EP0271458A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Electromagnetically coupled printed-circuit antennas having patches or slots capacitively coupled to feedlines
Assignee: Comsat Corp
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Filing: 1987-11-03
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2007-11-03
Abstract
Abstract A printed-circuit antenna array having broadband linear polarization, and circular polarization with high polarization purity, feedlines (2) of the array being capacitively coupled to feeding elements (3) at a single feedpoint or at multiple feedpoints, the feeding elements in turn being electromagnetically coupled to corresponding radiating elements (4). The radiating elements may be patches, disposed on a dielectric board which is contactlessly coupled to another board containing the feeding elements. Alternatively, the radiating elements may be slots, formed by an absence of material in ground planes which are formed on the same dielectric board as the feeding elements. Still further, both radiating patches and radiating slots may be used. The exclusively contactless coupling enables simple, inexpensive multilayer manufacture.
Inventors
- 👤 Amir Ibrahim Zaghloul
- 👤 Robert Michael Sorbello
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 20:19
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01Q; H01Q21/00; H01Q21/06; H01Q21/061; H01Q21/065; H01Q9/00; H01Q9/04; H01Q9/0407; H01Q9/0414; H01Q9/0428; H01Q9/045; H01Q9/0457
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 35
Claim 1
Independent Claim
110 words
A method of forming printed-circuit antennas, comprising the following steps: (i) providing a feed network board having a plurality of feedlines which are wider at one end than at the other, for impedance matching with other microstrip antenna elements; (ii) providing a feeding element board having a plurality of feeding elements which are impedance matched with the wider end of said feedlines; (iii) providing a radiating element board having a plurality of radiating elements which are impedance matched with said feeding elements and said feedlines; (iv) contactlessly coupling said feed network board to said feeding element board; and (v) contactlessly coupling said feeding element board to said radiating element board;
Claim 2
Independent Claim
110 words
A method of forming printed-circuit antennas, comprising the following steps: (i) providing a feed network board having a plurality of feedlines which are wider at one end than at the other, for impedance matching with other microstrip antenna elements; (ii) providing a feeding element board having a plurality of feeding elements which are impedance matched with the wider end of said feedlines; (iii) providing a radiating element board having a plurality of radiating elements which are impedance matched with said feeding elements and said feedlines; (iv) contactlessly coupling said feed network board to said feeding element board; and (v) contactlessly coupling said feeding element board to said radiating element board;
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
42 words
wherein said step (iv) comprises the step of contactlessly coupling each of said feeding elements to at least a corresponding one of said feedlines, wherein said feedlines, said feeding elements, and said radiating elements are disposed on at least two dielectric boards.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
42 words
wherein said step (iv) comprises the step of contactlessly coupling each of said feeding elements to at least a corresponding one of said feedlines, wherein said feedlines, said feeding elements, and said radiating elements are disposed on at least two dielectric boards.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
76 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein said feeding elements are feeding patches, and said radiating elements include radiating patches, said feedlines being disposed on a first dielectric board, said feeding patches being disposed on a second dielectric board, and said radiating patches being disposed on a third dielectric board, said steps (iv) and (v) comprising the steps of contactlessly coupling said first and second dielectric boards and contactlessly coupling said second and third dielectric boards.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein said steps (iv)-(v) are performed so as to achieve linear polarization.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein said steps (iv)-(v) are performed so as to achieve circular polarization, by coupling each of said feeding elements to two feedlines.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein said said steps (iv)-(v) are performed so as to achieve circular polarization, by coupling each of said feeding elements to one feedline.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
57 words
A method according to claim 5, wherein each of said feeding elements includes a plurality of first perturbation segments and each of said radiating elements includes a plurality of second perturbation segments, said step (v) being performed such said first and second perturbation segments on each of said feeding elements and said radiating elements are in register.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
48 words
A method according to claim 1, further comprising the following steps: (vi) forming a ground plane by placing ground plane material on one side of at least one of said dielectric boards; and (vii) forming a plurality of radiating slots by removing some of said ground plane material,
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
40 words
wherein said radiating elements include said radiating slots, said radiating slots and said feeding elements are disposed on the same dielectric board, and said feeding elements are disposed on an opposite side of said dielectric board from said radiating slots.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
40 words
wherein said radiating elements include said radiating slots, said radiating slots and said feeding elements are disposed on the same dielectric board, and said feeding elements are disposed on an opposite side of said dielectric board from said radiating slots.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
45 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein said radiating elements include radiating slots, said radiating slots and said feeding elements are disposed on the same dielectric board, and said feeding elements are disposed on the same side of said dielectric board as said radiating slots.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
41 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein said radiating elements include radiating slots and radiating patches, said radiating slots and said feeding elements being disposed on the same dielectric board, and said radiating patches being disposed on a third dielectric board.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
105 words
