Abstract:
An improved antenna control apparatus as well as an associated antenna and a method which has been improved in this context are distinguished by the following features: the control apparatus has control electronics, the control apparatus furthermore has an electric motor, an antenna control apparatus can be retrofitted outside the protective cover for the mobile radio antennas, or else as a preferably complete unit underneath this protective cover.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/240,317 filed Oct. 17, 2002, which is the U.S. national phase of international application PCT/EP02/01008 filed Jan. 31, 2002, which designated the US. 
     
    
     FIELD  
       [0002]     The technology herein relates to a control apparatus for changing the downtilt angle for antennas in particular for a mobile radio antenna for a base station, and to an associated mobile radio antenna and a method for changing the downtilt angle.  
         [0003]     As is known, mobile radio networks are in cellular form, with each cell having a corresponding associated base station with at least one mobile radio antenna for transmitting and receiving. The antennas are in this case designed such that they generally transmit with a downward deflection at a specific angle below the horizontal, thus defining a specific cell size.  
         [0004]     In addition to the main transmission frequencies in the 900 MHz band and in the 1800 MHz band (for example the 1900 MHz band in the USA), the 2000 MHz band will become important for the next mobile radio network generation, the so-called UMTS network. The antennas must be set to different inclination angles as a function of the size of the individual cell which is covered by a base station as well as, for example, as a function of the relevant network (for example the anticipated UMTS network).  
         [0005]     Finally, it is also known for the so-called downtilt angles, that is to say the inclination angles, at which a mobile radio antenna of a base station transmits downward with respect to the horizontal, to be adjustable, for example by means of phase shifters. The inclination angle of the polar diagram is changed by varying the phase difference between a number of individual radiating elements arranged one above the other. The phase shifters may be set appropriately for this purpose, which normally requires the adjustment process to be carried out manually directly on the mobile radio antenna. Furthermore, the protection devices which are fitted must also be removed and refitted. This is, of course, associated with a considerable amount of installation effort.  
         [0006]     Against this background, WO 96/14670 has also already proposed the capability to adjust the downtilt angle differently by means of an electrical control device, in which case the controller for such a control device can be mounted, for example, in the base of such an antenna device and can be used as a mobile control device and can be connected as required via a plug connection to control lines which are passed out of the antenna, in order to operate the adjustment device, which is installed underneath the protective housing, in order to adjust the downtilt angle.  
       BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY  
       [0007]     The illustrative non-limiting technology described herein is thus to provide an improved method and an improved control apparatus for changing the downtilt angle, and hence, in the end, a base station, with a mobile radio antenna, which is improved overall.  
         [0008]     According to an illustrative non-limiting implementation, the object is achieved with regard to the control apparatus on the basis of the features specified in claim  1 , with regard to a mobile radio antenna it is achieved on the basis of the features specified in claim  14 , and with regard to an appropriate method for changing the downtilt angle, it is achieved by the features specified in claim  15 . Advantageous refinements of an illustrative non-limiting implementation are specified in the dependent claims.  
         [0009]     The antenna control apparatus according to an illustrative non-limiting implementation is distinguished in that it can be mounted, such that it can be retrofitted, on a corresponding mobile radio base station outside the protective housing for the radiating elements (radom). There is thus preferably no need to have to provide the already extensive mechanical and/or electronic devices during the production or delivery of a corresponding mobile radio antenna, in order to ensure that it can be retrofitted.  
         [0010]     In principle, manual adjustment from the outside is prior art. The control apparatus according to a presently preferred illustrative non-limiting implementation is, in comparison to this, preferably distinguished in that, when fitted outside the protective housing of the antenna, it interacts with only that control element via which the adjustment can otherwise be carried out manually.  
         [0011]     The antenna, which will be described in detail with reference to exemplary non-limiting implementations, uses, in this case, a fundamentally known transmission element, which can be operated manually from outside the antenna protective cover, and which passes through an appropriate opening into the interior underneath the protective housing for the antenna, in order there to operate the one or more phase shifters for adjustment of the downtilt angle, for example via a transmission linkage. This operating element which passes from the outside to the inside through the protective housing, or through a part of the rear plate or side plate of the supporting and/or protective cover for the antenna, preferably comprises a spindle which is guided in an appropriate threaded sleeve such that it can rotate. The threaded spindle can thus be moved in the axial direction between two limit or extreme positions by rotating it.  
