Radio wave lens antenna

• US 7,205,950 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2004
• Issued: 04/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Kuroda, Masatoshi, Imai, Katsuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, HOANGANH T
• Application Number:
  US10/559,574
• Publication Number:
  US 20060132380A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,049 Days
• Field of Search: 343/911.L, 343/911.R, 343/753, 343/754, 343/755, 343/786, 343/785, 343/776
• US Class Current: 343/785
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/06 Waveguide mouths horns H01Q13/02
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/08 formed of solid dielectric material
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/23 Combinations of reflecting surfaces with refracting or diffracting devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/08 for modifying the radiation pattern of a radiating horn in which it is located corrugated horns H01Q13/0208; producing a circular polarisation H01Q13/0241
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/008 lens fed multibeam arrays

Abstract

A multi-beam lens antenna for individual communication with communication satellites spaced at small elongations. The multi-beam antenna comprises primary feeds 3 each of which is composed of a waveguide having an opening at the end and a dielectric body 6 disposed at the end, a hemispherical Luneberg radio wave lens, and a reflective plate attached to the circular opening of the hemispherical radio wave lens and adapted for reflecting a radio wave incoming from the sky or emitted toward a target. The waveguides are preferably rectangular waveguides 4 rather than circular waveguides 5. The dielectric bodies 6 are preferably tapered.

Claims

1. A radio wave lens antenna comprising:

a hemispherical radio wave lens for focusing radio wave beams;

a reflective plate attached to a half-cut surface of the sphere of the radio wave lens for reflecting radio waves incoming from the sky or radiated toward targets; and

primary feeds positioned at arbitrary radio wave focus points of the radio wave lens for transmitting or receiving the radio waves,

wherein the primary feeds include at least one pair of primary feeds installed closely and each of the two closely disposed primary feeds includes a dielectric loaded waveguide antenna where a dielectric body is loaded at an end opening of a waveguide, a center of the end of the dielectric body being located off the extension of the waveguide'"'"'s center axis and the centers of the ends of the dielectric bodies of the two closely disposed primary feeds being disposed at off-centered positions such that the centers are remotely spaced apart from each other.

2. The radio wave lens antenna of claim 1, wherein the dielectric-loaded waveguide antenna is a dielectric-loaded rectangular waveguide antenna where the dielectric body is loaded at the end opening of a rectangular waveguide.

3. The radio wave lens antenna of claim 1, wherein the dielectric body of the dielectric-loaded waveguide antenna is protruded forward from the waveguide and a protruded portion of the dielectric body is of a taper shape having a thinned end.

4. The radio wave lens antenna of claim 3, wherein an end of the dielectric body protruded from the waveguide is cut out such that the end of the dielectric body is of flat or a round shape.

5. The radio wave lens antenna of claim 3, wherein in a plane including a cross section of the protruded portion of the dielectric body protruded forward from the waveguide, a dimension of the protruded portion in a disposed direction of the two primary feeds is smaller than that in a direction normal to the disposed direction of the two primary feeds, the cross section of the protruded portion being normal to the waveguide'"'"'s center axis.

6. The radio wave lens antenna of claim 5, wherein an end of the dielectric body protruded from the waveguide is cut out such that the end of the dielectric body is of flat or a round shape.

7. The radio wave lens antenna of claim 1, wherein the dielectric body is protruded forward from the waveguide and a part of an outer periphery of a protruded portion of the dielectric body is removed along a plane of a direction intersecting a cross section of the waveguide normal to the center axis thereof.

8. The radio wave lens antenna of claim 7, wherein in a plane including a cross section of the protruded portion of the dielectric body protruded forward from the waveguide, a dimension of the protruded portion in a disposed direction of the two primary feeds is smaller than that in a direction normal to the disposed direction of the two primary feeds, the cross section of the protruded portion being normal to the waveguide'"'"'s center axis.

9. The radio wave lens antenna of claim 8, wherein an end of the dielectric body protruded from the waveguide is cut out such that the end of the dielectric body is of flat or a round shape.

10. The radio wave lens antenna of claim 7, wherein an end of the dielectric body protruded from the waveguide is cut out such that the end of the dielectric body is of flat or a round shape.

11. A radio wave lens antenna comprising:

a spherical radio wave lens for focusing radio wave beams; and

primary feeds positioned at arbitrary radio wave focus points of the radio wave lens for transmitting or receiving the radio waves,

wherein the primary feeds include at least one pair of primary feeds installed closely and each of the two closely disposed primary feeds includes a dielectric loaded waveguide antenna where a dielectric body is loaded at an end opening of a waveguide, a center of the end of the dielectric body being located off the extension of the waveguide'"'"'s center axis and the centers of the ends of the dielectric bodies of the two closely disposed primary feeds being disposed at off-centered positions such that the centers are remotely spaced apart from each other.

12. The radio wave lens antenna of claim 11, wherein the dielectric-loaded waveguide antenna is a dielectric-loaded rectangular waveguide antenna where the dielectric body is loaded at the end opening of a rectangular waveguide.

13. The radio wave lens antenna of claim 11, wherein the dielectric body of the dielectric-loaded waveguide antenna is protruded forward from the waveguide and a protruded portion of the dielectric body is of a taper shape having a thinned end.

14. The radio wave lens antenna of claim 13, wherein an end of the dielectric body protruded from the waveguide is cut out such that the end of the dielectric body is of flat or a round shape.

15. The radio wave lens antenna of claim 13, wherein in a plane including a cross section of the protruded portion of the dielectric body protruded forward from the waveguide, a dimension of the protruded portion in a disposed direction of the two primary feeds is smaller than that in a direction normal to the disposed direction of the two primary feeds, the cross section of the protruded portion being normal to the waveguide'"'"'s center axis.

16. The radio wave lens antenna of claim 15, wherein an end of the dielectric body protruded from the waveguide is cut out such that the end of the dielectric body is of flat or a round shape.

17. The radio wave lens antenna of claim 11, wherein the dielectric body is protruded forward from the waveguide and a part of an outer periphery of a protruded portion of the dielectric body is removed along a plane of a direction intersecting a cross section of the waveguide normal to the center axis thereof.

18. The radio wave lens antenna of claim 17, wherein in a plane including a cross section of the protruded portion of the dielectric body protruded forward from the waveguide, a dimension of the protruded portion in a disposed direction of the two primary feeds is smaller than that in a direction normal to the disposed direction of the two primary feeds, the cross section of the protruded portion being normal to the waveguide'"'"'s center axis.

19. The radio wave lens antenna of claim 18, wherein an end of the dielectric body protruded from the waveguide is cut out such that the end of the dielectric body is of flat or a round shape.

20. The radio wave lens antenna of claim 17, wherein an end of the dielectric body protruded from the waveguide is cut out such that the end of the dielectric body is of flat or a round shape.