System and method of adjusting antenna beam on antenna tower
An antenna with adjustable tilt angle includes: a mounting structure; an antenna mount fixed to the mounting structure; an antenna mounted to the antenna mount, the antenna configured to produce an antenna beam; a remote electrical tilt (RET) unit operatively associated with the antenna to adjust a pointing tilt angle of the antenna beam; a tilt pointing direction sensor mounted to the antenna, the pointing direction tilt sensor configured to detect the a pointing angle of the antenna relative to a baseline standard; and a controller operatively connected with the RET unit and the pointing direction tilt sensor, the controller configured to receive signals from the pointing direction tilt sensor and transmit signals to the RET unit to adjust the tilt pointing angle of the antenna beam based on the detected angle of the antenna.
1. An antenna, comprising:
a mounting structure;
an antenna mount fixed to the mounting structure;
an antenna mounted to the antenna mount, the antenna configured to produce an antenna beam;
a remote electrical tilt (RET) unit operatively associated with the antenna to adjust a pointing angle of the antenna beam;
at least one pointing direction sensor mounted to the antenna, the at least one pointing direction sensor configured to detect an elevation angle of the antenna relative to a horizontal baseline standard in real time and detect an azimuth angle relative to an azimuth baseline standard in real time; and
a controller operatively connected with the RET unit and the at least one pointing direction sensor, the controller configured to receive signals from the at least one pointing direction sensor and transmit signals to the RET unit to adjust the pointing angle of the antenna beam based on the detected elevation angle and azimuth angle of the antenna.
2. The antenna defined in claim 1 , wherein the RET unit comprises a controller and at least one phase shifter.
3. The antenna defined in claim 1 , wherein the at least one pointing direction sensor comprises a tilt sensor that comprises an accelerometer, gyro or nine degree of freedom sensor.
4. The antenna defined in claim 1 , wherein the antenna comprises a phased array antenna.
5. The antenna defined in claim 3 , wherein the antenna is configured such that a tilt angle of the antenna beam can be adjusted over a range of at least ±8 degrees.
6. The antenna defined in claim 1 , wherein the antenna produces a beam having an elevation beamwidth of between about 3 and 5 degrees.
7. The antenna defined in claim 1 , wherein the at least one pointing direction sensor comprises a tilt sensor.
8. A method of adjusting a pointing direction of an antenna, comprising the steps of:
providing an antenna mounted to a mounting structure, a pointing direction sensor mounted to the antenna, the antenna producing an antenna beam in a first direction;
transmitting signals from the pointing direction sensor to a controller regarding a pointing direction of the antenna relative to a horizontal baseline standard in real time;
transmitting signals from the controller to a remote electrical tilt (RET) unit operatively associated with the antenna directing the antenna to electronically adjust a pointing direction of the antenna beam to a second pointing direction that differs from the first pointing direction relative to horizontal, the second pointing direction being selected based on the signals transmitted by the pointing direction sensor.
9. The method defined in claim 8 , wherein the RET unit comprises controller and at least one phase shifter.
10. The method defined in claim 8 , wherein the pointing direction sensor comprises a tilt sensor.
11. The method defined in claim 8 , wherein the antenna comprises a phased array antenna.
12. The method defined in claim 8 , wherein the antenna is configured such that the first beam angle and the second beam may vary over a range of at least ±8 degrees.