Low dielectric constant dielectric lenses

Abstract

The lens is configured to be positioned on spaced antenna elements of a phase array antenna. The lens includes a first principal surface facing away from the antenna elements, a second opposing principal surface facing toward the antenna elements, and first and second ends extending from the second principal surface toward the first principal surface and connected to the first principal surface via opposing first and second joints, respectively. The first and second principal surfaces are substantially flat and parallel to the first and second planar portions, respectively. When projected onto a reference plane parallel to the first and second planar portions, the ratio of the total projected area of ​​the first planar portion to the projected area of ​​the lens is at least 0.15, and the ratio of the total projected area of ​​the second planar portion to the projected area of ​​the lens is at least 0.1.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] In some aspects of the present invention, a lens is provided. The lens is disposed on and configured to substantially cover antenna elements arranged at intervals of a phased array antenna. The lens includes a first main surface configured to face away from the antenna elements and an opposing second main surface configured to face the direction of the antenna elements. The first and second main surfaces each have at least one first planar portion and at least one second planar portion, which are substantially flat and substantially parallel to each other. Further, the lens includes first and second end portions on opposite sides thereof that extend from the second main surface toward the first main surface and are connected to the first main surface via opposing first and second joint portions, respectively. Also, when projected onto a reference plane substantially parallel to the at least one first planar portion and the at least one second planar portion, the ratio of the total projected area of the first planar portion to the projected area of the lens is at least 0.15, and the ratio of the total projected area of the second planar portion to the projected area of the lens is at least 0.1.

[0002] In some aspects of the present specification, a lens is provided. The lens is disposed on and configured to substantially cover antenna elements arranged at intervals of a phased array antenna. The lens includes at least one substantially flat first surface portion, which defines a corresponding first reference plane and is configured to face away from the antenna elements, and at least one substantially flat second surface portion, which defines a corresponding second reference plane and is configured to face the direction of the antenna elements. For each of the first and second surface portions, when projected onto the reference plane corresponding to the surface portion, the ratio of the projected area of the surface portion to the projected area of the lens is at least 0.15. Also, when projected onto a bisecting plane that is orthogonal to the reference plane and substantially bisects the lens, the ratio of the projected area of the surface portion to the projected area of the lens is at most 0.1.

[0003] In other embodiments of this specification, a lens is provided which is positioned over a plurality of spaced antenna elements of a phase array antenna and is configured to substantially cover them. The lens includes opposing first and second principal surfaces, and in each of the mutually orthogonal first and second cross-sections which substantially bisect the lens along mutually orthogonal first and second directions, the first and second principal surfaces are substantially parallel to each other.

[0004] In other embodiments of this specification, an antenna assembly is provided, comprising: a phase array antenna having a plurality of spaced antenna elements arranged in a plurality of rows and columns defining a first axis of symmetry; and a lens positioned above the phase array antenna and substantially covering at least some of the antenna elements. The antenna assembly steers p-polarized and s-polarized beams in a scanning plane including the first axis of symmetry and the normal, exhibiting the following gains: when staired in a first direction with an angle of less than about 10 degrees with respect to the normal, it has maximum gains G1p and G1s, respectively; and when staired in a second direction with an angle of about 30 degrees or more with respect to the normal, it has maximum gains G2p and G2s, respectively, where G2s is up to about 1 dB less than G1s and G2p is at least about 1 dB less than G1p.

[0005] In other embodiments of this specification, a lens is provided which is positioned on and substantially covers a phase array antenna having a plurality of spaced antenna elements arranged in a plurality of rows and columns, defining a first axis of symmetry. The lens includes at least one substantially flat first surface portion facing away from the antenna elements and at least one substantially flat second surface portion facing in the direction of the antenna elements. At least one of the first and second surface portions is large enough to cover a 2 × 2 antenna element array. When the lens is positioned on the phase array antenna, for an s-polarized beam staired in a scanning plane including the first axis of symmetry and the normal, in a first scanning angle range from 0 degrees to at least about 35 degrees, the mean of the maximum gain of the s-polarized staired beam is Gavg, and the standard deviation is Gstd, such that Gstd / Gavg ≤ 0.04. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0006] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a top view of a phase array antenna including a lens according to one embodiment of this specification.

[0007] [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a side cross-sectional view of a phase array antenna including a lens according to one embodiment of this specification.

[0008] [Figure 3A] Figure 3A is a perspective view and a side view of a lens for a phase array antenna according to one embodiment of this specification. [Figure 3B] Figure 3B shows a perspective view and a side view of a lens for a phase array antenna according to one embodiment of this specification.

[0009] [Figure 4A] Figure 4A is a top view and a bottom view of a lens for a phase array antenna according to one embodiment of this specification. [Figure 4B]Figure 4B shows a top view and a bottom view of a lens for a phase array antenna according to one embodiment of this specification.

[0010] [Figure 5A] Figure 5A is a cross-sectional view of a lens for a phase array antenna according to one embodiment of this specification. [Figure 5B] Figure 5B is a cross-sectional view of a lens for a phase array antenna according to one embodiment of this specification.

[0011] [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a perspective view of a phase array antenna including a lens according to one embodiment of this specification.

[0012] [Figure 7A] Figure 7A is a plot showing the relationship between maximum gain and scanning angle in a phase array antenna including a lens according to one embodiment of this specification. [Figure 7B] Figure 7B is a plot showing the relationship between maximum gain and scanning angle in a phase array antenna including a lens according to one embodiment of this specification.

[0013] [Figure 8A] Figure 8A is a plot showing the relationship between maximum gain, beamwidth, and scanning angle in a phase array antenna including a lens according to one embodiment of this specification. [Figure 8B] Figure 8B is a plot showing the relationship between maximum gain, beamwidth, and scanning angle in a phase array antenna including a lens according to one embodiment of this specification. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] In the following description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings. These drawings form a part of this specification, and various embodiments are shown as examples. However, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Other embodiments are also contemplated and can be implemented without departing from the spirit or scope of this specification. Therefore, the following detailed description should not be construed in a limiting sense.

[0015] In the following description, the following definitions are adopted. <000​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​As used herein, the terms "first" and "second" are used as identifiers. Therefore, these terms should not be construed as limiting the present disclosure. When "first" and "second" are used in relation to a particular feature or component, they are interchangeable with each other throughout the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0021] As used herein, "at least one of A and B" should be understood to mean either "only A, only B, or both A and B".

