Microstrip array antenna

Claim 2

An antenna comprising: a first dielectric layer having first and second sides, a conductive ground plane disposed on the first side of the first dielectric layer; an array of conducting strips disposed on the second side of the first dielectric layer, each of the strips being spaced apart to form a slot between each pair of adjacent strips; a second dielectric layer having first and second sides, the first side of the second dielectric layer being bonded to the second side of the first dielectric layer and to the array of conducting strips; an array of radiating patches disposed on the second side of the second dielectric layer, each of the patches being located over one and only one of the slots and partially overlapping two and only two of the conducting strips, each of the patches being spaced to form an aperture between each pair of adjacent patches; a probe having an outer conductor and an inner conductor, the outer conductor being electrically connected to the ground plane, and the inner conductor being electrically connected to one of the array of conducting strips to feed electromagnetic energy to and/or extract electromagnetic energy from the antenna.

Claim 3

The antenna of claim 1 wherein the first and second dielectric layers are fabricated from a mechanically stable material.

Claim 4

The antenna of claim 1 wherein the first dielectric layer defines a peripheral edge having a conductive surface.

Claim 5

The antenna of claim 1 wherein, responsive to RF energy, a standing wave is induced in the antenna.

Claim 6

The antenna of claim 4 wherein the standing wave is a highorder standing wave.

Claim 7

The antenna of claim 1 wherein the first and second dielectric layers have the geometric shape of parallelograms.

Claim 8

The antenna of claim 1 further comprising a bonding film interposed between the first and second dielectric layers for bonding the layers together.

Claim 9

An antenna comprising: a first dielectric layer having first and second sides; a conductive ground plane disposed on the first side of the first dielectric layer; an array of conducting strips disposed on the second side of the first dielectric layer, each of the strips being spaced apart to form a slot between each pair of adjacent strips; a second dielectric layer having first and second sides, the first side of the second dielectric layer being bonded to the second side of the first dielectric layer and to the array of conducting strips; an array of radiating patches disposed on the second side of the second dielectric layer, each of the patches being located over one and only one of the slots and partially overlapping two and only two of the conducting strips, each of the patches being spaced to form an aperture between each pair of adjacent patches; and a probe connected to feed electromagnetic energy to and/or extract electromagnetic energy from the antenna, wherein the probe is connectable to a coaxial cable.

Claim 10

An antenna comprising: a first dielectric layer having first and second sides; a conductive ground plane disposed on the first side of the first dielectric layer; an array of conducting strips disposed on the second side of the first dielectric layer, each of the strips being spaced apart to form a slot between each pair of adjacent strips; a second dielectric layer having first and second sides, the first side of the second dielectric layer being bonded to the second side of the first dielectric layer and to the array of conducting strips; an array of radiating patches disposed on the second side of the second dielectric layer, each of the patches being located over one and only one of the slots and partially overlapping two and only two of the conducting strips, each of the patches being spaced to form an aperture between each pair of adjacent patches; and a probe connected to feed electromagnetic energy to and/or extract electromagnetic energy from the antenna, wherein the probe is connectable to a coaxial cable.

Claim 11

An antenna comprising: a first dielectric layer having first and second sides; a conductive ground plane disposed on the first side of the first dielectric layer; an array of conducting strips disposed on the second side of the first dielectric layer, each of the strips being spaced apart to form a slot between each pair of adjacent strips; a second dielectric layer having first and second sides, the first side of the second dielectric layer being bonded to the second side of the first dielectric layer and to the array of conducting strips; an array of radiating patches disposed on the second side of the second dielectric layer, each of the patches being located over one and only one of the slots and partially overlapping two and only two of the conducting strips, each of the patches being spaced to form an aperture between each pair of adjacent patches; and a probe connected to feed electromagnetic energy to and/or extract electromagnetic energy from the antenna, wherein the probe is an SMA probe connectable to a coaxial cable.

