H-plane antenna system and method for use thereof

Abstract

A horn antenna system for a sector-based communication system is provided. The horn antenna system includes two h-plane horn antennas in a 45-degree configuration configured to cover 90-degrees of transmission area.

Description

H-PLANE ANTENNA SYSTEM AND METHODFOR USE THEREOFCROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 561 ,849, filed March 6, 2024, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety .FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0002] The field of the invention relates generally to an H-plane antenna, and more specifically, to systems and methods for an innovative design and configuration of 45-degree H-plane antenna systems.BACKGROUND

[0003] Hom antennas play a crucial role in fixed wireless access (FWA) networks. This includes FWA networks with Point-to-Multipoint architecture, where a central base station communicates with multiple customer premises equipment (CPE) devices. Furthermore, hom antennas are widely used in microwave and millimeter-wave applications for their directivity and efficiency. In addition, hom antennas provide enhanced performance in terms of beam pattern, bandwidth, and efficiency.

[0004] Accordingly, there is a need for improved hom antennas.

[0005] This background section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure, which are described and / or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a beter understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.BRIEF SUMMARY

[0006] In one aspect, a horn antenna system for a sector-based communication system is provided. The horn antenna system includes two h-plane hom antennas in a 45-degree configuration configured to cover 90-degrees of transmission area.

[0007] Advantages will become more apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of the preferred embodiments which have been shown and described by way of illustration. As will be realized, the present embodiments may be capable of other and different embodiments, and their details are capable of modification in various respects. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] The Figures described below depict various aspects of the systems and methods disclosed therein. It should be understood that each Figure depicts an embodiment of a particular aspect of the disclosed systems and methods, and that each of the Figures is intended to accord with a possible embodiment thereof. Further, wherever possible, the following description refers to the reference numerals included in the following Figures, in which features depicted in multiple Figures are designated with consistent reference numerals.

[0009] There are shown in the drawings arrangements which are presently discussed, it being understood, how ever, that the present embodiments are not limited to the precise arrangements and are instrumentalities shown, wherein:

[0010] Figures 1 A illustrates a front view' of an exemplary corrugated hom.

[0011] Figure IB illustrates a side view of the exemplary corrugated hom as shown in Figure 1A.

[0012] Figure 2 illustrates an exemplary graph of a radiation pattern for the corrugated horn illustrated in Figures 1 A and IB.

[0013] Figure 3 A illustrates a perspective view of a configuration of two 45-degree horn antennas shown in Figure 1 A.

[0014] Figure 3B illustrates an overhead view of the configuration of two 45-degree horn antennas shown in Figure 3A.

[0015] The Figures depict preferred embodiments for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following discussion that alternative embodiments of the systems and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the invention described herein.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] As used herein, a base station may refer to a relay located at the center of any of the cells in a cellular telephone system. A base station may also refer to a short-range transceiver which connects a cordless phone, computer, or other wireless device, such as customer premises equipment (CPE) devices, to a central hub and allows connection to a network, such as a cellular network. CPE includes telecommunications and information technology equipment kept at the customer's physical location rather than on the sendee provider's premises. Telephone handsets, cable TV set-top boxes and Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) routers are examples of CPEs. In some embodiments, a base station may also be connected to a sector antenna, wherein the sector antenna is a type of directional microwave antenna with a sectorshaped radiation pattern.

[0017] As used herein, a transceiver is a device that can both transmit and receive communications, such as a combined radio transmitter and receiver. It can both transmit and receive radio waves using an antenna, for communication purposes.

[0018] The present embodiments may relate to, inter alia, an innovative design and configuration of a 45-degree H-plane antenna systems.

[0019] A hom antenna is used to transmit radio waves from a waveguide (a metal pipe used to cany' radio waves) out into space or collect radio waves into a waveguide for reception. It typically consists of a short length of rectangular or cylindrical metal tube (the waveguide), closed at one end, flaring into an open-ended conical or pyramidal shaped hom on the other end. The radio waves are usually introduced into the waveguide by a coaxial cable attached to the side, with the central conductor projecting into the waveguide to form a quarter- wave monopole antenna. The waves then radiate out the hom end in a narrow beam. In some equipment, the radio waves are conducted between the transmitter or receiver and the antenna by a waveguide; in this case the hom is attached to the end of the waveguide. In outdoor horns, such as the feed horns of satellite dishes, the open mouth of the hom is often covered by a plastic sheet transparent to radio waves, to exclude moisture.

[0020] A hom antenna sen es the same function for electromagnetic waves that an acoustical hom does for sound waves in a musical instrument such as a trumpet. It provides a gradual transition structure to match the impedance of a tube to the impedance of free space, enabling the waves from the tube to radiate efficiently into space.

