Low-frequency wideband tightly coupled dipole antenna array assembly

Abstract

Embodiments of an antenna assembly may include a plurality of driven pedestal feeds coupled to a respective plurality of dipole arms and a spacer assembly formed from a dielectric material. The spacer assembly may include a cross-shaped member configured to fit between adjacent ones of the respective plurality of dipole arms to maintain a selected spacing between the respective plurality of the dipole arms.

Description

784011.000061LOW-FREQUENCY WIDEBAND TIGHTLY COUPLED DIPOLE ANTENNA ARRAY ASSEMBLYCROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Non-Provisional Application No.19 / 077,460 filed March 12, 2025, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure is generally related to dipole antennas, and in at least one embodiment to low-frequency, manufacturable, wideband tightly-coupled dipole antenna array assemblies.BACKGROUND

[0003] Tightly Coupled Dipole Antennas (TCDAs) are commonly used for communication antennas used in various wireless technology applications. Generally, TCDAs usually have a large bandwidth, so that such antennas can support multi -frequency communications, such as fifth generation mobile network (5G) communications, long term evolution (LTE) communications, Wi-Fi communications, and Wideband Sensing applications.

[0004] Low-frequency, wideband antennas can be difficult to manufacture, and conventionally may occupy significant volume and mass, which, in the context of satellites, can restrict / limit the payloads and space missions / vehicles they can support. For space missions, mass and volume are directly tied to launch costs.BRIEF SUMMARY

[0005] Embodiments of low-frequency wideband dipole antenna assemblies are described herein that may have a mass density less than two to three times that compared to conventional dipole antennas, which are traditionally produced using printed circuit board (PCB) technology. Such PCB technologies, at frequencies below four gigahertz (< 4 GHz), may have an overall height and mass that can be prohibitive for space missions due to the mass density of the PCB substrates, as well as the minimum antenna size envelope required to achieve a satisfactory efficiency.

[0006] Embodiments of antenna assemblies are described below that may include a TCDA element produced by conventional machining (computer numerical control (CNC) machining, wire electrical discharge machining (EDM), or other machining techniques), by three-dimensional (3D) printed plastic electroplating, or by other manufacturing processes, such as metallic 3D printing.

[0007] In one or more embodiments, an antenna assembly includes a plurality of driven pedestal feeds coupled to a respective plurality of dipole arms; and a spacer assembly formed from a dielectric material and including a cross-shaped member configured to fit between adjacent ones of the respective plurality of dipole arms to maintain a selected spacing between the respective plurality of the dipole arms.

[0008] In one or more other embodiments, an antenna assembly including a plurality of driven pedestal feeds coupled to a respective plurality of dipole arms; and a spacer assembly formed from a dielectric material and including: a substrate including a first side, a second side, and at least one peripheral edge; a cross-shaped member coupled to the first side and configured to fit between adjacent ones of the respective plurality of dipole arms; and a plurality of alignment elements coupled to the second side and configured to couple to alignment slots on a dipole arm of a capacitive pedestal.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The detailed description is set forth with reference to the accompanying figures. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. The use of the same reference numbers in different figures indicates similar or identical items or features.

[0010] FIG. 1 depicts an embodiment of a low-profile, low-frequency, wideband, TCDA antenna assembly with dielectric spacers to maintain tight tolerance spacing between pedestals and between dipole arms, in accordance with certain embodiments.

[0011] FIGs. 2A and 2B depict partial cross-sectional views of embodiments of a portion of the antenna assembly including the spacer assembly 114 of FIG. 1 taken along line 2-2, in accordance with certain embodiments.

[0012] FIG. 3 depicts an exploded view of an embodiment of the antenna assembly of FIG.1, in accordance with certain embodiments.

[0013] FIG. 4 depicts a three-dimensional representation of the realized gain farfield pattern output of an antenna array including the antenna assembly of FIG. 1 at 800 MHz, in accordance with certain embodiments.

[0014] FIG. 5 depicts a three-dimensional representation of the realized gain farfield pattern output of an antenna array including the antenna assembly of FIG. 1 at 2 GHz, in accordance with certain embodiments.

[0015] FIG. 6 depicts a three-dimensional representation of the realized gain farfield pattern output of an antenna array including the antenna assembly of FIG. 1 at 4 GHz, in accordance with certain embodiments.

[0016] While implementations are described in this disclosure by way of example, those skilled in the art will recognize that the implementations are not limited to the examples or figures described. The figures and detailed description thereto are not intended to limit implementations to the particular form disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope as defined by the appended claims. The headings used in this disclosure are for organizational purposes only and are not meant to limit the scope of the description or the claims. As used throughout this application, the word “may” is used in a permissive sense (in other words, the term “may” is intended to mean “having the potential to”) instead of in a mandatory sense (as in “must”). Similarly, the terms “include”, “including”, and “includes” mean “including, but not limited to”.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

[0017] Low-frequency, wideband antennas are often difficult to manufacture and occupy significant mass, therefore restricting or limiting the payloads and space missions that such antennas can support. Embodiments of low-frequency wideband dipole antenna assemblies are described below that may have a mass density less than two to three times that compared to conventional dipole antennas, which are traditionally produced using printed circuit board (PCB) technology. Such PCB technologies, at frequencies below fourgigahertz (< 4 GHz), may have an overall height and mass that can be prohibitive for space missions due to the mass density of the PCB substrates.

[0018] Embodiments of antenna assemblies are described below that may include a dipole antenna element produced by conventional machining (computer numerical control (CNC) machining, wire electrical discharge machining (EDM), or other machining techniques), by three-dimensional (3D) printed plastic electroplating, by other manufacturing processes, such as additive metallic 3D printing, or any combination thereof. In one or more embodiments, embodiments of the antenna assemblies described below may include a low-frequency, wideband, tightly-coupled dipole antenna array assembly that has a mass that is significantly less (~2.7x less) than a mass of a comparable conventional PCB-based antenna produced with conventional PCB manufacturing methodologies.

[0019] Embodiments of the present invention include an electromagnetic TCDA antenna assembly including one or more antenna elements. Each antenna element may include a pedestal coupled to a ground plane on a first end and coupled to a dipole arm on a second end. The pedestal and the dipole arm jointly may form an electromagnetic coupling antenna element structure. In one or more embodiments, the antenna assembly may include a spacer assembly including one or more spacer elements. The spacer assembly may include a pedestal gap alignment spacer configured to stabilize and maintain alignment of the pedestals of the one or more antenna elements. The spacer assembly may include a dipole arm gap spacer configured to stabilize and maintain spacing between dipole arms of the one or more antenna elements.

[0020] In one or more embodiments, one or more of the pedestals or the dipole arms may include alignment features that may engage corresponding features of the spacer assembly. In one or more embodiments, the spacer assembly may couple to the antenna elements to enable benign geometries that make the antenna element performance less sensitive to geometry variations than if the spacer assembly were not present.

[0021] FIG. 1 depicts an embodiment of a low-profile, low-frequency, wideband, tightly-coupled dipole antenna assembly 100 with a non-metallic spacer assembly 114 to maintain spacing between driven pedestal feeds 108 and between dipole arms 110, in accordance with certain embodiments. The spacer assembly 114 may include multiple components ormay be integrated into a single component. In one or more embodiments, the spacer assembly 114 may be formed from a material that allows radio frequency signals, at least those within a frequency range of interest, to pass through with the spacer assembly 114 with little or no attenuation. This spacer assembly 114 is also used to provide wideband impedance matching between the TCDA arms and free space.

[0022] The antenna assembly 100 may include a plurality of capacitive pedestal structures 102. The antenna assembly 100 may include an antenna ground 104. Each capacitive pedestal structure 102 may include a plurality of driven pedestal feeds 108, each including a first end mechanically coupled to and dielectrically separated from the antenna ground 104 and including a second end coupled to a dipole arm 110. The driven pedestal feeds 108 may be spaced apart from one another by a pedestal gap alignment spacer 126 and the dipole arms 110 may be spaced apart from one another by dipole arm gap spacer 116. The pedestal gap spacer and the dipole feedback spacer may form a spacer assembly 114. A center pedestal 105 may be electrically coupled to the antenna ground 104 to provide a ground arm adjacent to and spaced apart from the dipole arms by the spacer assembly 114.

[0023] The antenna assembly 100 may include the spacer assembly 114 configured to maintain the spacing between the driven pedestal feeds 108 and the spacing between the dipole arms 110. The antenna assembly 100 may include an impedance match layer 112 extending over the dipole arms 110 and the spacer assembly 114. In one or more embodiments, the impedance match layer 112 may be a wide-angle impedance match layer. In one or more embodiments, the impedance match layer 112 may be formed from a ceramic-filled laminate reinforced with woven fiberglass that is engineered for high frequency signal performance and mechanical stability. FIG. 1 illustrates the foam or low-Dk core of the impedance match layer 112. In one or more embodiments, the impedance match layer 112 may have a dielectric constant, for the high-Dk laminate, of 10.2 with a dissipation factor of 0.0027. In one or more embodiments, the impedance match layer 112 may be selected to provide a selected dielectric with respect to a range of frequencies of interest.

