Dynamic radiation pattern antenna system

• US 8,094,074 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2007
• Issued: 01/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Polyvalor LP
• Original Assignee: Polyvalor LP
• Inventors: Caloz, Christophe, Frigon, Jean-François
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Dao
• Application Number:
  US11/947,759
• Publication Number:
  US 20090140920A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,503 Days
• Field of Search: 342/81, 342/157, 342/369, 342/371, 342/372
• US Class Current: 342/372
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/0066 said selective devices being reconfigurable, tunable or controllable, e.g. using switches
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/0086 said selective devices having materials with a synthesized negative refractive index, e.g. metamaterials or left-handed materials
• 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

The present invention relates to a dynamic radiation pattern antenna system comprising a plurality of antenna units, a control unit and an electronic interface. The plurality of antenna units has electronically controllable radiation patterns. The control unit is dynamically controlling the radiation pattern of the plurality of antenna units and the electronic interface connects the plurality of antenna units to the control unit.

Claims

1. A dynamic radiation pattern antenna system comprising:

a plurality of antenna units having electronically controllable radiation patterns, the plurality of antenna units consisting of composite right/left handed (CRLH) microstrip leaky-wave transmission line;

a control unit adapted to control dynamically the radiation pattern of the plurality of antenna units; and

an electronic interface for connecting the plurality of antenna units to the control unit, the electronic interface consisting of a plurality of varactor diodes, wherein each varactor diode is adapted to be independently electrically controlled by the control unit.

2. The dynamic radiation pattern system of claim 1, whereby upon same electrical control of the plurality of antenna units, the plurality of antenna units achieve full-space scanning at a fixed operation frequency.

3. The dynamic radiation pattern system of claim 1, whereby upon different electrical control of the plurality of antenna units, each one of the plurality of antenna units radiates at different angle.

4. The dynamic radiation pattern antenna system of claim 1, whereby upon varying electrical control of the plurality of antenna units, resulting radiation patterns are changed.

5. Use of the dynamic radiation pattern system of claim 1, in a wireless network.

6. The dynamic radiation pattern antenna system of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further adapted for optimizing the radiation patterns of the plurality of antenna units.

7. The dynamic radiation pattern antenna system of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further adapted for performing radiation pattern averaging by hopping over a set of radiation patterns.

8. The dynamic radiation pattern antenna system of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further adapted for performing radiation pattern maximizing by scanning a set of radiation patterns and selecting a radiation pattern maximizing performances of the antenna.