Smart Antennas It’s Beam Forming and Doa

Smart antenna technology has the potential to significantly increase the efficient use of the spectrum in wireless communication applications in comparison to the existing methods in use. Through intelligent control of the transmission and reception of signals, capacity and coverage in mobile wireless networks can be significantly improved. Smart antenna is one of the most promising technologies that will enable a higher capacity in wireless networks by effectively reducing multipath and co-channel interference [3], [4], [5], [6]. This is achieved by focusing the radiation only in the desired direction and adjusting itself to changing traffic conditions or signal environments. Smart antennas employ a set of radiating elements arranged in the form of an array. The signals from these elements are combined to form a movable or switchable beam pattern that follows the desired user. In a Smart antenna system the arrays by themselves are not smart, it is the digital signal processing that makes them smart. The process of combining the signals and then focusing the radiation in a particular direction is often referred to as digital beam forming [3], [4].