[0024] The dipole arm gap spacer 116 may include a substrate 118, which can be formed from a dielectric material. The dipole arm gap spacer 116 may be a thin, substantiallyrectangular-shaped structure having chamfered corners 122. The dipole arm gap spacer 116 may include a cross-member 120 forming a cross shape on a bottom surface of the substrate 118 and extending between the chamfered comers 122. Each cross-member 120 may extend past the chamfered comers 122 by a distance d. forming an overhang portion 124. When assembled with the capacitive pedestal structures 102 and the driven pedestal feeds 108, the cross-member 120 may extend between the dipole arms 110 to maintain a dielectric spacing 106 corresponding to a thickness of the cross-member 120. A portion of the substrate 118 between the cross-members 120 may extend over a portion of each of the dipole arms 110.

[0025] The pedestal gap alignment spacer 126 may include a substrate 128 including atop surface, which may contact the cross-members 120 of the dipole arm gap spacer 116 when assembled. The substrate 128 may include a bottom surface including a plurality of alignment elements 130, which may be configured to engage notches or openings in a dipole arm of a ground-coupled pedestal to secure the spacer assembly 114 at a selected orientation relative to the dipole arms 110. In one or more embodiments, the crossmembers 120 and the alignment elements 130 may be aligned when the spacer assembly 114 is assembled. In this example, the substrate 118 and the substrate 128 may sandwich the dipole arms 110 and the cross-members 120 may maintain a consistent spacing between the dipole arms 110.

[0026] The spacer assembly 114 may be configured to maintain the alignment of the capacitive pedestal structures 102 and the spacing between the dipole arms 110, making the antenna assembly 100 less sensitive to geometry variations. Additionally, the spacer assembly 114 may provide support for the capacitive pedestal structures 102 and the dipole arms 110, enhancing the stability of the antenna assembly 100 with respect to vibrations.

[0027] It should be understood that the antenna assembly 100 may be manufactured in various ways, including computer numerical control (CNC) manufacturing, additive fabrication (such as, but not limited to, three-dimensional (3D) printing), multi-layered plating, precision sheet metal forming, or other fabrication processes. In one or more embodiments, three-dimensional (3D) printed alignment features and spacers may allowfor more benign geometries that make the element performance less sensitive to geometry variations than if these features were not present.

[0028] In one or more embodiments, the antenna assembly 100 may have less mass and may be less dense in terms of material density than conventional exponentially tapered slot antennas, such as a Vivaldi antenna (such as a Vivaldi aerial or tapered slot antenna, which is a co-planar broadband-antenna that can be made from a solid piece of sheet metal, a printed circuit board, or a dielectric plate metallized on one side or both sides). In one or more embodiments, the antenna assembly 100 may have a mass density of approximately nine kilograms per meter squared (9.0 kg / m2), while a Vivaldi antenna may have a mass density of 24.0 kg / m2. In some implementations, the antenna assembly 100 may have approximately 2-3 times less dense and massive than a Vivaldi antenna, enabling more cost-effective, future space missions since this reduction in mass allows for mass to be allocated to other parts of the spacecraft, which may allow for the launch of smaller, lower cost vehicles.

[0029] In one or more embodiments, the antenna assembly 100 may be significantly smaller than a conventional Vivaldi antenna. In some embodiments, the height profile may be less than half the height of a conventional exponentially tapered slot (Vivaldi). In one or more embodiments, the height profile may be forty-five percent (45%) that of a Vivaldi antenna. In one or more embodiments, the antenna assembly 100 may have a height of approximately 1.8 inches, while an aluminum Vivaldi antenna may have a height of 3.9 inches, both antennas providing frequency coverage down to 1 GHz.

[0030] In one or more embodiments, the spacer assembly 114 may enable a wide variation in manufacturing options, which may enable very rapid prototyping via 3D printing to substantiate key radio frequency (RF) performance aspects. The spacer assembly 114 may enable manufacturing without special tooling or without special skills being required to assemble and test the aperture.

[0031] In one or more embodiments, the capacitive pedestal structures 102 may engage the antenna ground 104 via a tapered receptacle including a pin feed. The receptacle with the pin feed may eliminate silver epoxy or soldering operations that can adversely impact delivery schedules and manufacturing costs, as well as decreasing part-to-part uniformity.

[0032] FIG. 2A depicts a partial cross-sectional view of a portion 200 of the antenna assembly 100 of FIG. 1 taken along line 2-2, in accordance with certain embodiments. The portion 200 includes driven pedestal feeds 108(1) and 108(2) spaced apart and secured by pedestal gap alignment spacer 126. The portion 200 further includes dipole arms 110(1) and 110(2), which are spaced apart and secured by the dipole arm gap spacer 116. In this example, the pedestal gap alignment spacer 126 may rest on the capacitive pedestal 204 of the pedestal 105. The capacitive pedestal 204 and the pedestal support 105 are shown in cross-section.

