Monolithic phased-array antenna system
First Claim
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1. A phased-array antenna system that is formed as a monolithic structure of a unitary conductive material, the system comprising:
- a ground plane;
a plurality of antenna transformer elements formed in an array and conductively coupled to a first surface of the ground plane;
a plurality of connectors formed and conductively coupled to a second surface of the ground plane opposite the first surface, the plurality of connectors being configured to propagate radio frequency signals to or from respective ones of the plurality of antenna transformer elements; and
a signal conductor conductively coupled to an associated one of the plurality of antenna transformer elements and extending in free space from a sidewall of the associated one of the plurality of antenna transformer elements through a sidewall of an adjacent one of the plurality of antenna transformer elements,wherein the plurality of antenna transformer elements are dimensioned to form a balun cavity between respective pairs of the plurality of antenna transformer elements with respect to the ground plane.
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Abstract
One embodiment describes a phased-array antenna system that is formed as a monolithic structure of a unitary conductive material. The system includes a ground plane and a plurality of antenna transformer elements formed in an array and conductively coupled to a first surface of the ground plane. The system also includes a plurality of connectors formed and conductively coupled to a second surface of the ground plane opposite the first surface, the plurality of connectors being configured to propagate radio frequency signals to or from respective ones of the plurality of antenna transformer elements.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. A phased-array antenna system that is formed as a monolithic structure of a unitary conductive material, the system comprising:
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a ground plane; a plurality of antenna transformer elements formed in an array and conductively coupled to a first surface of the ground plane; a plurality of connectors formed and conductively coupled to a second surface of the ground plane opposite the first surface, the plurality of connectors being configured to propagate radio frequency signals to or from respective ones of the plurality of antenna transformer elements; and a signal conductor conductively coupled to an associated one of the plurality of antenna transformer elements and extending in free space from a sidewall of the associated one of the plurality of antenna transformer elements through a sidewall of an adjacent one of the plurality of antenna transformer elements, wherein the plurality of antenna transformer elements are dimensioned to form a balun cavity between respective pairs of the plurality of antenna transformer elements with respect to the ground plane. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A phased-array antenna system comprising:
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a ground plane; a plurality of antenna transformer elements formed in an array and conductively coupled to a first surface of the ground plane, each of the plurality of antenna transformer elements being dimensioned to form a balun cavity between respective pairs of the plurality of antenna transformer elements with respect to the ground plane and to form a transformer gap between respective pairs of the plurality of antenna transformer elements to provide impedance matching to free-space; a plurality of connectors formed and conductively coupled to a second surface of the ground plane opposite the first surface, the plurality of connectors being configured to propagate radio frequency signals to or from respective ones of the plurality of antenna transformer elements; and a plurality of coaxial connections between the plurality of connectors and the plurality of transformer elements, each of the plurality of connectors being associated with one of the plurality of antenna transformer elements and comprising a signal conductor that is formed from the unitary conductive material as an inner conductor of a respective one of the plurality of coaxial connections and extending from a sidewall of an associated one of the plurality of antenna transformer elements through a sidewall of an adjacent one of the plurality of antenna transformer elements that is coupled to an outer conductor of the respective one of the plurality of coaxial connections, wherein the phased-array antenna system is formed as a monolithic structure of unitary conductive material. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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Specification