Electronically steerable antenna using reconfigurable power divider based on cylindrical electromagnetic band gap (CEBG) structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9397395-B2
Application number	US-201313760980-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 6, 2013
Priority date	Feb 6, 2013
Publication date	Jul 19, 2016
Grant date	Jul 19, 2016

Abstract

A low complexity/cost beamsteering antenna includes a central line feed affixed to a radial waveguide structure, radiating elements positioned along the circumference of the radial waveguide structure, and a plurality of active elements interspersed along the surface of the radial waveguide structure between the central line feed and the radiating elements. The active elements may comprise PIN diodes or microelectromechanical system (MEMS) components, and may be selectively activated/deactivated by DC switches in order to direct the propagation of an RF signal over the radial waveguide structure in a manner similar to a power divider. As a result, the RF signal may be funneled to selected radiating elements, thereby effectively directionally aiming the main lobe of the emitted radiation pattern to beamsteer the wireless transmission.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a central line feed;
a radial waveguide structure coupled to the central line feed, the radial waveguide structure comprising a plurality of radiating elements positioned around the central line feed, and a plurality of active elements interspersed between the central line feed and the plurality of radiating elements, the plurality of active elements excluding phase shifters, wherein the plurality of radiating elements are configured to convert a radio frequency (RF) signal into a wireless signal; and
a controller coupled to the active elements, the controller configured to beam-steer the wireless signal by manipulating the active elements.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of active elements comprise diodes.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of active elements comprise microelectromechanical system (MEMS) components.

4. An apparatus comprising:
a central line feed;
a radial waveguide structure coupled to the central line feed, the radial waveguide structure comprising a plurality of radiating elements positioned around the central line feed, and a plurality of active elements interspersed between the central line feed and the plurality of radiating elements, wherein the plurality of radiating elements are configured to convert a radio frequency (RF) signal into a wireless signal; and
a plurality of switches configured to activate/deactivate selected active elements in the plurality of active elements to direct the propagation of the RF signal over the radial waveguide structure, thereby beamsteering the wireless signal.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of switches are direct current (DC) switches.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the RF signal radiates outwardly from the central line feed over the radial waveguide structure towards the radiating elements.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the central line feed is a coaxial line feed.

8. An antenna configured for beam switching, the antenna comprising:
a line feed configured to emit a radio frequency (RF) signal;
a plurality of radiating elements positioned around the line feed, the plurality of radiating elements configured to convert the RF signal into a wireless signal;
a plurality of active elements interspersed between the line feed and the plurality of radiating elements, the plurality of active elements excluding phase shifters; and
a controller coupled to the active elements, the controller configured to beam-steer the wireless signal by manipulating the active elements.

9. The antenna of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of active elements comprise diodes.

10. The antenna of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of active elements comprise microelectromechanical system (MEMS) components.

11. An antenna configured for beam switching, the antenna comprising:
a line feed configured to emit a radio frequency (RF) signal;
a plurality of radiating elements positioned around the line feed, the plurality of radiating elements configured to convert the RF signal into a wireless signal;
a plurality of active elements interspersed between the line feed and the plurality of radiating elements; and
a plurality of switches configured to activate/deactivate selected active elements in the plurality of active elements to direct the propagation of the RF signal, thereby beamsteering the wireless signal.

12. The antenna of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of switches are direct current (DC) switches.

13. The antenna of claim 8 , wherein the RF signal radiates outwardly from the line feed over a radial waveguide structure towards the radiating elements.

14. The antenna of claim 8 , wherein the line feed is a coaxial line feed.

15. The antenna of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of radiating elements encircle the line feed.

16. The antenna of claim 8 , wherein the line feed is a central line feed.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of radiating elements encircle the central line feed.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller beam-steers the wireless signal by activating/deactivating selected active elements in the plurality of active elements to direct the propagation of the RF signal over the radial waveguide structure.

19. The antenna of claim 8 , wherein the controller beam-steers the wireless signal by activating/deactivating selected active elements in the plurality of active elements to direct the propagation of the RF signal.

Assignees

• Huawei Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Boutayeb Halim

Classifications

• H01Q15/006

  Selective devices having photonic band gap materials or materials of which the material properties are frequency dependent, e.g. perforated substrates, high-impedance surfaces · CPC title

• H01Q3/24

  varying the orientation by switching energy from one active radiating element to another, e.g. for beam switching · CPC title

• H01Q3/247 Primary

  by switching different parts of a primary active element · CPC title

• H01Q13/00

  Waveguide horns or mouths; Slot antennas; Leaky-waveguide antennas; Equivalent structures causing radiation along the transmission path of a guided wave · CPC title

• H01Q21/0012 Primary

  Radial guide fed arrays · CPC title