[0033] In one or more embodiments, the dipole arms 110(1) and 110(2) may be sandwiched between the substrates 118 and 128. It should be noted that the cross-sectional cut is taken length-wise through the cross-member 120. The dipole arms 110(1) and 110(2) are shown in phantom where they are occluded by the cross-member 120. The dipole arms 110(1) and 110(2) are spaced apart by a dipole arm space or gap 206, which may correspond to a width of the cross-member 120.

[0034] In the illustrated example, the capacitive pedestal 204 of the pedestal 105 may include alignment openings 202 (e.g., notches), which may be configured to engage the alignment elements 130 on the pedestal gap alignment spacer 126. As previously mentioned, the relative alignment of the cross-members 120 and the alignment elements 130 may be selected such that the orientation of the spacer assembly 114 may secure the dipole arms 110 and the pedestals 108 and 105 at a selected orientation and spacing.

[0035] It should be appreciated that, while the embodiment depicted in FIG. 1 showed the spacer assembly 114 as including a dipole arm gap spacer 116 and a pedestal gap alignment spacer 126 as separate elements, the dipole arm gap spacer 116 and the pedestal gap alignment spacer 126 could be integrated into a single component. An example of an embodiment in which the dipole arm gap spacer 116 and the pedestal gap alignment spacer 126 are combined is described below with respect to FIG. 2B.

[0036] FIG. 2B depicts a cross-sectional view of a portion 220 of the antenna assembly 100 including an alternative embodiment of the spacer assembly of FIG. 1 taken along line 2-2, in accordance with certain embodiments. In this example, the pedestal gap alignment spacer 126 may rest on a capacitive pedestal 204 of the pedestal 105. The capacitivepedestal 204 and the pedestal support 105 are shown in cross-section. Tn this embodiment, the spacer assembly 114 is formed as an integrated spacer including a substrate 222 with the cross-member 120 formed on a top surface of the substrate 222 and the spacer elements 130 formed on the bottom surface of the substrate 222.

[0037] In the illustrated embodiment, the dipole arms 110(1) and 110(2) may rest on the top surface of the substrate 222 between the cross-members 120. It should be noted that the cross-sectional cut is taken length-wise through the cross-member 120. The dipole arms 110(1) and 110(2) are shown in phantom where they are occluded by the cross-member 120. The dipole arms 110(1) and 110(2) are spaced apart by a dipole arm space or gap 206, which may correspond to a width of the cross-member 120.

[0038] The bottom surface of the substrate 222 may rest on the capacitive pedestal 204, and the alignment elements 130 on the bottom surface may extend through notches or openings 202 in the capacitive pedestal 204. The relative positions of the cross-members 120, the alignment elements 130, and the notches or openings 202 may be designed to secure and align the dipole arms 110 and the dipole pedestals 108 at selected positions and spacings to produce the antenna assembly 100.

[0039] FIG. 3 depicts an exploded view 300 of an embodiment of the antenna 100 of FIG.1, in accordance with certain embodiments. The antenna assembly 100 may include the antenna ground 104, which may have a square, rectangular, or other shape configured to enable assembly with other antenna assemblies 100 to form an antenna array. The antenna ground 104 may be formed from a conductive metal material and may include one or more conical feed tapered openings 302. Each of the conical feed tapered openings 302 may include conically shaped sidewalls that narrow as the opening extends away from a top surface, used to impedance match the antenna over a wide bandwidth to a 50 Ohm interface. Each conical feed tapered opening 302 may be configured to receive an end of one of the driven dipole pedestal feeds 108. Each conical feed tapered opening 302 may include a recess 310 extending around the opening near the top surface and sized to receive a dielectric spacer 308, which may secure the driven pedestal feed 108 within the conical feed tapered opening 302 while maintaining a spacing between the driven pedestal feed 108 and the sidewalls within the conical feed tapered opening 302.

[0040] The antenna ground 104 may include a recessed monolithic pedestal interface 306, which may be configured to engage a base 307 of a monolithic pedestal structure 312. The monolithic pedestal structure 312 may include multiple capacitive pedestal structures 102 spaced apart from one another and coupled to the base 307. The base 307 may include an opening (not visible) configured to align with a corresponding opening 313 in the recessed monolithic pedestal interface 306, which opening 302 may be sized to receive a fastener to secure the base 307 to the antenna ground 104. In one or more embodiments, the monolithic pedestal structure 312 may include a short-arm capacitive pedestal 105 with a corresponding capacitive pedestal 204 and a pair of driven pedestal feeds 108. The monolithic pedestal structure 312 may also include a pair of driven pedestal feeds 108 with corresponding dipole arms 110.

