Structural wideband multifunctional apertures

1. A structural wideband multifunctional aperture comprising:

a ground plane operable to ground radio frequency (RF) and direct current (DC) electrical fields;

a structural egg crate circuit board comprising a grid of circuit board planes coupled to the ground plane and configured substantially perpendicular to the ground plane around a plurality of open boxes, and operable to support a structural load;

a signal feed-line coupled to the structural egg crate circuit board and operable to couple to a signal transmission line, and configured perpendicular to the ground plane; and

a driven feed layer configured substantially parallel to the ground plane and coupled to the signal feed-line and to a side of the structural egg crate circuit board opposite to the ground plane

wherein the driven feed layer is configured in a unit cell for an electronically steerable array.

2. The structural wideband multifunctional aperture of claim 1 , further comprising:

a grounded shorting-line coupled to the structural egg crate circuit board and the ground plane; and

a grounded feed layer configured parallel to the ground plane and coupled to the grounded shorting-line and to the structural egg crate circuit board opposite to the ground plane.

3. The structural wideband multifunctional aperture of claim 2 , wherein the driven feed layer and the grounded feed layer comprise a trapezoidal configuration.

4. The structural wideband multifunctional aperture of claim 2 , further comprising:

a driven antenna element configured to electromagnetically couple to the driven feed layer; and

a grounded antenna element configured to electromagnetically couple to the grounded feed layer.

5. The structural wideband multifunctional aperture of claim 4 , wherein the driven antenna element and the grounded antenna element comprise a bow-tie configuration.

6. The structural wideband multifunctional aperture of claim 4 , further comprising a dielectric cover covering the driven antenna element and the grounded antenna element, wherein the dielectric cover comprises one of: a single layer comprising low electromagnetic loss material, a plurality of layers comprising differing low electromagnetic loss materials.

7. The structural wideband multifunctional aperture of claim 1 , wherein the structural wideband multifunctional aperture comprises an aircraft skin, and is configured to bear loads on the aircraft skin.

8. The structural wideband multifunctional aperture of claim 1 , wherein the structural egg crate circuit board comprises a low dielectric quartz fabric.

9. The structural wideband multifunctional aperture of claim 1 , wherein the open boxes are filled with a low dielectric material.

10. The structural wideband multifunctional aperture of claim 1 , wherein the structural wideband multifunctional aperture is configured as a dual-polarized dipole antenna structure.

11. The structural wideband multifunctional aperture of claim 10 , wherein the structural wideband multifunctional aperture is configured with a matching bandwidth ratio of at least 5:1 of high frequency to low frequency.

12. The structural wideband multifunctional aperture of claim 1 , wherein the structural wideband multifunctional aperture is configured with a matching bandwidth ratio of at least 5:1 of high frequency to low frequency.

13. A method for forming a structural wideband multifunctional aperture comprising:

coupling a structural egg crate circuit board comprising a grid of circuit board planes to a ground plane;

configuring the structural egg crate circuit board substantially perpendicular to the ground plane around a plurality of open boxes, and to support a structural load;

coupling a signal feed-line to the structural egg crate circuit board, the signal feed-line operable to couple to a signal transmission line, and configured perpendicular to the ground plane, wherein the driven feed layer is configured in a unit cell for an electronically steerable array;

configuring a driven feed layer substantially parallel to the ground plane; and

coupling the driven feed layer to the signal feed-line and to a side of the structural egg crate circuit board opposite to the ground plane.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

coupling a grounded shorting-line to the structural egg crate circuit board and the ground plane;

configuring a grounded feed layer parallel to the ground plane; and

coupling the grounded feed layer to the grounded shorting-line and to the structural egg crate circuit board opposite to the ground plane.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising configuring the driven feed layer and the grounded feed layer in a trapezoidal configuration.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

configuring a driven antenna element to electromagnetically couple to the driven feed layer; and

configuring a grounded antenna element to electromagnetically couple to the grounded feed layer.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising configuring the driven antenna element and the grounded antenna to comprise a bow-tie configuration.

18. The method of claim 13 , further comprising filling the open boxes with a low dielectric material.

19. The method of claim 13 , further comprising configuring an aircraft skin comprising the structural wideband multifunctional aperture.

20. The method of claim 13 , further comprising configuring the ground plane to ground radio frequency (RF) and direct current (DC) electrical fields.

21. The structural wideband multifunctional aperture of claim 13 , wherein the structural wideband multifunctional aperture is configured as a dual-polarized dipole antenna structure.

22. The structural wideband multifunctional aperture of claim 13 , wherein the structural wideband multifunctional aperture is configured with a matching bandwidth ratio of at least 5:1 of high frequency to low frequency.

23. A method for operating a structural wideband multifunctional aperture comprising:

electromagnetically coupling a signal feed-line to a signal transmission line, the signal feed-line configured perpendicular to the ground plane and coupled to a structural egg crate circuit board comprising a grid of circuit board planes coupled to a ground plane and configured substantially perpendicular to the ground plane around a plurality of open boxes and operable to support a structural load; and

electromagnetically coupling a driven feed layer to the signal feed-line, the driven feed layer configured substantially parallel to the ground plane and coupled to the signal feed-line and coupled to a side of the structural egg crate circuit board opposite to the ground plane,

wherein the driven feed layer is configured in a unit cell for an electronically steerable array.

24. The method of claim 23 , further comprising:

grounding a grounded shorting-line coupled to the structural egg crate circuit board to the ground plane operable to ground radio frequency (RF) and direct current (DC) electrical fields; and

grounding a grounded feed layer with the grounded shorting-line, the grounded feed layer configured parallel to the ground plane and coupled to the grounded shorting-line and to the structural egg crate circuit board opposite to the ground plane.

