High Gain Relay Antenna System With Multiple Passive Reflect Arrays

Abstract

Examples disclosed herein relate to a dual-relay antenna system that includes a first passive reflect array configured to receive electromagnetic radiation from a transmitting source and generate a transmit beamforming signal with a first gain from the electromagnetic radiation. The high gain relay antenna system also includes a second passive reflect array positioned at a predetermined distance from the first passive reflect array and configured to collimate phases of the transmit beamforming signal from the first passive reflect array and transmit an outbound beamforming signal with a second gain greater than the first gain, to a coverage area. Other examples disclosed herein relate to a dual-reflect array system and a method of high gain relay with multiple passive reflect array antennas.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A dual-reflect array system adapted for millimeter wavelengths, comprising:
 a first passive reflect array configured to reflect a transmit beamforming signal with a first gain based at least on a received electromagnetic radiation from a transmitting source; and   a second passive reflect array configured to reflect an outbound beamforming signal with a second gain greater than the first gain, to a coverage area based at least on the transmit beamforming signal from the first passive reflect array.   
     
     
         2 . The dual-reflect array system of  claim 1 , wherein one or more of the first passive reflect array or the second passive reflect array is excited from a near-field feed at a predetermined range that is equivalent to a focal length. 
     
     
         3 . The dual-reflect array system of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second passive reflect arrays act to reflect incident signals as spatial beamformed signals propagating in azimuth and elevation, wherein propagation angles are a function of the reflect arrays, a frequency of the incident signal and position of the dual-reflect array system. 
     
     
         4 . The dual-reflect array system of  claim 3 , wherein each of the first and second passive reflect arrays comprise a configuration of conductive cells. 
     
     
         5 . The dual-reflect array system of  claim 4 , wherein the conductive cells comprise reflector elements, and wherein the configuration of conductive cells in a reflect array determines an aperture of the reflect array. 
     
     
         6 . The dual-reflect array system of  claim 3 , wherein the reflector elements are patch elements. 
     
     
         7 . The dual-reflect array system of  claim 1 , wherein the system is positioned for wireless communications with a non-line of sight (NLOS) area with respect to the transmitting source. 
     
     
         8 . The dual-reflect array system of  claim 8 , wherein the first passive reflect area directs an incident signal from the transmitting source to the NLOS area and the second passive reflect array directs an incident signal from the NLOS area to the transmitting source. 
     
     
         9 . The dual-reflect array system of  claim 8 , wherein phases of reflected signals from reflect array elements are collimated by phase shifts introduced by the reflect array elements 
     
     
         10 . The dual-reflect array system of  claim 9 , wherein phase of reflected signals are a function of the reflect array geometry of the reflect arrays.