Patch antenna array for transmission of hermite-gaussian and laguerre gaussian beams

• US 9,595,766 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2016
• Issued: 03/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nxgen Partners Ip, LLC (NxGen Partners LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nxgen Partners Ip, LLC (NxGen Partners LLC)
• Inventors: Ashrafi, Solyman, Linquist, Roger D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hoang V
• Application Number:
  US15/187,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20160372836A1
• Time in Patent Office: 267 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/0033 used for beam splitting or combining, e.g. acting as a quasi-optical multiplexer H01Q19/191 and H01Q19/195 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/02 Refracting or diffracting devices, e.g. lens, prism
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/16 curved in two dimensions, e.g. paraboloidal
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/15 the primary radiating source being a line source, e.g. leaky waveguide antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/19 comprising one main concave reflecting surface associated with an auxiliary reflecting surface
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0031 Parallel-plate fed arrays; Lens-fed arrays multibeam arrays H01Q25/008
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/061 Two dimensional planar arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/065 Patch antenna array
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/002 providing at least two patterns of different beamwidth; Variable beamwidth antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/007 using two or more primary active elements in the focal region of a focusing device for operation on different wavebands H01Q5/22
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/04 Multimode antennas corrugated horns H01Q13/0208
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/26 varying the relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of energy across a radiating aperture H01Q3/12, H01Q3/22, H01Q3/24 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0414 in a stacked or folded configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 11/00 Orthogonal multiplex systems, e.g. using WALSH codesH04J13/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/34 Amplitude- and phase-modulated carrier systems, e.g. quadrature-amplitude modulated carrier systems

Abstract

A multi-level antenna array includes a plurality of patch antennas. A plurality of layers are separated from each other by a distance. Each of the plurality of layers further supports a portion of the plurality of patch antennas. A plurality of connectors is each associated with one of the plurality of layers to supply a signal for transmission by the associated layer. A feed network on each of the plurality of layers provides a connection between a connector of the plurality of connectors associated with the layer and the portion of the plurality of patch antennas located on the layer. A length of the connection between the connector and each of the portion of the plurality of patch antennas applies a different phase to each of the portion of the plurality of patch antennas on the layer.

Claims

1. A multi-level antenna array, comprising:

a plurality of patch antennas;

a plurality of layers, each of the plurality of layers separated from each other by a distance, each of the plurality of layers further supporting a portion of the plurality of patch antennas;

a plurality of connectors, each of the plurality of connectors associated with one of the plurality of layers, for supplying a signal for transmission by the associated layer; and

a feed network on each of the plurality of layers for providing a connection between a connector of the plurality of connectors associated with the layer and the portion of the plurality of patch antennas located on the layer, wherein a length of the connection between the connector and each of the portion of the plurality of patch antennas applies a different phase to each of the portion of the plurality of patch antennas on the layer.

2. The multi-level antenna array of claim 1, wherein each of the layers of the plurality of layers are centered about a central axis of the multi-level antenna array.

3. The multi-level antenna array of claim 1 further including a plurality of support members for maintaining the distance between each of the plurality of layers.

4. The multi-level antenna array of claim 1, wherein the portion of the plurality of patch antennas on a layer of the plurality of layers are placed to not be blocked by a second layer above the layer.

5. The multi-level antenna array of claim 1, wherein each layer of the plurality of layers transmits a signal having a different orthogonal function applied thereto.

6. The multi-level antenna array of claim 5, wherein the multi-layer antenna array multiplexes each of the signals having a different orthogonal function applied thereto onto a single transmission beam.

7. The multi-level antenna array of claim 6, wherein the different orthogonal function comprises one of a Hermite-Gaussian function or a Laguerre-Gaussian function.

8. The multi-level antenna array of claim 1 further comprising a parabolic reflector for reflecting a transmission beam from the plurality of layers of the multi-level antenna array.

9. The multi-level antenna array of claim 8, wherein the plurality of layers of the multi-level antenna array are placed at a focal point of the parabolic reflector.

10. The multi-level antenna array of claim 8 further including a secondary reflector for receiving the transmission beam from the plurality of layers of the multi-level antenna array and directing the transmission beam toward the parabolic reflector.

