Connected dielectric resonator antenna array and method of making the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12206174-B2
Application number	US-202217668516-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 10, 2022
Priority date	May 2, 2017
Publication date	Jan 21, 2025
Grant date	Jan 21, 2025

Abstract

A connected-DRA array including: a plurality of DRAs each having at least one volume of non-gaseous dielectric material; each of the plurality of DRAs having a proximal end and a distal end, and an overall height, H, from the proximal end to the distal end; wherein each of the plurality of DRAs is physically connected to at least one other of the plurality of DRAs via a relatively thin connecting structure being relatively thin as compared to an overall outside dimension of one of the plurality of DRAs, each connecting structure having a cross sectional overall height, h, as observed in the elevation view of the connected-DRA array, that is less than the overall height, H, of a respective connected DRA and being formed of a thin sheet of the at least one volume of non-gaseous dielectric material; wherein the thin sheet extends over a substantial portion of the connected-DRA array as observed in a plan view of the connected-DRA array.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A connected dielectric resonator antenna array (connected-DRA array) operational at an operating frequency and associated operating wavelength, the connected-DRA array comprising:
a plurality of dielectric resonator antennas (DRAs), each of the plurality of DRAs comprising at least one volume of non-gaseous dielectric material;
wherein each of the plurality of DRAs has a proximal end at a base of the respective DRA, a distal end at an apex of the respective DRA, and an overall height, H, from the proximal end to the distal end as observed in an elevation view of the connected-DRA array;
wherein each respective base of the plurality of DRAs is disposed on an electrically conductive ground structure, and corresponding ones of the distal end of the respective DRA are disposed at a distance away from the ground structure;
wherein each of the plurality of DRAs is physically connected to at least one other of the plurality of DRAs via a relatively thin connecting structure, each connecting structure being relatively thin as compared to an overall outside dimension of one of the plurality of DRAs, each connecting structure having a cross sectional overall height, h, as observed in the elevation view of the connected-DRA array, that is less than the overall height, H, of a respective connected DRA and being formed of a thin sheet of the at least one of the at least one volume of non-gaseous dielectric material, each connecting structure and the associated volume of the at least one volume of non-gaseous dielectric material forming a single monolithic portion of the connected-DRA array;
wherein the thin sheet extends over a substantial portion of the connected-DRA array, and overlays a substantial portion of the electrically conductive ground structure between adjacent ones of the plurality of DRAs, as observed in a plan view of the connected-DRA array;
wherein the overall height h is viewed in a same direction as the overall height H.

2. The connected-DRA array of claim 1 , wherein:
the thin sheet extends over the entire connected-DRA array between interconnected ones of the plurality of DRAs, and entirely overlays the electrically conductive ground structure between adjacent ones of the plurality of DRAs, as observed in the plan view of the connected-DRA array.

3. The connected-DRA array of claim 1 , wherein:
the thin sheet has a dielectric constant equal to or less than 10.

4. The connected-DRA array of claim 1 , wherein:
the thin sheet comprises a through opening in each region between closest adjacent pairs of the plurality of DRAs.

5. The connected-DRA array of claim 4 , wherein:
each through opening is an elongated through opening having a length L disposed and configured to interrupt straight line cross-talk between the associated closest adjacent pairs of the plurality of DRAs.

6. The connected-DRA array of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of DRAs further comprises:
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 from at least V(i+1) to at least V(N−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).

7. The connected-DRA array of claim 6 , wherein the layered shell comprises non-gaseous dielectric material.

8. The connected-DRA array of claim 3 , wherein:
the cross sectional overall height, h, of each connecting structure is equal to or less than 50% of the overall height, H, of a respective connected DRA.

9. The connected-DRA array of claim 1 , wherein:
the cross sectional overall height, h, of each connecting structure is equal to or less than the operating wavelength of the connected-DRA array.

10. The connected-DRA array of claim 6 , wherein:
the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials are arranged according to any one of the following arrangements: an outermost non-gaseous volume of the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials and the relatively thin connecting structures form the single monolithic portion of the connected-DRA array; an innermost non-gaseous volume of the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials and the relatively thin connecting structures form the single monolithic portion of the connected-DRA array; or, a non-gaseous volume, other than an innermost non-gaseous volume and other than an outermost non-gaseous volume, of the plurality of volumes of dielectric materials and the relatively thin connecting structures form the single monolithic portion of the connected-DRA array.

11. The connected-DRA array of claim 1 , wherein:
each of the relatively thin connecting structures are disposed according to any of the following arrangements: each of the relatively thin connecting structures are disposed proximate the proximal end of each respective DRA; each of the relatively thin connecting structures are disposed between the proximal end and the distal end of each respective DRA; or, each of the relatively thin connecting structures are disposed proximate the distal end of each respective DRA.

12. The connected-DRA array of claim 6 , further comprising:
a signal feed disposed and structured to be electromagnetically coupled to one or more of the respective plurality of volumes of dielectric materials.

13. The connected-DRA array of claim 6 , wherein each innermost volume V( 1 ) of each of the plurality of DRAs comprises a gas.

Assignees

• Rogers Corp

Inventors

• Pance Kristi
• Taraschi Gianni
• Sethumadhavan Murali
• O′Connor Stephen
• Sprentall Karl E
• Williams Shawn P

Classifications

• H01Q21/0093

  Monolithic arrays · CPC title

• H01Q21/061

  Two dimensional planar arrays · CPC title

• H01Q9/0485 Primary

  Dielectric resonator antennas · CPC title

• H01Q19/18 Primary

  having two or more spaced reflecting surfaces (H01Q19/20 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01Q21/065 Primary

  Patch antenna array · CPC title