Claim 12

An antenna comprising: a first dielectric layer having first and second sides; a conductive ground plane disposed on the first side of the first dielectric layer; an array of conducting strips disposed on the second side of the first dielectric layer, each of the strips being spaced apart to form a slot between each pair of adjacent strips; a second dielectric layer having first and second sides, the first side of the second dielectric layer being bonded to the second side of the first dielectric layer and to the array of conducting strips; an array of radiating patches disposed on the second side of the second dielectric layer, each of the patches being located over one and only one of the slots and partially overlapping two and only two of the conducting strips, each of the patches being spaced to form an aperture between each pair of adjacent patches; and a probe connected to feed electromagnetic energy to and/or extract electromagnetic energy from the antenna, wherein the probe is an SMA probe connectable to a coaxial cable.

Claim 13

An antenna comprising: a first dielectric layer having fist and second sides; a conductive ground plane disposed on the first side of the first dielectric layer; an array of conducting strips disposed on the second side of the first dielectric layer, the array of strips being spaced apart to form a slot between each pair of adjacent strips; a second dielectric layer having first and second side, the first side of the second dielectric layer being bonded to the second side of the first dielectric layer and to the array of strips; and an array of radiating patches disposed on the second side of the second dielectric layer, each patch being located over one of the slots, the array of patches being spaced to form an aperture between each pair of adjacent patches; wherein the first and second dielectric layers are round, disc-shaped, and concentric, and wherein the array of strips, the slots, the array of patches, and the apertures are annular and concentric with the first and second dielectric layers.

Claim 14

An antenna comprising: a first dielectric layer having fist and second sides; a conductive ground plane disposed on the first side of the first dielectric layer; an array of conducting strips disposed on the second side of the first dielectric layer, the array of strips being spaced apart to form a slot between each pair of adjacent strips; a second dielectric layer having first and second side, the first side of the second dielectric layer being bonded to the second side of the first dielectric layer and to the array of strips; and an array of radiating patches disposed on the second side of the second dielectric layer, each patch being located over one of the slots, the array of patches being spaced to form an aperture between each pair of adjacent patches; wherein the first and second dielectric layers are round, disc-shaped, and concentric, and wherein the array of strips, the slots, the array of patches, and the apertures are annular and concentric with the first and second dielectric layers.

Claim 15

The antenna of claim 8 further comprising first and second probes connected to feed electromagnetic energy to and/or extract electromagnetic energy from the antenna, the first and second probes being angularly spaced 90° apart for transmitting and/or receiving a circularly polarized beam.

Claim 16

The antenna of claim 10 further comprising a probe connected to feed electromagnetic energy to and/or extract electromagnetic energy from the antenna.

Claim 17

The antenna of claim 12 wherein the probe includes an outer conductor and an inner conductor, the outer conductor being electrically connected to the ground plane, and the inner conductor being electrically connected to one of the array of conducting strips.

Claim 18

The antenna of claim 12 wherein the probe is adapted to be connected to a coaxial cable.

Claim 19

The antenna of claim 12 wherein the probe is an SMA probe adapted to be connected to a coaxial cable.

Claim 20

The antenna of claim 10 further comprising a microstrip line connected to feed electromagnetic energy to and/or extract electromagnetic energy from the antenna.

Claim 21

The antenna of claim 10 further comprising an aperture-coupled line connected to feed electromagnetic energy to and/or extract electromagnetic energy from the antenna.

Claim 22

The antenna of claim 10 wherein the first and second dielectric layers are fabricated from a mechanically stable material.

Claim 23

The antenna of claim 10 wherein the first dielectric layer defines a peripheral edge having a conductive surface.

Claim 24

The antenna of claim 10 wherein, responsive to RF energy, a standing wave is induced in the antenna.

Claim 25

The antenna of claim 20 wherein the standing wave is a high-order standing wave.

Claim 26

The antenna of claim 10 wherein the first and second dielectric layers have the geometric shape of parallelograms.

Claim 27

The antenna of claim 10 further comprising a bonding film interposed between the first and second dielectric layers for bonding the layers together.