[0022] As used herein, the term "between about" refers to a closed (inclusive) range unless otherwise explicitly defined. For example, if a parameter X is "between about A and B", then A ≤ X ≤ B.

[0023] As used herein, the "gain of an antenna" is the maximum measure of effectiveness for efficiently radiating a unit amount of power supplied from a transmitter towards a target. <>

[0024] As used herein, the "boresight of an antenna" is the axis having the maximum gain or maximum radiated power in a directional antenna.

[0025] As used herein, the "scan angle" indicates the angle by which the main lobe of the radiation pattern is steered from the boresight of the antenna. This can be defined by other criteria based on "maximum gain", "3dB midpoint", or the characteristics of the radiation pattern.

[0026] As used herein, the "scan range" represents the range of scan angles obtained by appropriate phase control of an antenna array.

[0027] In this specification, "loss tangent" quantifies the inherent loss characteristics of electromagnetic energy possessed by a dielectric material. Specifically, the loss tangent is the ratio of the resistive component to the reactant component of the system.

[0028] As part of upgrading current mobile network infrastructure to be capable of providing fifth-generation (5G) voice and data services, millimeter-wave (mmWave) phase array antennas are now being installed at existing radio access network (RAN) cell sites. These cell sites typically support three-sector antenna arrays, each providing 120-degree azimuth coverage within the cell site. When combined, these three sector antennas provide 360-degree azimuth coverage within the cell site, resulting in omnidirectional coverage.

[0029] Highly directional mmWave antennas are used to provide equivalent network coverage within existing RAN cell sites. These high-directional mmWave antennas include one or a few phase arrays, each of which contains numerous radiating elements. However, high-directional mmWave antennas can limit the azimuth scanning range of the entire antenna assembly due to beam broadening. This beam broadening can occur when phase arrays transmit in directions farther from the antenna's boresight, i.e., at wider azimuth scanning angles. Therefore, mmWave phase arrays may not be able to provide 120-degree coverage without significant gain degradation. This can lead to reduced network coverage at cell site junctions (i.e., wide azimuth scanning angles). For this reason, additional cell sites may be required to provide equivalent network coverage to existing RAN cell sites.

[0030] This disclosure provides an antenna assembly comprising a phase array antenna in which a plurality of spaced antenna elements are arranged in a plurality of rows and columns to define a first axis of symmetry, and a lens configured as described above and positioned on the phase array antenna to substantially cover at least some of the antenna elements.

[0031] In some embodiments of this specification, lenses are provided. The lenses are positioned over and substantially cover multiple spaced antenna elements of a phase array antenna (such as a millimeter-wave (mmWave) phase array antenna). In some embodiments, the lens may include a first principal surface configured to face away from the antenna elements and an opposing second principal surface configured to face towards the antenna elements. In some embodiments, the first and second principal surfaces may each include at least one first planar portion and at least one second planar portion, wherein the at least one first planar portion and the at least one second planar portion are substantially flat and substantially parallel to each other. In some embodiments, the lens may further include opposite first and second ends extending from the second principal surface toward the first principal surface and connected to the first principal surface via opposing first and second joints, respectively.

[0032] In some embodiments, when the lens is projected onto a reference plane substantially parallel to the at least one first planar portion and the at least one second planar portion (e.g., the xy-plane of the lens including the antenna element), the ratio of the total projected area of ​​the first planar portion to the projected area of ​​the lens is at least 0.15, or at least 0.2, 0.25, 0.3, 0.35, 0.4, 0.45, or 0.5, and the ratio of the total projected area of ​​the second planar portion to the projected area of ​​the lens is at least 0.1, or at least 0.015, 0.2, 0.25, 0.3, 0.35, 0.4, 0.45, or 0.5.

[0033] In some embodiments, the ratio of the total projected area of ​​the second planar portion to the projected area of ​​the second principal surface is at least 0.8, or 0.85, 0.90, 0.95, 0.98, or 0.99. In some embodiments, the ratio of the total projected area of ​​the first planar portion to the projected area of ​​the first principal surface is at most 0.9, or 0.85, 0.8, 0.75, 0.7, 0.65, or 0.6.

[0034] In some embodiments, the ratio of the total projected area of ​​the first planar portion to the projected area of ​​the first principal surface is at least 0.8, or 0.85, 0.90, 0.95, 0.98, or 0.99. In some embodiments, the total projected area of ​​the first planar portion is smaller than the total projected area of ​​the second planar portion. In some embodiments, the difference between the total projected areas of the first and second planar portions is within 30%, 25%, 20%, 15%, 10%, or 5%.

[0035] In some embodiments, the first and second principal surfaces define the height direction of the lens between them (e.g., the z-axis perpendicular to the surface of the antenna element), and the first and second ends define the length direction of the lens between them (e.g., the x-axis along the space between the first and second ends). In some embodiments, the length direction and the height direction may be perpendicular to each other. In some embodiments, the maximum height of the lens along the height direction is less than the maximum length along the length direction.

[0036] In some embodiments, the lens may further include opposing first and second sides extending between the first and second principal surfaces and between the first and second ends. In this case, the first and second sides are substantially flat and substantially parallel to each other. In some embodiments, the first and second sides define the width direction of the lens (e.g., along the y-axis) between them, and this width direction is perpendicular to the height and length directions. In some embodiments, the maximum width along the width direction of the lens is smaller than the maximum length along the length direction.

[0037] In some embodiments, the phase array antenna is configured to emit a beam at an operating frequency in the range of about 0.5 GHz to about 400 GHz. In some embodiments, the dielectric constant of the lens at the operating frequency is in the range of 1.2 to about 7, or 1.4 to about 3, or about 1.49 to about 2.

[0038] In some embodiments, the phase array antenna is configured to emit a beam at the operating wavelength, and each of the first and second junctions is curved and has a radius of curvature. In some embodiments, the radius of curvature is in the range of about 1.5 to about 3 times the operating wavelength. In some embodiments, for example, the radius of curvature may be about 2.5 times the operating wavelength.

