Microwave antenna
First Claim
1. A microwave antenna having a movable feed, said microwave antenna comprising:
- a thin layer radiating-receiving microwave waveguide section having;
1) a conductive first plate;
2) a dielectric slab disposed on said conductive first plate and having a convex edge, positioned such that the convex edge functions as a microwave lens with respect to incident microwave radiation;
3) a conductive radiating-receiving second plate defining a radiating-receiving area, disposed on said dielectric slab, said second plate comprising a plurality of spaced apertures, said plurality of spaced apertures defining a spacing chosen to produce or define microwave beams having directions into or out of said second plate determined by directions of propagation of microwave radiation within said radiating-receiving microwave waveguide section, andwherein the feed propagates microwave radiation into, or receives microwave radiation from, an air cavity formed by said first and second conductive plates, andwherein wavefronts of the microwave radiation incident on said convex edge of the dielectric slab are made substantially parallel to each other, andwherein the horizontal direction of microwave radiation radiated from the dielectric slab is controlled by corresponding horizontal movement of the feed.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A low cost microwave antenna. Microwaves are radiated from or collected by a thin layer radiating-collecting microwave guide section in which a dielectric slab is sandwiched between a metallic bottom plate and a metallic radiating-collecting cover plate. The cover plate contains a large number of slots spaced to produce outgoing or define incoming microwaves beams having directions determined: (1) by the directions of propagation of microwave radiation within the radiating-collecting microwave section and (2) by the frequency of the radiation. In a collection mode, a microwave lens focuses microwave radiation propagating in the waveguide section at focal locations which are dependent on the direction of propagation of the radiation in the waveguide. Alternatively, in a radiation mode, the lens converts microwave energy broadcast from said focal locations into parallel beams propagating in the radiating-collecting microwave guide section.
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Citations
42 Claims
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1. A microwave antenna having a movable feed, said microwave antenna comprising:
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a thin layer radiating-receiving microwave waveguide section having; 1) a conductive first plate; 2) a dielectric slab disposed on said conductive first plate and having a convex edge, positioned such that the convex edge functions as a microwave lens with respect to incident microwave radiation; 3) a conductive radiating-receiving second plate defining a radiating-receiving area, disposed on said dielectric slab, said second plate comprising a plurality of spaced apertures, said plurality of spaced apertures defining a spacing chosen to produce or define microwave beams having directions into or out of said second plate determined by directions of propagation of microwave radiation within said radiating-receiving microwave waveguide section, and wherein the feed propagates microwave radiation into, or receives microwave radiation from, an air cavity formed by said first and second conductive plates, and wherein wavefronts of the microwave radiation incident on said convex edge of the dielectric slab are made substantially parallel to each other, and wherein the horizontal direction of microwave radiation radiated from the dielectric slab is controlled by corresponding horizontal movement of the feed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A microwave imaging system comprising:
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A) a microwave antenna comprised of; 1) a thin layer radiating-receiving microwave waveguide section comprised of; a) a metallic bottom plate, b) a dielectric slab disposed on said metallic bottom plate, c) a metallic radiating-receiving cover plate defining a radiating-receiving area, disposed on said dielectric slab, said cover plate comprising a plurality of spaced slots, said spaced slots defining a regular spacing chosen to produce or define microwave beams having directions into or out of said cover plate determined by directions of propagation of TEM microwave radiation within said radiating-receiving microwave waveguide section; 2) a microwave lens arranged to perform at least one of the following functions; a) in a radiating-receiving mode, focus TEM microwave radiation propagating in said thin layer radiating-receiving waveguide section at a plurality of locations, each location defining a focal location and each of said focal locations corresponding to a direction of travel to TEM microwave radiation in said thin layer radiating-receiving waveguide section, and b) in a radiating mode, to produce in said thin layer radiating-receiving waveguide section microwave beams having substantially linear wavefronts from microwave radiation from any one of said focal locations; 3) at least one transmitting-radiating-receiving microwave element for performing at least one of the following functions; 1) in a radiatin-receiving mode, radiating-receiving microwave energy from said thin layer radiating-receiving microwave waveguide section focused at said plurality of focal locations, and 2) in a transmitting mode, transmitting microwave energy from said plurality of slots into said thin layer radiating-receiving microwave section; B. a processing system comprised of; 1) front end electronics for converting microwave radiation collected by said antenna into corresponding signals at lower frequencies; 2) processor interface electronics for said lower frequency signals into a plurality of frequency subbands; and 3) a processor for converting said frequency subbands into optical images. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. A microwave antenna for radiating-receiving or transmitting microwave radiation within a frequency band defining a minimum wavelength corresponding to the highest frequency in said frequency band comprising:
