Antipodal vivaldi antenna systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11158951-B2
Application number	US-201916435126-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 7, 2019
Priority date	Jun 7, 2019
Publication date	Oct 26, 2021
Grant date	Oct 26, 2021

Abstract

An example antenna system includes a connection member, a first pair of antipodal Vivaldi antennas, and a second pair of antipodal Vivaldi antennas. The first pair of antipodal Vivaldi antennas are coupled to the connection member, positioned co-planar with each other along a first plane, and inverted relative to each other. The first pair of antennas provide approximately 180 degrees of phase shift (frequency independent) for a first group of signals. The second pair of antipodal Vivaldi antennas are coupled to the connection member, positioned co-planar with each other along a second plane substantially orthogonal to the first plane, and inverted relative to each other. The second pair of antennas provide approximately 180 degrees of phase shift (frequency independent) for a second group of signals. The antenna system is configured to utilize the first and second pairs of antennas to transmit or receive signals with circular polarization.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An antenna system, comprising:
a connection member;
a first pair of antipodal Vivaldi antennas each coupled to the connection member, wherein the first pair of antipodal Vivaldi antennas are positioned co-planar with each other along a first plane and are inverted relative to each other, and wherein the first pair of antipodal Vivaldi antennas provide approximately 180 degrees of phase shift, independent of frequency, for a first group of signals; and
a second pair of antipodal Vivaldi antennas each coupled to the connection member, wherein the second pair of antipodal Vivaldi antennas are positioned co-planar with each other along a second plane and are inverted relative to each other, wherein the second plane is substantially orthogonal to the first plane when the antenna system is deployed, and wherein the second pair of antipodal Vivaldi antennas provide approximately 180 degrees of phase shift, independent of frequency, for a second group of signals,
wherein the antenna system is configured to utilize the first and second pairs of antipodal Vivaldi antennas to transmit or receive signals with circular polarization at least by beamforming the first group of signals from the first pair of antipodal Vivaldi antennas, via at least one summing junction, to the second group of signals from the second pair of the antipodal Vivaldi antennas.

2. The antenna system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first pair of antipodal Vivaldi antennas positioned along the first plane includes first and second antipodal Vivaldi antennas;
the second pair of antipodal Vivaldi antennas positioned along the second plane includes third and fourth antipodal Vivaldi antennas;
the antenna system is configured to beamform the first group of signals at least by being configured to combine a first portion of signals from the first antipodal Vivaldi antenna with a second portion of signals from the second antipodal Vivaldi antenna; and
the antenna system is configured to beamform the second group of signals at least by being configured to combine a third portion of signals from the third antipodal Vivaldi antenna with a fourth portion of signals from the fourth antipodal Vivaldi antenna.

3. The antenna system of claim 2 , wherein:
the first and second antipodal Vivaldi antennas each have a top side with a conductive leaf and a bottom side with a ground leaf, wherein:
the top side with the conductive leaf of the first antipodal Vivaldi antenna is adjacent to the bottom side with the ground leaf of the second antipodal Vivaldi antenna,
the bottom side with the ground leaf of the first antipodal Vivaldi antenna is adjacent to the top side with the conductive leaf of the second antipodal Vivaldi antenna, and
the first and second antipodal Vivaldi antennas provide approximately 180 degrees of phase, independent of frequency, between the first portion of signals from the first antipodal Vivaldi antenna and the second portion of signals from the second antipodal Vivaldi antenna; and

the third and fourth antipodal Vivaldi antennas each have a top side with a conductive leaf and a bottom side with a ground leaf, wherein:
the top side with the conductive leaf of the third antipodal Vivaldi antenna is adjacent to the bottom side with the ground leaf of the fourth antipodal Vivaldi antenna,
the bottom side with the ground leaf of the third antipodal Vivaldi antenna is adjacent to the top side with the conductive leaf of the fourth antipodal Vivaldi antenna, and
the third and fourth antipodal Vivaldi antennas provide approximately 180 degrees of phase, independent of frequency, between the third portion of signals from the third antipodal Vivaldi antenna and the fourth portion of signals from the fourth antipodal Vivaldi antenna.