         [0012]     The antenna control apparatus is preferably entirely or essentially designed in the form of a complete unit or complete module. It can thus be handled and installed without any problems, to be precise not only—as described above—in conjunction with an operating element which is provided outside of the covering housing for the antenna device. In fact, a presently preferred illustrative non-limiting implementation likewise provides for the capability to mount, and if required to retrofit, the complete unit or the complete module as required as a complete module, which can be handled easily and without any problems, underneath the protective cover as well. In this case as well, the antenna control apparatus, which can be retrofitted, is covered with a corresponding operating element underneath the protective cover, in order to use it to set different phase angles for the antennas. One major advantage is thus that the antenna control apparatus according to a presently preferred illustrative non-limiting implementation can be installed easily, as a complete solution, outside or inside the protective cover for the antenna. There is thus no need to install a large number of individual components, possibly even at different points, underneath the protective cover of the antenna, as in the prior art.  
         [0013]     It has now been found to be advantageous that the downtilt angle can, in the end, be adjusted both manually and by means of a suitable control apparatus. The complete control unit is omitted for manual operation, so that, in the end, the downtilt angle can be adjusted just by adjusting the operating element, preferably by rotating an adjustment or spindle toothed wheel, by which means the phase shifters, for example, can then be adjusted appropriately via the spindle, which can be rotated, in order to change the downtilt angle.  
         [0014]     If an appropriate electronic or electrical control device is retrofitted, then this is preferably installed only outside the protective housing for the antenna. This then interacts directly with the operating transmission element, that is to say in particular with the spindle toothed wheel which is provided for manual adjustment, by which means the spindle toothed wheel can be rotated via the motor drive which is part of the control device.  
         [0015]     In addition, it has been found to be advantageous not to provide any limit switches or limit pushbuttons, but limit stops without any clamping. These are therefore provided and constructed on the spindle and fixed to the housing such that the movement of the spindle in each of the extreme or limit positions is prevented from rotating further by an limit stop. The limit stop therefore essentially ensures that no additional releasing forces are required during any subsequent movement in the opposite direction. This makes a contribution to making it possible to use comparatively small motors with low drive ratings.  
         [0016]     One preferred illustrative non-limiting implementation furthermore provides for the control electronics to associate two absolute position values with the two limit stops. The absolute positioning can then be carried out at at least one of these two positions. To do this, the operating element would have to be moved, preferably in the form of the spindle, only in the respective direction until the limit stop was reached. The reaching of the limit stop can likewise be identified and evaluated electrically/electronically by the control electronics.  
         [0017]     A self-calibration device provided for the purposes of a presently preferred illustrative non-limiting implementation has been found to be particularly advantageous. If the transmission or control element, preferably in the form of the spindle, is initially moved to at least one of the two limit stops and is then moved back to the other limit stop, then a movement identification process, preferably carried out by counting rotation pulses, can be used to detect the maximum adjustment movement between the two limit stops and this can be associated with a maximum depression angle, while each intermediate angle can be interpolated, possibly also by means of support values stored in a table. It is thus possible to drive in absolute terms any desired positions between the extreme positions.  
         [0018]     Alternatively or in addition, it is likewise possible to drive in a relative manner to specific adjustment positions within the permissible adjustment range. For this purpose, the respectively current setting value can be stored in a non-volatile memory in order then to carry out the relative adjustment starting from this value when another requirement for adjustment occurs.  
         [0019]     The control apparatus preferably has an external interface. All the adjustment and monitoring functions can be carried out at the command level via this interface. A specific controller or a computer with appropriate control software or else, for example, the base station can be used for drive purposes.  