[0039] In some embodiments of this specification, lenses are provided. These lenses are positioned over a plurality of spaced antenna elements of a phase array antenna and are configured to substantially cover them. In some embodiments, the lens includes at least one substantially flat first surface portion, which defines a corresponding at least one first reference plane (such as a plane parallel to the xy-plane of the lens) and is configured to face away from the antenna elements, and includes at least one substantially flat second surface portion, which defines a corresponding at least one second reference plane (such as a plane parallel to the xy-plane) and is configured to face towards the antenna elements.

[0040] In some embodiments, for each of the first and second surfaces, when projected onto the reference plane corresponding to that surface, the ratio of the projected area of ​​the surface to the projected area of ​​the lens is at least 0.15, or 0.2, 0.25, 0.3, 0.35, 0.4, 0.45, or 0.5, and when projected onto a bisecting plane perpendicular to the reference plane and substantially bisecting the lens (e.g., a bisecting plane parallel to the width direction of the lens, or a bisecting plane parallel to the length direction), the ratio of the projected area of ​​the surface to the projected area of ​​the lens may be at most 0.1, or 0.05, 0.01, 0.005, or 0.001. In some such embodiments, for each of the first and second surfaces, when projected onto its bisecting plane, the projected area of ​​the surface may be substantially zero.

[0041] In some embodiments of this specification, the lens is positioned on and configured to substantially cover a plurality of spaced antenna elements of a phase array antenna. In some embodiments, the lens includes opposing first and second principal surfaces, which may be substantially parallel to each other in each of the mutually orthogonal first and second cross-sections that substantially bisect the lens along mutually orthogonal first (e.g., x-axis) and second (e.g., y-axis) directions.

[0042] In some embodiments, the first and second principal surfaces may be curved in at least one of the first and second cross-sections. In some embodiments, the principal surfaces may be curved in one of the first and second cross-sections, while they may be substantially straight in the other.

[0043] In some embodiments, in each of the first and second cross-sections, the length of the line segment extending perpendicularly to at least one of the first and second main surfaces and connecting them may vary by less than 20%, or less than 15%, less than 10%, or less than 5% across at least one of the main surfaces.

[0044] In some embodiments, the phase array antenna is configured to radiate a beam at an operating wavelength corresponding to an operating frequency in the range of about 0.5 GHz to about 400 GHz, and the length of the line segment may be in the range of about 1.5 to about 5 times the operating wavelength. In some embodiments, the operating wavelength may be the operating wavelength in free space. In some embodiments, the operating wavelength may be the operating wavelength in a medium other than air. In some embodiments, the length may be a half-integer multiple of the operating wavelength.

[0045] In some embodiments, the first principal surface includes at least one substantially flat first surface portion, and when this is projected onto a second cross-section, the ratio of the projected area of ​​the first surface portion to the projected area of ​​the first principal surface may be at least 0.15, or 0.2, 0.25, 0.3, 0.35, 0.4, 0.45, or 0.5. In some embodiments, the second principal surface includes at least one substantially flat second surface portion, and when this is projected onto a second cross-section, the ratio of the projected area of ​​the second surface portion to the projected area of ​​the second principal surface may be at least 0.25, or 0.2, 0.25, 0.3, 0.35, 0.4, 0.45, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, or 0.9.

[0046] In some embodiments of this specification, the antenna assembly may include a phase array antenna and a lens. In some embodiments, the phase array antenna includes a plurality of spaced antenna elements, which are arranged in a plurality of rows and columns and define a first axis of symmetry. In some embodiments, the lens is positioned on the phase array antenna and substantially covers at least some of the antenna elements.

[0047] In some embodiments, in a scanning plane including a first axis of symmetry and a normal to the phase array antenna (e.g., along the z-axis), the antenna assembly steers the p-polarized and s-polarized beams in the scanning plane, respectively, and has the following gain characteristics: When staired in a first direction with an angle of less than about 10 degrees, or less than about 8 degrees, less than 6 degrees, less than 4 degrees, less than 2 degrees, or less than 1 degree (e.g., about 0 degrees), they have maximum gains G1p and G1s, respectively; and when staired in a second direction with an angle of at least about 30 degrees, or 35 degrees or more, or 40 degrees or more, they have maximum gains G2p and G2s, respectively, where G2s is greater than G1s. G1p is at most about 1 dB lower, or 0.9 dB, 0.8 dB, 0.7 dB, 0.6 dB, 0.5 dB, 0.4 dB, 0.3 dB, 0.2 dB, or 0.1 dB (e.g., about 0.4 dB), and G2p is at least about 1 dB lower than G1p, or 1.5 dB, 2 dB, 2.5 dB, 2.6 dB, 3 dB, 4 dB, 5 dB, 6 dB, or 7 dB (e.g., about 4 dB).

[0048] In some embodiments, the phase array antenna is configured to radiate a beam at an operating wavelength corresponding to an operating frequency in the range of about 0.5 GHz to about 400 GHz, and the average spacing between the lens and the spaced antenna elements of the phase array antenna may be in the range of about 5% to about 100% of the operating wavelength in free space. In some embodiments, the average spacing may be in the range of about 0.01 mm to about 100 mm, or about 1 mm to about 10 mm.

[0049] In some embodiments of this specification, the lens is positioned on and substantially covers a phase array antenna in which multiple spaced antenna elements are arranged in multiple rows and columns, defining a first axis of symmetry. In some embodiments, the lens may include at least one substantially flat first surface portion configured to face away from the antenna elements and at least one substantially flat second surface portion configured to face in the direction of the antenna elements. In some embodiments, at least one of the first and second surface portions is large enough to cover at least a 2 × 2 antenna element array.

[0050] In some embodiments, when the lens is positioned on a phase array antenna, the maximum gain of the s-polarized stair beam, which is staired in a scanning plane including a first axis of symmetry and a normal to the phase array antenna, may be such that, within a first scanning angle range spanning about 0 degrees to at least about 35 degrees, or 40 degrees, or 45 degrees, the mean Gavg and standard deviation Gstd are such that the ratio Gstd / Gavg is about 0.04 or less, or 0.035 or less, 0.03 or less, 0.025 or less, 0.02 or less, 0.015 or less, or 0.01 or less.

