End-fire antenna or array on surface with tunable impedance

• US 6,496,155 B1
• Filed: 03/29/2000
• Issued: 12/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation), HRL Laboratories LLC (The Boeing Co.)
• Inventors: Livingston, Stan, Lee, Jar Jar, Sievenpiper, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Tho
• Application Number:
  US09/537,921
• Time in Patent Office: 993 Days
• Field of Search: H01/Q 1.110, 343/700.MS, 343/754, 343/756, 343/767, 343/770, 343/909, 343/792.5, 343/853
• US Class Current: 343/770
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/0066 said selective devices being reconfigurable, tunable or controllable, e.g. using switches
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/0073 said selective devices having corrugations
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/008 said selective devices having Sievenpipers' mushroom elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/26 varying the relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of energy across a radiating aperture H01Q3/12, H01Q3/22, H01Q3/24 take precedence

Abstract

A steerable antenna and method of steering a radio frequency wave received by and/or transmitted from the antenna. The antenna includes a tunable high impedance surface and at least one end-fire antenna disposed on said surface. The method includes varying the impedance of the tunable high impedance surface.

Claims

1. A steerable antenna for receiving and/or transmitting a radio frequency wave, the antenna comprising:

(a) a tunable high impedance surface; and

(b) at least one end-fire antenna disposed on said surface.

2. The steerable antenna of claim 1 wherein the end-fire antenna is a flared notch antenna.

3. The steerable antenna of claim 1 wherein the end-fire antenna is an array of flared notch antennas.

4. The steerable antenna of claim 3 wherein the end-fire antenna is a linear array of flared notch antennas.

5. The steerable antenna of claim 1 wherein the end-fire antenna is a Yagi-Uda antenna.

6. The steerable antenna of claim 1 wherein the end-fire antenna is an array of Yagi-Uda antennas.

7. The steerable antenna of claim 6 wherein the end-fire antenna is a linear array Yagi-Uda antennas.

8. The steerable antenna of claim 1 wherein the tunable high impedance surface comprises at least two relatively moveable insulating substrates, a first one of said at least two relatively moveable insulating substrates having an array of elements disposed on a major surface thereof and a ground plane disposed on another major surface thereof, a second one of said at least two relatively moveable insulating substrates having an array of elements disposed thereon, the array of elements on the second one of said at least two relatively moveable insulating substrates confronting the array of elements on the first one of said at least two relatively moveable insulating substrates through the second one of said at least two relatively moveable insulating substrates.

9. The steerable antenna of claim 8 wherein two relatively moveable insulating substrates each has a thickness which is less than the wavelength of said radio frequency wave.

10. The steerable antenna of claim 9 wherein the elements forming the array of elements disposed on the two relatively moveable insulating substrates each have a maximum dimension which is less than the wavelength of said radio frequency wave.

11. The steerable antenna of claim 1 wherein the tunable high impedance surface includes an insulating substrate having an array of elements disposed on a major surface thereof and a ground plane disposed on another major surface thereof and a capacitor arrangement for controllably varying the capacitance of adjacent elements of said array.

12. A method of steering a radio frequency wave, received by and/or transmitted from an antenna, the method comprising:

(a) providing a tunable high impedance surface;

(b) disposing at least one end-fire antenna on said surface; and

(c) varying the impedance of the tunable high impedance surface.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the end-fire antenna is a flared notch antenna.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the end-fire antenna is an array of flared notch antennas.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the end-fire antenna is a linear array of flared notch antennas.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the end-fire antenna is a Yagi-Uda antenna.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein the end-fire antenna is an array of Yagi-Uda antennas.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the end-fire antenna is a linear array Yagi-Uda antennas.

19. The method of claim 12 wherein the tunable high impedance surface comprises at least two relatively moveable insulating substrates, a first one of said at least two relatively moveable insulating substrates having an array of elements disposed on a major surface thereof and a ground plane disposed on another major surface thereof, a second one of said at least two relatively moveable insulating substrates having an array of elements disposed thereon, the array of elements on the second one of said at least two relatively moveable insulating substrates confronting the array of elements on the first one of said at least two relatively moveable insulating substrates through the second one of said at least two relatively moveable insulating substrates and wherein the step of varying the impedance of the tunable high impedance surface comprises moving the first and second insulating substrates relative to each other.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein two relatively moveable insulating substrates each has a thickness which is less than the wavelength of said radio frequency wave.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the elements forming the array of elements disposed on the two relatively moveable insulating substrates each have a maximum dimension which is less than the wavelength of said radio frequency wave.

