IP Library Granted Patent US 12,294,430
Granted Patent B2
US 12,294,430 · App. 18/092,965 · Granted May 6, 2025

Signal processing device and base station antenna

Inventors: Zhiwei Yin (Suzhou, CN); Fangwen Wan (Suzhou, CN); Dingshu Jin (Suzhou, CN)
Assignee: Outdoor Wireless Networks LLC
H04B7/0617
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,294,430
App. No.
18/092,965
Filed
Jan 4, 2023
Granted
May 6, 2025
Kind
B2
Art Unit
2632
USPC
375/267
Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a signal processing device and a base station antenna. The signal processing device comprises: a substrate; a beam-forming network, which is provided on one side of the substrate; and a calibration circuit, which is provided on the same side of the substrate on which the beam-forming network is provided; wherein the beam-forming network is connected to the calibration circuit via a connecting trace on the substrate.

Claims (44)

1. A signal processing device, comprising:

a substrate;

a beam-forming network, provided on a first side of the substrate; and

a calibration circuit that is configured to extract a portion of a test signal to calibrate amplitude and phase weights, the calibration circuit provided on the first side of the substrate,

wherein the beam-forming network is connected to the calibration circuit via a connection trace on the substrate.

2. The signal processing device according to claim 1 , wherein at least a part of the beam-forming network, at least a part of the calibration circuit, and the connection trace are integrally formed.

3. The signal processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the connection trace is a part of a trace that forms at least one of the beam-forming network and the calibration circuit.

4. The signal processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the beam-forming network includes a plurality of input ports, the calibration circuit includes a plurality of output ports, each input port of the plurality of input ports of the beam-forming network is respectively connected to a corresponding output port of the plurality of output ports of the calibration circuit through a corresponding connection trace.

5. The signal processing device according to claim 4 , wherein a plurality of connection traces extend parallel to each other on the substrate.

6. The signal processing device according to claim 5 , wherein in a direction perpendicular to an extension direction of the connection traces, the plurality of connection traces are uniformly dispersed on the substrate.

7. The signal processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the beam-forming network is a passive beam-forming network.

8. The signal processing device according to claim 7 , wherein the passive beam-forming network includes a Butler matrix.

9. The signal processing device according to claim 8 , wherein the Butler matrix comprises a first hybrid coupler, a second hybrid coupler, a third hybrid coupler and a fourth hybrid coupler, as well as a first phase retarder and a second phase retarder, wherein:

a first input port of the first hybrid coupler is used as a first input port of the Butler matrix, a second input port of the first hybrid coupler is used as a second input port of the Butler matrix, a first output port of the first hybrid coupler is connected to a first input port of the third hybrid coupler via the first phase retarder, and a second output port of the first hybrid coupler is connected to a first input port of the fourth hybrid coupler;

a first input port of the second hybrid coupler is used as a third input port of the Butler matrix, a second input port of the second hybrid coupler is used as a fourth input port of the Butler matrix, a first output port of the second hybrid coupler is connected to a second input port of the third hybrid coupler, and a second output port of the second hybrid coupler is connected to a second input port of the fourth hybrid coupler via the second phase retarder;

a first output port of the third hybrid coupler is used as a first output port of the Butler matrix, and a second output port of the third hybrid coupler is used as a second output port of the Butler matrix; and

a first output port of the fourth hybrid coupler is used as a third output port of the Butler matrix, and a second output port of the fourth hybrid coupler is used as a fourth output port of the Butler matrix.

10. The signal processing device according to claim 9 , wherein the first phase retarder and the second phase retarder are respectively 45° phase retardation traces.

11. The signal processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the calibration circuit comprises:

a plurality of transmission paths, the plurality of transmission paths being respectively connected between a corresponding input port of a plurality of input ports and a corresponding output port of a plurality of output ports of the calibration circuit;

a plurality of coupling paths, each of the plurality of coupling paths being arranged at least partially adjacent to a corresponding transmission path of the plurality of transmission paths such that a part of a signal in a transmission path corresponding to each of the coupling paths is coupled to the transmission path and travels in the coupling path; and

a power divider, a plurality of input ports of the power divider being respectively connected to the plurality of coupling paths, and an output port of the power divider being used as a calibration port of the calibration circuit.

12. The signal processing device according to claim 11 , wherein each transmission path of the calibration circuit has the same length.

13. The signal processing device according to claim 11 , wherein each coupling path of the calibration circuit has the same length.

14. The signal processing device according to claim 11 , wherein each assigned path connected between each input port and output port of the power divider has the same length.

15. A signal processing device, comprising:

a substrate;

a beam-forming network, provided on a first side of the substrate; and

a calibration circuit, provided on the first side of the substrate,

wherein the beam-forming network is connected to the calibration circuit via a connection trace on the substrate,

wherein the connection trace is configured in a shape so as to match impedance at a connection between the beam-forming network and the calibration circuit.

16. The signal processing device according to claim 15 , wherein the connection trace includes a meandered portion.

17. The signal processing device according to claim 16 , wherein the meandered portion is configured to have a length so as to match impedance at the connection between the beam-forming network and the calibration circuit.

18. A base station antenna, including:

a reflector assembly, including a plurality of reflector plates facing different directions;

a plurality of sets of radiating element arrays, each set of radiating element arrays in the plurality of sets of radiating element arrays being respectively arranged on an outer side of a corresponding reflector plate of the plurality of reflector plates; and

a signal processing device, comprising:

a substrate;

a beam-forming network provided on a first side of the substrate; and

a calibration circuit provided on the first side of the substrate;

wherein the beam-forming network is connected to the calibration circuit via a connection trace on the substrate, and

wherein the beam-forming network of the signal processing device is connected to the plurality of sets of radiating element arrays, and the signal processing device is provided in a space inside the plurality of reflector plates.

19. The base station antenna according to claim 18 , wherein the reflector assembly is cylindrical.

20. The base station antenna according to claim 18 , wherein each output port of the beam-forming network is respectively connected to a set of radiating elements or a row of radiating elements in the plurality of sets of radiating element arrays.