Dielectric resonator antenna and method of making the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10355361-B2
Application number	US-201715726904-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 6, 2017
Priority date	Oct 28, 2015
Publication date	Jul 16, 2019
Grant date	Jul 16, 2019

Abstract

A dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) includes a plurality of volumes of dielectric materials having N volumes, N being an integer equal to or greater than 3, disposed to form successive and sequential layered volumes V(i), i being an integer from 1 to N, and a signal feed disposed to produce a main E-field component having a defined direction, Ē, in the DRA. The N volumes include a non-gaseous dielectric material, and have an inner region with a dielectric constant that is less than the dielectric constant of the non-gaseous dielectric material. The inner region has a cross sectional overall height Hr, and a cross sectional overall width Wr in a direction parallel to Ē, and the volume of non-gaseous dielectric material has a cross sectional overall height Hv, and a cross sectional overall width Wv in a direction parallel to Ē, wherein Hr is greater than Wr/2.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) operable at a defined frequency, comprising:
a plurality of volumes of dielectric materials comprising N volumes, N being an integer equal to or greater than 3, disposed to form successive and sequential layered volumes V(i), i being an integer from 1 to N, wherein volume V(1) forms an innermost volume, wherein a successive volume V(i+1) forms a layered shell disposed over and at least partially embedding volume V(i), wherein volume V(N) at least partially embeds all volumes V(1) to V(N−1);
a signal feed disposed and structured to be electromagnetically coupled to one or more of the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials, and disposed and structured to produce a main E-field component having a defined direction, Ē, in the DRA as observed in a plan view of the DRA in response to an electrical signal being present at the signal feed;
wherein at least one volume of the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials comprises a non-gaseous dielectric material having a defined dielectric constant, the non-gaseous dielectric material having an inner region comprising a dielectric medium having a dielectric constant that is less than the dielectric constant of the non-gaseous dielectric material, at the defined frequency;
wherein the inner region has a cross sectional overall height Hr as observed in an elevation view of the DRA, and a cross sectional overall width Wr in a direction parallel to the direction Ē as observed in the plan view of the DRA;
wherein the volume of non-gaseous dielectric material has a cross sectional overall height Hv as observed in the elevation view of the DRA, and a cross sectional overall width Wv in a direction parallel to the direction Ē as observed in the plan view of the DRA; and
wherein Hr is greater than Wr/2.

2. The DRA of claim 1 , wherein Hr is equal to or greater than 60% of Wr.

3. The DRA of claim 1 , wherein Hr is equal to or greater than Wr.

4. The DRA of claim 1 , wherein Hr is equal to or greater than 2 times Wr.

5. The DRA of claim 1 , wherein Hv is greater than Wv/2.

6. The DRA of claim 1 , wherein Hv is equal to or greater than 60% of Wv.

7. The DRA of claim 1 , wherein Hv is equal to or greater than Wv.

8. The DRA of claim 1 , wherein Hv is equal to or greater than 2 times Wv.

9. The DRA of claim 1 , wherein the DRA comprises an outer surface, and wherein a cross sectional overall height of the DRA outer surface as observed in an elevation view of the DRA is greater than a cross sectional overall width of the DRA outer surface in a direction parallel to the direction Ē as observed in the plan view of the DRA.

10. The DRA of claim 1 , wherein the DRA comprises an outer surface, and wherein a cross sectional overall height of the DRA outer surface as observed in an elevation view of the DRA is greater than a cross sectional maximum overall width of the DRA outer surface as observed in the plan view of the DRA.

11. The DRA of claim 1 , wherein the DRA comprises an outer surface, and wherein a cross sectional overall height of the DRA outer surface as observed in an elevation view of the DRA is greater than a cross sectional smallest overall width of the DRA outer surface as observed in the plan view of the DRA.

12. The DRA of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric medium of the inner region comprises a non-gaseous dielectric material.

13. The DRA of claim 12 , wherein the volume of non-gaseous dielectric material comprises a filler in a matrix.

14. The DRA of claim 13 , wherein the filler comprises a ceramic, and the matrix comprises a polymer.

15. The DRA of claim 12 , wherein the non-gaseous dielectric material of the dielectric medium of the inner region has a dielectric constant equal to or less than 5.

