Planar antenna including a superstrate lens having an effective dielectric constant
First Claim
1. A planar antenna system comprising:
- a substrate;
a planar antenna patterned on the substrate, said antenna operating at a predetermined frequency band; and
a superstrate lens positioned on the antenna opposite to the substrate and being made of a superstrate material having a material dielectric constant, said superstrate lens including a plurality of holes that vary the material dielectric constant to be an effective dielectric constant that acts to reduce resonant waves in the superstrate lens.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A planar antenna that includes a high dielectric constant superstrate lens having a plurality of air holes that vary the actual dielectric constant of the lens to provide an effective dielectric constant superstrate lens. The holes can take on any shape and configuration in accordance with a particular antenna design scheme so as to optimize the effective dielectric constant for a particular application. In one particular design, the holes are formed in a random manner completely through superstrate lens, and the holes have an opening diameter less than 1/20th of the operational wavelength of the antenna. The holes act to vary the dielectric constant of the superstrate lens so that the resonant waves do not form in the lens, thus reducing power loss in the antenna. The holes are formed by a suitable mechanical or laser drilling operation.
86 Citations
31 Claims
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1. A planar antenna system comprising:
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a substrate; a planar antenna patterned on the substrate, said antenna operating at a predetermined frequency band; and a superstrate lens positioned on the antenna opposite to the substrate and being made of a superstrate material having a material dielectric constant, said superstrate lens including a plurality of holes that vary the material dielectric constant to be an effective dielectric constant that acts to reduce resonant waves in the superstrate lens. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. The planar antenna system comprising:
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a substrate having a substrate dielectric constant; a planar slot antenna patterned on the substrate, said slot antenna being operational at a predetermined frequency band having an operational wavelength; and a superstrate lens positioned on the antenna opposite to the substrate and being made of a superstrate material having a material dielectric constant, being a ceramic composite, said superstrate lens including a plurality of micromachined holes extending through the lens that vary the material dielectric constant to be an effective dielectric constant that acts to reduce resonant waves in the superstrate lens, said holes having an average diameter less than 1/20th of the wavelength at a center frequency of the predetermined frequency band. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method of providing a planar antenna system, comprising:
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providing a substrate; patterning a planar antenna on the substrate to operate at a predetermined frequency band; providing a superstrate lens on the antenna opposite to the substrate that is made out of a superstrate material having a material dielectric constant; and forming a plurality of holes in the superstrate lens to vary the material dielectric constant to be an effective dielectric constant that acts to reduce resonant waves in the superstrate lens. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification