Microcellular communications antenna and associated methods

• US 9,577,341 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2013
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Parsche, Francis Eugene
• Primary Examiner(s): Levi, Dameon E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Salih, Awat
• Application Number:
  US14/077,491
• Publication Number:
  US 20150130675A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,197 Days
• Field of Search: 343/731, 343/739, 343/785, 343/790, 343/895, 343/905, 343/803, 343/795, 343/786, 455/41.1, 455/41.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/10 Wire waveguides, i.e. with a single solid longitudinal conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/46 Electric supply lines or communication lines
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 11/083 Tapered helical aerials, e.g. conical spiral aerials
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/26 Surface waveguide constituted by a single conductor, e.g. strip conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/28 comprising elements constituting electric discontinuities and spaced in direction of wave propagation, e.g. dielectric elements or conductive elements forming artificial dielectric

Abstract

A radio frequency (RF) communications system includes a local RF communications device and an RF antenna including a conical RF launch structure coupled to the local RF communications device, and an elongate electrical conductor having a proximal end coupled to the conical RF launch structure and a distal end spaced apart from the conical RF launch structure to define an elongate RF coverage pattern. The elongate conductor may be a coaxial cable. At least one remote RF communications device, within the elongate RF coverage pattern, wirelessly communicates with the local RF communications device.

Claims

1. A radio frequency (RF) communications system comprising:

a local RF communications device;

an RF antenna comprising

a conical RF launch structure coupled to said local RF communications device, and

an elongate electrical conductor having a proximal end coupled to said conical RF launch structure and a distal end spaced apart from said conical RF launch structure to define an elongate RF coverage pattern directly radiating from the elongate electrical conductor itself and having rotational polarization about the elongate electrical conductor;

and

at least one remote RF communications device within the elongate RF coverage pattern to wirelessly communicate with said local RF communications device.

2. The RF communications system according to claim 1 wherein said conical RF launch structure comprises a curved electrical conductor defining a conical helix.

3. The RF communications system according to claim 2 wherein said curved electrical conductor has a proximal end at an apex of the conical helix and a distal end at a base of the conical helix.

4. The RF communications system according to claim 3 wherein said local RF communications device has a first terminal coupled to the proximal end of said curved electrical conductor and a second terminal coupled to the proximal end of said elongate electrical conductor.

5. The RF communications system according to claim 3 further comprising an electrically conductive shield coupled to the proximal end of said curved electrical conductor.

6. The RF communications system according to claim 1 further comprising at least one termination load coupled to the distal end of said elongate electrical conductor.

7. The RF communications system according to claim 6 wherein said at least one termination load comprises a plurality of terminal resistors coupled together in series with corresponding resistance values increasing away from the distal end of said elongate electrical conductor.

8. The RF communications system according to claim 1 further comprising a plurality of spaced apart antennas coupled to said elongate electrical conductor.

9. The RF communications system according to claim 8 wherein each of said antennas comprises a U-shape.

10. The RF communications system according to claim 1 further comprising a plurality of spaced apart repeaters coupled to said elongate electrical conductor.

11. A radio frequency (RF) antenna to provide an elongate RF coverage pattern comprising:

a conical RF launch structure configured to be coupled to a local RF communications device; and

an elongate electrical conductor having a proximal end coupled to said conical RF launch structure and a distal end spaced apart from said conical RF launch structure to define an elongate RF coverage pattern directly radiating from the elongate electrical conductor itself and having rotational polarization about the elongate electrical conductor to permit wireless communication between the local RF communications device and at least one remote RF communications device within the elongate RF coverage pattern.

12. The RF antenna according to claim 11 wherein said conical RF launch structure comprises a curved electrical conductor defining a conical helix.

13. The RF antenna according to claim 12 wherein said curved electrical conductor has a proximal end at an apex of the conical helix and a distal end at a base of the conical helix.

14. The RF antenna according to claim 13 further comprising an electrically conductive shield coupled to the proximal end of said curved electrical conductor.

15. The RF antenna according to claim 11 further comprising at least one termination load coupled to the distal end of said elongate electrical conductor.

16. The RF antenna according to claim 11 further comprising a plurality of spaced apart antennas coupled to said elongate electrical conductor.

17. The RF antenna according to claim 11 further comprising a plurality of spaced apart repeaters coupled to said elongate electrical conductor.

18. The RF antenna according to claim 11 wherein said elongate electrical conductor comprises a coaxial cable.

19. A method for establishing an elongate radio frequency (RF) coverage pattern comprising:

coupling a proximal end of an elongate electrical conductor to a conical RF launch structure and positioning a distal end of the elongate electrical conductor in spaced apart relation from the conical RF launch structure to define the elongate RF coverage pattern directly radiating from the elongate electrical conductor itself and having rotational polarization about the elongate electrical conductor to permit wireless communication between a local RF communications device coupled to the conical RF launch structure and at least one remote RF communications device within the elongate RF coverage pattern.

20. The method according to claim 19 further comprising forming the conical RF launch structure with a curved electrical conductor defining a conical helix.

21. The method according to claim 19 further comprising coupling an electrically conductive shield coupled to a proximal end of the curved electrical conductor.

22. The method according to claim 19 further comprising coupling at least one termination load to the distal end of the elongate electrical conductor.

23. The method according to claim 19 further comprising coupling a plurality of spaced apart antennas to the elongate electrical conductor.

24. The method according to claim 19 further comprising coupling a plurality of spaced apart repeaters to the elongate electrical conductor.