MANUALLY BEAM STEERED PHASED ARRAY

• US 20160190687A1
• Filed: 12/29/2014
• Published: 06/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Shuai Shao
• Inventors: Shao, Shuai, Gudan, Ken, Hull, Jonathan J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,866,069 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/248 provided with an AC/DC converting device, e.g. rectennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/065 Patch antenna array
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/36 with variable phase-shifters
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/27 characterised by the type of receiving antennas, e.g. rectennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/402 the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas

Abstract

A beam steered phased array antenna and system for including the same are described. In one embodiment, the antenna apparatus comprises an array of a plurality of antenna elements, the array having a single moveable feeding point coupled to the antenna elements, where the moveable feeding point is movable with respect to the antenna elements in the array.

Claims

1. An antenna apparatus comprising:

an array of antenna elements; and

a single moveable feeding point coupled to the antenna elements, the feeding point movable with respect to the antenna elements in the array and combining radio frequency energy together in RF.

2. The antenna apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein movement of the feeding point causes beam steering.

3. The antenna apparatus defined in claim 2 wherein direction of a main lobe is determined by an amount of movement of the moveable feeding point with respect to antenna elements in the array.

4. The antenna apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the moveable feeding point is manually positioned with respect to antenna elements in the array to cause phase shifting of RF energy from each antenna element in the array with respect to each other.

5. The antenna apparatus defined in claim 1 further comprising:

a feeding network panel electrically connected to the array;

a sliding panel coupled and electrically connected to the feeding network, the sliding panel including the single feeding point and being movable with respect to the array panel to position the feeding point with respect to antenna elements in the array.

6. The antenna apparatus defined in claim 5 wherein the feeding network panel has one or more slots, and further wherein the sliding panel is moved along the one or more slots to position the feeding point.

7. The antenna apparatus defined in claim 6 wherein the one or more slots are aligned with an axis of a feeding network of the array.

8. A sensor node for use in a sensor network, the sensor comprising:

one or more sensors for sensing and logging data;

a transmitter to transmit information wirelessly;

an antenna apparatus comprising

an array of antenna elements, and

a moveable feeding point coupled to the antenna elements to move the feeding point with respect to the antenna elements in the array, the feeding point combining radio frequency energy together for RF;

an energy harvesting unit coupled to the antenna apparatus and operable to convert incident energy received by the antenna apparatus to direct current (DC); and

a microcontroller coupled to the energy harvesting unit, the one or more sensors and the transmitter, the microcontroller operable to cause the transmitter to communicate sensed data from at least one of the one or more sensors while powered by energy previously harvested by the energy harvesting and storage unit.

9. The sensor node defined in claim 8 wherein movement of the feeding point causes RF beam steering.

10. The sensor node defined in claim 9 wherein direction of a main lobe is determined by an amount of movement of the moveable feeding point with respect to antenna elements in the array.

11. The sensor node defined in claim 8 wherein the moveable feeding point is manually positioned with respect to antenna elements in the array to cause phase shifting of RF energy from each antenna element in the array with respect to each other.

12. The sensor node defined in claim 8 further comprising:

a feeding network panel electrically connected to the array;

a sliding panel coupled and electrically connected to the feeding network, the sliding panel including the feeding point and being movable with respect to the feeding network panel to position the feeding point with respect to antenna elements in the array.

13. The sensor node defined in claim 12 wherein the feeding network panel has one or more slots, and further wherein the sliding panel is moved along the one or more slots to position the feeding point.

14. The sensor node defined in claim 13 wherein the one or more slots are aligned with an axis of a feeding network of the array.

15. The sensor node defined in claim 8 further comprising:

an energy storage unit operable to store recovered DC power.

16. The sensor node defined in claim 8 further comprising a switch coupled to interface the antenna with the transmitter and the RF energy harvesting and storage unit.

17. A Wi-Fi communication system comprising:

an access point coupled to provide access to a network;

a sensor node comprising

one or more sensors for sensing and logging data;

a transmitter to transmit information wirelessly;

an antenna apparatus comprising

an array of antenna elements, and

a moveable feeding point coupled to the antenna elements to move the feeding point with respect to the antenna elements in the array, the feeding point combining radio frequency energy together for RF;

an energy harvesting unit coupled to the antenna and operable to convert incident energy received by the antenna apparatus to direct current (DC); and

a microcontroller coupled to the energy harvesting unit, the one or more sensors and the transmitter, the microcontroller operable to cause the transmitter to communicate sensed data from at least one of the one or more sensors to the access point while powered by energy previously harvested by the energy harvesting and storage unit.

18. The communication system defined in claim 17 wherein movement of the feeding point causes beam steering with direction of a main lobe is determined by an amount of movement of the moveable feeding point with respect to antenna elements in the array.

19. The communication system defined in claim 17 wherein the moveable feeding point is manually positioned with respect to antenna elements in the array to cause phase shifting of RF energy from each antenna element in the array with respect to each other.

20. The communication system defined in claim 17 further comprising:

a feeding network panel electrically connected to the array,

a sliding panel coupled and electrically connected to the feeding network, the sliding panel including the feeding point and being movable with respect to the feeding network panel to position the feeding point with respect to antenna elements in the array.