Wideband microstrip leaky-wave antenna and its feeding system

• US 6,404,390 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2001
• Issued: 06/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Sheen, Jyh-Wen
• Primary Examiner(s): Wimer, Michael C.
• Application Number:
  US09/764,753
• Publication Number:
  US 20020005807A1
• Time in Patent Office: 509 Days
• Field of Search: H01/Q.138, 343/700.MS, 343/792.5, 343/739, 333/26, 333/128
• US Class Current: 343/700.0MS
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/20 Non-resonant leaky-waveguide or transmission-line antennas; Equivalent structures causing radiation along the transmission path of a guided wave

Abstract

A wideband microstrip leaky-wave antenna, comprising a plurality of sections of antenna. Each section of antenna includes a major part of microstrip antenna, each of which has different and continuous width parameters and is connected serially by the way in which the width parameters of major part of microstrip are decreasing. Each band of each antenna'"'"'s section constructs a continuous antenna'"'"'s band. In addition, to prevent characteristic of bandwidth from limiting, the antenna can include a wideband feeding system. The wideband feeding system comprises at least one conductor-backed coplanar strips connected to major part of wideband antenna, a balun connected to the conductor-backed coplanar strip, and an input microstrip connected to the balun. The input microstrip is utilized for energy input, then transmitting energy to the end of the section antenna through the conductor-backed coplanar strip and the balun.

Claims

1. A wideband microstrip leaky-wave antenna, comprising a plurality of antenna sections;

wherein each of the antenna sections includes a microstrip line for leaking energy;

wherein the microstrip lines of the antenna sections have different widths and the antenna sections are directly and sequentially connected in an order of the decreasing widths of the microstrip lines therein;

wherein frequency bands of the antenna sections depends on the widths of the microstrip lines therein; and

wherein the frequency bands of the antenna sections constitute an antenna band of the wideband microstrip leaky-wave antenna.

2. The wideband microstrip leaky-wave antenna as recited in claim 1, further comprising a feeding structure, the feeding structure further comprising:

at least one pair of conductor-backed coplanar strips connected to an end of the connected antenna sections;

a wideband balance-to-unbalance transformer connected to the pair of the conductor-backed coplanar strips; and

an input microstrip, connected to the wideband balance-to-unbalance transformer, for receiving and transmitting energy to the end of the connected antenna sections through the pair of the conductor-backed coplanar strips and the wideband balance-to-unbalance transformer.

3. The wideband microstrip leaky-wave antenna as recited in claim 2, further comprising:

a metal bottom plate located under the pair of the conductor-backed coplanar strips; and

a dielectrics layer located between the metal bottom plate and the pair of the conductor-backed coplanar strips.

4. The wideband microstrip leaky-wave antenna as recited in claim 2, wherein the wideband balance-to-unbalance transformer is a Marchand type balance-to-unbalance transformer.

5. A antenna-feeding structure, connected to a microstrip line, for conveying energy to the microstrip line, the microstrip line serving as a wave source, comprising:

at least one pair of conductor-backed coplanar strips connected to an end of the microstrip line;

a wideband balance-to-unbalance transformer connected to the pair of the coductor-backed coplanar strips; and

an input microstrip line, connected to the wideband balance-to-unbalance transformer, for receiving and transmitting the energy to the end of the microstrip line through the pair of the conductor-backed coplanar strips and the wideband balance-to-unbalance transformer.

6. The antenna-feeding structure as recited in claim 5, further comprising:

a metal bottom plate located under the pair of the conductor-backed coplanar strips; and

a dielectrics layer located between the metal bottom plate and the pair of the conductor-backed coplanar strips.

7. The antenna-feeding structure as recited in claim 5, wherein the wideband balance-to-unbalance transformer is a Marchand type balance-to-unbalance transformer.

8. An antenna-feeding structure connected to a first microstrip line and a second microstrip line, for conveying energy to the first microstrip line and the second microstrip line, the first microstrip line and the second microstrip line serving as wave sources for emitting electromagnetic waves with symmetric main lobes in directions, comprising:

at least one first pair of conductor-backed coplanar strips connected to a first end of the first microstrip line;

at least one second pair of conductor-backed coplanar strips connected to a second end of the second microstrip line;

a wideband balance-to-unbalance transformer with a first edge connected to the first pair of the coductor-backed coplanar strips and the second edge connected to the second pair of the conductor-backed coplanar strips; and

an input microstrip line, connected to the wideband balance-to-unbalance transformer, for receiving and transmitting the energy to the first end of the first microstrip line and the second end of the second microstrip line through the first pair of the conductor-backed coplanar strips, the second pair of the conductor-backed coplanar strips and the wideband balance-to-unbalance transformer.

9. The antenna-feeding structure as recited in claim 8, further comprising:

a metal bottom plate located under the first pair of the conductor-backed coplanar strips; and

a dielectrics layer located between the metal bottom plate and the first pair of the conductor-backed coplanar strips.

10. The antenna-feeding structure as recited in claim 8, further comprising:

a metal bottom plate located under the second pair of the conductor-backed coplanar strips; and

a dielectrics layer located between the metal bottom plate and the second pair of the conductor-backed coplanar strips.

11. The antenna-feeding structure as recited in claim 8, wherein the wideband balance-to-unbalance transformer is a Marchand type balance-to-unbalance transformer.