Hybrid single aperture inclined antenna

• US 9,252,497 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2013
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ViaSat Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ViaSat Incorporated
• Inventors: Tiezzi, Ferdinando, Vaccaro, Stefano, Llorens del Rio, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): MANCUSO, HUEDUNG XUAN CAO
• Application Number:
  US14/023,906
• Publication Number:
  US 20140009357A1
• Time in Patent Office: 874 Days
• Field of Search: 343/844, 343/893, 455/561, 455/562
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 1/047 Strip line joints
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/00 Antenna arrays or systems arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern of the waves radiated from an antenna or antenna system H01Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/065 Patch antenna array
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/42 using two or more imbricated arrays H01Q5/49 takes precedence

Abstract

In an exemplary embodiment, an antenna architecture comprises a single aperture having both receive elements and transmit elements, where the single aperture has the performance of a dual-aperture but in about half the size. Moreover, in the case of an array with inclined elements, there is the need to interconnect a planar substrate with an inclined substrate at an angle. An exemplary single aperture comprises a metal core having a thick pass-through slot from a first side to a second side; connecting the inclined substrate to the first side of the metal core, and connecting a second substrate to the second side of the metal core. Furthermore, an RF signal is communicated between the first substrate and the second substrate in a contactless manner through the thick pass-through slot.

Claims

1. A single antenna aperture of an antenna system, the single antenna aperture comprising:

multiple receiving elements and multiple transmitting elements;

wherein the multiple receiving elements are interleaved with the multiple transmitting elements, wherein the multiple receiving elements are oriented in a first direction, wherein the multiple transmitting elements are oriented in a second direction, and wherein the first direction is inverted relative to the second direction, and wherein the multiple receiving elements are “

T”

-shaped and wherein the multiple transmitting elements are “

T”

-shaped; and

wherein a first receiving element of the multiple receiving elements is located within a distance of about 0.5 wavelengths or less of a first transmitting element of the multiple transmitting elements, wherein a wavelength is based on the highest designed radiated frequency of the antenna system, and wherein the distance between the first receiving element and the first transmitting element is measured from the approximate center of the first receiving element to the approximate center of the first transmitting element.

2. The single antenna aperture of claim 1, wherein the first receiving element of the multiple receiving elements is located within a distance of about 1.0 wavelength or less of a second receiving element of the multiple receiving elements, wherein the distance between the first receiving element and the second receiving element is measured from the approximate center of the first receiving element to the approximate center of the second receiving element;

and

wherein the first transmitting element of the multiple transmitting elements is located within about 1.0 wavelength or less of a second transmitting element of the multiple transmitting elements, wherein the distance between the first transmitting element and the second transmitting element is measured from the approximate center of the first transmitting element to the approximate center of the second transmitting element.

3. The single antenna aperture of claim 1, wherein each of the “

T”

-shaped multiple receiving elements and each of the “

T”

-shaped multiple transmitting elements individually comprise two patch antennas located in separate planes, wherein the two patch antennas are parallel to each other and overlap to form the “

T”

-shape.

4. The single antenna aperture of claim 1, wherein the single antenna aperture is a planar antenna array, and wherein the multiple receiving elements and the multiple transmitting elements are arranged in rows in the planar antenna array.

5. The single antenna aperture of claim 1, wherein the single antenna aperture is a low profile hybrid mechanical-electronic steerable array, and wherein the multiple receiving elements and the multiple transmitting elements are inclined radiating elements.

6. The single antenna aperture of claim 1, wherein one or more of the “

T”

-shaped multiple receiving elements or the “

T”

-shaped multiple transmitting elements have trimmed or chamfered edges.

7. The single antenna aperture of claim 1, wherein one or more of the “

T”

-shaped multiple receiving elements or the “

T”

-shaped multiple transmitting elements comprise at least one of slits parallel to the resonant modes or slits perpendicular to the resonant modes.

8. An antenna system comprising:

multiple receiving elements and multiple transmitting elements, wherein the multiple receiving elements and the multiple transmitting elements share a single aperture;

wherein a first receiving element of the multiple receiving elements is located within a distance of about 1.0 wavelength or less of a second receiving element of the multiple receiving elements, wherein the distance between the first receiving element and the second receiving element is measured from the approximate center of the first receiving element to the approximate center of the second receiving element;

wherein a first transmitting element of the multiple transmitting elements is located within a distance of about 1.0 wavelength or less of a second transmitting element of the multiple transmitting elements, wherein the distance between the first transmitting element and the second transmitting element is measured from the approximate center of the first transmitting element to the approximate center of the second transmitting element; and

wherein a wavelength is based on the highest designed radiated frequency of the antenna system.

9. The antenna system of claim 8, wherein the multiple receiving elements are “

T”

-shaped and wherein the multiple transmitting elements are “

T”

-shaped, and wherein the multiple receiving elements are interleaved with the multiple transmitting elements.

10. The antenna system of claim 8, wherein the multiple receiving elements are oriented in a first direction, wherein the multiple transmitting elements are oriented in a second direction, and wherein the first direction is inverted relative to the second direction.

11. The antenna system of claim 8, wherein the first receiving element of the multiple receiving elements is located within a distance of about 0.5 wavelengths or less of the first transmitting element of the multiple transmitting elements, and wherein the distance between the first receiving element and the first transmitting element is measured from the approximate center of the first receiving element to the approximate center of the first transmitting element.

12. The antenna system of claim 8, wherein the multiple receiving elements and the multiple transmitting elements are part of a low profile hybrid mechanical-electronic steerable array, and wherein the multiple receiving elements and the multiple transmitting elements are inclined radiating elements.

13. An antenna system comprising:

a plurality of rows of receiving radiating elements interleaved with a plurality of rows of transmitting radiating elements;

wherein a first receiving radiating element of the plurality of rows of receiving radiating elements is located within a distance of about 0.5 wavelengths or less of a first transmitting radiating element of the plurality of rows of transmitting radiating elements, wherein a wavelength is based on the highest designed radiated frequency of the antenna system, and wherein the distance between the first receiving radiating element and the first transmitting radiating element is measured from the approximate center of the first receiving radiating element to the approximate center of the first transmitting radiating element.

14. The antenna system of claim 13, wherein the receiving radiating elements of the plurality of rows of receiving radiating elements are oriented in a first direction, wherein the transmitting radiating elements of the plurality of rows of transmitting radiating elements are oriented in a second direction, and wherein the first direction is inverted relative to the second direction.

15. The antenna system of claim 14, wherein the receiving radiating elements are “

T”

-shaped and wherein the transmitting radiating elements are “

T”

-shaped.

16. The antenna system of claim 13, wherein the first receiving radiating element is located within a distance of about 1.0 wavelength or less of a second receiving radiating element of the plurality of rows of receiving radiating elements, wherein the distance between the first receiving radiating element and the second receiving radiating element is measured from the approximate center of the first receiving radiating element to the approximate center of the second receiving radiating element;

and

wherein the first transmitting radiating element is located within a distance of about 1.0 wavelength or less of a second transmitting radiating element of the plurality of rows of transmitting radiating elements, wherein the distance between the first transmitting radiating element and the second transmitting radiating element is measured from the approximate center of the first transmitting radiating element to the approximate center of the second transmitting radiating element.