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A) a dielectric slab defining edges, a radiating-receiving surface, and an opposite surface, and having a convex edge, such that the convex edge functions as a microwave lens; B) at least one movable transmitting-radiating-receiving microwave element for performing at least one of the following functions; 1) in a radiating-receiving mode, radiating-receiving microwave energy from at least one edge of said dielectric slab, and 2) in a transmitting mode, transmitting microwave energy into at least one edge of said dielectric slab, C) a plurality of subresonant radiating-receiving elements arranged to couple microwave energy into or out of said dielectric slab through said radiating-receiving surface; wherein said at least one movable transmitting-radiating-receiving microwave element propagates microwave radiation into, or receives microwave radiation from, an air cavity formed by said at least one edge of the dielectric slab and said at least one movable transmitting-radiating-receiving microwave element, and wherein wavefronts of the microwave radiation incident on said convex edge of the dielectric slab are made substantially parallel to each other, and wherein the horizontal direction of microwave radiation radiated from the dielectric slab is controlled by corresponding horizontal movement of said at least one movable transmitting-radiating-receiving microwave element. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A microwave antenna for radiating-receiving or transmitting microwave radiation within a frequency band defining a minimum wavelength corresponding to the highest frequency in said frequency band, and having a feed, said microwave antenna comprising:
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A) a dielectric slab having a thickness of less than one-half said minimum wavelength, said slab defining edges, a radiating-receiving surface and an opposite surface, and having a convex edge, such that the convex edge functions as a microwave lens; B) at least one transmitting-radiating-receiving microwave element for performing at least one of the following functions; 1) in radiating-receiving mode, radiating-receiving microwave energy from at least one edge of said dielectric slab, and 2) in a transmitting mode, transmitting microwave energy into at least one edge of said dielectric slab, wherein the feed propagates microwave radiation into, or receives microwave radiation from, an air cavity formed by said first and second conductive plates, and wherein wavefronts of the microwave radiation incident on said convex edge of the dielectric slab are made substantially parallel to each other, and wherein the horizontal direction of microwave radiation radiated from the dielectric slab is controlled by corresponding horizontal movement of the feed. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A microwave antenna having a feed including a microwave lens, comprising:
a thin layer radiating-receiving microwave waveguide section having; 1) a conductive first plate; 2) a dielectric slab disposed on said conductive first plate, and having a convex edge, such that the convex edge functions as a microwave lens; 3) a conductive radiating-receiving second plate defining a radiating-receiving area, disposed on said dielectric slab, said second plate comprising a plurality of spaced slots, said plurality of spaced slots defining a spacing chosen to produce or define microwave beams having directions into or out of said second plate determined by directions of propagation of microwave radiation within said radiating-receiving microwave waveguide section, and wherein said waveguide section is designed to operate within a frequency band, said band defining a highest design frequency and a lowest design wavelength, and wherein the feed propagates microwave radiation into, or receives microwave radiation from, an air cavity formed by said first and second conductive plates, and wherein wavefronts of the microwave radiation incident on said convex edge of the dielectric slab are made substantially parallel to each other, and wherein the horizontal direction of microwave radiation radiated from the dielectric slab is controlled by corresponding horizontal movement of the feed.
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41. A microwave antenna for receiving or transmitting microwave radiation within a frequency band defining a minimum wavelength corresponding to the highest frequency in said frequency band comprising:
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A) a dielectric slab defining edges, a radiating-receiving surface, and an opposite surface, and having a convex edge, such that the convex edge functions as a microwave lens; B) at least one transmitting-receiving microwave element for performing at least one of the following functions; 1) in a receiving mode, receiving microwave energy from at least one edge of said dielectric slab, and 2) in a transmitting mode, transmitting microwave energy into at least one edge of said dielectric slab, wherein a feed propagates microwave radiation into, or receives microwave radiation from, an air cavity formed by first and second conductive plates, and wherein wavefronts of the microwave radiation incident on said convex edge of the dielectric slab are made substantially parallel to each other, and wherein the horizontal direction of microwave radiation radiated from the dielectric slab is controlled by corresponding horizontal movement of the feed; C) a plurality of radiating-receiving elements, each element having a major dimension less than about 40% of said minimum wavelength and arranged to couple microwave energy into or out of said dielectric slab through said radiating-receiving surface.
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42. A microwave antenna having a feed including a microwave lens, comprising:
a thin layer radiating-receiving microwave waveguide section having; 1) a conductive first plate; 2) a dielectric slab disposed on said conductive first plate, and having a convex edge, such that the convex edge functions as a microwave lens; 3) a conductive radiating-receiving second plate defining a radiating-receiving area, disposed on said dielectric slab, said second plate comprising a plurality of spaced apertures, said plurality of spaced apertures defining a spacing chosen to produce or define microwave beams having directions into or out of said second plate determined by directions of propagation of microwave radiation within said radiating-receiving microwave waveguide section, and wherein the feed propagates microwave radiation into, or receives microwave radiation from, an air cavity formed by said first and second conductive plates, and wherein wavefronts of the microwave radiation incident on said convex edge of the dielectric slab are made substantially parallel to each other, and wherein the horizontal direction of microwave radiation radiated from the dielectric slab is controlled by corresponding horizontal movement of the feed.
Specification