# US 12,119,862 B1 · Radio frequency aperture with cooling assembly

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 12,119,862 B1
- Document ID: US12119862B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 18/513,055
- Filed: 2023-11-17
- Published: 2024-10-31
- Granted: 2024-10-15
- Earliest claimed: 2023-04-26
- Assignees: Battelle Memorial Institute
- Applicants: Battelle Memorial Institute
- Inventors: David R. Chase; Micah Blue; Michael Jansen; Curt Hudberg
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12119862B1

## CPC

- H04B 1/40: Circuits
- H01Q 1/02: Arrangements for de-icing; Arrangements for drying-out {; Arrangements for cooling; Arrangements for preventing corrosion}
- H01Q 13/06: Waveguide mouths (horns H01Q13/02)
- H01Q 17/008: {with a particular shape (H01Q17/007 takes precedence)}
- H01Q 21/064: {using horn or slot aerials (slotted waveguides arrays H01Q21/005)}
- H04B 7/0686: {Hybrid systems, i.e. switching and simultaneous transmission}
- H04B 7/0868: {Hybrid systems, i.e. switching and combining}
- H04B: TRANSMISSION
- H01Q: ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS (radiators or antennas for microwave heating H05B6/72)

## Abstract

An air interface plane (AIP) of a radio frequency (RF) aperture includes: a circuit board having a first side and a second side opposite the first side; and a matrix of tapered elements arranged on the first side of the circuit board and secured to the circuit board, the matrix of tapered elements cooperating to at least one of receive or transmit an over-the-air RF signal. Suitably, each tapered element of the matrix has: a central hub extending along a longitudinal axis from a hub base which is proximate to the first side of the circuit board to an apex of the tapered element which is distal from the first side of the first circuit board; and a plurality of arms extending from the central hub at the apex of the tapered element, each of the plurality of arms including a first portion that projects the arm radially away from the longitudinal axis and a second portion that projects the arm longitudinally toward the first side of the circuit board.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A radio frequency (RF) aperture comprising:
a transmit (TX) section including a TX air interface plane (AIP) having a matrix of tapered elements on a front side of the TX AIP, wherein neighboring pairs of tapered elements within the matrix of the TX AIP define aperture pixels configured to transmit over-the-air RF signals;
a receive (RX) section including an RX AIP having a matrix of tapered elements on a front side of the RX AIP, wherein neighboring pairs of tapered elements within the matrix of the RX AIP define aperture pixels configured to receive over-the-air RF signals;
a central cooling section centrally disposed in a gap between the TX section and the RX section; and
a heat sink plate in thermal contact with the central cooling section and oriented parallel with the TX AIP and parallel with the RX AIP, the heat sink plate having a portion disposed on a backside of the TX AIP opposite from the front side of the TX AIP and having a portion disposed on a backside of the RX AIP opposite from the front side of the RX AIP, the heat sink plate providing a thermally conductive heat flow path from the TX section to the central cooling section and providing a thermally conductive heat flow path from the RX section to the central cooling section.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The RF aperture of claim 1 wherein:
the TX AIP is rectangular and has a proximate edge that is the closest edge of the rectangular TX AIP to the central cooling section,
the RX AIP is rectangular and has a proximate edge that is the closest edge of the rectangular RX AIP to the central cooling section;
the proximate edge of the TX AIP and the proximate edge of the RX AIP are mutually parallel; and
the central heating section includes a central duct oriented parallel with the mutually parallel proximate edges of the TX AIP and RX AIP, the central duct configured to transfer heat toward a periphery of the RF aperture.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The RF aperture of claim 2 wherein:
the portion of the heat sink plate disposed on the backside of the TX AIP has grooves oriented transverse to the proximate edge of the TX AIP; and
the portion of the heat sink plate disposed on the backside of the RX AIP has grooves oriented transverse to the proximate edge of the RX AIP.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The RF aperture of claim 2 wherein the central cooling section comprises one or more fans arranged to flow air through the central duct.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The RF aperture of claim 4 wherein:
the portion of the heat sink plate disposed on the backside of the TX AIP has tubes oriented transverse to the proximate edge of the TX AIP and connected with the central duct whereby the fans draw air through the tubes; and
the portion of the heat sink plate disposed on the backside of the RX AIP has tubes oriented transverse to the proximate edge of the RX AIP and connected with the central duct whereby the fans draw air through the tubes.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The RF aperture of claim 2 wherein the central cooling section is configured to flow a liquid through the central duct.

### Claim 7 (depends on 2)

The RF aperture of claim 2 wherein the TX AIP and the RX AIP are coplanar.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The RF aperture of claim 1 wherein the TX AIP and the RX AIP are coplanar.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The RF aperture of claim 1 wherein the cooling mechanism comprises a central air duct, a liquid cooling mechanism, or a passive cooling mechanism.

### Claim 10 (depends on 2)

The RF aperture of claim 2 wherein the central cooling section is configured to actively flow the air or liquid through the central duct.

### Claim 11

A radio frequency (RF) aperture comprising:
a first differential segmented aperture (DSA) comprising a first matrix of tapered elements wherein neighboring pairs of tapered elements of the first matrix define RF aperture pixels of the first DSA;
a second DSA comprising a second matrix of tapered elements wherein neighboring pairs of tapered elements of the second matrix define RF aperture pixels of the second DSA; and
a central cooling section centrally disposed in a gap between the first DSA and the second DSA, the central cooling section configured to expel heat generated by the first DSA from the RF aperture and to expel heat generated by the second DSA from the RF aperture.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The RF aperture of claim 11 wherein the first matrix of tapered elements defines a first air interface plane (AIP), and the second matrix of tapered elements defines a second AIP that is coplanar with the first AIP.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The RF aperture of claim 12 further comprising:
a heat sink plate in thermal contact with the central cooling section, the first DSA, and the second DSA, wherein the heat sink plate is oriented parallel with the first AIP and is oriented parallel with the second AIP.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The RF aperture of claim 13 wherein the heat sink plate includes grooves or tubes oriented to channel heat from the first DSA to the central cooling section and to channel heat from the second DSA to the central cooling section.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The RF aperture of claim 11 wherein the central heating section includes a central duct containing air or a liquid, the central duct configured to transfer heat received from the first DSA and from the second DSA toward a periphery of the RF aperture.