Patent US7068234B2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US7068234B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Meta-element antenna and array
Assignee: HRL Laboratories LLC
•
Filing: 2004-03-02
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Granted: 2006-06-27
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Expires: 2024-03-02
Abstract
Abstract An antenna having at least one main element and a plurality of parasitic elements. At least some of the elements have coupling elements or devices associated with them, the coupling elements or devices being tunable to thereby control the degree of coupling between adjacent elements. Controlling the degree of coupling allows a lobe associated with the antenna to be steered.
Inventors
- 👤 Daniel F. Sievenpiper
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 15:36
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01Q; H01Q3/00; H01Q3/26; H01Q13/00; H01Q13/20; H01Q15/00; H01Q15/0006; H01Q15/0013; H01Q15/002; H01Q15/006; H01Q15/008; H01Q19/00; H01Q19/28; H01Q19/32; H01Q21/00; H01Q21/06; H01Q21/061; H01Q23/00; H01Q3/44; H01Q3/443; H01Q3/46; H01Q9/00; H01Q9/04; H01Q9/0407; H01Q9/0442
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
72 words
An antenna comprising: (a) at least one main driven antenna element; and (b) a plurality of parasitic antenna elements, where at least some of the parasitic antenna elements have coupling elements or devices associated with them for electrically coupling said at least some of the parasitic antenna elements to said one main driven antenna element, the coupling elements or devices being tunable to control a degree of coupling between adjacent antenna elements.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
72 words
An antenna comprising: (a) at least one main driven antenna element; and (b) a plurality of parasitic antenna elements, where at least some of the parasitic antenna elements have coupling elements or devices associated with them for electrically coupling said at least some of the parasitic antenna elements to said one main driven antenna element, the coupling elements or devices being tunable to control a degree of coupling between adjacent antenna elements.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
12 words
The antenna of claim 1 wherein the coupling devices are tunable capacitors.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
38 words
The antenna of claim 1 wherein the coupling devices have a physical size which is much smaller than a wavelength of a normal operating frequency of the antenna, so they can be described using a lumped circuit model.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
The antenna of claim 1 wherein the main driven element is selected from the group consisting of metal patches, dipoles, dielectric resonators, and other resonant structures capable of emitting microwave energy.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
71 words
The antenna of claim 1 wherein the at least one main driven antenna element and the plurality of parasitic antenna elements are disposed in a two dimensional array spaced from a ground plane, the at least one main element and the plurality of parasitic antenna elements being spaced from the ground plane by a distance no greater than one tenth of a wavelength of a normal operating frequency of the antenna.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
23 words
The antenna of claim 5 wherein the parasitic antenna elements are formed by an array of metal plates disposed on a dielectric medium.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
12 words
The antenna of claim 6 wherein the coupling elements are variable capacitors.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
12 words
The antenna of claim 7 wherein the variable capacitors are MEMS capacitors.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
11 words
The antenna of claim 7 wherein the variable capacitors are varactors.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
69 words
The antenna of claim 1 wherein the antenna has a plurality of said main driven antenna elements with each main driven antenna element having an associated group of parasitic antenna elements and having an associated phase shifter, the associated phase shifter providing a relatively coarse lobe directional control for said antenna and the associated group of parasitic antenna elements providing a relatively fine lobe directional control for said antenna.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
75 words
The antenna of claim 10 wherein the plurality of main driven antenna elements and the plurality of groups of parasitic antenna elements are disposed in a two dimensional array spaced from a ground plane, the plurality of main driven antenna elements and the plurality of groups of parasitic antenna elements being spaced from the ground plane by a distance no greater than one tenth of a wavelength of a normal operating frequency of the antenna.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
29 words
The antenna of claim 11 wherein the plurality of groups of parasitic antenna elements are formed by a two dimensional array of conductive plates disposed on a dielectric medium.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
43 words
The antenna of claim 12 wherein the plurality of main driven antenna elements are formed by an array of elongate conductive elements, the elongate conductive elements each having a length which is longer than a maximum dimension of one of said conductive plates.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
40 words
The antenna of claim 12 wherein the plurality of main driven antenna elements are formed by an array of conductive elements, the elongate conductive elements each having outer dimensions which are approximately the same as one of said conductive plates.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
12 words
The antenna of claim 11 wherein the coupling elements are variable capacitors.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
12 words
The antenna of claim 15 wherein the variable capacitors are MEMS capacitors.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
11 words
The antenna of claim 16 wherein the variable capacitors are varactors.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
87 words
A method of steering an antenna comprising: disposing at least one main antenna element and a plurality of parasitic antenna elements in an array adjacent a ground plane, where at least some of the antenna elements have coupling elements or devices associated with them; and adjusting the coupling elements or devices to thereby control the degree of coupling between adjacent antenna elements in said array whereby the degree of coupling varies cyclically in radial directions away from said at least one main antenna element in said array.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
87 words
A method of steering an antenna comprising: disposing at least one main antenna element and a plurality of parasitic antenna elements in an array adjacent a ground plane, where at least some of the antenna elements have coupling elements or devices associated with them; and adjusting the coupling elements or devices to thereby control the degree of coupling between adjacent antenna elements in said array whereby the degree of coupling varies cyclically in radial directions away from said at least one main antenna element in said array.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 18 wherein the coupling elements include variable capacitors and wherein adjusting of the coupling elements is performed by tuning the variable capacitors.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 19 wherein the variable capacitors are MEMS capacitors.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 19 wherein the variable capacitors are varactor diodes.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method of claim 18 wherein the at least one main element and the plurality of parasitic elements are spaced from the ground plane by a distance no greater than one tenth of a wavelength of a normal operating frequency of the antenna.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
90 words
The method of claim 22 wherein the antenna has a plurality of said main elements with each main element having an associated group of parasitic elements and having an associated phase shifter and further including (a) adjusting the phases of the phase shifters to thereby provide a relatively coarse lobe directional control for said antenna and (b) wherein adjusting the coupling elements or devices to thereby control the degree of coupling between adjacent elements in the groups of parasitic elements provide a relatively fine lobe directional control for said antenna.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2009-06-26 | 2009-12-26 | 2010-06-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2013-06-26 | 2013-12-26 | 2014-06-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2017-06-26 | 2017-12-26 | 2018-06-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |