Patent ID: 8736493

Claim:
An antenna, comprising an antenna array and a first BUTLER network, wherein the antenna array comprises multiple radiating elements, each of the multiple radiating elements is vertically arranged along a vertical column; the first BUTLER network has n input ports and m output ports, wherein m and n are natural numbers, n is greater than or equal to 2, m is equal to 5, and m is greater than n; each of the m output ports is respectively connected to at least one of the vertically arranged multiple radiating elements of the antenna array along the vertical column; the first BUTLER network comprises a first sower divider a second ower divider a 90-degree hybrid coupler, a first 180-degree hybrid coupler, and a second 180-degree hybrid coupler; wherein an input port of the first power divider is connected to one input port of the first BUTLER network; one output port of the first power divider is connected to a Σ input port of the first 180-degree hybrid coupler, and the other output port of the first power divider is connected to a Σ input port of the second 180-degree hybrid coupler; one output port of the 90-degree hybrid coupler is connected to a Δ input port of the first 180-degree hybrid coupler, and the other output port of the 90-degree hybrid coupler is connected to a Δ input port of the second 180-degree hybrid coupler; one output port of the first 180-degree hybrid coupler is connected to an input port of the second power divider, and the other output port of the first 180-degree hybrid coupler is connected to one of the output ports of the first Butler network; two output ports of the second 180-degree hybrid coupler are connected to two other output ports of the first Butler network, respectively; two output ports of the second power divider are connected to another two output ports of the first Butler network respectively; wherein one of the following conditions is met: if n is equal to 2, an input port of the 90-degree hybrid coupler is connected to another input port of the first BUTLER network; and if n is equal to 3, both input ports of the 90-degree hybrid coupler are respectively connected to two other input ports of the first BUTLER network; and the first BUTLER network is configured to: receive n sequences of signals through the n input ports and perform phase adjustment to the n sequences of signals, output signals of n groups of phase distribution combination through the m output ports, each group of phase distribution combination includes m phases, wherein each output port is configured to respectively output signals of one phase in each group of phase distribution combination, each of the multiple radiating elements connected to the m output ports is configured to radiate n beams, and each of the n beams are vertically distributed at different angles along the vertical column.