22. The method of claim 12 wherein the tunable high impedance surface includes an insulating substrate having an array of elements disposed on a major surface thereof and a ground plane disposed on another major surface thereof and capacitor arrangement for controllably varying the capacitance of adjacent elements of said array and wherein the step of varying the impedance of the tunable high impedance surface comprises varying the capacitance of adjacent elements of said array.

23. A steerable antenna for transmitting a radio frequency beam, the antenna comprising:

(a) a tunable impedance surface;

(b) at least one end-fire antenna disposed on said surface; and

(c) means for tuning the impedance of the tunable impedance surface to control the take off angle of the radio frequency beam relative to the tunable impedance surface.

24. The steerable antenna of claim 23 wherein the end-fire antenna is a flared notch antenna.

25. The steerable antenna of claim 23 wherein the end-fire antenna is an array of flared notch antennas.

26. The steerable antenna of claim 25 wherein the end-fire antenna is a linear array of flared notch antennas.

27. The steerable antenna of claim 23 wherein the end-fire antenna is a Yagi-Uda antenna.

28. The steerable antenna of claim 23 wherein the end-fire antenna is an array of Yagi-Uda antennas.

29. The steerable antenna of claim 28 wherein the end-fire antenna is a linear array Yagi-Uda antennas.

30. The steerable antenna of claim 23 wherein the tunable impedance surface comprises at least two relatively moveable insulating substrates, a first one of said at least two relatively moveable insulating substrates having an array of elements disposed on a major surface thereof and a ground plane disposed on another major surface thereof, a second one of said at least two relatively moveable insulating substrates having an array of elements disposed thereon, the array of elements on the second one of said at least two relatively moveable insulating substrates confronting the array of elements on the first one of said at least two relatively moveable insulating substrates through the second one of said at least two relatively moveable insulating substrates.

31. The steerable antenna of claim 30 wherein the means for tuning is mechanical means for moving the two relatively movable insulating substrates relative to each other.

32. The steerable antenna of claim 30 wherein two relatively moveable insulating substrates each has a thickness which is less than the wavelength of said radio frequency wave.

33. The steerable antenna of claim 32 wherein the elements forming the array of elements disposed on the two relatively moveable insulating substrates each have a maximum dimension which is less than the wavelength of said radio frequency wave.

34. The steerable antenna of claim 23 wherein the tunable impedance surface includes an insulating substrate having an array of elements disposed on a major surface thereof and a ground plane disposed on another major surface thereof and a capacitor arrangement for controllably varying the capacitance of adjacent elements of said array.

35. A steerable antenna system for receiving a radio frequency wave, the antenna system comprising:

(a) a tunable impedance surface;

(b) at least one end-fire antenna disposed on said surface; and

(c) means for tuning the impedance of the tunable impedance surface to control the sensitivity of the end fire antenna to radio frequency waves in an elevation direction relative to the tunable impedance surface.

36. The steerable antenna of claim 35 wherein the end-fire antenna is a flared notch antenna.

37. The steerable antenna of claim 35 wherein the end-fire antenna is an array of flared notch antennas.

38. The steerable antenna of claim 37 wherein the end-fire antenna is a linear array of flared notch antennas.

39. The steerable antenna of claim 35 wherein the end-fire antenna is a Yagi-Uda antenna.

40. The steerable antenna of claim 35 wherein the end-fire antenna is an array of Yagi-Uda antennas.

41. The steerable antenna of claim 40 wherein the end-fire antenna is a linear array Yagi-Uda antennas.

42. The steerable antenna of claim 35 wherein the tunable impedance surface comprises at least two relatively moveable insulating substrates, a first one of said at least two relatively moveable insulating substrates having an array of elements disposed on a major surface thereof and a ground plane disposed on another major surface thereof, a second one of said at least two relatively moveable insulating substrates having an array of elements disposed thereon, the array of elements on the second one of said at least two relatively moveable insulating substrates confronting the array of elements on the first one of said at least two relatively moveable insulating substrates through the second one of said at least two relatively moveable insulating substrates.

43. The steerable antenna of claim 42 wherein the mean for tuning is mechanical means for moving the two relatively movable insulating substrates relative to each other.

44. The steerable antenna of claim 42 wherein two relatively moveable insulating substrates each has a thickness which is less than the wavelength of said radio frequency wave.

45. The steerable antenna of claim 44 wherein the elements forming the array of elements disposed on the two relatively moveable insulating substrates each have a maximum dimension which is less than the wavelength of said radio frequency wave.

