Low profile antenna

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10326199-B2
Application number	US-201715664229-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2017
Priority date	Jul 31, 2017
Publication date	Jun 18, 2019
Grant date	Jun 18, 2019

Abstract

Low-profile antenna systems and methods to mount same. The system can include a low-profile antenna surface mountable to an exterior surface of a building, parking deck, or other suitable structure. Additional electronics can be remotely mounted to maintain the low profile of the system. The system can be color-matched, or otherwise camouflaged, to maintain building aesthetics. The low-profile antenna can include a transparent substrate to enable the system to mounted on windows and other clear surfaces. The low profile of the antenna enables the antenna to be mounted to existing structures without reinforcement, or other modification, to the structure. The system can also include one or more heating elements and heat sensitive adhesive to enable the system to be installed without fasteners and removed without damage to the structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a transparent low-profile antenna comprising:
a transparent dielectric substrate with a first side, a second side opposite the first side, and a first edge surface;
a plurality of metal ground traces disposed on the first side of the transparent dielectric substrate in a predetermined pattern to form a grid that acts as a ground plane;
a plurality of radiating elements disposed on the second side of the transparent dielectric substrate, individual ones of the plurality of radiating elements including an first element and a second element, the second elements of the plurality of radiating elements sized and shaped to resonate at one or more frequencies;
a plurality of radio frequency (RF) connectors positioned along the first edge surface of the transparent dielectric substrate to connect the system to an RF transceiver; and
a plurality of feed traces to connect the plurality of radiating elements to the one or more RF connectors.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
one or more heating elements disposed on the first side of the transparent dielectric substrate in an overlying manner to the plurality of metal ground traces;
a temperature sensitive adhesive disposed on the first side of the transparent dielectric substrate in an overlying manner to the one or more heating elements; and
wherein activating the one or more heating elements decreases the adhesion between the temperature sensitive adhesive and a mounting surface for the system to enable the system to be removed from the mounting surface with no damage to the mounting surface.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the temperature sensitive adhesive enables the system to be mounted to a surface without fasteners.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a duplexer, in communication with the one or more RF connectors, and mounted remotely to the transparent low-profile antenna to reduce the profile of the transparent low-profile antenna when compared to an antenna with an integral duplexer.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of decorative elements disposed in an overlying manner to the plurality of radiating elements at least partially covering individual ones of the plurality of radiating elements.

6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a phase shifter, in communication with the first plurality of radiating elements, to enable a natural propagation pattern from the system to be altered to a steered propagation pattern; and
wherein the phase shifter is mounted remotely to the transparent low-profile antenna to reduce the profile of the transparent low-profile antenna when compared to an antenna with an integral phase shifter.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the transparent substrate, the radiating elements, the feed traces, and the metal ground traces enable at least a portion of light incident on the system to pass through the system.

8. A system comprising:
a first low-profile antenna comprising:
a first dielectric substrate with a first side and a second side;
a first metal layer disposed on the first side of the first dielectric substrate to form a ground plane;
a first plurality of printed circuit radiating elements disposed on the second side of the first dielectric substrate, the first plurality of printed circuit radiating elements sized and shaped to resonate at least a first frequency;
a first group of radio frequency (RF) connectors to connect the first low-profile antenna to an RF transceiver position along one edge of the first dielectric substrate;
a first plurality of feed traces to connect the first plurality of printed circuit elements to the first group of one or more RF connectors;
a duplexer, mounted remotely from the first low-profile antenna to reduce the profile of the first low-profile antenna when compared to an antenna with an integral duplexer, to filter out at least one unwanted frequency; and

wherein the at least one unwanted frequency is different from the first frequency.

9. The system of claim 8 , further comprising:
a second low-profile antenna comprising:
a second dielectric substrate with a first side and a second side;
a second metal layer disposed on the first side of the second dielectric substrate to form a ground plane;
a second plurality of printed circuit radiating elements disposed on the second side of the second dielectric substrate, the second plurality of printed circuit radiating elements sized and shaped to resonate at least a second frequency;
a second group of one or more radio frequency (RF) connectors to connect the second low-profile antenna to an RF transceiver; and
a second plurality of feed traces to connect the plurality of printed circuit elements to the second group one or more RF connectors;

wherein the duplexer is mounted remotely from the first low-profile antenna and the second low-profile antenna;
wherein the duplexer filters out at least one unwanted frequency from at least one of the first low-profile antenna or the second low-profile antenna; and
wherein one of the first frequency and the second frequency are associated with cellular communications upload frequencies; and
wherein the other of the first frequency and the second frequency are associated with cellular communications download frequencies.

10. The system of claim 8 , further comprising:
a second plurality of printed circuit elements disposed on the second side of the first dielectric substrate, the second plurality of printed circuit elements sized and shaped to resonate at least a second frequency; and
wherein the at least one unwanted frequency is different from the first frequency and the second frequency.

11. The system of claim 8 , further comprising:
a phase shifter in communication with the first plurality of printed circuit radiating elements to enable a natural propagation pattern from the system to be altered to a steered propagation pattern.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the steered propagation pattern has a different azimuth, elevation, or both azimuth and elevation than the natural propagation pattern.

13. The system of claim 8 , further comprising:
one or more heating elements disposed on the first side of the first dielectric substrate in an overlying manner to the ground plane;
a heat-sensitive adhesive applied in an overlying manner to the one or more heating elements; and
wherein the one or more heating elements heat the heat-sensitive adhesive to enable the first low-profile antenna to be installed, removed, or installed and removed from a structure without damaging the structure.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein a first dielectric substrate comprises a transparent or translucent substrate;
wherein the first metal layer comprises a pattern of metal ground traces; and
wherein the transparent or translucent substrate, the radiating elements, the plurality of feed traces, and the first metal layer enable at least a portion of light incident on the system to pass through the system.

15. A method comprising:
mounting a first side of a low-profile antenna in a first location and facing a first direction on a transparent external surface on a structure using a heat sensitive transparent adhesive without additional fasteners;
mounting a duplexer in a second location on the structure that is different than the first location to reduce the profile of the low-profile antenna when compared to an antenna with an integral duplexer;
connecting the low-profile antenna to the duplexer with one or more radio frequency (RF) communications cables; and
connecting the

Assignees

• T Mobile Usa Inc

Inventors

• Au Chad

Classifications

• H01Q1/38

  formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support {(patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface  H01Q15/142)} · CPC title

• H01Q1/1221

  onto a wall · CPC title

• H01Q3/34

  by electrical means (active lenses or reflecting arrays H01Q3/46) · CPC title

• H01Q1/44 Primary

  using equipment having another main function to serve additionally as an antenna {, e.g. means for giving an antenna an aesthetic aspect}(H01Q1/27 - H01Q1/34 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01Q1/48

  Earthing means; Earth screens; Counterpoises · CPC title