Stacked Antenna Elements with Switching for Beam Direction Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing antenna systems face challenges in adjusting directional patterns efficiently, particularly when the communication target's position changes or when high-speed movement is involved, as they require complex phase control circuits or mechanical rotation, leading to limited angle adjustments and reduced radiation efficiency due to large side lobes.
Innovation Solution
An antenna apparatus with a power feed unit, waveguide, and stacked antenna elements that can be shifted by a predetermined angle, allowing for simple switching to adjust the directional pattern without a complicated feed configuration, using a switching unit to select power feed units and distribute radio signals in the same phase and amplitude through multiple waveguides.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If phase difference control is used to adjust directional pattern, then beam direction can be controlled, but device complexity increases due to additional phase control circuits
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the complex phase control circuits from the antenna system. Instead of controlling phase electronically, the invention uses a simple switching mechanism that selects between pre-configured antenna elements with different physical orientations, thereby achieving beam direction control without the disturbing phase control circuitry.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the electronic phase control system with a mechanical switching system. The antenna elements are physically oriented at different angles, and a switching mechanism selects which element to activate, substituting complex electronic phase manipulation with simpler mechanical/structural arrangement and switching.
2Ease of operation
If phase difference control is used to adjust directional pattern, then beam direction can be controlled, but radiation efficiency decreases due to large side lobes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by designing antenna elements with specific local orientations (different angular positions) rather than using a uniform array. Each antenna element is positioned and oriented to radiate in a specific directional sector, allowing the system to achieve good radiation efficiency in the desired direction by selecting the appropriately oriented element for each angular sector.
3Ease of operation
If mechanical rotation is used to adjust directional pattern, then beam direction can be adjusted, but device complexity increases due to separate rotation structure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the antenna system into multiple discrete antenna elements, each oriented at a different angle. Instead of rotating a single continuous antenna structure, the system divides the coverage into angular sectors with dedicated antenna elements for each sector, eliminating the need for mechanical rotation mechanisms while achieving similar directional control.
4Ease of operation
If mechanical rotation is used to adjust directional pattern, then beam direction can be adjusted, but measurement precision decreases for high-speed moving targets
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-configuring multiple antenna elements at different angular orientations before operation. When a high-speed moving target needs to be tracked, the system can immediately switch between pre-positioned antenna elements corresponding to different angular sectors, eliminating the time delay and precision errors associated with mechanical rotation during high-speed tracking.
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
This solution enables efficient adjustment of the directional pattern within a desired angle range, improving radiation efficiency and allowing for accurate beam tracking of a communication target, even at high speeds, without the need for mechanical rotation or complex phase control.
Implementation Method 1
a waveguide through which a radio signal provided from the power feed unit propagates
Implementation Method 2
a plurality of antenna elements including radiation slots for radiating the radio signal propagated through the waveguide
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is an antenna apparatus which allows adjusting a directional pattern to a desired direction through a simple switching without employing a complicated feed structure of an array antenna and a vehicle having the same. The antenna apparatus includes a power feed unit, a waveguide through which a radio signal provided from the power feed unit propagates, a plurality of antenna elements including radiation slots from which the radio signal propagating through the waveguide is radiated and configured to be shifted by a predetermined angle and stacked, and a switching unit configured to switch at least one of the power feed units included in the plurality of antenna elements in order to select at least one of the plurality of antenna elements.