WO2019046047A1 - Systems and methods for wireless communication within a base station antenna structure - Google Patents

Abstract

A base station antenna includes a housing, a plurality of radiating elements that are configured as a phased array of radiating elements, an antenna line device that is at least partially within the housing, and an antenna line device controller that is configured to receive control signals from an external source. The antenna line device controller includes a wireless transceiver and the antenna line device includes a wireless transmitter or transceiver.

Description

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR WIRELESS COMMUNICATION WITHIN A BASE STATION ANTENNA STRUCTURE

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 62/553,146, filed September 1, 2017, the entire content of which is incorporated by reference herein as if set forth in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

[0002] Cellular base station and antenna installations typically include a base transceiver station (base station), including radio frequency equipment and baseband equipment, that is supported by a ground structure. The base station unit is generally located in relatively close proximity to a support structure, such as a tower, on which one or more base station antennas are mounted towards the top of the support structure. One or more microwave antennas may be mounted on the support structure to provide, for example, a backhaul communication link between the base station and the core network. In addition to the cellular and/or microwave antennas, other types of devices known as antenna line devices (ALDs) may also be mounted on or within the support structure and/or the base station antennas. These ALDs may include, but are not limited to, tower mounted amplifiers (TMAs), remote electrical tilt systems (RETs), remote azimuth steering (RAS) systems, remote azimuth beamwidth (RAB) systems, antenna sensor devices (ASDs), and frequency scanning modules. The equipment in the base station may include a controller for communicating with the ALDs to control their operation and, in the case of ASDs, collect sensor information therefrom. As shown in FIG. 1, the base station typically communicates with an ALD, which is coupled to an antenna module, using an Antenna Interface Standards Group (AISG) communication protocol over either a dedicated eight-pin cable or over the radio frequency path. AISG is based on the RS485 serial communication bus.

[0003] Referring now to FIG. 2, a block diagram showing a conventional ALD that communicates via AISG is illustrated. The ALD comprises an ALD controller 200 and an ALD module 220. The ALD controller 200 includes an AISG interface that feeds into a surge protection module 205. The surge protection module 205 is coupled to an RS485 drivers module 210 to process the AISG communication protocol. The processor 215 is coupled to a memory 235 that has an ALD control module 240 stored therein. The processor 215 receives information or commands sent from the base station over the AISG interface by way of the RS485 drivers module 210 and drives the ALD module 220 under the control of the ALD control module 240 to carry out the command from the base station. In the case of certain types of ALDs, such as an ASD, sensor information may be read and provided to the processor 215 for communication back to the base station. The ALD controller 200 may also receive DC power from the AISG eight-pin cable or over the RF feeder path. If DC power is received over the RF feeder path, then a modulator/demodulator and low pass filter circuit 225 may be used. The modulator/demodulator 225 is used to modulate/demodulate the AISG signal onto the RF signal and a bias tee may be used to separate the RF signal from the DC power signal so as to effectively provide a low pass filter for the DC power signal.

[0004] ALD communication via the AISG interface uses hard wired cables between ALD devices and the base station and, when DC power is received over the RF feeder path, modulation/demodulation circuitry and bias tees. Hard wired cables are also used to provide communication paths between ALD controllers and ALD function modules including sensor devices, such as ASDs.

SUMMARY

[0005] In some embodiments of the inventive concept, a base station antenna comprises a housing, a plurality of radiating elements that are configured as a phased array of radiating elements, a antenna line device that is at least partially within the housing, and an antenna line device controller that is configured to receive control signals from an external source. The antenna line device controller comprises a wireless transceiver and the antenna line device comprises a wireless transmitter or transceiver.

[0006] In other embodiments, the base station antenna further comprises a sensor connected to the plurality of radiating elements, the sensor comprising a wireless transmitter or transceiver.

[0007] In still other embodiments, the sensor is configured to collect information that is associated with the plurality of radiating elements, the information comprising at least one of azimuth angle, elevation angle, latitude coordinate, longitude coordinate, altitude, Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates, wind speed, temperature, vibration amplitude, and vibration frequency.

[0008] In still other embodiments, the antenna line device controller is configured to communicate with the antenna line device and the sensor using the wireless transceiver via a wireless communication connection. [0009] In still other embodiments, the wireless communication connection is an infrared wireless connection.

[0010] In still other embodiments, the infrared wireless connection uses the Infrared Data Association (IrDA) standard communication protocol.

[0011] In still other embodiments, the IrDA standard communication protocol is configured to operate in one of a Serial IrDA (SIR) mode, a Medium IrDA (MIR) mode, a Fast IrDA (FIR) mode, and a Very Fast IrDA (VFIR) mode.

[0012] In still other embodiments, the SIR mode is configured to operate at a data rate up to 1 15.2 kb/s, the MIR mode is configured to operate at a data rate up to 1152 kb/s, the FIR mode is configured to operate at a date rate up to 4 mb/s, and the VFIR mode is configured to operate at a data rate up to 16 mb/s.

[0013] In still other embodiments, the antenna line device is an amplifier that is coupled to an output of the plurality of radiating elements and the amplifier is configured to adjust an amplification of a signal received from the output of the plurality of radiating elements responsive to a control signal received from the antenna line device controller.

[0014] In still other embodiments, the antenna line device is a remote electrical tilt system that is coupled to the plurality of radiating elements and the remote electrical tilt system is configured to adjust an elevation angle of the plurality of radiating elements responsive to a control signal received from the antenna line device controller.

[0015] In still other embodiments, the antenna line device is a frequency scanning module that is coupled to the antenna and the frequency scanning module is configured to determine a frequency spectrum in use at the plurality of radiating elements.