[0051] In some embodiments, when the lens is positioned on a phase array antenna, a plot showing the beam width as a function of the scanning angle within a first scanning angle range for a p-polarized beam staired on the scanning plane has a first beam width Wp1 at a first small scanning angle greater than about 5 degrees and a second beam width Wp2 at a second large scanning angle greater than about 20 degrees, or 25 degrees, 30 degrees, or 35 degrees, wherein Wp1 is at least 5 degrees, 6 degrees, 7 degrees, 8 degrees, 9 degrees, or 10 degrees greater than Wp2.

[0052] In some embodiments, within the first scanning angle range, the first beam width Wp1 at the first small scanning angle may be the global maximum value in the beam width plot of the p-polarized steer beam with the scanning angle as a variable.

[0053] Looking at the drawings, Figure 1 is a top view of a phase array antenna including a lens according to one embodiment of the present specification. The antenna assembly 300 includes a phase array antenna 100 and a lens 20. In some embodiments, the phase array antenna 100 includes a plurality of spaced-apart antenna elements 10, which are arranged in a plurality of rows 11 and columns 12, defining a first axis of symmetry 13.

[0054] In some embodiments, the lens 20 is positioned on the phase array antenna 10 and is configured to substantially cover at least some of the antenna elements 10. As shown in Figure 1, the lens 20 is shown as a (i.e., rectangular) contour and is assumed to cover at least some of the antenna elements 10. Additional details of the lens 20 are provided elsewhere in this specification.

[0055] Figure 2 is another view of the antenna assembly 300, a side cross-sectional view. As shown in the legend of Figures 1 and 2, the antenna elements 10 are arranged in rows 11 and column 12 in the xy plane of the antenna assembly 300, and the lens 20 defines a height H in the upward z-axis direction of the antenna assembly 300. In some embodiments, the antenna assembly 300 further defines a spacing D representing the average spacing between the lens 20 and the spaced-apart antenna elements 10. In some embodiments, the average spacing D may range from about 0.01 mm to about 100 mm, or from about 1 mm to about 10 mm. In some embodiments, the antenna elements 10 may be connected to one or more ground surfaces 110a, 110b by one or more electrically conductive vias 115a, 115b.

[0056] In some embodiments, the lens 20 includes a first principal surface 21 configured to face away from the antenna element 10 and a second principal surface 22 on the opposite side configured to face toward the antenna element 10. In some embodiments, the first principal surface 21 and the second principal surface 22 may each have at least one first planar portion and at least one second planar portion, which are substantially flat and substantially parallel to each other. This is described at least in the description of Figure 3B.

[0057] Figures 3A and 3B provide a perspective view and a side view, respectively, of one embodiment of a lens for a phase array antenna. This phase array antenna corresponds, for example, to the phase array antenna 100 in Figures 1 and 2. Figures 4A and 4B provide a top view and a bottom view, respectively, of the lens for the phase array antenna of the embodiment shown in Figures 3A and 3B. In the following description, Figures 3A, 3B, 4A, and 4B will be referenced together.

[0058] In some embodiments, the lens 20 is positioned on and substantially covers the antenna elements 10 of a plurality of spaced-apart phase array antennas 100. In some embodiments, the lens includes a first principal surface 21 (e.g., a “top surface” based on the z-axis or thickness direction as shown in Figure 3A) and an opposite second principal surface 22 (e.g., a “bottom surface”), each configured in a direction away from the antenna elements 10 and in a direction toward the antenna elements 10. In some embodiments, the first principal surface 21 and the second principal surface 22 may each include at least one first planar portion 21a (see Figure 3B) and at least one second planar portion 22a, 22b, 22c, respectively. These planar portions 21a, 22a-22c are substantially flat and substantially parallel to each other.

[0059] In some embodiments, the lens 20 may further include opposite first and second ends 23a and 23b extending from a second principal surface 22 toward a first principal surface 21 and connected to the first principal surface 21 via opposing first and second joints 24a, 24b. In some embodiments, the first and second principal surfaces 21 and 22 define the height direction of the lens 20 between them (e.g., the z-axis in Figure 3A), and the first and second ends 23a and 23b define the length direction of the lens 20 (e.g., the x-axis). In some embodiments, the length direction and the height direction are orthogonal to each other. In some embodiments, the maximum height H along the height direction of the lens 20 may be less than the maximum length L along the length direction.

[0060] In some embodiments, the lens 20 further includes opposing first and second sides 25a and 25b extending between the first principal surface 21 and the second principal surface 22, and between the first end 23a and the second end 23b. In some embodiments, the first and second sides 25a and 25b are substantially flat and substantially parallel to each other. In some embodiments, these sides 25a, 25b define the width direction of the lens 20 (e.g., the y-axis in Figure 3A), which is perpendicular to the height and length directions. In such embodiments, the maximum width W along the width direction is less than the maximum length L along the length direction.

[0061] The at least one first planar portion 21a and at least one second planar portion 22a, 22b, 22c shown in Figure 3B, and the areas they may define in some embodiments, are better illustrated in Figures 4A and 4B. Figure 4A is a top view of the lens 20, showing the first principal surface 21 and the first planar portion 21a. As seen in the plan view, the first principal surface 21 defines a projected area A21, and the first planar portion 21a defines a projected area A21a (shown by a dashed rectangle in Figure 4A).

[0062] Figure 4B is a bottom view of the lens 20, showing the second main surface 22 and the second planar sections 22a, 22b, and 22c. In this planar view from the bottom, the second main surface 22 defines the projected area A22, the second planar section 22a defines the projected area A22a, the second planar section 22b defines the projected area A22b, and the second planar section 22c defines the projected area A22c. In the embodiments of Figures 4A and 4B, the lens 20 has one upper planar section 21a and three separate lower planar sections 22a, 22b, and 22c.

[0063] In some embodiments, when projected onto a reference plane (e.g., the xy-plane shown in Figures 4A and 4B) substantially parallel to at least one first planar portion 21a and at least one second planar portion 22a, 22b, 22c, the ratio of the total projected area A21a of the first planar portion 21a to the projected area A21 of the lens 20 may be at least 0.15, or at least 0.2, or at least 0.25, or at least 0.3, or at least 0.35, or at least 0.4, or at least 0.45, or at least 0.5 (see Figure 4A). The ratio of the total projected area of ​​the second planar sections 22a, 22b, and 22c (A22a + A22b + A22c) to the projected area A22 of the lens may be at least 0.1, or at least 0.015, or at least 0.2, or at least 0.25, or at least 0.3, or at least 0.35, or at least 0.4, or at least 0.45, or at least 0.5 (see Figure 4B).