11. A multi-level antenna array, comprising:

a plurality of patch antennas;

a plurality of layers, each of the plurality of layers separated from each other by a distance, each of the plurality of layers further supporting a portion of the plurality of patch antennas, each layer of the plurality of layers transmitting a signal having a different orthogonal function applied thereto;

wherein the multi-layer antenna array multiplexes each of the signals having the different orthogonal function applied thereto onto a single transmission beam;

a plurality of connectors, each of the plurality of connectors associated with one of the plurality of layers, for supplying the signal having the different orthogonal function applied thereto for transmission by the associated layer; and

a feed network on each of the plurality of layers for providing a connection between a connector of the plurality of connectors associated with the layer and the portion of the plurality of patch antennas located on the layer, wherein a length of the connection between the connector and each of the portion of the plurality of patch antennas applies a different phase to each of the portion of the plurality of patch antennas on the layer.

12. The multi-level antenna array of claim 11, wherein each of the layers of the plurality of layers are centered about a central axis of the multi-level antenna array.

13. The multi-level antenna array of claim 11 further including a plurality of support members for maintaining the distance between each of the plurality of layers.

14. The multi-level antenna array of claim 11, wherein each portion of the plurality of patch antennas on a layer of the plurality of layers is placed to not be blocked by a second layer above the layer.

15. The multi-level antenna array of claim 11, wherein the different orthogonal function comprises one of a Hermite-Gaussian function or a Laguerre-Gaussian function.

16. The multi-level antenna array of claim 11 further comprising a parabolic reflector for reflecting a transmission beam from the plurality of layers of the multi-level antenna array.

17. The multi-level antenna array of claim 16, wherein the plurality of layers of the multi-level antenna array are placed at a focal point of the parabolic reflector.

18. The multi-level antenna array of claim 16 further including a secondary reflector for receiving the transmission beam from the plurality of layers of the multi-level antenna array and directing the transmission beam toward the parabolic reflector.

26. The system of claim 18 further comprising a parabolic reflector for reflecting a transmission beam from the plurality of layers of the multi-level antenna array.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the plurality of layers of the multi-level antenna array are placed at a focal point of the parabolic reflector.

28. The system of claim 26 further including a secondary reflector for receiving the transmission beam from the plurality of layers of the multi-level antenna array and directing the transmission beam toward the parabolic reflector.

19. A system for transmitting a transmission beam comprising:

a transmitter including a first multi-level patch antenna array for modulating and transmitting the transmission beam, the first multi-level patch antenna array further comprising;

a first plurality of patch antennas;

a first plurality of layers, each of the first plurality of layers separated from each other by a distance, each of the first plurality of layers further supporting a portion of the first plurality of patch antennas;

a first plurality of connectors, each of the first plurality of connectors associated with one of the first plurality of layers, for supplying a signal for transmission by the associated layer;

d

a first feed network on each of the first plurality of layers for providing a connection between a first connector of the first plurality of connectors associated with the layer and the portion of the first plurality of patch antennas located on the layer, wherein a length of the connection between the first connector and each of the portion of the first plurality of patch antennas applies a different phase to each of the portion of the first plurality of patch antennas on the layer;

a receiver including a second multi-level patch antenna array for receiving and demodulating the transmission beam, the second multi-level patch antenna array further comprising;

a second plurality of patch antennas;

a second plurality of layers, each of the second plurality of layers separated from each other by a distance, each of the second plurality of layers further supporting a portion of the second plurality of patch antennas;

a plurality of connectors, each of the second plurality of connectors associated with one of the second plurality of layers, for supplying a signal for transmission by the associated layer; and

a second feed network on each of the second plurality of layers for providing a connection between a second connector of the second plurality of connectors associated with the layer and the portion of the second plurality of patch antennas located on the layer, wherein a length of the connection between the connector and each of the portion of the second plurality of patch antennas applies a different phase to each of the portion of the second plurality of patch antennas on the layer.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein each of the layers of the plurality of layers are centered about a central axis of the multi-level antenna array.

21. The system of claim 19 further including a plurality of support members for maintaining the distance between each of the plurality of layers.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the portion of the plurality of patch antennas on a layer of the plurality of layers is placed to not be blocked by a second layer above the layer.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein each layer of the plurality of layers transmits a signal having a different orthogonal function applied thereto.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the multi-layer antenna array multiplexes each of the signals having a different orthogonal function applied thereto onto the single transmission beam.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the different orthogonal function comprises one of a Hermite-Gaussian function or a Laguerre-Gaussian function.