With Scanning, Sweeping, Or Orienting Patents (Class 343/754)
  • Patent number: 11139580
    Abstract: Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, an antenna structure that includes first and second dielectric antennas that each redirect a beam pattern generated by the first and second dielectric antennas away from a center axis of the of the first and second dielectric antennas. Each of the first and second dielectric antennas can be coupled to at least one dielectric core via a feed point of each dielectric antenna. The at least one dielectric core can be configured to supply electromagnetic waves that are converted by the first and second dielectric antennas to first and second beam patterns redirected away from the center axis. Other embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Paul Shala Henry, Donald J. Barnickel, Farhad Barzegar, Robert Bennett, Irwin Gerszberg, Thomas M. Willis, III
  • Patent number: 11139583
    Abstract: A dielectric lens, where the dielectric lens is a cylindrical lens or an ellipsoidal lens whose cross-sectional profile is a quasi-ellipse, and the dielectric lens is formed by piling a plurality of units. Dielectric constant distribution of the units in the dielectric lens enables a non-plane wave in a minor axis direction of the quasi-ellipse to be converted into a plane wave through the dielectric lens. The units of the dielectric lens are prepared through extrusion, injection, molding, computer numerical control (CNC) machining, or a three dimensional (3D) printing process technology, and the units may be assembled through gluing, welding, structural clamping, or a coupling printed through 3D printing. When the dielectric lens is applied to a multi-beam antenna, a system capacity of a communications system can be increased. In addition, a thickness of the lens is reduced using the multi-beam antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Banghong Hu, Liangyuan Li, Zuoxing Dai, Lei Li, Yuanhong Zhang, Runxiao Zhang, Yaojiang Zhang
  • Patent number: 11121462
    Abstract: A passive electronically scanned array in a number of phases. Initially, the array system configuration is determined followed by sizing the array, designing, building, and testing a 1D lens, and designing, building, and testing a 1×N switch network. This is followed by building and testing the array with associated 1D lenses, and integrating and testing switch networks connected to each lens in array. This is followed by design, build, test, and integration of the orthogonal switch matrix that connects to all of the lens switch matrixes, and system integration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: ANTENNA RESEARCH ASSOCIATES
    Inventor: Sandeep Palreddy
  • Patent number: 11108155
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with wireless circuitry for conveying radio-frequency signals greater than 10 GHz. The wireless circuitry may include a phased antenna array that transmits a steerable signal beam and independent antennas that are separate from the array. The array may be coupled to a first transceiver and the independent antennas may be coupled to a second transceiver. Power amplifier stages may be coupled between the second transceiver and the independent antennas to boost the gain of the independent antennas. If desired, the array and the independent antennas may be coupled to ports of the same transceiver. In this arrangement, each independent antenna may include an antenna feed that is coupled to a respective pair of ports on the transceiver. This may serve to boost the gain of the independent antennas without power amplifier circuitry. The independent antennas may have smaller footprints than the phased antenna array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Rodney A. Gomez Angulo, Simone Paulotto, Harish Rajagopalan, Jennifer M. Edwards, Hao Xu
  • Patent number: 11108159
    Abstract: An electromagnetic device includes: a ground structure; a dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) disposed on the ground structure; an electromagnetic (EM) beam shaper disposed proximate the DRA; and, a signal feed electromagnetically coupled to the DRA. The EM beam shaper includes: an electrically conductive horn; a body of dielectric material having a dielectric constant that varies from an internal portion of the body to an outer surface of the body; or, both the electrically conductive horn and the body of dielectric material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: ROGERS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kristi Pance, Gianni Taraschi, Ingmar Cees Johannes van der Linden, Karl E. Sprentall
  • Patent number: 11081794
    Abstract: An antenna device (1) for emitting electromagnetic waves has a waveguide (2), which in turn has two plates (3) made of an electrically conductive material and arranged parallel to one another, between which a dielectric material is arranged. The antenna device (1) has a feed-in device (4), with which electromagnetic waves can be coupled into the waveguide (2), which then propagate along the waveguide (2) and are emitted at an edge (5) of the waveguide (2) at a distance from the feed-in device (4). According to the invention, using a control device of the antenna device (1), the dielectric material can be influenced in such a way that a first region (9) having a first permittivity and at least one second region (10) having a second permittivity are formed, such that the electromagnetic waves coupled into the waveguide (2) propagate preferably through the first region (9) and are emitted in this preferred propagation direction (11).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: ALCAN Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Roland Reese, Matthias Jost, Matthias Nickel, Holger Maune, Rolf Jacoby