         [0020]     In a presently preferred illustrative non-limiting implementation, the mechanical and the electrical/electronic part of the control apparatus are coupled to one another with a fixed relationship. No specific addressing of the control unit is required to do this. However, the control unit can preferably also operate in a “with addressing” mode. This allows the capability to drive a number of electronic control units from a central point via only one command interface, that is to say to set a number of angles appropriately on different antennas. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0021]     These and other features and advantages will be better and more completely understood by referring to the following detailed description of exemplary non-limiting illustrative implementations in conjunction with the drawings of which:  
         [0022]      FIG. 1  shows an illustration of an illustrative non-limiting mobile radio antenna, which is arranged underneath a covering or protective housing, and has an externally fitted antenna control apparatus;  
         [0023]      FIG. 2  shows a partial side view of a corresponding illustrative non-limiting mobile radio antenna with the protective housing removed and an operating element passing to the exterior;  
         [0024]      FIG. 3  shows an enlarged detailed view of the illustrative non-limiting mobile radio antenna, which is in principle equipped for manual adjustment capability, for a base station;  
         [0025]      FIG. 4  shows an illustration corresponding to that in  FIG. 3 , with an antenna control apparatus fitted;  
         [0026]      FIG. 5  shows an enlarged illustration of a detail from  FIG. 4 ;  
         [0027]      FIG. 6  shows a side view of the retrofitted unit, as shown in  FIG. 4 , in the removed state, in the form of a schematic cross-sectional illustration;  
         [0028]      FIG. 7  shows a side view rotated through 90° in comparison to the illustration shown in  FIG. 4 , and  
         [0029]      FIG. 8  shows a schematic illustration of a base station with a mast and a mobile radio antenna which can be depressed electronically. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0030]      FIG. 1  shows a schematic extract from a perspective illustration of a mobile radio antenna for a base station. A number of mobile radio antennas, which transmit in different cells, are normally arranged with an appropriate vertical alignment or inclined slightly downward, offset in the circumferential direction, on an antenna mast which is not illustrated in the drawings.  
         [0031]     A mobile radio antenna such as this may have a large number of radiating elements, which can transmit in different frequency bands, in which case it is possible to set a different inclination angle, a so-called downtilt angle at which the mobile radio antenna  3  transmits downward with respect to the horizontal, by varying the phase separations between the individual radiating elements  1 , which are arranged vertically one above the other. This is done in a known manner via appropriate adjustments of phase shifter elements, and to this extent reference is made to the already known solutions.  FIG. 8  in this case shows a base station  71  with an antenna mast  73  on which an appropriate mobile radio antenna  3  is mounted, which is driven via cables  75  from the base station or from the command appliance, and via which the transmission direction can be lowered to a greater or lesser extent electronically over an angle range α.  
         [0032]     A corresponding mobile radio antenna  3  has, for example, an attachment or mounting plate  5  which, if required, may also have a reflector or at least be fitted with a reflector, with the attachment or mounting plate preferably being provided in [sic] on its face which comes to rest at the bottom with a connecting plate  7 , which is provided transversely with respect to it, on which the corresponding connections  9  are provided for connection of coaxial cables for operation of the number of individual radiating elements.  
         [0033]     A protective cover  11  consisting of glass-fiber reinforced plastic is furthermore generally attached to the attachment or mounting plate  5 , underneath which the individual radiating elements are arranged such that they are located in front of a reflector.  
         [0034]     The extract of a perspective illustration shown in  FIG. 1  also shows the control apparatus  13 , which can be retrofitted outside the protective cover  11  and by means of which the beam angle of the antennas can be controlled or set automatically.  
         [0035]     Before describing the control apparatus  13 , which can be seen in the installed state in  FIG. 1 , in more detail, reference is first of all made to the schematic plan view in  FIG. 2 , which shows a first radiating element  17 , adjacent to the connecting plate  7 , with the protective cover  11  removed and in front of a reflector  15 , and seated at its lower end of the reflector, with an operating opening  19  being provided at the side of the connections  9  in the connecting plate  7 , to be precise formed by a connecting stub  23  which passes through the connecting plate  7  and is fixedly connected to it in a sealed manner. A threaded sleeve  21  passes through this connecting stub  23 , that is to say, in other words, it passes through the corresponding opening  19  in the connecting plate  7 . A threaded sleeve  21  is mounted within the stationary connecting stub  23  such that it can rotate about its axial axis but is held such that it cannot move axially. An adjusting element  25  is provided on that section of the connecting sleeve  21  (which is mounted such that it can rotate) that projects outward and, in the illustrated exemplary non-limiting implementation, is in the form of a spindle toothed wheel  25 ′.  
