Lens apparatus and methods for an antenna

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11038278-B2
Application number	US-201916541569-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 15, 2019
Priority date	Aug 15, 2019
Publication date	Jun 15, 2021
Grant date	Jun 15, 2021

Abstract

A lens apparatus for improving antenna performance, the apparatus involving a lens configured to at least one of focus, refocus, and refract electromagnetic energy for constructively adding gain in a far-field, the lens configured to operably couple with an antenna, whereby electromagnetic energy is omnidirectionally concentrated, whereby antenna gain and directivity are improved, whereby antenna efficiency and antenna frequency range are maintained, and whereby antenna complexity is minimized.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A radio frequency (RF) lens apparatus for improving omnidirectional antenna performance of an antenna having an upper element and a lower element that are coupled to a feed situated between the upper element and the lower element, the apparatus comprising:
a dielectric material disposed between the upper element and the lower element so as to fill a volume between the upper element and the lower element and to surround the feed, wherein the dielectric material forms a spherical lens at an interface between the dielectric material and air such that incident RF energy is focused on the feed between the upper and lower antenna elements and such that outgoing RF energy from the feed is concentrated by the spherical lens so as to add gain in a far-field.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the lens is a convex lens.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric material is polypropylene.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the lens comprises a dielectric constant in a range of at least approximately 2.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the lens comprises a tangent loss in a range of approximately 0.0003 to approximately 0.0004.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the lens comprises a refractive index in a range of approximately 1.4 to approximately 10.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the lens surrounds the feed and is configured to hold the lower and upper elements in place with respect to each other.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the feed is coupled to an RF cable that is impedance matched to the dielectric material.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising the antenna operably coupled with the lens.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the antenna is selected from the group consisting of: a biconical antenna, an inverse biconical antenna, a dual-element dish antenna, a dual-element spheroidal antenna, dual-element ellipsoidal antenna, a bow-tie antenna, a diamond-shaped antenna wherein the upper and lower elements are upper and lower halves of a diamond shape, a dual-element half circle antenna, a dual-circular-element antenna, and a dual-elliptical-element antenna.

11. A radio frequency (RF) lens for an antenna having an upper element and a lower element that are connected to a feed, the RF lens comprising:
a dielectric material disposed between the upper element and the lower element so as to fill a volume between the upper element and the lower element and to surround the feed, wherein the dielectric material forms a spherical lens at an interface between the dielectric material and air such that incident RF energy is focused on the feed between the upper and lower antenna elements and such that outgoing RF energy from the feed is concentrated by the spherical lens in a far-field direction, thereby increasing antenna directivity and gain in the far-field.

12. The RF lens of claim 11 , wherein the dielectric material holds the upper and lower elements in place with respect to each other.

13. The RF lens of claim 12 , wherein the volume excludes a void between the dielectric material and the feed.

14. The RF lens of claim 13 , wherein the void is separately filled with a coupling feature made of the dielectric material.

15. The RF lens of claim 11 , wherein the antenna is selected from the group consisting of: a biconical antenna, an inverse biconical antenna, a dual-element dish antenna, a dual-element spheroidal antenna, dual-element ellipsoidal antenna, a bow-tie antenna, a diamond-shaped antenna wherein the upper and lower elements are upper and lower halves of a diamond shape, a dual-element half circle antenna, a dual-circular-element antenna, and a dual-elliptical-element antenna.

16. The RF lens of claim 15 , wherein a contoured surface of the upper element and a contoured surface of the lower element are defined by respective logarithmic curves that are rotated about a vertical axis such that tips of the upper and lower elements meet at the feed.

17. The RF lens of claim 16 , wherein the dielectric material has an outer diameter that is at least as great as a greatest outer diameter of the upper and lower elements.

18. The RF lens 16 , further comprising the antenna operably coupled to the dielectric material.

Assignees

• USA
• Us Navy

Inventors

• Bermeo Dennis G
• Berens Peter S
• Kho Andy
• Arney David V
• Hau Linda I
• Obra Christopher C

Classifications

• H01Q15/08 Primary

  formed of solid dielectric material · CPC title

• H01Q9/28

  Conical, cylindrical, cage, strip, gauze, or like elements having an extended radiating surface; Elements comprising two conical surfaces having collinear axes and adjacent apices and fed by two-conductor transmission lines (waveguide horns or mouths H01Q13/00; slot antennas H01Q13/00) · CPC title

• H01Q15/02 Primary

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