  • Patent number: 11011852
    Abstract: A reconfigurable modular antenna system includes a first module comprising at least a first part of a first antenna system, and a second replaceable module comprising at least a second part of a first antenna system and a part of a second antenna system. An interconnect is disposed between the first module and the second replaceable module and couples the first part of the first antenna system to the second part of the first antenna system to form the first antenna system. The first antenna system is configured to operate in a first frequency band and the second antenna system is configured to operate in a second frequency band, different to the first frequency band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: NOKIA SHANGHAI BELL CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Jean-Pierre Harel
  • Patent number: 11005167
    Abstract: An antenna array consists of multiple sub-arrays of planar, rectangular conductive patches disposed over a cavity to provide a volumetric antenna array. Each sub-array consist of multiple patch elements, arranged typically in a square or rectangular pattern. Multiple sub-arrays are further arranged along a one-dimensional row, to provide one or more unit cells. Adjacent sub-arrays in a row may be oriented at 45 degrees with respect to one another. The assembly provides a wide bandwidth, orientation dependent, directional antenna via volumetric radiating elements that can be conformal to exterior surface(s) of a vehicle such as a roof or trunk or roll bar of a passenger car.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: Antenum LLC
    Inventors: John T. Apostolos, William Mouyos
  • Patent number: 11002846
    Abstract: The present invention provides an amplitude comparison monopulse radar system. The system comprises a beam forming network for coupling to the phased array antenna. The beam forming network is adapted to change the phase delays between the antenna elements in a phased array antenna such that the monopulse radiation pattern is scanned over an angular range through space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Inventors: Steven Christie, Denver Humphrey, Michael Gleaves, Barry Lunn
  • Patent number: 10955977
    Abstract: An extender object for use with a multi-modal sensing surface comprises at least two antenna coils. A first antenna coil in the object is electrically connected to a second antenna coil in the object and the two antenna coils may be spatially separated. At least one of the first and second antenna coils comprises a plurality of radial elements extending in and/or out from the coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Greg Saul, Nicolas Villar, Daniel Cletheroe, Christian Holz, Haiyan Zhang
  • Patent number: 10868350
    Abstract: A phase-controlled antenna element includes a waveguide emitter with signal output or signal injection, into which a rotatable phase control element is introduced, and a drive unit. The phase control element comprises in this case a holder, at least two polarizers which are fastened to the holder, and a connecting element. Each of the at least two polarizers can convert a circularly polarized signal into a linearly polarized signal. The phase control element is rotatably fitted in the waveguide emitter and is connected to the drive unit with the aid of the connecting element in such a manner that the drive unit can rotate the phase control element about the axis of the waveguide emitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: Lisa Draezlmaier GmbH
    Inventors: Joerg Oppenlaender, Alexander Moessinger
  • Patent number: 10826157
    Abstract: The invention is directed to deployable reflectarray antenna structure. In one embodiment, the deployable reflectarray antenna structure includes a pair of flexible electrical elements, a feed antenna, and a deployment mechanism that employs a plurality of tapes to respectively transition the pair of flexible electrical elements from an undeployed state in which the elements are folded towards a deployed state in which the deployment mechanism and electrical elements cooperate to form a reflectarray and a subreflector of a reflectarray antenna structure. Further, the deployment mechanism also operates to position the reflectarray and subreflector relative to one another and to the feed antenna so as to realize a reflectarray antenna structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: MMA Design, LLC
    Inventors: Thomas J. Harvey, Toby J. Harvey, Leslie A. Seal
  • Patent number: 10824208
    Abstract: An antenna structure able to function in a 5G environment is disposed on a supporting member within an electronic device. The antenna structure includes a large number of antenna arrays, the antenna arrays include antenna units arranged in a line, and current is fed to each of the antenna units. A wireless communication device with enhanced transmission rates is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignees: Fu Tai Hua Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd., HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Jian-Guo Zhu
  • Patent number: 10784571