[0016] In still other embodiments, the base station antenna further comprises a ping module connected to the plurality of radiating elements antenna, the ping module comprising a wireless transceiver and being configured to transmit ping messages from RF ports of the base station antenna to RF ports of a base transceiver station (BTS) or remote radio unit (RRU).

[0017] In still other embodiments, the ping messages are modulated using on-off keying modulation.

[0018] In still other embodiments, the antenna line device controller is configured to communicate with the ping module using the wireless transceiver of the antenna line device controller via a wireless communication connection.

[0019] In still other embodiments, the wireless communication connection is an infrared wireless connection. [0020] In still other embodiments, the infrared wireless communication connection uses the Infrared Data Association (IrDA) standard communication protocol.

[0021] In still other embodiments, the IrDA standard communication protocol is configured to operate in one of a Serial IrDA (SIR) mode, a Medium IrDA (MIR) mode, a Fast IrDA (FIR) mode, and a Very Fast IrDA (VFIR) mode.

[0022] In still other embodiments, the SIR mode is configured to operate at a data rate up to 115.2 kb/s, the MIR mode is configured to operate at a data rate up to 1152 kb/s, the FIR mode is configured to operate at a date rate up to 4 mb/s, and the VFIR mode is configured to operate at a data rate up to 16 mb/s.

[0023] In some embodiments of the inventive concept, a method of operating a base station antenna comprises providing an antenna line device at least partially within a housing, the housing having a plurality of radiating elements contained therein that are configured as an array of radiating elements and establishing a wireless communication connection between an antenna line device controller and the antenna line device via a wireless transceiver associated with the antenna line device controller and a wireless transmitter or transceiver associated with the antenna line device.

[0024] In further embodiments, the plurality of radiating elements comprises a sensor connected thereto, the sensor having a wireless transmitter or transceiver associated therewith.

[0025] In still further embodiments, the method further comprises establishing a wireless communication connection between the antenna line device controller and the sensor via the wireless transceiver associated with the antenna line device controller and the wireless transmitter or transceiver associated with the sensor.

[0026] In still further embodiments, the method further comprises collecting, using the sensor, information that is associated with the plurality of radiating elements, the information comprising at least one of azimuth angle, elevation angle, latitude coordinate, longitude coordinate, Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates, wind speed, temperature, vibration amplitude, and vibration frequency.

[0027] In still further embodiments, the wireless communication connections between the antenna line device controller and the antenna line device and between the antenna line device controller and the sensor are each an infrared wireless communication connection.

[0028] In still further embodiments, the infrared wireless connection uses the Infrared Data Association (IrDA) standard communication protocol. [0029] In still further embodiments, the IrDA standard communication protocol is configured to operate in one of a Serial IrDA (SIR) mode, a Medium IrDA (MIR) mode, a Fast IrDA (FIR) mode, and a Very Fast IrDA (VFIR) mode.

[0030] In still further embodiments, the SIR mode is configured to operate at a data rate up to 115.2 kb/s, the MIR mode is configured to operate at a data rate up to 1152 kb/s, the FIR mode is configured to operate at a date rate up to 4 mb/s, and the VFIR mode is configured to operate at a data rate up to 16 mb/s.

[0031] In still further embodiments, the antenna line device is an amplifier that is coupled to an output of the plurality of radiating elements and the method further comprises adjusting, using an amplifier, an amplification of a signal received from the output of the plurality of radiating elements responsive to a control signal received from the antenna line device controller.

[0032] In still further embodiments, the antenna line device is a remote electrical tilt system that is coupled to the plurality of radiating elements and the method further comprises adjusting, using the remote electrical tilt system, an elevation angle of the plurality of radiating elements responsive to a control signal received from the antenna line device controller.

[0033] In still further embodiments, the antenna line device is a remote azimuth steering (RAS) system that is coupled to the plurality of radiating elements and the method further comprises adjusting, using the remote azimuth steering (RAS) system, the beam direction in the azimuth plane of the plurality of radiating elements responsive to a control signal received from the antenna line device controller.

[0034] In still further embodiments, the antenna line device is a remote azimuth beamwidth (RAB) system that is coupled to the plurality of radiating elements and the method further comprises adjusting, using the remote azimuth beamwidth (RAB) system, the azimuth beamwidth of the plurality or radiating elements responsive to a control signal received from the antenna line device controller.

[0035] In still further embodiments, the antenna line device is a frequency scanning module that is coupled to the plurality of radiating elements and the method further comprises determining, using the frequency scanning module, a frequency spectrum in use at the antenna.

[0036] In still further embodiments, the plurality of radiating elements comprises a ping module connected thereto, the ping module having a wireless transceiver associated therewith and being configured to transmit ping messages from RF ports of the base station antenna to RF ports of a base transceiver station (BTS) or remote radio unit (RRU).

[0037] In still further embodiments, the method further comprises establishing a wireless communication connection between the antenna line device controller and the ping module via the wireless transceiver associated with the antenna line device controller and a wireless transceiver associated with the ping module and transmitting ping messages from the RF ports of the base station antenna to the RF ports of the base transceiver station (BTS) or the remote radio unit (RRU) responsive to a control signal received from the antenna line device controller.

[0038] In still further embodiments, transmitting the ping messages from the RF ports of the base station antenna to the RF ports of the base transceiver station (BTS) or the remote radio unit (RRU) comprises determining operability states of radio frequency paths between the base station antenna and the base transceiver station (BTS) or the remote radio unit (RRU).

[0039] In still further embodiments, the ping messages are modulated using on-off keying modulation.

