Antenna system and methods for use therewith

• US 10,535,928 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2016
• Issued: 01/14/2020
• 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, Barnickel, Donald J., Barzegar, Farhad, Bennett, Robert, Gerszberg, Irwin, Willis, III, Thomas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Graham P
• Application Number:
  US15/360,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20180145414A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,147 Days
• 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 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

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, an antenna structure that includes a dielectric antenna and a dielectric core. The dielectric antenna can include an antenna lens that operates as an aperture. The antenna lens can have a structure configured to direct a beam pattern generated by the dielectric antenna from a center axis of the dielectric antenna. The dielectric core can be coupled to a feed point of the dielectric antenna. The dielectric core can supply electromagnetic waves that are converted by the dielectric antenna to the beam pattern directed away from the center axis. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. An antenna system, comprising:

a plurality of dielectric antennas, wherein each dielectric antenna of the plurality of dielectric antennas includes an antenna lens that operates as an aperture, and wherein the antenna lens of each corresponding dielectric antenna comprises a structure configured to tilt a transmitted beam pattern generated by the corresponding dielectric antenna from a center axis of the corresponding dielectric antenna, wherein the antenna lens of at least one of the plurality of dielectric antennas comprises a plurality of ridges; and

a plurality of dielectric cores, wherein each dielectric core of the plurality of dielectric cores is coupled to a corresponding feed point of each of the plurality of dielectric antennas, wherein each of the plurality of dielectric cores is configured to supply electromagnetic waves that are converted by each dielectric antenna to one of a plurality of tilted beam patterns.

2. The antenna system of claim 1, further comprising a transmitter, coupled to the plurality of dielectric cores, wherein the transmitter facilitates a transmission of the electromagnetic waves guided by each dielectric core of the plurality of dielectric cores to the corresponding feed point of each dielectric antenna without requiring an electrical return path.

3. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of dielectric antennas is configured as an array of dielectric antennas.

4. The antenna system of claim 3, wherein the dielectric antennas of the array are adjacent to each other.

5. The antenna system of claim 3, wherein the dielectric antennas of the array are separated by a shield positioned between adjacent dielectric antennas.

6. The antenna system of claim 3, wherein a posterior portion of each dielectric antenna of the array of dielectric antennas has a flared structure that creates a separation between adjacent dielectric antennas.

7. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein the structure of the antenna lens of each dielectric antenna is tilted in a direction opposite to a tilt of the transmitted beam pattern generated by each dielectric antenna.

8. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein each ridge of the plurality of ridges has a depth representative of a wavelength factor.

9. The antenna system of claim 8, wherein the wavelength factor reduces reflections of the electromagnetic waves at the aperture of each dielectric antenna.

10. The antenna system of claim 8, wherein the wavelength factor is one-quarter of a wavelength of the electromagnetic waves propagating in each dielectric antenna.

11. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein the structure of the antenna lens of each dielectric antenna has a curved surface that causes the transmitted beam pattern generated by each dielectric antenna to have substantially similar phases at a corresponding phase plane of each dielectric antenna, and wherein the curved surface further has a plurality of ridges to reduce reflections of the electromagnetic waves at the aperture of each dielectric antenna.

12. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein the transmitted beam pattern tilts from the center axis as it exits the aperture of each dielectric antenna.

13. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of dielectric antennas is configured to have an increased sensitivity to a received beam pattern that has a similar tilt to the transmitted beam pattern.

17. The antenna system of claim 6, wherein the structure of the antenna lens of the dielectric antenna has a curved surface, wherein the curved surface comprises the plurality of ridges.

18. The antenna system of claim 17, wherein the curved surface causes the beam pattern generated by the dielectric antenna to have substantially similar phases at a corresponding phase plane of the dielectric antenna.

19. The antenna system of claim 18, wherein the plurality of ridges is configured to reduce reflections of the electromagnetic waves at the aperture of the dielectric antenna.

14. An antenna structure, comprising:

a dielectric antenna including an antenna lens that operates as an aperture, wherein the antenna lens comprises a structure configured to direct a beam pattern generated by the dielectric antenna from a center axis of the dielectric antenna, wherein the antenna lens comprises a plurality of ridges; and

a dielectric core coupled to a feed point of the dielectric antenna, wherein the dielectric core is configured to supply electromagnetic waves that are converted by the dielectric antenna to the beam pattern directed away from the center axis.

15. The antenna structure of claim 14, wherein the structure of the antenna lens of the dielectric antenna has a curved surface that causes the beam pattern generated by the dielectric antenna to have substantially similar phases at a corresponding phase plane of the dielectric antenna, wherein the curved surface comprises the plurality of ridges.

20. The antenna structure of claim 14, wherein the plurality of ridges is configured to reduce reflections of the electromagnetic waves at the aperture of the dielectric antenna.

16. An antenna system, comprising:

a dielectric antenna including an antenna lens that operates as an aperture, wherein the antenna lens comprises a structure configured to direct a beam pattern generated by the dielectric antenna from a center axis of the dielectric antenna, wherein the antenna lens comprises a plurality of ridges;

a dielectric core coupled to a feed point of the dielectric antenna, wherein the dielectric core is configured to supply electromagnetic waves that are converted by the dielectric antenna to the beam pattern directed away from the center axis;

a processing system including a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising transmitting by a transmitter the electromagnetic waves, wherein the electromagnetic waves transmitted by the transmitter are provided to the dielectric core, and wherein the dielectric core provides the electromagnetic waves to the feed point.