Antenna systems having radiating elements therein that are paired with high performance lenses

1 . An antenna, comprising:

a radiating element on a forward-facing surface of an underlying reflector; and

a lens extending in front of and within a radio frequency (RF) transmission path of the radiating element, said lens comprising a two-dimensional array of lens elements having at least three rows and at least three columns therein, said array including:

a first row of equivalently-sized lens elements having geometric centers that are collinear with each other;

a last row of equivalently-sized lens elements having geometric centers that are collinear with each other;

an intermediate row of lens elements having geometric centers that are collinear with each other, extending between the first and last rows of lens elements;

a first column of equivalently-sized lens elements having geometric centers that are collinear with each other, with said first column of lens elements including first and second lens elements within the first and last rows of lens elements, respectively;

a last column of equivalently-sized lens elements having geometric centers that are collinear with each other, with said last column of lens elements including third and fourth lens elements within the first and last rows of lens elements, respectively; and

an intermediate column of lens elements having geometric centers that are collinear with each other, extending between the first and last columns of lens elements;

wherein each of the lens elements in the intermediate row includes a respective forward-facing metal surface having a respective metal opening therein;

wherein each of the lens elements in the intermediate column includes a respective forward-facing metal surface having a respective metal opening therein;

wherein the metal openings associated with all the lens elements in the intermediate row have geometric centers that are collinear with each other; and

wherein the metal openings associated with all the lens elements in the intermediate column have geometric centers that are collinear with each other.

2 . The antenna of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the metal openings associated with the lens elements in the intermediate row have unequal sizes; and wherein a plurality of the metal openings associated with the lens elements in the intermediate column have unequal sizes.

3 . The antenna of claim 2 , wherein the forward-facing metal surfaces of the lens elements in the intermediate row are spaced apart from each other; and wherein the forward-facing metal surfaces of the lens elements in the intermediate column are spaced apart from each other.

4 . The antenna of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of the metal openings associated with the lens elements in the intermediate row have equivalent shapes; and wherein the plurality of the metal openings associated with the lens elements in the intermediate column have equivalent shapes.

5 . The antenna of claim 4 , wherein the forward-facing metal surfaces of the lens elements in the intermediate row have shapes that differ from the shapes of their respective metal openings.

6 . The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the lens is a planar lens.

7 . The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the forward-facing metal surfaces of the lens elements in the intermediate row are coplanar.

8 . The antenna of claim 7 , wherein the forward-facing metal surfaces of the lens elements in the intermediate column are coplanar.

9 . The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the two-dimensional array of lens elements extend within a single unitary body.

10 . The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the two-dimensional array of lens elements includes at least five rows and at least five columns therein.

11 . An antenna, comprising:

a radiating element on a forward-facing surface of an underlying reflector; and

a lens extending in front of and within a radio frequency (RF) transmission path of the radiating element, said lens comprising a two-dimensional array of lens elements having at least three rows and at least three columns therein, said array including:

a first row of equivalently-sized lens elements having geometric centers that are collinear with each other when viewed from a plan layout perspective that faces a forward facing surface(s) of the lens;

a last row of equivalently-sized lens elements having geometric centers that are collinear with each other when viewed from the plan layout perspective;

an intermediate row of lens elements having geometric centers that are collinear with each other when viewed from the plan layout perspective, extending between the first and last rows of lens elements;

a first column of equivalently-sized lens elements having geometric centers that are collinear with each other when viewed from the plan layout perspective, with said first column of lens elements including first and second lens elements within the first and last rows of lens elements, respectively;

a last column of equivalently-sized lens elements having geometric centers that are collinear with each other when viewed from the plan layout perspective, with said last column of lens elements including third and fourth lens elements within the first and last rows of lens elements, respectively; and

an intermediate column of lens elements having geometric centers that are collinear with each other when viewed from the plan layout perspective, extending between the first and last columns of lens elements;

wherein each of the lens elements in the intermediate row includes a respective forward-facing metal surface having a respective metal opening therein;

wherein each of the lens elements in the intermediate column includes a respective forward-facing metal surface having a respective metal opening therein;

wherein the metal openings associated with all the lens elements in the intermediate row have geometric centers that are collinear with each other when viewed from the plan layout perspective; and

wherein the metal openings associated with all the lens elements in the intermediate column have geometric centers that are collinear with each other when viewed from the plan layout perspective.

12 . The antenna of claim 11 , wherein a plurality of the metal openings associated with the lens elements in the intermediate row have unequal sizes; and wherein a plurality of the metal openings associated with the lens elements in the intermediate column have unequal sizes.

13 . The antenna of claim 12 , wherein the forward-facing metal surfaces of the lens elements in the intermediate row are spaced apart from each other; and wherein the forward-facing metal surfaces of the lens elements in the intermediate column are spaced apart from each other.

14 . The antenna of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of the metal openings associated with the lens elements in the intermediate row have equivalent shapes; and wherein the plurality of the metal openings associated with the lens elements in the intermediate column have equivalent shapes.

15 . The antenna of claim 14 , wherein the forward-facing metal surfaces of the lens elements in the intermediate row have shapes that differ from the shapes of their respective metal openings.

16 . The antenna of claim 11 , wherein the two-dimensional array of lens elements extend within a single unitary body.

17 . The antenna of claim 11 , wherein the two-dimensional array of lens elements includes at least five rows and at least five columns therein.