Vertical electrical downtilt antenna

1. An antenna system comprising:

an array of antenna elements defining a boresight direction;

a variable power divider using a single adjustable control element to divide an input voltage signal into a pair of complimentary amplitude voltage drive signals over a range of voltage amplitude division;

a beam forming network receiving the voltage drive signals and producing a plurality of beam driving signals wherein each beam driving signal comprises a component from each voltage drive signal;

a power distribution network delivering each beam driving signal to one or more associated antenna elements; and

the beam driving signals driving the antenna elements to emit a beam exhibiting a directional tilt with respect to the boresight direction that varies within a range of tilt in response to changes of the voltage amplitude division within the range of voltage amplitude division; and

a field adjustable tilt direction actuator for adjusting the voltage amplitude division and thereby adjusting the directional tilt of the beam.

2. The antenna system of claim 1 , further comprising a remote controller for controlling the field adjustable tilt direction actuator.

3. The antenna system of claim 1 , wherein the power distribution network implements coordinated phase shifting of the beam driving signals delivered to the antenna elements to cause a desired tilt bias of the range of tilt.

4. The antenna system of claim 3 , further comprising a field adjustable tilt bias actuator for adjusting the tilt bias.

5. The antenna system of claim 4 , further comprising a remote controller for controlling the field adjustable tilt bias actuator.

6. The antenna system of claim 1 , wherein:

the antenna elements are organized into one or more inner sub-arrays located between outer sub-arrays; and

each beam driving signal drives an associated antenna sub-array.

7. The antenna system of claim 6 , wherein the number of antenna elements in the outer sub-arrays is greater than the number of antenna elements in the inner sub-arrays for the purpose of reducing sidelobe emission.

8. The antenna system of claim 7 , wherein:

the number of outer sub-arrays is two;

the number of inner sub-arrays is two;

the number of antenna elements in each outer sub-array is four; and

the number of antenna elements in each inner sub-array is two.

9. The antenna system of claim 7 , wherein:

the number of outer sub-arrays is two;

the number of inner sub-arrays is two;

the number of antenna elements in each outer sub-array is five; and

the number of antenna elements in each inner sub-array is three.

10. The antenna system of claim 6 , wherein the power distribution network implements coordinated phase shifting of the beam driving signals delivered to the elements of one or more sub-arrays to cause a desired blurring of the phase matching of the signals emitted by antenna elements of the outer sub-arrays for the purpose of reducing sidelobe emission.

11. The antenna system of claim 10 , wherein:

the number of outer sub-arrays is two;

the number of inner sub-arrays is two;

the number of antenna elements in each outer sub-array is four; and

the number of antenna elements in each inner sub-array is four.

12. The antenna system of claim 10 , wherein:

the number of outer sub-arrays is two;

the number of inner sub-arrays is two;

the number of antenna elements in each outer sub-array is three; and

the number of antenna elements in each inner sub-array is three.

13. The antenna system of claim 6 , comprising two outer sub-arrays and two inner sub-arrays, wherein the beam forming network is a two-by-four orthogonal beam forming network.

14. The antenna system of claim 6 , comprising two outer sub-arrays and two inner sub-arrays, wherein the beam forming network is a four-by-four Butler matrix.

15. The antenna system of claim 6 , wherein:

each antenna element is a dual-polarization antenna element, further comprising a similar a variable power divider, beam forming network, and power distribution network for each polarization; and

wherein the power distribution network implements coordinated phase shifting of the beam driving signals delivered to the sub-arrays to cause a desired tilt bias of the range of tilt for each polarization.

16. The antenna system of claim 15 , further comprising a field adjustable tilt bias actuator for adjusting the tilt bias for both polarities in a coordinated manner.

17. The antenna system of claim 1 , wherein each antenna element is a dual-polarization antenna element, further comprising a similar a variable power divider, beam forming network, and power distribution network for each polarization.

18. The antenna system of claim 17 , wherein the field adjustable tilt direction actuators are mechanically linked to each other to adjust the beam tilt for both polarities in a coordinated manner.

19. The antenna system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a substantially flat main panel defining a longitudinal axis substantially perpendicular to the boresight direction;

the main panel supports the variable power divider, the power distribution network, and the array of antenna elements in a spacing configuration having a substantially vertical distribution;

the array divided into one or more inner sub-arrays located vertically between outer sub-arrays; and

wherein the beam forming network is configured as a double-sided, edge-connected module mounted to the main panel.

20. An antenna system comprising:

an array of antenna elements defining a boresight direction;

a variable power divider receiving and dividing an input voltage signal into a pair of matched phase, complimentary amplitude voltage drive signals exhibiting constant phase delay through the variable power divider over a range of voltage amplitude division;

a beam forming network receiving the voltage drive signals and producing a plurality of beam driving signals wherein each beam driving signal comprises a component from each voltage drive signal;

a power distribution network delivering each beam driving signal to an associated sub-array; and

the beam driving signals driving the antenna elements to emit a beam exhibiting a directional tilt with respect to the boresight direction that varies within a range of tilt in response to changes of the voltage amplitude division within the range of voltage amplitude division.

