Low-profile lens method and apparatus for mechanical steering of aperture antennas
First Claim
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1. A method of directing a beam, comprising:
- receiving a beam having a first direction of travel at a first rotatable lens element;
delaying a first discrete portion of the beam by a first amount;
delaying a second discrete portion of the beam by a second amount, wherein the second amount is different from the first amount;
passing the beam from the first rotatable lens element to a second rotatable lens element;
delaying a third discrete portion of the beam by a third amount; and
delaying a fourth discrete portion of the beam by a fourth amount, wherein the fourth amount is different from the third amount, in order to alter the direction of travel of the beam.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A low-profile lens element for steering a beam is provided. Specifically, the low-profile lens element is mechanically rotatable such that a beam can be steered in any direction within three-dimensional space. The lens element may include a number of discrete portions for differentially delaying adjacent discrete portions of a beam in order to effect beam steering.
95 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method of directing a beam, comprising:
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receiving a beam having a first direction of travel at a first rotatable lens element; delaying a first discrete portion of the beam by a first amount; delaying a second discrete portion of the beam by a second amount, wherein the second amount is different from the first amount; passing the beam from the first rotatable lens element to a second rotatable lens element; delaying a third discrete portion of the beam by a third amount; and delaying a fourth discrete portion of the beam by a fourth amount, wherein the fourth amount is different from the third amount, in order to alter the direction of travel of the beam. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A method of directing a beam, comprising:
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receiving a beam having a first direction of travel at a first rotatable lens element, delaying a first discrete portion of the beam by a first amount; and delaying a second discrete portion of the beam by a second amount, wherein the second amount is different from the first amount; wherein the first lens element comprises a stepped dielectric, wherein the first discrete portion of the first lens element has a first thickness and the second discrete portion of the first lens element has a second thickness, and wherein the second thickness is different from the first thickness, further comprising; receiving the first portion of the beam at the first discrete portion of the lens element; transmitting the first portion of the beam through the stepped dielectric having a first thickness; receiving the second portion of the beam at the second discrete portion of the lens element; and transmitting the second portion of the beam through the stepped dielectric having a second thickness. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of directing a beam, comprising:
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receiving a beam having a first direction of travel at a first rotatable lens element; delaying a first discrete portion of the beam by a first amount; and delaying a second discrete portion of the beam by a second amount, wherein the second amount is different from the first amount; wherein the first lens element comprises back-to-back radiating elements, wherein the back-to-back radiating elements are separated by a ground plane, wherein the first portion comprises a first radiating element and a second radiating element connected by a first transmission line, and wherein the second portion comprises a third radiating element and a fourth radiating element connected by a second transmission line. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of directing a beam, comprising:
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receiving a beam having a first direction of travel at a first rotatable lens element; delaying a first discrete portion of the beam by a first amount; delaying a second discrete portion of the beam by a second amount, wherein the second amount is different from the first amount; partitioning the first lens element into four discrete portions, each of the four discrete portions of the first lens element receiving a portion of the beam, the first discrete portion of the beam being incident upon a first discrete portion of the first lens element, the second discrete portion of the beam being incident upon a second discrete portion of the first lens element, a third discrete portion of the beam being incident upon a third discrete portion of the first lens element, and a fourth discrete portion of the beam being incident upon a fourth discrete portion of the first lens element; changing the phase of the first discrete portion of the beam by a first fraction of the beam'"'"'s wavelength; changing the phase of the second discrete portion of the beam by a second fraction of the beam'"'"'s wavelength; changing the phase of the third discrete portion of the beam by a third fraction of the beam'"'"'s wavelength; and changing the phase of the fourth discrete portion of the beam by a fourth fraction of the beam'"'"'s wavelength.
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12. A beam steering device, comprising:
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a first rotatable lens element, comprising; at least a first area operable to receive a first discrete portion of a beam traveling in a first direction and further operable to delay the first portion of the beam by a first amount and then transmit the first portion of the beam; at least a second area operable to receive a second discrete portion of the beam and further operable to delay the second portion of the beam by a second amount and then transmit the second section of the beam; and a stepped dielectric, wherein the first portion has a first thickness, and wherein the second portion has a second thickness that is different from the first thickness; wherein the first amount of phase change is different from the second amount of phase change. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A beam steering device, comprising:
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a first rotatable lens element, comprising; at least a first area operable to receive a first discrete portion of a beam traveling in a first direction and further operable to delay the first portion of the beam by a first amount and then transmit the first portion of the beam; at least a second area operable to receive a second discrete portion of the beam and further operable to delay the second portion of the beam by a second amount and then transmit the second section of the beam; back-to-back radiating elements separated by a ground plane, wherein the first discrete portion of the first lens element comprises a first radiating element, a second radiating element, and a first transmission line connecting the first radiating element and the second radiating element, wherein the second discrete portion comprises a third radiating element, a fourth radiating element, and a second transmission line connecting the third radiating element and the fourth radiating element; wherein the first amount of phase change is different from the second amount of phase change. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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20. A beam steering device, comprising:
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a first rotatable lens element, comprising; at least a first area operable to receive a first discrete portion of a beam traveling in a first direction and further operable to delay the first portion of the beam by a first amount and then transmit the first portion of the beam; and at least a second area operable to receive a second discrete portion of the beam and further operable to delay the second portion of the beam by a second amount and then transmit the second section of the beam; a second rotatable lens element comprising a first area and a second area, wherein the first area of the second lens element is operable to receive a first discrete portion of the beam transmitted by the first rotatable lens element and further operable to delay the first portion of the beam traveling in the second direction by a first amount and then transmit the first portion of the beam, wherein the second area of the second lens element is operable to receive a second discrete portion of the beam transmitted by the first rotatable lens element and further operable to delay the second portion of the beam traveling in the second direction by a second amount; wherein the first amount of phase change is different from the second amount of phase change. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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22. A beam steering device. comprising:
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a first means for altering a direction of travel of a radio frequency beam having a first side and a second side and including; means for delaying a portion of the beam received at a first area of the first side by a first amount; and means for delaying a portion of the beam received at a second area of the first side by a second amount, wherein the first and second amounts are different; wherein the means for altering comprises a stepped dielectric, wherein the means for delaying a portion of the beam received at the first area has a first thickness, and wherein the means for delaying a portion of the beam received at a second area has a second thickness that is different from the first thickness. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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24. A beam steering device, comprising:
a first means for altering a direction of travel of a radio frequency beam having a first side and a second side and including; means for delaying a portion of the beam received at a first area of the first side by a first amount, wherein the means for delaying a portion of the beam received at a first area comprises; a first means for receiving; a first means for transmitting; and a first means for connecting the first means for receiving and transmitting; and means for delaying a portion of the beam received at a second area of the first side by a second amount, wherein the first and second amounts are different, and wherein the means for delaying a portion of the beam received at a second area comprises; a second means for receiving; a second means for transmitting; and a second means for connecting the second means for receiving and transmitting; and wherein the first and second means for connection have different lengths.
Specification