Granted Patent B1

US 6,967,625 · App. 10/335,382 · Granted Nov 22, 2005

Abstract

Claims (64)

1. An antenna element, comprising:

a first coplanar waveguide dipole configured to generate an e-field transmission, the first coplanar waveguide dipole including a shorted coplanar waveguide channel and a coplanar waveguide channel separated by a conductor, and

at least a second coplanar waveguide dipole positioned adjacent the first coplanar waveguide dipole and configured to further generate the e-field transmission, the at least second coplanar waveguide dipole including a second shorted coplanar waveguide channel and a second coplanar waveguide channel separated by a second conductor.

2. An antenna element as recited in claim 1 , further comprising additional coplanar waveguide dipoles, wherein each of the first coplanar waveguide dipole, the at least second coplanar waveguide dipole, and the additional coplanar waveguide dipoles is positioned coplanar to an adjacent coplanar waveguide dipole and is configured to generate an E-plane omni-directional transmission pattern.

3. An antenna element as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first coplanar waveguide dipole and the at least second coplanar waveguide dipole each include a balun configured to balance radio frequency currents between the adjacent coplanar waveguide dipoles.

4. An antenna element as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first coplanar waveguide dipole includes a balun configured to balance a current in a first half of the coplanar waveguide dipole with an opposing current in a second half of the coplanar waveguide dipole.

5. An antenna element as recited in claim 1 , wherein the coplanar waveguide channel of the first coplanar waveguide dipole and the coplanar waveguide channel of the at least second coplanar waveguide dipole each has an impedance configured to match an impedance of a transmission signal conductor coupled to the antenna element.

6. An antenna element as recited in claim 1 , further comprising additional coplanar waveguide dipoles, wherein each of the first coplanar waveguide dipole, the at least second coplanar waveguide dipole, and the additional coplanar waveguide dipoles are positioned coplanar to an adjacent coplanar waveguide dipole and includes a balun configured to balance opposing currents between the adjacent coplanar waveguide dipoles.

7. An antenna element as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a center section configured to couple the first coplanar waveguide dipole and the at least second coplanar waveguide dipole to a radio frequency transmission signal.

8. An antenna element as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a center section configured to couple the first coplanar waveguide dipole and the at least second coplanar waveguide dipole to a radio frequency transmission signal such that each of the first coplanar waveguide dipole and the at least second coplanar waveguide dipole generates the e-field transmission.

9. An antenna element as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first coplanar waveguide dipole includes a first slotted coplanar sector positioned adjacent a second slotted coplanar sector.

10. An antenna element as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first coplanar waveguide dipole includes a first slotted coplanar sector positioned adjacent a second slotted coplanar sector, and wherein the second coplanar waveguide dipole includes the second coplanar sector positioned adjacent a third slotted coplanar sector.

11. An antenna element as recited in claim 1 , wherein:

the first coplanar waveguide dipole includes a first slotted coplanar sector positioned adjacent a second slotted coplanar sector to form the coplanar waveguide channel between the first slotted coplanar sector and the second slotted coplanar sector; and

the first slotted coplanar sector includes the shorted coplanar waveguide channel and the conductor.

12. An antenna assembly comprising one or more antenna elements as recited in claim 1 .

13. An antenna clement, comprising:

five coplanar waveguide dipoles each positioned adjacent two of the five coplanar waveguide dipoles, each coplanar waveguide dipole configured to generate an e-field transmission; and

a center section configured to couple the five coplanar waveguide dipoles to a radio frequency transmission signal such that the e-field transmissions from each of the five coplanar waveguide dipoles are combined to form an E-plane omni-directional transmission pattern.

14. An antenna element as recited in claim 13 , wherein the five coplanar waveguide dipoles each include a balun configured to balance radio frequency currents between the adjacent coplanar waveguide dipoles.

15. An antenna element as recited in claim 13 , wherein the five coplanar waveguide dipoles each include a balun configured to balance a current in a first coplanar waveguide dipole with an opposing current in an adjacent second coplanar waveguide dipole.

16. An antenna element as recited in claim 13 , wherein the five coplanar waveguide dipoles each include a balun configured to balance a current in a first half of a coplanar waveguide dipole with an opposing current in a second half of the coplanar waveguide dipole.

17. An antenna element as recited in claim 13 , wherein each of the five coplanar waveguide dipoles include a coplanar waveguide channel that has an impedance configured to match an impedance of a transmission signal conductor coupled to the antenna element.

18. An antenna element as recited in claim 13 , wherein each of the five coplanar waveguide dipoles include a first slotted coplanar sector positioned adjacent a second slotted coplanar sector.

19. An antenna element as recited in claim 13 , wherein:

each of the five coplanar waveguide dipoles include a first slotted coplanar sector positioned adjacent a second slotted coplanar sector to form a coplanar waveguide channel between the first slotted coplanar sector and the second slotted coplanar sector; and

the first slotted coplanar sector includes a shorted coplanar waveguide channel and a conductor, the shorted coplanar waveguide channel and the coplanar waveguide channel separated by the conductor.

20. An antenna element as recited in claim 13 , wherein:

a first coplanar waveguide dipole includes a first slotted coplanar sector positioned adjacent a second slotted coplanar sector;

a second coplanar waveguide dipole includes the second slotted coplanar sector positioned adjacent a third slotted coplanar sector;

a third coplanar waveguide dipole includes the third slotted coplanar sector positioned adjacent a fourth slotted coplanar sector;

a fourth coplanar waveguide dipole includes the fourth slotted coplanar sector positioned adjacent a fifth slotted coplanar sector; and

a fifth coplanar waveguide dipole includes the fifth slotted coplanar sector positioned adjacent the first slotted coplanar sector.

