Wide-beam dipole antenna with director elements
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Phased array antenna systems face challenges in maintaining wide beam widths due to the impact of arbitrary ground planes, which can narrow the beam width and introduce unwanted side-lobes, particularly in mmWave designs like 5G and automotive radar systems where current manufacturing processes have limited capabilities to produce the required antenna sizes.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a wide-beam dipole antenna array with microstrip lines and director elements disposed in a cavity, where the distance between microstrip lines and cavity walls is approximately half the wavelength, and director elements extend inward from the cavity walls, reducing the impact of the ground plane and maintaining wide beam widths in desired directions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If arbitrary ground planes are used in phased array antenna systems, then manufacturing is simplified, but beam width is narrowed and unwanted side-lobes are introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the problematic interaction between the ground plane and antenna elements by introducing director elements that are electrically coupled to the ground plane but spatially separated from the dipole antenna elements. This extraction allows the ground plane to be simplified for manufacturing while the director elements maintain the desired wide beam width by controlling the electromagnetic field distribution independently of the ground plane geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
The director elements serve as intermediary structures between the ground plane and the dipole antenna elements. These intermediaries electrically couple the ground plane to the radiation pattern control without requiring a complex ground plane geometry, thus maintaining manufacturing simplicity while achieving wide beam width through the director elements' strategic positioning and dimensions.
2Ease of manufacture
If arbitrary ground planes are used in phased array antenna systems, then manufacturing is simplified, but unwanted side-lobes are introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the side-lobe control function from the ground plane by implementing director elements that specifically manage the electromagnetic field distribution. This separation allows the ground plane to remain simple for manufacturing while the director elements, positioned at specific distances (approximately half-wavelength) from the dipole elements, control and suppress unwanted side-lobes through their resonant characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The director elements act as intermediary structures that mediate between the simple ground plane and the dipole antenna elements. These intermediaries prevent the ground plane's arbitrary geometry from generating harmful side-lobes by providing a controlled electromagnetic boundary that shapes the radiation pattern, thus eliminating side-lobe issues while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional antenna configurations are used, then manufacturing is straightforward, but beam width is limited to 30-60 degrees
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the antenna system into distinct functional components: dipole antenna elements for primary radiation, director elements for beam shaping, and a simplified ground plane. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured independently using standard PCB techniques, maintaining manufacturing straightforwardness while the collective arrangement of segmented elements achieves the wide 90+ degree beam width through phased array beamforming.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from conventional two-element dipoles to a multi-element phased array configuration arranged in a specific geometric pattern. This dimensional expansion from simple dipole to array structure, with elements spaced at specific intervals (approximately half-wavelength apart), enables wide beam width in the horizontal plane while maintaining vertical dipole simplicity, thus achieving wide coverage without complicating the basic manufacturing process.
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 configuration enables phased array beamforming with wide beam widths of over 90 degrees in the E-plane, significantly improving upon prior antenna configurations, which typically have beam widths of 30-60 degrees, and allows for broader detection in applications like autonomous vehicle object detection.
Implementation Method 1
each of the plurality of dipole antennas includes a first element directed towards the first sidewall and a second element directed towards the second sidewall
Implementation Method 2
a dielectric material disposed in the cavity between the first sidewall and the second sidewall
Implementation Method 3
a substrate with a cavity formed therein, the cavity having a first sidewall and a second sidewall disposed parallel to one another
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques are provided for constructing a wide-beam antenna, for example a dipole antenna printed over an arbitrary ground plane. An example antenna includes at least one wide-beam dipole antenna cell, comprising a substrate, one or more signal lines disposed in the substrate, a conductive cladding disposed on the substrate, a dielectric layer disposed on the conductive cladding, a first sidewall via through the dielectric layer and electrically coupled to the conductive cladding, a second sidewall via extending through the dielectric layer and electrically coupled to the conductive cladding, a dipole antenna element disposed on the dielectric layer between the first sidewall via and the second sidewall via, a first director element disposed on the dielectric layer and extending toward the dipole antenna element, and a second director element disposed on the dielectric layer and extending toward the dipole antenna element.