Invention Grant
- Patent Title: Downlink and uplink array and beamforming arrangement for wireless communication networks
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Application No.: US10358914Application Date: 2003-02-05
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Publication No.: US07792547B1Publication Date: 2010-09-07
- Inventor: Martin Stevens Smith , Andrew James Urquhart , Julius George Robson , David Damain Nicholas Bevan
- Applicant: Martin Stevens Smith , Andrew James Urquhart , Julius George Robson , David Damain Nicholas Bevan
- Applicant Address: CA St. Laurent, Quebec
- Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited
- Current Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited
- Current Assignee Address: CA St. Laurent, Quebec
- Agency: Barnes & Thornburg LLP
- Main IPC: H04M1/00
- IPC: H04M1/00

Abstract:
The invention provides an antenna array suitable for use in a base station in a wireless communications network, the antenna array having a first beamforming arrangement for producing uplink beams and a second beamforming arrangement for producing downlink beams, wherein the first and second beamforming arrangements are different from one another. Preferably the first and second beamforming arrangements feed a common antenna array to produce the uplink and downlink beams. Particularly preferably a plurality of (sin x/x) beams are formed for the uplink, and a plurality of low cusp beams are formed for the downlink. These are advantageously dual polar, in order to achieve diversity gain. In a preferred embodiment, the antenna array is arranged such that three dual polar low cusp beams are formed for the downlink, and six dual polar (sin x/x) beams are formed for the uplink. A cellular communications network and a base station transceiver having such antenna arrays are also provided, as are a radio signal transmitted as a plurality of (sin x/x) beams forming an uplink of a cellular communications network, and a method of operating a wireless communications network.
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