Frequency selective metamaterial for protective enclosures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12317466-B2
Application number	US-202418889176-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 18, 2024
Priority date	Mar 27, 2019
Publication date	May 27, 2025
Grant date	May 27, 2025

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a protective enclosure for electronic systems. The enclosure comprises a polymer-containing matrix and a metamaterial incorporated into the matrix. The metamaterial is tuned to a specific permittivity or permeability to absorb or reflect a particular frequency. The protective enclosure may be used to create a safe inner environment for electronic components while facilitating uninterrupted wireless communications to/from the outer environment. Additionally, the protective enclosure may be used to protect against electromagnetic interference. In particular, shielding metamaterials are configured individually or in combination to specifically shield (via reflection, absorption, etc.) against relatively wide bands of electromagnetic frequencies, while transparent metamaterials are configured specifically to pass electromagnetic signals within narrow bands of frequencies. This new approach resolves and vastly improves current shield solutions, such as Faraday cages. For example, tuned metamaterials may be configured across a variety of preconfigured frequencies, and can be constructed of lightweight materials.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A protective enclosure for electronic systems, comprising:
a polymer-containing matrix; and
a metamaterial incorporated into or embedded within the polymer-containing matrix, the metamaterial having a particular specific permittivity or permeability to absorb or reflect a particular frequency of electromagnetic energy;
wherein the metamaterial is configured to protect against electromagnetic disturbances, wherein the electromagnetic disturbances includes at least one selected from the group of electromagnetic radiation, electromagnetic energy, electromagnetic wave energy, electromagnetic interference, radio frequency interference, electromagnetic pulse, data interception, static electricity, and preconfigured electromagnetic frequencies.

2. The protective enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the metamaterial comprises carbon nanoparticles and aggregates.

3. The protective enclosure of claim 2 , wherein the carbon nanoparticles are tuned to absorb a specific frequency of electromagnetic energy.

4. The protective enclosure of claim 2 , wherein the carbon nanoparticles are tuned to reflect a specific frequency of electromagnetic energy.

5. The protective enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the polymer-containing matrix comprises a thermoplastic material.

6. The protective enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the metamaterial is embedded within the polymer-containing matrix in at least one selected from the group of a uniform distribution, a layered structure, a grid-like structure, and a random structure.

7. The protective enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the metamaterial is tuned to allow wireless communication signals in a frequency band associated with Wi-Fi or cellular communication.

8. The protective enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the metamaterial is tuned to absorb electromagnetic energy in a specific frequency band while allowing wireless communication signals in a different frequency band to pass through.

9. The protective enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the metamaterial is tuned to absorb electromagnetic energy in a frequency band associated with radio frequency interference.

10. The protective enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the metamaterial is embedded within the polymer-containing matrix in a manner that allows for application of an external stimulus to the metamaterial after formation of the protective enclosure.

11. The protective enclosure of claim 10 , wherein the external stimulus comprises at least one selected from the group of heat, light, and an electric field.

12. The protective enclosure of claim 10 , wherein the external stimulus is configured to cause a change in the metamaterial to absorb or reflect a different particular frequency.

13. The protective enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the polymer-containing matrix is a coated surface layer of the protective enclosure.

14. The protective enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the polymer-containing matrix is embedded into a structure of the protective enclosure.

15. The protective enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the metamaterial is configured to enhance a performance of at least one selected from the group of:
an antenna housed within the protective enclosure,
a telemetry module housed within the protective enclosure,
a communication device housed within the protective enclosure,
a computing device housed within the protective enclosure,
a sensing equipment housed within the protective enclosure,
a battery pack that includes telemetry devices for sending alert signals to safety systems housed within the protective enclosure, and
a device that requires uninterrupted wireless telemetry housed within the protective enclosure.

16. The protective enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the metamaterial is configured with a non-metallic material.

17. The protective enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the metamaterial is configured to repeal, at a first level of the metamaterial, a preconfigured electromagnetic first frequency or a first set of frequencies, and to absorb, at a second level of the metamaterial, a preconfigured electromagnetic second frequency or a second set of frequencies.

18. The protective enclosure of claim 1 , further comprising an impedance sheet, located on a first side of the metamaterial, and a conducting backplane, located on a second side of the metamaterial, wherein the impedance sheet is configured to reflect or shield a first set of preconfigured frequencies, the metamaterial is configured to absorb a second set of preconfigured frequencies, and the conducting backplane is configured to reflect a third set of preconfigured frequencies.

19. The protective enclosure of claim 18 , wherein the impedance sheet is configured such that only a fraction of incoming electromagnetic waves pass through the impedance sheet and reach the metamaterial.

20. A protective enclosure for electronic systems, comprising:
a polymer-containing matrix; and
a metamaterial incorporated into or embedded within the polymer-containing matrix, the metamaterial having a particular specific permittivity or permeability to absorb or reflect a particular frequency of electromagnetic energy;
wherein the metamaterial is configured to repeal, at a first level of the metamaterial, a preconfigured electromagnetic first frequency or a first set of frequencies, and to absorb, at a second level of the metamaterial, a preconfigured electromagnetic second frequency or a second set of frequencies.

21. A protective enclosure for electronic systems, comprising:
a polymer-containing matrix; and
a metamaterial incorporated into or embedded within the polymer-containing matrix, the metamaterial having a particular specific permittivity or permeability to absorb or reflect a particular frequency of electromagnetic energy;
wherein the metamaterial is configured with a non-metallic material;
wherein the non-metallic material includes a carbon-containing material that is functionalized to selectively absorb specific frequencies of electromagnetic radiation.

22. The protective enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the metamaterial comprises a graphene, and wherein the polymer-containing matrix includes a phase-change material that alters its electromagnetic properties in response to temperature changes.

23. The protective enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the metamaterial is arranged in a fractal pattern within the polymer-containing matrix, and wherein the protective enclosure further comprises a layer of electromagnetic absorbing foam adjacent to the polymer-containing matrix.

24. The protective enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the metamaterial includes ferroelectric nanoparticles that can be electrically tuned to adjust the frequency range of electromagnetic absorption, and wherein the protective enclosure includes embedded sensors to detect and measure incident electromagnetic radiation.

25. The protective enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the polymer-containing matrix comprises a multi-layered structure with alternating layers of different metamaterials, each layer tuned to absorb or reflect a specific frequency range, and wherein the protective enclosure includes a self-diagnostic system to monitor its shielding effectiveness over time.

26. The protective enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the metamaterial includes shape-memory alloy particles that change their electromagnetic properties in response to mechanical stress, and wherein the protective enclosure incorporates a passive c

Assignees

• Lyten Inc

Inventors

• Anzelmo Bryce H
• Montalvo Carlos
• Stowell Michael

Classifications

• B60C23/0428 Primary

  using passive wheel mounted resonance circuits · CPC title

• H05K9/006

  specially adapted for signal processing applications, e.g. CATV, tuner, antennas amplifier · CPC title

• H05K9/0052

  Shielding other than Faraday cages · CPC title

• H05K9/0071

  Active shielding · CPC title

• H05K9/0083

  comprising electro-conductive non-fibrous particles embedded in an electrically insulating supporting structure, e.g. powder, flakes, whiskers (H05K9/0086 takes precedence) · CPC title