Multiple antenna system for smart base stations with adaptive direction of reception

Abstract

We present a maneuverable antenna array that adapts to the interfering environment of the wireless base station. It delivers best estimates of the directions of the system users, an information of the utmost importance to the so-called smart base stations. Closed-form expressions are provided that determine the shape of the optimum antenna array. In the worst case scenario, when the system user may arise at any direction, his location is estimated with a precision 32% higher than using the commonly used circular array. Furthermore, if more is known, in advance, about the user location, the accuracy dramatically increases to up to 85%. With such an increased localization capability, the base station is able to more efficiently focus its beam-pattern into the direction(s) of the targeted user(s), while, at the same time, reduces the amount of interference caused to neighboring base stations.