46. The steerable antenna of claim 35 wherein the tunable impedance surface includes an insulating substrate having an array of elements disposed on a major surface thereof and a ground plane disposed on another major surface thereof and a capacitor arrangement for controllably varying the capacitance of adjacent elements of said array.

47. A method of steering the sensitivity of an end-fire antenna to a received radio frequency wave, the method comprising:

(a) providing a tunable impedance surface;

(b) disposing at least one end-fire antenna disposed on said surface; and

(c) controllably varying the impedance of the tunable impedance surface to thereby affect the sensitivity of the end fire antenna in an elevation direction relative to said tunable impedance surface.

48. The method of claim 47 wherein the end-fire antenna is a flared notch antenna.

49. The method of claim 47 wherein the end-fire antenna is an array of flared notch antennas.

50. The method of claim 49 wherein the end-fire antenna is a linear array of flared notch antennas.

51. The method of claim 47 wherein the end-fire antenna is a Yagi-Uda antenna.

52. The method of claim 47 wherein the end-fire antenna is an array of Yagi-Uda antennas.

53. The method of claim 52 wherein the end-fire antenna is a linear array Yagi-Uda antennas.

54. The method of claim 47 wherein the tunable impedance surface comprises at least two relatively moveable insulating substrates, a first one of said at least two relatively moveable insulating substrates having an array of elements disposed on a major surface thereof and a ground plane disposed on another major surface thereof, a second one of said at least two relatively moveable insulating substrates having an array of elements disposed thereon, the array of elements on the second one of said at least two relatively moveable insulating substrates confronting the array of elements on the first one of said at least two relatively moveable insulating substrates through the second one of said at least two relatively moveable insulating substrates an wherein the step of varying the impedance of the tunable impedance surface comprises moving the first and second insulating substrates relative to each other.

55. The method of claim 54 wherein two relatively moveable insulating substrates each have a thickness which is less than the wavelength of said radio frequency wave.

56. The method of claim 55 wherein the elements forming the array of elements disposed on the two relatively moveable insulating substrates each having a maximum dimension which is less than the wavelength of said radio frequency wave.

57. The method of claim 47 wherein the tunable impedance surface includes an insulating substrate having an array of elements disposed on a major surface thereof and a ground plane disposed on another major surface thereof and capacitor arrangement for controllably varying the capacitance of adjacent elements of said array and wherein the step of varying the impedance of the tunable impedance surface comprises varying the capacitance of adjacent elements of said array.

58. A method of steering the sensitivity of an end-fire antenna to a received radio frequency wave, the method comprising:

(a) providing a tunable impedance surface;

(b) disposing at least one end-fire antenna disposed on said surface; and

(c) controllably varying the impedance of the tunable impedance surface to thereby affect the sensitivity of the end fire antenna in an elevation direction relative to said tunable impedance surface.

59. The method of claim 58 wherein the end-fire antenna is a flared notch antenna.

60. The method of claim 58 wherein the end-fire antenna is an array of flared notch antennas.

61. The method of claim 60 wherein the end-fire antenna is a linear array of flared notch antennas.

62. The method of claim 58 wherein the end-fire antenna is a Yagi-Uda antenna.

63. The method of claim 58 wherein the end-fire antenna is an array of Yagi-Uda antennas.

64. The method of claim 63 wherein the end-fire antenna is a linear array Yagi-Uda antennas.

65. The method of claim 58 wherein the tunable impedance surface comprises at least two relatively moveable insulating substrates, a first one of said at least two relatively moveable insulating substrates having an array of elements disposed on a major surface thereof and a ground plane disposed on another major surface thereof, a second one of said at least two relatively moveable insulating substrates having an array of elements disposed thereon, the array of elements on the second one of said at least two relatively moveable insulating substrates confronting the array of elements on the first one of said at least two relatively moveable insulating substrates through the second one of said at least two relatively moveable insulating substrates an wherein the step of varying the impedance of the tunable impedance surface comprises moving the first and second insulating substrates relative to each other.

66. The method of claim 65 wherein two relatively moveable insulating substrates each have a thickness which is less than the wavelength of said radio frequency wave.

67. The method of claim 66 wherein the elements forming the array of elements disposed on the two relatively moveable insulating substrates each have a maximum dimension which is less than the wavelength of said radio frequency wave.

68. The method of claim 58 wherein the tunable impedance surface includes an insulating substrate having an array of elements disposed on a major surface thereof and a ground plane disposed on another major surface thereof and capacitor arrangement for controllably varying the capacitance of adjacent elements of said array and wherein the step of varying the impedance of the tunable impedance surface comprises varying the capacitance of adjacent elements of said array.