Dual mode base station antenna with wide and narrow beams

摘要

A wireless communication system includes a base station having a defined geographic coverage area, the base station including a base receiver, a base transmitter, and a base antenna array. A subscriber station is located in the coverage area of the base station, the subscriber station including a subscriber receiver, a subscriber transmitter, and a subscriber antenna. The base antenna array is constructed and arranged to operate in a first mode wherein the array steers a narrow antenna beam in the direction of the subscriber station for transmitting link downlink signals to the subscriber station and for receiving first uplink signals from the subscriber station, and a second mode wherein the array defines a wide beam for transmitting second downlink signals simultaneously to a number of subscriber stations and for receiving second uplink signals from the subscriber stations. In one embodiment, the subscriber station transmitter is configured to modulate data on a selected number of carriers that are spaced spectrally from one another, to produce simultaneously a corresponding number of first uplink signals for reception at the base station. The number of carriers selected is a function of a desired data transmission rate.