Beam adaptive multi-feed dielectric antenna system and methods for use therewith

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018159232-A1
Application number	US-201615371298-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 7, 2016
Priority date	Dec 7, 2016
Publication date	Jun 7, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

In accordance with one or more embodiments, an antenna system includes a dielectric antenna having a feed-point, wherein the dielectric antenna is a single antenna having a plurality of antenna beam patterns. At least one cable having a plurality of conductorless dielectric cores is coupled to the feed-point of the dielectric antenna, each of the plurality of conductorless dielectric cores corresponding to one of the plurality of antenna beam patterns. A controller, selects one of the plurality of antenna beam patterns and generates a control signal in response thereto. A core selector, responsive to the control signal, couples electromagnetic waves from a source to a selected one of the plurality of conductorless dielectric cores, the selected one of the plurality of conductorless dielectric cores corresponding to the selected one of the plurality of antenna beam patterns.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An antenna system, comprising:
a dielectric antenna including a feed-point, wherein the dielectric antenna is a single antenna having a plurality of antenna beam patterns; at least one cable comprising a plurality of conductorless dielectric cores coupled to the feed-point of the dielectric antenna, each of the plurality of conductorless dielectric cores, when selected, configured to supply a select one of electromagnetic waves to the feed-point of the dielectric antenna, and the select one of the electromagnetic waves transforming at the dielectric antenna to be emitted as a selected one of the plurality of antenna beam patterns; a controller, that selects the selected one of the plurality of antenna beam patterns and generates a control signal in response thereto; and a core selector, responsive to the control signal, configured to couple the select one of the electromagnetic waves to a selected one of the plurality of conductorless dielectric cores to generate the selected one of the plurality of antenna beam patterns.

2 . The antenna system of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric antenna operates to generate a wireless signal, having the selected one of the plurality of antenna beam patterns, resulting from propagation of the electromagnetic waves through the dielectric antenna.

3 . The antenna system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one cable includes a dielectric cladding that supports the plurality of conductorless dielectric cores and an outer jacket.

4 . The antenna system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of conductorless dielectric cores are coupled to differing spatial locations at the feed-point of the dielectric antenna.

5 . The antenna system of claim 3 , wherein the at least one cable lacks a conductive shield layer.

6 . The antenna system of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of conductorless dielectric cores has a first dielectric constant, wherein the dielectric cladding has a second dielectric constant, and wherein the first dielectric constant exceeds the second dielectric constant.

7 . The antenna system of claim 3 , wherein the dielectric cladding comprises a low density dielectric material.

8 . The antenna system of claim 1 , wherein the controller evaluates the plurality of antenna beam patterns based on a feedback received from a remote device in wireless communication with the antenna system, and determines the selected one of the plurality of antenna beam patterns in response to the evaluation.

9 . The antenna system of claim 8 , wherein the controller evaluates the plurality of antenna beam patterns and determines the selected one of the plurality of antenna beam patterns by:
iteratively transmitting wireless signals via the dielectric antenna with each of the plurality of antenna beam patterns; receiving the feedback from the remote device that indicates received signal strengths of the wireless signals; and determining the selected one of the plurality of antenna beam patterns as one of the plurality of antenna beam patterns corresponding to a highest of the received signal strengths.

10 . The antenna system of claim 1 , wherein a launcher is configured to generate the select one of the electromagnetic waves on a corresponding one of the plurality of conductorless dielectric cores.

11 . The antenna system of claim 10 , wherein the launcher comprises a microwave circuit coupled to an antenna and a waveguide structure for guiding the select one of the electromagnetic waves to the corresponding one of the plurality of conductorless dielectric cores.

12 . The antenna system of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric antenna has a flared structure.

13 . The antenna system of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric antenna has a pyramidal structure.

14 . The antenna system of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric antenna is conductorless.

15 . A method, comprising:
selecting one of a plurality of antenna beam patterns and generating a control signal in response thereto; coupling, based on the control signal, first electromagnetic waves from a launcher to a selected one of a plurality of conductorless dielectric cores of a single dielectric antenna; and radiating, via an aperture of the single dielectric antenna, a first wireless signal responsive the first electromagnetic waves at the aperture, the first wireless signal having the selected one of a plurality of antenna beam patterns corresponding to the selected one of the plurality of conductorless dielectric cores.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
evaluating the plurality of antenna beam patterns based on a feedback received from a remote device; and determining the selected one of the plurality of antenna beam patterns based on the evaluating.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the evaluating the plurality of antenna beam patterns includes iteratively transmitting via the single dielectric antenna with each of the plurality of antenna beam patterns, and receiving the feedback from the remote device that indicates received signal strengths in response to the transmitting via the single dielectric antenna with each of the plurality of antenna beam patterns; and
wherein the determining the selected one of the plurality of antenna beam patterns includes determining one of the plurality of antenna beam patterns corresponding to a highest of the received signal strengths.

18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein electromagnetic waves that are guided by differing ones of the plurality of conductorless dielectric cores to the single dielectric antenna result in differing ones of the plurality of antenna beam patterns.

19 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
receiving, by the single dielectric antenna, a second wireless signal; and coupling second electromagnetic waves, generated by the single dielectric antenna in response to the second wireless signal, to the launcher via the selected one of the plurality of conductorless dielectric cores.

20 . An antenna structure, comprising:
a dielectric horn antenna comprising a dielectric material; control means for selecting a selected one of a plurality of antenna beam patterns and for generating a control signal in response thereto; and means for coupling, based on the control signal, electromagnetic waves to the dielectric horn antenna via a selected one of a plurality of dielectric cores, wherein the electromagnetic waves guided by the selected one of the plurality of dielectric cores result in the selected one of the plurality of antenna beam patterns.

Assignees

• At & T Ip I Lp

Inventors

• Henry Paul Shala
• Barnickel Donald J
• Barzegar Farhad
• Bennett Robert
• Gerszberg Irwin
• Willis Iii Thomas M

Classifications

• H01Q13/025

  Multimode horn antennas; Horns using higher mode of propagation (H01Q13/0241 takes precedence; multiple beam H01Q25/04) · CPC title

• H01Q1/246

  specially adapted for base stations · CPC title

• H01Q15/24

  Polarising devices; Polarisation filters  (H01Q15/12, H01Q15/22 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01Q9/0485 Primary

  Dielectric resonator antennas · CPC title

• H01Q3/22

  varying the orientation in accordance with variation of frequency of radiated wave · CPC title