[0021] If a simple open-ended waveguide is used as an antenna, without the hom, the sudden end of the conductive walls causes an abrupt impedance change at the aperture, from the wave impedance in the waveguide to the impedance of free space, (about 377 Q). When radio waves travelling through the waveguide hit the opening, this impedance-step reflects a significant fraction of the wave energy back down the guide toward the source, so that not all of the power is radiated. This is similar to the reflection at an open-ended transmission line or a boundary between optical mediums with a low and high index of refraction, like at a glass surface. The reflected waves cause standing waves in the waveguide, increasing the standing wave ratio (SWR). wasting energy, and possibly overheating the transmitter. In addition, the smallaperture of the waveguide (less than one wavelength) causes significant diffraction of the waves issuing from it, resulting in a wide radiation pattern without much directivity.

[0022] To improve these poor characteristics, the ends of the waveguide are flared out to form a horn. The taper of the hom changes the impedance gradually along the horn's length. This acts like an impedance matching transformer, allowing most of the wave energy to radiate out the end of the hom into space, with minimal reflection. The taper functions similarly to a tapered transmission line, or an optical medium with a smoothly varying refractive index. In addition, the wide aperture of the hom projects the waves in a narrow beam.

[0023] The waves travel down a hom as spherical wavefronts, with their origin at the apex of the hom, a point called the phase center. The pattern of electric and magnetic fields at the aperture plane at the mouth of the hom, which determines the radiation pattern, is a scaled-up reproduction of the fields in the waveguide. Because the wavefronts are spherical, the phase increases smoothly from the edges of the aperture plane to the center, because of the difference in length of the center point and the edge points from the apex point. The difference in phase between the center point and the edges is called the phase error. This phase error, which increases with the flare angle, reduces the gain, and increases the beamwidth, giving horns wider beamwidths than similar-sized plane-wave antennas such as parabolic dishes.

[0024] A sector antenna is a type of directional microwave antenna with a sector-shaped radiation pattern. The word "sector" is used in the geometric sense; some portion of the circumference of a circle measured in degrees of arc, 60°, 90° and 120° designs are ty pical, often with a few degrees 'extra' to ensure overlap and mounted in multiples when wider or full -circle coverage is required. The largest use of these antennas is as antennas for cell phone base-station sites. They are also used for other ty pes of mobile communications, for example in Wi-Fi networks.

[0025] A sectoral horn is a pyramidal hom with only one pair of sides flared and the other pair parallel, where a pyramidal hom is a hom antenna with the hom in the shape of a four-sided pyramid, with a rectangular cross section. It produces a fan-shaped beam, which is narrow in the plane of the flared sides, but wide in the plane of the narrow sides. These types are often used as feed horns for wide search radar antennas. An H-plane hom is a sectoral hom flared in the direction of the magnetic or H-field in the waveguide.

[0026] The system described herein includes two 45-degree hom antennas. The system replaces one 90-degree sector antenna with two 45-degree antennas. This substitution enhances terrain coverage, and the higher gam of each individual antenna contributes to an increased signal range.

[0027] This system is designed to address the goal of reducing the manufacturing cost of high-power power amplifier by utilizing two 45-degree antennas instead of a 90-degree sector antenna. Additionally, this system is configured to enhance the mitigation of 'interference' caused by a single sector in adjacent sectors. In the production of high-power power amplifiers, the interconnection of multiple individual power amplifier presents challenges related to losses in system integration (combining power amplitude modules (PAM)), making it more difficult to dissipate excess heat, such as for Solid State Phased Arrays (SSPAs).

[0028] The antenna system described herein includes a dual 45 Degrees Hom Configuration. The antenna system consists of two hom antennas positioned at a precise angle of 45 degrees each. This dual configuration enables the potential for frequency separation within a singular 90-degree sector, created by the two 45-degree antennas. This design results in diminished interference in the neighboring sector and smaller side lobes. Moreover, this configuration facilitates a more cost- effective production of the entire communication system while maintaining the same signal range and coverage as a system with a single 90-degree antenna in the sector.

[0029] In creating the physical structure of this system, the two sector 45-degree antennas are individually designed and positioned in relation to each other so that both 45-degree antenna characteristics collectively form the overall characteristic of a 90-degree sector. In at least one embodiment, the antennas are made of aluminum, ensuring low weight and cost-effective production.

[0030] Furthermore, the system includes a Beamforming Mechanism. The beamforming mechanism that enables precise control of the radiation pattern at 71 - 72 GHz frequency range. Accordingly, the two 45°-degree sector antennas with specific radiation characteristics form a radiation beam (beamforming) of a 90-degree sector as a basis for creating 360-degrees of coverage of the terrain for the purpose of using four communication points.

[0031] Figures 1 A illustrates a front view of an exemplary corrugated horn.

[0032] Figure IB illustrates a side view of the exemplary corrugated hom as shown in Figure 1 A.

[0033] Figure 2 illustrates an exemplar}7graph of a radiation pattern for the corrugated hom illustrated in Figures 1 A and IB.

[0034] Figure 3A illustrates a perspective view of a configuration of two 45-degree hom antennas shown in Figure 1 A.

[0035] Figure 3B illustrates an overhead view of the configuration of two 45-degree hom antennas shown in Figure 3A.