         [0036]     An operating element  29  passes through the threaded sleeve  21  and, in an illustrative non-limiting implementation, comprises a spindle  29 ′. The external thread  29 ″ on the spindle  29 ′ interacts with the internal thread on the threaded sleeve  21 , that is to say with the internal thread on the spindle toothed wheel  25 ′, so that, depending on the rotation direction, rotation of the spindle toothed wheel  25 ′ results in the spindle  29 ′, which cannot rotate, being moved axially further into the interior of the protective cover  11 , or further out.  
         [0037]     As can be seen in particular from FIGS.  2  to  5 , the inner end of the operating element  29 , which is in the form of a spindle  29 ′, is connected to a corresponding transmission device  31  in the form of a transmission linkage, in which case the one phase shifter or the number of phase shifters at the other end of the transmission linkage, which is not shown, can be adjusted in order to change the inclination angle of the antennas. The connection  33  which is provided but cannot rotate furthermore ensures that the spindle  29 ′ cannot itself rotate.  
         [0038]     The enlarged detail illustration shown in  FIG. 3  furthermore shows that the adjusting element  25 , which is in the form of the spindle toothed wheel  25 ′, is equipped, on the side pointing outward and offset radially outward with respect to the longitudinal axial axis, with a first operating limit stop  35  and, underneath the protective cover  11 , that is to say internally on the connecting plate  7 , with a second operating limit stop  35 ′ which is aligned in the opposite sense and is likewise radially offset with respect to the center axis of the spindle. These limit stops are aligned such that they each run in the circumferential direction, and hence in the rotation direction, with the outer adjustment limit stop  25  interacting with the outer operating limit stop  37 , which is formed on the spindle  29 ′, and the inner adjusting limit stop  35 ′ interacting with the inner operating limit stop  37 ′, which are likewise aligned in the radial direction. In  FIG. 3 , the spindle is located in one limit stop position, namely in the position in which it is extended to the maximum extent and in which the two stops  35 ′,  37 ′ rest against one another.  
         [0039]     The spindle  29 ′ can thus be moved axially through the connecting plate  7  between two limit positions simply by manual rotation of the spindle toothed wheel  25 ′ until the outer operating limit stop  37  in each case strikes against the outer adjusting limit stop  35  or conversely, the internal adjusting limit stop  35 ′ interacts with the internal operating limit stop  37 ′ on the spindle  29 .  
         [0040]     The downtilt angle of an antenna such as this can thus be changed and readjusted manually without any problems by rotating the adjusting element  25 , that is to say in other words the spindle toothed wheel  25 ′, appropriately in the circumferential direction in order in this way to move the spindle in the axial direction. The phase shifters and hence the downtilt angle can be adjusted appropriately by the interaction with the transmission linkage, which is provided underneath the protective cover.  
         [0041]     Furthermore, however, an antenna such as this can be retrofitted without any problems with a control apparatus such as that described in order to depress the mobile radio antenna  3  using a motor, for example by means of remote control.  
         [0042]     All that is necessary to do this is to retrofit one control apparatus  13 , the outside of which has already been shown in  FIG. 1 , and which is shown in further detail in FIGS.  4  to  6 , which can be equipped with the appropriate electrical and/or electronic components and, above all, also contains all necessary drive elements for mechanical adjustment.  
         [0043]     For this purpose, the control apparatus  13  ( FIG. 6 ) has a control housing  43  with a connecting stub  45 , whose connecting cap ring  47 , which is held via the housing  43  and/or the connecting stub  45  and is provided with an internal thread, is screwed firmly to a raised ring section  23 ′ on the connecting stub  23  of the connecting plate  7 . The spindle toothed wheel  25 ′ which has been mentioned then comes to rest in the interior of the control housing  43 , to be precise immediately alongside a corresponding drive gearwheel  49 , which can be driven by an electric motor  51 .  
         [0044]     As is also evident from the schematic illustrations, the control electronics  41  are provided in the interior of the control housing  43  of the control apparatus  13 , together with various control boards  53  which comprise the electrical/electronic components for control purposes, whose operation will be described in the following text.  
