Antenna device for a radio base station in a cellular telephony system

Abstract

The invention discloses an antenna device for a radio base station in a cellular telephony system, which comprises a first and a second input connection for a first (D 1 ) and a second (D 2 ) data stream, and a first and a second polarization former, one for each of said data streams. The device also comprises a first and a second antenna of respective first and second polarizations, and one amplifier each. The device also comprises a first and a second combiner, so that the outputs from the polarization formers may be combined as input to each of the first and second antennas.

1 . An antenna device for a radio base station in a cellular telephony system, the device comprising
 a first and a second input connection for a first and a second data stream;   a first and a second polarization former, one for each of said data streams; and   a first and a second antenna of respective first and second polarizations, the antennas also comprising one amplifier each, wherein the device additionally comprises a first and a second combiner, so that the outputs from the polarization formers may be combined as input to each of the first and second antennas.   
     
     
         2 . The antenna device of  claim 1 , in which each of the first and second antennas each comprise at least one radiation element which have the same phase centers. 
     
     
         3 . The antenna device of  claim 1 , in which each of the first and second polarization formers deliver two outputs, which can then be combined as input to said first and second antennas. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , in which said polarization formers can split an incoming data stream into two data streams and output said two data streams with a phase difference between them, a first of said data streams being used as input to a first of said combiners, and a second of said data streams being used as input to a second of said combiners. 
     
     
         5 . The antenna device of  claim 1 , in which at least one of the first or second antennas additionally comprises at least one more radiation element of the same polarization as the first antenna element of that antenna, the device additionally comprising a beam former for that antenna, said beam former being connected by its outputs to at least two of the radiation elements in said antenna, said beam former using as its input one of said data streams output from said polarization formers. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 5 , in which said beam former can split an incoming data stream into two data streams and output said two data streams with a phase difference between them, a first of said data streams being used as input to a first of said combiners, and a second of said data streams being used as input to a second of said combiners 
     
     
         7 . The antenna device of  claim 4 , additionally comprising input connections for at least a third data stream, the device also comprising a first additional beam former for said at least third data stream, said input connection connecting the data stream to said first additional beam former, the outputs from said beam former being used as input to at least two of said combiners. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 7 , also comprising an additional polarization former for said at least third data stream, as well as a second additional beam former for said at least third data stream, said third data stream being used as input to said additional polarization former, a first output of which is used as input to the first additional beam former and a second output of which is used as input to the second additional beam former. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the first polarization is of a different polarization as the second polarization. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 9 , wherein the first polarization and the second polarization are orthogonal to each other.