[0036] In the exemplary embodiment, a hom antenna system for a sector-based communication system is provided. The system includes two h-plane hom antennas in a 45-degree configuration configured to cover 90-degrees of transmission area. The system further includes a beamforming mechanism configured for a radiation pattern at a frequency range of 71 - 72 GHz. The beamforming mechanism is furtherconfigured to form a radiation beam (beamforming) of a 90-degree sector. The 90- degree sector is a basis for creating 360-degrees of coverage. In these embodiments, four sets of two h-plane hom antennas are combined in 90-degree sectors to provide 360-degrees of coverage.

[0037] In some embodiments, each h-plane hom antenna includes a housing made of aluminum.

[0038] In some further embodiments, each h-plane hom antenna includes a first end and a second end. The first end of a first h-plane hom antenna of the two h-plane hom antennas is positioned 75mm from the first end of a second h- plane hom antenna of the two h-plane hom antennas.ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

[0039] Description above gives in detail a cormgated hom antenna according to the exemplary embodiments, with reference to the accompanying drawings. Hereinafter, suffixes “module"’ and “unit or portion” for components used herein in description are merely provided only for facilitation of preparing this specification, and thus they are not granted a specific meaning or function. Hence, it should be noticed that “module” and “unit or portion” can be used together. For the sake of brief description with reference to the drawings, the same or equivalent components will be provided with the same reference numbers, and description thereof will not be repeated. The expression in the singular form in this specification will cover the expression in the plural form unless otherw ise indicated obviously from the context.

[0040] It will be apparent to those skilled in that art that various modifications and variations can be made in the fabrication and configuration of the present invention without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. For example, the design of the present invention is scalable.

[0041] As another variation, the antenna system of the present invention may be attached to multiple different types of substrates such as, but notlimited to, vehicles, buildings, flag poles, ships, boats, may be deployed on aircraft, or may be handheld. The antenna system of the present invention may be mounted vertically as shown herein, or may be mounted in other orientations, such as horizontally on the side, bottom or top of a structure, or inside a vehicle or other structure comprising non-interfering material.

[0042] In addition, a variety of materials may be used to fabricate the components of the apparatus of the invention.

[0043] As embodied herein, the antenna system of the present invention may be connected to various types of RF transceivers or transponders, such as radios, GPS receivers or radars. Thus, the antenna system of the present invention may be used for a wide variety7of applications in RF transmission and reception, navigation and / or communication. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of the invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0044] As used herein, an element or step recited in the singular and proceeded with the word "a" or "arT should be understood as not excluding plural elements or steps, unless such exclusion is explicitly recited. Furthermore, references to “example” or “one example” of the present disclosure are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional examples that also incorporate the recited features. Further, to the extent that terms “includes,” “including,” “has,” “contains,” and variants thereof are used herein, such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprises” as an open transition word without precluding any additional or other elements.

[0045] Furthermore, as used herein, the term “real-time” refers to at least one of the time of occurrence of the associated events, the time of measurement and collection of predetermined data, the time to process the data, and the time of a system response to the events and the environment. In the examples described herein, these activities and events occur substantially instantaneously.

[0046] The patent claims at the end of this document are not intended to be construed under 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) unless traditional means-plus-function language is expressly recited, such as ‘'means for” or ‘'step for” language being expressly recited in the claim(s).

[0047] This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal language of the claims.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:1 . A horn antenna system for a sector-based communication system comprising two h-plane hom antennas in a 45-degree configuration configured to cover 90-degrees of transmission area.

2. The system in accordance with Claim 1, further comprising a beamforming mechanism configured for a radiation pattern at a frequency range of 71 - 72 GHz.

3. The system in accordance with Claim 2, wherein the beamforming mechanism is further configured to form a radiation beam (beamforming) of a 90-degree sector.

4. The system in accordance with Claim 3, wherein the 90-degree sector is a basis for creating 360-degrees of coverage.

5. The system in accordance with Claim 1, wherein each h-plane hom antenna comprises a housing that comprises aluminum.

6. The system in accordance with Claim 1, wherein each h-plane hom antenna includes a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of a first biplane hom antenna of the two h-plane hom antennas is positioned 75mm from the first end of a second h-plane hom antenna of the two h-plane hom antennas.

7. A hom antenna comprising: a first h-plane hom antenna; and a second h-plane hom antenna, wherein the first h-plane hom antenna and the second h-plane hom antenna are in a 45-degree configuration configured to cover 90-degrees of transmission area.

8. The horn antenna in accordance with Claim 7, further comprising a beamforming mechanism configured for a radiation pattern at a frequency range of 71 - 72 GHz.

9. The hom antenna in accordance with Claim 8, wherein the beamforming mechanism is further configured to form a radiation beam (beamforming) of a 90-degree sector.

10. The hom antenna in accordance with Claim 9, wherein the 90- degree sector is a basis for creating 360-degrees of coverage.

11. The hom antenna in accordance with Claim 7, wherein each biplane hom antenna comprises a housing that comprises aluminum.

12. The hom antenna in accordance with Claim 7, wherein each biplane hom antenna includes a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the first h-plane hom antenna is positioned 75 mm from the first end of the second biplane hom antenna.

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