[0040] In still further embodiments, the wireless communication connection between the antenna line device controller and the ping module is an infrared wireless connection.

[0041] In still further embodiments, the infrared wireless connection uses the Infrared Data Association (IrDA) standard communication protocol.

[0042] In still further embodiments, the IrDA standard communication protocol is configured to operate in one of a Serial IrDA (SIR) mode, a Medium IrDA (MIR) mode, a Fast IrDA (FIR) mode, and a Very Fast IrDA (VFIR) mode.

[0043] In still further embodiments, the SIR mode is configured to operate at a data rate up to 115.2 kb/s, the MIR mode is configured to operate at a data rate up to 1152 kb/s, the FIR mode is configured to operate at a date rate up to 4 mb/s, and the VFIR mode is configured to operate at a data rate up to 16 mb/s.

[0044] It is noted that aspects described with respect to one embodiment may be

incorporated in different embodiments although not specifically described relative thereto. That is, all embodiments and/or features of any embodiments can be combined in any way and/or combination. Moreover, other apparatus, methods, systems, and/or articles of manufacture according to embodiments of the inventive subject matter will be or become apparent to one with skill in the art upon review of the following drawings and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional apparatus, systems, methods, and/or articles of manufacture be included within this description, be within the scope of the present inventive subject matter, and be protected by the accompanying claims. It is further intended that all embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented separately or combined in any way and/or combination.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0045] Other features of embodiments will be more readily understood from the following detailed description of specific embodiments thereof when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0046] FIG. 1 is a block diagram that illustrates an Antenna Interface Standards Group (AISG) connection between a base station and an antenna line device (ALD);

[0047] FIG. 2 is a block diagram that illustrates the ALD of FIG. 1;

[0048] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a communication network including wireless

communication functionality between ALD controllers and ALDs according to some embodiments of the inventive concept;

[0049] FIG. 4 is as block diagram of an ALD and ALD controller including wireless communication functionality between the ALD controller and a sensor device and wireless communication functionality between the ALD controller and ALD according to some embodiments of the inventive concept;

[0050] FIGS. 5 A and 5B are perspective views of an infrared receiver and transmitter, respectively, according to some embodiments of the inventive concept; and

[0051] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an ALD and ALD controller including wireless communication functionality between the ALD controller and a ping module and wireless communication functionality between the ALD controller and the ALD according to some embodiments of the inventive concept.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known methods, procedures, components and circuits have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the present disclosure. It is intended that all embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented separately or combined in any way and/or combination. Aspects described with respect to one embodiment may be incorporated in different embodiments although not specifically described relative thereto. That is, all embodiments and/or features of any embodiments can be combined in any way and/or combination.

[0053] Some embodiments of the inventive concept may provide base station antenna structures including antenna line devices (ALDs) at least partially contained within a housing surrounding a plurality or radiating elements and an ALD controller. The ALD controller and ALDs may include wireless transmitters, receivers, and/or transceivers to allow

communication between the ALD controller and the ALDs via a wireless interface. In some embodiments, the wireless interface may be an infrared wireless interface. One or more ALDs may also have one or more sensors connected thereto, which may also have a wireless transmitter, receiver, and/or transceiver associated therewith to facilitate wireless

communication between the sensor(s) and the ALD controller. Similarly, the wireless interface between the ALD controller and the sensor(s) may be an infrared wireless interface in some embodiments. In other embodiments, the ALD controller may be communicatively coupled to a ping device via a similar wireless interface, such as an infrared wireless interface. The wireless link may be used to transmit information to the sensor(s), such as a reset of the sensor(s), and may be used to receive information from the sensors, such as alarm and other information. The wireless link to a ping module may be used to enable verification of the RF-cable connection in the antenna by sending ping messages from the RF ports of the antenna to the RF ports of the base transceiver station (BTS) or remote radio unit (RRU). By using the wireless interface for communication between the ALD controller and the ALD, sensor(s), and/or ping device, electrical or optical cables can be eliminated, which frees up space on the antenna and may reduce costs as the cables may be more expensive than the wireless interface components. In addition, cables may be a source of passive

intermodulation (PIM) interference, which may be reduced through use of the wireless interface. Wireless communication may also allow for broadcast communication so that one transmitter (e.g., a transmitter/transceiver associated with the ALD controller) may communicate with multiple receivers (e.g., ALDs, sensor(s), ping device, etc.) through transmission of one or more addresses assigned to the targeted receiver(s). Infrared components typically consume relatively little power; therefore, when other sources of power are not available they can be powered via batteries that may not require frequent replacement.

[0054] ALDs are described herein as being coupled to an antenna or other type of structure, for example. It will be understood that when an ALD is described as being coupled to another element, for example, the ALD may be a separate distinct unit from the other element or the ALD may be incorporated on or within the other element so as to be a part of the other element. An ALD may be at least partially internal to the housing, e.g., radome, of a base station antenna structure. It is anticipated that the entire base station antenna structure may be considered an ALD and that traditional ALDs, such as Remote Electrical Tilt (RET) devices, remote azimuth steering (RAS) devices, remote azimuth beamwidth (RAB) devices, tower mounted amplifier (TMA) devices, frequency scanning devices, and/or antenna sensor devices (ASDs), may be considered sub-ALDs with respect to one or more ALD controller modules.

[0055] ALDs are also described herein in which the functional component, such as the Remote Electrical Tilt (RET) actuator, is referred to as the "ALD" and the controller component, such as an RET controller, is referred to as an ALD controller. In other documentation, the ALD and ALD controller may be collectively referred to as an ALD.