[0064] In some embodiments, the ratio of the total projected area (A22a + A22b + A22c) of the second planar portions 22a, 22b, 22c to the projected area A22 of the second main surface 22 may be at least 0.8, or at least 0.85, or at least 0.90, or at least 0.95, or at least 0.98, or at least 0.99. In some embodiments, the ratio of the total projected area A21a of the first planar portion 21a to the projected area A21 of the first main surface 21 may be up to 0.9, or up to 0.85, or up to 0.8, or up to 0.75, or up to 0.7, or up to 0.65, or up to 0.6. Alternatively, it may be at least 0.8, or at least 0.85, or at least 0.90, or at least 0.95, or at least 0.98, or at least 0.99.

[0065] In some embodiments, the total projected area A21a of the first planar portion 21a may be smaller than the total projected area A22a+A22b+A22c of the second planar portions 22a+22b+22c. In some embodiments, the difference between the total projected area A21a of the first planar portion 21a and the total projected area A22a+A22b+A22c of the second planar portions 22a, 22b, 22c may be within 30%, 25%, 20%, 15%, 10%, or 5%.

[0066] Figures 5A and 5B show cross-sectional views of embodiments of lenses for phase array antennas, supplementing the details described above for Figures 4A and 4B. Elements with the same number common to Figures 4A-4B and 5A-5B are assumed to have the same function unless otherwise noted.

[0067] Figure 5A shows that the lens 20 is bisected by a bisecting plane B that is perpendicular to the reference plane (e.g., the xy-plane defined in Figure 5A) and bisects the plane along the width direction of the lens 20. Figure 5B shows another viewpoint in which the lens 20 is bisected by a bisecting plane C that is perpendicular to the reference plane (e.g., the xy-plane) and plane B in Figure 5A and bisects the plane along the length direction of the lens 20 (see, for example, the length direction L in Figure 3A).

[0068] In some embodiments, the lens 20 includes at least one first planar portion 21a and at least one second planar portion 22a, 22b, 22c. In some embodiments, when the lens 20 is projected onto a bisecting plane (e.g., bisecting plane B or C) perpendicular to the reference plane and substantially bisecting the lens, the ratio of the projected area of ​​the planar portion to the projected area of ​​the lens may be at most 0.1, or at most 0.05, or at most 0.01, or at most 0.005, or at most 0.001.

[0069] For example, in the embodiment shown in Figure 5A, when the first planar portion 21a is projected onto the bisecting plane B, the projected area of ​​21a is substantially a straight line B21a (or a narrow rectangular region). Similarly, the sum of the projected areas of the second planar portions 22a, 22b, and 22c is represented by the linear / narrow rectangular regions B22a, B22b, and B22c, respectively. That is, the sum of the projected areas of the planar portion 21a is a relatively small proportion (e.g., at most 0.1) of the total area (region B21 in Figure 5A) onto which the lens 20 is projected.

[0070] Similarly, in Figure 5B, when the first planar portion 21a is projected onto the bisecting plane C, its projected area is substantially a straight line or a narrow rectangular region C21a. The sum of the projected areas of the second planar portions 22a, 22b, and 22c is represented by the linear / narrow rectangular regions C22a, C22b, and C22c. That is, the sum of the projected areas of each planar portion 22a-22c is a relatively small proportion (e.g., at most 0.1) of the total area (region C21 in Figure 5B) onto which the lens 20 is projected. In some embodiments, when the first planar portion 21a and the second planar portions 22a-22c are projected onto the bisecting plane B or C, the projected area of ​​each planar portion may be substantially zero.

[0071] In the embodiments shown in Figures 5A and 5B, the lens 20 includes a first principal surface 50 (i.e., the entire outward-facing surface away from the antenna element) and a second principal surface 51 (the surface facing the antenna element). In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 5A and 5B, both principal surfaces are curved in at least one of the first and second cross-sectional planes (B and C). In such embodiments, the first principal surface 50 and the second principal surface 51 are substantially parallel to each other. In other embodiments, both principal surfaces are curved in one of the first and second cross-sectional planes (e.g., curved in plane C), and substantially straight in the other (e.g., appearing as a straight line in plane B).

[0072] In some embodiments, the lengths of line segments (e.g., D1 and D2 in Figure 5A, L1, L2, L3 in Figure 5B) that intersect at least one of the first principal surface 50 and the second principal surface 51 in each of the first cross-sectional plane B and the second cross-sectional plane C vary by less than 20%, less than 15%, less than 10%, or less than 5% across the first and second principal surfaces. In other words, in some embodiments, the principal surfaces 50 and 51 are kept substantially parallel throughout, even if they are curved.

[0073] In some embodiments, the lengths of lines extending perpendicular to at least one of the first and second principal surfaces in each of the first cross-sectional plane B and the second cross-sectional plane C (e.g., D1, D2 in cross-sectional plane B, and L1, L2, L3 in cross-sectional plane C) vary by less than 20%, less than 15%, less than 10%, or less than 5% across at least one of the first principal surface 50 and the second principal surface 51. In some embodiments, the phase array antenna 100 is configured to emit a beam at an operating wavelength corresponding to an operating frequency in the range of about 0.5 GHz to about 400 GHz, where the lengths (e.g., D1, D2, L1, L2, L3) are in the range of about 1.5 to about 5 times the operating wavelength. In some embodiments, the operating wavelength may be an operating wavelength in free space. In some embodiments, the operating wavelength may be an operating wavelength in a medium other than air. In some embodiments, the lengths (e.g., D1, D2, L1, L2, L3) may be half-integer multiples of the operating wavelength.

[0074] For the purposes of this specification, the operating wavelength (corresponding to the operating frequency) can be calculated based on the medium as follows:

number

number

[0075] In embodiments where the medium is air, the dielectric constant used in the denominator of the formula may be the dielectric constant of air:

number

[0076] In some embodiments, the first principal surface 50 has at least one substantially first planar surface portion 21a, and when the at least one substantially first planar surface portion 21a is projected onto the second cross-sectional surface C, the ratio of the projected area C21a of the planar surface portion to the projected area A50 of the first principal surface 50 (dashed line in Figure 5B) may be at least 0.15, or at least 0.2, or at least 0.25, or at least 0.3, or at least 0.35, or at least 0.4, or at least 0.45, or at least 0.5.

