Dynamic radiation pattern antenna system

• US 20090140920A1
• Filed: 11/29/2007
• Published: 06/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Polyvalor LP
• Original Assignee: Polyvalor LP
• Inventors: Frigon, Jean-Francois, Caloz, Christophe
• Granted Patent: US 8,094,074 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/368
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/20 Non-resonant leaky-waveguide or transmission-line antennas; Equivalent structures causing radiation along the transmission path of a guided wave
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/0066 said selective devices being reconfigurable, tunable or controllable, e.g. using switches
• 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 3/26 varying the relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of energy across a radiating aperture H01Q3/12, H01Q3/22, H01Q3/24 take precedence

Abstract

The present invention relates to a dynamic radiation pattern antenna system comprising a plurality of antenna units, a control unit and an electronic interface. The plurality of antenna units has electronically controllable radiation patterns. The control unit is dynamically controlling the radiation pattern of the plurality of antenna units and the electronic interface connects the plurality of antenna units to the control unit.

Claims

1. A dynamic radiation pattern antenna system comprising:

a plurality of antenna units having electronically controllable radiation patterns;

a control unit adapted to control dynamically the radiation pattern of the plurality of antenna units; and

an electronic interface for connecting the plurality of antenna units to the control unit.

2. The dynamic radiation pattern antenna system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of antenna units consist of a composite right/left handed (CRLH) microstrip leaky-wave transmission line.

3. The dynamic radiation pattern antenna system of claim 1, wherein the electronic interface consists of a plurality of varactor diodes adapted to be independently electrically controlled by the control unit.

4. The dynamic radiation pattern antenna system of claim 3, whereby upon same electrical control of the plurality of antenna units, the plurality of antenna units achieve full-space scanning at a fixed operation frequency.

5. The dynamic radiation pattern antenna system of claim 3, whereby upon different electrical control of the plurality of antenna units, each one of the plurality of antenna units radiates at different angle.

6. The dynamic radiation pattern antenna system of claim 3, whereby upon varying electrical control of the plurality of antenna units, resulting radiation patters are changed.

7. Use of the dynamic radiation pattern antenna system of claim 1, in a wireless transmitter.

8. The dynamic radiation pattern antenna system of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further adapted for optimizing the radiation patterns of the plurality of antenna units.

9. The dynamic radiation pattern antenna system of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further adapted for performing radiation pattern averaging by hopping over a set of radiation patterns.

10. The dynamic radiation pattern antenna system of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further adapted for performing radiation pattern maximizing by scanning a set of radiation patterns and selecting a radiation pattern maximizing performances of the antenna.

11. A dynamic radiation pattern diversity antenna system comprising:

a transmission line defining a plurality of unit cells;

a plurality of varactor diodes, each varactor diode being electrically connected to a corresponding unit cell; and

a radiation pattern control unit electrically connected to each of the plurality of varactor diodes,

whereby upon electrical actuation of the varactor diodes, each unit cell radiates at an angle corresponding to a voltage applied to the corresponding varactor diode.

12. The antenna system of claim 11, wherein the transmission line consists of a composite right/left handed (CRLH) microstrip leaky-wave transmission line.

13. The antenna system of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of varactor diodes is adapted to be independently electrically controlled.

14. The antenna system of claim 13, whereby upon same electrical control of the plurality of varactor diodes, the plurality of unit cells achieve full-space scanning at a fixed operation frequency.

15. The antenna system of claim 13, whereby upon different electrical control of the plurality of varactor diodes, each one of the plurality of unit cells radiates at different angle.

16. The antenna system of claim 13, whereby upon varying electrical control of the plurality of varactor diodes, resulting radiation patters are changed.

17. The antenna system of claim 13, wherein the radiation pattern control unit includes a radiation pattern averaging unit.

18. The antenna system of claim 13, wherein the radiation pattern control unit includes a radiation pattern maximizing unit.