Conformal mm-wave phased array antenna with increased scan coverage

• US 9,343,817 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2011
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Pan, Helen K.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, HOANGANH T
• Application Number:
  US13/997,298
• Publication Number:
  US 20140071018A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,643 Days
• Field of Search: 343/867, 343/742, 343/700.MS, 343/770
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 11/001 Manufacturing waveguides or transmission lines of the waveguide type
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/20 Resilient mountings
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2266 disposed inside the computer
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2291 used in bluetooth or WI-FI devices of Wireless Local Area Networks [WLAN] H01Q1/241 takes precedence; WLAN in general H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/085 Slot-line radiating ends
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/16 Folded slot antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0087 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing antenna arrays manufacturing waveguides H01P11/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/064 using horn or slot aerials slotted waveguides arrays H01Q21/005
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/067 using endfire radiating aerial units transverse to the plane of the array
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/24 Combinations of antenna units polarised in different directions for transmitting or receiving circularly and elliptically polarised waves or waves linearly polarised in any direction circularly polarised patch antennas H01Q9/0428; circularly polarised horns H01Q13/0241; cross-polarised horns H01Q13/0258; polarisation converters H01Q15/242; cross-polarised rear feeds H01Q19/136; crossed polarisation dual antenna H01Q25/001
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/00 Antennas or antenna systems providing at least two radiating patterns arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern H01Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/34 by electrical means active lenses or reflecting arrays H01Q3/46
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/36 with variable phase-shifters
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0413 MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/10 Polarisation diversity; Directional diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 999/99 dummy group
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49016 Antenna or wave energy "plumbing" making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49018 with other electrical component

Abstract

A system according to one embodiment includes a phased array antenna comprising a plurality of slot loop antenna elements, the plurality of slot loop antenna elements configured in a planar array disposed on a flexible dielectric substrate, wherein each of the plurality of slot loop antenna elements generates a beam pattern orthogonal to the plane of the planar array; and driver circuitry coupled to each of the plurality of antenna elements, wherein the driver circuitry comprises a plurality of transceivers, the plurality of transceivers configured to provide independently adjustable phase delay to each of the plurality of slot loop antenna elements.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a phased array antenna comprising a plurality of slot loop antenna elements, said plurality of slot loop antenna elements configured in a planar array disposed on a flexible single layer dielectric substrate, wherein each of said plurality of slot loop antenna elements is configured to generate a beam pattern orthogonal to the plane of said planar array; and

driver circuitry coupled to each of said plurality of antenna elements, wherein said driver circuitry comprises a plurality of transceivers, said plurality of transceivers configured to provide independently adjustable phase delay to each of said plurality of slot loop antenna elements;

wherein;

said flexible single layer dielectric substrate is partitioned into a first region and a second region, said second region separated from said first region by a bend in said flexible dielectric substrate;

said planar array is partitioned into a first sub-array and a second sub-array, said first sub-array disposed on said first region and said second sub-array disposed on said second region; and

said first and second sub-arrays are independently steerable.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said orthogonal beam pattern is oriented with a central axis that deviates from a normal to said plane by less than 5 degrees.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said slot loop antenna element has a major axis and a minor axis and a ratio of the length of said major axis to the length of said minor axis is selected such that said beam pattern provides omni-directional spatial coverage above said plane.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said slot loop antenna element is configured as a circular loop.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said slot loop antenna element is configured as a rectangular loop.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of transceivers implement phased array beam scanning by controlling said adjustable phase delay to each of said plurality of slot loop antenna elements.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said system is configured to operate in a millimeter wave frequency range.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said system is configured to provide at least 11 gigahertz (GHz) bandwidth.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said driver circuitry is a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC).

10. A method, comprising:

configuring a plurality of slot loop antenna elements in a planar array disposed on a flexible single layer dielectric substrate, wherein said planar array is a phased array antenna and each of said plurality of slot loop antenna elements is configured to generate a beam pattern orthogonal to the plane of said planar array;

partitioning said flexible single layer dielectric substrate into a first region and a second region, said second region separated from said first region by a bend in said flexible dielectric substrate, and partitioning said planar array into a first sub-array and a second sub-array, said first sub-array disposed on said first region and said second sub-array disposed on said second region, wherein said first and second sub-arrays are independently steerable;

coupling driver circuitry to each of said plurality of slot loop antenna elements, wherein said driver circuitry comprises a plurality of transceivers; and

configuring said plurality of transceivers to provide independently adjustable phase delay to each of said plurality of slot loop antenna elements.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said orthogonal beam pattern is oriented with a central axis that deviates from a normal to said plane by less than 5 degrees.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising selecting a ratio of a length of a major axis of said slot loop antenna element to a length of a minor axis of said slot loop antenna element such that said beam pattern provides omni-directional spatial coverage above said plane.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising configuring said slot loop antenna element as a circular loop.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising configuring said slot loop antenna element as a rectangular loop.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising implementing phased array beam scanning by controlling said adjustable phase delay to each of said plurality of slot loop antenna elements.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising configuring said phased array antenna and said driver circuitry to operate in a millimeter wave frequency range.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising configuring said phased array antenna and said driver circuitry to provide at least 11 gigahertz (GHz) bandwidth.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein said driver circuitry is a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC).