Microstrip antenna structure
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An antenna structure, said structure comprising:
- an electrically conductive ground plane surface,a layer of electrically conductive radiator elements having respectively corresponding feed line elements connected thereto,a dielectric substrate having a predetermined thickness disposed between said ground plane surface and said layer,said radiator elements comprising a first set of spaced apart radiators having respectively associated resonant axes directed in a first direction away from the connection of said feed line elements respectively associated therewith and a second set of spaced apart radiators having respectively associated resonant axes directed in a second direction opposite to said first direction away from the connection of said feed line elements respectively associated therewith,the indvidual radiators of said first and said second sets of spaced apart radiators being interleaved, andsaid feed line elements being connected between a common feed point and the individual ones of said radiator elements to provide electrical signals thereto in a transmit mode and to receive electrical signals therefrom in a receive mode said electrical signals having predetermined relative phase relationships for producing a correspondingly predetermined antenna response pattern.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A microstrip antenna structure is provided wherein a plurality of relatively narrow elements, resonant in their longer dimensions, are organized into two staggered or offset sets of interleaved elements with each set being fed from opposite sides of the structure through a corporate microstrip feed line from a common feed point. The aligned radiating ends of the two offset sets of elements simulate four line sources of radiation. The preferred embodiment produces an efficient end-fire radiation pattern from this relatively compact structure which may, in turn, constitute an individual end-fire radiator in a larger array structure.
57 Citations
23 Claims
-
1. An antenna structure, said structure comprising:
-
an electrically conductive ground plane surface, a layer of electrically conductive radiator elements having respectively corresponding feed line elements connected thereto, a dielectric substrate having a predetermined thickness disposed between said ground plane surface and said layer, said radiator elements comprising a first set of spaced apart radiators having respectively associated resonant axes directed in a first direction away from the connection of said feed line elements respectively associated therewith and a second set of spaced apart radiators having respectively associated resonant axes directed in a second direction opposite to said first direction away from the connection of said feed line elements respectively associated therewith, the indvidual radiators of said first and said second sets of spaced apart radiators being interleaved, and said feed line elements being connected between a common feed point and the individual ones of said radiator elements to provide electrical signals thereto in a transmit mode and to receive electrical signals therefrom in a receive mode said electrical signals having predetermined relative phase relationships for producing a correspondingly predetermined antenna response pattern. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. An antenna structure, said structure comprising:
-
an electrically conductive ground plane surface, a layer of electrically conductive radiator elements having respectively corresponding feed line elements connected thereto, a dielectric substrate having a predetermined thickness disposed between said ground plane surface and said layer, said radiator elements comprising a first set of spaced apart radiators having respectively associated resonant axes directed in a first direction and a second set of spaced apart radiators having respectively associated resonant axes directed in a second direction opposite to said first direction, the individual radiators of said first and said second sets of spaced apart radiators being interleaved, said feed line elements being connected between a common feed point and the individual ones of said radiator elements to provide electrical signals thereto in a transmit mode and to receive electrical signals therefrom in a receive mode said electrical signals having predetermined relative phase relationships for producing a correspondingly predetermined antenna response pattern, said first and second sets of spaced apart radiators comprising individual radiators having a first dimension along their respective resonant axes and a second dimension substantially perpendicular thereto, said first dimension being substantially equal to a first predetermined distance in terms of wavelength of the electrical signals in the dielectric substrate at a predetermined operating frequency and also substantially equal to a second predetermined distance in terms of wavelength of the electrical signals in the area overlying said radiators at said predetermined operating frequency, said first and second sets of spaced apart radiators being interleaved to a depth substantially equal to a third predetermined distance in terms of wavelength of the electrical signals in the area overlying said radiators at said predetermined operating frequency, said first, second and third predetermined distances in terms of wavelength having a predetermined relative relationship, and said first predetermined distance being one wavelength and said second predetermined distance being one-half wavelength and said third predetermined distance being one-fourth wavelength. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A microstrip antenna structure for transmitting or receiving electromagnetic radio frequency signals at at least one predetermined operating frequency, said antenna structure comprises:
-
an electrically conductive ground plane surface; a dielectric substrate overlying said ground plane, said dielectric substrate having a predetermined thickness and a predetermined relative dielectric constant; a plurality of substantially rectangularly shaped electrically conductive radiator elements overlying said dielectric substrate; said rectangular radiator elements having substantially parallel longitudinal axes along respective length dimensions which are resonant at said operating frequency in said dielectric substrate; said plurality of rectangular radiator elements comprising a first set of elements having first and second radiating ends substantially aligned respectively along first and second lines in the transverse or width dimensions thereof and a second set of elements having third and fourth radiating ends substantially aligned respectively along third and fourth lines in the transverse or width dimensions thereof; the individual elements of said first and second sets being interleaved and offset with respect to each other so as to sequence said lines in the respective order of first, third, second and fourth, a common feed point, and a corporate structured microstrip electrically conductive feed line extending from the common feed point to the radiating ends of said first set disposed along said first line and also extending from the common feed point to the radiating ends of said second set disposed along said fourth line, the distances along the feed line from said common feed point to the individual elements of the first set differing from the distances along the feed line from said common feed point to the individual elements of the second set by a predetermined amount. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
-
Specification