Apparatus for configuring a surface of an antenna

• US 10,498,044 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2016
• Issued: 12/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2016
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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): Mancuso, Huedung X
• Application Number:
  US15/342,300
• Publication Number:
  US 20180123256A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,125 Days
• Field of Search: 343785
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/46 Electric supply lines or communication lines
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/08 for modifying the radiation pattern of a radiating horn in which it is located corrugated horns H01Q13/0208; producing a circular polarisation H01Q13/0241

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, an antenna structure having a feedline, and a dielectric antenna coupled to the feedline. A first structural feature of an aperture of the dielectric antenna and a second structural feature of a junction between the feedline and the dielectric antenna can be configured to increase a front-to-back ratio of wireless signals received by the aperture of the dielectric antenna and received outside a reception area of the aperture of the dielectric antenna. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a dielectric antenna having an aperture for transmitting or receiving free space propagating wireless signals;

a feedline coupled to the dielectric antenna, wherein a junction between the feedline and the dielectric antenna is configured to have a structural shape to reduce a reception of the free space propagating wireless signals at the junction; and

a cable comprising a conductorless dielectric core coupled to the feedline;

wherein a transmitter or a receiver, coupled to the cable, facilitates, respectively, a transmission or a reception of electromagnetic waves having a non-optical frequency range, and wherein the electromagnetic waves are guided by the conductorless dielectric core and the feedline coupled to the dielectric antenna.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the structural shape is devoid of an edge having a vertex.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the aperture of the dielectric antenna comprises a reception area for receiving the free space propagating wireless signals, and wherein the aperture is configured to have a structural shape to reduce the reception of the free space propagating wireless signals outside the reception area of the aperture.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the structural shape of the aperture is devoid of an edge having a vertex to reduce the reception of the free space propagating wireless signals outside the reception area of the aperture.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the junction between the feedline and the dielectric antenna is covered by a shield to reduce the reception of the free space propagating wireless signals at the junction.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the aperture of the dielectric antenna comprises a reception area for receiving the free space propagating wireless signals, and wherein a structure of the aperture outside the reception area of the aperture is covered by a shield to reduce the reception of the free space propagating wireless signals outside the reception area of the aperture.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein a dielectric layer is disposed on the conductorless dielectric core.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the conductorless dielectric core comprises a first dielectric constant, wherein the dielectric layer comprises a second dielectric constant, and wherein the first dielectric constant exceeds the second dielectric constant to enable the electromagnetic waves to be bound to the conductorless dielectric core.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the transmitter comprises a slotted waveguide for inducing the electromagnetic waves guided by the conductorless dielectric core.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the transmitter comprises a microwave circuit coupled to a radiating element and a waveguide structure for inducing the electromagnetic waves guided by the conductorless dielectric core.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the dielectric antenna has a flared structure devoid of an edge having a vertex.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the dielectric antenna has a pyramidal structure devoid of an edge having a vertex.

13. A device, comprising:

a dielectric antenna having an aperture for transmitting or receiving free space propagating wireless signals;

a feedline coupled to the dielectric antenna, wherein a junction between the feedline and the dielectric antenna is configured to have a structural shape to reduce a reception of the free space propagating wireless signals outside a reception area of the aperture of the dielectric antenna; and

a dielectric core coupled to the feedline;

wherein a transmitter or a receiver, coupled to the dielectric core, facilitates, respectively, a transmission or a reception of electromagnetic waves having a non-optical frequency range, and wherein the electromagnetic waves are guided by the dielectric core and the feedline coupled to the dielectric antenna.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein a junction between the feedline and the dielectric antenna is covered by a shield to reduce the reception of the free space propagating wireless signals outside the reception area of the aperture of the dielectric antenna.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein the aperture is configured to have a structural shape to reduce the reception of the free space propagating wireless signals outside the reception area of the aperture.

16. The device of claim 13, wherein a structural feature of the aperture is covered by a shield to reduce the reception of the free space propagating wireless signals outside the reception area of the aperture.

17. An antenna structure, comprising:

a feedline; and

a dielectric antenna coupled to the feedline, wherein a first structural feature of an aperture of the dielectric antenna and a second structural feature of a junction between the feedline and the dielectric antenna are configured to increase a front-to-back ratio of free space propagating wireless signals received by the aperture of the dielectric antenna and received outside a reception area of the aperture of the dielectric antenna, wherein the junction between the feedline and the dielectric antenna is configured to have a structural shape to reduce reception of the free space propagating wireless signals at the junction, and wherein the free space propagating wireless signals have a non-optical frequency range.

18. The antenna structure of claim 17, wherein the first structural feature of the aperture is devoid of a first edge having a first vertex, and wherein the second structural feature of the junction between the feedline and the dielectric antenna is devoid of a second edge having a second vertex.

19. The antenna structure of claim 17, wherein the first structural feature of the aperture is covered by a first shield, wherein the second structural feature of the junction is covered by a second shield, and wherein the first shield and the second shield reduce a reception of the free space propagating wireless signals outside the reception area of the aperture of the dielectric antenna.

20. The antenna structure of claim 17, wherein the dielectric antenna has a flared structure devoid of an edge having a vertex.