System and Method for Focusing Antenna Signal Transmission

• US 20080180335A1
• Filed: 01/25/2007
• Published: 07/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cushcraft Corp. (Laird Limited)
• Original Assignee: Cushcraft Corp. (Laird Limited)
• Inventors: Sanford, John
• Granted Patent: US 8,009,113 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/753
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/08 formed of solid dielectric material
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/062 for focusing

Abstract

The system contains an antenna feed. A signal is in communication with the antenna feed. The signal has a wavelength and a period. A signal lens has a periphery portion that is thicker than an interior portion, wherein the signal propagates through the signal lens. The signal lens is designed such that the signal propagates through the periphery portion of the signal lens approximately one wavelength slower than through the interior portion of the signal lens.

Claims

1. An antenna system comprising:

an antenna feed;

a signal in communication with the antenna feed, the signal having a wavelength; and

a signal lens, the signal lens having a periphery portion that is thicker than an interior portion, wherein the signal lens is impinged by the signal.

2. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein the signal lens further comprises a toroidal shape.

3. The antenna system of claim 1, further comprising an aperture formed in the interior portion.

4. The antenna of claim 3, wherein the thickness of the periphery portion relative to the interior portion is sized such that the signal propagates approximately one less wavelength through the midsection of the interior portion than the signal propagates through the periphery portion.

5. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the periphery portion relative to the interior portion is sized such that the signal traverses approximately one less wavelength through the midsection of the interior portion than the signal propagates through the periphery portion.

6. The antenna of claim 1, further comprising a proximate opening and a distal opening formed in the interior portion, wherein the distal opening is larger than the proximate opening.

7. The antenna of claim 6, wherein the distal opening is approximately not more than three times the wavelength of the signal.

8. The antenna of claim 6, wherein a radial width of the periphery portion is approximately λ

/(2n) and a length of the periphery portion is approximately λ

/(n-1).

9. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the signal propagates a multiple of approximately one less wavelength through the midsection of the interior portion than the signal propagates through the periphery portion.

10. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the signal lens further comprises a segmented conical shape.

11. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the signal lens focuses the signal.

12. A method of communicating using an antenna feed, said method comprising the steps of:

transmitting a signal from the antenna feed;

propagating a portion of the signal through an interior portion of a signal lens; and

propagating a portion of the signal through a periphery portion of the signal lens, wherein the step of propagating through the periphery portion is slower than the step of propagating through the interior portion.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the signal is transmitted through the periphery portion approximately one phase slower than the interior portion.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the signal lens is approximately toroidial.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the signal lens is approximately a conical segment.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the antenna feed is a patch antenna.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising combining in phase the portion of the signal propagating through the periphery portion of the signal lens with a subsequent cycle of the portion of the signal propagating through the interior portion of the signal lens.