US-12621012-B1 - Method to mechanically isolate and electrically couple between a phased array transmit/receive board

US12621012B1US 12621012 B1US12621012 B1US 12621012B1US-12621012-B1

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatuses for mechanically isolating and electrically coupling a transmit/receive board with one or more antennae are provided. For example, a transmit/received board may be mechanically isolated and electrically coupled to a 3D printed phased array antenna. The electrical coupling may be with a plurality of couplers. A first coupler may be associated with the transmit/receive board and a second coupler may be associated with the antenna. Near-field coupling of the first coupler and second coupler allow for a signal to be transmitted and received without mechanical coupling.

Inventors

Jack Winter
Dean Pizio
Michael Simon

Assignees

CAES SYSTEMS LLC

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20230328

Claims (14)

1 . A mechanically isolated and electrically coupled transmission apparatus comprising: an antenna comprising at least one antenna element; a transmit/receive board comprising at least one signal pin pad, wherein the at least one signal pin pad is associated with the at least one antenna element; a first structure associated with the transmit/receive board and associated with a first coupler, wherein the first coupler is electrically connected to the at least one signal pin pad; a second structure associated with the antenna and associated with a second coupler, wherein the second coupler is electrically connected to the at least one antenna element; and wherein the first structure and the second structure are mechanically isolated and electrically coupled via the first coupler and the second coupler.
2 . The mechanically isolated and electrically coupled transmission apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first coupler comprises a first trace in a first serpentine pattern with at least a first resonant frequency of the first trace at a first frequency, and wherein the second coupler comprises a second trace in a second serpentine pattern with at least a first resonant frequency of the second trace at the first frequency.
3 . The mechanically isolated and electrically coupled transmission apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first coupler comprises a first spiral ring resonator with at least a first resonant frequency of the first spiral ring resonator at a first frequency, and wherein the second coupler comprises a second spiral ring resonator with at least a first resonant frequency of the second spiral ring resonator at the first frequency.
4 . The mechanically isolated and electrically coupled transmission apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first coupler comprises a first split ring resonator with at least a first resonant frequency of the first split ring resonator at first frequency, and wherein the second coupler comprises a second split ring resonator with at least a first resonant frequency of the second split ring resonator at the first frequency.
5 . The mechanically isolated and electrically coupled transmission apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first coupler comprises a monopole antenna with at least a first resonant frequency of the monopole antenna at first frequency, and wherein the second coupler comprises helical coil with at least a first resonant frequency of the helical coil at the first frequency.
6 . The mechanically isolated and electrically coupled transmission apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first coupler comprises a first helical coil with at least a first resonant frequency of the first helical coil at first frequency, and wherein the second coupler comprises a second helical coil with at least a first resonant frequency of the second helical coil at the first frequency.
7 . The mechanically isolated and electrically coupled transmission apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the antenna comprises one or more 3D printed structures.
8 . A method of transmitting a signal comprising: providing a mechanically isolated and electrically coupled transmission apparatus comprising: an antenna comprising at least one antenna element; a transmit/receive board comprising at least one signal pin pad, wherein the at least one signal pin pad is associated with the at least one antenna element; a first structure associated with the transmit/receive board and associated with a first coupler, wherein the first coupler is electrically connected to the at least one signal pin pad; a second structure associated with the antenna and associated with a second coupler, wherein the second coupler is electrically connected to the at least one antenna element; and wherein the first structure and the second structure are mechanically isolated and electrically coupled via the first coupler and the second coupler; transmitting a first signal from the at least one signal pin pad to the first structure; transmitting the first signal from the first structure to the second structure via the electrically coupled first coupler and second coupler; transmitting the first signal from the second coupler to the antenna; and radiating the first signal from the antenna.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the first coupler comprises a first trace in a first serpentine pattern with at least a first resonant frequency of the first trace at a first frequency, and wherein the second coupler comprises a second trace in a second serpentine pattern with at least a first resonant frequency of the second trace at the first frequency.
10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the first coupler comprises a first spiral ring resonator with at least a first resonant frequency of the first spiral ring resonator at a first frequency, and wherein the second coupler comprises a second spiral ring resonator with at least a first resonant frequency of the second spiral ring resonator at the first frequency.