[0041] In one or more embodiments, the capacitive pedestal 204 may include alignment openings 202 (e.g., notches or alignment slots 314) configured to engage the alignment elements 130 of the spacer assembly 114. The dipole arms 110(1), 110(2), 110(3), and 110(4) of the driven pedestal feeds 108(1), 108(2), 108(3), and 108(4) may rest on a top surface of the spacer assembly 114 between the cross-members 120. The spacer assembly 114 may be formed from a dielectric material and may provide a fixed, deterministic spacing between the dipole arms 110 and between the driven pedestal feeds 108 and the capacitive pedestal structures 102.

[0042] In one or more embodiments, the impedance match layer 112 may be a wide-angle impedance match layer, which may provide elevated temperature performance and a wide-angle impedance match for the dipole arms 110. In one or more embodiments, the impedance match layer 112 may be formed from Divinycell HP 80, which is commercially available from Diab Group of Helsingborg, Sweden. The material (Divinycell HP) was developed to be fully compatible with low and medium temperature prepreg and radio frequency (RF) systems for elevated temperature performance, which extends to its service life by allowing the impedance match layer 112 to retain a high percentage of its mechanical properties over time, despite exposure to high ambient temperatures. In one or more embodiments, the impedance match layer 112 may be configured to maintain its performance with continuous operating temperatures in a range from -200°C to 80°C.Additionally, the impedance match layer 112 may exhibit excellent chemical resistance (including styrene), low water absorption, and good thermal and acoustic insulation.

[0043] In one or more embodiments, the antenna assembly 100 may be formed using various fabrication processes, including conventional CNC processes, additive fabrication processes, plating processes, precision sheet metal forming, other processes, or any combination thereof. In one or more embodiments, the spacer assembly 114 may be formed using additive processes, such as 3D printing, to form the alignment elements 130 and the cross-members 120 for more benign geometries that make the performance of the antenna assembly 100 less sensitive to geometry variations than if these features were not present. In one or more embodiments, the precision of the 3D printing processes may enable a deterministic spacing between the dipole arms 110 and between the pedestals 108 and 105. The spacer assembly 114 may be configured to maintain the desired spacing and to secure the dipole arms 110 even in response to vibrations, impacts, abrupt directional changes, impacts, and other forces that might otherwise introduce noise or errors in received or transmitted signals.

[0044] FIG. 4 depicts a graph 400 including a three-dimensional representation of the realized gain radiation pattern output of an antenna array including a plurality of the antenna assemblies 100 of FIGs. 1-3 at 800 MHz, in accordance with certain embodiments. As shown, the antenna assemblies 100 that form the antenna array provide a strong directional output gain at 800 MHz. In the illustrated example, the antenna assemblies 100 demonstrated approximately 82% efficiency at 800 MHz.

[0045] FIG. 5 depicts a graph 500 including a three-dimensional representation of the realized gain output of an antenna array including a plurality of the antenna assemblies 100 of FIGs. 1-3 at 2 GHz, in accordance with certain embodiments. As shown, the antenna assemblies 100 that form the antenna array provide a strong directional output gain at 2 GHz. In the illustrated example, the antenna assemblies 100 demonstrated approximately 56% efficiency at 2 GHz.

[0046] FIG. 6 depicts a graph 600 including a three-dimensional representation of the realized gain output of an antenna array including a plurality of the antenna assemblies 100 of FIGs. 1-3 at 4 GHz, in accordance with certain embodiments. As shown, the antennaassemblies 100 that form the antenna array provide a strong directional output gain at 2 GHz. In the illustrated example, the antenna assemblies 100 demonstrated approximately 40% efficiency at 4 GHz.

[0047] In conjunction with the systems, methods, devices, and assemblies described herein, an antenna assembly may include a shorted-arm capacitive pedestal with a dipole arm including a plurality of alignment slots and may include a plurality of dipole antenna elements arranged around the capacitive pedestal. Each dipole antenna element may include a driven pedestal feed and a corresponding dipole arm. The antenna assembly may include a spacer assembly including at least one substrate including a plurality of alignment elements on a first side configured to engage the plurality of alignment slots and including cross-members on a second side configured to separate the corresponding dipole arms of the driven pedestal feeds.

[0048] Embodiments of the present disclosure may be further understood in view of the following examples.

[0049] Example 1: An antenna assembly comprising a plurality of driven pedestal feeds coupled to a respective plurality of dipole arms; and a spacer assembly formed from a dielectric material and including a cross-shaped member configured to fit between adjacent ones of the respective plurality of dipole arms to maintain a selected spacing between the respective plurality of the dipole arms.

[0050] Example 2: The antenna assembly of Example 1, further comprising a capacitive pedestal including a corresponding dipole arm, the corresponding dipole arm including one or more alignment slots; and wherein the spacer assembly includes one or more alignment elements configured to engage the one or more alignment slots to orient the spacer assembly relative to the corresponding dipole arm.

