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US 8,427,378 B2Granted
Electronic device having solar cell antenna element and related methods
AssigneeHarris Corporation
InventorFrancis Eugene Parsche
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An antenna may include a ground plane and a solar cell spaced above the ground plane. The solar cell may have first and second power output terminals. The antenna may include a coaxial antenna feed line including an inner conductor coupled to the first power output terminal, and an outer conductor coupled to the ground plane so that the solar cell also serves as a patch antenna element. The antenna may further include a drive shunt conductor extending between the first terminal and the ground plane.
Claims20
An electronic device comprising:
- a ground plane;
- a solar cell spaced above said ground plane and having first and second power output terminals;
- a coaxial antenna feed line comprising an inner conductor coupled to the first power output terminal, and an outer conductor coupled to said ground plane so that said solar cell also serves as a patch antenna element;
- and
- a drive shunt conductor extending between the first power output terminal and said ground plane.
2 more elements
An electronic device comprising:
- a ground plane;
- a solar cell spaced above said ground plane and having first and second power output terminals;
- a coaxial antenna feed line comprising an inner conductor coupled to the first power output terminal, and an outer conductor coupled to said ground plane so that said solar cell also serves as a patch antenna element;
- a drive shunt conductor extending between the first power output terminal and said ground plane;
- an antenna tuning body positioned between said ground plane and said solar cell;
- and
- circuitry powered by said solar cell.
4 more elements
A method of making an electronic device comprising:
- spacing a solar cell above a ground plane;
- coupling an inner conductor of a coaxial antenna feed line to a first power output terminal of the solar cell;
- coupling an outer conductor of the coaxial antenna feed line to the ground plane so that the solar cell also serves as a patch antenna element;
- and
- coupling a drive shunt conductor to extend between the first power output terminal and the ground plane.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.