Antenna and method for receiving or transmitting radiation through a dielectric material
AssigneeHughes Electronics Corporation
InventorWilliam B. Bridges
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A low profile, receiving and/or transmitting antenna is adapted to be mounted onto an interior portion of a building or other structure to receive or transmit radiation through a first dielectric material, such as a window, associated with the building or other structure. The antenna includes a receiving/transmitting horn filled with a second dielectric material and a surface for mounting the antenna to the first dielectric material so that the horn is disposed at a particular angle with respect to a surface of the first dielectric material. A matching layer may be disposed between the first dielectric material and the second dielectric material to provide for a reflectionless match between the first and second dielectric materials.
Claims21
An antenna adapted to receive or transmit radiation through a first dielectric material having an associated first index of refraction, the antenna comprising:
- a receiving/transmitting horn;
- a second dielectric material having an associated second index of refraction disposed within the horn;
- and
- an orienting device coupled to the second dielectric material that orients a boresight of the horn at a non-zero angle with respect to a normal to a surface of the first dielectric material when the antenna is disposed directly adjacent the surface of the first dielectric material.
The antenna of claim 11, wherein the horn is a receiving horn and the surface of the first dielectric material comprises a first surface of the first dielectric material, wherein the first dielectric material has a second surface which is on a directly opposite side of the first dielectric material from the first surface of the first dielectric material and wherein the non-zero angle is chosen so that the horn receives radiation impinging on the second surface of the first dielectric material at a maximum angle of about 90 degrees with respect to a normal to the second surface of the first dielectric material.
A method of receiving radiation through a first dielectric material having an associated first index of refraction comprising the steps of:
- filling a receiving horn with a second dielectric material having an associated second index of refraction;
- placing the receiving horn and the second dielectric material adjacent the first dielectric material so that a boresight of the receiving horn is disposed at a non-zero angle with respect to a normal to the surface of the first dielectric material against which the horn is placed;
- and
- detecting radiation passing through the first dielectric material and into the receiving horn.
A method of transmitting radiation through a first dielectric material having an associated first index of refraction comprising the steps of:
- filling a transmitting horn with a second dielectric material having an associated second index of refraction;
- placing the transmitting horn and the second dielectric material adjacent the first dielectric material so that a boresight of the transmitting horn is disposed at a non-zero angle with respect to a normal to the surface of the first dielectric material against which the horn is placed;
- and
- propagating radiation out of the transmitting horn through the first dielectric material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.