[0077] In some embodiments, the second principal surface 51 has at least one substantially second planar surface portion 22a, 22b, 22c, and the ratio of the projected area C22a+C22b+C22c to the projected area A51 of the second principal surface 51 (dotted line in Figure 5B) when the at least one substantially second planar surface portion 22a, 22b, 22c is projected onto the second cross-sectional surface C may be at least 0.25, or at least 0.3, or at least 0.35, or at least 0.4, or at least 0.45, or at least 0.5, or at least 0.6, or at least 0.7, or at least 0.8, or at least 0.9.

[0078] Figure 6 is a perspective view of a phase array antenna including a lens according to an embodiment described herein. Note that Figure 6 is provided to facilitate a general explanation of the beam and gain radiated from the antenna elements to support this description and is not intended to show scale or exact implementation. For example, the lens 20 shown in Figure 6 is a general conceptual diagram and is shown as a typical hemispherical lens in the prior art, rather than an embodiment of the lens shown in Figures 2 to 5B. This is to more clearly show the antenna elements and beam under the lens relevant to the following description, and is not limiting. Embodiments of the lens 20 as shown in Figures 2 to 5B can be inserted in place of the conceptual diagram of the lens shown in Figure 6.

[0079] Figure 6 shows an embodiment of an antenna assembly 300 which includes a phase array antenna 100 in which antenna elements 10 are arranged in multiple rows and columns and which defines an axis of symmetry 13, and a lens 20 which is positioned on the phase array antenna 100 and substantially covers at least some of the antenna elements 10.

[0080] In some embodiments, in a scanning plane 30 including a first axis of symmetry 13 and a normal 31 perpendicular to the phase array antenna 100 (for example, a normal along the z-axis as shown in Figure 6), the antenna assembly 300 steers the p-polarized beam 90 and the s-polarized beam 91, respectively, within the scanning plane 30, having maximum gains G1p and G1s when steered along a first direction 92, the first direction 92 making an angle α1 of less than 10 degrees, or less than 8 degrees, or less than 6 degrees, or less than 4 degrees, or less than 2 degrees, or less than 1 degree (for example, about 0 degrees) with respect to the normal 31. When steered along a second direction 93, they have maximum gains G2p and G2s, respectively, the second direction 93 making an angle α2 of at least 30 degrees, or 35 degrees or more, or 40 degrees or more, with respect to the normal 31. In some embodiments, G2s may be higher than G1s but less than 1 dB, or less than 0.9 dB, or less than 0.8 dB, or less than 0.7 dB, or less than 0.6 dB, or less than 0.5 dB, or less than 0.4 dB, or less than 0.3 dB, or less than 0.2 dB, or less than 0.1 dB (e.g., about 0.4 dB). G2p may be at least 1 dB, or at least 1.5 dB, or at least 2 dB, or at least 2.5 dB, or at least 2.6 dB, or at least 3 dB, or at least 4 dB, or at least 5 dB, or at least 6 dB, or at least 7 dB (e.g., about 4 dB) lower than G1p. Additional details regarding the gains described above are shown in the description of Figures 7A and 7B.

[0081] In some embodiments, the phase array antenna 100 may be configured to radiate beams 90, 91 at operating wavelengths corresponding to operating frequencies in the range of about 0.5 GHz to about 400 GHz. In such embodiments, the average spacing between the lens 20 and the spaced antenna elements 10 of the phase array antenna 100 may be in the range of about 5% to 100% of the operating wavelength in free space. In some embodiments, the average spacing may be about 0.01 mm to about 100 mm, or about 1 mm to about 10 mm (see also spacing D in Figure 2).

[0082] In some embodiments, the phase array antenna 100 may be configured to radiate beams 90, 91 at operating wavelengths corresponding to operating frequencies in the range of about 0.5 GHz to about 400 GHz. In such embodiments, the length of the lens 20 may be in the range of about 1.5 to about 5 times the operating wavelength (see also length L in Figure 3A).

[0083] Figures 7A and 7B are plots showing the relationship between maximum gain and scanning angle for a phase array antenna including lenses. The maximum gain values ​​G1p, G1s, G2p, and G2s, which are also described elsewhere, are shown on the graphs in Figures 7A and 7B. In each of these figures, the maximum gain values ​​(in decibels) are plotted for six different lens configurations, with each plotted line representing a different lens design. Of particular interest in this description are plotted lines 2 and 7 in Figures 7A and 7B. Plotted line 2 represents the relationship between scanning angle and maximum gain for a typical hemispherical lens of the prior art (for example, the conceptual lens shown in Figure 6), and plotted line 7 (solid line) represents the relationship between scanning angle and maximum gain for embodiments of lens 20 shown in at least Figures 2, 3A-3B, 4A-4B, and 5A-5B. Figure 7A is a plot for a p-polarized beam (e.g., p-polarized beam 90 in Figure 6), and Figure 7B is a plot for an s-polarized beam (e.g., s-polarized beam 91 in Figure 6). These plots show the values ​​in the xz plane, which corresponds to the scanning plane 30 in Figure 6.

[0084] As explained elsewhere and shown in Figures 7A and 7B, the antenna assembly steers the p and s polarized beams, respectively, in the scanning plane (xz plane), having maximum gains G1p (Figure 7A) and G1s (Figure 7B) when steered in a first direction making an angle α1 of 0 degrees with the normal, and maximum gains G2p (Figure 7A) and G2s (Figure 7B) when steered in a second direction making an angle α2 of approximately 40 degrees with the normal. As shown in the graphs in Figures 7A and 7B, G2s is about 0.4 dB lower than G1s, and G2p is about 4 dB lower than G1p.

[0085] Finally, Figures 8A and 8B are plots showing the relationship between maximum gain, beamwidth, and scanning angle for a phase array antenna including the lens described herein. Similar to Figures 7A and 7B, Figures 8A and 8B show plot lines for six different lens configurations, where plot line 2 represents a prior art hemispherical lens and plot line 7 represents embodiments of lens 20 shown in at least Figures 2, 3A-3B, 4A-4B, and 5A-5B. Figure 8A plots the relationship between the maximum gain (in dB) and scanning angle of an s-polarized beam for the six lens designs, and Figure 8B shows the relationship between beamwidth (in degrees) and scanning angle for a p-polarized beam.

