Electronically steerable conformal antenna
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsJohn E. Rogers, John D. Williams
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electronically steerable conformal antenna is disclosed. The antenna comprises a circuit board having a composite dielectric. The composite dielectric includes an array of a plurality of antenna elements disposed on the top surface and an array of tunable cavities, each tunable cavity disposed between an associated antenna element and a conductive ground plane on the composite dielectric's bottom surface. The composite dielectric also includes a conductor, extending from an antenna input through the composite dielectric and the tunable cavities and which forms a microstrip between each of the antenna elements.
Claims22
An electronically steerable conformal antenna, comprising:
- a circuit board, comprising:
- a composite dielectric, having:
- a bottom surface, having:
- a conductive ground plane;
- a top surface, having:
- an array of a plurality of antenna elements disposed on the top surface;
- an array of tunable cavities, each tunable cavity disposed between an associated antenna element of the plurality of antenna elements and the bottom surface conductive ground plane;
- and
- a conductor, extending from an antenna input through the composite dielectric and the tunable cavities, the conductor forming a microstrip between each of the antenna elements.
A method of forming a steerable conformal antenna, comprising:
- disposing a conductive antenna element on a top surface of a first dielectric layer;
- processing the first dielectric layer to create at least one port therethrough;
- processing a second dielectric layer to create a first void and a channel therethrough;
- disposing a conductor on a top surface of a third dielectric layer;
- processing the third dielectric layer to create a second void below the conductor;
- disposing a conductive ground plane on a bottom surface of a fourth dielectric layer;
- laminating the first dielectric layer, the second dielectric layer, the third dielectric layer, and the fourth dielectric layer, wherein upon lamination:
- the first void is disposed between the conductive antenna element and the conductive ground plane;
- and
- the first void and the second void together form a cavity disposed between the conductive antenna element and the conductive ground plane having the conductor disposed therethrough and the port and channel are in fluid communication with the cavity;
- and
- filling the cavity with a tunable permittivity material via the port and the channel.
A steerable conformal antenna, formed by performing steps comprising the steps of:
- disposing a conductive antenna element on a top surface of a first dielectric layer;
- processing the first dielectric layer to create at least one port therethrough;
- processing a second dielectric layer to create a first void and a channel therethrough;
- disposing a conductor on a top surface of a third dielectric layer;
- processing the third dielectric layer to create a second void below the conductor;
- disposing a conductive ground plane on a bottom surface of a fourth dielectric layer;
- laminating the first dielectric layer, the second dielectric layer, the third dielectric layer, and the fourth dielectric layer, wherein upon lamination:
- the first void is disposed between the conductive antenna element and the conductive ground plane;
- and
- the first void and the second void form a cavity disposed between the conductive antenna element and the conductive ground plane having the conductor disposed therethrough and the channel fluidly coupled to the cavity;
- and
- filling the cavity with a tunable permittivity material via the port and the channel.
A method of transmitting a signal, comprising:
- receiving the signal at an input of an antenna having a plurality of aperture coupled antenna elements;
- controlling a resonant frequency of the plurality of antenna elements by controlling a permittivity of a dielectric material disposed between the plurality of antenna elements and a ground plane of the antenna;
- and
- transmitting the signal using the plurality of aperture coupled antenna elements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.