Abstract:
A spring loaded antenna mounting system for the directional antennae of a point-to-multipoint millimeter wave communication system and methods of supporting such antennae for selectively directing the beam thereof. The adjustment of the antenna in two orthogonal directions is disclosed as is a quick connect/disconnect latch for attaching the individual antenna element to the antenna mount.

Description:
BACKGROUND  
       [0001]    The present application claims the priority of pending U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 60/266,485 filed Feb. 6, 2001 for “Antenna Provisional,” the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. This application is related to and is being concurrently filed with commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. [WT-31; HAR66 010] entitled spring Loaded Anenna Mounting System And Method and Ser. No. [WT-32; HAR66 012] entitled Antennae Quick-Connect System and Method, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference. The present invention relates generally to antenna mounting systems and methods for wireless communication systems, and more specifically to antennae mounting systems and methods for millimeter wave point-to-multipoint communication systems. 
     
    
     
         [0002]    Point-to-multipoint millimeter wave wireless communication systems are well know and are described, e.g., in the commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 6,016,313, entitled “System and Method for Broadband Millimeter Wave Data Communication.” Such systems generally consist of one or more hubs each servicing a plurality of remote nodes. The antennae of such systems are highly directional and it is critical to the successful operation of the communication system that each antennae be correctly aimed in both azimuth and elevation. It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a novel antennae mounting system which may be selectively aimed in both azimuth and elevation.  
           [0003]    Point-to-multipoint communication systems are generally modular with reconfiguration of the coverage of the antennae required, e.g., as the number of subscribers increases within a sector, as subscribers come on line in sectors previously not serviced, as the communication traffic increases within a sector, etc. It is therefore another object of the present invention to provide a novel antennae mounting system and method in which antennae be easily added or moved to effect reconfiguration of the antennae system to accommodate the dynamic changes in the communication system.  
           [0004]    Antennae in such systems are often mounted on preexisting structures and there are often physical limitations placed on the construction of new antenna support structures. It is accordingly a further object of the present invention to provide a novel antennae mounting system and method in which the antennae which may be easily and quickly installed on a variety of support structures.  
           [0005]    Further, there are difficulties in the installation and aiming of directional antennae, where space is confined and a single installer may be faced with the simultaneous positioning and installation of an antenna at a significant elevation exposed to adverse wind conditions. It is accordingly yet another object of the present invention to provide a novel antennae mounting system and method in which the antennae may be quickly removed or quickly installed and thereafter selectively secured and aimed.  
           [0006]    These and other objects and advantages will be readily apparent from the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments when read in conjunction with the appended drawings.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]    [0007]FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of a typical point-to-multipoint hub antenna.  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 2 is an exploded view of one embodiment of the spring loaded antenna mount of the present invention.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 3 is a pictorial view of an embodiment of a parabolic antenna mount of the present invention illustrating two degrees of adjustment.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 4 is a pictorial view of an embodiment of a dipole antenna mount of the present invention illustrating two degrees of adjustment.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 5 is a schematic exploded view of one mechanism for achieving the two degrees of adjustment in the embodiments of FIG. 3 and FIG. 4.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 6 is a pictorial view of one embodiment of the quick connect/disconnect latch mechanism of the present invention in the open position.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 7 is a pictorial view of the embodiment of the quick connect/disconnect latch mechanism illustrated in FIG. 6 in the latched or closed position.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 8 is a schematic exploded illustration of the embodiment of the latch illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7.  
         [0015]    FIGS.  9 ( a ) through  9 ( d ) are schematic illustrations of the operation of the embodiment of the quick connect/disconnect latch mechanism of FIGS.  6 - 8 .  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0016]    [0016]FIG. 1 illustrates a typical hub mounting for plural antennae in a millimeter wave point-to-multipoint wireless communication system. In the embodiment shown, there is a mounting plate  10  secured in a conventional manner to a tubular support  12 . Two rows of antennae are illustrated, with the top row  14  having a different degree of elevation than the bottom row  16  to service relatively far and near subscribers respectively. Within each row, each highly directional antennae  18  is offset in azimuth by fifteen degrees to service an area approximately sixty degrees wide.  
         [0017]    As shown in FIG. 2, the mounting plate  10  may be mounted on the pole  12  (not shown) by means of a mounting bracket  20  notched to receive the pole and having two notched backing members  22  secured thereto by way of four bolts  24 . The upper and lower flanges  26  of the pole bracket  20  desirably include a central opening  28  and two generally arcuate slots  30  into which are received three protrusions of a top and bottom plate  32 , 34 . Disposed between the flanges  26  is a spring biased pin comprising a central tube  36  which houses a coil spring (not shown) held under relatively slight compression by two end protrusions  38 . The protrusions  38  are restrained by any suitable conventional means from completely exiting the tube  36 . The pole bracket is relatively easy to install because of its small size and light weight.  