    Abstract: A low-loss millimeter-wave radome is provided. The low-loss millimeter wave radome includes a perforated and plated metallic plate and a low-loss dielectric encapsulation material to encapsulate the perforated and plated metallic plate. The perforated and plated metallic plate includes multiple metallic sheets and electrically conductive plating. The multiple metallic sheets respectively define a periodic array of sub-wavelength holes and are laminated together such that the periodic array of sub-wavelength holes combines into a periodic array of perforations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: RAYTHEON COMPANY
    Inventors: David D. Crouch, Travis B. Feenstra, David R. Sar
  • Patent number: 10734732
    Abstract: An optically tunable metamaterial unit cell is provided for photonic switching. The cell is optically tunable and includes a dielectric substrate with upper and lower surfaces. The cell further includes arrays of metamaterial elements and a layer of photo-capacitive material. The arrays are disposed the upper surface of the dielectric substrate. The metamaterial is capable of reflecting electromagnetic radiation. The layer of photo-capacitive material overlaps the arrays of metamaterial elements. The photo-capacitive material is optically tunable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Simin Feng, Kevin A. Boulais, Walter D. Sessions, Pearl Rayms-Keller, Robert B. Nichols, William F. Smith, Karen J. Long, Michael S. Lowry
  • Patent number: 10714836
    Abstract: Various examples are provided related to hybrid multiple-input/multiple-output (MIMO) architectures. Beam steering can be provided using lens arrays. In one example, a hybrid antenna system includes a plurality of lens antenna subarrays (LAS), each of the LAS including a plurality of antenna elements configured to selectively receive a radio frequency (RF) transmission signal from RF processing circuitry, and a lens extending across the plurality of antenna elements. The RF transmission signal can be provided to a selected antenna of the plurality of antenna elements via a switching network and a common phase shifter for transmission. The lens can be configured to steer a RF transmission generated by the selected antenna in a defined direction. The selected antenna can be determined by the switching network configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
    Inventors: Murat Karabacak, Gokhan Mumcu, Huseyin Arslan
  • Patent number: 10700437
    Abstract: A communication device for controlling a beam in a wireless communication system and a method therefor are provided. The communication device includes a lens including at least one layer in which unit cells are disposed, at least one processor configured to determine a beam pattern and control capacitance of each of the unit cells based on the beam pattern, and a transceiver for transmitting a signal in the determined beam pattern through the lens, which is capacitance-controlled. Each unit cell includes a first conductive member, a second conductive member overlapping at least a portion of the first conductive member, and spaced apart from the first conductive member, and a dielectric interposed between the overlapped portions of the first conductive member and the second conductive member. An overlap region of the first and second conductive members is arranged in a direction shielded from an external electromagnetic wave.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: POSTECH ACADEMY-INDUSTRY FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Ho-Jin Song, Wonbin Hong, Yoonyoung Chung, Sungmin Cho
  • Patent number: 10693210
    Abstract: A set of antenna geometries for use in integrated arrays at terahertz frequencies are described. Two fabrication techniques to construct such antennas are presented. The first technique uses an advanced laser micro-fabrication, allowing fabricating advanced 3D geometries. The second technique uses photolithographic processes, allowing the fabrication of arrays on a single wafer in parallel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Goutam Chattopadhyay, Imran Mehdi, Choonsup Lee, John J. Gill, Cecile D. Jung-Kubiak, Nuria Llombart
  • Patent number: 10680663
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with wireless circuitry. The wireless circuitry may include one or more antennas. The antennas may include phased antenna arrays each of which includes multiple antenna elements. Phased antenna arrays may be mounted along edges of a housing for the electronic device, behind a dielectric window such as a dielectric logo window in the housing, in alignment with dielectric housing portions at corners of the housing, or elsewhere in the electronic device. A phased antenna array may include arrays of patch antenna elements on dielectric layers separated by a ground layer. A baseband processor may distribute wireless signals to the phased antenna arrays at intermediate frequencies over intermediate frequency signal paths. Transceiver circuits at the phased antenna arrays may include upconverters and downconverters coupled to the intermediate frequency signal paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Yuehui Ouyang, Yi Jiang, Matthew A. Mow, Basim Noori, Mattia Pascolini, Ruben Caballero
  • Patent number: 10673137
