Array Antenna Spacing Layout for Lower Side Lobes at Full Power

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing array antennas face a challenge in reducing side lobes while maintaining total power output, as amplitude tapering techniques often lead to reductions in power due to limited power amplification capabilities.

Innovation Solution

The configuration involves an array antenna with unequal spacing between antenna elements, where the middle portion has unequally spaced elements and the end portions have equally spaced elements with reduced excitation amplitudes, achieving a unimodal excitation amplitude distribution to inhibit power reduction while reducing side lobes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-generated harmful factors

If amplitude tapering is applied to reduce side lobes, then side-lobe level is reduced, but total power output is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveside-lobe levelVSAvoidtotal power output

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-generated harmful factorsVSPower

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies different spacing strategies to different regions of the antenna array. The end regions use larger spacing with reduced excitation amplitudes to control side lobes, while the middle region uses smaller spacing with higher excitation amplitudes to maintain total power output. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by allowing side-lobe reduction in specific regions without sacrificing overall power.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The antenna array is segmented into multiple regions with different spacing characteristics. By dividing the array into end regions and middle regions with distinct spacing and amplitude characteristics, the patent enables independent optimization of side-lobe level and total power output for each segment, thereby resolving the contradiction between these two parameters.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Area of stationary object

If spacing between antenna elements is increased to provide mounting space for fedome, then mounting space is provided, but antenna characteristics are degraded

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemounting space for fedomeVSAvoidantenna characteristics

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent increases spacing only in the end regions where mounting space for fedome is required, while maintaining smaller spacing in the middle region. This localized spacing adjustment provides the necessary mounting space without significantly degrading the overall antenna characteristics, as the middle region continues to contribute effectively to the radiation pattern.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the spacing parameter selectively in different regions of the antenna array. By increasing spacing in end regions and maintaining smaller spacing in the middle region, the patent provides mounting space for fedome while controlling the degradation of antenna characteristics through compensated amplitude distribution.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Power

If excitation amplitude is increased in regions of increased spacing, then total power is maintained, but side lobes are enhanced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetotal power outputVSAvoidside-lobe level

Core Design Contradiction:

PowerVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of increasing excitation amplitude in regions of increased spacing (which would enhance side lobes), the patent inverts this approach by reducing excitation amplitude in the end regions with larger spacing. This inverted strategy allows the patent to maintain total power output through the middle region while using reduced amplitude in end regions to suppress side lobes, thereby resolving the contradiction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentUS11824265B2Antenna module and communication device in which antenna module is incorporated

Publication Date: 2023.11.21 MURATA MFG CO LTD

AI summary

An antenna module is an array antenna in which an array of antenna elements extends in at least a first direction. The array of antenna elements in the first direction includes a first antenna group in a middle portion and a second antenna group in two end portions adjacent to the middle portion. The antenna elements in the first antenna group are unequally spaced. The spacing between adjacent antenna elements in the second antenna group is greater than the maximum spacing between adjacent elements in the first antenna group. The amplitude distribution in the antenna module as a whole in the first direction is in a unimodal form in which the amplitude of a radio-frequency signal fed to the antenna elements in the second antenna group is smaller than the amplitude of a radio-frequency signal fed to the antenna elements in the first antenna group.