[0056] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a communication network including wireless communication functionality between ALD controllers and antenna sensor devices according to some embodiments of the inventive concept. The communication network 300 comprises a core network 310 coupled to a first access network 312 and a second access network 313. The core network 310 is the central part of the communications network 300 and provides various services to customers who are connected through the access networks 312 and 313. The core network 310 comprises switches/routers 325a, 325b, 325c, and 325d that are used to route calls and data traffic between the access networks 312 and 313. Access networks 312 and 313 comprise a part of the communications network 300 that is used to connect customers or subscribers to their immediate service provider. As shown in FIG. 3, access network 312 comprises switches/routers 330a, 330b along with the series of wires, cables, and equipment used to connect customers/subscribers associated with, for example, a wireless network, which may be represented by the installation including a base transceiver station (base station) 331 and an antenna tower 335 that includes a base station antenna structure 320. The base station 331 may be communicatively coupled to the access network 312 via a wired or wireless link, such as a microwave link. Similarly, access network 313 comprises switches/routers 330c, 33 Od along with the series of wires, cables, and equipment used to connect customer s/subscribers associated with the local network 340. The core network 310, access network 312, and access network 313 may each operate under the authority of the same entity or different entities. For example, the access network 312 and the core network 310 may operate under the authority of a first service provider while the access network 313 may operate under the authority of a second service provider. The local network 340 may operate under the authority of a different entity than the core network 310, access network 312, and access network 313. The wireless network represented by the installation including the base station 331 and base station antenna structure 320 may include numerous such installations operated under the authority of the same or different entities. Moreover, the one or more entities that operate the wireless network may be the same as one or more of the entities having operational authority for the core network 310,· access networks 312/313, and/or local network 340.

[0057] The base station antenna structure 320 may include one or more ALDs 315a, 315b, 315c, and 315d including associated controllers. In the example of FIG. 3, the ALD 315a may be a tower mounted amplifier, the ALD 315b may be a remote electrical tilt system, the ALD 315c may comprise one or more antenna sensor devices, and the ALD 315d may be a frequency scanning module. The ALDs 315a, 315b, 315c, and 315d may be connected to one or more of the antennas in the base station antenna structure 320. One or more of the ALDs 315a, 315b, 315c, and 315d may include wireless connections between an ALD controller module and a sensor device or other functional module, such as a ping module used for antenna testing. It will be understood that these ALD types are for purposes of illustrating embodiments of the inventive concept and additional, fewer, and/or different types of ALDs may be used in other embodiments.

[0058] In some embodiments, the ALDs 315a, 315b, 315c, and 315d may be addressable via an AISG interface by way of their respective controllers. In other embodiments, the ALDs 315a, 315b, 315c, and 315d may be addressable by way of their respective controllers using Internet Protocol (IP) addresses as devices in the Internet of Things (IoT). The IoT refers to a network of physical and virtual things having embedded computer systems associated therewith that allow the things to exchange data with other entities, such as a user, operator, manufacturer, technician, analyst, etc. based on the International Telecommunication Union's Global Standards Initiative. The IoT may allow, for example, things to be sensed, monitored, and/or controlled remotely across existing network infrastructure, which may create more opportunities for direct integration between the physical world and computer-based systems, and may result in improved efficiency, accuracy, and economic benefit. Each thing may be uniquely identifiable through its associated embedded computing system and is able to interoperate within the existing Internet infrastructure. The ALDs 315a, 315b, 315c, and 315d by way of their respective controllers may communicate with an IoT gateway 332 to access the core network 310 by way of the access network 312. Example wireless communication protocols provided by the gateway 332 may include, but are not limited to, Z- Wave, 6LowPAN, Thread, WiFi, GSM cellular, 3G cellular, 4G/LTE cellular, 5G/LTE cellular, Sigfox, Neul, and LoRaWAN. The local network 340 may be a private network or VPN implemented in an enterprise that uses an ALD management system 345 to control the operation of the ALDs 315a, 315b, 315c, and 315d and to process data generated and/or collected by the ALDs 315a, 315b, 315c, and 315d and their respective controllers in the IoT. The ALD management system 345 may be connected to the local network 340 using a wireless and/or wired connection.

[0059] The core network 310, access network 312, and access network 313 may be a global network, such as the Internet or other publicly accessible network. Various elements of the core network 310, access network 312, and access network 313 may be interconnected by a wide area network, a local area network, an Intranet, and/or other private network, which may not be accessible by the general public. Thus, the core network 310, access network 312, and access network 313 may represent a combination of public and private networks or a VPN. The core network 310, access network 312, and access network 313 may be a wireless network, a wireline network, or may be a combination of both wireless and wireline networks.

[0060] Although FIG. 3 illustrates a communication network including wireless

communication functionality between ALDs, their respective controllers, and antenna sensor devices according to some embodiments of the inventive concept, it will be understood that embodiments of the present invention are not limited to such configurations, but are intended to encompass any configuration capable of carrying out the operations described herein.