         [0018]    With continued reference to FIG. 2, the mounting plate  10  may then be secured to the mounting bracket  20  without the necessity for precise alignment. One of he pins  38  may be depressed into the tube  36  against the pressure of the spring sufficiently to permit the flange of the mounting bracket to slide over the plates  32 , 34  to align the holes  40  therewith, at which point the pins  38  extend through the holes  40  under the bias of the spring within the tube  36 . At this point, the bracket  10  is secured to the mounting bracket  20  and the installer no longer has to deal with the weight of the mounting bracket.  
         [0019]    With the pins  38  extended, the bolts  42  may be positioned in the holes  44  in the mounting bracket, through the holes in the plates  32  and the arcuate slots  30 . The mounting bracket  10  may then be turned in azimuth relative to the pole bracket  20  and tightened to fix the position thereof relative to the slots  30 . Minor adjustments in azimuth may thus be made in the orientation of the mounting bracket  10  without the need for adjusting the mounting of the pole bracket  20  to the pole  12 .  
         [0020]    As shown in FIG. 2, the flanges of the mounting bracket may be provided with pre-punched holes and lines  46 indicating the alignment of antenna elements relative to the bracket and thus to each other. Installation of the individual antennae to the bracket  10  may thus be facilitated and the relative alignment of the antennae secured without individually aligning the antenna elements.  
         [0021]    Note that at no point in the installation is the installer required to deal with the weight of a pre-assembled antenna nor individually adjust the antenna elements.  
         [0022]    In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, adjustments in elevation must be made by the adjustment of the antenna bracket  10  to the pole  12  or the individual antennas (not shown) to the bracket  10 . However, FIGS.  3 - 5  illustrate an antenna bracket which facilitates adjustments in both elevation and azimuth. With reference to FIGS.  3 - 5  where like functional elements have been given like numeric designations, the pole mounting bracket  60  may be attached to the pole or other supporting structure in any suitable conventional way such as the manner illustrated in FIG. 2. The pole mounting bracket  60  supports the antenna mount  61  in the manner to be described infra. The antenna unit  62  including the actual antenna  64  is in turn supported by antenna mount  61 .  
         [0023]    As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 and schematically illustrated in FIG. 5, the pole bracket  60  includes a pivotal support  66  for a first adjustment member  68  the manually rotatable knob  70  of a threaded screw  72 .  
         [0024]    The first adjustable member  68  carries an arcuate threaded surface  74 which mates with the screw  72  when the first adjustable member is pivotally supported by the pin  66 . In this way, the manual rotation of the knob  70  effects rotation of the first adjustable member  68  about the pin  66  to position the antenna in one orthogonal direction, azimuth or elevation as determined by the orientation of the pole mount  60 .  
         [0025]    The first adjustable member includes a pivotal support for a second adjustable member  76  and included a threaded manually operable knob  78  for a screw which engages a threaded arcuate surface  80  on the second adjustment member  76 . In this way, rotation of the knob  78  effects rotation of the second adjustment member about the pin  872  to provide a second degree of adjustment orthogonal to the degree of adjustment provided by the first adjustment member  68 .  
         [0026]    The latching of the antenna unit to the second adjusting member may be accomplished in several ways. However, it is highly desirable that the antenna be quickly and easily replaced in both an individual node mount or as an element in a hub array. The quick disconnect latch shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is illustrated more clearly in FIGS.  6 - 8  and the operation thereof is schematically illustrated in FIG. 9.  
         [0027]    With reference to FIGS.  6 - 8 , the latch generally includes a first member  90  adapted to be carried by the second adjustment member of the mounts of FIGS.  3 - 5 . The first member  90  includes a first forward facing hook ( 92  in FIG. 9) at the lower edge of the center section (not shown) adapted to engage an element on the antenna. The center section of the first member also desirably carries a spring biased element  94  adapted to engage one of the slots  96  in the antenna to provide stability of the antenna during the latching operation.  
         [0028]    The flanges  98  of the first member  90  may be provided with apertures to receive a pin  100  which passes through a hole  102  adjacent one end of the flat member  104  of a second member  106  so that the flat member may pivot about the pin  100 . Approximately midway along the flat member  104  is hinged a curved member  108  which has at the distal end thereof a second hook  110  adapted to engage an element of the antenna. Alternatively, suitable protrusions from the sides of the flat member  104  may engage a detent on the curved member  108  to provide the pivotal connection.  
         [0029]    In operation, and as shown in FIG. 9 ( a ), the first member is placed against the antenna with the lower hook  92  engaged and both the flat member  104  and the curved member  108  out of contact with the antenna. As shown in FIG. 9( a ), both the flat and curved members may then be rotated counterclockwise to position the hook  110  in position to engage the antenna. Once the hook  110  is engaged, the flat member  104  may be rotated clockwise into the latched position shown in FIG. 9( d ) and in FIG. 7.  
         [0030]    As shown in various of the figures, the antenna is desirably provide with latch receiving means on the back, ends and sides so that the antenna may be selectively latched to the mounting member in the orientation dictated by the antenna element itself.  
         [0031]    It should be understood that the foregoing description of preferred embodiments is illustrative only and that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.