HIGH DIELECTRIC ANTENNA ARRAY

• US 20150042526A1
• Filed: 08/15/2014
• Published: 02/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ossia, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ossia, Inc.
• Inventors: Zeine, Hatem
• Granted Patent: US 9,685,711 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/753
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/09 wherein the primary active element is coated with or embedded in a dielectric or magnetic material protective material H01Q1/40, varying the electric or magnetic characteristics of refracting or diffracting devices H01Q3/44
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0087 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing antenna arrays manufacturing waveguides H01P11/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/22 Antenna units of the array energised non-uniformly in amplitude or phase, e.g. tapered array or binomial array
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/23 characterised by the type of transmitting antennas, e.g. directional array antennas or Yagi antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/402 the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49018 with other electrical component

Abstract

A system and method for wirelessly transmitting signals via antenna phased array. In order to decrease the distance between individual antennae in the array, the antennae are submersed in a high dielectric material in addition to being arranged at right angles to one another, both features precluding one or more antennae from coupling. Furthermore, wires are covered in high dielectric material in order to refract RF signals around them, allowing antennae towards the center of the array to successfully transmit signals past other layers.

Claims

1. A compact antenna array configured to wirelessly transmit a signal, the antenna array comprising:

a plurality of antennae elements forming a phased array antenna and arranged in a substantially right angle configuration relative to each other; and

a substantially high permittivity dielectric insulator configured to substantially submerge the plurality of antennae elements, thereby decreasing spacing between each of the plurality of antennae elements and causing the plurality of antennae elements to refract RF signals around the plurality of antennae elements thereby enhancing signal transfer and allowing a subset of the plurality of antennae elements substantially proximate to a center of the phased array antenna to successfully transmit signals past other layers of the antennae elements.

2. The antenna array of claim 1, wherein the high permittivity dielectric insulator is having a permittivity coefficient that is substantially larger than three.

3. The antenna array of claim 1, wherein the phased array antennae are coupled by conductive wires coated in a dielectric material of high permittivity.

4. The antenna array of claim 1, wherein the phased array antennae are comprised of traces within a circuit board, and wherein some of the traces are surrounded by gaps of air or some other low-permittivity dielectric material.

5. The antenna array of claim 2, wherein the dielectric material of high permittivity is placed in proximity to areas of lower permittivity material for enhancing signal transfer.

6. The antenna array of claim 1, wherein the antenna elements are etched into interstitial layers of a circuit board.

7. The antenna array of claim 1, wherein the pattern of the antenna elements is quasi-crystalline.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the phased array of antenna elements are etched into interstitial layers of a circuit board.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the pattern of the phased array of antenna elements is quasi-crystalline.

8. A method for transmitting wireless communication signal and wireless power transfer, comprising:

emitting radio frequency (RF) signals from a phased array of antenna elements having different phases at substantially right angles to avoid signal interference between the said elements; and

refracting the RF signals around wires coupling the phased array of antenna elements thereby enhancing signal transfer and allowing a subset of the array of antenna elements substantially proximate to a center of the phased array of antenna elements to successfully transmit signals past other layers of the phased array of antennae elements.

9. The method of claim 9, wherein submerge the array of antenna elements are submerged by a dielectric insulator having a substantially high permittivity coefficient that is substantially larger than three.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the phased array antenna elements are coupled by conductive wires coated in a dielectric material of high permittivity.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the phased array of antenna elements are comprised of traces within a circuit board, and wherein some of the traces are surrounded by gaps of air or some other low-permittivity dielectric material.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the dielectric material of high permittivity is in proximity to areas of lower permittivity material for enhancing signal transfer.

15. A method for producing elements of a phased array antenna, comprising:

etching an array of elements that are substantially at right angles to each other directly onto a circuit board with high permittivity;

forming the array of elements into interstitial layers of the circuit board;

forming gaps between layers of high-permittivity materials and low-permittivity materials; and

coating wires coupling the array of elements with a dielectric material of high permittivity.