BEAM STEERING ANTENNA STRUCTURE

• US 20130234889A1
• Filed: 10/24/2012
• Published: 09/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Chiao Tung University (Government of The Republic of China)
• Original Assignee: National Chiao Tung University (Government of The Republic of China)
• Inventors: Hwang, Ruey-Bing, Yang, Su-Che, Huang, Hsien-Tung
• Granted Patent: US 9,166,288 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/368
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/20 the units being spaced along or adjacent to a curvilinear path slotted waveguide arrays H01Q21/005; circularly or helically slotted waveguides H01Q21/0062
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/242 Circumferential scanning

Abstract

Disclosed is a beam steering antenna structure, including two parallel metallic boards, an antenna perpendicularly disposed between the two metallic boards, a plurality of substrates perpendicularly disposed between the two metallic boards and radially disposed around the antenna, and a bias voltage circuit. Each of the substrates has a plurality of metal units cyclically aligned thereon, and each of the metal units includes two metallic regions oppositely disposed and in no contact with each other and a transistor disposed between the two metallic regions for coupling the two metallic regions. The transistors are electrically connected to the bias voltage circuit to thereby control the steering direction of beam radiation by switching the transistors.

Claims

1. A beam steering antenna structure, comprising

two parallel metallic boards;

an antenna structure perpendicularly disposed between the two metallic boards;

a plurality of substrates perpendicularly disposed between the two metallic boards and radially disposed around a peripheral of the antenna structure, wherein each of the substrates has a plurality of metal units cyclically aligned thereon, and each of the metal units has two metallic regions disposed opposite to and in no contact with each other and a transistor disposed between the two metallic regions for coupling the two metallic regions; and

a bias voltage circuit electrically connected to the transistors for supplying bias voltages to and conduct the metallic units.

2. The beam steering antenna structure claimed in claim 1, wherein when the bias voltage circuit does not provide bias voltages to the transistors of the metal units, electromagnetic waves incident to the metallic units are reflected by the metallic units.

3. The beam steering antenna structure claimed in claim 1, wherein when the bias voltage circuit provides bias voltages to the transistors of the metal units, the electromagnetic waves incident to the metallic units are permeable through the metallic units.

4. The beam steering antenna structure claimed in claim 1, wherein the antenna is a monopole antenna and has a metallic portion.

5. The beam steering antenna structure claimed in claim 4, wherein the metallic portion of the monopole antenna comprises copper pillars.

6. The beam steering antenna structure claimed in claim 1, wherein the substrates are dielectric substrates.

7. The beam steering antenna structure claimed in claim 1, wherein the metallic regions are in a shape of a trapezoid and are connected to each other with short sides of the trapezoids.

8. The beam steering antenna structure claimed in claim 1, wherein the metallic boards are round-shaped boards, and the antenna is disposed at the center of the two metallic boards.

9. The beam steering antenna structure claimed in claim 1, wherein the metallic boards are aluminum boards.

10. The beam steering antenna structure claimed in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of fasteners, and each of metallic boards is provided with a plurality of corresponding fastening portions, for allowing the fasteners to be coupled to the fastening portions to secure the substrates between the two metallic boards.

11. The beam steering antenna structure claimed in claim 10, wherein the fasteners are plastic pillars.

12. The beam steering antenna structure claimed in claim 1, which has an operating frequency range determined by size and quantity of the substrates, and shape, size and cyclically alignment of the metallic units mounted on the substrates.

13. The beam steering antenna structure claimed in claim 12, wherein the operating frequency range of the beam steering antenna structure is 2.4 GHz.