16. The DRA of claim 1 , wherein the inner region is a hollow region.

17. The DRA of claim 1 , wherein the at least one volume of the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials is a single volume of the non-gaseous dielectric material.

18. The DRA of claim 1 , further comprising an electrically conductive electromagnetic reflector disposed substantially surrounding the DRA.

19. The DRA of claim 1 , wherein Hr is equal to or greater than 1.25 times Wr, or wherein Hv is equal to or greater than 1.25 times Wv, or wherein both Hr is equal to or greater than 1.25 times Wr and Hv is equal to or greater than 1.25 times Wv.

20. The DRA of claim 1 , wherein Hr is equal to or greater than 1.4 times Wr, or wherein Hv is equal to or greater than 1.4 times Wv, or wherein both Hr is equal to or greater than 1.4 times Wr and Hv is equal to or greater than 1.4 times Wv.

21. The DRA of claim 1 , wherein the volume of non-gaseous dielectric material encloses the inner region as observed in both the elevation view and the plan view of the DRA.

22. The DRA of claim 1 , wherein the volume of non-gaseous dielectric material has a closed top.

23. The DRA of claim 22 , wherein the closed top has a convex curved shape.

24. The DRA of claim 22 , wherein the closed top is dome-shaped or hemispherical-shaped.

25. The DRA of claim 22 , wherein;
each of the inner region and the volume of non-gaseous dielectric material have an outer cross sectional shape as observed in the plan view of the DRA that comprises a circle, an ellipse, an ellipsoid, an oval, or an ovaloid.

26. The DRA of claim 25 , wherein the outer shape of the volume of non-gaseous dielectric material substantially mimics the outer shape of the inner region.

27. The DRA of claim 1 , wherein:
Wr is equal to or less than 75% of Wv.

28. The DRA of claim 1 , wherein:
Wr is equal to or less than 60% of Wv.

29. The DRA of claim 1 , wherein the volume of non-gaseous dielectric material has a dielectric constant equal to or greater than 5.

30. The DRA of claim 1 , wherein the volume of non-gaseous dielectric material has a dielectric constant equal to or greater than 10.

31. The DRA of claim 30 , wherein the volume of non-gaseous dielectric material has a dielectric constant equal to or less than 25.

32. The DRA of claim 1 , wherein each of the inner region and the volume of non-gaseous dielectric material have an outer cross sectional shape as observed in the elevation view of the DRA that comprises a vertical wall disposed substantially parallel to a central vertical z-axis of the DRA.

33. The DRA of claim 1 , wherein the inner region comprises air.

34. The DRA of claim 1 , wherein a central vertical z-axis of the volume of non-gaseous dielectric material is axially coincidental with a central vertical z-axis of the inner region.

35. The DRA of claim 1 , wherein a central vertical z-axis of the volume of non-gaseous dielectric material is not axially coincidental with a central vertical z-axis of the inner region.

36. The DRA of claim 1 , wherein:
the non-gaseous volume of dielectric material has a cross sectional overall thickness Tv in a direction parallel to the direction Ē as observed in the plan view of the DRA; and
Tv is greater than (Hv-Hr).

37. The DRA of claim 1 , further comprising:
an electrically conductive ground structure; and
wherein the DRA is disposed on the ground structure.

38. The DRA of c

Assignees

• Rogers Corp

Inventors

• Pance Kristi
• Sprentall Karl E
• Williams Shawn P
• Daigle Robert C
• O'Connor Stephen
• Taraschi Gianni

Classifications

• H01Q21/061

  Two dimensional planar arrays · CPC title

• H01Q1/48

  Earthing means; Earth screens; Counterpoises · CPC title

• H01Q9/0485 Primary

  Dielectric resonator antennas · CPC title

• H01Q19/10

  using reflecting surfaces · CPC title

• H01Q15/14

  Reflecting surfaces; Equivalent structures {(electromagnetic shields H01Q1/526)} · CPC title