Planar Reflectarray Antenna With Movable Feedarm for Flush Mounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional satellite antennas protrude from buildings, making them aesthetically unappealing and prone to wind and snow damage, while planar arrays are costly and inefficient due to beam forming networks and limited gain.
Innovation Solution
A satellite antenna design featuring a planar reflector with a movable feedarm, allowing the reflector to remain flat against a surface while the feedarm adjusts for signal focus, utilizing a reflectarray with insulating layers and configurable conducting patches to achieve signal focusing without moving the reflector.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a conventional satellite antenna is used, then signal reception is achieved, but the antenna protrudes from the building surface causing aesthetic issues and vulnerability to wind and snow damage
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies dynamics by making the feedarm movable relative to the planar reflector. The feedarm can rotate about a pivot point and translate along an arc, allowing the system to adapt its configuration. This dynamic capability enables the reflector to remain flat against the building surface while the feedarm adjusts to position the antenna feed in the focusing region, resolving the contradiction between maintaining a flush mounting (reducing protrusion and wind damage) and achieving proper signal focus.
2Shape
If a planar antenna array is used, then the antenna can be mounted flush against the building surface, but the system becomes costly and inefficient due to beam forming networks and reduced gain
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the complex beam forming network from the system. Instead of using a planar antenna array that requires beam forming networks to combine signals from multiple elements, the invention uses a single antenna feed with a movable feedarm配合a planar reflector. This extraction of the beam forming network simplifies the device complexity while maintaining the flat mounting capability against the building surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention copies the focusing capability of traditional parabolic antennas using a planar reflector with a movable feedarm instead of a complex phased array system. By positioning the antenna feed at the appropriate location in the focusing region through mechanical movement of the feedarm, the system achieves signal focusing without requiring beam forming networks, thus reducing device complexity while maintaining flat mounting.
3Reliability
If the planar reflector is moved to adjust signal focus, then proper signal reception is achieved, but the aesthetic appearance and wind resistance are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the antenna system into two independent parts: a fixed planar reflector and a movable feedarm with the antenna feed. The planar reflector remains stationary and flush against the building surface, maintaining aesthetic appearance and wind resistance. The feedarm is separated and made movable, allowing it to adjust the antenna feed position independently to achieve proper signal focus and reception. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by assigning different functions to different segments.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable feedarm acts as an intermediary between the fixed planar reflector and the antenna feed. It mediates the adjustment process by allowing the antenna feed to be positioned in the focusing region without moving the reflector itself. The feedarm's pivot point and arc-shaped movement path enable this intermediary function, preserving the reflector's stable, flush mounting while achieving proper signal reception through feedarm adjustment.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution reduces visual impact and enhances wind resistance while maintaining signal reception efficiency, allowing integration into building surfaces without the need for beam forming networks.
Implementation Method 1
a planar reflector focusing the signal in a given region... the signal reflected by the planar reflector is focused to a given region
Data Source
Figure 1~2B
Figure 3~4
Figure 5A~5B
AI summary
An aspect of the invention concerns a satellite antenna (SA) comprising a planar reflector (PLA), a feedarm (FDA) attached to the planar reflector (PLA) by attaching means (AM); an antenna feed (ANF) attached to the feedarm (FDA) such as to receive the signal focused by the planar reflector (PLA). The planar reflector (PLA) comprises a continuous metallic layer acting as a ground plane and a plurality of conducting patches, said plurality of patches being designed so that the signal reflected by the planar reflector (PLA) is focused to a given focal region, and arranged in one or more layers, such layers being separated among them and from the ground plane by one or more other layers of insulating materials. Furthermore, the attaching means (AM) used to attach the feedarm (FDA) to the planar reflector (PLA) are arranged to allow the feedarm (FDA) to be moved independently from the planar reflector (PLA) so as to position the antenna feed (ANF) in the focused region of the reflected signal.