[0051] Example 3: The antenna assembly of Example 2, wherein a relative alignment between the cross-shaped member and the one or more alignment elements is selected to provide a selected alignment of the plurality of dipole arms.

[0052] Example 4: The antenna assembly of Example 1, wherein the spacer assembly comprises a planar substrate including a first side, a second side, and at least one peripheraledge; and wherein the cross-shaped member is coupled to the first side and includes an overhang portion that extends past the at least one peripheral edge.

[0053] Example 5: The antenna assembly of Example 4, wherein the spacer assembly further comprises a plurality of alignment elements coupled to the second side of the planar substrate and disposed adjacent to the at least one peripheral edge.

[0054] Example 6: The antenna assembly of Example 1, further comprising an antenna ground including one or more feed openings, each feed opening having a substantially conical shape extending into the antenna ground; and one or more corresponding recesses formed in each of the one or more feed openings; and one or more dielectric spacers sized to fit the one or more corresponding recesses; and wherein one or more of the plurality of driven pedestal feeds extend through the one or more dielectric spacers and into a corresponding one of the one or more feed openings.

[0055] Example 7: The antenna assembly of Example 6, further comprising a monolithic pedestal structure including a base including an opening; and one or more capacitive pedestals coupled to the base and spaced apart from one another.

[0056] Example 8: The antenna assembly of Example 7, wherein the antenna ground includes a recess sized to receive the base of the monolithic pedestal structure, the recess including an opening sized to receive a fastener; and a fastener configured to extend through the opening in the base and into the opening within the recess to secure the monolithic pedestal structure to the antenna ground.

[0057] Example 9: The antenna assembly of Example 1, wherein the spacer assembly is formed by at least one of an additive manufacturing process or a subtractive manufacturing process.

[0058] Example 10: The antenna assembly of Example 9, wherein the additive manufacturing processes comprise a three-dimensional printing process.

[0059] Example 11 : An antenna assembly comprising a plurality of driven pedestal feeds coupled to a respective plurality of dipole arms; and a spacer assembly formed from a dielectric material and including a substrate including a first side, a second side, and at least one peripheral edge; a cross-shaped member coupled to the first side and configuredto fit between adjacent ones of the respective plurality of dipole arms; and a plurality of alignment elements coupled to the second side and configured to couple to alignment slots on a dipole arm of a capacitive pedestal.

[0060] Example 12: The antenna assembly of Example 11, wherein the cross-shaped member is configured to maintain a first spacing between the respective plurality of the dipole arms.

[0061] Example 13: The antenna assembly of Example 11, wherein the plurality of alignment elements is configured to maintain a second spacing between the plurality of driven pedestal feeds.

[0062] Example 14: The antenna assembly of Example 11, wherein the plurality of alignment slots engage the plurality of alignment elements to orient the spacer assembly relative to the capacitive pedestal.

[0063] Example 15: The antenna assembly of Example 14, wherein a relative alignment between the cross-shaped member and the plurality of alignment elements is selected to provide a selected alignment of the plurality of dipole arms.

[0064] Example 16: The antenna assembly of Example 11, wherein the cross-shaped member includes an overhang portion that extends past the at least one peripheral edge.

[0065] Example 17: The antenna assembly of Example 11, further comprising:

[0066] an antenna ground including one or more feed openings, each feed opening having a substantially conical shape extending into the antenna ground; and one or more corresponding recesses formed in each of the one or more feed openings; and one or more dielectric spacers sized to fit the one or more corresponding recesses; and wherein one or more of the plurality of driven pedestal feeds extend through the one or more dielectric spacers and into a corresponding one of the one or more feed openings.

[0067] Example 18: The antenna assembly of Example 17, further comprising a monolithic pedestal structure including a base including an opening; and one or more capacitive pedestals coupled to the base and spaced apart from one another.

[0068] Example 19: The antenna assembly of Example 18, wherein the antenna ground includes a recess sized to receive the base of the monolithic pedestal structure, the recessincluding an opening sized to receive a fastener; and a fastener configured to extend through the opening in the base and into the opening within the recess to secure the monolithic pedestal structure to the antenna ground.

[0069] Example 20: The antenna assembly of Example 11, wherein the spacer assembly is formed by a three-dimensional printing process.

[0070] Other variations are possible as well within spirit of present disclosure. Thus, while disclosed techniques are susceptible to various modifications and alternative constructions, certain illustrated embodiments thereof are shown in drawings and have been described above in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit disclosure to specific form or forms disclosed, but on contrary, intention is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents falling within spirit and scope of disclosure, as defined in appended claims.

