RECONFIGURABLE ANTENNA USING ADDRESSABLE CONDUCTIVE PARTICLES
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An antenna structure, comprising:
- a two-dimensional pixel element actuator;
a contained dielectric space configured over the two-dimensional pixel element actuator, the contained dielectric space having a upper surface and a lower surface; and
addressable pixel elements located within the contained dielectric space, wherein the addressable pixel elements are movable between the upper surface and the lower surface of the contained dielectric space such that, when actuated, the addressable pixel elements located substantially at the upper surface of the contained dielectric space form a conductive pattern of transmission lines and antenna arrays and the addressable pixel elements located substantially at the lower surface of the contained dielectric space form a ground plane.
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Abstract
An antenna made up of small addressable conductive segments, or pixel elements, located in a dielectric space positioned over a two-dimensional pixel element actuator is presented. The small pixel elements can be actuated in less than a millisecond by the actuator to form patterns that create an array of patch antennas and associated transmission lines on the upper surface of the dielectric space. The pixel elements can be formed using small movable conductive particles such as metal flakes or metal chips
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An antenna structure, comprising:
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a two-dimensional pixel element actuator; a contained dielectric space configured over the two-dimensional pixel element actuator, the contained dielectric space having a upper surface and a lower surface; and addressable pixel elements located within the contained dielectric space, wherein the addressable pixel elements are movable between the upper surface and the lower surface of the contained dielectric space such that, when actuated, the addressable pixel elements located substantially at the upper surface of the contained dielectric space form a conductive pattern of transmission lines and antenna arrays and the addressable pixel elements located substantially at the lower surface of the contained dielectric space form a ground plane. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An antenna structure, comprising:
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a two-dimensional pixel element actuator; a contained dielectric space configured over the two-dimensional pixel element actuator, the contained dielectric space having a upper surface and a lower surface; addressable pixel elements located within the contained dielectric space, wherein the addressable pixel elements are movable between the upper surface and the lower surface of the contained dielectric space such that, when actuated, the addressable pixel elements located substantially at the upper surface of the contained dielectric space form a conductive pattern of transmission lines and antenna arrays and the addressable pixel elements located substantially at the lower surface of the contained dielectric space form a ground plane; and a processor configured to control the two-dimensional pixel element actuator and the location of the addressable pixel elements within the contained dielectric space.
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13. A method of rapidly configuring antenna structure, the antenna structure comprises a two-dimensional pixel element actuator, a contained dielectric space over of the two-dimensional pixel element actuator having a upper surface and a lower surface, a processor and addressable pixel elements comprised of movable conductive particles, wherein the method comprises:
creating antenna elements that form antenna arrays and transmission lines by forming conductive patterns on the upper surface of the dielectric space by actuating the pixel elements using the two-dimensional pixel element actuator to move the pixel elements from the lower surface of the contained dielectric space to the upper surface of the contained dielectric space. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
Specification