[0061] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an ALD and ALD controller including wireless communication functionality between an ALD controller 400 and a sensor device 450 and wireless communication functionality between the ALD controller 400 and the ALD 420 according to some embodiments of the inventive concept. Referring now to FIG. 4, an ALD controller 400 and an ALD 420 are disposed within an antenna radome 490 housing. The ALD controller 400 includes an AISG interface that feeds into a surge protection module 405. In some embodiments, the ALD controller 420 may be positioned in close proximity to the AISG interface to reduce and/or eliminate cabling used to connect the ALD controller 400 to the AISG interface. As described above, in other embodiments, instead of an AISG interface, the ALD controller 400 may be addressable using an IP address as a device in the IoT. The surge protection module 405 is coupled to an RS485 drivers module 410 to process the AISG communication protocol. The processor 415 is coupled to a memory 435 that has an ALD control module 440 and a sensor interface module 445 stored therein. The processor 415 receives the information or command sent from the base station over the AISG interface and drives the ALD 420 under the control of the ALD control module 440 to carry out commands from the base station. The ALD controller 400 may also receive DC power from the AISG eight-pin cable or over the RF feeder path. If DC power is received over the RF feeder path, then a modulator/demodulator and low pass filter circuit 425 may be used. The modulator/demodulator 425 is used to modulate/demodulate the AISG signal onto the RF signal and a bias tee may be used to separate the RF signal from the DC power signal so as to effectively provide a low pass filter for the DC power signal.

[0062] As described above, the processor 415 may be coupled to a memory 435 and, depending on the particular function of the ALD, various data may be stored in the memory 435 for retrieval by the ALD management system 345 or other entities. For example, when the ALD 420 is a tower mounted amplifier 315a, the ALD control module 440 may be configured to adjust an amplification of a signal received from the output of an antenna 460 responsive to a control signal, such as a message, signal, or the like. When the ALD 420 is a remote electrical tilt system 315b, the ALD control module 440 may be configured to adjust one or more of an elevation angle of the antenna and an azimuth angle of the antenna responsive to a control signal. When the ALD 420 is a frequency scanning module 315d, the ALD control module 440 may be configured to determine the frequency spectrum in use at the antenna. Some ALDs, such as remote electrical tilt systems, and antenna sensor devices may be configured to collect information, such as transmission patterns of an antenna based on elevation angles, respectively, which can be stored as data in the memory 435. Some ALDs, such as remote electrical tilt systems and antenna sensor devices, may be configured to collect information, such as gain of an antenna, return loss of an antenna, and isolation of an antenna, which can be stored as data in the memory 435. Each of the various types of ALDs may be configured to store identification information indicating one or more of the ALD type, manufacturer, date of installation, installation location, and the like. The ALDs may also store similar information for the one or more antennas 460 that they are associated with.

[0063] As shown in FIG. 4, the antenna 460 comprises one or multiple vertical arrays of radiating elements, which is illustrated as elements 467-1, 467-2, 467-3, 467-4, and 467-5 in one array. The vertical array 467 may be fed by a feed network (not shown). The feed network includes one input or two inputs in a dual-polarization for each vertical array and a power divider network that divides an RF signal that is received at the input into a plurality of sub-components. The input of the feed network may be connected to a radio, such as a remote radio head or remote radio unit (RRU). The antenna 460 further includes a sensor 450 attached thereto. According to some embodiments of the inventive concept, a wireless interface 465a, 465b may be included to facilitate communication between the sensor 450 and the ALD controller 400 and/or a wireless interface 469a, 469b may be included to facilitate communication between the ALD and the ALD controller 400. The sensor interface module 445 may be configured to collect information that is associated with the antenna 460, such as, but not limited to, azimuth angle, elevation angle, latitude coordinate, longitude coordinate, Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates, wind speed, temperature, vibration amplitude, and vibration frequency from the sensor 450 over the wireless interface 465a, 465b. This sensor information may be stored as data in the memory 435. In some embodiments, the sensor interface module 445 may be configured to use one or more addresses or other type of identification to identify which sensor(s) 450 a communication is directed to in a broadcast communication.

[0064] In some embodiments of the inventive concept, each of the wireless interface components 465a, 465b, 469a, and 469b may comprise an infrared receiver as shown in FIG. 5A and an infrared transmitter as shown in FIG. 5B. As shown in the example of FIGS. 5A and 5B, the discrete infrared receiver and transmitter can be as small as about 2 - 3 mm in each dimension and, therefore, can be mounted close to the edges of printed circuit boards, which may result in a relatively low cost and compact implementation. The infrared receiver and transmitter may also be provided in side surface mount or vertical surface mount packages, which may facilitate integration with other components or control circuitry. In some embodiments of the inventive concept, the infrared wireless interface components 465a, 465b, 469a, 469b may use the Infrared Data Association (IrDA) standard communication protocol, which may be configured to operate in one of a Serial IrDA (SIR) mode, a Medium IrDA (MIR) mode, a Fast IrDA (FIR) mode, and a Very Fast IrDA (VFIR) mode. The SIR mode may be configured to operate at a data rate up to 1 15.2 kilobit (kb)/s, the MIR mode may be configured to operate at a data rate up to 1152 kb/s, the FIR mode may be configured to operate at a data rate up to 4 megabit (mb)/s, and the VFIR mode may be configured to operate at a data rate up to 16 mb/s. The configurations of the infrared wireless interface components 465a, 465b, 469a, and 469b may be adjusted to the particular application. For example, the power consumption and work distance of the infrared wireless interface components 465a, 465b, 469a, and 469b may be adjusted by changing the values of biasing resistors. The angle of half sensitivity of the infrared receiver components can vary from a few degrees to 60 degrees or greater. This angle can be adjusted based on the molded plastic lens used in the receiver. Using a relatively small half sensitivity angle may allow for an increase in work distance while using a relatively large half sensitivity angle may provide more location options during installation as well as making it easier to receive broadcasted signals. In other embodiments, relatively low cost optical fibers can be used to implement the interface between the sensor 450 and the ALD controller 400 and/or between the ALD 420 and the ALD controller where the sensor 450 and an interface to the ALD controller 400 and/or where the ALD 420 and an interface to the ALD controller 400 cannot be placed in visible range to support a direct point-to-point wireless communication connection. Due to the relatively short transmission distance, optical coupling and transmission loss requirements can be lessened.

