Low cost impulse compatible wideband antenna

• US 6,348,898 B1
• Filed: 06/25/1999
• Issued: 02/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Inventors: Nelson, Scott D., Mullenhoff, Donald J., Burke, Gerald J., Stever, Robert D., Rosenbury, Erwin T., Governo, George K.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, HOANGANH T
• Application Number:
  US09/340,178
• Time in Patent Office: 970 Days
• Field of Search: H01/Q 1.300, 343/786, 343/767, 343/772, 343/795, 343/829, 343/830, 343/846
• US Class Current: 343/786
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/02 Waveguide horns
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/08 Radiating ends of two-conductor microwave transmission lines, e.g. of coaxial lines, of microstrip lines
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/25 Ultra-wideband [UWB] systems, e.g. multiple resonance systems; Pulse systems
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/307 Individual or coupled radiating elements, each element being fed in an unspecified way

Abstract

An antenna apparatus and method for building the antenna is disclosed. Impulse signals travel through a feed point of the antenna with respect to a ground plane. A geometric fin structure is connected to the feed point, and through a termination resistance to the ground plane. A geometric ridge structure connected to the ground is positioned with respect to the fin in order to receive and radiate electromagnetic energy from the impulse signal at a predetermined impedance and over a predetermined set of frequencies. The fin and ridge can be either a wire or a planar surface. The fin and ridge may be disposed within a radiation cavity such as a horn. The radiation cavity is constructed of stamped and etched metal sheets bent and then soldered together. The fin and ridge are also formed from metal sheets or wires. The fin is attached to the feed point and then to the cavity through a termination resistance. The ridge is attached to the cavity and disposed with respect to the fin in order to achieve a particular set of antenna characteristics.

Claims

1. An antenna apparatus comprising:

a feed point;

a ground;

a geometric fin structure coupled to the feed point and spaced away from said ground;

only one geometric ridge structure coupled to the ground; and

a connector having an external housing coupled to the ground and a center conductor coupled to the feed point.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the geometric fin structure is a wire.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the geometric fin structure has a planar fin surface.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the geometric ridge structure has a planar ridge surface positioned approximately perpendicular to the planar fin surface.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the antenna apparatus has a preselected impedance between the feed point and the ground.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the connector is a 50 ohm connector.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further including a radiation cavity coupled to the ground.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the radiation cavity includes a set of sidewalls each having predetermined heights and positioned at predetermined angles with respect to each other.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the radiation cavity is a horn structure.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the radiation cavity is a box structure.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein at a predetermined distance from the feed point a first distance between the geometric ridge structure and the geometric fin structure is less than a second between the geometric fin structure and the cavity.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an impulse signal coupling the feed point to the ground.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a termination resistance, coupled between the geometric fin structure and the ground.

14. A method for building an antenna, comprising the steps of:

constructing a radiation cavity having a feed point;

coupling a geometric fin structure which is spaced away from said radiation cavity to the feed point; and

coupling only one geometric ridge structure to the cavity.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the constructing a radiation cavity step includes the steps of:

stamping a metal sheet into a predetermined shape;

etching the metal sheet;

bending the metal sheet into a shape of the radiation cavity; and

soldering seams of the radiation cavity.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the coupling of a geometric fin structure step includes the step of:

constructing the geometric fin structure from a wire filament.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the coupling of a geometric fin structure step includes the step of:

forming the geometric fin structure as a shaped metal sheet.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the coupling of a geometric ridge structure step includes the steps of:

forming the geometric ridge structure as a shaped metal sheet.

19. The method of claim 14 further including the step of:

coupling a termination resistance between the geometric fin structure and the cavity.

20. An antenna apparatus comprising:

a feed point;

a ground;

a geometric fin structure coupled to the feed point and spaced away from said ground;

only one geometric ridge structure coupled to the ground; and

a radiation cavity coupled to the ground.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the radiation cavity includes a set of sidewalls each having predetermined heights and positioned at predetermined angles with respect to each other.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the radiation cavity is a horn structure.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the radiation cavity is a box structure.

24. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein at a predetermined distance from the feed point a first distance between the ridge and the fin is less than a second distance between the fin and the cavity.

25. An antenna apparatus comprising:

a feed point;

a ground;

a geometric fin structure coupled to the feed point and spaced away from said ground; and

only one geometric ridge structure coupled to the ground; and

a termination resistance coupled between the fin and the ground.