Dynamically shapable antenna
AssigneeThe Johns Hopkins University
InventorsJennifer S. Hollenbeck, Steven M. Storck
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Abstract
An antenna assembly may include a shape change antenna configured to transmit an electromagnetic wave or receive an electromagnetic wave. The shape change antenna may have an antenna shape and may be formed of a conductive shape memory material that physically moves in response to changes in a non-geometric characteristic. The antenna assembly may also include a shape change stimulator configured to change the non-geometric characteristic of the shape change antenna to cause the antenna shape to physically change between a first geometry and a second geometry.
Claims19
An apparatus for transmitting or receiving electromagnetic waves, the apparatus comprising:
- a base structure;
- a front end configured to condition a signal for transmission as a transmitted electromagnetic wave via a transmitter of the front end or condition a received electromagnetic wave received via a receiver of the front end;
- a shape change antenna operably coupled to the front end and configured to transmit the transmitted electromagnetic wave or receive the received electromagnetic wave, the shape change antenna having an antenna shape and being formed of a material comprising a conductive shape memory material that physically moves in response to changes in a non-geometric characteristic, the shape change antenna being physically coupled to the base structure;
- a shape change stimulator configured to change the non-geometric characteristic to cause the antenna shape of the shape change antenna to physically change;
- and
- shape control circuity configured to control the shape change stimulator to change the non-geometric characteristic to cause the antenna shape to change between a first geometry and a second geometry, wherein at least a portion of the shape change antenna physically moves relative to the base structure as the shape change antenna transitions between the first geometry and the second geometry.
An antenna assembly comprising:
- a shape change antenna configured to transmit an electromagnetic wave or receive an electromagnetic wave, the shape change antenna having an antenna shape and being formed of a material comprising a conductive shape memory material that physically moves in response to changes in a non-geometric characteristic;
- and
- a shape change stimulator configured to change the non-geometric characteristic of the shape change antenna to cause the antenna shape to physically change between a first geometry and a second geometry, wherein
- when the antenna shape is the first geometry, the shape change antenna has a first radiation pattern,
- when the antenna shape is the second geometry, the shape change antenna has a second radiation pattern, and
- the first radiation pattern and the second radiation pattern have different electromagnetic field strengths at a common location relative to the shape change antenna for a same input power.
A method for modifying electromagnetic characteristics by changing an antenna shape of a shape change antenna, the method comprising:
- controlling, by circuitry, a shape change stimulator to change a non-geometric characteristic of the shape change antenna to a first value to cause the antenna shape to physically change into a first geometry to cause the shape change antenna to have a first radiation pattern, the shape change antenna being formed of a material comprising a conductive shape memory material that responds to changes in the non-geometric characteristic;
- transmitting or receiving an electromagnetic wave via the shape change antenna in the first geometry;
- controlling, by the circuitry, the shape change stimulator to change the non-geometric characteristic of the shape change antenna to a second value, different from the first value, to cause the antenna shape to physically change from the first geometry to a second geometry to cause the shape change antenna to have a second radiation pattern;
- and
- transmitting or receiving a second electromagnetic wave via the shape change antenna in the second geometry,
- wherein the first radiation pattern and the second radiation pattern have different electromagnetic field strengths at a common location relative to the shape change antenna for a same input power.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.