Antenna system having structural configurations for assembly

• US 10,090,594 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2016
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Henry, Paul Shala, Willis, III, Thomas M., Barzegar, Farhad, Bennett, Robert, Gerszberg, Irwin, Barnickel, Donald J.
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, GRAHAM P
• Application Number:
  US15/360,683
• Publication Number:
  US 20180145415A1
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2291 used in bluetooth or WI-FI devices of Wireless Local Area Networks [WLAN] H01Q1/241 takes precedence; WLAN in general H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/36 Structural form of radiating elements, e.g. cone, spiral, umbrella; Particular materials used therewithH01Q1/08, H01Q1/14 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/02 Waveguide horns
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/06 Waveguide mouths horns H01Q13/02
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/10 Resonant slot antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/106 Microstrip slot antennas patch antenna elements H01Q9/0407
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/08 formed of solid dielectric material
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/064 using horn or slot aerials slotted waveguides arrays H01Q21/005
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/205 providing an omnidirectional coverage turnstile aerials H01Q21/26
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/22 Antenna units of the array energised non-uniformly in amplitude or phase, e.g. tapered array or binomial array
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0485 Dielectric resonator antennas

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, an antenna array having a plurality of dielectric antennas and a plurality of dielectric cores. Each dielectric antenna of the plurality of dielectric antennas can have a structural configuration that enables flat surfaces of the plurality of dielectric antennas to be adjacent to each other. Each dielectric antenna of the plurality of dielectric antennas further includes an aperture for radiating a wireless signal in response to an electromagnetic wave received by each dielectric antenna. Each dielectric core of the plurality of dielectric cores can be coupled to a select one of the plurality of dielectric antennas to facilitate guiding a select one of a plurality of electromagnetic waves to the select one of the plurality of dielectric antennas. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A communication device, comprising:

a plurality of dielectric antennas, wherein each dielectric antenna of the plurality of dielectric antennas includes a feedline, wherein a structural section of each dielectric antenna of the plurality of dielectric antennas is configured to enable a first flat surface of at least a first dielectric antenna of the plurality of dielectric antennas to be adjacent to a second flat surface of at least a second dielectric antenna of the plurality of dielectric antennas, and wherein each dielectric antenna of the plurality of dielectric antennas comprises an aperture for radiating a wireless signal in response to an electromagnetic wave received by each dielectric antenna via its feedline; and

a plurality of dielectric cores, wherein each dielectric core of the plurality of dielectric cores is coupled to the feedline of a select one of the plurality of dielectric antennas, and wherein each dielectric core facilitates guiding a select one of a plurality of electromagnetic waves to the feedline of the select one of the plurality of dielectric antennas.

2. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the first flat surface and the second flat surface touch.

3. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the structural section of the first dielectric antenna comprises a plurality of flat surfaces including the first flat surface, and wherein the plurality of flat surfaces enables the first dielectric antenna to be placed adjacent to at least one more dielectric antenna of the plurality of dielectric antennas other than the second dielectric antenna.

4. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the structural section of each dielectric antenna of the plurality of dielectric antennas comprises a plurality of flat surfaces, and wherein the communication device further comprises a mechanism that is coupled to at least one flat surface of at least two different dielectric antennas of the plurality of dielectric antennas to position the plurality of dielectric antennas in an array configuration.

5. The communication device of claim 1, wherein each dielectric antenna of the plurality of dielectric antennas has substantially or entirely no conductive external surfaces, and wherein each dielectric antenna of the plurality of dielectric antennas has a composition that is substantially or entirely devoid of conductive materials.

6. The communication device of claim 1, wherein each dielectric core of the plurality of dielectric cores is resistant to propagation of electromagnetic waves having an optical operating frequency.

7. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the select one of the plurality of electromagnetic waves propagates at least in part on an outer surface of a select one of the plurality of dielectric cores without requiring an electrical return path.

8. The communication device of claim 1, wherein a dielectric material is disposed on each dielectric core.

9. The communication device of claim 8, wherein each dielectric core has a first dielectric constant, wherein the dielectric material disposed on each dielectric core has a second dielectric constant, and wherein the first dielectric constant exceeds the second dielectric constant to enable the select one of the plurality of electromagnetic waves to be bound to a select one of the plurality of dielectric cores.

10. The communication device of claim 1, wherein each dielectric antenna comprises a high density dielectric material.

11. The communication device of claim 10, wherein the high density dielectric material comprises a high density polyethylene material, a high density polyurethane material, or a synthetic resin.

12. The communication device of claim 1, wherein each dielectric core is coupled to a transmitter comprising a slotted waveguide for generating one of the plurality of electromagnetic waves guided by a corresponding dielectric core of the plurality of dielectric cores.

13. The communication device of claim 1, wherein each dielectric core is coupled to a microwave circuit coupled to an antenna and a waveguide structure for generating one of the plurality of electromagnetic waves guided by a corresponding dielectric core of the plurality of dielectric cores.

14. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the structural section of each dielectric antenna of the plurality of dielectric antennas comprises a honeycomb structure enabling at least one of the plurality of dielectric antennas to be adjacent to six other dielectric antennas of the plurality of dielectric antennas.

15. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the aperture of each of the plurality of dielectric antennas has a circular shape, a pyramidal shape, a polygonal shape or a hexagon shape.

16. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of dielectric antennas is configured as a phased-array antenna system.

17. An antenna system, comprising:

a plurality of dielectric antennas, wherein each dielectric antenna of the plurality of dielectric antennas comprises a structural section having a flat surface to enable a first dielectric antenna of the plurality of dielectric antennas to be adjacent to a second dielectric antenna of the plurality of dielectric antennas, and wherein each dielectric antenna of the plurality of dielectric antennas comprises an aperture for radiating a wireless signal in response to an electromagnetic wave received by each dielectric antenna; and

a plurality of dielectric cores, wherein each dielectric core of the plurality of dielectric cores is coupled to a select one of the plurality of dielectric antennas, and wherein each dielectric core facilitates guiding a select one of a plurality of electromagnetic waves to the select one of the plurality of dielectric antennas.

18. The antenna system of claim 17, further comprising a mechanism that is coupled to at least one flat surface of at least two different dielectric antennas of the plurality of dielectric antennas to position the plurality of dielectric antennas in an array configuration.

19. An antenna array, comprising:

a plurality of dielectric antennas, wherein each dielectric antenna of the plurality of dielectric antennas has a structural configuration that enables flat surfaces of the plurality of dielectric antennas to be adjacent to each other, and wherein each dielectric antenna of the plurality of dielectric antennas comprises an aperture for radiating a wireless signal in response to an electromagnetic wave received by each dielectric antenna; and

a plurality of dielectric cores, wherein each dielectric core of the plurality of dielectric cores is coupled to a select one of the plurality of dielectric antennas, and wherein each dielectric core facilitates guiding a select one of a plurality of electromagnetic waves to the select one of the plurality of dielectric antennas.

20. The antenna array of claim 19, further comprising a plurality of transmitters coupled to the plurality of dielectric cores, wherein the plurality of transmitters facilitates adaptive generation of the plurality of electromagnetic waves to perform beam steering of wireless signals generated by the plurality of dielectric antennas.