Composite rooftop antenna for terrestrial and satellite reception

• US 5,859,618 A
• Filed: 12/20/1996
• Issued: 01/12/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schroeder, Robert Edward, Miller, Robert Raymond II, Russell, Jesse Eugene
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Hoanganh
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HOANG V
• Application Number:
  US08/770,351
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 343/725, 343/720, 343/755, 343/753, 343/754, 343/781 R, 343/893, 343/799, 343/729, 343/778
• US Class Current: 343/725
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/06 using refracting or diffracting devices, e.g. lens radome H01Q1/42
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/17 the primary radiating source comprising two or more radiating elements H01Q19/15, H01Q25/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/45 using two or more feeds in association with a common reflecting, diffracting or refracting device

Abstract

An antenna structure includes a plurality of vertical directed antennas mounted on an insulated cylindrical substrate. A parabolic reflecting antenna is mounted at one end of the cylindrical substrate cavity and a dielectric lens admits radiation through the cylindrical cavity to the parabolic reflector. Optical detectors are located on the cylindrical substrate periphery and exposed to optical signals through an InfraRed (IR) optical filter.

Claims

1. A composite antenna for simultaneously providing radiation and reception for both terrestrial and satellite communications, comprising:

a cylindrical insulating substrate having a substantially vertical longitudinal axis supporting a plurality of vertically directed dipole antennas mounted around a surface of the cylindrical substrate and oriented parallel to the vertical longitudinal axis;

a parabolic reflector antenna member mounted at one end of the cylindrical substrate such that the parabolic axis and the parabolic vertex is coincident with the vertical longitudinal axis;

a dielectric lens mounted at another end of the cylindrical substrate opposite the one end of the cylindrical substrate and having its focal axis coincident with the vertical longitudinal axis; and

a signal feed located on the vertical longitudinal axis;

within the cylindrical insulating substrate and between the parabolic reflector and the dielectric lenses.

2. The antenna of claim 1, further comprising:

each vertically directed dipole antenna including a plurality of switched traps controllable to adjust effective antenna length.

3. The antenna of claim 1, further comprising:

optical detector modules mounted on the cylindrical surface of the cylindrical substrate between the vertically directed antennas; and

an infrared filter for blocking visible light surrounding the cylindrical substrate opposite the optical detector modules.

4. The antenna of claim 1, further comprising:

a front end RF processor connected for transmitting RF to and from the vertically directed antenna.

5. The antenna of claim 1, further comprising:

wherein the dielectric lens is effective in radio signal transmittal at microwave frequencies.

6. A composite antenna for responding to and receiving from communicating devices in the sky and on the ground, comprising:

a supporting insulating substrate having a cylindrical shape and having an internal cavity joining two opposing ends;

a plurality of dipole antennas mounted on the cylindrical shape and parallel to a central altitude axis of the cylindrical shape

a parabolic reflector antenna at one end of the substrate and a focusing device at the opposing end of the substrate; and

source detector/feed unit, interacting with the parabolic reflector antenna, within the cavity for signal communicating with both in the sky and on the ground communicating devices.

7. A composite antenna as claimed in claim 6, further including:

an RF processing module connected to structurally support the composite antenna.

8. A composite antenna for responding to and receiving communicating devices in the sky and on the ground, comprising:

a supporting insulating substrate having an internal cavity joining two opposing ends;

a plurality of dipole antennas mounted on an external structure of the supporting insulating structure;

a parabolic reflector antenna at one end of the substrate and a focusing device, having a dielectric lens, and located at the opposing end of the substrate; and

a source/detector feed unit interacting with the parabolic antenna within the cavity for signal communicating with both in the sky and on the ground communicating devices.

9. A composite antenna for responding to and receiving communicating devices in the sky and on the ground, comprising:

a supporting insulating substrate having a cylindrical shape and an internal cavity joining two opposing ends, with a parabolic reflector antenna and a focusing device located at opposite ends of the cylindrical shape;

a plurality of dipole antennas mounted on an external structure of the supporting insulating structure;

the parabolic reflector antenna at one end of the substrate and a focusing device at the opposing end of the substrate; and

a source/detector feed unit, interacting with the parabolic antenna, within the cavity unit, for signal communicating with both in the sky and on the ground.

10. A composite antenna for responding to and receiving communicating devices in the sky and on the ground, comprising:

a supporting insulating substrate having an internal cavity joining two opposing ends;

a plurality of dipole antennas mounted on an external structure of the supporting insulating structure;

the dipole antennas each having a plurality of controllably switched traps distributed along its length;

a parabolic reflector antenna at one end of the substrate and a focusing device at the opposing end of the substrate;

a source/detector feed unit, interacting with the parabolic antenna, within the cavity for signal communicating with both in the sky and on the ground communicating devices.

11. A composite antenna for responding to and receiving communicating devices in the sky and on the ground, comprising:

a supporting insulating substrate having an internal cavity joining two opposing ends;

a plurality of dipole antennas mounted on an external structure of the supporting insulating structure;

optical detectors mounted between the dipole antennas;

a parabolic reflector antenna at one end of the substrate and a focusing device at the opposing end of the substrate; and

a source/detector feed unit, interacting with the parabolic antenna, within the cavity for signal communicating with both in the sky and on the ground communicating devices.