Enhanced switched-beam antenna arrangement

1. A method, comprising:

providing a predetermined number of fixed antenna patterns;

allocating, to at least one of said fixed antenna patterns, a predetermined time slot of a time multiplexed signal;

switching a switched-beam antenna array to generate said fixed antenna patterns during allocated time slots; and

controlling an antenna pattern of a switched-beam antenna array using said switching.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

providing a time division multiple access signal as said time multiplexed signal.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

selecting a time slot with maximum antenna gain for accessing a base station device with said switched-beam antenna array.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

covering a transmission or reception area of said switched-beam antenna array in a complementary manner with respect to other fixed antenna patterns using the at least one of said fixed antenna patterns.

5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

providing, as the at least one of said fixed antenna patterns, a plurality of fixed beams pointing in different angular directions.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said switching comprises switching a plurality of transmission of receptions paths of antenna elements to a predetermined one of a plurality of outputs of a pattern forming unit.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said switching comprises switching dedicated pattern forming parameters to a pattern forming unit.

8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

measuring a direction of arrival of a received signal; and

triggering an intra-cell handover to a different one of said allocated time slots based on a result of said measuring.

9. A switched-beam antenna arrangement, comprising:

pattern forming means for providing a predetermined number of fixed antenna patterns; and

switch control means for controlling a switched-beam antenna array to generate at least one of said fixed antenna patterns during a respective different allocated time slot of a time-multiplexed signal.

10. A switched-beam antenna arrangement, comprising:

a pattern forming unit configured to provide a predetermined number of fixed antenna patterns; and

a switch control unit configured to control a switched-beam antenna array to generate at least one of said fixed antenna patterns during a respective different allocated time slot of a time-multiplexed signal.

11. The switched-beam antenna arrangement according to claim 10 , wherein said switch control unit is configured to control a switching unit to switch a plurality of transmission or reception paths of antenna elements to a predetermined one of a plurality of outputs of said pattern forming unit.

12. The switched-beam antenna arrangement according to claim 10 , wherein said switch control unit is configured to switch dedicated pattern forming parameters to said pattern forming unit.

13. The switched-beam antenna arrangement according to claim 12 , further comprising:

a memory configured to store said dedicated pattern forming parameters.

14. The switched-beam antenna arrangement according to claim 10 , wherein said switched-beam antenna array comprises a smart antenna of a time division multiple access system.

15. A base station device, comprising:

a switched-beam antenna arrangement, said switched-beam antenna arrangement comprising

a pattern-forming unit configured to provide a predetermined number of fixed antenna patterns, and

a switch control unit configured to control a switched-beam antenna array to generate each of said fixed antenna patterns during a respective different allocated time slot of a time-multiplexed signal.

16. The base station device according to claim 15 , further comprising:

a measuring unit configured to measure a direction of arrival of a received signal; and

a triggering unit configured to trigger an intra-cell handover to a different time slot based on a result from said measuring unit.