SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING DIRECTIONAL RADIATION FIELDS USING DISTRIBUTED LOADED MONOPOLE ANTENNAS

• US 20110210900A1
• Filed: 08/30/2010
• Published: 09/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The University of Rhode Island Research Foundation (University of Rhode Island)
• Original Assignee: Rhode Island Board of education (STATE OF RHODE ISLAND)
• Inventors: Vincent, Robert J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,281,564 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/793
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 11/14 with parts bent, folded, shaped or screened or with phasing impedances, to obtain desired phase relation of radiation from selected sections of the antenna or to obtain desired polarisation effect H01Q11/20 takes precedence
• 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: H01Q 9/16 with feed intermediate between the extremities of the antenna, e.g. centre-fed dipole H01Q9/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/30 with feed to end of elongated active element, e.g. unipole H01Q9/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49004 including measuring or testing of device or component part
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49016 Antenna or wave energy "plumbing" making

Abstract

An antenna system is disclosed that provides a directional radiation field. The antenna system includes at least two monopole antennas, each of which provides a differential connector. Each differential connector is associated with a signal having a different phase such that a radiation field associated with said antenna system is other than a radiation field that would exist if each differential connector were associated with the signal having the same phase.

Claims

1. An antenna system that provides a directional radiation field, said antenna system comprising at least two monopole antennas, each of which provides a differential connector, wherein each differential connector is associated with a signal having a different phase such that a radiation field associated with said antenna system is other than a radiation field that would exist if each differential connector were associated with the signal having the same phase.

2. The antenna system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least two monopole antennas are separated from one another by a distance of less than ½

λ

where λ

is the wavelength of the directional radiation field.

3. The antenna system as claimed in claim 2 wherein said at least two monopole antennas are commonly coupled at a base of each monopole antenna.

4. The antenna system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the base of each monopole antenna is coupled to ground.

5. The antenna system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said monopole antennas are provided as planar antennas.

6. The antenna system as claimed in claim 1, where said monopole antennas are provided as a dipole antenna system.

7. The antenna system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said monopole antennas are provided as a half loop antenna array.

8. The antenna system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said monopole antennas are provided as a full loop antenna array.

9. The antenna system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said monopole antennas are provided as a structure formed of sides of planar antenna systems, each of which includes a plurality of monopole antennas that are planar.

10. The antenna system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said monopole antennas are provided as an array of monopole antennas.

11. An antenna system that provides a directional radiation field, said antenna system comprising at least two distributed load monopole antennas each of which includes a radiation resistance unit coupled to a transmitter base, a current enhancing unit for enhancing current through said radiation resistance unit;

and a conductive mid-section intermediate said radiation resistance unit and said current enhancing unit, said conductive mid-section having a length that provides that a sufficient average current is provided over the length of the antenna, and wherein each of said two distributed load monopole antennas is coupled to a connector, and at least one connector is coupled to a phase changing device such that the directional radiation field is provided by said antenna system responsive to the phase changing device.

12. The antenna system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said at least two distributed load monopole antennas are separated from one another by a distance less than ½

λ

where λ

is the wavelength of the directional radiation field.

13. The antenna system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said antenna system is a transmission system and the directional radiation field is a transmission field.

14. The antenna system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said antenna system is a receiver system and the directional radiation field is a reception field.

15. The antenna system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said distributed load monopole antennas are provided as a half loop antenna array.

16. The antenna system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said distributed load monopole antennas are provided as a full loop antenna array.

17. The antenna system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said distributed load monopole antennas are provided as a structure formed of sides of planar antenna systems, each of which includes a plurality of monopole antennas that are planar.

18. A method of providing a directional radiation field in an antenna system, said method comprising the steps of providing at least two monopole antennas;

coupling at least one of the monopole antennas to a phase modulation device; and

operating the antenna system such that each monopole antenna operates at a different phase to provide the directional radiation field.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein said step of operating the antenna system involves providing a directional transmission field.

20. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein said step of operating the antenna system involves providing a directional reception field.

21. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein method further includes the step of providing a plurality of test signals to the antenna system, differently modulating each of the test signals, and conducting a spectrum analysis of signals detected by the antenna system.