[0065] Returning to FIG. 4, the ALD controller 400 may receive DC power through a low pass filter circuit 425 that is designed to block any RF signal on an RF feeder cable, for example. In some embodiments in which the ALD controller 400 may be addressable using an IP address as a device in the IoT instead of using an AISG interface, a

modulator/demodulator circuit may not be used as the communication between the ALD controller 400 and a base station controller is transmitted over an independent wireless channel and not modulated onto the RF signal from the base station.

[0066] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an ALD and ALD controller including wireless communication functionality between an ALD controller 600 and a ping module 670 and wireless communication functionality between the ALD controller 600 and ALD 620 according to some embodiments of the inventive concept. The ALD of FIG. 6 and the ALD of FIG. 4 are similar and may include many of the same components. Components with analogous reference labels provide the same functionality and their description including operations thereof will not be repeated in the interest of brevity. Referring to FIG. 6, the antenna 660 includes a ping module 670 attached thereto. According to some embodiments of the inventive concept, a wireless interface 665a, 665b may be included to facilitate communication between the ping module 670 and the ALD controller 600.

[0067] The ping module 670 may be used to verify RF-cable connections by sending ping messages from the RF ports of the antenna 660 to the RF ports of the base transceiver station (BTS) or remote radio unit (RRU). In some embodiments, the ping messages comprise on-of keying (OOK) modulated signals. The ping interface module 675 may be configured to establish a wireless communication connection, such as an infrared wireless communication connection, between the ALD controller 600 and the ping module 670 and to transmit ping messages from the RF ports of the antenna 660 to the base transceiver station. In this way, the ping interface module 675 may be configured to determine the operability states of the radio frequency paths between the antenna and the base transceiver station. This technique may be used to diagnose crossed, missing, stolen, and/or broken RF cables by comparing the actual connections with the site installation plan. The ping process can be used in

conjunction with site mapping commands to automatically discover the RF paths. In some embodiments, the ping interface module 675 may be configured to use one or more addresses or other type of identification to identify which ping module(s) 670 a communication is directed to in a broadcast communication.

[0068] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 6, the processors 415 and 615 may be for example, a commercially available or custom microprocessor. The memories 435 and 635 are representative of the one or more memory devices containing the software and data used for controlling ALD operations and processing ALD data/information including supporting wireless communication connections with sensor devices and/or a ping module. Each memory 435, 635 may include, but is not limited to, the following types of devices: cache, ROM, PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash, SRAM, and DRAM.

[0069] Although FIGS. 4 and 6 illustrate hardware/software architectures that may be used for controlling ALD operations and processing ALD data information including supporting wireless communication connections with sensor devices and/or a ping module and wireless communication connections between ALD controllers and ALDs in accordance with some embodiments of the inventive concept, it will be understood that embodiments of the present invention are not limited to such a configuration but are intended to encompass any configuration capable of carrying out operations described herein.

[0070] Computer program code for carrying out operations of embedded data processing systems discussed above with respect to FIGS. 4 and 6 may be written in a high-level programming language, such as Python, Java, C, and/or C++, for development convenience. In addition, computer program code for carrying out operations of embodiments of the present inventive concept may also be written in other programming languages, such as, but not limited to, interpreted languages. Some modules or routines may be written in assembly language or even micro-code to enhance performance and/or memory usage. It will be further appreciated that the functionality of any or all of the program modules may also be implemented using discrete hardware components, one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or a programmed digital signal processor or microcontroller.

[0071] Moreover, the functionality of the ALDs 315a, 315b, 315c, and 315d of FIG. 3, the ALD 400 of FIG. 4, and the ALD of FIG. 6, may each, as appropriate, be implemented as a single processor system, a multi-processor system, a multi-core processor system, or even in some instances a network of stand-alone computer systems, in accordance with various embodiments of the inventive subject matter. Each of these processor/computer systems may be referred to as a "processor" or "data processing system."

[0072] Some embodiments of the inventive concept may provide base station antenna structures in which an ALD controller is communicatively coupled to a sensor and/or a ping device connected to an antenna via a wireless interface, such as an infrared wireless interface. By using the wireless interface for communication between the ALD controller and the sensor and/or ping device electrical or optical cables can be eliminated, which may reduce cost and provide improved performance through, for example, reduced PIM interference. In other embodiments, a wireless interface may also be used between the ALD controller and the ALD eliminating additional electrical or optical cables within the base station antenna structure.

[0073] Further Definitions and Embodiments:

[0074] In the above-description of various embodiments of the present disclosure, aspects of the present disclosure may be illustrated and described herein in any of a number of patentable classes or contexts including any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof. Accordingly, aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented entirely hardware, entirely software (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or combining software and hardware implementation that may all generally be referred to herein as a "circuit," "module,"

"component," or "system." Furthermore, aspects of the present disclosure may take the form of a computer program product comprising one or more computer readable media having computer readable program code embodied thereon.

[0075] Any combination of one or more computer readable media may be used. The computer readable media may be a computer readable signal medium or a computer readable storage medium. A computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples (a non- exhaustive list) of the computer readable storage medium would include the following: a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), an appropriate optical fiber with a repeater, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD- ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. In the context of this document, a computer readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that can contain, or store a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0076] A computer readable signal medium may include a propagated data signal with computer readable program code embodied therein, for example, in baseband or as part of a carrier wave. Such a propagated signal may take any of a variety of forms, including, but not limited to, electro-magnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. A computer readable signal medium may be any computer readable medium that is not a computer readable storage medium and that can communicate, propagate, or transport a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. Program code embodied on a computer readable signal medium may be transmitted using any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless, wireline, optical fiber cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0077] Aspects of the present disclosure are described herein with reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of the disclosure. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable instruction execution apparatus, create a mechanism for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.