    Abstract: A low-profile electronically scanned phased arrays integrated multi-beam cylindrical array that can scan by connecting to one feed or multiple feeds at one time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: The Government of the United States as Represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Naftali Herscovici, Bradley A Kramer, Anatoliy Boryssenko
  • Patent number: 10622714
    Abstract: Disclosed is an antenna device for performing frequency scanning, the antenna device including a T-junction configured to distribute a first feeding signal, a first radiating element configured to radiate a radio wave based on a second feeding signal, and a coupled transmission line configured to transmit, to a subsequent element, a third feeding signal remaining after subtracting the second feeding signal from the first feeding signal, wherein the coupled transmission line is coupled such that a length thereof is an integer multiple of a wavelength at a center frequency, and the T-junction, the first radiating element, and the coupled transmission line are connected in series to form a series feeding circuit network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventor: Soon Young Eom
  • Patent number: 10615506
    Abstract: A control device is provided for photonic switching. The device includes an optically tunable metamaterial unit cell. This structure includes a dielectric substrate; at least two arrays of metamaterial elements located on the top surface thereof, the metamaterial being capable of reflecting electromagnetic radiation, and a layer of photo-capacitive material overlapping the at least two arrays of metamaterial elements, the photo-capacitance of the photo-capacitive material being optically tunable; and a reflectarray or phased array system containing the unit cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Simin Feng, Kevin A. Boulais, Walter D. Sessions, Pearl Rayms-Keller, Robert B. Nichols, William F. Smith, Karen J. Long, Michael S. Lowry
  • Patent number: 10553943
    Abstract: A beam steering antenna is provided in a user terminal for satellite communications. The beam steering antenna includes an antenna feed structure having a plurality of feed elements configured to be switched on or off to form an initial beam, and a focus lens positioned adjacent to the antenna feed structure to form a focused beam. The antenna feed structure may include a plurality of active waveguide feed elements to generate a circularly polarized initial beam. The focus lens may be a spherical lens to form a circularly polarized focused beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventor: Allen Minh-Triet Tran
  • Patent number: 10541471
    Abstract: Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, an antenna assembly that includes a dielectric antenna having an integrated dielectric feedline and a dielectric antenna element. The integrated dielectric feedline communicates inbound guided waves and outbound guided waves that are bound to the integrated dielectric feedline. The dielectric antenna element transmits outbound free space wireless signals in response to the outbound guided waves and generates the inbound guided waves from received inbound free space wireless signals. An actuated gimbal mount controls an orientation of the dielectric antenna element based on control signals. Other embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Paul Shala Henry, Robert Bennett, Farhad Barzegar, Irwin Gerszberg, Donald J. Barnickel, Henry Kafka, Thomas M. Willis, III
  • Patent number: 10535917
    Abstract: The invention is directed to an antenna structure for producing a horizontally polarized beam. In one embodiment, the antenna structure includes a first quarter-wave patch antenna and a second quarter-wave patch antenna that are positioned such that the ground planes of the patch antennas or a ground plane shared by the patch antennas is disposed between the patches of the two antennas and the shorting structures associated with the antennas are substantially aligned. In operation, the antenna structure is capable of processing an omni-directional, horizontally polarized beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: FIRST RF Corporation
    Inventors: Farzin Lalezari, Michael R. Goulder
  • Patent number: 10505265
    Abstract: An antenna adjustment system and a base station, where the antenna adjustment system includes an inertial feedback unit configured to detect a swing angle of an antenna when the antenna swings with a housing, and send an angle signal to a controller, an actuator and an elastic element configured to control an auxiliary board to rotate back in a direction opposite to a swing direction of the housing in order to counteract deflection caused by swing of the housing of the antenna fastened to the auxiliary board. The actuator is driven by the controller based on the angle signal. Therefore, a position of an antenna can be adjusted with swing of the antenna such that signal sending stability of the antenna can be ensured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Youhe Ke, Dongli Wang, Hongdian Du, Jun Wu
  • Patent number: 10498015
    Abstract: Multifunctional structures and methods of manufacturing multifunctional structures which function as both electronic devices and load-bearing elements are disclosed. The load-bearing elements are designed to have electronic functionality using electronics designed to be load-bearing. The method of manufacturing the multifunctional structure comprises forming an electronic element directly on at least one ply of arbitrarily shaped load-bearing material using conventional lithographic techniques and/or direct write fabrication techniques, and assembling at least two plies of arbitrarily shaped load-bearing material into a multifunctional structure. The multifunctional structure may be part of an aerospace structure, part of a land vehicle, pan of a watercraft or part of a spacecraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: SI2 Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Erik S. Handy, Joseph Michael Kunze