[0086] As shown in these plots, when the lens is positioned on a phase array antenna, for an s-polarized beam (e.g., beam 91 in Figure 6) steered within a scanning plane (xz plane or plane 30 in Figure 6), in a first range of scanning angles 40, i.e., from about 0 degrees to at least about 45 degrees (see Figure 8A), the maximum gain of the steered s-polarized beam has a mean Gaavg (e.g., about 17.41 shown in Table 1) and a standard deviation Gstd (e.g., about 0.2 shown in Table 1), and the ratio Gstd / Gavg is about 0.04 or less, or about 0.035 or less, or about 0.03 or less, or about 0.025 or less, or about 0.02 or less, or about 0.015 or less, or about 0.01 or less (e.g., about 0.01 shown in Table 1), as summarized in Table 1 below. Table 1: Summary of gains and standard deviations (plot lines 2 and 7) [Table 1]

[0087] As shown in Figure 8B, for a p-polarized beam staired in the scanning plane (e.g., beam 90 in Figure 6), plot 41, which shows the beam width of the p-polarized staired beam as a function of the scanning angle within the first scanning angle range 40, has a first beam width Wp1 at a first scanning angle β1 that is small, exceeding about 5 degrees, or about 10 degrees, or about 15 degrees (e.g., about 17.5 degrees in Figure 8B), and a second beam width Wp2 at a second scanning angle β2 that is large, exceeding about 20 degrees, or about 25 degrees, or about 30 degrees, or about 35 degrees (e.g., about 39 degrees in Figure 8B), where Wp1 is at least 5 degrees, or at least 6 degrees, or at least 7 degrees, or at least 8 degrees, or at least 9 degrees, or at least 10 degrees (e.g., about 11 degrees in Figure 8B) larger than Wp2. In some embodiments, the first beam width Wp1 at a small first scanning angle may be the global maximum value in the beam width plot of the p-polarized steer beam, expressed as a function of the scanning angle.

[0088] Terms such as "approximately" shall be understood by those skilled in the art based on the context in which they are used and the content described herein. Where "approximately" is used with respect to a numerical value indicating a dimension, quantity, or physical property, and its use is not clear to those skilled in the art, "approximately" shall mean a range of ±10% of the specified value. A quantity designated as "approximately" may be exactly the specified value. For example, if a quantity is designated as "approximately 1," it means that the quantity is in the range of 0.9 to 1.1, and the value may be 1.

[0089] Terms such as “substantially” are also to be understood by those skilled in the art, based on the context in which they are used and the content described herein. If the expression “substantially equal” is not clear to those skilled in the art, it shall be understood to be synonymous with “about” as described above. If the expression “substantially parallel” is not clear to those skilled in the art, it shall mean within 30 degrees of parallel. Directions or planes described as “substantially parallel” may, in some embodiments, be parallel within 20 degrees or 10 degrees, or parallel or nominally parallel. If the expression “substantially aligned” is not clear to those skilled in the art, it shall mean aligned within 20 percent of the width of the aligned object. Objects described as aligned may, in some embodiments, be aligned within 10 percent or 5 percent of the width of the object.

[0090] All documents, patents, and patent applications referenced herein are incorporated herein by reference in a consistent manner. In the event of any inconsistency or conflict between the cited documents and this application, the provisions of this specification shall prevail.

[0091] Unless otherwise noted, the descriptions of each element in the drawings should be understood to apply similarly to the corresponding elements in other drawings. Notwithstanding the specific embodiments illustrated and described herein, those skilled in the art will understand that a variety of alternative and / or equivalent configurations may be substituted for the shown embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. This application is intended to also encompass adaptations or variations of the specific embodiments described herein. Accordingly, this disclosure is intended to be limited only by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A lens positioned on and substantially covering multiple spaced antenna elements of a phase array antenna, wherein the lens is It includes a first main surface configured to face away from the antenna element and an opposing second main surface configured to face the direction of the antenna element, wherein the first and second main surfaces each have at least one first planar portion and at least one second planar portion, which are substantially flat and substantially parallel to each other. Furthermore, the lens is Including first and second ends on opposite sides, extending from the second main surface toward the first main surface and connected to the first main surface via opposing first and second joints, When projected onto a reference plane substantially parallel to at least one of the first planar portions and at least one of the second planar portions, The ratio of the total projected area of ​​at least one of the first planar portions to the projected area of ​​the lens is at least 0.

15. A lens in which the ratio of the total projected area of ​​at least one of the second planar portions to the projected area of ​​the lens is at least 0.

1.

2. The lens according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the total projected area of ​​at least one of the second planar portions to the projected area of ​​the second principal surface is at least 0.

8.

3. The lens according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the total projected area of ​​at least one of the first planar portions to the projected area of ​​the first principal surface is at most 0.

9.

4. The lens according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the total projected area of ​​at least one of the first planar portions to the projected area of ​​the first principal surface is at least 0.

8.

5. The lens according to claim 1, wherein the total projected area of ​​at least one of the first planar portions is smaller than the total projected area of ​​at least one of the second planar portions.

6. The lens according to claim 1, wherein the total projected area of ​​at least one of the first planar portions and the total projected area of ​​at least one of the second planar portions differ from each other by no more than 30%.

7. The lens according to claim 1, wherein the first and second main surfaces define the height direction of the lens, the first and second ends define the length direction of the lens, and the length direction and the height direction are orthogonal to each other.

8. The lens according to claim 7, wherein the maximum height of the lens along the height direction is smaller than the maximum length of the lens along the length direction.

9. It further includes opposing first and second side portions extending between the first and second main surfaces and between the first and second ends, The lens according to claim 7, wherein the first and second sides are substantially flat and substantially parallel to each other.

10. The lens according to claim 7, wherein the first and second sides define the width direction of the lens, the width direction is orthogonal to the height direction and the length direction, and the maximum width of the lens along the width direction is smaller than the maximum length of the lens along the length direction.

