Ultra-Wideband Antenna Array with Balun-Free Design
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Summary
Problems
Conventional wide-bandwidth antenna arrays are limited by their thickness, cost, and requirement for balanced feed lines, making them unsuitable for applications requiring low profile, high performance, and ultra-wide bandwidth, especially in the UHF spectrum.
Innovation solutions
A UWB long-slot antenna array with a thickness less than 1/20th the wavelength of the lowest operating frequency, achieving 10:1 or greater bandwidth, and utilizing single-sided unbalanced impedance matching feed probes within a multi-layer monolithic tile structure to reduce complexity and eliminate the need for baluns and radomes.
TRIZ Analysis
Specific contradictions:
General conflict description:
Principle concept:
If conventional tapered-slot antenna arrays are used to achieve wide-bandwidth, then bandwidth is improved, but antenna thickness and overall size increase significantly
Why choose this principle:
The patent transitions from conventional two-dimensional tapered-slot designs to a three-dimensional stacked patch antenna array configuration. Multiple patch elements are stacked vertically with specific spacing and feeding arrangements, enabling ultra-wide bandwidth achievement through spatial distribution in the vertical dimension while maintaining a compact overall thickness of less than λ/20.
Principle concept:
If conventional tapered-slot antenna arrays are used to achieve wide-bandwidth, then bandwidth is improved, but antenna thickness and overall size increase significantly
Why choose this principle:
The antenna is divided into multiple discrete patch elements arranged in a stacked configuration. Each patch element functions as an independent radiating unit with specific impedance characteristics. By segmenting the antenna into multiple layers with controlled spacing and feeding, the system achieves broadband performance through constructive interference of signals from different elements without requiring long taper lengths.
Application Domain
Data Source
AI summary:
A UWB long-slot antenna array with a thickness less than 1/20th the wavelength of the lowest operating frequency, achieving 10:1 or greater bandwidth, and utilizing single-sided unbalanced impedance matching feed probes within a multi-layer monolithic tile structure to reduce complexity and eliminate the need for baluns and radomes.
Abstract
In one embodiment, a wide bandwidth, reduced depth transmit/receive antenna array includes unit cells having continuous slots, a transceiver, unbalanced feeds, impedance transformers, and exciters. The continuous slots are formed in a conductive antenna plane, and the transceiver generates and/or receives electrical signals. The unbalanced feeds may be electrically connected between the transceiver and impedance transformers which match the impedance between feed lines and the exciter. They may be located in a plane perpendicular to the direction of propagation of the radiation, and also may be arranged between the conductive antenna plane and a backplane. The exciter spans a continuous slot, and emits and/or receives radiation from the slot. The antenna array is capable of operating without a radome or balun.