Wideband Whale Tail Antenna Element for Multiband Signal Transmission
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional antennas are inefficient due to their large size, fragility, and limited frequency adaptability, leading to multiple antenna sites in close proximity, which are aesthetically unpleasing and costly to maintain, and require extensive inventory and customization for varying frequencies and polarizations, hindering efficient communication and installation.
Innovation Solution
A single, modular, wideband radiator antenna element capable of operating across 470 MHz to 5.8 GHz, formed on a planar substrate with a unique 'whale tail' design, allowing for easy configuration and combination into arrays for customizable frequency, gain, and polarization, with electrical pathways for impedance matching and signal timing optimization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional large dipole or mast type antennas are used, then signal strength is sufficient for cellular communication, but the antenna size becomes large and aesthetically unpleasing
Solution Approach 1:
The antenna is divided into multiple radiator elements (at least two) that are electrically connected through a power divider/summer circuit. Each radiator element can be smaller in size, but collectively they provide the necessary signal strength through constructive interference and signal combining, resolving the contradiction between small individual element size and overall signal strength requirement.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple radiator elements are merged into a single antenna system with a common feed point through the power divider/summer circuit. This merging allows the antenna to achieve the signal strength of a large conventional antenna while maintaining a more compact and aesthetically pleasing form factor suitable for rooftop installation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple service providers install their own separate antenna sites, then each provider maintains system independence and frequency specificity, but the number of antenna sites increases leading to antenna blight
Solution Approach 1:
The antenna is designed with a power divider/summer circuit that can handle multiple frequency bands and polarization types (horizontal and vertical). This universal design allows a single antenna site to serve multiple service providers and frequency requirements, eliminating the need for separate dedicated antenna sites for each provider and reducing overall antenna blight.
Solution Approach 2:
The antenna system incorporates switchable or reconfigurable elements that can dynamically adapt to different frequency bands and polarization requirements. This dynamic capability allows the same physical antenna infrastructure to serve multiple carriers and technologies (3G, 4G, GSM, CDMA) without requiring separate fixed installations for each.
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional antennas are constructed with multiple parts including light weight aluminum tubing, then the antenna can be formed to satisfy frequency requirements, but the antenna becomes fragile and prone to damage from elements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a rigid substrate (such as fiberglass or metal panel) that provides structural durability and weather resistance. The radiator elements are mounted on this robust substrate rather than being constructed from fragile lightweight aluminum tubing, maintaining frequency configuration capability while significantly improving durability and resistance to environmental elements.
4Reliability
If specialized antennas are designed for each frequency band, then optimal performance is achieved for specific frequencies, but device complexity and inventory requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The power divider/summer circuit is designed to handle multiple frequency bands and polarization types through a single unified structure. This universal design maintains optimal performance across different frequencies without requiring separate specialized antennas for each band, thereby reducing device complexity and inventory requirements while preserving frequency-specific performance.
Data Source
AI summary
An antenna element employable singularly or in an array and configured for concurrent RF transmission and receipt on a plurality of frequencies concurrently. The element is formed of conductive material on a substrate by a pair of substantially identical horns extending in opposite directions to distal tips. A cavity formed between the horns narrows to a narrowest point prior to curving. The element is capable of wideband RF communication on any frequency between a low frequency defined by the distance between the distal tips to a highest frequency defined by the narrowest point of the cavity. The antenna is especially well adapted for portable devices such as smartphones where concurrent cellular, Wi-Fi, and bluetooth communications may be accomplished with a single element.