System and method for focusing antenna signal transmission
AssigneeCushcraft Corporation
InventorJohn Sanford
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The system contains an antenna feed. A signal is in communication with the antenna feed. The signal has a wavelength and a period. A signal lens has a periphery portion that is thicker than an interior portion, wherein the signal propagates through the signal lens. The signal lens is designed such that the signal propagates through the periphery portion of the signal lens approximately one wavelength slower than through the interior portion of the signal lens.
Claims25
An antenna system comprising:
- an antenna feed configured for communication with a signal having a wavelength;
- and
- a signal lens, the signal lens having a periphery portion that is thicker than an interior portion from a side of the signal lens adjacent the antenna feed to an opposing side of the signal lens, and being configured such that when the signal lens is impinged by the signal a portion of the signal propagating through the thicker periphery portion of the signal lens lags a portion of the signal propagating through the interior portion, which has a thickness less than a thickness of the periphery portion in a direction the respective portions of the signal propagate through the respective interior and periphery portion;
- a proximate opening and a distal opening formed in the interior portion, wherein the distal opening is larger than the proximate opening.
An antenna system comprising:
- an antenna feed configured for communication with a signal having a wavelength;
- a signal lens having a periphery portion that is thicker than an interior portion from a side of the signal lens adjacent the antenna feed to an opposing side of the signal lens;
- and
- an aperture formed in the interior portion;
- wherein the thickness of the periphery portion relative to the interior portion is sized such that when the signal lens is impinged by the signal, a portion of the signal propagates approximately one less wavelength through the midsection of the interior portion than a portion of the signal propagates through the periphery portion;
- a proximate opening and a distal opening formed in the interior portion, wherein the distal opening is larger than the proximate opening.
An antenna system comprising:
- an antenna feed configured for communication with a signal having a wavelength;
- a signal lens having a periphery portion that is thicker than an interior portion from a side of the signal lens adjacent the antenna feed to an opposing side of the signal lens;
- and
- wherein the thickness of the periphery portion relative to the interior portion is sized such that when the signal lens is impinged by the signal, a portion of the signal traverses approximately one less wavelength through the midsection of the interior portion than a portion of the signal propagates through the periphery portion;
- a proximate opening and a distal opening formed in the interior portion, wherein the distal opening is larger than the proximate opening.
An antenna system comprising:
- an antenna feed configured for communication with a signal having a wavelength;
- a signal lens having a periphery portion that is thicker than an interior portion from a side of the signal lens adjacent the antenna feed to an opposing side of the signal lens, and comprising a material having a dielectric constant such that the interior and periphery portions of the signal lens have the same dielectric constant;
- and
- a proximate opening and a distal opening formed in the interior portion, wherein the distal opening is larger than the proximate opening, wherein the distal opening is approximately not more than three times the wavelength of the signal.
An antenna system comprising:
- an antenna feed configured for communication with a signal having a wavelength;
- a signal lens having a periphery portion that is thicker than an interior portion from a side of the signal lens adjacent the antenna feed to an opposing side of the signal lens;
- and
- a proximate opening and a distal opening formed in the interior portion, wherein the distal opening is larger than the proximate opening, wherein a radial width of the periphery portion is approximately λ/(2n) and a thickness of the periphery portion is approximately λ/(n−1).
An antenna system comprising:
- an antenna feed configured for communication with a signal having a wavelength;
- and
- a signal lens having a periphery portion that is thicker than an interior portion from a side of the signal lens adjacent the antenna feed to an opposing side of the signal lens;
- wherein the signal lens is configured such that when the signal lens is impinged by the signal, a portion of the signal propagates a multiple of approximately one less wavelength through the midsection of the interior portion than a portion of the signal propagates through the periphery portion;
- a proximate opening and a distal opening formed in the interior portion, wherein the distal opening is larger than the proximate opening.
A method of communicating using an antenna feed and a signal lens having a periphery portion that is thicker than an interior portion from a side of the signal lens adjacent the antenna feed to an opposing side of the signal lens, said method comprising the steps of:
- transmitting a signal from the antenna feed;
- propagating a portion of the signal through the interior portion of the signal lens;
- and
- propagating a portion of the signal through the periphery portion of the signal lens, the periphery portion having a thickness greater than a thickness of the interior portion in a direction the respective portions of the signal propagate through the respective periphery and interior portions, wherein the step of propagating through the interior portion;
- a proximate opening and a distal opening formed in the interior portion, wherein the distal opening is larger than the proximate opening is slower than the step of propagating through the interior portion.
A signal lens for focusing signals transmitted from and/or received at an antenna feed of an antenna system, the signal lens comprising a periphery portion that is thicker than an interior portion from a side of the signal lens configured to be adjacent an antenna feed to an opposing side of the signal lens, the interior and periphery portions formed from a material having a dielectric constant such that the interior and periphery portions of the signal lens have the same dielectric constant, and configured such that when the signal lens is impinged by a signal, a portion of the signal will take a longer time to propagate through the periphery portion than the time it will take a portion of the signal to propagate through the interior portion, whereby the portion of the signal propagating through the periphery portion will still be propagating through the signal lens when the portion of the signal propagating through the interior portion has exited the signal lens;
- a proximate opening and a distal opening formed in the interior portion, wherein the distal opening is larger than the proximate opening.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.