Phased array antennas for mobile communications

Mobile communications demands present new challenges for transmission. Traditionally, antennas used at base stations to communicate with mobile units within an area are omni-directional. In order to allow a higher density of participants within the area, a “pencil” beam is used. The beam tracks and follows the movement of the mobile unit. This results in an additional advantage: the fading effect due to multipath reflections can be reduced by adjusting the beam direction. The phase shifting used to direct the antenna beam is done at base band, not at RF. This allows for the use of DSPs and provides for a less expensive and less complex solution.