RF coupler for measuring RF parameters in the near-field

Claim 2

An RF coupler for coupling RF signals to and/or from and RF antenna substantially without shielding said antenna, said coupler including: a non-conductive housing capable of being mated and unmated with said RF antenna; an RF pickup element disposed within said housing; and a non-conductive conformal mounting structure at least partially disposed within said housing, said conformal mounting structure snugly enveloping said RF antenna such that said RF pickup element is disposed at a predetermined spacing and orientation relative to said antenna when said housing is mated with said antenna.

Claim 3

An RF coupler as in claim 1 wherein at least a portion of said RF antenna penetrates into said housing when said housing is mated with said antenna.

Claim 4

An RF coupler as in claim 1 wherein said conformal mounting structure includes an aperture defined through an outer surface of said housing.

Claim 5

An RF coupler as in claim 1 wherein said pickup element is spaced a predetermined distance less than one tenth of a wavelength from said antenna when said coupler is mated with said antenna.

Claim 6

An RF coupler as in claim 1 wherein said antenna emits a tangential electric field, a radial electric field and a tangential magnetic field; and said pickup element is substantially insensitive to the magnetic field and the radial electric field.

Claim 7

An RF coupler as in claim 1 further including structure within said housing defining a ground plane.

Claim 8

An RF coupler as in claim 6 further including a non-linear component within said housing, said non-linear component being electrically coupled between said pickup element and said ground plane structure.

Claim 9

An RF coupler as in claim 1 wherein said predetermined spacing relative to said antenna provides a desired attenuation for measuring characteristics of said RF antenna.

Claim 10

An RF coupler as in claim 1 wherein said RF pickup element is very short and non-resonant as compared to the operating wavelength of said antenna.

Claim 11

An RF probe assembly for easily and repeatably providing predetermined spacing and orientation of a RF pickup element relative to an antenna under test, said probe assembly comprising: a housing having a cavity therein, said housing having first and second walls, said first wall defining a first opening therein, said second wall defining a second opening therein, said first and second openings being at least partially in registry with one another, said first and second openings being dimensioned and positioned relative to one another such that at least a portion of said antenna passes through said first opening, into said cavity, and out of said housing cavity through said second opening; dielectric compressible foam disposed within said housing cavity, said foam having first and second compressible foam walls defining a slot through said foam in registry with said first and second openings, said foam walls frictionally contacting said antenna when said antenna passes through said first and second openings; and said RF pickup element being disposed within said housing cavity at a predetermined location and orientation relative to said first and second openings and said slot.

Claim 12

An RF probe assembly for easily and repeatably providing predetermined spacing and orientation of a RF pickup element relative to an antenna under test, said probe assembly comprising: a housing having a cavity therein, said housing having first and second walls, said first wall defining a first opening therein, said second wall defining a second opening therein, said first and second openings being at least partially in registry with one another, said first and second openings being dimensioned and positioned relative to one another such that at least a portion of said antenna passes through said first opening, into said cavity, and out of said housing cavity through said second opening; dielectric compressible foam disposed within said housing cavity, said foam having first and second compressible foam walls defining a slot through said foam in registry with said first and second openings, said foam walls frictionally contacting said antenna when said antenna passes through said first and second openings; and said RF pickup element being disposed within said housing cavity at a predetermined location and orientation relative to said first and second openings and said slot.

Claim 13

A probe assembly as in claim 10 further including a non-linear device coupled to said RF pickup element, said non-linear device rectifying RF signals received by said RF pickup element so as to provide a DC signal for facilitating measurement of RF power lever radiated by said antenna.

Claim 14

A probe assembly as in claim 10 wherein said RF pickup element is electrically short compared to the electrical length of said antenna, and is disposed less than about one tenth of a wavelength from said antenna when said antenna passes through said housing.

Claim 15

A probe assembly as in claim 10 wherein said first and second openings and said first and second foam walls together provide structure which conformally, frictionally envelopes at least a portion of said antenna.

Claim 16

A probe assembly as in claim 10 wherein said RF pickup element is substantially insensitive to magnetic and radial electric field coupling between said pickup element and said antenna.

Claim 17

A probe assembly as in claim 10 wherein said RF pickup element includes a planar two-dimensional electrically conductive radiating portion.

Claim 20

A method as in claim 16 wherein said forcing step includes the step of passing said antenna through said probe via first and second openings defined by said probe.

Claim 21

A method as in claim 16 wherein said measuring step includes the step of rectifying a signal received from said antenna by said pickup element.

Claim 22

A method as in claim 16 wherein said forcing step includes the step of disposing said RF pickup element at a spacing less than one-tenth of a wavelength from said antenna.

Claim 23

A method as in claim 16 wherein: said forcing step (b) includes spacing said RF pickup element at a predetermined position relative to said antenna to provide a desired attenuation; and said measuring step (d) includes measuring characteristics of said RF antenna in accordance with said provided attenuation.

Claim 24

A method as in claim 16 wherein said RF pickup element is very short and non-resonant with respect to the operating wavelength of said antenna.

Claim 25

An RF coupler for coupling RF signals to and/or from an RF antenna, said coupler including: a showing capable of being mated and unmated with said RF antenna; an RF pickup element disposed within said housing; and conformal mounting structure at least partially disposed within said housing, said conformal mounting structure snugly enveloping said RF antenna such that said RF pickup element is disposed at a predetermined spacing and orientation relative to said antenna when said housing is mated with said antenna, wherein said conformal mounting structure includes a compressible dielectric foam having first and second compressible foam walls defining an aperture therethrough, said antenna penetrating into, displacing and being frictionally contacted by said first and second foam walls.

Claim 26

An RF coupler for coupling RF signals to and/or from an RF antenna, said coupler including: a showing capable of being mated and unmated with said RF antenna; an RF pickup element disposed within said housing; and conformal mounting structure at least partially disposed within said housing, said conformal mounting structure snugly enveloping said RF antenna such that said RF pickup element is disposed at a predetermined spacing and orientation relative to said antenna when said housing is mated with said antenna, wherein said conformal mounting structure includes a compressible dielectric foam having first and second compressible foam walls defining an aperture therethrough, said antenna penetrating into, displacing and being frictionally contacted by said first and second foam walls.

Claim 27

An RF coupled for coupling RF signals to and/or from an RF antenna, said coupler including: a showing capable of being mated and unmated with said RF antenna; an RF pickup element disposed within said housing; and conformal mounting structure at least partially disposed within said housing, said conformal mounting structure snugly enveloping said RF antenna such that said RF pickup element is disposed at a predetermined spacing and orientation relative to said antenna when said housing is mated with said antenna, wherein said conformal mounting structure includes first and second slots defined by said housing, said first and second slots being disposed in at least partial registry with one another, said antenna penetrating said housing through said first slot and exiting said housing through said second slot when said housing is mated with said antenna.

Claim 28

An RF coupled for coupling RF signals to and/or from an RF antenna, said coupler including: a showing capable of being mated and unmated with said RF antenna; an RF pickup element disposed within said housing; and conformal mounting structure at least partially disposed within said housing, said conformal mounting structure snugly enveloping said RF antenna such that said RF pickup element is disposed at a predetermined spacing and orientation relative to said antenna when said housing is mated with said antenna, wherein said conformal mounting structure includes first and second slots defined by said housing, said first and second slots being disposed in at least partial registry with one another, said antenna penetrating said housing through said first slot and exiting said housing through said second slot when said housing is mated with said antenna.