Compact radio frequency antenna apparatuses

• US 10,566,676 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2018
• Issued: 02/18/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ubiquiti Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ubiquiti Inc.
• Inventors: Sanford, John R., Lee, Jude, Sun, Yanwei
• Primary Examiner(s): Munoz, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US15/948,879
• Publication Number:
  US 20180233799A1
• Time in Patent Office: 680 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/06 Means for the lighting or illuminating of antennas, e.g. for purpose of warning
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/405 Radome integrated radiating elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/42 Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/421 Means for correcting aberrations introduced by a radome
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/02 Waveguide horns
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/0258 Orthomode horns orthomode transducers H01P1/161
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/16 curved in two dimensions, e.g. paraboloidal
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/19 comprising one main concave reflecting surface associated with an auxiliary reflecting surface
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/193 with feed supported subreflector splash plate feeds H01Q19/134
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/245 provided with means for varying the polarisation polarising devices H01Q15/24; tracking by comparing linear polarisation compounds G01S3/146; reducing depolarisation effects H04B7/00; polarisation diversity H04B7/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/001 Crossed polarisation dual antennas orthomode horns H01Q13/0258; cross-polarised rear feeds H01Q19/136; orthomode transducers H01P1/161
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/04 Multimode antennas corrugated horns H01Q13/0208
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0421 with a shorting wall or a shorting pin at one end of the element H01Q9/0414 takes precedence

Abstract

Antenna assemblies are described herein. In particular, described herein are multi-focal-point antenna devices and compact radio frequency (RF) antenna devices. Any of these assemblies may include a primary feed that includes a single patterned emitting surface from which multiple different beams of RF signals are emitted corresponding to different antenna input feeds each communicating with the patterned antenna emitting surface. The antenna assembly is therefore capable of emitting beams in the same direction having different polarizations using a single primary feed. Also described herein are compact RF antenna devices having a lightpipe that passes through the single patterned emitting surface.

Claims

1. A compact radio frequency (RF) antenna device having a lightpipe, the device comprising:

a base of printed circuit board (PCB) material including a light emitting diode (LED);

a primary feed held above the PCB comprising a flat emitting surface with an aperture therethrough;

a lightpipe extending from the LED though the aperture of the primary feed, the lightpipe comprising a stem portion coupled to an emission portion of the LED and extending through the aperture to a cap and an illumination region on or around the cap; and

a radio circuitry on the PCB and coupled to the primary feed, wherein the radio circuitry is configured to transmit RF signals to and from the primary feed.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the antenna device is configured as an access point.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a shallow dish-shaped housing enclosing the PCB, primary feed and radio circuitry.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the primary feed is directly connected to the PCB by grounding pins or legs and at least one feed point.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the stem portion is funnel-shaped, having a conical mouth at the end of the stem.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cap of the lightpipe comprises a translucent ring.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a cover configured to mate with the cap.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cap is configured to cover the mouth of the lightpipe.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lightpipe is funnel-shaped, having a conical mouth distal from the stem, wherein the mouth has a larger perimeter than the stem.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the stem encompasses the LED.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lightpipe comprises a polycarbonate material.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lightpipe is oriented perpendicular to the PCB.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lightpipe comprises a circular mouth distal to the LED and stem.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lightpipe comprises a square mouth.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the stem of the lightpipe is pyramidal or conical.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mouth of the lightpipe is textured to diffuse light from the LED.

17. A compact radio frequency (RF) antenna device having a lightpipe, the device comprising:

a base of printed circuit board (PCB) material including a light emitting diode (LED);

a primary feed comprising a sheet of metal having a flat emitting surface with an aperture through the emitting surface, wherein the primary feed is separated from the base by a plurality of antenna input feeds extending from the PCB;

a lightpipe extending from the LED though the aperture of the primary feed, the lightpipe comprising a stem portion coupled to an emission portion of the LED and extending through the aperture to a cap comprising a translucent illumination region; and

a radio circuitry on the PCB and coupled to the primary feed through the plurality of antenna input feeds, wherein the radio circuitry is configured to transmit RF signals to and from the primary feed through the plurality of antenna input feeds.