Dual-patch antenna and array

• US 8,390,520 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2010
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Jar J., Yang, Fangchou, Livingston, Stan W., Weber, Jeffrey B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tan, Vibol
• Application Number:
  US12/722,397
• Publication Number:
  US 20110221644A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,090 Days
• Field of Search: 343/700.MS, 343/702, 343/767, 343/770, 343/789, 343/803, 343/846, 343/848, 343/854
• US Class Current: 343/700.MS
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/005 Patch antenna using one or more coplanar parasitic elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/061 Two dimensional planar arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0421 with a shorting wall or a shorting pin at one end of the element H01Q9/0414 takes precedence

Abstract

A dual-patch antenna includes a ground plane, a first patch plate parallel to and separated from the ground plane by a separation distance, and a second patch plate separated from the ground plane by the separation distance. The first and second patch plates are coplanar and separated by a radiating slot. An excitation probe isolatedly passes through the ground plane and connects to the first patch plate. A first wall connects an edge of the first patch plate to the ground plane. The first wall is located approximately ¼ wavelength of a mid-band operating frequency from the radiating slot. A second wall connects an edge of the second patch plate to the ground plane. The second wall is located approximately ¼ wavelength of the mid-band operating frequency from the radiating slot. The dual-patch antennas may be organized in an array.

Claims

1. A dual-patch antenna array, comprising:

a plurality of dual-patch antennas, each dual-patch antenna comprising;

a ground plane;

a first patch plate parallel to and separated from the ground plane by a separation distance;

a second patch plate separated from the ground plane by the separation distance, coplanar with the first patch plate, and separated from the first patch plate by a radiating slot;

an excitation probe isolatedly passing through the ground plane and connecting to the first patch plate;

a first wall connecting an edge of the first patch plate to the ground plane, the first wall located approximately ¼

wavelength of a mid-band operating frequency from the radiating slot; and

a second wall connecting an edge of the second patch plate to the ground plane, the second wall located approximately ¼

wavelength of the mid-band operating frequency from the radiating slot,

wherein the radiating slots are colinear.

2. The dual-patch antenna array of claim 1, wherein the separation distance is approximately 8 cm and an operating frequency of the antenna includes 150 MHz.

3. The dual-patch antenna array of claim 1, wherein the ground plane, the first patch plate, the second patch plate, the radiating slot, the first wall, and the second wall are each rectangular.

4. The dual-patch antenna array of claim 1, wherein each of the excitation probes connects to the corresponding first patch plate at a location near the midpoint of the corresponding radiating slot.

5. The dual-patch antenna'"'"' array of claim 1, where the dual-patch antennas are contiguous.

6. A dual-patch antenna array, comprising:

a plurality of dual-patch antenna sub arrays, each dual-patch antenna sub array comprising a plurality of dual-patch antennas, each dual-patch antenna comprising;

a ground plane;

a first patch plate parallel to and separated from the ground plane by a separation distance;

a second patch plate separated from the ground plane by the separation distance, coplanar with the first patch plate, and separated from the first patch plate by a radiating slot;

an excitation probe isolatedly passing through the ground plane and connecting to the first patch plate;

a first wall connecting an edge of the first patch plate to the ground plane, the first wall located approximately ¼

wavelength of a mid-band operating frequency from the radiating slot; and

a second wall connecting an edge of the second patch plate to the ground plane, the second wall located approximately ¼

wavelength of the mid-band operating frequency from the radiating slot,

wherein the radiating slots within each dual-patch antenna subarray are colinear within the dual-patch antenna array and are substantially parallel to the radiating slots of the other dual-patch antenna subarrays.

7. The dual:

-patch antenna array of claim 6, wherein the separation distance is approximately 8 cm and an operating frequency of the antenna includes 150 MHz.

8. The dual-patch antenna array of claim 6, wherein the ground plane, the first patch plate, the second patch plate, the radiating slot, the first wall, and the second wall are each rectangular.

9. The dual-patch antenna array of claim 6, wherein each of the excitation probes connects to the corresponding first patch plate at a location near the midpoint of the corresponding radiating slot.

10. The dual-patch antenna array of claim 6, wherein the dual-patch antennas are contiguous within each sub array.