Compact antenna with folded substrate

An antenna, comprising:

• a folded dielectric substrate;
• a beam forming network comprising strip conductor circuitry separated from a ground plane conductor by a portion of the substrate;
• an array of antenna elements comprising strip conductor circuitry separate from a ground plane conductor by a second portion of the substrate;
• and,
• a parallel plate region disposed about a folded region of the substrate, such parallel plate region comprising a pair of conductive plates separated by the folded region of the substrate, the beam forming network and the array of antenna elements being coupled together through the parallel plate region.

A microwave lens antenna, comprising:

• a microwave lens element;
• an antenna element;
• a ground plane conductor disposed between the microwave lens element and the antenna element;
• a dielectric member having disposed thereon the ground plane conductor, the microwave lens element, and the antenna element.

An antenna, comprising:

• a U-shaped dielectric member;
• a ground plane conductor disposed on inner, facing surface portions of the U-shaped dielectric support member;
• a microwave lens element disposed on an outer surface portion of a first arm of the U-shaped dielectric member, a portion of the second surface of the first dielectric member, such microwave lens element, first dielectric member and the first portion of the ground plane conductor disposed comprising a microwave lens;
• and
• an antenna element disposed on the outer surface portion of the other arm of the U-shaped dielectric member.

An antenna, comprising:

• a dielectric support structure having:
• a pair of dielectric members extending in laterally displaced planes, each dielectric member having opposing, first and second surfaces, the first surface of a first one of the members facing the first surface of a second one of the dielectric members;
• a ground plane conductor having a first portion thereof disposed on the first surface of the first dielectric member and a second portion thereof disposed on the first surface of the second dielectric member;
• a microwave lens element disposed on the second surface of the first dielectric member, such microwave lens element, first dielectric member and the first portion of the ground plane conductor comprising a microwave lens;
• and
• an antenna element disposed on the second surface of the second dielectric member, such antenna element and the portion of the second portion of the ground plane comprising an antenna aperture.

An antenna, comprising;

• a microwave lens, comprising:
• a first dielectric member having opposing, first and second surfaces;
• a first ground plane conductor section disposed on the first surface of the first dielectric member;
• a microwave lens element disposed on the second surface of the first dielectric member;
• an antenna aperture electrically coupled to the microwave lens, comprising:
• a second dielectric member, the first and second dielectric members extending in laterally displaced planes, the second dielectric member having opposing, first and second surfaces, the first surface of a first one of the members facing the first surface of a second one of the dielectric members;
• and
• an antenna element disposed on the second surface of the second dielectric member;
• a second ground plane conductor disposed on the second surface of the first dielectric member;
• and,
• wherein the first and second dielectric members extend in laterally displaced planes with the first and second ground plane sections being disposed between the microwave lens element and the antenna element.

An antenna, comprising;

• a microwave lens, comprising:
• a first dielectric member having opposing, first and second surfaces;
• a first ground plane conductor section disposed on the first surface of the first dielectric member;
• a microwave lens element disposed on the second surface of the first dielectric member;
• an antenna aperture electrically coupled to the microwave lens, comprising:
• a second dielectric member, the first and second dielectric members extending in laterally displaced planes, the second dielectric member having opposing, first and second surfaces, the first surface of a first one of the members facing the first surface of a second one of the dielectric members;
• and
• an antenna element disposed on the second surface of the second dielectric member;
• a second ground plane conductor disposed on the second surface of the first dielectric member;
• and,
• wherein the first and second ground plane sections are disposed between the microwave lens element and the antenna element.