11. The lens according to claim 1, wherein the phase array antenna is configured to radiate a beam at an operating frequency in the range of about 0.5 GHz to about 400 GHz, and the dielectric constant of the lens is in the range of 1.2 to about 7 at the operating frequency.

12. The lens according to claim 1, wherein the phase array antenna is configured to radiate a beam at a predetermined operating wavelength, and each of the first and second junctions has a curved shape with a radius of curvature, the radius of curvature being in the range of about 1.5 to about 3 times the operating wavelength.

13. The lens according to claim 12, wherein the radius of curvature is approximately 2.5 times the operating wavelength.

14. A lens (20) is positioned on and substantially covers multiple spaced antenna elements (10) of a phase array antenna (100), wherein the lens is A substantially flat first surface portion (21a) is configured to face away from the antenna element and defines a corresponding first reference plane (xy plane), A substantially flat second surface portion (22a, 22b, 22c) is configured to face the antenna element and defines a corresponding second reference plane (xy plane), Including, and with respect to each of the first and second surface portions, When projected onto the reference plane corresponding to the surface portion, the ratio of the projected area of ​​the surface portion (A21a, A22a, A22b, A22c) to the projected area of ​​the lens (A21) is at least 0.15 (or 0.2, 0.25, 0.3, 0.35, 0.4, 0.45, 0.5), A lens in which, when projected onto a bisecting plane (B, C) perpendicular to the reference plane and substantially bisecting the lens, the ratio of the projected area of ​​the surface portion (B21a, B22a, B22b, B22c; C21a, C22a, C22b, C22c) to the projected area of ​​the lens (B21; C21) is at most 0.1 (or 0.05, 0.01, 0.005, 0.001).

15. The lens according to claim 14, wherein, when projected onto the bisecting plane, the projected area of ​​each of the first and second surface portions onto the bisecting plane is substantially zero.

16. A lens positioned on and substantially covering multiple spaced antenna elements of a phase array antenna, wherein the lens includes opposing first and second principal surfaces, and in each of the mutually orthogonal first and second cross-sections that substantially bisect the lens along mutually orthogonal first and second directions, the first and second principal surfaces are substantially parallel to each other.

17. The lens according to claim 17, wherein in at least one of the first and second cross-sections, the first and second principal surfaces are curved.

18. The lens according to claim 16, wherein in one of the first and second cross-sections, the first and second principal surfaces are curved, and in the other of the first and second cross-sections, the first and second principal surfaces are substantially straight.

19. The lens according to claim 16, wherein in each of the first and second cross-sections, the length of the line segment extending perpendicularly to at least one of the first and second main surfaces and connecting them varies by less than 20% across at least one of the first and second main surfaces.

20. The lens according to claim 19, wherein the phase array antenna is configured to emit a beam at an operating wavelength corresponding to an operating frequency in the range of about 0.5 GHz to about 400 GHz, and the length of the line segment is in the range of about 1.5 to about 5 times the operating wavelength.

21. The lens according to claim 20, wherein the operating wavelength is the operating wavelength in free space.

22. The lens according to claim 20, wherein the operating wavelength is the operating wavelength in a medium other than air.

23. The lens according to claim 20, wherein the length of the line segment is a half-integer multiple of the operating wavelength.

24. The lens according to claim 16, wherein the first principal surface includes at least one substantially flat first surface portion, and when projected onto the second cross-section, the ratio of the projected area of ​​the first surface portion to the projected area of ​​the first principal surface is at least 0.

15.

25. The lens according to claim 16, wherein the second principal surface includes at least one substantially flat second surface portion, and when projected onto the second cross-section, the ratio of the projected area of ​​the second surface portion to the projected area of ​​the second principal surface is at least 0.

25.

26. An antenna assembly, Multiple antenna elements are arranged at intervals in multiple rows and columns, forming a phase array antenna that defines a first axis of symmetry, The phase array antenna includes a lens positioned on the phase array antenna and substantially covering at least a portion of the antenna elements, An antenna assembly having, in a scanning plane including the first axis of symmetry and the normal to the phase array antenna, the antenna assembly steers p-polarized and s-polarized beams in the scanning plane, respectively, having maximum gains G1p and G1s when staired along a first direction with an angle of less than about 10 degrees with respect to the normal, and having maximum gains G2p and G2s when staired along a second direction with an angle of about 30 degrees or more with respect to the normal, wherein G2s is up to about 1 dB less than G1s and G2p is at least about 1 dB less than G1p.

27. The antenna assembly according to claim 26, wherein the phase array antenna is configured to emit a beam at an operating wavelength corresponding to an operating frequency in the range of about 0.5 GHz to about 400 GHz, and the average distance between the lens and the antenna elements of the phase array antenna is in the range of about 5% to about 100% of the operating wavelength in free space.

28. The antenna assembly according to claim 26, wherein the average distance between the lens and the antenna elements, which are arranged with a gap between them, is in the range of about 0.01 mm to about 100 mm.

29. A lens is positioned on and configured to substantially cover a phase array antenna having multiple spaced antenna elements arranged in multiple rows and columns, defining a first axis of symmetry, wherein the lens includes at least one substantially flat first surface portion facing away from the antenna elements and at least one substantially flat second surface portion facing the antenna elements, and at least one of the first surface portion and the second surface portion is large enough to cover a 2x2 antenna element array. When the lens is placed on the phase array antenna, with respect to an s-polarized beam that is staired in a scanning plane including the first axis of symmetry and the normal, the lens has a mean value of the maximum gain of the s-polarized staired beam, Gstd / Gstd ≤ 0.04, where Gstd / Gavg is the mean value of the maximum gain of the s-polarized staired beam, Gstd / Gavg ≤ 0.04 within a first scanning angle range from about 0 degrees to at least about 35 degrees.

30. The lens according to claim 29, wherein, when the lens is arranged on the phase array antenna, with respect to a p-polarized beam staired in the scanning plane, in a plot of beam widths with respect to the scanning angle within the first scanning angle range, the first beam width Wp1 at a first scanning angle exceeding approximately 5 degrees is at least 5 degrees greater than the second beam width Wp2 at a second scanning angle exceeding approximately 20 degrees.

31. The lens according to claim 30, wherein, in the first scanning angle range, the first beam width Wp1 at the first scanning angle is the global maximum value in a plot of the beam width of the p-polarized steer beam with the scanning angle as a variable.

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