Method and apparatus including an antenna comprising a lens and a body coupled to a feedline having a structure that reduces reflections of electromagnetic waves

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10790593-B2
Application number	US-201715820721-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 22, 2017
Priority date	Jul 14, 2015
Publication date	Sep 29, 2020
Grant date	Sep 29, 2020

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, antenna structure that includes a dielectric antenna having a dielectric lens and a dielectric body, and a feedline coupled to the dielectric antenna, wherein an endpoint of the feedline is configured to reduce a reflection of an electromagnetic wave transmission, wherein electromagnetic waves generated by the electromagnetic wave transmission are guided along the feedline without requiring an electrical return path, and wherein the electromagnetic waves propagate through the dielectric body to the dielectric lens to generate wireless signals. Other embodiments are disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A communication device, comprising:
a dielectric antenna having a dielectric lens and a dielectric body; and
a dielectric feedline coupled to the dielectric antenna at a second endpoint of the dielectric feedline, a first endpoint of the dielectric feedline comprising a conical structure that facilitates reducing a reflection, at the first endpoint, of first electromagnetic waves directed to the dielectric feedline, the first electromagnetic waves being guided along the dielectric feedline without requiring an electrical return path, and the first electromagnetic waves propagating through the dielectric body to the dielectric lens to generate near-field wireless signals.

2. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein the first electromagnetic waves are generated via a port of a transmitter.

3. The communication device of claim 2 , wherein the port of the transmitter comprises an opening of a hollow waveguide.

4. The communication device of claim 3 , wherein the first endpoint of the dielectric feedline protrudes into the opening of the hollow waveguide.

5. The communication device of claim 4 , wherein a portion of the opening of the hollow waveguide comprises an inner threaded surface that enables an adjustment of a position of the first endpoint of the dielectric feedline within the hollow waveguide.

6. The communication device of claim 4 , further comprising an electromechanical device that facilitates an adjustment of a longitudinal position of the first endpoint of the dielectric feedline within the hollow waveguide.

7. The communication device of claim 6 , further comprising a processor that facilitates a determination of a target position of the first endpoint of the dielectric feedline within the hollow waveguide that achieves a desired coupling of the first electromagnetic waves onto the dielectric feedline.

8. The communication device of claim 7 , wherein the processor is coupled to the electromechanical device, and wherein the processor facilitates directing the electromechanical device to adjust the longitudinal position of the first endpoint of the dielectric feedline within the hollow waveguide to the target position.

9. The communication device of claim 1 , further comprising a collar, wherein the collar includes a first opening and a second opening that facilitates adjusting a proximity between a port of a transmitter to the first endpoint of the dielectric feedline.

10. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein a receiver is coupled to the dielectric feedline and facilitates receiving second electromagnetic waves guided by the dielectric feedline, and wherein the second electromagnetic waves are generated from second wireless signals received by an aperture of the dielectric antenna.

11. An antenna structure, comprising:
a dielectric antenna having a dielectric lens and a dielectric body; and
a feedline coupled to the dielectric antenna at a second endpoint of the feedline, a first endpoint of the feedline being configured, via use of a pointed structure, to reduce a reflection at the first endpoint of electromagnetic waves directed to the feedline, the electromagnetic waves being guided along the feedline without requiring an electrical return path, and the electromagnetic waves propagating through the dielectric body to the dielectric lens to generate wireless signals.

12. The antenna structure of claim 11 , wherein the pointed structure comprises a conical structure.

13. The antenna structure of claim 12 , wherein the electromagnetic waves are generated by a port of a transmitter.

14. The antenna structure of claim 13 , wherein a proximity between the port of the transmitter and the feedline is adjustable.

15. A method, comprising:
aligning a feedline of a dielectric antenna comprising a dielectric lens and a dielectric body with a port of a waveguide system; and
transmitting, by the waveguide system, first electromagnetic waves that are guided along the feedline without requiring an electrical return path, the first electromagnetic waves propagating along the feedline and through the dielectric body to the dielectric lens to generate first wireless signals, an endpoint of the feedline comprising a pointed structure that facilitates reducing a reflection at the endpoint of the first electromagnetic waves from the port of the waveguide system.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the aligning comprises longitudinal adjustment of the feedline.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the longitudinal adjustment of the feedline is relative to the port of the waveguide system.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the port of the waveguide system comprises a hollow opening.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the pointed structure comprises a conical endpoint.

20. The method of claim 15 , further comprising receiving, by the waveguide system, second electromagnetic waves via the feedline, wherein second wireless signals are converted into the second electromagnetic waves by the dielectric lens, and wherein the second electromagnetic waves propagate from the dielectric lens through the dielectric body of the dielectric antenna to the feedline.

Assignees

• At & T Ip I Lp

Inventors

• Bennett Robert
• Adriazola Aldo
• Barzegar Farhad
• Gerszberg Irwin
• Pimm Brandon
• Fuchs Mitchell Harvey
• Henry Paul Shala
• Barnickel Donald J
• Willis Iii Thomas M

Classifications

• H01Q15/08

  formed of solid dielectric material · CPC title

• H01Q1/46

  Electric supply lines or communication lines · CPC title

• H04B3/52

  Systems for transmission between fixed stations via waveguides · CPC title

• H04R2420/07

  Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones · CPC title

• H04B3/54

  Systems for transmission via power distribution lines · CPC title