4. The antenna system of claim 3 , wherein:
the first antipodal Vivaldi antenna includes a first communication port having a conductive element coupled to the conductive leaf on the top side of the first antipodal Vivaldi antenna, and the first communication port further having a ground element coupled to the ground leaf on the bottom side of the first antipodal Vivaldi antenna;
the second antipodal Vivaldi antenna includes a second communication port having a conductive element coupled to the conductive leaf on the top side of the second antipodal Vivaldi antenna, and the second communication port further having a ground element coupled to the ground leaf on the bottom side of the second antipodal Vivaldi antenna;
the third antipodal Vivaldi antenna includes a third communication port having a conductive element coupled to the conductive leaf on the top side of the third antipodal Vivaldi antenna, and the third communication port further having a ground element coupled to the ground leaf on the bottom side of the third antipodal Vivaldi antenna; and
the fourth antipodal Vivaldi antenna includes a fourth communication port having a conductive element coupled to the conductive leaf on the top side of the fourth antipodal Vivaldi antenna, and the fourth communication port further having a ground element coupled to the ground leaf on the bottom side of the fourth antipodal Vivaldi antenna.

5. The antenna system of claim 4 , wherein:
the first communication port is positioned substantially in a middle of one end of the first antipodal Vivaldi antenna;
the second communication port is positioned substantially in a middle of one end of the second antipodal Vivaldi antenna;
the third communication port is positioned substantially in a middle of one end of the third antipodal Vivaldi antenna; and
the fourth communication port is positioned substantially in a middle of one end of the fourth antipodal Vivaldi antenna.

6. The antenna system of claim 2 , wherein the antenna system is configured to utilize the first and second pairs of antipodal Vivaldi antennas to transmit or receive the signals with the circular polarization by providing an approximate 90 degree phase shift of signals between the first antipodal Vivaldi antenna and the third antipodal Vivaldi antenna, an approximate 180 degree phase shift of signals between the first antipodal Vivaldi antenna and the second antipodal Vivaldi antenna, an approximate 270 degree phase shift of signals between the first antipodal Vivaldi antenna and the fourth Vivaldi antenna, and an approximate 90 degree of additional phase shift of signals between the fourth Vivaldi antenna and the first Vivaldi antenna.

7. The antenna system of claim 2 , wherein:
the antenna system is configured to combine the first portion of signals from the first antipodal Vivaldi antenna with the second portion of signals from the second antipodal Vivaldi antenna at least by being configured to add the first portion of signals with the second portion of signals;
the antenna system is configured to combine the third portion of signals from the third antipodal Vivaldi antenna with the fourth portion of signals from the fourth antipodal Vivaldi antenna at least by being configured to add the third portion of signals with the fourth portion of signals; and
the circular polarization comprises right-hand circular polarization.

8. The antenna system of claim 2 , wherein:
the antenna system is configured to combine the first portion of signals from the first antipodal Vivaldi antenna with the second portion of signals from the second antipodal Vivaldi antenna at least by being configured to subtract one of the first or second portions of signals from the other;
the antenna system is configured to combine the third portion of signals from the third antipodal Vivaldi antenna with the fourth portion of signals from the fourth antipodal Vivaldi antenna at least by being configured to subtract one of the third or fourth portion

Assignees

• Stanford Res Inst Int

Inventors

• Quintero Charles Edward

Classifications

• H01Q9/0428

  radiating a circular polarised wave · CPC title

• H01Q1/08

  Means for collapsing antennas or parts thereof (collapsible loop antennas H01Q7/02; means for collapsing H-antennas or Yagi antennas H01Q19/04) · CPC title

• H01Q21/24

  Combinations of antenna units polarised in different directions for transmitting or receiving circularly and elliptically polarised waves or waves linearly polarised in any direction {(circularly polarised patch antennas H01Q9/0428; circularly polarised horns H01Q13/0241; cross-polarised horns H01Q13/0258; polarisation converters H01Q15/242; cross-polarised rear feeds H01Q19/136; crossed polarisation dual antenna H01Q25/001)} · CPC title

• H01Q13/085 Primary

  Slot-line radiating ends · CPC title

• H01Q1/38 Primary

  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