[0078] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer readable medium that when executed can direct a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to function in a particular mariner, such that the instructions when stored in the computer readable medium produce an article of manufacture including instructions which when executed, cause a computer to implement the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks. The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable instruction execution apparatus, or other devices to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatuses or other devices to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide processes for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.

[0079] The flowchart and block diagrams in the figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various aspects of the present disclosure. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of code, which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). It should also be noted that, in some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specified functions or acts, or combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions.

[0080] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular aspects only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and/or

"comprising," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. Like reference numbers signify like elements throughout the description of the figures.

[0081] Terms such as "top," "bottom," "upper," "lower," "above, " "below," and the like are used herein to describe the relative positions of elements or features. For example, when an upper part of a drawing is referred to as a "top" and a lower part of a drawing is referred to as a "bottom" for the sake of convenience, in practice, the "top" may also be called a "bottom" and the "bottom" may also be a "top" without departing from the teachings of the inventive concept.

[0082] Furthermore, throughout this disclosure, directional terms such as "upper,"

"intermediate," "lower," and the like may be used herein to describe the relationship of one element or feature with another, and the inventive concept should not be limited by these terms. Accordingly, these terms such as "upper," "intermediate, " "lower," and the like may be replaced by other terms such as "first," "second," "third," and the like to describe the elements and features.

[0083] It will be understood that, although the terms "first," "second," etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. Thus, a first element could be termed a second element without departing from the teachings of the inventive concept.

[0084] The terminology used herein to describe embodiments of the invention is not intended to limit the scope of the inventive concept.

[0085] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this inventive concept belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and this specification and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

[0086] The description of the present disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the disclosure in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosure. The aspects of the disclosure herein were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the disclosure and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the disclosure with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A base station antenna, comprising:

a housing;

a plurality of radiating elements that are configured as a phased array of radiating elements;

an antenna line device that is at least partially within the housing; and

an antenna line device controller that is configured to receive control signals from an external source;

wherein the antenna line device controller comprises a wireless transceiver and the antenna line device comprises a wireless transmitter or transceiver.

2. The base station antenna of Claim 1 , further comprising:

a sensor connected to the plurality of radiating elements, the sensor comprising a wireless transmitter or transceiver.

3. The base station antenna of Claim 2, wherein the sensor is configured to collect information that is associated with the plurality of radiating elements, the information comprising at least one of azimuth angle, elevation angle, latitude coordinate, longitude coordinate, altitude, Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates, wind speed, temperature, vibration amplitude, and vibration frequency.

4. The base station antenna of Claim 2, wherein the antenna line device controller is configured to communicate with the antenna line device and the sensor using the wireless transceiver via a wireless communication connection.

5. The base station antenna of Claim 4, wherein the wireless communication connection is an infrared wireless connection.

6. The base station antenna of Claim 5, wherein the infrared wireless connection uses the Infrared Data Association (IrDA) standard communication protocol.

7. The base station antenna of Claim 6, wherein the IrDA standard communication protocol is configured to operate in one of a Serial IrDA (SIR) mode, a Medium IrDA (MIR) mode, a Fast IrDA (FIR) mode, and a Very Fast IrDA (VFIR) mode.

8. The base station antenna of Claim 7, wherein the SIR mode is configured to operate at a data rate up to 115.2 kb/s, the MIR mode is configured to operate at a data rate up to 1152 kb/s, the FIR mode is configured to operate at a date rate up to 4 mb/s, and the VFIR mode is configured to operate at a data rate up to 16 mb/s.

9. The base station antenna of Claim 1, wherein the antenna line device is an amplifier that is coupled to an output of the plurality of radiating elements; and

wherein the amplifier is configured to adjust an amplification of a signal received from the output of the plurality of radiating elements responsive to a control signal received from the antenna line device controller.

10. The base station antenna of Claim 1, wherein the antenna line device is a remote electrical tilt system that is coupled to the plurality of radiating elements; and

wherein the remote electrical tilt system is configured to adjust an elevation angle of the plurality of radiating elements responsive to a control signal received from the antenna line device controller.

11. The base station antenna of Claim 1, wherein the antenna line device is a frequency scanning module that is coupled to the antenna; and

wherein the frequency scanning module is configured to determine a frequency spectrum in use at the plurality of radiating elements.

12. The base station antenna of Claim 1, further comprising:

a ping module connected to the plurality of radiating elements antenna, the ping module comprising a wireless transceiver and being configured to transmit ping messages from RF ports of the base station antenna to RF ports of a base transceiver station (BTS) or remote radio unit (RRU).

13. The base station antenna of Claim 12, wherein the ping messages are modulated using on-off keying modulation.

14. The base station antenna of Claim 12, wherein the antenna line device controller is configured to communicate with the ping module using the wireless transceiver of the antenna line device controller via a wireless communication connection.

15. The base station antenna of Claim 14, wherein the wireless communication connection is an infrared wireless connection.

16. The base station antenna of Claim 15, wherein the infrared wireless communication connection uses the Infrared Data Association (IrD A) standard

communication protocol.

17. The base station antenna of Claim 16, wherein the IrD A standard

communication protocol is configured to operate in one of a Serial IrDA (SIR) mode, a Medium IrDA (MIR) mode, a Fast IrDA (FIR) mode, and a Very Fast IrDA (VFIR) mode.

