Active UHF/VHF antenna

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11380992-B2
Application number	US-201916713531-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 13, 2019
Priority date	Nov 28, 2016
Publication date	Jul 5, 2022
Grant date	Jul 5, 2022

Abstract

An active antenna for UHF/VHF signal receiving is described, the active antenna being capable of configuration in one of a plurality of possible modes. The active antenna includes an antenna element configured for multiple resonances in the UHF/VHF bands, and capable of generating multiple radiation modes as well as active impedance matching using a microprocessor and multi-port switch having variable or multiple selectable modes. The active antenna may include a second antenna element arranged in a right-angle orientation with respect to the first antenna element. The first antenna element, second antenna element, or a combination may be selected for receiving signals in at a desired frequency. A three-dimensional antenna assembly is also described. Each of the examples illustrate an active beam steering antenna capable of UHF/VHF signal receiving.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An active antenna comprising:
an antenna element disposed on a surface of a substrate, the antenna element extending between a first end and a second end, the antenna element including a serpentine portion positioned between the first end and the second end, the serpentine portion including a plurality of passes, the antenna element configured for multiple resonances in an ultra-high frequency (UHF) band or a very-high frequency (VHF) band;
a parasitic element disposed on the surface of the substrate;
a plurality of conductor elements disposed on the surface of the substrate, the plurality of conductor elements coupled between the antenna element and a ground plane, the plurality of conductor elements comprising a first conductor element coupled to the antenna element via a first filter and a second conductor element coupled to the first conductor element via a second filter;
a first multi-port switch coupled between the ground plane and the plurality of conductor elements, the first multi-port switch configured to adjust a reactance of the antenna element; and
a second multi-port switch coupled between the parasitic element and the ground plane, the second multi-port switch configured to adjust a reactance of the parasitic element.

2. The active antenna of claim 1 , wherein the first filter comprises a second-order filter.

3. The active antenna of claim 2 , wherein the second-order filter comprises an inductor and a capacitor.

4. The active antenna of claim 2 , wherein the second filter comprises a low-pass filter.

5. The active antenna of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third conductor element formed on the surface of the substrate, the third conductor element coupled to the ground plane via the first multi-port switch, the third conductor element coupled to the second conductor element via a third filter.

6. The active antenna of claim 1 , wherein
a processor coupled to the first multi-port switch and the second multi-port switch, the processor configured to:
control operation of the first multi-port switch and the second multi-port switch to configure the active antenna in each of a plurality of modes having a distinct radiation pattern;
obtain data indicative of performance of the active antenna when the active antenna is configured in each of the plurality of modes;
select one of the plurality of modes as a selected mode for the active antenna based, at least in part, on the data; and
control operation of at least one of the first multi-port switch and the second multi-port switch to configure the active antenna in the selected mode.

7. The active antenna of claim 5 , wherein the antenna element comprises:
a bypass junction coupled across a first pass of the plurality of passes.

8. The active antenna of claim 7 , further comprising:
a fourth filter element coupled between the bypass junction and a portion of the first pass of the plurality of passes of the antenna element.

Assignees

• Ethertronics Inc
• Kyocera Avx Components San Diego Inc

Inventors

• Shamblin John
• Jones Rowland
• Shamblin Jeffrey
• Roe Michael
• Bhavnagari Dhaval

Classifications

• H01Q5/321 Primary

  within a radiating element or between connected radiating elements · CPC title

• H01Q9/42

  with folded element, the folded parts being spaced apart a small fraction of the operating wavelength · CPC title

• H01Q1/24 Primary

  with receiving set · 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

• H01Q21/29

  Combinations of different interacting antenna units for giving a desired directional characteristic (H01Q25/00 takes precedence) · CPC title