Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
105 words
A multi-beam microwave antenna providing wide-angle coverage comprising: a first plurality of beamports constrained to lie along a first focal ring which corresponds to a first preselected elevation; a second plurality of beamports constrained to lie along a second focal ring which corresponds to a second preselected elevation; a non-planar dome microwave lens substantially subtending a hemisphere; and a multi-beam 3-D bootlace microwave lens positioned between said beamports and said non-planar microwave lens for electromagnetically coupling respective ones of said beamports to corresponding preselected apertures of said non-planar dome microwave lens the field of view of which displays a 360° azimuth at a preselected elevation.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
105 words
A multi-beam microwave antenna providing wide-angle coverage comprising: a first plurality of beamports constrained to lie along a first focal ring which corresponds to a first preselected elevation; a second plurality of beamports constrained to lie along a second focal ring which corresponds to a second preselected elevation; a non-planar dome microwave lens substantially subtending a hemisphere; and a multi-beam 3-D bootlace microwave lens positioned between said beamports and said non-planar microwave lens for electromagnetically coupling respective ones of said beamports to corresponding preselected apertures of said non-planar dome microwave lens the field of view of which displays a 360° azimuth at a preselected elevation.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
27 words
A multi-beam microwave antenna providing wide-angle coverage, as recited in claim 1, wherein said plurality of beamports are concentrically disposed symmetrically about the axis of said antenna.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
A multi-beam microwave antenna providing wide-angle coverage, as recited in claim 1, wherein said non-planar dome microwave lens is of the dielectric type.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
54 words
A multi-beam microwave antenna providing wide-angle coverage, as recited in claim 3, wherein said dielectric non-planar dome microwave lens is a figure of revolution and comprises a core of a dielectric material and overlayed outer and inner matching structures the dielectric constant for which is intermediate that of the core material and free space.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
A multi-beam microwave antenna providing wide-angle coverage, as recited in claim 4, wherein said dielectric non-planar dome microwave lens has a gradient characterized by rings that vary along the elevation angle.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
23 words
A multi-beam microwave antenna providing wide-angle coverage, as recited in claim 1, wherein said non-planar dome microwave lens is of the constrained type.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
91 words
A multi-beam microwave antenna providing wide-angle coverage, as recited in claim 6, wherein said constrained non-planar dome microwave lens is a figure of revolution and comprises a housing having inner and outer selectively contoured surfaces, a like plurality of collector and radiator elements arranged at an interelement spacing of at most substantially one-half wavelength on said inner and said outer selectively contoured surfaces respectively, and a like plurality of electromagnetic conduits interconnecting preselected ones of said radiator and said collector elements along rings of equal electrical length for a given elevation.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
87 words
A multi-beam microwave antenna providing wide-angle coverage, as recited in claims 3 or 6, wherein said 3-D bootlace microwave lens comprises a housing having first and second selectively contoured surfaces, a like plurality of collector and radiator elements respectively mounted on said first and said second selectively contoured surfaces at an interelement spacing of at most substantially a half-wavelength, and a like plurality of preselected lengths of electromagnetic conduit interconnecting preselected ones of said radiator and said collector elements along radial rings of the same electrical length.