Dielectric dish antenna system and methods for use therewith

• US 10,361,489 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2016
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2016
• 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: Britz, David M., Johnson, Shikik, Gerszberg, Irwin, Barzegar, Farhad
• Primary Examiner(s): Duong, Dieu Hien T
• Application Number:
  US15/366,767
• Publication Number:
  US 20180159243A1
• Time in Patent Office: 964 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 15/16 curved in two dimensions, e.g. paraboloidal
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/193 with feed supported subreflector splash plate feeds H01Q19/134
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/18 wherein the primary active element is movable and the reflecting device is fixed
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/247 by switching different parts of a primary active element
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0485 Dielectric resonator antennas

Abstract

In accordance with one or more embodiments, a method includes receiving a first wireless signal via a feed point on an antenna body, wherein the antenna body includes a dielectric core having a reflective surface configured as a dish reflector; reflecting the first wireless signal via the reflective surface to an aperture of the antenna body; and radiating the first wireless signal from the aperture.

Claims

1. An antenna system, comprising:

an antenna body including a dielectric core, the dielectric core having a single reflective surface, wherein the single reflective surface has a parabolic curve section extended by and a modified aspheric curve section; and

a transmitting element that generates a wireless signal in response to a radio frequency (RF) signal;

wherein the antenna body radiates the wireless signal through an aperture in response to receiving the wireless signal via a feed point of the antenna body, wherein the wireless signal traverses the dielectric core and is reflected by the single reflective surface through the dielectric core to the aperture.

2. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein the aperture corresponds to a non-reflective surface of the dielectric core.

3. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein the single reflective surface is configured as a dish reflector.

4. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein the dielectric core comprises a plastic.

5. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein the single reflective surface comprises a metallic coating of the dielectric core.

6. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein the transmitting element includes a radiating element.

7. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein the transmitting element includes an array of radiating elements that generates the wireless signal at a selected one of a plurality of transmitting element beam orientations including at least one off-axis orientation that is not coaxially aligned with a longitudinal axis of the antenna body, wherein the generation of the wireless signal at the at least one off-axis orientation produces, via reflection from the modified aspheric curve section, an off-axis beam orientation of the wireless signal radiated via the aperture.

8. The antenna system of claim 7, wherein the array comprises a plurality of conductorless dielectric core antennas.

9. The antenna system of claim 8, wherein electromagnetic waves that are guided by differing ones of the plurality of conductorless dielectric core antennas generate the wireless signal in differing ones of the plurality of transmitting element beam orientations.

10. The antenna system of claim 9, further comprising:

a core selector switch that operates in accordance with a control signal to couple the electromagnetic waves from a source to a selected one of the plurality of conductorless dielectric core antennas, wherein the selected one of the plurality of conductorless dielectric core antennas has the selected one of the plurality of transmitting element beam orientations.

11. The antenna system of claim 10, further comprising:

a controller, that determines the selected one of the plurality of transmitting element beam orientations and generates the control signal in response thereto.

12. The antenna system of claim 9, further comprising a frequency selective launcher that operates in accordance with a frequency of the electromagnetic waves to launch the electromagnetic waves from a selected one of the plurality of conductorless dielectric core antennas, wherein the selected one of the plurality of conductorless dielectric core antennas has the selected one of the plurality of transmitting element beam orientations.

13. The antenna system of claim 12, further comprising:

a controller, that determines the selected one of the plurality of transmitting element beam orientations and wherein the frequency of the electromagnetic waves is controlled in response to the selected one of the plurality of transmitting element beam orientations.

14. A method, comprising:

receiving a first wireless signal via a feed point on an antenna body, wherein the antenna body includes a dielectric core, the dielectric core having a single reflective surface configured as a dish reflector, wherein the single reflective surface has a parabolic curve section extended by and a modified aspheric curve section;

reflecting the first wireless signal via the single reflective surface to an aperture of the antenna body; and

radiating the first wireless signal from the aperture.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving a second wireless signal via the aperture;

reflecting the second wireless signal via the single reflective surface to the feed point; and

radiating the second wireless signal via the feed point to a receiving element.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

selecting one of a plurality of transmitting element beam orientations for the first wireless signal, the plurality of transmitting element beam orientations including at least one off-axis orientation that is not coaxially aligned with a longitudinal axis of the antenna body, wherein, when selected, the at least one off-axis orientation produces, via reflection from the modified aspheric curve section, an off-axis beam orientation of the first wireless signal radiated via the aperture.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

coupling electromagnetic waves from a source to a selected one of a plurality of conductorless dielectric core antennas to generate the first wireless signal, wherein the plurality of conductorless dielectric core antennas each has differing ones of the plurality of transmitting element beam orientations.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

generating electromagnetic waves on a selected one of a plurality of conductorless dielectric core antennas to generate the first wireless signal, wherein the plurality of conductorless dielectric core antennas each has differing ones of the plurality of transmitting element beam orientations.

19. An antenna structure, comprising:

means for reflecting, via a single reflective surface, a wireless signal to an aperture of a dielectric antenna body, wherein the means for reflecting is in accordance with a dish antenna configuration, and wherein the single reflective surface has a parabolic curve section extended by and a modified aspheric curve section; and

means for radiating the wireless signal via the aperture.

20. The antenna structure of claim 19, further comprising:

means for selecting one of a plurality of transmitting element beam orientations for the wireless signal, the plurality of transmitting element beam orientations including at least one off-axis orientation that is not coaxially aligned with a longitudinal axis of the dielectric antenna body, wherein, when selected, the at least one off-axis orientation produces, via reflection from the modified aspheric curve section, an off-axis beam orientation of the wireless signal radiated via the aperture.