18. The base station antenna of Claim 17, wherein the SIR mode is configured to operate at a data rate up to 115.2 kb/s, the MIR mode is configured to operate at a data rate up to 1152 kb/s, the FIR mode is configured to operate at a date rate up to 4 mb/s, and the VFIR mode is configured to operate at a data rate up to 16 mb/s.

19. A method of operating a base station antenna, comprising:

providing an antenna line device at least partially within a housing, the housing having a plurality of radiating elements contained therein that are configured as an array of radiating elements; and

establishing a wireless communication connection between an antenna line device controller and the antenna line device via a wireless transceiver associated with the antenna line device controller and a wireless transmitter or transceiver associated with the antenna line device.

20. The method of Claim 19, wherein the plurality of radiating elements comprises a sensor connected thereto, the sensor having a wireless transmitter or transceiver associated therewith.

21. The method of Claim 20, further comprising:

establishing a wireless communication connection between the antenna line device controller and the sensor via the wireless transceiver associated with the antenna line device controller and the wireless transmitter or transceiver associated with the sensor.

22. The method of Claim 21, further comprising:

collecting, using the sensor, information that is associated with the plurality of radiating elements, the information comprising at least one of azimuth angle, elevation angle, latitude coordinate, longitude coordinate, Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates, wind speed, temperature, vibration amplitude, and vibration frequency.

23. The method of Claim 21 , wherein the wireless communication connections between the antenna line device controller and the antenna line device and between the antenna line device controller and the sensor are each an infrared wireless communication connection.

24. The method of Claim 23, wherein the infrared wireless connection uses the Infrared Data Association (IrDA) standard communication protocol.

25. The method of Claim 24, wherein the IrDA standard communication protocol is configured to operate in one of a Serial IrDA (SIR) mode, a Medium IrDA (MIR) mode, a Fast IrDA (FIR) mode, and a Very Fast IrDA (VFIR) mode.

26. The method of Claim 25, wherein the SIR mode is configured to operate at a data rate up to 115.2 kb/s, the MIR mode is configured to operate at a data rate up to 1152 kb/s, the FIR mode is configured to operate at a date rate up to 4 mb/s, and the VFIR mode is configured to operate at a data rate up to 16 mb/s.

27. The method of Claim 19, wherein the antenna line device is an amplifier that is coupled to an output of the plurality of radiating elements; and wherein the method further comprises:

adjusting, using an amplifier, an amplification of a signal received from the output of the plurality of radiating elements responsive to a control signal received from the antenna line device controller.

28. The method of Claim 19, wherein the antenna line device is a remote electrical tilt system that is coupled to the plurality of radiating elements; and wherein the method further comprises:

adjusting, using the remote electrical tilt system, an elevation angle of the plurality of radiating elements responsive to a control signal received from the antenna line device controller.

29. The method of Claim 19, wherein the antenna line device is a remote azimuth steering (RAS) system that is coupled to the plurality of radiating elements; and wherein the method further comprises:

adjusting, using the remote azimuth steering (RAS) system, the beam direction in the azimuth plane of the plurality of radiating elements responsive to a control signal received from the antenna line device controller.

30. The method of Claim 19, wherein the antenna line device is a remote azimuth beamwidth (RAB) system that is coupled to the plurality of radiating elements; and wherein the method further comprises:

adjusting, using the remote azimuth beamwidth (RAB) system, the azimuth beamwidth of the plurality or radiating elements responsive to a control signal received from the antenna line device controller.

31. The method of Claim 19, wherein the antenna line device is a frequency scanning module that is coupled to the plurality of radiating elements; and wherein the method further comprises:

determining, using the frequency scanning module, a frequency spectrum in use at the antenna.

32. The method of Claim 19, wherein the plurality of radiating elements comprises a ping module connected thereto, the ping module having a wireless transceiver associated therewith and being configured to transmit ping messages from RF ports of the base station antenna to RF ports of a base transceiver station (BTS) or remote radio unit (RRU).

33. The method of Claim 32, further comprising:

establishing a wireless communication connection between the antenna line device controller and the ping module via the wireless transceiver associated with the antenna line device controller and a wireless transceiver associated with the ping module; and

transmitting ping messages from the RF ports of the base station antenna to the RF ports of the base transceiver station (BTS) or the remote radio unit (RRU) responsive to a control signal received from the antenna line device controller.

34. The method of Claim 33, wherein transmitting the ping messages from the RF ports of the base station antenna to the RF ports of the base transceiver station (BTS) or the remote radio unit (RRU) comprises:

determining operability states of radio frequency paths between the base station antenna and the base transceiver station (BTS) or the remote radio unit (RRU).

35. The method of Claim 33, wherein the ping signals are modulated using on-off keying modulation.

36. The method of Claim 33, wherein the wireless communication connection between the antenna line device controller and the ping module is an infrared wireless connection.

37. The method of Claim 36, wherein the infrared wireless connection uses the Infrared Data Association (IrDA) standard communication protocol.

38. The method of Claim 37, wherein the IrDA standard communication protocol is configured to operate in one of a Serial IrDA (SIR) mode, a Medium IrDA (MIR) mode, a Fast IrDA (FIR) mode, and a Very Fast IrDA (VFIR) mode.

39. The method of Claim 38, wherein the SIR mode is configured to operate at a data rate up to 115.2 kb/s, the MIR mode is configured to operate at a data rate up to 1152 kb/s, the FIR mode is configured to operate at a date rate up to 4 mb/s, and the VFIR mode is configured to operate at a data rate up to 16 mb/s.