Electromagnetic compression apparatus, methods, and systems

• US 8,026,862 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2010
• Issued: 09/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Smith, David R., Pendry, John Brian, Schurig, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan; Tho G
• Application Number:
  US12/799,630
• Publication Number:
  US 20100271284A1
• Time in Patent Office: 518 Days
• Field of Search: 343/851, 343/841, 343/909
• US Class Current: 343/851
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/245 with means for shaping the antenna pattern, e.g. in order to protect user against rf exposure
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/521 reducing the coupling between adjacent antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/526 Electromagnetic shields
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/0086 said selective devices having materials with a synthesized negative refractive index, e.g. metamaterials or left-handed materials

Abstract

Apparatus, methods, and systems provide electromagnetic compression. In some approaches the electromagnetic compression is achieved with metamaterials. In some approaches the electromagnetic compression defines an electromagnetic distance between first and second locations substantially greater than a physical distance between the first and second locations, and the first and second locations may be occupied by first and second structures (such as antennas) having an inter-structure coupling (such as a near-field coupling) that is a function of the electromagnetic distance. In some approaches the electromagnetic compression reduces the spatial extent of an antenna near field.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a substantially-transparent electromagnetic compression structure having at least one surface that is substantially nonreflecting of electromagnetic waves in at least one frequency band with at least one selected polarization, the substantially-transparent electromagnetic compression structure operable to enhance an effective geometric attenuation of diverging electromagnetic waves incident on the at least one surface.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the effective geometric attenuation corresponds to an effective space compression along a selected axis.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the substantially transparent electromagnetic compression structure has an effective permittivity that is substantially uniaxial along the selected axis.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the substantially transparent electromagnetic compression structure has an effective permeability that is substantially uniaxial along the selected axis.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the substantially transparent electromagnetic compression structure has an effective permittivity that is substantially uniaxial along the selected axis.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the effective permittivity is substantially equal to the effective permeability.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein a first substantially nondegenerate eigenvalue of the effective permittivity is substantially a multiplicative inverse of second and third substantially degenerate eigenvalues of the effective permittivity.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, where the first substantially nondegenerate eigenvalue is substantially less than unity.

9. A system, comprising:

an antenna operable in proximity to an electromagnetically responsive structure;

communications circuitry configured to receive or transmit via the antenna; and

a substantially-nonreflective and substantially-transparent electromagnetic compression structure operable to provide a reduced inter-structure coupling between the antenna and the electromagnetically responsive structure.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising the electromagnetically responsive structure.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the reduced inter-structure coupling corresponds to an increased effective electromagnetic distance between the antenna and the electromagnetically responsive structure, the increased effective electromagnetic distance being substantially greater than a physical distance between the antenna and the electromagnetically responsive structure.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the electromagnetically responsive structure is a spurious emitter.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the electromagnetically responsive structure is a biological tissue.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the antenna is a first antenna and the electromagnetically responsive structure is a second antenna.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising the second antenna.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the communications circuitry is further configured to receive or transmit via the second antenna.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the communications circuitry is configured to transmit via the first antenna and to receive via the second antenna.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the first and second antennas are first and second elements of a phased array.

19. The system of claim 9, wherein the electromagnetic compression structure operable to provide a reduced inter-structure coupling is an adjustable electromagnetic compression structure operable to provide an adjustable inter-structure coupling.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the adjustable electromagnetic compression structure includes a plurality of adjustable metamaterial elements having adjustable individual responses, the plurality of respective adjustable individual responses providing the adjustable inter-structure coupling.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the adjustable inter-structure coupling is adjustable in response to one or more control signals.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the communications circuitry is further configured to provide the one or more control signals.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the system defines a beam pattern that is a function of the reduced inter-structure coupling.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the beam pattern is an adjustable beam pattern corresponding to the adjustable inter-structure coupling.

25. A system, comprising:

a plurality of electromagnetic responsive structures including one or more antennas;

communications circuitry configured to receive or transmit via the one or more antennas; and

one or more substantially-nonreflective and substantially-transparent electromagnetic compression structures operable to provide reduced inter-structure couplings between at least some pairs of electromagnetically responsive structures selected from of the plurality of electromagnetically responsive structures.