25. The method of claim 24 , further comprising:

electromagnetically coupling a driven antenna element to the driven feed layer; and

electromagnetically coupling a grounded antenna element to the grounded feed layer.

26. The method of claim 23 , wherein the structural wideband multifunctional aperture is configured as a dual-polarized dipole antenna structure.

27. The method of claim right above 26 , wherein the structural wideband multifunctional aperture is configured with a matching bandwidth ratio of at least 5:1 of high frequency to low frequency.

28. The method of claim 23 , wherein the structural wideband multifunctional aperture is configured with a matching bandwidth ratio of at least 5:1 of high frequency to low frequency.

29. A structural wideband multifunctional aperture comprising:

a ground plane operable to ground radio frequency (RF) and direct current (DC) electrical fields;

a structural egg crate circuit board comprising a grid of circuit board planes coupled to the ground plane and configured substantially perpendicular to the ground plane around a plurality of open boxes, and operable to support a structural load;

a signal feed-line coupled to the structural egg crate circuit board and operable to couple to a signal transmission line, and configured perpendicular to the ground plane; and

a driven feed layer configured substantially parallel to the ground plane and coupled to the signal feed-line and to a side of the structural egg crate circuit board opposite to the ground plane

wherein the structural wideband multifunctional aperture is configured as a dual-polarized dipole antenna structure.

30. The structural wideband multifunctional aperture of claim 29 , wherein the structural wideband multifunctional aperture is configured with a matching bandwidth ratio of at least 5:1 of high frequency to low frequency.

31. A structural wideband multifunctional aperture comprising:

a ground plane operable to ground radio frequency (RF) and direct current (DC) electrical fields;

a structural egg crate circuit board comprising a grid of circuit board planes coupled to the ground plane and configured substantially perpendicular to the ground plane around a plurality of open boxes, and operable to support a structural load;

a signal feed-line coupled to the structural egg crate circuit board and operable to couple to a signal transmission line, and configured perpendicular to the ground plane; and

a driven feed layer configured substantially parallel to the ground plane and coupled to the signal feed-line and to a side of the structural egg crate circuit board opposite to the ground plane

wherein the structural wideband multifunctional aperture is configured with a matching bandwidth ratio of at least 5:1 of high frequency to low frequency.

32. A method for forming a structural wideband multifunctional aperture comprising:

coupling a structural egg crate circuit board comprising a grid of circuit board planes to a ground plane;

configuring the structural egg crate circuit board substantially perpendicular to the ground plane around a plurality of open boxes, and to support a structural load;

coupling a signal feed-line to the structural egg crate circuit board, the signal feed-line operable to couple to a signal transmission line, and configured perpendicular to the ground plane;

configuring a driven feed layer substantially parallel to the ground plane; and

coupling the driven feed layer to the signal feed-line and to a side of the structural egg crate circuit board opposite to the ground plane

wherein the structural wideband multifunctional aperture is configured as a dual-polarized dipole antenna structure.

33. The structural wideband multifunctional aperture of claim 32 , wherein the structural wideband multifunctional aperture is configured with a matching bandwidth ratio of at least 5:1 of high frequency to low frequency.

34. The structural wideband multifunctional aperture of claim 33 , wherein the driven feed layer is configured in a unit cell for an electronically steerable array.

35. A method for forming a structural wideband multifunctional aperture comprising:

coupling a structural egg crate circuit board comprising a grid of circuit board planes to a ground plane;

configuring the structural egg crate circuit board substantially perpendicular to the ground plane around a plurality of open boxes, and to support a structural load;

coupling a signal feed-line to the structural egg crate circuit board, the signal feed-line operable to couple to a signal transmission line, and configured perpendicular to the ground plane;

configuring a driven feed layer substantially parallel to the ground plane; and

coupling the driven feed layer to the signal feed-line and to a side of the structural egg crate circuit board opposite to the ground plane;

wherein the structural wideband multifunctional aperture is configured with a matching bandwidth ratio of at least 5:1 of high frequency to low frequency.

36. A method for operating a structural wideband multifunctional aperture comprising:

electromagnetically coupling a signal feed-line to a signal transmission line, the signal feed-line configured perpendicular to the ground plane and coupled to a structural egg crate circuit board comprising a grid of circuit board planes coupled to a ground plane and configured substantially perpendicular to the ground plane around a plurality of open boxes and operable to support a structural load; and

electromagnetically coupling a driven feed layer to the signal feed-line, the driven feed layer configured substantially parallel to the ground plane and coupled to the signal feed-line and coupled to a side of the structural egg crate circuit board opposite to the ground plane,

wherein the structural wideband multifunctional aperture is configured as a dual-polarized dipole antenna structure.

37. The method of claim 36 , wherein the structural wideband multifunctional aperture is configured with a matching bandwidth ratio of at least 5:1 of high frequency to low frequency.

38. A method for operating a structural wideband multifunctional aperture comprising:

electromagnetically coupling a signal feed-line to a signal transmission line, the signal feed-line configured perpendicular to the ground plane and coupled to a structural egg crate circuit board comprising a grid of circuit board planes coupled to a ground plane and configured substantially perpendicular to the ground plane around a plurality of open boxes and operable to support a structural load; and

electromagnetically coupling a driven feed layer to the signal feed-line, the driven feed layer configured substantially parallel to the ground plane and coupled to the signal feed-line and coupled to a side of the structural egg crate circuit board opposite to the ground plane

wherein the structural wideband multifunctional aperture is configured with a matching bandwidth ratio of at least 5:1 of high frequency to low frequency.