Aperture-fed, stacked-patch antenna assembly
First Claim
1. An antenna assembly comprising:
- a first substrate comprising;
a plurality of first substrate conductive patch elements;
a second substrate comprising;
a first layer with at least a conductive ground plane and a plurality of pairs of apertures, wherein a number of the plurality of pairs of apertures is equal to a number of the plurality of first substrate conductive patch elements; and
a second layer with at least a first transmission line feed network coupled to a first feed point and a second transmission line feed network coupled to a second feed point;
a third substrate comprising;
a plurality of third substrate conductive patch elements, wherein a number of the plurality of third substrate conductive patch elements is equal to the number of the plurality of first substrate conductive patch elements;
a first spacer interposed between the third substrate and the second substrate, the first spacer comprising a dielectric material and at least one first spacer opening in the dielectric material, wherein the dielectric material is absent within the at least one first spacer opening; and
a second spacer interposed between the first substrate and the third substrate, the second spacer comprising a dielectric material and at least one second spacer opening in the dielectric material, wherein the dielectric material is absent within the at least one second spacer opening;
wherein the first transmission line feed network overlaps a first aperture of each pair of the plurality of pairs of apertures and the second transmission line feed network overlaps a second aperture of each pair of the plurality of pairs of apertures;
wherein the first aperture of each pair of the plurality of pairs of apertures electromagnetically couples the first transmission line feed network and the second aperture of each pair of the plurality of pairs of apertures electromagnetically couples the second transmission line feed network to at least a respective one of the plurality of third substrate conductive patch elements; and
wherein the first aperture of each pair of the plurality of pairs of apertures is orthogonal to the second aperture of each pair of the plurality of pairs of apertures; and
wherein the first aperture of each pair of the plurality of pairs of apertures excites a respective stacked resonant radiating antenna element formed amongst each respective one of the plurality of first substrate conductive patch elements, each respective one of the plurality of third substrate conductive patch elements and the conductive ground plane in an electromagnetic mode corresponding to a vertical polarization far-field pattern, and wherein the second aperture of each pair of the plurality of pairs of apertures excites said respective stacked resonant radiating antenna element in an electromagnetic mode corresponding to a horizontal polarization far-field pattern.
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Abstract
Directive gain antenna elements implemented with an aperture-fed patch array antenna assembly are described. A feed network for the aperture-fed patch array may include offset apertures and may also include meandering feed lines. Scalable aperture shapes and orientations that can be used with antennas operating at any frequency and with dual orthogonal polarizations are also disclosed. Directive gain antenna elements implemented with arrays of orthogonal reflected dipoles are also described with optimal feed networks and parasitic elements to achieve desired directive gain characteristics. Such arrayed dipole antennas feature dual orthogonal polarizations with assembly tabs that lower cost and improve reliability. Backhaul radios that incorporate said antennas are also disclosed.
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Citations
66 Claims
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1. An antenna assembly comprising:
- a first substrate comprising;
a plurality of first substrate conductive patch elements;
a second substrate comprising;a first layer with at least a conductive ground plane and a plurality of pairs of apertures, wherein a number of the plurality of pairs of apertures is equal to a number of the plurality of first substrate conductive patch elements; and a second layer with at least a first transmission line feed network coupled to a first feed point and a second transmission line feed network coupled to a second feed point;
a third substrate comprising;a plurality of third substrate conductive patch elements, wherein a number of the plurality of third substrate conductive patch elements is equal to the number of the plurality of first substrate conductive patch elements; a first spacer interposed between the third substrate and the second substrate, the first spacer comprising a dielectric material and at least one first spacer opening in the dielectric material, wherein the dielectric material is absent within the at least one first spacer opening; and a second spacer interposed between the first substrate and the third substrate, the second spacer comprising a dielectric material and at least one second spacer opening in the dielectric material, wherein the dielectric material is absent within the at least one second spacer opening; wherein the first transmission line feed network overlaps a first aperture of each pair of the plurality of pairs of apertures and the second transmission line feed network overlaps a second aperture of each pair of the plurality of pairs of apertures; wherein the first aperture of each pair of the plurality of pairs of apertures electromagnetically couples the first transmission line feed network and the second aperture of each pair of the plurality of pairs of apertures electromagnetically couples the second transmission line feed network to at least a respective one of the plurality of third substrate conductive patch elements; and wherein the first aperture of each pair of the plurality of pairs of apertures is orthogonal to the second aperture of each pair of the plurality of pairs of apertures; and wherein the first aperture of each pair of the plurality of pairs of apertures excites a respective stacked resonant radiating antenna element formed amongst each respective one of the plurality of first substrate conductive patch elements, each respective one of the plurality of third substrate conductive patch elements and the conductive ground plane in an electromagnetic mode corresponding to a vertical polarization far-field pattern, and wherein the second aperture of each pair of the plurality of pairs of apertures excites said respective stacked resonant radiating antenna element in an electromagnetic mode corresponding to a horizontal polarization far-field pattern. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66)
- a first substrate comprising;
Specification