Back to results
US 9,287,632 B2Granted
Structural wideband multifunctional apertures
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsCharles W. Manry, Jr., Manny S. Urcia, David L. Banks
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A structural wideband multifunctional aperture and methods are presented. A ground plane grounds radio frequency (RF) and direct current (DC) electrical fields. A structural egg crate circuit board comprises a grid of circuit board planes coupled to the ground plane and perpendicular to the ground plane around open boxes. A signal feed-line is coupled to the structural egg crate circuit board and couple-able to a signal transmission line. A driven feed layer parallel to the ground plane is coupled to the signal feed-line and to a side of the structural egg crate circuit board opposite to the ground plane.
Claims38
A structural wideband multifunctional aperture comprising:
- a ground plane operable to ground radio frequency (RF) and direct current (DC) electrical fields;
- a structural egg crate circuit board comprising a grid of circuit board planes coupled to the ground plane and configured substantially perpendicular to the ground plane around a plurality of open boxes, and operable to support a structural load;
- a signal feed-line coupled to the structural egg crate circuit board and operable to couple to a signal transmission line, and configured perpendicular to the ground plane;
- and
- a driven feed layer configured substantially parallel to the ground plane and coupled to the signal feed-line and to a side of the structural egg crate circuit board opposite to the ground plane
- wherein the driven feed layer is configured in a unit cell for an electronically steerable array.
3 more elements
A method for forming a structural wideband multifunctional aperture comprising:
- coupling a structural egg crate circuit board comprising a grid of circuit board planes to a ground plane;
- configuring the structural egg crate circuit board substantially perpendicular to the ground plane around a plurality of open boxes, and to support a structural load;
- coupling a signal feed-line to the structural egg crate circuit board, the signal feed-line operable to couple to a signal transmission line, and configured perpendicular to the ground plane, wherein the driven feed layer is configured in a unit cell for an electronically steerable array;
- configuring a driven feed layer substantially parallel to the ground plane;
- and
- coupling the driven feed layer to the signal feed-line and to a side of the structural egg crate circuit board opposite to the ground plane.
3 more elements
A method for operating a structural wideband multifunctional aperture comprising:
- electromagnetically coupling a signal feed-line to a signal transmission line, the signal feed-line configured perpendicular to the ground plane and coupled to a structural egg crate circuit board comprising a grid of circuit board planes coupled to a ground plane and configured substantially perpendicular to the ground plane around a plurality of open boxes and operable to support a structural load;
- and
- electromagnetically coupling a driven feed layer to the signal feed-line, the driven feed layer configured substantially parallel to the ground plane and coupled to the signal feed-line and coupled to a side of the structural egg crate circuit board opposite to the ground plane,
- wherein the driven feed layer is configured in a unit cell for an electronically steerable array.
1 more element
The method of claim right above 26, wherein the structural wideband multifunctional aperture is configured with a matching bandwidth ratio of at least 5:1 of high frequency to low frequency.
A structural wideband multifunctional aperture comprising:
- a ground plane operable to ground radio frequency (RF) and direct current (DC) electrical fields;
- a structural egg crate circuit board comprising a grid of circuit board planes coupled to the ground plane and configured substantially perpendicular to the ground plane around a plurality of open boxes, and operable to support a structural load;
- a signal feed-line coupled to the structural egg crate circuit board and operable to couple to a signal transmission line, and configured perpendicular to the ground plane;
- and
- a driven feed layer configured substantially parallel to the ground plane and coupled to the signal feed-line and to a side of the structural egg crate circuit board opposite to the ground plane
- wherein the structural wideband multifunctional aperture is configured as a dual-polarized dipole antenna structure.
3 more elements
A structural wideband multifunctional aperture comprising:
- a ground plane operable to ground radio frequency (RF) and direct current (DC) electrical fields;
- a structural egg crate circuit board comprising a grid of circuit board planes coupled to the ground plane and configured substantially perpendicular to the ground plane around a plurality of open boxes, and operable to support a structural load;
- a signal feed-line coupled to the structural egg crate circuit board and operable to couple to a signal transmission line, and configured perpendicular to the ground plane;
- and
- a driven feed layer configured substantially parallel to the ground plane and coupled to the signal feed-line and to a side of the structural egg crate circuit board opposite to the ground plane
- wherein the structural wideband multifunctional aperture is configured with a matching bandwidth ratio of at least 5:1 of high frequency to low frequency.
3 more elements
A method for forming a structural wideband multifunctional aperture comprising:
- coupling a structural egg crate circuit board comprising a grid of circuit board planes to a ground plane;
- configuring the structural egg crate circuit board substantially perpendicular to the ground plane around a plurality of open boxes, and to support a structural load;
- coupling a signal feed-line to the structural egg crate circuit board, the signal feed-line operable to couple to a signal transmission line, and configured perpendicular to the ground plane;
- configuring a driven feed layer substantially parallel to the ground plane;
- and
- coupling the driven feed layer to the signal feed-line and to a side of the structural egg crate circuit board opposite to the ground plane
- wherein the structural wideband multifunctional aperture is configured as a dual-polarized dipole antenna structure.
4 more elements
A method for forming a structural wideband multifunctional aperture comprising:
- coupling a structural egg crate circuit board comprising a grid of circuit board planes to a ground plane;
- configuring the structural egg crate circuit board substantially perpendicular to the ground plane around a plurality of open boxes, and to support a structural load;
- coupling a signal feed-line to the structural egg crate circuit board, the signal feed-line operable to couple to a signal transmission line, and configured perpendicular to the ground plane;
- configuring a driven feed layer substantially parallel to the ground plane;
- and
- coupling the driven feed layer to the signal feed-line and to a side of the structural egg crate circuit board opposite to the ground plane;
- wherein the structural wideband multifunctional aperture is configured with a matching bandwidth ratio of at least 5:1 of high frequency to low frequency.
4 more elements
A method for operating a structural wideband multifunctional aperture comprising:
- electromagnetically coupling a signal feed-line to a signal transmission line, the signal feed-line configured perpendicular to the ground plane and coupled to a structural egg crate circuit board comprising a grid of circuit board planes coupled to a ground plane and configured substantially perpendicular to the ground plane around a plurality of open boxes and operable to support a structural load;
- and
- electromagnetically coupling a driven feed layer to the signal feed-line, the driven feed layer configured substantially parallel to the ground plane and coupled to the signal feed-line and coupled to a side of the structural egg crate circuit board opposite to the ground plane,
- wherein the structural wideband multifunctional aperture is configured as a dual-polarized dipole antenna structure.
1 more element
A method for operating a structural wideband multifunctional aperture comprising:
- electromagnetically coupling a signal feed-line to a signal transmission line, the signal feed-line configured perpendicular to the ground plane and coupled to a structural egg crate circuit board comprising a grid of circuit board planes coupled to a ground plane and configured substantially perpendicular to the ground plane around a plurality of open boxes and operable to support a structural load;
- and
- electromagnetically coupling a driven feed layer to the signal feed-line, the driven feed layer configured substantially parallel to the ground plane and coupled to the signal feed-line and coupled to a side of the structural egg crate circuit board opposite to the ground plane
- wherein the structural wideband multifunctional aperture is configured with a matching bandwidth ratio of at least 5:1 of high frequency to low frequency.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.