-parabolic shape. Optionally, the profile of the curved waveguide backwall may be varied for beam shaping. The probe 132 is located within the parallel plate waveguides 110 in the focal region of the curved backwall reflector. As shown in Fig. 1C, the feed 130 may have two probes 132. The feed is moveably connected to the parallel plate waveguide 110 for adjusting the tilt of the radiation beam.
The antenna 100 uses an extremely low-loss parallel plate waveguide region to form the required beam. As stripline- and microstrip-circuit components are dispensed with, losses are consequently reduced compared with existing technology.
Figs. 7A and 7B illustrate a different configuration for the antenna in which the reflector portion is semi-parabolic in shape.
Figs. 3 and 5 respectively illustrate a pair of waveguide antennas 300 and 500.
Notably, a portion of each waveguide pair 310A and 310B is curved, outwardly or inwardly from or to each other, respectively. Moveable probes 330 and 530 are located in the waveguides 310 and 510.
Figs. 4 and 6 respectively illustrate a pair of waveguide antennas 400 and 600. A portion of the waveguide 410 and 610 is rectangularly shaped with the reflectors in parallel at one end and at opposite ends, respectively. The reflectors in Fig. 6 may be angled from the central axis of each rectangular portion of waveguide.
Only a small number of configurations described herein. However, in view of this disclosure, variations and changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

Claims

Claims
1. A waveguide antenna for use with a cellular-communications base station, said antenna including:
parallel plate waveguides, one or more portions of said waveguides forming a curved backwall reflector;
one or more radiating elements coupled to said parallel plate waveguides to shape a radiation beam pattern;
a feed having at least one source of electromagnetic energy located within the parallel plate waveguides; and
a polarizer for rotating a plane of polarization of said radiation beam.
2. The waveguide antenna according to claim 1, wherein the shape of said curved backwall portion approximates a portion of a parabolic curve.
3. The waveguide antenna according to claim 1, wherein said curved backwall portion is shaped to achieve particular antenna pattern shapes or characteristics.
4. The waveguide antenna according to claim 1, wherein said feed has located therein two probes acting as sources of electromagnetic energy.
5. The waveguide antenna according to claim 1, wherein said feed is moveably coupled to said parallel plate waveguide for adjusting the tilt of said radiation beam.
6. The waveguide antenna according to claim 1, wherein said feed is moveably coupled to one of said waveguides for adjusting the tilt of said radiation beam.
7. The waveguide antenna according to claim 6, wherein movement of said feed derived from a motor and is remotely controllable.
8. The waveguide antenna according to claim 1, wherein said one or more radiating elements include a vertical horn coupled to said parallel plate waveguides;
9. In combination, at least two waveguide antennas in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 6 for providing dual polarization.
10. The combination according to claim 9, wherein each waveguide antenna has a rectangularly shaped portion of waveguide, said rectangularly shaped portions of waveguide arranged in parallel with each other.
11. The combination according to claim 10, wherein antenna portions containing the curved backwall portions are located adjacent each other.
12. The combination according to claim 10, wherein antenna portions containing the curved backwall portions are located at opposite ends from each other.
13. The combination according to claim 9, wherein each waveguide antenna has a curved shape portion of waveguide.
14. A waveguide antenna for use with a cellular-communications base station, said antenna substantially as hereinbefore disclosed with reference to any one or more of Figs. 1 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.
15. A combination having at least two waveguide antennas waveguide antenna for use with a cellular-communications base station, said combination substantially as hereinbefore disclosed with reference to any one or more of Figs. 1 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.
PCT/AU2002/000367 2001-08-17 2002-03-28 Waveguide antennas WO2003017424A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AUPR7091A AUPR709101A0 (en) 2001-08-17 2001-08-17 A waveguide antenna
AUPR7091 2001-08-17

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WO2003017424A1 true WO2003017424A1 (en) 2003-02-27

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Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2009031794A1 (en) * 2007-09-03 2009-03-12 Idoit Co., Ltd. Horn array type antenna for dual linear polarization
WO2009078630A1 (en) * 2007-12-14 2009-06-25 Idoit Co., Ltd. Horn array type antenna with skew filter
KR100905914B1 (en) * 2007-09-03 2009-07-02 주식회사 아이두잇 Dual linear polarization horn array type antenna
CN103956568A (en) * 2014-05-22 2014-07-30 西安空间无线电技术研究所 Box-shaped fan-beam antenna

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US8610633B2 (en) * 2010-08-10 2013-12-17 Victory Microwave Corporation Dual polarized waveguide slot array and antenna
CN113196571B (en) * 2018-10-09 2024-03-08 射频元件公司 Dual polarized horn antenna with asymmetric radiation pattern

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3775773A (en) * 1972-07-17 1973-11-27 Itt Technique for generating planar beams from a linear doppler line source employing a circular parallel-plate waveguide
US4051476A (en) * 1976-04-01 1977-09-27 Raytheon Company Parabolic horn antenna with microstrip feed
US4349827A (en) * 1980-11-24 1982-09-14 Raytheon Company Parabolic antenna with horn feed array
US5061943A (en) * 1988-08-03 1991-10-29 Agence Spatiale Europenne Planar array antenna, comprising coplanar waveguide printed feed lines cooperating with apertures in a ground plane
US5325105A (en) * 1992-03-09 1994-06-28 Grumman Aerospace Corporation Ultra-broadband TEM double flared exponential horn antenna
US5596338A (en) * 1995-06-27 1997-01-21 Space Systems/Loral, Inc. Multifunction antenna assembly

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3775773A (en) * 1972-07-17 1973-11-27 Itt Technique for generating planar beams from a linear doppler line source employing a circular parallel-plate waveguide
US4051476A (en) * 1976-04-01 1977-09-27 Raytheon Company Parabolic horn antenna with microstrip feed
US4349827A (en) * 1980-11-24 1982-09-14 Raytheon Company Parabolic antenna with horn feed array
US5061943A (en) * 1988-08-03 1991-10-29 Agence Spatiale Europenne Planar array antenna, comprising coplanar waveguide printed feed lines cooperating with apertures in a ground plane
US5325105A (en) * 1992-03-09 1994-06-28 Grumman Aerospace Corporation Ultra-broadband TEM double flared exponential horn antenna
US5596338A (en) * 1995-06-27 1997-01-21 Space Systems/Loral, Inc. Multifunction antenna assembly

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2009031794A1 (en) * 2007-09-03 2009-03-12 Idoit Co., Ltd. Horn array type antenna for dual linear polarization
KR100905914B1 (en) * 2007-09-03 2009-07-02 주식회사 아이두잇 Dual linear polarization horn array type antenna
KR101546777B1 (en) * 2007-09-03 2015-08-25 주식회사 아이두잇 Dual linear polarization horn array type antenna using skew filter
WO2009078630A1 (en) * 2007-12-14 2009-06-25 Idoit Co., Ltd. Horn array type antenna with skew filter
CN103956568A (en) * 2014-05-22 2014-07-30 西安空间无线电技术研究所 Box-shaped fan-beam antenna
CN103956568B (en) * 2014-05-22 2016-06-01 西安空间无线电技术研究所 A kind of box shape fan-shaped beam antenna

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CN1555593A (en) 2004-12-15
AUPR709101A0 (en) 2001-09-06

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