Dual-band directional/omnidirectional antenna

• US 6,839,038 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2002
• Issued: 01/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Weinstein, Michael E.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, THO GIA
• Application Number:
  US10/171,755
• Publication Number:
  US 20030231138A1
• Time in Patent Office: 932 Days
• Field of Search: 343/803, 343/4, 343/790, 343/792, 343/792.5, 343/795, 343815-819, 343/793
• US Class Current: 343/795
• 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 5/371 Branching current paths
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/49 with parasitic elements used for purposes other than for dual-band or multi-band, e.g. imbricated Yagi antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/065 Microstrip dipole antennas patch antenna H01Q9/0407

Abstract

An antenna having a dual-band driven element and a second antenna element simultaneously produces a directional radiation pattern at an upper frequency and an omnidirectional radiation pattern at a lower frequency. The dual-band driven element is formed as a dipole or monopole with at least one choke connected to the end of the dipole or monopole. In an exemplary embodiment, the dual-band driven element includes a central dipole or monopole that has chokes formed as u-shaped extensions located at the ends of the central antenna dipole or monopole. An antenna array includes the dual-band driven element and a second driven antenna element with a reflector and/or a director in a Yagi-Uda configuration. An antenna array includes the dual-band driven element with a reflector or with a reflector and a director in a Yagi-Uda configuration.

Claims

1. A antenna system comprising:

a dual-band driven antenna element for operation at an upper frequency and a lower frequency; and

a second antenna element parasitically coupled with the dual-band driven antenna to cooperate at the upper frequency,

wherein, in response to an applied electrical current having an upper and a lower frequency, the antenna system radiates in a directional pattern at the upper frequency and in an omnidirectional pattern at the lower frequency.

2. The antenna system as in claim 1, wherein the dual-band driven element is a dipole or monopole antenna.

3. The antenna system of claim 2, wherein the dual-band driven antenna element is a dipole antenna.

6. The antenna system of claim 3, wherein the dipole dual-band driven antenna element comprises:

a center dipole;

a first choke electrically connected to a first end of the center dipole; and

a second choke electrically connected to a second end of the center dipole;

the first and second chokes shortening an electrical length of the dual-band driven antenna element at an upper frequency,

wherein the center dipole radiates at the upper frequency in response to an applied current at the upper frequency, and wherein the center dipole and the chokes radiate at a tower frequency in response to an applied current at the lower frequency.

7. The antenna system of claim 3, wherein the dipole dual-band driven antenna element comprises:

a center dipole;

two chokes electrically connected to a first end of the center dipole; and

two chokes electrically connected to a second end of the center dipole;

wherein the two chokes electrically connected to the first end of the center dipole and the two chokes electrically connected to the second end of the center dipole shorten an electrical length of the dual-band driven antenna element at an upper frequency, and

wherein the center dipole radiates at the upper frequency in response to an applied current at the upper frequency, and wherein the center dipole and the chokes radiate at a lower frequency in response to an applied current at the lower frequency.

11. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein the second antenna element is a reflector which reflects radiation at the upper frequency.

12. The antenna system of claim 11, wherein the reflector is printed wiring having a length of about one half of a wavelength of radiation at the upper frequency.

13. The antenna system of claim 11, wherein the reflector has a width which is greater than a width of the dual-band driven antenna element.

16. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein the second antenna element includes a second driven element electrically coupled to the dual-band driven antenna element, and is operational at the upper frequency.

17. The antenna system as in claim 16, further comprising:

a transmission line,

wherein the second driven element and the dual-band driven antenna element are electrically coupled by the transmission line.

18. The antenna system as in claim 17, wherein the transmission line is a balanced transmission line adapted to provide electrical power to the dual-band driven antenna element and the second driven element.

19. The antenna system of claim 17, wherein the transmission line comprises:

a first part printed on a first side of a dielectric sheet;

and a second part printed on a second side of the dielectric sheet.

20. The antenna system of claim 19,

wherein the first transmission line part comprises a first electrically conductive trace and a second electrically conductive trace printed on the first side of the dielectric sheet, the first and second traces being substantially parallel and being connected at their ends, the first and second traces being separated in a region between their ends by a material with a dielectric constant of about 1, and

wherein the second transmission line part comprises a third electrically conductive trace and a fourth electrically conductive trace printed on the second side of the dielectric sheet, the third and fourth traces being parallel and being connected at their ends, the third and fourth traces being separated in a region between their ends by a material with a dielectric constant of about 1.

21. The antenna system of claim 20, further comprising an opening formed through the dielectric sheet between at least two of the electrically conductive traces.

22. The antenna system of claim 20, further comprising:

a second opening formed through the dielectric sheet in an area outside the transmission line; and

a third opening formed through the dielectric sheet in a second area outside the transmission line opposite the first area.

23. The antenna system of claim 17, wherein the dual-band driven element and the second driven antenna elements are dipoles, and further comprising:

a balun configured to receive unbalanced electrical power and to provide balanced electrical power to the dual-band driven element and the second driven antenna element.

