Low-profile, very wide bandwidth aircraft communications antennas using advanced ground-plane techniques

摘要

A low profile antenna using a cavity-backed central radiating surface surrounded by one or more ground plane surfaces. Passively reconfigurable structure provide frequency dependent coupling between the surfaces. The frequency dependent couplings may be implemented using meander line structures, Variable Impedance Transmission Lines (VITLs), or tunable VITLs that used interspersed electroactive sections.

主权项

1. An apparatus comprising:
a cavity having conductive walls disposed below a reference plane; a center radiating surface located on or above the reference plane and located above the cavity; one or more surrounding ground plane surfaces, disposed on and co-planar with the reference plane above the cavity, and outboard of the center radiating surface, the ground plane surfaces electrically surrounding the center radiating surface; and frequency dependent couplings, disposed between the center radiating surface and at least one of the surrounding ground plane surfaces, and also disposed between at least one of the surrounding ground plane surfaces and at least one conductive wall of the cavity; and further wherein
the center radiating surface comprises a quadrilateral surface having four sides;the quadrilateral surface area comprises four conductive triangular shaped surfaces, disposed such that bases of the triangular surfaces are aligned with respective sides of the quadrilateral surface; andthe surrounding ground plane surfaces further comprise:
a set of four ground plane surfaces, each disposed adjacent to and outboard of a respective one of the four sides of the quadrilateral surface; andat least four frequency dependent couplings, each frequency dependent coupling disposed between a respective one of the ground plane surfaces and quadrilateral surfaces.