A printed-circuit antenna, comprising: a plurality of feedlines which are wider at one end than at the other; a plurality of feeding elements, each coupled in a contactless manner to at least a respective one of said plurality of feedlines at the wider end thereof; and a plurality of radiating elements, each coupled in a contactless manner to a respective one of said plurality of feeding elements, wherein the wider end of said feedlines is shaped to be impedance matched to said feeding elements and to permit capacitive coupling between said feedlines and said feeding elements, and between said feeding elements and said radiating elements.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
105 words
A printed-circuit antenna, comprising: a plurality of feedlines which are wider at one end than at the other; a plurality of feeding elements, each coupled in a contactless manner to at least a respective one of said plurality of feedlines at the wider end thereof; and a plurality of radiating elements, each coupled in a contactless manner to a respective one of said plurality of feeding elements, wherein the wider end of said feedlines is shaped to be impedance matched to said feeding elements and to permit capacitive coupling between said feedlines and said feeding elements, and between said feeding elements and said radiating elements.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
28 words
A printed-circuit antenna according to claim 10, further comprising at least two dielectric boards on which said feedlines, said feeding elements, and said radiating elements together are disposed.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
34 words
A printed-circuit antenna according to claim 11, wherein said radiating elements include radiating slots, said feeding elements and said radiating slots being disposed on the same one of said at least two dielectric boards.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
26 words
A printed-circuit antenna according to claim 11, wherein said feedlines and said feeding elements are disposed on different ones of said at least two dielectric boards.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
47 words
A printed-circuit antenna according to claim 12, further comprising ground plane means formed on the same one of said at least two dielectric boards as said feeding elements, and wherein said radiating elements include radiating slots formed by an absence of material in said ground plane means.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
58 words
A printed-circuit antenna according to claim 10, each of said plurality of feedlines, said plurality of feeding elements, and said plurality of radiating elements being separated into at least two groups, each group of feedlines, feeding elements, and radiating elements forming a subarray, whereby at least two subarrays are formed, the subarrays being connected to a common feedline.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
36 words
A printed-circuit antenna according to claim 15, wherein at least some of said radiating elements are radiating patches, said antenna further comprising a third dielectric board, said radiating patches being disposed on said third dielectric board.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
23 words
A printed-circuit antenna according to claim 13, each of said feeding elements being coupled to at least one feedline for achieving circular polarization.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
47 words
A printed-circuit antenna according to claim 16, wherein said plurality of feeding elements includes a plurality of first perturbation segments and said plurality of radiating elements includes a plurality of second perturbation segments, said first and second perturbation segments being aligned so as to achieve circular polarization.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
131 words
A printed-circuit antenna according to claim 18, wherein the number of elements in a first one of said at least two groups is N₁ and the number of elements in a second one of said at least two groups is N₂, where N₁ and N₂ are integers greater than 1, and wherein a first angular displacement of the perturbation segments of one radiating element relative to the perturbation segments on adjacent radiating elements within said first one of said at least two groups is equal to 360 degrees divided by N₁, and a second angular displacement of the perturbation segments of one radiating element relative to the perturbation segments on adjacent radiating elements within said second one of said at least two groups is equal to 360 degrees divided by N₂.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
67 words
A printed-circuit antenna according to claim 18, wherein the number of said first and second perturbation segments is two, said first perturbation segments being diametrically opposed with respect to each other on each of said feeding elements, and each of said feedlines is coupled to a corresponding one of said feeding elements at an angle of 45 degrees with respect to one of said first perturbation segments.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
62 words
A printed-circuit antenna according to claim 11, each of said feedlines being coupled to a corresponding one of said feeding elements in accordance with a parameter substantially related to a wavelength of electromagnetic radiation, each of said feeding elements being coupled to a corresponding one of said radiating elements in accordance with a parameter substantially related to a wavelength of electromagnetic radiation.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
26 words
A printed-circuit antenna according to claim 18, wherein said first and second perturbation segments comprise tabs extending from said feeding elements and said radiating elements respectively.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
27 words
A printed-circuit antenna according to claim 18, wherein said first and second perturbation segments comprise notches cut out from said feeding elements and said radiating elements respectively.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
21 words
A printed-circuit antenna according to claim 10, wherein said feeding elements and radiating elements have an arbitrarily but correspondingly predefined shape.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
27 words
A printed-circuit antenna according to claim 14, wherein said feeding elements comprise feeding patches, and wherein said radiating slots and said feeding patches have correspondingly predefined shapes.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
17 words
A printed-circuit antenna according to claim 25, wherein said feeding elements and said radiating slots are circular.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
14 words
A printed-circuit antenna according to claim 25, wherein said feedlines have a paddle shape.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
30 words
A printed-circuit antenna according to claim 15, wherein each of said subarrays has at least four of said feedlines, four of said feeding elements, and four of said radiating elements.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
30 words
A printed-circuit antenna according to claim 28, wherein said subarrays are combined to form an array having 64 of each of said feedlines, said feeding elements, and said radiating elements.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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