24. The antenna system of claim 23, wherein the balun is a compensated balun and is electrically coupled to the dual-band driven element and to the transmission line.

25. The antenna system of claim 24, wherein a longitudinal axis of the balun is arranged substantially perpendicular to a principal axis of the dipole dual-band driven element and to the principal axis of the dipole second driven element, and wherein the longitudinal axis of the balun is substantially parallel to the transmission line.

26. The antenna system of claim 16, further comprising:

a reflector configured to reflect radiation at the upper frequency, the antenna system forming a Yagi-Uda antenna array.

27. The antenna system of claim 16, further comprising:

at least one director configured to direct radiation at the upper frequency,

the dual-band driven antenna element, the second driven element, and the at least one director element arranged to form a Yagi-Uda antenna array.

28. The antenna system of claim 27, further comprising:

a reflector configured to reflect radiation at the upper frequency.

29. The antenna system of claim 16, wherein the dual-band driven element comprises:

a center dipole;

two chokes electrically connected to a first end of the center dipole; and

two chokes electrically connected to a second end of the center dipole;

wherein the two chokes electrically connected to the first end of the center dipole and the two chokes electrically connected to the second end of the center dipole shorten an electrical length of the dual-band antenna element at the upper frequency, and

wherein the center dipole radiates at the upper frequency in response to an applied current at the upper frequency, and wherein the center dipole and the chokes radiate at the lower frequency in response to an applied current at the lower frequency.

30. The antenna system of claim 29, wherein each choke comprises:

a u-shaped extension with an end of the extension connected to an end of the center dipole, the u-shaped extension having two legs which form a quarter-wavelength transmission line at the upper frequency, and wherein a segment of the u-shaped extension forms a short circuit to current at the upper frequency.

31. The antenna system of claim 30, wherein the dual-band driven element further comprises:

a conductive extension electrically coupled to the short circuit segment of at least one u-shaped extension, the conductive extension adapted to maintain radiation efficiency at the upper frequency and to improve radiation efficiency and input impedance bandwidth at the lower frequency.

32. The dual-band antenna system of claim 31,

wherein the dual-band driven antenna element has an electrical length which is short relative to one half of a wavelength at the lower frequency, and wherein the dual-band driven element comprises:

impedance devices electrically connected to the u-shaped extension at the short circuit segment of the u-shaped extension, wherein the impedance devices enable the center dipole and the u-shaped extensions to radiate at a frequency at the lower frequency in response to an applied current with the lower frequency.

4. A antenna system comprising:

a dual-band driven antenna element for operation at an upper frequency and a lower frequency; and

a second antenna element, wherein, in response to an applied electrical current having an upper and a lower frequency, the antenna system radiates in a directional pattern at the upper frequency and in an omnidirectional pattern at the lower frequency, wherein the dual-band driven antenna element comprises;

a center dipole that radiates at the upper frequency in response to an applied current at an upper frequency; and

at least one choke electrically connected to the center dipole,

wherein the center dipole and the choke radiate at a lower frequency in response to an applied current at a lower frequency.

5. The antenna system of claim 4, wherein the choke shortens an electrical length of the dual-band driven antenna element at an upper frequency, the shortened electrical length allowing the simultaneous operation of the dual-band driven antenna element at a lower frequency and at an upper frequency.

8. The antenna system of claim 5, wherein the dual-band driven antenna element further comprises:

a frequency selective impedance matching circuit connected in series between the center dipole and the choke, the frequency selective impedance matching circuit being adapted to match the impedance of a transmission line.

9. The antenna system of claim 8, wherein the impedance matching circuit comprises a resistor.

10. The antenna system as in claim 8, wherein the impedance matching circuit comprises a reactance element.

14. A antenna system comprising:

a dual-band driven antenna element for operation at an upper frequency and a lower frequency; and

a second antenna element, wherein, in response to an applied electrical current having an upper and a lower frequency, the antenna system radiates in a directional pattern at the upper frequency and in an omnidirectional pattern at the lower frequency, wherein the second antenna element comprises at least one director, configured to direct radiation at the upper frequency.

15. The antenna system of claim 14, wherein the at least one director is printed wiring.

33. A antenna system comprising:

a dipole dual-band driven antenna element having a center dipole that radiates at an upper frequency in response to an applied current at the upper frequency and at least one choke electrically connected to the center dipole, wherein the center dipole and the choke radiate at a lower frequency in response to an applied current at the lower frequency;

second dipole driven element operational at the upper frequency and electrically coupled to the dual-band driven antenna element; and

a transmission line and a balun electrically coupled to the second dipole driven element and the dipole dual-band driven antenna element,

wherein, in response to an applied electrical current having an upper and a lower frequency, the antenna system radiates in a directional pattern at the upper frequency and in an omnidirectional pattern at the lower frequency.