Dual polarization planar array antenna and cell elements therefor

• US 20100201594A1
• Filed: 01/11/2010
• Published: 08/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Starling Advanced Communications Ltd.
• Inventors: Engel, Benjamin M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,994,998 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/834
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/064 using horn or slot aerials slotted waveguides arrays H01Q21/005
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/24 Combinations of antenna units polarised in different directions for transmitting or receiving circularly and elliptically polarised waves or waves linearly polarised in any direction circularly polarised patch antennas H01Q9/0428; circularly polarised horns H01Q13/0241; cross-polarised horns H01Q13/0258; polarisation converters H01Q15/242; cross-polarised rear feeds H01Q19/136; crossed polarisation dual antenna H01Q25/001

Abstract

An RF antenna structure (e.g., a planar array) includes at least one radiation cell (and typically many, e.g., 16 or 32 or 64, etc.) having a conductive enclosure and an upper probe and a lower probe located at different heights within the enclosure. The enclosure between the upper probe and a bottom of the cell has at least two different cross-sectional areas. The upper and lower probes are preferably oriented at substantially 90° relative to each other. An upper portion of the enclosure beneath the upper probe may have a larger dimension than a lower portion such that the upper portion allows propagation of waves generated by the upper probe in a predetermined frequency band while the lower portion (e.g., above the lower probe) does not substantially allow propagation of waves generated by the upper probe, in the predetermined frequency band.

Claims

1. A planar antenna array having a transmitting face and comprising a plurality of arrayed cells, each cell comprising:

a first antenna probe;

a second antenna probe spaced away from the antenna; and

a reflector structure situated between the first and second antenna probes that is configured to pass RF waves transmitted/received by the second antenna probe and to reflect RF waves transmitted/received by the first antenna probe

2. A planar antenna array as in claim 1, wherein the first antenna probe has a first RF polarization and the second antenna probe has a different RF polarization.

3. A planar antenna array as in claim 2, wherein the reflector structure includes a waveguide section that passes RF waves with the polarization of the second antenna probe but is cut off for the RF waves with the polarization of the first antenna probe.

4. A planar antenna array as in claim 1, wherein the reflector structure is spaced at a distance from the first antenna probe such that RF waves reflected from the reflector structure reinforce RE waves generated or received at the first antenna probe.

5. A planar antenna array as in claim 1, wherein the first and second antenna probes are oriented perpendicular to each other.