What is claimed is:
1. A non-motorized multihull vessel comprising:
an upper hull platform;
at least two supporting struts; and
at least two submerged hulls, each of said submerged hulls being fixedly joined to said upper hull platform by a respective one of said supporting struts, each of said submerged hulls comprising an outer wall, an inner wall, a buoyant core material disposed between said inner wall and said outer wall, a fore end and an aft end, said inner wall having an inner surface defining a cylindrical space.
2. The multihull vessel in accordance with claim 1, wherein said outer wall of each of said submerged hulls has a prismatic shape.
3. The multihull vessel in accordance with claim 1, wherein said fore end of each submerged hull is an angled end.
4. The multihull vessel in accordance with claim 3, wherein said aft end of each submerged hull is an angled end.
5. The multihull vessel in accordance with claim 3, wherein said fore end is angled at a 45 angle.
6. The multihull vessel in accordance with claim 1, wherein each of said submerged hulls further comprises a pivotable rudder pivotably affixed to its said aft end.
7. The multihull vessel in accordance with claim 1, wherein each of said submerged hulls further comprises a stabilizing fin rigidly affixed to said outer wall and a pivotable fin pivotably attached to said outer wall.
8. The multihull vessel in accordance with claim 7, wherein each of said submerged hulls further comprises a pivotable rudder pivotably affixed to its said aft end.
9. The multihull vessel in accordance with claim 1, wherein said fore end of each of said submerged hulls is provided with a scalloped front.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A smart antenna basestation arrangement comprising an array of antenna elements, subdivided into a number of sub-arrays wherein:
an element or selected elements from each sub-array is operable to transmit pilot signals, which are, in operation, returned by mobile terminals in the area of coverage of the basestation;
the arrangement being operable to apply stored weight data and direction of arrival data together with feedback data to enable the array to generate directional downlink beams in the direction of said mobile.
2. An arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the feedback signal assists in the optimisation of phase and amplitude components for the beamforming weights to be assigned for dedicated channels.
3. An arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the feedback signal assists in the optimisation of a phase component for the beamforming weights to be assigned for dedicated channels.
4. An arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the feedback signal assists in the optimisation of an amplitude component for the beamforming weights to be assigned for dedicated channels.
5. An arrangement according to claim 3 wherein the phase information of the feedback signal is used to determine a phase component of the pilot antenna weights.
6. An arrangement according to claim 8 wherein the magnitude of the feedback signal is used to determine a magnitude component of the pilot antenna weights.
7. An arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the array has a physical periodicity whereby to reduce the number of principle optimum weight sets.
8. An arrangement according to anyone of claims 1-7 wherein the array comprises a circular array with a regular space between adjacent elements.
9. An arrangement according to anyone of claims 1-7 wherein the array comprises a square array.
10. An arrangement according to anyone of claims 1-7 wherein the antennas comprise directional antennas.
11. An arrangement according to anyone of claims 1-7 wherein the antennas comprise omni-directional antennas.
12. An arrangement according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein a number of angular directions are selected within an angle formed by two adjacent elements whereby to obtain the basic optimum weight set group.
13. A method of operating a smart antenna basestation arrangement comprising an array of antenna elements, subdivided into a number of sub-arrays, the method comprising the steps of:
transmitting. from an element or selected elements of each sub-array pilot signals,
receiving feedback signals returned by mobile terminals in the area of coverage of the basestation;
the arrangement being operable to apply stored weight data and direction of arrival data together with feedback data to enable the array to generate directional downlink beams in the direction of said mobile.
14. A method according to claim 13 wherein the feedback signal assists in the optimisation of phase and amplitude components for the beamforming weights to be assigned for dedicated channels.
15. A method according to claim 13 wherein the feedback signal assists in the optimisation of a phase component or the beamforming weights to be assigned for dedicated channels.
16. An arrangement according to claim 13 wherein the feedback signal assists in the optimisation of a amplitude component for the beamforming weights to be assigned for dedicated channels.