Lens based antenna for super high capacity wireless communications systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10199729-B2
Application number	US-201816101354-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 10, 2018
Priority date	Aug 5, 2015
Publication date	Feb 5, 2019
Grant date	Feb 5, 2019

Abstract

An antenna includes a stack of cylindrical lenses combined with feed elements to provide multi-beam coverage for a given wireless communication sector. Each cylindrical lens disc has approximately the same height as the feed elements being used with the lens. To overcome the problem of interference from cables and opposing feeds, feed elements are placed around the lens. The cylindrical lenses are stacked such that a small gap exists between each pair of adjacent cylindrical lenses, allowing for cable lines to pass through between the pair of the cylindrical lenses, and thus removing interference for 360 degree coverage. Cable lines are arranged such that they only traverse the portion of the circumferential surfaces of the cylindrical lenses that do not interfere with the field of view of the RF signals generated by the corresponding feed elements.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An antenna for use in wireless communications, comprising:
a first sub-antenna, comprising a first lens and a first emitter that is coupled to the first lens, wherein the first lens and the first emitter are arranged to provide a first field of view for a first signal focused through the first lens via the first emitter;
a second sub-antenna, comprising a second lens and a second emitter that is coupled to the second lens, wherein the second lens and the second emitter are arranged to provide a second field of view for a second signal focused through the second lens via the second emitter; and
a first cable that is communicatively coupled to the first and second emitters by traversing a first gap between the first and second lenses,
wherein the first cable, the first emitter, and the second emitter do not obstruct both the first and second field of views.

2. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the first and second wavelengths are substantially identical.

3. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein each of the first field of view and the second field of view is substantially equal to 120°.

4. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the first cable is in contact with a flat surface of at least one of the first lens and the second lens.

5. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the first cable creates no impingement upon the first and second field of views.

6. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the first cable traverses along the curve surface of the second lens substantially near the second emitter.

7. The antenna of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third sub-antenna, comprising a third lens and a third emitter that is coupled to the third lens, wherein the third lens and the third emitter are arranged to provide a third field of view at a third wavelength,
wherein the first cable is further communicatively coupled to the third emitter by traversing a second gap between the second and third lenses.

8. The antenna of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third sub-antenna, comprising a third lens and a third emitter that is coupled to the third lens, wherein the third lens and the third emitter are arranged to provide a third field of view at a third wavelength; and
a second cable is communicatively coupled to the third emitter by traversing a second gap between the second and third lenses.

9. The antenna of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third sub-antenna, comprising a third lens and a third emitter that is coupled to the third lens, wherein the third lens and the third emitter are arranged to provide a third field of view at a third wavelength;
a fourth sub-antenna, comprising a fourth lens and a fourth emitter that is coupled to the fourth lens, wherein the fourth lens and the fourth emitter are arranged to provide a fourth field of view at a fourth wavelength; and
wherein the first cable is further communicatively coupled to the third and fourth emitters by traversing a second gap between the second and third lenses, and a third gap between the third and fourth lenses,
wherein the third and fourth field of views are non-overlapping,
wherein the first cable, the first emitter, the second emitter, the third emitter, and the fourth emitter do not obstruct any of the first, second, third, and fourth field of views.

10. The antenna of claim 9 , wherein the third and fourth wavelengths are substantially identical.

11. The antenna of claim 10 , wherein the first and second wavelengths are different from the third and fourth wavelengths.

12. The antenna of claim 10 , wherein the first and second wavelengths cover a low band and the third and fourth wavelengths cover a high band.

13. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the first gap comprises a non-dielectric material.

14. The antenna of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third sub-antenna, comprising a third lens and a third emitter that is coupled to the third lens, wherein the third lens and the third emitter are arranged to provide a third field of view at a third wavelength,
wherein the first cable is further communicatively coupled to the third and fourth emitters by traversing a second gap between the second and third lenses, and
wherein the first, second, and third field of views together provide 360 degree coverage with respect to a vertical axis through each of the first, second, and third sub-antennas.

15. The antenna of claim 14 , further comprising:
a fourth sub-antenna, comprising a fourth lens and a fourth emitter that is coupled to the fourth lens, wherein the fourth lens and the fourth emitter are arranged to provide a fourth field of view for a fourth signal focused through the fourth lens via the fourth emitter;
a fifth sub-antenna, comprising a fifth lens and a fifth emitter that is coupled to the fifth lens, wherein the fifth lens and the fifth emitter are arranged to provide a fifth field of view for a fifth signal focused through the fifth lens via the fifth emitter;
a sixth sub-antenna, comprising a sixth lens and a sixth emitter that is coupled to the sixth lens, wherein the sixth lens and the sixth emitter are arranged to provide a sixth field of view for a sixth signal focused through the sixth lens via the sixth emitter; and
a second cable that is communicatively coupled to the first, second, and third emitters by traversing a third gap between the fourth and fifth lenses and by traversing a fourth gap between the fifth and sixth lenses,
wherein the second cable, the fourth emitter, the fifth emitter, and the sixth emitter do not obstruct any of the fourth, fifth, and sixth field of views.

16. The antenna of claim 1 ,
wherein the first, second, and third field of views together provide 360 degree coverage with respect to a vertical axis through each of the first and second sub-antennas, and additionally through third, fourth, fifth, and sixth sub-antennas,
wherein the fourth, fifth, and sixth field of views together provide 360 degree coverage with respect to the vertical axis through each of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth sub-antennas,
wherein the first, second, and third wavelengths are substantially identical,
wherein the fourth, fifth, and sixth wavelengths are substantially identical, and
wherein the first and fourth wavelengths are substantially different.

Assignees

• Matsing Inc

Inventors

• Matitsine Serguei
• Matytsine Leonid
• Demarco Anthony

Classifications

• H04W16/28

  using beam steering · CPC title

• H01Q25/00

  Antennas or antenna systems providing at least two radiating patterns (arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern H01Q3/00) · CPC title

• H01Q3/46 Primary

  Active lenses or reflecting arrays · CPC title

• H01Q1/241

  used in mobile communications, e.g. GSM (H01Q1/247, H01Q1/248 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01Q15/02

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