[0071] Use of terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in context of describing disclosed embodiments (especially in context of following claims) are to be construed to cover both singular and plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context, and not as a definition of a term. Terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and “containing” are to be construed as open-ended terms (meaning “including, but not limited to,”) unless otherwise noted. “Connected,” when unmodified and referring to physical connections, is to be construed as partly or wholly contained within, attached to, or joined together, even if there is something intervening. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within range, unless otherwise indicated herein and each separate value is incorporated into specification as if it were individually recited herein. In at least one embodiment, use of term “set” (e.g., “a set of items”) or “subset” unless otherwise noted or contradicted by context, is to be construed as a nonempty collection comprising one or more members. Further, unless otherwise noted or contradicted by context, term “subset” of a corresponding set does not necessarily denote a proper subset of corresponding set, but subset and corresponding set may be equal.

[0072] Conjunctive language, such as phrases of form “at least one of A, B, and C,” or “at least one of A, B and C,” unless specifically stated otherwise or otherwise clearly contradicted by context, is otherwise understood with context as used in general to present that an item, term, etc., may be either A or B or C, or any nonempty subset of set of A and B and C. For instance, in illustrative example of a set having three members, conjunctive phrases “at least one of A, B, and C” and “at least one of A, B and C” refer to any of following sets: {A}, {B}, {C}, {A, B}, {A, C}, {B, C}, {A, B, C}. Thus, such conjunctive language is not generally intended to imply that certain embodiments require at least one of A, at least one of B and at least one of C each to be present. In addition, unless otherwise noted or contradicted by context, term “plurality” indicates a state of being plural (e.g., “a plurality of items” indicates multiple items). In at least one embodiment, number of items in a plurality is at least two, but can be more when so indicated either explicitly or by context. Further, unless stated otherwise or otherwise clear from context, phrase “based on” means “based at least in part on” and not “based solely on.”

[0073] Operations of processes described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. In at least one embodiment, a process such as those processes described herein (or variations and / or combinations thereof) can be performed under at least partial control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions and is implemented as code (e.g., executable instructions, one or more computer programs or one or more applications) executing collectively on one or more processors, by hardware or combinations thereof. In at least one embodiment, code is stored on a computer-readable storage medium, for example, in form of a computer program comprising a plurality of instructions executable by one or more processors. In at least one embodiment, a computer-readable storage medium is a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that excludes transitory signals (e.g., a propagating transient electric or electromagnetic transmission) but includes non-transitory data storage circuitry (e.g., buffers, cache, and queues) within transceivers of transitory signals. In at least one embodiment, code (e.g., executable code or source code) is stored on a set of one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media having stored thereon executable instructions (or other memory to store executable instructions) that, when executed (i.e., as a result of being executed) by one or moreprocessors of a computer system, cause computer system to perform operations described herein. In at least one embodiment, set of non-transitory computer-readable storage media comprises multiple non-transitory computer-readable storage media and one or more of individual non-transitory storage media of multiple non-transitory computer-readable storage media lack all of code while multiple non-transitory computer-readable storage media collectively store all of code. In at least one embodiment, executable instructions are executed such that different instructions are executed by different processors — for example, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium store instructions and a main central processing unit (“CPU”) executes some of instructions while a graphics processing unit (“GPU”) executes other instructions. In at least one embodiment, different components of a computer system have separate processors and different processors execute different subsets of instructions.

[0074] Accordingly, in at least one embodiment, computer systems are configured to implement one or more services that singly or collectively perform operations of processes described herein and such computer systems are configured with applicable hardware and / or software that enable performance of operations. Further, a computer system that implements at least one embodiment of present disclosure is a single device and, in another embodiment, is a distributed computer system comprising multiple devices that operate differently such that distributed computer system performs operations described herein and such that a single device does not perform all operations.

[0075] Use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate embodiments of disclosure and does not pose a limitation on scope of disclosure unless otherwise claimed. No language in specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to practice of disclosure.

[0076] All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein.

[0077] In description and claims, terms such as “coupled” and “connected,” along with their derivatives, may be used. It should be understood that these terms may be not intended as synonyms for each other. Rather, in particular examples, “connected” or “coupled” may be used to indicate that two or more elements are in direct or indirect physical or electrical contact with each other. “Coupled” may also mean that two or more elements are not in direct contact with each other, but yet still co-operate or interact with each other.

[0078] Unless specifically stated otherwise, it may be appreciated that throughout specification terms such as “processing,” “computing,” “calculating,” “determining,” or like, refer to action and / or processes of a computer or computing system, or similar electronic computing device, that manipulate and / or transform data represented as physical, such as electronic, quantities within computing system’s registers and / or memories into other data similarly represented as physical quantities within computing system’s memories, registers or other such information storage, transmission or display devices.

[0079] Although descriptions herein set forth example embodiments of described techniques, other architectures may be used to implement described functionality, and are intended to be within scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, although specific distributions of responsibilities may be defined above for purposes of description, various functions and responsibilities might be distributed and divided in different ways, depending on circumstances.

