Sparse gradient dielectric lens for improving field of view

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025343359-A1
Application number	US-202519199591-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 6, 2025
Priority date	May 6, 2024
Publication date	Nov 6, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

An antenna assembly includes a substrate stack 105 comprising a magnetodielectric material, at least one patch radiating element 102 on an upper surface of the substrate stack 105, and a dielectric cover 200 including a gradient lens 204 disposed over the substrate stack 105. The gradient lens 204 includes a first lens portion having a first dielectric constant, Dk L1 , and a second lens portion having a second dielectric constant, Dk L2 , different from the first dielectric constant, Dk L1 .

First claim

1 . An antenna assembly 10 , comprising:
a substrate stack 105 comprising a magnetodielectric material; at least one patch radiating element 102 on an upper surface of the substrate stack 105 ; and a dielectric cover 200 including a gradient lens 204 disposed over the substrate stack 105 , wherein the gradient lens 204 includes a first lens portion having a first dielectric constant, Dk L1 , and a second lens portion having a second dielectric constant, Dk L2 , different from the first dielectric constant, Dk L1 .

2 . The antenna assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one patch radiating element 102 comprises metal.

3 . The antenna assembly of claim 2 , wherein the at least one patch radiating element 102 includes a plurality of patch radiating elements 102 .

4 . The antenna assembly of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of patch radiating elements 102 are arranged as orthogonal patch dipole radiating elements to establish a cross-dipole.

5 . The antenna assembly of claim 1 , wherein the substrate stack 105 comprises:
a low-loss substrate 104 comprising a low-loss material; and
a magnetodielectric substrate 108 comprising the magnetodielectric material.

6 . The antenna assembly of claim 5 , wherein the low-loss substrate has a dielectric constant, Dk 1 , ranging from 2.9 to 3.1.

7 . The antenna assembly of claim 5 , wherein the magnetodielectric material has a dielectric constant, Dk 3 , ranging from 11.90 to 12.05, and permeability, μ, ranging from 6.50 to 7.60.

8 . The antenna assembly of claim 5 , wherein the low-loss substrate 104 and the magnetodielectric substrate 108 are separated from one another by a layer of air with a dielectric constant of 1.0.

9 . The antenna assembly of claim 5 , further comprising a dielectric substrate 106 interposed between the low-loss substrate 104 and the magnetodielectric substrate 108 .

10 . The antenna assembly of claim 9 , wherein the dielectric substrate 106 comprises a dielectric material having a dielectric constant, Dk 2 , ranging from 1.0 to 1.4.

11 . The antenna assembly of claim 10 , wherein the dielectric constant, Dk 2 , is 1.3.

12 . The antenna assembly of claim 5 , further comprising a ground plane 110 on which the magnetodielectric substrate 108 is disposed. 13 The antenna assembly of claim 9 , wherein the second lens portion 210 surrounds the first lens portion 208 .

14 . The antenna assembly of claim 13 , wherein the second dielectric constant, Dk L2 , that is greater than the first dielectric constant, Dk L1 .

15 . The antenna assembly of claim 13 , wherein the first dielectric constant, Dk L1 , ranges from 1.0 to 2.7, and the second dielectric constant, Dk L2 , ranges from 2.5 to 5.10.

16 . The antenna assembly of claim 15 , wherein the dielectric cover 200 further comprises sidewalls 202 extending orthogonally from the gradient lens 204 and defining an inner cavity 206 in which the substrate stack is disposed.

17 . The antenna assembly of claim 16 , wherein the sidewalls comprises a dielectric material.

18 . The antenna assembly of claim 17 , wherein the sidewalls and the gradient lens extend along an X-axis to define a length, a Y-axis to define a width, and a Z-axis to define a thickness.

19 . The antenna assembly of claim 18 , wherein:
the first dielectric constant, Dk L1 , is 2.5; the second dielectric constant, Dk L2 , is 2.9; the length is 6.15 inches (156.21 mm); the width is 6.15 inches (156.21 mm); and the thickness is 1.97 inches (50.038 mm).

20 . The antenna assembly of claim 18 , wherein:
the first dielectric constant, Dk L1 , is 1.50; the second dielectric constant, Dk L2 , is 5.07; the length is 4.6 inches (116.84 mm); the width is 6.15 inches (116.84 mm); and the thickness is 1.22 inches (30.988 mm).

21 . The antenna assembly of claim 20 , wherein the sidewalls 452 extend inward toward the inner cavity to define a tapered profile.

22 . The antenna assembly of claim 21 , wherein the sidewalls 452 taper inward at an draft angle ranging from 20 degrees to 30 degrees.

23 . The antenna assembly of claim 13 , wherein the gradient lens includes an intermediate lens region with one or more dielectric constant values, Dk LX , that gradually decrease from the second lens portion having Dk L2 to the first lens portion having Dk L1 .

24 . The antenna assembly of claim 8 , wherein the dielectric cover 200 comprises:
a base 253 having a circular profile defined by a first diameter; and
a circular sidewall 252 extending orthogonally from the base and defining an inner cavity 257 configured to receive the substrate stack,
wherein the gradient lens 204 is disposed on an upper surface of the circular sidewall and has a circular profile defined by a second diameter.

25 . The antenna assembly of claim 24 , wherein:
the second dielectric constant, Dk L2 is 2.59; the first diameter is 12 inches (304.8 mm); and the second diameter is 9 inches (228.6 mm).

Assignees

• Rogers Corp

Inventors

• Pandey Shailesh
• Chen Yajie
• Pance Kristi
• Dobrick John
• Judin Vitali

Classifications

• H01Q15/08 Primary

  formed of solid dielectric material · CPC title

• H01Q19/06

  using refracting or diffracting devices, e.g. lens {(radome H01Q1/42)} · CPC title

• H01Q1/42

  Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome · CPC title

• H01Q9/285

  Planar dipole (H01Q9/065 takes precedence; patch antenna H01Q9/0407) · CPC title

• H01Q21/26 Primary

  Turnstile or like antennas comprising arrangements of three or more elongated elements disposed radially and symmetrically in a horizontal plane about a common centre · CPC title