Surface scattering antennas

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10062968-B2
Application number	US-201615164211-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 25, 2016
Priority date	Oct 15, 2010
Publication date	Aug 28, 2018
Grant date	Aug 28, 2018

Abstract

Surface scattering antennas provide adjustable radiation fields by adjustably coupling scattering elements along a wave-propagating structure. In some approaches, the scattering elements are complementary metamaterial elements. In some approaches, the scattering elements are made adjustable by disposing an electrically adjustable material, such as a liquid crystal, in proximity to the scattering elements. Methods and systems provide control and adjustment of surface scattering antennas for various applications.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a surface scattering antenna that is adjustable responsive to one or more external inputs;
antenna control circuitry configured to provide the one or more external inputs; and
communications circuitry coupled to a feed structure of the surface scattering antenna;
where the surface scattering antenna includes:
at least one feed connector for launching a guided wave when receiving an electromagnetic signal via the feed structure;
a waveguide arranged for propagating said guided wave; and
a plurality of scattering elements distributed along the waveguide with inter-element spacings substantially less than a free-space wavelength corresponding to an operating frequency of the antenna,
where the plurality of scattering elements have:
electromagnetic properties that are adjustable in response to the one or more external inputs;
a plurality of adjustable individual electromagnetic responses to said guided wave mode in the waveguide, and

said adjustable electromagnetic properties and said plurality of adjustable individual electromagnetic responses provide an adjustable radiation field of the antenna when said guided wave is scattered at said plurality of scattering elements;
wherein the one or more external inputs include a plurality of respective bias voltages for the plurality of scattering elements.

2. A system, comprising:
a surface scattering antenna that is adjustable responsive to one or more external inputs;
antenna control circuitry configured to provide the one or more external inputs; and
communications circuitry coupled to a feed structure of the surface scattering antenna;
where the surface scattering antenna includes:
at least one feed connector for launching a guided wave when receiving an electromagnetic signal via the feed structure;
a waveguide arranged for propagating said guided wave; and
a plurality of scattering elements distributed along the waveguide with inter-element spacings substantially less than a free-space wavelength corresponding to an operating frequency of the antenna,
where the plurality of scattering elements have:
electromagnetic properties that are adjustable in response to the one or more external inputs;
a plurality of adjustable individual electromagnetic responses to said guided wave mode in the waveguide, and

said adjustable electromagnetic properties and said plurality of adjustable individual electromagnetic responses provide an adjustable radiation field of the antenna when said guided wave is scattered at said plurality of scattering elements;
wherein the antenna control circuitry includes: a storage medium that includes a lookup table mapping a set of antenna radiation pattern parameters to a corresponding set of values for the one or more control inputs.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the set of antenna radiation pattern parameters includes a set of antenna beam directions.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the set of antenna radiation pattern parameters includes a set of antenna null directions.

5. The system of claim 2 , wherein the set of antenna radiation pattern parameters includes a set of antenna beam widths.

6. The system of claim 2 , wherein the set of antenna radiation pattern parameters includes a set of polarization states.

7. A system, comprising:
a surface scattering antenna that is adjustable responsive to one or more external inputs;
antenna control circuitry configured to provide the one or more external inputs; and
communications circuitry coupled to a feed structure of the surface scattering antenna;
where the surface scattering antenna includes:
at least one feed connector for launching a guided wave when receiving an electromagnetic signal via the feed structure;
a waveguide arranged for propagating said guided wave; and
a plurality of scattering elements distributed along the waveguide with inter-element spacings substantially less than a free-space wavelength corresponding to an operating frequency of the antenna,
where the plurality of scattering elements have:
electromagnetic properties that are adjustable in response to the one or more external inputs;
a plurality of adjustable individual electromagnetic responses to said guided wave mode in the waveguide, and

said adjustable electromagnetic properties and said plurality of adjustable individual electromagnetic responses provide an adjustable radiation field of the antenna when said guided wave is scattered at said plurality of scattering elements;
wherein the antenna control circuitry includes: processor circuitry configured to calculate a set of values for the one or more external inputs corresponding to a desired antenna radiation pattern parameter.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the processor circuitry is configured to calculate the set of values for the for the one or more external inputs by computing a holographic pattern corresponding to the desired antenna radiation pattern parameter.

9. A system, comprising:
a surface scattering antenna that is adjustable responsive to one or more external inputs;
antenna control circuitry configured to provide the one or more external inputs; and
communications circuitry coupled to a feed structure of the surface scattering antenna;
where the surface scattering antenna includes:
at least one feed connector for launching a guided wave when receiving an electromagnetic signal via the feed structure;
a waveguide arranged for propagating said guided wave; and
a plurality of scattering elements distributed along the waveguide with inter-element spacings substantially less than a free-space wavelength corresponding to an operating frequency of the antenna,
where the plurality of scattering elements have:
electromagnetic properties that are adjustable in response to the one or more external inputs;
a plurality of adjustable individual electromagnetic responses to said guided wave mode in the waveguide, and

said adjustable electromagnetic properties and said plurality of adjustable individual electromagnetic responses provide an adjustable radiation field of the antenna when said guided wave is scattered at said plurality of scattering elements;
and further comprising: a sensor unit configured to detect an environmental condition of the surface scattering antenna.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the sensor unit includes one or more sensors selected from GPS sensors, thermometers, gyroscopes, accelerometers, and strain gauges.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the environmental condition includes a position, an orientation, a temperature, or a mechanical deformation of the surface scattering antenna.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the sensor unit is configured to provide environmental condition data to the antenna control circuitry, and the antenna control circuitry includes:
circuitry configured to adjust the one or more external inputs to compensate for changes in the environmental condition of the surface scattering antenna.

13. A surface scattering antenna, comprising:
at least one feed connector for launching a guided wave when receiving an electromagnetic signal via a feed structure;
a waveguide arranged for propagating said guided wave; and
a plurality of scattering elements distributed along the waveguide with inter-element spacings substantially less than a free-space wavelength corresponding to an operating frequency of the antenna,
where the plurality of scattering elements have:
electromagnetic properties that are adjustable in response to one or more external inputs;
a plurality of adjustable individual electromagnetic responses to said guided

Assignees

• Searete Llc
• The Invent Science Fund I Llc

Inventors

• Bily Adam
• Boardman Anna K
• Hannigan Russell J
• Hunt John Desmond
• Kundtz Nathan
• Nash David R
• Stevenson Ryan Allan
• Sullivan Philip A

Classifications

• H01Q15/02

  Refracting or diffracting devices, e.g. lens, prism · CPC title

• H01Q15/10 Primary

  comprising three-dimensional [3D] array of impedance discontinuities, e.g. holes in conductive surfaces or conductive discs forming artificial dielectric · CPC title

• H01Q15/0006

  Devices acting selectively as reflecting surface, as diffracting or as refracting device, e.g. frequency filtering or angular spatial filtering devices (H01Q15/12, H01Q15/22, H01Q15/24 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01Q15/0086

  said selective devices having materials with a synthesized negative refractive index, e.g. metamaterials or left-handed materials · CPC title

• H01Q3/00

  Arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern of the waves radiated from an antenna or antenna system {(means for positioning H01Q1/125)} · CPC title