[0080] Furthermore, although subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological acts, it is to be understood that subject matter claimed in appended claims is not necessarily limited to specific features or acts described. Rather, specific features and acts are disclosed as exemplary forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. An antenna assembly comprising:a plurality of driven pedestal feeds coupled to a respective plurality of dipole arms; and a spacer assembly formed from a dielectric material and including a cross-shaped member configured to fit between adjacent ones of the respective plurality of dipole arms to maintain a selected spacing between the respective plurality of the dipole arms.

2. The antenna assembly of claim 1, further comprising:a capacitive pedestal including a corresponding dipole arm, the corresponding dipole arm including one or more alignment slots; andwherein the spacer assembly includes one or more alignment elements configured to engage the one or more alignment slots to orient the spacer assembly relative to the corresponding dipole arm.

3. The antenna assembly of claim 2, wherein a relative alignment between the crossshaped member and the one or more alignment elements is selected to provide a selected alignment of the plurality of dipole arms.

4. The antenna assembly of claim 1, wherein the spacer assembly comprises:a planar substrate including a first side, a second side, and at least one peripheral edge;andwherein the cross-shaped member is coupled to the first side and includes an overhang portion that extends past the at least one peripheral edge.

5. The antenna assembly of claim 4, wherein the spacer assembly further comprises a plurality of alignment elements coupled to the second side of the planar substrate and disposed adjacent to the at least one peripheral edge.

6. The antenna assembly of claim 1, further comprising:an antenna ground including:one or more feed openings, each feed opening having a substantially conical shape extending into the antenna ground; andone or more corresponding recesses formed in each of the one or more feed openings; andone or more dielectric spacers sized to fit the one or more corresponding recesses; and wherein one or more of the plurality of driven pedestal feeds extend through the one or more dielectric spacers and into a corresponding one of the one or more feed openings.

7. The antenna assembly of claim 6, further comprising:a monolithic pedestal structure including:a base including an opening; andone or more capacitive pedestals coupled to the base and spaced apart from one another.

8. The antenna assembly of claim 7, wherein:the antenna ground includes a recess sized to receive the base of the monolithic pedestal structure, the recess including an opening sized to receive a fastener; and a fastener configured to extend through the opening in the base and into the opening within the recess to secure the monolithic pedestal structure to the antenna ground.

9. The antenna assembly of claim 1, wherein the spacer assembly is formed by at least one of an additive manufacturing process or a subtractive manufacturing process.

10. The antenna assembly of claim 9, wherein the additive manufacturing processes comprise a three-dimensional printing process.

11. An antenna assembly comprising:a plurality of driven pedestal feeds coupled to a respective plurality of dipole arms; and a spacer assembly formed from a dielectric material and including:a substrate including a first side, a second side, and at least one peripheral edge; a cross-shaped member coupled to the first side and configured to fit between adjacent ones of the respective plurality of dipole arms; and a plurality of alignment elements coupled to the second side and configured to couple to alignment slots on a dipole arm of a capacitive pedestal.

12. The antenna assembly of claim 11, wherein the cross-shaped member is configured to maintain a first spacing between the respective plurality of the dipole arms.

13. The antenna assembly of claim 11, wherein the plurality of alignment elements is configured to maintain a second spacing between the plurality of driven pedestal feeds.

14. The antenna assembly of claim 11, wherein the plurality of alignment slots engage the plurality of alignment elements to orient the spacer assembly relative to the capacitive pedestal.

15. The antenna assembly of claim 14, wherein a relative alignment between the cross-shaped member and the plurality of alignment elements is selected to provide a selected alignment of the plurality of dipole arms.

16. The antenna assembly of claim 11, wherein the cross-shaped member includes an overhang portion that extends past the at least one peripheral edge.

17. The antenna assembly of claim 11, further comprising:an antenna ground including:one or more feed openings, each feed opening having a substantially conical shape extending into the antenna ground; andone or more corresponding recesses formed in each of the one or more feed openings; andone or more dielectric spacers sized to fit the one or more corresponding recesses; and wherein one or more of the plurality of driven pedestal feeds extend through the one or more dielectric spacers and into a corresponding one of the one or more feed openings.

18. The antenna assembly of claim 17, further comprising:a monolithic pedestal structure including:a base including an opening; andone or more capacitive pedestals coupled to the base and spaced apart from one another.

19. The antenna assembly of claim 18, wherein:the antenna ground includes a recess sized to receive the base of the monolithic pedestal structure, the recess including an opening sized to receive a fastener; and a fastener configured to extend through the opening in the base and into the opening within the recess to secure the monolithic pedestal structure to the antenna ground.

20. The antenna assembly of claim 11, wherein the spacer assembly is formed by a three-dimensional printing process.

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