Kymeta Corporation

Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

Felix Chen

Steven Howard Linn

Cagdas Varel

Yoshinori Tanaka

Ryan Allan Stevenson

Takeshi Hara

Colin Stuart Short

Steve Linn

Susumu Nakano

Yoji Taniguchi

Chris M Eylander

Kenichi Kitoh

Robert E Morey

Andrew Russell Turner

Stephen Olfert

Ken Harp

Koji Yasuda

Mehdi Afkhami Reihani

Corey Pfeiff

Brad Laird

Jonathan Byron

Expansion compensation structures for an antenna are disclosed. In one embodiment, the antenna comprises: an array of antenna elements; and a structure coupled to the array of antenna elements, the structure having a plurality of components comprising materials having different coefficients of thermal expansion (CTEs), wherein first and second components of the plurality of components are pin bonded with one or more pins, and one or more components of the plurality of components other than the first and second components are between the first and second components and have one or more slots through which the one or more pins traverse and have CTEs different than CTEs of the first and second components.

Expansion compensation structure for an antenna

A scanning antenna includes a transmission and/or reception region including a plurality of antenna units and a non-transmission and/or reception region other than the transmission and/or reception region. The scanning antenna includes a TFT substrate, a slot substrate, a liquid crystal layer provided between the TFT substrate and the slot substrate, a seal portion provided in the non-transmission and/or reception region and surrounding the liquid crystal layer, a reflective conductive plate disposed opposing a second main surface of a second dielectric substrate with a dielectric layer interposed between the reflective conductive plate and the second main surface, a first spacer structure defining a first gap between a first dielectric substrate and the second dielectric substrate in the transmission and/or reception region, and a second spacer structure defining a second gap between the first dielectric substrate and the second dielectric substrate in the non-transmission and/or reception region, the second gap being wider than the first gap. The second spacer structure is disposed within the seal portion or within a region surrounded by the seal portion.

Scanning antenna and method for manufacturing scanning antenna

An apparatus for exchanging liquid crystal (LC) between two areas of an antenna array and method for using the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, the antenna comprises an antenna element array having a plurality of radiating radio-frequency (RF) antenna elements formed using portions of first and second substrates with a liquid crystal (LC) therebetween, and a structure between the first and second substrates and outside the area of the RF antenna elements to collect LC from an area between the first and second substrates forming the RF antenna elements due to LC expansion.

LC reservoir

A scanning antenna includes a transmission and/or reception region including a plurality of antenna units and a non-transmission and/or reception region other than the transmission and/or reception region. The scanning antenna includes a TFT substrate, a slot substrate, a liquid crystal layer provided between the TFT substrate and the slot substrate, a seal portion provided in the non-transmission and/or reception region and surrounding the liquid crystal layer, and a reflective conductive plate disposed opposing a second main surface of a second dielectric substrate with a dielectric layer interposed between the reflective conductive plate and the second main surface. The slot electrode includes an opening or a recessed portion formed in the non-transmission and/or reception region and in the region surrounded by the seal portion.

A scanning antenna includes a transmission and/or reception region including a plurality of antenna units and a non-transmission and/or reception region other than the transmission and/or reception region. The scanning antenna includes a TFT substrate, a slot substrate, a liquid crystal layer, a seal portion surrounding the liquid crystal layer, a wall structure (additional seal portion) disposed in a region surrounded by the seal portion in the non-transmission and/or reception region, a reflective conductive plate, a first spacer structure defining a first gap between a first dielectric substrate and a second dielectric substrate in the transmission and/or reception region, and a second spacer structure disposed in the wall structure and defining a second gap wider than the first gap. The wall structure includes a first main side face and a second main side face that intersect a surface of the first dielectric substrate, and at least one of the first main side face and the second main side face includes a plurality of recessed portions and/or a plurality of protruding portions when viewed from a normal direction of the first dielectric substrate.

An apparatus for exchanging liquid crystal (LC) between two areas of an antenna array in an antenna and method for using the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, the antenna comprises an antenna element array formed using portions of first and second substrates with a liquid crystal (LC) therebetween, and a structure between the first and second substrates and in an area outside of, and at an outer periphery of, the antenna element array to collect LC from an area between the first and second substrates forming the RF antenna elements due to LC expansion and to provide LC to the area between the first and second substrates forming the RF antenna elements due to LC contraction, the structure having a plurality of support spacers between the first and second substrates.

LC reservoir construction

An antenna apparatus and method for using the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, the antenna comprises an antenna element array having a plurality of radiating radio-frequency (RF) antenna elements formed using portions of first and second substrates with a liquid crystal (LC) therebetween, the first substrate comprising a plurality of irises and the second substrate comprises a plurality of patches, wherein each of the patches is co-located over and separated from an iris in the plurality of irises with LC at least partially between each overlap region a patch and iris overlap; and a reservoir structure between the first and second substrates to hold LC and comprising areas around the RF antenna elements, the reservoir structure having a cavity large enough to accommodate thermal expansion of the LC and having one or more areas void of LC, wherein LC remains in patch/iris overlap regions of the plurality of radiating RF antenna elements even when additional LC could enter the one or more areas void of LC.

Scattered void reservoir

An apparatus for exchanging liquid crystal (LC) between two areas of an antenna array in an antenna and method for using the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, the antenna comprises a waveguide; an antenna element array having a plurality of radiating radio-frequency (RF) antenna elements, and a structure in an RF inactive area outside of, and at an outer periphery of, the antenna element array that is without a ground plane instantiating the waveguide. The structure collects LC from an area between substrates forming the RF antenna elements due to LC expansion and provides LC to the area between the substrates forming the RF antenna elements due to LC contraction.

An antenna with a clamping mechanism and a method for using the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, an antenna comprises a radial waveguide, an aperture operable to radiate radio frequency (RF) signals in response to an RF feed wave fed by the radial waveguide, and one or more clamping devices to apply a compressive force between the waveguide and the aperture.

Growing community of inventors

Kirkland, WA, United States of America

Felix Chen