  • Patent number: 10461414
    Abstract: A cellular antenna having an array of radiating elements and a flat sheet of dielectric material in front of the antenna radiating elements and spaced about a half wavelength from the antenna phase center to provide an azimuth beam width that is narrower than without the dielectric sheet. The sheet of dielectric material may be continuous or segmented and a single layer or multi-layer. The amount of narrowing may be controlled by changing the thickness and dielectric constant of the dielectric sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: CommScope Technologies LLC
    Inventor: Gangyi Deng
  • Patent number: 10419316
    Abstract: A control system includes a master, at least one slave, and a communication module arranged between the master and the at least one slave, through which the master and the at least one slave communicate. The master sends control commands for controlling the at least one slave and the at least one slave responds to the control commands of the master. The communication module relays the respective control commands and responses. The master transmits to the communication module in one or a plurality of requests at least one control command and at least one associated timing requirement, the communication module processes the request(s) by sending the at least one control command according to the at least one timing requirement to the at least one slave, and the communication module determines timing information concerning the communication with the at least one slave and sends said timing information to the master.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: KATHREIN SE
    Inventors: Markus Mohr, Johann Schmid
  • Patent number: 10355369
    Abstract: Dipole antenna coupled to a source of excitation signals with center frequency of wavelength ?, comprising a first dipole element with a first feeder element electrically connected to a first radiating element and a first crested element electrically connected to the first radiating element. Second dipole element comprising a second feeder element electrically connected to the second radiating element. Groundplane electrically connected to first and second dipole elements. Antenna hole formed through first feeder element. Source of excitation signals received in the first feeder element the antenna hole, connected to the second feeder element. Parallel first and second feeder elements. Coaxial first and second radiating elements. Parallel first and second crested elements. The groundplane is orthogonal to the first and second dipole elements, and parallel to the first and second radiating element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: David C. Dawson
  • Patent number: 10276945
    Abstract: A phased array antenna which can change the configuration of the phased array antenna by controllable quad switches on the phased array antenna is presented. The phased array antenna adapts monolithic microwave integrate circuit (MMIC) technology to have high isolation interconnection of the reconfigurable phased array antenna. The reconfigurable phased array antenna can be reusable and adaptable to different configurations so that the overall cost and lead time of the phased array antenna is reduced compared to the existing RF antennas in the market.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
    Inventor: James J. Komiak
  • Patent number: 10270183
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to a graphene-based Rotman lenses and associated methods of formation. In some embodiments, a lens is positioned proximate to a surface of a dielectric plate. In other embodiments, the lens comprises a first lens contour positioned opposite a second lens contour. In certain embodiments, a plurality of first transmission lines extends from the first lens contour and each terminating at a particular first port. In yet still other embodiments, a plurality of second transmission lines extends from the second lens contour and each terminating at a particular second port. In some embodiments, the lens includes a composition having a polymer(s) and a three-dimensional network of individual sheets of graphene positioned within the composition. In certain embodiments, the first port and/or the second port has a width of ?/2 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Inventors: John S. Lettow, Sriram Manivannan, Larry Herzon, Trentice V. Bolar
  • Patent number: 10270160