11 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the first coupler comprises a first split ring resonator with at least a first resonant frequency of the first split ring resonator at first frequency, and wherein the second coupler comprises a second split ring resonator with at least a first resonant frequency of the second split ring resonator at the first frequency.
12 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the first coupler comprises a monopole antenna with at least a first resonant frequency of the monopole antenna at first frequency, and wherein the second coupler comprises helical coil with at least a first resonant frequency of the helical coil at the first frequency.
13 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the first coupler comprises a first helical coil with at least a first resonant frequency of the first helical coil at first frequency, and wherein the second coupler comprises a second helical coil with at least a first resonant frequency of the second helical coil at the first frequency.
14 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the antenna comprises one or more 3D printed structures.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/391,978, which was filed on Jul. 25, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein for all purposes. TECHNOLOGICAL FIELD Example embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to electrically coupling a transmit/receive board to an antenna, particularly to methods, systems, and apparatuses for mechanically isolating and electrically coupling a transmit/receive board. BACKGROUND Transmit/receive boards include circuitry for the transmitting of and the receiving of signals through antenna(s). To connect the transmit/receive board to an antenna conventionally includes directly connecting the transmit/receive board and the antenna. Connections may be made by soldering a plurality of electrical connections on the transmit/receive board and with an associated plurality of electrical connections on the antenna. As the antennas are directly connected to the transmit/receive board, the solder bears some of the weight of the antenna. As antennas increase in weight and/or complexity, including by having multiple antenna elements such as in phased arrays, the weight of the antenna may increase. However, the increased weight may crush the solder or other material or other connector used. This damage may degrade, damage, or destroy the electrical connection. Another conventional mechanical and electrical coupling involves connectors (e.g., GPO, GPPO, G3PO, G4PO) that provide a mechanical and electrical connection between the transmit/receive board and the antenna. Connectors, however, are expensive and add complexity, particularly as the number of electrical connections to make increase. For example, manufacturing a transmit/receive board coupled to an antenna with an electrical connector involves a plurality of additional connectors that need to be separately connected. To connect a transmit/receive board to an antenna array with a plurality of connectors requires an amount of pressure during manufacturing that increases a risk of damaging the transmit/receive board and/or the antenna array. For example, 50 pounds per square inch (PSI) of pressure or more may be needed. Additionally, once the transmit/receive board and antenna are connected, the connectors make it difficult to separate the transmit/receive board from the antenna without damaging the transmit/receive board, the antenna array, and/or the connectors. Damage from separation may not only cause the device to fail but is also expensive and requires replacement of components that may be damaged. The inventor has identified numerous areas of improvement in the existing technologies and processes, which are the subjects of embodiments described herein. Through applied effort, ingenuity, and innovation, many of these deficiencies, challenges, and problems have been solved by developing solutions that are included in embodiments of the present disclosure, some examples of which are described in detail herein. BRIEF SUMMARY Various embodiments described herein relate to methods, systems, and apparatuses for mechanically isolating and electrically coupling a phased array transmit/receive board and an antenna. In accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure, an example mechanically isolated and electrically coupled transmission apparatus comprising is provided. In some embodiments the mechanically isolated and electrically coupled transmission apparatus comprising an antenna comprising at least one antenna element; a transmit/receive board comprising at least one signal pin pad, wherein the signal pin pad is associated with at least one antenna element; a first structure associated with the transmit/receive board and associated with a first coupler, wherein the first coupler is electrically connected to the signal pin pad; a second structure associated with the antenna and associated with a second coupler, wherein the second coupler is electrically connected to the at least one antenna element; and wherein the first structure and the second structure are mechanically isolated and electrically coupled via the first coupler and the second coupler. In some embodiments, wherein the first coupler comprises a first trace in a first serpentine pattern with at least a first resonant frequency of the first trace at a first frequency, and wherein the second coupler comprises a second trace in a second serpentine pattern with at least a first resonant frequency of the second trace at the first frequency. In some embodiments, the first coupler comprises a first spiral ring resonator with at least a first resonant frequency of the first spiral ring resonator at a first frequency, and wherein the second coupler comprises a second spiral ring resonator with at least a first resonant frequency of the second spiral ring resonator at the first frequency. In some embodiments, the first coupler comprises a first split ri