Claim 28

A microstrip array antenna comprising: a first dielectric layer having first and second opposing sides; a conductive ground plane secured the first side of the first dielectric layer; an array of conducting strips secured to the second side of the first dielectric layer, the array of strips being spaced apart to form a slot between each pair of adjacent strips; a second dielectric layer having first and second opposing sides, the first side of the second layer being secured to the second side of the first dielectric Layer and to the array of strips; an array of radiating patches secured to the second side of the second dielectric layer, each of which patches is positioned over one of the slots, the array of patches being spaced to form an aperture between each pair of adjacent patches; and wherein the strips, slots, patches and apertures are sized so that, responsive to electromagnetic energy, a high-order standing wave is induced in the antenna; wherein the first and second dielectric layers are round, disc-shaped, and concentric, and wherein the array of strips, the slots, the array of patches, and the apertures are annular and concentric with the first and second dielectric layers.

Claim 29

A microstrip array antenna comprising: a first dielectric layer having first and second opposing sides; a conductive ground plane secured the first side of the first dielectric layer; an array of conducting strips secured to the second side of the first dielectric layer, the array of strips being spaced apart to form a slot between each pair of adjacent strips; a second dielectric layer having first and second opposing sides, the first side of the second layer being secured to the second side of the first dielectric Layer and to the array of strips; an array of radiating patches secured to the second side of the second dielectric layer, each of which patches is positioned over one of the slots, the array of patches being spaced to form an aperture between each pair of adjacent patches; and wherein the strips, slots, patches and apertures are sized so that, responsive to electromagnetic energy, a high-order standing wave is induced in the antenna; wherein the first and second dielectric layers are round, disc-shaped, and concentric, and wherein the array of strips, the slots, the array of patches, and the apertures are annular and concentric with the first and second dielectric layers.

Claim 30

The antenna of claim 24 wherein the first dielectric layer defines a peripheral edge having a conductive surface.

Claim 31

The antenna of claim 24 further comprising a probe to feed electromagnetic energy to and/or extract electromagnetic energy from the antenna.

Claim 32

The antenna of claim 26 wherein the probe includes an outer conductor and an inner conductor, the outer conductor being electrically connected to the ground plane, and the inner conductor being electrically connected to one of the array of conducting strips.

Claim 33

An antenna comprising: two dielectric layers bonded together with array of conducting strips interposed therebetween, the strips being spaced to define a slot between each pair of adjacent strips; a conductive ground plane disposed on a first outer side of the two bonded dielectric layers; and an array of radiating patches disposed on a second outer side of the two bonded dielectric layers, each of which patches is positioned over a corresponding slot, the array of patches being spaced apart to form an aperture between each pair of adjacent patches so that responsive, to electromagnetic energy, a high-order standing wave is induced in the antenna and a directed beam is transmitted from or received into the antenna; wherein the two dielectric layers are round, disc-shaped, and concentric, and wherein the array of strips, the slots, the array of patches, and the apertures are annular and concentric with respect to the first and second dielectric layers.

Claim 34

An antenna comprising: two dielectric layers bonded together with array of conducting strips interposed therebetween, the strips being spaced to define a slot between each pair of adjacent strips; a conductive ground plane disposed on a first outer side of the two bonded dielectric layers; and an array of radiating patches disposed on a second outer side of the two bonded dielectric layers, each of which patches is positioned over a corresponding slot, the array of patches being spaced apart to form an aperture between each pair of adjacent patches so that responsive, to electromagnetic energy, a high-order standing wave is induced in the antenna and a directed beam is transmitted from or received into the antenna; wherein the two dielectric layers are round, disc-shaped, and concentric, and wherein the array of strips, the slots, the array of patches, and the apertures are annular and concentric with respect to the first and second dielectric layers.

Claim 35

The antenna of claim 28 wherein the antenna further comprises first and second means angularly spaced 90° apart for transmitting and/or receiving a circularly polarized beam.

Claim 36

The antenna of claim 28 wherein the dielectric layer having a ground plane disposed thereon further defines a peripheral edge having a conductive surface.

Claim 37

The antenna of claim 28 further comprising means for feeding electromagnetic energy to and/or extracting electromagnetic energy from the antenna.

Claim 38

The antenna of claim 28 wherein first and second dielectric layers have the geometric shape of parallelograms,and each of the strips and patches are rectangular.