    Abstract: An antenna system includes a circularly-polarized antenna element with a Down/Up ratio in a proximity of a local horizon of no better than ?12 dB. An antenna radome encloses the antenna element, the radome providing a drop of antenna pattern near a local horizon and having an upper transparent area and a lower semi-transparent area. The semi-transparent area is has a generally hemispherical shape. The semi-transparent area includes a circular metallized portion with vertical and horizontal slots, the metallized portion extending part of the way downward from an equator of the generally hemispherical shape. The metallized portion includes passive discrete electrical elements connected across at least some of the slots. The metallized portion can include multiple areas having different degrees of transparence. Each such area has a specified impedance. The discrete elements are capacitors, inductors and/or resistors. The metallized portion can have a plurality of circular rows separated by the horizontal slots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: Topcon Positioning Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Dmitry Vitalievich Tatarnikov, Alexey Anatolievich Generalov, Ivan Miroslavovich Chernetskiy
  • Patent number: 10256551
    Abstract: A high gain, multi-beam lens antenna system for future fifth generation (5G) wireless networks. The lens antenna includes a spherical dielectric lens fed with a plurality of radiating antenna elements. The elements are arranged around the exterior surface of the lens at a fixed offset with a predetermined angular displacement between each element. The number of beams and crossover levels between adjacent beams are determined by the dielectric properties and electrical size of the lens. The spherical nature of the dielectric lens provides a focal surface allowing the elements to be rotated around the lens with no degradation in performance. The antenna system supports wideband and multiband operation with multiple polarizations making it ideal for future 5G wireless networks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: Amphenol Antenna Solutions, Inc.
    Inventor: Joshua W. Shehan
  • Patent number: 10199739
    Abstract: A lens elements array comprises at least two lens elements aligned along an alignment axis. Each lens element includes a spherical lens and a feed element. The feed elements are tilted such that the RF signals generated by the feed elements have major axes form an angle (preferably between 5° and 30°) other than a perpendicular angle with respect to the alignment axis. The combined RF signals produced collectively by these feed elements have amplitude that has minimal dips across the array. The feed elements that are farther away from the center of the array have higher levels of tilts than the feed elements that are closer to the center of the array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: Matsing, Inc.
    Inventors: Serguei Matitsine, Leonid Matytsine, Anthony DeMarco
  • Patent number: 10054669
    Abstract: A radar system includes a plurality of radiating elements configured to radiate electromagnetic energy and a plurality of feed waveguides defining a common plane and configured to guide electromagnetic energy to the plurality of radiating elements. The radar system also includes a plurality of waveguides arranged as a dividing network configured to split the electromagnetic energy from the source among the plurality of feed waveguides, such that each feed waveguide receives a respective portion of the electromagnetic energy. Additionally, the dividing network is configured to adjust a phase of the electromagnetic energy received by each waveguide. The splitting and adjusting of the dividing network may be based on differences in height and/or width between the waveguides of the dividing network and the feed waveguides. At least a portion of the dividing network is located in a plane other than the common plane of the feed waveguides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventor: Jamal Izadian
  • Patent number: 9972916
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a planar array antenna. The planar array antenna includes a plurality of phase modulation surfaces, in which each phase modulation surface includes an array including a plurality of transmission phase-shift elements; and a planar power source, configured to power the plurality of phase modulation surfaces, in which each phase modulation surface is configured to modulate a transmission phase of an electromagnetic wave based on the plurality of transmission phase-shift elements, and the plurality of phase modulation surfaces are controlled to change a relative position to change the beam angle based on the corresponding transmission phases. The planar array antenna may be installed in a conformal manner on surfaces of the mobile device, such as a vehicle, an aircraft, a ship or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignees: TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY, BEIJING SENSE-ID TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Fan Yang, Xiangfei Xu, Shenheng Xu, Lin Gao
  • Patent number: 9960813
    Abstract: Systems and methods for communication between near field communication devices within a target communication region using near field magnetic induction is disclosed. One method comprises generating a near field detectable signal at an active node having a power level sufficient to enable communication with a plurality of near field communication nodes located within the target communication region. Information is modulated onto the near field detectable signal using at least one of the near field communication nodes. The modulated information is detected at the active node. The information is then relayed on the near field detectable signal from the active node to at least one of the plurality of near field communication nodes within the target communication region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: FREELINC TECHNOLOGIES INC.
