PHASED ARRAY ANTENNA

• US 20160141754A1
• Filed: 10/13/2015
• Published: 05/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fraunhofer Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forsching E.V.
• Original Assignee: Fraunhofer Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forsching E.V.
• Inventors: SCHLICHT, Michael, LEYH, Martin, SCHUEHLER, Mario, MAYER, Frank
• Application Number:
  US14/882,074
• Publication Number:
  US 20160141754A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/00 Waveguide horns or mouths; Slot antennas; Leaky-waveguide antennas; Equivalent structures causing radiation along the transmission path of a guided wave
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/18 the slot being backed by, or formed in boundary wall of, a resonant cavity longitudinally slotted cylinder H01Q13/12 ; Open cavity antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/28 comprising elements constituting electric discontinuities and spaced in direction of wave propagation, e.g. dielectric elements or conductive elements forming artificial dielectric
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0043 Slotted waveguides combination with horns H01Q13/0233
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/005 Slotted waveguides arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0075 Stripline fed arrays H01Q21/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/247 by switching different parts of a primary active element
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/36 with variable phase-shifters

Abstract

Embodiments provide a phased array antenna including a feed structure adapted to guide an electromagnetic wave, a plurality of controllable elements coupled to the feed structure and a plurality of radiating elements, wherein each of the radiating elements is coupled to at least two of the plurality of controllable elements.

Claims

1. Phased array antenna, comprising:

a feed structure adapted to guide an electromagnetic wave;

a plurality of controllable elements coupled to the feed structure; and

a plurality of radiating elements;

wherein each of the radiating elements is coupled to at least two of the plurality of controllable elements.

2. Phased array antenna according to claim 1, wherein the controllable elements are adapted to couple energy between the feed structure and the radiating elements.

3. Phased array antenna according to claim 1, wherein the radiating elements are fed at at least two different positions via the at least two controllable elements.

4. Phased array antenna according to claim 1, wherein at least two of the plurality of controllable elements are fed by the feed structure at different positions.

5. Phased array antenna according to claim 1, wherein each of the radiating elements is resonantly coupled to at least two of the plurality of controllable elements.

6. Phased array antenna according to claim 1, wherein each of the at least two controllable elements is adapted to individually adjust its degree of coupling to the respective radiating element.

7. Phased array antenna according to claim 1, wherein the feed structure comprises a waveguide.

8. Phased array antenna according to claim 7, wherein the controllable elements comprise independently controllable phase shifter elements arranged between coupling points of the waveguide and the radiating elements.

9. Phased array antenna according to claim 8, wherein the phase shifter elements comprise a tunable material.

10. Phased array antenna according to claim 7, wherein the waveguide comprises a plurality of apertures as coupling points.

11. Phased array antenna according to claim 1, wherein the radiating elements comprise a planar shape.

12. Phased array antenna according to claim 1, wherein the radiating elements are dipoles, cross dipoles, patches, slotted patches or squared loops.

13. Phased array antenna according to claim 1, wherein the feed structure, the plurality of controllable elements and the radiating elements form stacked layers.

14. Method for operating a phased array antenna, the phased array antenna comprising a feed structure adapted to guide an electromagnetic wave, a plurality of controllable elements coupled to the feed structure, and a plurality of radiating elements, wherein each of the radiating elements is coupled to at least two of the plurality of controllable elements, the method comprising:

transmitting or receiving a signal with the phased array antenna.

15. Method for operating a phased array antenna according to claim 14, further comprising:

varying the controllable elements for adjusting a directional characteristic of the phased array antenna.