Intelligent antenna metamaterial method and apparatus

• US 10,446,927 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2018
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Metawave Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Metawave Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Achour, Maha
• Primary Examiner(s): Han, Jessica
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel, Amal
• Application Number:
  US15/977,888
• Publication Number:
  US 20180351249A1
• Time in Patent Office: 522 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/345 using triangular modulation
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/42 Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates indirect measurement G01S13/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/584 adapted for simultaneous range and velocity measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/865 Combination of radar systems with lidar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/867 Combination of radar systems with cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93275 in the bumper area
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/38 using adjustment of real or effective orientation of directivity characteristic of an antenna or an antenna system to give a desired condition of signal derived from that antenna or antenna system, e.g. to give a maximum or minimum signal G01S3/16, G01S3/28 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/411 Identification of targets based on measurements of radar reflectivity G01S7/415 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/417 involving the use of neural networks
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3233 particular used as part of a sensor or in a security system, e.g. for automotive radar, navigation systems
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/0086 said selective devices having materials with a synthesized negative refractive index, e.g. metamaterials or left-handed materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/065 Patch antenna array
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/00 Antennas or antenna systems providing at least two radiating patterns arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern H01Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/30 varying the relative phase between the radiating elements of an array H01Q3/2605, H01Q3/2658, H01Q3/2682, H01Q3/44 take precedence

Abstract

The present invention is a metamaterial-based object detection system. An intelligent antenna metamaterial interface (IAM) associates specific metamaterial unit cells into sub-arrays to adjust the beam width of a transmitted signal. The IAM is part of a sensor fusion system that coordinates a plurality of sensors, such as in a vehicle, to optimize performance. In one embodiment, an MTM antenna structure is probe-fed to create a standing wave across the unit cells.

Claims

1. An antenna structure, comprising:

a ground plane layer;

a dielectric layer positioned above the ground plane layer and having a radiating structure; and

a metamaterial layer positioned above the dielectric layer, wherein the metamaterial layer comprises an array of metamaterial unit cells configurable into subarrays,

wherein a subarray is changed to comprise a different number of metamaterial unit cells in response to a detected object.

2. The antenna structure as in claim 1, wherein the radiating structure is to generate a wave front across the dielectric layer to meet the metamaterial layer.

3. The antenna structure as in claim 1, wherein the controller configures the subarrays for multiple transmission beams.

4. The antenna structure as in claim 1, further comprising an antenna probe feed structure coupled to the ground plane layer.

5. The antenna structure as in claim 4, wherein the antenna probe feed structure supplies an input signal to generate the wave front.

6. The antenna structure as in claim 1, wherein each metamaterial unit cell in the array of metamaterial unit cells radiates the input signal individually.

7. The antenna structure as in claim 1, wherein the at least one metamaterial unit cell comprises a metamaterial shape and configuration to provide a phase shift.

8. The antenna structure as in claim 1, wherein the at least one metamaterial unit cell comprises at least one controllable operational parameter to adjust a beam focus based on the field of view of the antenna structure.

9. The antenna structure as in claim 1, wherein the antenna structure is coupled to a plurality of sensors for control of a vehicle.

10. The antenna structure as in claim 9, wherein the plurality of sensors comprises at least one of a camera sensor, a laser sensor, an operational sensor, an infrastructure sensor, a user preference sensor, and an environmental sensor.

11. An antenna structure in a vehicle, comprising:

a signal source;

a ground plane layer;

a dielectric layer positioned above the signal source and the ground plane layer; and

a metamaterial layer positioned above the dielectric layer to radiate a signal received from the signal source, the metamaterial layer comprising a plurality of metamaterial unit cells configurable into a plurality of subarrays,

wherein a subarray from the plurality of subarrays is changed to comprise a different number of metamaterial unit cells based on an object detected in a path of the vehicle.

12. The antenna structure as in claim 11, wherein the antenna structure is coupled to an Intelligent Antenna Metamaterial Interface (“

IAM”

) structure to control operational parameters of the antenna structure, the operational parameters comprising at least a set of voltages applied to the plurality of metamaterial unit cells.

13. The antenna structure as in claim 12, wherein the IAM structure comprises an object detection module to detect the object in the path of the vehicle, the IAM structure to configure at least one of the plurality of subarrays to adjust a beam based on the position of the detected object.

14. The antenna structure as in claim 11, wherein the plurality of subarrays comprises a plurality of subarrays configurable based on a direction the object is moving.

15. The antenna structure as in claim 11, wherein the plurality of subarrays are preconfigured to anticipate a next action.

16. An antenna system in a vehicle comprising:

an antenna structure comprising;

a signal source;

a ground plane layer;

a dielectric layer positioned above the signal source and the ground plane layer; and

an array of metamaterial unit cells positioned above the dielectric layer, the array of metamaterial unit cells configurable into a plurality of subarrays; and

a controller coupled to the antenna structure to control a beam width of a signal radiated from the plurality of subarrays based on a received echo,

wherein a subarray from the plurality of subarrays is changed to comprise a different number of metamaterial unit cells based on an objected detected in a path of the vehicle.

17. The antenna system as in claim 16, wherein the controller is to preconfigure at least one subarray in the plurality of subarrays to radiate a signal with a preconfigured beam width based on a sweep time for the antenna structure.

18. The antenna system as in claim 16, wherein the controller is to change the beam width of the radiated signal based on changing weather and visibility conditions.