    Inventor: Douglas Howard Dobyns
  • Patent number: 9941594
    Abstract: An antenna system includes an antenna having an aperture, and a polarizer array. The polarizer array includes a support structure, at least two polarizer elements arranged relative to the support structure, each of the at least two polarizer elements rotatable about a separate axis, and an actuator coupled to the at least two polarizer elements, the actuator operative to effect common rotation of the at least two polarizer elements. The polarizer array is arranged to at least partially cover the antenna aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: THINKOM SOLUTIONS, INC.
    Inventor: William Milroy
  • Patent number: 9905922
    Abstract: Techniques for improving coverage of an antenna system are disclosed. In an aspect, a wireless device includes a 3-D antenna system to improve coverage and enhance performance. The 3-D antenna system includes antenna elements formed on multiple planes pointing in different spatial directions. Antenna elements formed on the multiple planes are associated with different antenna beams, which can provide a larger line-of-sight (LOS) coverage for the wireless device. Beamforming may be performed for the antennas on a given plane to further improve LOS coverage. Non-LOS (NLOS) coverage may also improve since antenna beams pointing in different spatial directions may result in reflected signals of higher power levels due to better signal reflection for some antenna beams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Cheol-Woong Lee, Mohammad A. Tassoudji, Roger Brockenbrough
  • Patent number: 9865911
    Abstract: Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a system for generating first electromagnetic waves and directing instances of the first electromagnetic waves to an interface of a transmission medium to induce propagation of second electromagnetic waves substantially having a non-fundamental wave mode. Other embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Paul Shala Henry, Robert Bennett, Farhad Barzegar, Irwin Gerszberg, Donald J. Barnickel, Thomas M. Willis, III, Ed Guntin
  • Patent number: 9860929
    Abstract: A method in a first user equipment for adjusting a beacon signal to be detected by at least one second user equipment in a wireless telecommunications network is provided. The beacon signal is transmitted in order to enable an establishment of Device-to-Device, D2D, communication between the first user equipment and the at least one second user equipment. The method is characterized in that the method comprises adjusting, prior to transmitting the beacon signal, the transmit power of the beacon signal based on a requirement of an application in the first user equipment for which the D2D communication is to be established. A user equipment, a network node, and a method in a network node for enabling a D2D communication between a first user equipment and at least one second user equipment are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (publ)
    Inventors: Leif Wilhelmsson, Stefan Parkvall, Gabor Fodor, Göran N. Klang, Erik Dahlman
  • Patent number: 9843393
    Abstract: Novel tools and techniques providing for the robust wireless distribution of communications signals from a provider to multiple customer premises. Certain embodiments comprise one or more modular communications apparatuses which are located near to customer premises. The modular communications apparatuses features an enclosure which is, at least in part, transparent to radio frequencies. A modular communications apparatus also typically includes one or more communications radios or transmitter/receiver devices within the enclosure. The apparatus also includes at least one and possibly more than one antenna located within the enclosure along with wire or cable-based signal output apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC
    Inventor: Charles I. Cook
  • Patent number: 9742073
    Abstract: The application discloses a one or two dimensional array of electromagnetic scatterers n scatterers (ED), whereby the aforementioned scatterers (ED) are arranged aperiodically on a curved line or surface (S). Further, the application describes a reflectarray antenna comprising at least one such array of electromagnetic scatters (ED) and at least one receiving and/or transmitting feed (F), cooperating with said array to generate an antenna beam A method for designing and manufacturing sais array and said antenna is explained. The method optimizes in a several stages all degrees of freedom in order improve the performance of reflectarrays, increase the flexibility thereof and/or the conformity thereof with design specifications (radio pattern) and/or allowing said specifications to be satisfied with a smaller number of scatters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: Agence Spatiale Europeenne
    Inventors: Amedeo Capozzoli, Claudio Curcio, Angelo Liseno, Giuseppe D'Elia, Pietro Vinetti, Giovanni Toso
  • Patent number: 9736817
