Base-station tracking in mobile communications using a switched parasitic antenna array

Author

Preston, Stephanie L. ; Thiel, David V. ; Smith, Trevor A. ; O´Keefe, Steven G. ; Lu, Jun Wei

Author_Institution

Sch. of Microelectron. Eng., Griffith Univ., Brisbane, Qld., Australia

Volume

46

Issue

6

fYear

1998

fDate

6/1/1998 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

841

Lastpage

844

Abstract

Base-station tracking in mobile communications benefits from a directional antenna and so requires direction finding technology. A novel technique for electronically directing the radiation pattern of an antenna array employs a directional array with only one active element and three parasitic elements operating near resonance. Three different methods of direction finding are assessed; a coarse angular location method, a precise angular location method assuming one incident beam, and a precise angular location method with multiple incident beams. An array with n elements, if used in conjunction with a relatively simple controller, can be used to resolve n-1 signals. This technology can be implemented using both wire and patch antenna-array elements and either linear or circular polarization can be used, lending the technology to applications in both terrestrial and satellite communications systems

Keywords

antenna radiation patterns; array signal processing; cellular radio; digital radio; direction-of-arrival estimation; directive antennas; electromagnetic wave polarisation; land mobile radio; microstrip antenna arrays; mobile satellite communication; multipath channels; radio direction-finding; tracking; wire antennas; GSM; active element; base-station tracking; circular polarization; coarse angular location method; controller; digital communication systems; direction finding technology; directional antenna array; incident beam; linear polarization; mobile communications; multipath environment; multiple incident beams; parasitic elements; patch antenna-array elements; precise angular location method; radiation pattern; resonance; satellite communications systems; switched parasitic antenna array; terrestrial communications systems; wire antenna-array elements; Antenna arrays; Antenna radiation patterns; Communication switching; Communication system control; Directional antennas; Directive antennas; Mobile communication; Resonance; Signal resolution; Wire;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Antennas and Propagation, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-926X

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/8.686771

Filename

686771