Patent ID: 7427953
Filing Date: 2008-09-23
Classification: H01Q,H04B

Abstract:
1. A wireless communication apparatus for determining the direction of arrival (DOA) of received signals in elevation, and forming beams in the determined direction, the apparatus comprising: two antenna arrays, each of the antenna arrays including a plurality of antenna elements; a first azimuth matrix board coupled to a first one of the antenna arrays; a second azimuth matrix board coupled to a second one of the antenna arrays; a first set of azimuth phase shifters; a second set of azimuth phase shifters; a first combiner having a plurality of input ports coupled to respective mode ports of the first azimuth matrix board via respective ones of the first set of azimuth phase shifters; a second combiner having a plurality of input ports coupled to respective mode ports of the second azimuth matrix board via respective ones of the second set of azimuth phase shifters; an electronic elevation phase shifter coupled to an output of the second combiner; and a Butler matrix coupled to an output of the first combiner and an output of the electronic elevation phase shifter, the Butler matrix configured to form an elevation sum-mode and an elevation difference-mode such that DOA of the received signals can be determined in elevation, and beams can be formed in the direction of the received signals.