Electromagnetic wave transmitter/receiver

• US 6,362,788 B1
• Filed: 06/23/2000
• Issued: 03/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Madison Patent Holdings (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing SA (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Louzir, Ali
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HOANG V
• Application Number:
  US09/582,395
• Time in Patent Office: 641 Days
• Field of Search: 343/700.MS, 343/840, 343/772, 343/895, 343/773, 343/786, 343/781.R, 343/725
• US Class Current: 343/700.0MS
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/02 Waveguide horns
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/24 constituted by a dielectric or ferromagnetic rod or pipe H01Q13/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/065 Patch antenna array
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/30 Combinations of separate antenna units operating in different wavebands and connected to a common feeder system
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/45 using two or more feeds in association with a common reflecting, diffracting or refracting device
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0414 in a stacked or folded configuration

Abstract

The invention concerns an electromagnetic wave transmitter/receiver device, comprising a body (18), characterised in that it comprises in combination: a receiver plate (16) incorporated in the body (18) including a first array of n radiating elements (30₁, 30₂, 30₃, 30₄) with a microstrip structure for receiving electromagnetic waves; means for transmitting (19, 20, 22, 23, 24) electromagnetic waves with longitudinal radiation defining a radiation axis for transmitting electromagnetic waves, said means including excitation means (24) for exciting the longitudinal radiation means (19, 20, 22, 23); said radiation means being substantially of constant cross-section in the body (18), perpendicularly intersecting the receiver plate (16) in a circular aperture around which are symmetrically arranged said radiating elements (30₁, 30₂, 30₃, 30₄), said receiving and transmitting means being arranged such that their respective phase centres are substantially arranged in a so-called focusing zone. The invention is particularly applicable to the field of microwave frequency transmission exchanged between a station and a residence or between a satellite and a residence, in the context of satellite telecommunication.

Claims

1. Device for reception/transmission of electromagnetic waves, comprising:

a reception circuit board including a first array of n radiating elements with a microstrip structure for the reception of electromagnetic waves in a first frequency band;

an electromagnetic traveling wave antenna with longitudinal radiation defining a radiation axis for the transmission of electromagnetic waves in a second frequency band; and

excitation means for exciting said traveling wave antenna, said radiating element and traveling wave antenna having a phase center and a radiation axis which are substantially common.

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein said traveling wave antenna comprises a dielectric rod with longitudinal radiation whose axis is coincident with a transmission radiation axis.

3. Device according to claim 2, wherein said excitation means comprises a waveguide.

4. Device according to claim 2, wherein said dielectric rod has the shape of a cylinder with conical ends.

5. Device according to claim 4, wherein said waveguide is closed by a quarter-wave (λ

_GT/4) cavity of length equal to a quarter of the wavelength (λ

_GT) of the guided wave transmitted.

6. Device according to claim 1, wherein said traveling wave antenna comprises a helical device having a series of turns.

7. Device according to claim 6, wherein said excitation means comprises a coaxial line.

8. Device according to claim 1, wherein n is equal to 4.

9. Device according to claim 1, wherein said excitation means are coupled to a microstrip transmission circuit board laid out in a straight section of said excitation means for transmission of electromagnetic waves.

10. Device according to claim 9, further comprising a pair of probes arranged on said transmission circuit board and at right angels to each other and capable of transmitting orthogonally polarized waves.

11. Device according to claim 9, wherein said microstrip transmission circuit board has a frequency conversion circuit.

12. Device according to claim 11, wherein said microstrip transmission circuit board comprises an intermediate circuit board having at least part of said frequency conversion circuit associated with said reception circuit board and/or said transmission circuit board.

13. Device according to claim 1, wherein said reception circuit board has a frequency conversion circuit.

14. Device according to claim 1, wherein an auxiliary circuit board is associated, in a parallel manner, with said reception circuit board and has a second array comprising a plurality of radiating elements opposite said respective plurality of radiating elements of said first array and of resonant frequency (F₀) close to said resonant frequency (F₀) of said first array so that the pair of arrays of radiating elements opposite each other is equivalent to a single array with an extended bandwidth.