THREE-DIMENSIONAL ANTENNA ASSEMBLY AND APPLICATIONS THEREOF
An antenna assembly includes a substrate, a plurality of spiral dipole antenna sections, and a phase array feeder. The substrate has a three-dimensional shaped region. Each of the spiral dipole antenna sections is supported by a corresponding section of the three-dimensional shaped region and conforms to the corresponding section of the three-dimensional shaped region such that, collectively, the plurality of spiral dipole antenna sections has an overall shape approximating a three-dimensional shape. The spiral dipole antenna sections are coupled together in accordance with a coupling configuration for beamforming and/or power combining. The phase array feeder inputs, or outputs, a phase offset representations of a radio frequency (RF) signal from, or to, the spiral dipole antenna sections and converts between the phase offset representations of the RF signal and the RF signal.
1 . (canceled)
2 . A Radio Frequency (RF) front end comprising:
a three-dimensional structure formed upon or in a surface of a substrate;
a plurality of antennas, at least a portion of which are formed on the three-dimensional structure, wherein each antenna of the plurality of antennas conforms to a corresponding portion of the three-dimensional structure and wherein, the plurality of antennas has an overall three-dimensional shape corresponding to the three-dimensional structure; and
a phase array interface configured to:
interface a plurality of phase offset representations of a radio frequency (RF) signal with the plurality of antennas; and
convert between the plurality of phase offset representations of the RF signal and the RF signal.
3 . The RF front end of claim 2 , wherein the three-dimensional structure has a convex shape and is formed upon the surface of the substrate and.
4 . The RF front end of claim 3 , wherein the convex shape comprises a rectangular prism.
5 . The RF front end of claim 3 , wherein the convex shape comprises a spherical cap.
6 . The RF front end of claim 2 , wherein the three-dimensional structure comprises a concave depression formed within the surface of the substrate.
7 . The RF front end of claim 2 , wherein the three-dimensional structure comprises one or more of:
a cup shape:
a conical shape;
a cylindrical shape;
a pyramid shape;
a box shape;
a spherical shape;
a parabolic shape; or
a hyperbolic shape.
8 . The RF front end of claim 2 , wherein the phase array interface is further configured to establish the plurality of phase offset representations of the RF signal in accordance with a selected beam form angle.
9 . The RF front end of claim 2 , wherein the substrate comprises one of:
a printed circuit board;
an integrated circuit package substrate; or
a non-conductive fabricated antenna backing structure.
10 . A Radio Frequency (RF) front end comprising:
receive-transmit isolation circuitry configured to isolate an inbound Radio Frequency (RF) signal from an outbound RF signal;
a phase array interface coupled to the receive-transmit isolation circuitry and configured to:
convert the output RF signal to a plurality of phase offset representations of the output RF signal; and
convert a plurality of phase offset representations of the inbound RF signal to the inbound RF signal;
a three-dimensional structure formed upon or in a surface of a substrate; and
a plurality of antennas coupled to the phase array interface, at least a portion of which are formed on the three-dimensional structure, wherein each antenna of the plurality of antennas conforms to a corresponding portion of the three-dimensional structure and wherein, the plurality of antennas has an overall three-dimensional shape corresponding to the three-dimensional structure.
11 . The RF front end of claim 10 , further comprising tuning circuitry coupled to the receive-transmit isolation circuitry and configured to tune the receive-transmit isolation circuitry.
12 . The RF front end of claim 10 , wherein the phase array interface is configured to:
couple the plurality of phase offset representations of the output RF signal to the plurality of antennas; and
receive the plurality of phase offset representations of the inbound RF signal from the plurality of antennas.
13 . The RF front end of claim 11 , wherein the three-dimensional structure has a convex shape and is formed upon the surface of the substrate.
14 . The RF front end of claim 13 , wherein the convex shape comprises a rectangular prism.
15 . The RF front end of claim 13 , wherein the convex shape comprises a spherical cap.
16 . The RF front end of claim 10 , wherein the three-dimensional structure comprises a concave depression formed within the surface of the substrate.
17 . The RF front end of claim 10 , wherein the three-dimensional structure comprises one or more of:
a cup shape:
a conical shape;
a cylindrical shape;
a pyramid shape;
a box shape;
a spherical shape;
a parabolic shape; or
a hyperbolic shape.
18 . The RF front end of claim 10 , wherein the phase array interface is further configured to establish the plurality of phase offset representations of the RF signal in accordance with a selected beam form angle.
19 . The RF front end of claim 10 , wherein the substrate comprises one of:
a printed circuit board;
an integrated circuit package substrate; or
a non-conductive fabricated antenna backing structure.
20 . A Radio Frequency (RF) front end comprising:
a substrate comprising at least one RF circuit component;
a three-dimensional structure formed upon or in a surface of the substrate;
a plurality of antennas, at least a portion of which are formed on the three-dimensional structure, wherein each antenna of the plurality of antennas conforms to a corresponding portion of the three-dimensional structure and wherein, the plurality of antennas has an overall three-dimensional shape corresponding to the three-dimensional structure; and
a phase array interface configured to:
interface a plurality of phase offset representations of a radio frequency (RF) signal with the plurality of antennas; and
convert between the plurality of phase offset representations of the RF signal and the RF signal.
21 . The RF front end of claim 20 , wherein the substrate comprises one of:
a printed circuit board;
an integrated circuit package substrate; or
a non-conductive fabricated antenna backing structure.