    Abstract: A method for sending beacon signals is provided. The beacon signals are to be received by a slave device to discover the master device for Device to Device communication. The master device receives information from a network node. The information informs about a set of available peer discovery resources to be used in a peer discovery frame by the master device for sending beacon signals. The beacon signals are detected by the slave device. The master device obtains a beacon transmission probability. At each specific peer discovery frame, the master device determines according to the beacon transmission probability, whether or not a beacon signal shall be transmitted during that specific peer discovery frame. When determining to transmit a beacon signal during that specific peer discovery frame, master device sends the beacon signal by choosing one of the peer discovery resources out of the received set of available peer discovery resources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (publ)
    Inventors: Gabor Fodor, Zhe Li
  • Patent number: 9716309
    Abstract: A radar, communication, discovery and networking system is disclosed. The system utilizes a parallel plate waveguide simulator in combination with a circular array of Balanced Antipodal Vivaldi Antenna elements to support very broad bandwidth operations utilizing a low-profile aperture. It is contemplated that such configurations may be applied to linear arrays (i.e., with no curvature) as well. In addition, the antenna arrays may form multiple rows to resemble a planar antenna. The antenna system in accordance with the present disclosure may be installed on a size-constrained platform and utilized as a common shared asset aperture, providing multifunctional, multi-beam support to facilitate multiband communications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventor: M. Wajih ElSallal
  • Patent number: 9692106
    Abstract: Antenna devices, antenna systems and methods of their fabrication are disclosed. One such antenna device includes a semiconductor chip and a chip package. The semiconductor chip includes at least one antenna that is integrated into a dielectric layer of the semiconductor chip and is configured to transmit electromagnetic waves. In addition, the chip package includes at least one ground plane, where the semiconductor chip is mounted on the chip package such that the ground plane(s) is disposed at a predetermined distance from the antenna to implement a reflection of at least a portion of the electromagnetic waves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Duixian Liu, Arun S. Natarajan, Jean-Olivier Plouchart, Scott K. Reynolds
  • Patent number: 9667290
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with wireless circuitry. The wireless circuitry may include one or more antennas. The antennas may include phased antenna arrays each of which includes multiple antenna elements. Phased antenna arrays may be mounted along edges of a housing for the electronic device, behind a dielectric window such as a dielectric logo window in the housing, in alignment with dielectric housing portions at corners of the housing, or elsewhere in the electronic device. A phased antenna array may include arrays of patch antenna elements on dielectric layers separated by a ground layer. A baseband processor may distribute wireless signals to the phased antenna arrays at intermediate frequencies over intermediate frequency signal paths. Transceiver circuits at the phased antenna arrays may include upconverters and downconverters coupled to the intermediate frequency signal paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Yuehui Ouyang, Yi Jiang, Matthew A. Mow, Basim Noori, Mattia Pascolini, Ruben Caballero
  • Patent number: 9620861
    Abstract: Embodiments are directed to a multi-fractal pattern antenna, system and method of making multi-fractal pattern antennas. The antenna comprises a fractal antenna pattern having at least one resonant frequency and having a plurality of joined-chevron fractal segments arranged as a function of at least one resonant frequency. Each joined-chevron fractal segment comprising a first chevron comprising a first V-shaped fractal element having a first leg, second leg and a first vertex where the first leg and second leg are separated by a first angle. Each joined-chevron fractal segment comprising a second chevron joined to the first chevron to form a joined-chevron fractal segment and comprising a second V-shaped fractal element having a third leg, fourth leg and a second vertex where the third leg and the fourth leg are separated by a second angle. A set of the plurality of joined-chevron fractal segment approximates a staircase shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION
    Inventor: Johnny E. Banks
  • Patent number: 9577314
    Abstract: Antenna devices, antenna systems and methods of their fabrication are disclosed. One such antenna device includes a semiconductor chip and a chip package. The semiconductor chip includes at least one antenna that is integrated into a dielectric layer of the semiconductor chip and is configured to transmit electromagnetic waves. In addition, the chip package includes at least one ground plane, where the semiconductor chip is mounted on the chip package such that the ground plane(s) is disposed at a predetermined distance from the antenna to implement a reflection of at least a portion of the electromagnetic waves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Duixian Liu, Arun S. Natarajan, Jean-Olivier Plouchart, Scott K. Reynolds