Patch antenna

• US 9,490,540 B1
• Filed: 09/02/2015
• Issued: 11/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Davies, Richard Lewis, Mezzarobba, Emiliano
• Primary Examiner(s): Phu, Phuong
• Application Number:
  US14/843,207
• Time in Patent Office: 433 Days
• Field of Search: 375/219, 375/220, 375/222, 701/469, 343/700.MS
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/24 with receiving set
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/288 Satellite antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/32 Adaptation for use in or on road or rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/42 Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/10 using reflecting surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0407 Substantially flat resonant element parallel to ground plane, e.g. patch antenna dipole H01Q9/285; monopole H01Q9/40
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0414 in a stacked or folded configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/40 Transceivers

Abstract

A terrestrial transceiver is described, which is operable for exchanging RF signals with communication satellites. The transceiver has a patch antenna sensitive to signals within an L-Band RF range and operable for providing a gain to the RF signals. A metallic reflector of a characteristic dimension is operable for shaping a pattern of the RF gain of the patch antenna. A printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) has a dielectric substrate, an electronic component disposed upon the substrate, and a hole penetrating the substrate and disposed substantially within a central region thereof. Based on the dimension characteristic of the reflector and on a positioning and/or a dimension of the hole, the RF gain diverges over an angle from a boresight of the patch antenna.

Claims

1. A transceiver, the transceiver comprising:

a patch antenna sensitive to signals within an L-Band RF range, the antenna comprising a metallic reflector;

at least one printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) comprising a dielectric substrate, at least one electronic component disposed upon the dielectric substrate, and a hole penetrating the dielectric substrate;

a modulator/demodulator (modem) communicatively coupled to the patch antenna and operable for modulating and for demodulating RF signals; and

a coupler assembly, wherein the coupler assembly comprises;

a pair of pins, each comprising a conductive material, wherein the pair of pins is operable for coupling signals within an RF range between the patch antenna and the at least one electronic component of the at least one PCBA;

a screen cover comprising a conductive material and operable for providing a ground connection between the modem and a ground plane of the patch antenna; and

at least one spacer comprising a dielectric material.

2. The transceiver as described in claim 1 wherein the at least one spacer comprises one or more of:

an antenna spacer operable for providing an electrical insulation between the modem and the ground plane of the patch antenna;

or

a screen spacer operable for providing one or more of an electrical insulation, or a mechanical support for the screen cover.

3. The transceiver as described in claim 1, further comprising a radome, the radome comprising a material transparent to RF radiation and operable for protectively housing the patch antenna within an operating environment of the transceiver, wherein the reflector is suspended within the radome.

4. The transceiver as described in claim 3 wherein the metallic material of the suspended reflector comprises a stamped metal.

5. The transceiver as described in claim 3 wherein the characteristic dimension of the suspended reflector comprises a shape configured over two spatial dimensions and wherein a frequency bandwidth characteristic of the patch antenna relates to the configured shape of the suspended reflector.

6. The transceiver as described in claim 1, further comprising a component operable for providing a first linear excitation to a first port of a pair of ports, a second linear excitation to a second port of the pair of ports wherein the second linear excitation is provided in a quadrature relationship to the first port of the pair, wherein a circular polarization pattern is imparted to the antenna.

7. The transceiver as described in claim 6 wherein a left-handed polarization of the antenna is rejected over low elevation angles within the RF operating range of the antenna.

8. The transceiver as described in claim 6 wherein the component operable for providing a first linear excitation and the second linear excitation comprises a splitter.

9. The transceiver as described in claim 8 wherein the splitter comprises a Wilkinson splitter.

10. The transceiver as described in claim 6 wherein the at least one electronic component disposed upon the dielectric substrate of the at least one PCBA comprises the component operable for providing the first linear excitation and the second linear excitation.

11. The transceiver as described in claim 1, further comprising at least a second PCBA.

12. The transceiver as described in claim 11 wherein the at least second PCBA comprises one or more of:

a PCB operable for providing a ground plane for the patch antenna and comprising a radiating element coupled to the patch antenna and operable for radiating RF signals thereto;

or

a PCB comprising a substrate, the substrate comprising a dielectric material and operable for insulating the patch antenna electrically.

13. A method for fabricating a terrestrial satellite transceiver, the method comprising the steps of:

assembling at least one printed circuit board assembly (PCBA), the assembly of the PCBA comprising penetrating a dielectric substrate with a hole and disposing at least one electronic component on the dielectric substrate;

configuring a shape of a metallic reflector over two spatial dimensions;

attaching a patch antenna comprising the configured metallic reflector to the at least one PCBA, the patch antenna sensitive to signals within an L-Band RF range;

coupling a modulator/demodulator (modem) communicatively to the patch antenna, the modem operable for modulating and for demodulating RF signals;

assembling a coupler assembly, wherein the assembly of the coupler assembly comprises the steps of;

coupling the patch antenna and the at least one electronic component of the PCBA communicatively in relation to conducting signals within an RF range between the patch antenna and the at least one electronic component of the PCBA;

installing a screen cover comprising a conductive material and operable for providing a ground connection between the modem and a ground plane of the patch antenna; and

installing at least one spacer comprising a dielectric material wherein the at least one spacer comprises one or more of;

an antenna spacer operable for providing an electrical insulation between the modem and the ground plane of the patch antenna;

or

a screen spacer operable for providing one or more of an electrical insulation, or a mechanical support for the screen cover.

14. The fabrication method as described in claim 13, further comprising installing a radome over the patch antenna using a heat staking related process step, the radome comprising a material transparent to RF radiation and operable for protectively housing the patch antenna within an operating environment of the transceiver, wherein the reflector is suspended within the radome.

15. The fabrication method as described in claim 13, further comprising one or more of:

assembling a PCBA operable for providing a ground plane for the patch antenna and comprising a radiating element coupled to the patch antenna and operable for radiating RF signals thereto;

or

assembling a PCB comprising a substrate, the substrate comprising a dielectric material and operable for insulating the patch antenna electrically.

16. A satellite communication network, the network comprising:

a satellite constellation, the satellite constellation comprising a plurality of communication satellites, each of the communication satellites deployed in a geostationary earth orbit (GEO); and

one or more terrestrial transceivers, the one or more terrestrial transceivers comprising;

a patch antenna sensitive to signals within an L-Band RF range, the patch antenna comprising a metallic reflector;

at least one printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) comprising a dielectric substrate, at least one electronic component disposed upon the dielectric substrate, and a hole penetrating the dielectric substrate;

a modulator/demodulator (modem) communicatively coupled to the patch antenna and operable for modulating and for demodulating RF signals; and

a coupler assembly, wherein the coupler assembly comprises;

a pair of pins, each comprising a conductive material, wherein the pair of pins is operable for coupling signals within an RF range between the patch antenna and the at least one electronic component of the at least one PCBA;

a screen cover comprising a conductive material and operable for providing a ground connection between the modem and a ground plane of the patch antenna; and

at least one spacer comprising a dielectric material.