21. The antenna system of claim 20 , further comprising:

a substantially flat main panel defining a longitudinal axis substantially perpendicular to the boresight direction;

the main panel supports the variable power divider, the power distribution network, and the array of antenna elements in a spacing configuration having a substantially vertical distribution;

the array divided into one or more inner sub-arrays located vertically between outer sub-arrays; and

wherein the beam forming network is configured as a double-sided, edge-connected module mounted to the main panel.

22. The antenna system of claim 21 , wherein the power distribution network implements coordinated phase shifting of the beam driving signals delivered to the sub-arrays to cause a desired tilt bias of the range of tilt.

23. The antenna system of claim 21 , further comprising a field adjustable tilt bias actuator for adjusting the tilt bias.

24. The antenna system of claim 21 , wherein the number of antenna elements in the outer sub-arrays is greater than the number of antenna elements in the inner sub-arrays for the purpose of reducing sidelobe emission.

25. The antenna system of claim 21 , wherein the power distribution network implements coordinated phase shifting of the beam driving signals delivered to the elements of one or more sub-arrays to cause a desired blurring of the phase matching of the signals emitted by antenna elements of the outer sub-arrays for the purpose of reducing sidelobe emission.

26. An antenna system comprising:

an array of antenna elements defining a boresight direction and one or more inner sub-arrays located between outer sub-arrays;

a variable power divider producing complimentary amplitude voltage drive signals over a range of voltage amplitude division;

a beam forming network receiving the voltage drive signals and producing a plurality of beam driving signals;

a power distribution network delivering each beam driving signal to one or more associated antenna elements;

the beam driving signals driving the antenna elements to emit a beam exhibiting a directional tilt with respect to the boresight direction that varies within a range of tilt in response to changes of the voltage amplitude division within the range of voltage amplitude division; and

wherein the power distribution network implements coordinated phase shifting of the beam driving signals delivered to the sub-arrays to cause a desired tilt bias of the range of tilt.

27. The antenna system of claim 26 , further comprising:

a substantially flat main panel defining a longitudinal axis substantially perpendicular to the boresight direction;

the main panel supports the variable power divider, the power distribution network, and the array of antenna elements in a spacing configuration having a substantially vertical distribution;

the array divided into one or more inner sub-arrays located vertically between outer sub-arrays; and

wherein the beam forming network is configured as a double-sided, edge-connected module mounted to the main panel.

28. An antenna system comprising:

an array of antenna elements defining a boresight direction and one or more inner sub-arrays located between outer sub-arrays;

a variable power divider producing complimentary amplitude voltage drive signals over a range of voltage amplitude division;

a beam forming network receiving the voltage drive signals and producing a plurality of beam driving signals;

a power distribution network delivering each beam driving signal to one or more associated antenna elements;

the beam driving signals driving the antenna elements to emit a beam exhibiting a directional tilt with respect to the boresight direction that varies within a range of tilt in response to changes of the voltage amplitude division within the range of voltage amplitude division;

wherein the number of antenna elements in the outer sub-arrays is greater than the number of antenna elements in the inner sub-arrays for the purpose of reducing sidelobe emission.

29. The antenna system of claim 28 , further comprising:

a substantially flat main panel defining a longitudinal axis substantially perpendicular to the boresight direction;

the main panel supports the variable power divider, the power distribution network, and the array of antenna elements in a spacing configuration having a substantially vertical distribution;

the array divided into one or more inner sub-arrays located vertically between outer sub-arrays; and

wherein the beam forming network is configured as a double-sided, edge-connected module mounted to the main panel.

30. A an antenna system comprising:

an array of antenna elements defining a boresight direction and one or more inner sub-arrays located between outer sub-arrays;

a variable power divider producing complimentary amplitude voltage drive signals over a range of voltage amplitude division;

a beam forming network receiving the voltage drive signals and producing a plurality of beam driving signals;

a power distribution network delivering each beam driving signal to one or more associated antenna elements; and

the beam driving signals driving the antenna elements to emit a beam exhibiting a directional tilt with respect to the boresight direction that varies within a range of tilt in response to changes of the voltage amplitude division within the range of voltage amplitude division; and

a field adjustable tilt direction actuator for the adjusting voltage amplitude division and thereby adjusting the directional tilt of the beam; and

wherein the power distribution network implements coordinated phase shifting of the beam driving signals delivered to the elements of one or more sub-arrays to cause a desired blurring of the phase matching of the signals emitted by antenna elements of the outer sub-arrays for the purpose of reducing sidelobe emission.

31. The antenna system of claim 30 , further comprising:

a substantially flat main panel defining a longitudinal axis substantially perpendicular to the boresight direction;

the main panel supports the variable power divider, the power distribution network, and the array of antenna elements in a spacing configuration having a substantially vertical distribution;

the array divided into one or more inner sub-arrays located vertically between outer sub-arrays; and

wherein the beam forming network is configured as a double-sided, edge-connected module mounted to the main panel.