Broadband antennas over electronically reconfigurable artificial magnetic conductor surfaces
AssigneeTitan Aerospace Electronics Division
InventorsVictor C. Sanchez, William E. McKinzie, III, Rodolfo E. Diaz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A low profile antenna system includes an artificial magnetic conductor comprising a frequency selective surface (FSS) having an effective sheet capacitance which is electronically variable to control resonant frequency of the AMC and the resonant frequency of an antenna element positioned adjacent to the FSS.
Claims33
An antenna system comprising:
- an artificial magnetic conductor (AMC) including a frequency selective surface (FSS) having an effective sheet capacitance which is variable to control resonant frequency of the AMC;
- and
- an antenna element positioned adjacent to the FSS.
An antenna system comprising:
- an artificial magnetic conductor (AMC) including
- a frequency selective surface (FSS),
- a conductive backplane structure,
- a spacer layer separating the conductive backplane structure and the FSS, the spacer layer including conductive vias extending between the conductive backplane structure and the FSS, and
- voltage variable capacitive circuit elements coupled with the FSS and responsive to one or more bias signal lines routed through the conductive backplane structure and the conductive vias;
- and
- an antenna element positioned adjacent to the AMC.
An antenna system comprising:
- an artificial magnetic conductor (AMC) including
- a frequency selective surface (FSS) including a periodic array of conductive patches;
- a spacer layer including vias extending therethrough in association with predetermined conductive patches of the FSS;
- and
- a conducting backplane structure including two or more bias signal lines,
- the AMC characterized by a unit cell including
- in a first plane, a pattern of three or more conductive patches, one conductive patch electrically coupled with an associated conductive via, and voltage variable capacitive elements between selected laterally adjacent conductive patches;
- and
- a conductive backplane segment extending in a second plane substantially parallel to a plane including the three or more conductive patches and
- the associated conductive via extending from the one conductive patch to one of the two or more bias signal lines;
- and
- an antenna element positioned adjacent to the AMC.
A method for tuning an antenna system which includes an antenna element adjacent to an artificial magnetic conductor (AMC) having a frequency selective surface (FSS) which has a pattern of conductive patches, a conductive backplane structure and a spacer layer separating the FSS and the conductive backplane structure, the method comprising:
- applying bias control signals to voltage variable capacitive elements associated with the FSS;
- and
- thereby, reconfiguring effective sheet capacitance of the FSS to tune the antenna.
An antenna system comprising:
- an artificial magnetic conductor (AMC) comprising
- a frequency selective surface (FSS) having a pattern of conductive patches,
- a conductive backplane structure, and
- a spacer layer separating the FSS and the conductive backplane structure, the spacer layer including conductive vias associated with some but not all patches of the pattern of conductive patches;
- and
- an antenna positioned an effective distance from the FSS.
An antenna system comprising:
- an antenna;
- and
- a high impedance surface adjacent the antenna, the high impedance surface comprising:
- a frequency selective surface (FSS) patterned with conductive patches;
- a conductive ground plane;
- and
- a layer separating the FSS and the conductive backplane structure, the layer including a dielectric material pierced by a partial forest of conductive vias.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.