         [0045]     By way of example, the control apparatus  13  can be operated appropriately via a transmitter (which is not illustrated in any more detail)—since the control apparatus  13  has a receiving device. After initial installation or, for example, after a reset, the electric motor  51  causes the spindle toothed wheel  25 ′, which engages with the drive gearwheel  49  that is driven by the electric motor, to rotate until the spindle  29 ′ has moved to its position where it is inserted to its maximum extent, that is to say it is at its furthest into the protective housing  11 , that is to say until the outer adjustment limit stop  35 , which is moved with the spindle toothed wheel  25 ′, strikes against the outer operating limit stop  37 , which is fitted to the spindle, in the circumferential direction for rotation. The drive motor  51  is then operated in the opposite direction until the inner adjustment limit stop  35 ′, which rotates with the threaded sleeve  21  and with the spindle toothed wheel  25 ′, strike against the inner operating limit stop  37 ′, which is fitted to the spindle and thus moves axially with it. The electronics associate these two limit positions with two angular settings. Moving backward and forward between the limit positions cannot result in blocking since no wedging or bracing forces occur between the limit stops, which effectively run toward one another such that they strike one another at an angle of 90°.  
         [0046]     The association of the limit positions with two limit depression angles which are predetermined by the electronics or with two limit depression angles which are transmitted via cable connections (which are not shown in the drawings) or preferably via remotely controllable apparatuses allows the integrated electronics or evaluation electronics, which are provided on one of the control boards  53 , to carry out a self-calibration process. Furthermore, between the adjustment movement between the two limit stops, the rotation impulses can be counted, for example, by means of a counting device thus resulting in a signal relating to this that is dependent on the movement. The two limit positions and the signal which is dependent on the movement are then used to allow interpolation by means of the electronics, as a result of which it is possible to drive to any intermediate value between the limit stops. To do this, the controller can calculate the number of rotation impulses required from the desired position for the relevant position, and can drive the electric motor for an appropriate time. Instead of the interpolation process which has been mentioned, the desired intermediate values may possibly also be read from a table, preferably by means of a support values.  
         [0047]     The drive may be in the form of an absolute drive, by first of all in each case moving back in the direction of a limit stop and then carrying out a corresponding movement in the opposite direction until the spindle  29 ′ reaches the desired absolute position. However, it can also be carried out as a relative movement in that the most recently set relative value, which corresponds to a specific depression angle of the antenna, is in each case stored, preferably in a non-volatile buffer store. The electronics then calculate what movement distance has been carried out, starting from the current setting, for a next value.  
         [0048]     The control apparatus  13  thus has electromechanical control elements, in particular with the electric motor  51 , and, furthermore, also control electronics  41  for evaluation, calculation etc. These so-called “intelligent” control electronics  41  preferably have an interface via which all the settings/monitoring functions can be carried out at a command level. A specific controller or a computer with appropriate control software may be used for adjustment. The communication process may be carried out using wires or without wires between a command appliance (for example a computer) and the control apparatus  13 , or by the base station itself.  
         [0049]     For example, when using a command appliance, it can also drive a number of different control apparatuses  13 , provided the individual control apparatuses  13  or the associated control electronics  41  are addressable.  
         [0050]     The address modes (with and without an address) may in this case be changed at any time, even during operation. If required, it is also possible to provide for the capability to also configure addresses even retrospectively.  
         [0051]     The command interface to the control electronics  41  is externally accessible, for example via connectors or cables, or is accessible without the use of wires.  
         [0052]     A presently preferred illustrative non-limiting implementation has been described for an antenna control apparatus which can be retrofitted as a complete appliance or as a complete module outside the protective cover for the antenna. With fundamentally the same design, the same appliance may also be installed as a complete appliance or as a complete unit or complete module within the antenna apparatus, that is to say underneath the protective device for the antennas, and in the process can be coupled in the same way or in a comparable way to a transmission device, in order to set different phase angles for the antenna elements. The modular construction or complete construction provides a simple retrofitting capability, without any problems, in both cases.  
         [0053]     While the technology herein has been described in connection with exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementations, the invention is not to be limited by the disclosure. The invention is intended to be defined by the claims and to cover all corresponding and equivalent arrangements whether or not specifically disclosed herein.