21. An antenna assembly comprising one or more antenna elements as recited in claim 13 .

22. An antenna element, comprising:

a first slotted coplanar sector;

at least a second slotted coplanar sector positioned adjacent the first slotted coplanar sector such that a coplanar waveguide channel is formed between the first slotted coplanar sector and the second slotted coplanar sector; and

a coplanar waveguide dipole configured to generate an e-field transmission, the coplanar waveguide dipole including the first slotted coplanar sector and the at least second slotted coplanar sector.

23. An antenna element as recited in claim 22 , further comprising additional slotted coplanar sectors, wherein each of the first slotted coplanar sector, the at least second slotted coplanar sector, and the additional slotted coplanar sectors is positioned coplanar to an adjacent slotted coplanar sector such that a coplanar waveguide channel is formed between each adjacent slotted coplanar sector.

24. An antenna element as recited in claim 22 , further comprising additional slotted coplanar sectors, wherein each of the first slotted coplanar sector, the at least second slotted coplanar sector, and the additional slotted coplanar sectors is positioned coplanar to an adjacent slotted coplanar sector such that an E-Plane omni-directional transmission pattern is generated.

25. An antenna element as recited in claim 22 , wherein the coplanar waveguide channel formed between the first slotted coplanar sector and the at least second slotted coplanar sector has an impedance configured to match an impedance of a transmission signal conductor coupled to the antenna element.

26. An antenna element as recited in claim 22 , further comprising a center section configured to couple the first slotted coplanar sector and the at least second slotted coplanar sector to a radio frequency transmission signal.

27. An antenna element as recited in claim 22 , further comprising a center section configured to couple the first slotted coplanar sector and the at least second slotted coplanar sector to a radio frequency transmission signal such that an E-field is generated with the waveguide channel.

28. An antenna element as recited in claim 22 , wherein the first slotted coplanar sector is a first half of the coplanar waveguide dipole and wherein the at least second slotted coplanar sector is a second half of the coplanar waveguide dipole.

29. An antenna element as recited in claim 22 , further comprising:

a third slotted coplanar sector positioned adjacent the second slotted coplanar sector such that a second coplanar waveguide channel is formed between the second slotted coplanar sector and the third slotted coplanar sector;

a fourth slotted coplanar sector positioned adjacent the third slotted coplanar sector such that a third coplanar waveguide channel is formed between the third slotted coplanar sector and the fourth slotted coplanar sector; and

a fifth slotted coplanar sector positioned adjacent the fourth slotted coplanar sector such that a fourth coplanar waveguide channel is formed between the fourth slotted coplanar sector and the fifth slotted coplanar sector, the fifth slotted coplanar sector further positioned adjacent the first slotted coplanar sector such that a fifth coplanar waveguide channel is formed between the first slotted coplanar sector and the fifth slotted coplanar sector.

30. An antenna assembly comprising one or more antenna elements as recited in claim 22 .

31. An antenna system, comprising:

an antenna assembly of one or more antenna elements, each antenna element configured to transmit a communication signal over an E-plane omni-directional transmission pattern;

one or more devices configured to receive the communication signal as a wireless transmission; and

the one or more antenna elements each including slotted coplanar sectors positioned to form a coplanar waveguide channel between two adjacent slotted coplanar sectors, and each including a center section configured to couple the slotted coplanar sectors to a radio frequency transmission signal such that coplanar waveguide channel e-fields are generated to form the E-plane omni-directional transmission pattern.

32. An antenna system as recited in claim 31 , wherein the one or more antenna elements each include coplanar waveguide dipoles that are each configured to generate an e-field transmission.

33. An antenna system as recited in claim 31 , wherein the one or more antenna elements each include coplanar waveguide dipoles that each have a balun configured to balance radio frequency currents between adjacent coplanar waveguide dipoles.

34. An antenna system as recited in claim 31 , wherein the one or more antenna elements each include coplanar waveguide dipoles that each have a balun configured to balance a current in a first slotted coplanar sector with an opposing current in a second slotted coplanar sector.

35. An antenna system as recited in claim 31 , wherein the one or more antenna elements each include coplanar waveguide dipoles that each have a coplanar waveguide channel formed between two adjacent slotted coplanar sectors, and wherein each of the coplanar waveguide channels has an impedance configured to match an impedance of a transmission signal conductor coupled to the one or more antenna elements.

36. An antenna system as recited in claim 31 , wherein:

a first antenna element is coupled to a second antenna element with a center conductive rod that is configured to couple the first antenna element and the second antenna element to a radio frequency transmission signal; and

the first antenna element is further coupled to the second antenna element with one or more outer conductive rods each configured to provide a grounded return for the radio frequency transmission signal, and further configured to shield the center conductive rod.

37. An antenna system as recited in claim 31 , wherein:

a first antenna element is coupled to a second antenna element with a center conductive rod that is configured to couple the first antenna element and the second antenna element to a radio frequency transmission signal; and

the first antenna element is further coupled to the second antenna element with one or more outer conductive rods each configured to provide a grounded return for the radio frequency transmission signal, and further configured to form a transverse electromagnetic propagated wave between the center conductive rod and an outer conductive rod.

38. A wireless communication system comprising one or more antenna systems as recited in claim 31 .

Assignments (9)