An antenna includes a reflector and a waveguide assembly. The waveguide assembly includes a feed assembly and a support member that extends from behind the reflector to orient the feed assembly for direct illumination of the reflector. The waveguide assembly includes a first waveguide coupled to a first portion of a common waveguide, a second waveguide coupled to a second portion of the common waveguide, and a septum layer that includes a septum polarizer coupled between the common waveguide and the first and second waveguides.

An antenna includes a reflector and a waveguide assembly. The waveguide assembly includes a feed assembly and a support member that extends from behind the reflector to orient the feed assembly for direct illumination of the reflector. The waveguide assembly includes a first waveguide coupled to a first portion of a common waveguide, a second waveguide coupled to a second portion of the common waveguide, and a septum layer that includes a septum polarizer coupled between the common waveguide and the first and second waveguides.

A radar antenna assembly for a vehicle includes a feed horn configured to transmit and/or receive radar signals and a metallic component of the vehicle. The metallic component of the vehicle includes a curved or faceted surface portion, and the feed horn is positioned such that the curved or faceted surface portion forms a reflector for the feed horn.

Multiband guiding structures for antennas and methods for using the same are described. In one embodiment, an antenna comprises: an antenna aperture with radio-frequency (RF) radiating antenna elements; and a center-fed, multi-band wave guiding structure coupled to the antenna aperture to receive a feed wave in two different frequency bands and propagate the feed wave to the RF radiating antenna elements of the antenna aperture.

Multiband guiding structures for antennas and methods for using the same are described. In one embodiment, an antenna comprises: an antenna aperture with radio-frequency (RF) radiating antenna elements; and a center-fed, multi-band wave guiding structure coupled to the antenna aperture to receive a feed wave in two different frequency bands and propagate the feed wave to the RF radiating antenna elements of the antenna aperture.

A microwave prism is used to repoint an operational Direct-to-Home (DTH) or Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) reflector antenna as part of a ground terminal to receive (or transmit) signals from a different satellite or orbital position without physically moving the reflector or the feed horn antenna. The microwave prism operates by shifting the radiated fields from the horn antenna generally perpendicular to the focal axis of the parabolic reflector in order to cause the main beam of the reflector to scan in response. For an existing reflector antenna receiving signals from an incumbent satellite, a prism has been designed to be snapped into place over the feed horn and shift the fields laterally by a calibrated distance. The structure of the prism is designed to be positioned and oriented correctly without the use of skilled labor. This system allows a satellite service provider to repoint their subscribers to a new satellite by shipping a self-install kit of the prism that is pre-configured to have the correct orientation and position on the feed antenna to correctly re-point the beam at a different satellite once the prism is applied. One benefit of the system is that unskilled labor, i.e., the subscribers themselves, can be used to repoint a large number of subscriber antennas in a satellite network rather than requiring the cost of a truck roll and a technician to visit every site. The microwave prisms to implement this functionality can be constructed in different ways, with homogeneous slabs or blocks, Gradient-Index (GRIN), multi-layered dielectric, geometric or graded-index Fresnel-zone, metasurface, or metamaterial prisms. The geometric and electrical constraints of the design are determined by the incumbent and target satellites, and the ground terminal location.

A microwave prism is used to repoint an operational Direct-to-Home (DTH) or Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) reflector antenna as part of a ground terminal to receive (or transmit) signals from a different satellite or orbital position without physically moving the reflector or the feed horn antenna. The microwave prism operates by shifting the radiated fields from the horn antenna generally perpendicular to the focal axis of the parabolic reflector in order to cause the main beam of the reflector to scan in response. For an existing reflector antenna receiving signals from an incumbent satellite, a prism has been designed to be snapped into place over the feed horn and shift the fields laterally by a calibrated distance. The structure of the prism is designed to be positioned and oriented correctly without the use of skilled labor. This system allows a satellite service provider to repoint their subscribers to a new satellite by shipping a self-install kit of the prism that is pre-configured to have the correct orientation and position on the feed antenna to correctly re-point the beam at a different satellite once the prism is applied. One benefit of the system is that unskilled labor, i.e., the subscribers themselves, can be used to repoint a large number of subscriber antennas in a satellite network rather than requiring the cost of a truck roll and a technician to visit every site. The microwave prisms to implement this functionality can be constructed in different ways, with homogeneous slabs or blocks, Gradient-Index (GRIN), multi-layered dielectric, geometric or graded-index Fresnel-zone, metasurface, or metamaterial prisms. The geometric and electrical constraints of the design are determined by the incumbent and target satellites, and the ground terminal location.

An efficient, low-profile, lightweight fixed-beam (constant angle of departure) aperture antenna. The aperture antenna includes an array of horn radiators coupled to a waveguide diplexer by means of a stripline distribution network. The stripline distribution network is embedded in a printed wiring board (PWB), which PWB is sandwiched between a radiator plate (incorporating the horn radiators) and a diplexer plate. The aperture antenna may further include a backside ground plane made of metal. The diplexer plate and backside cover plate are configured to form the waveguide diplexer. Each horn radiator has a respective circular opening at one end adjacent to the PWB. The diplexer plate includes an array of circular waveguide backshorts which are congruent and respectively aligned with the circular openings of the horn radiators. The radiator plate further includes a rectangular waveguide backshort which is congruent and aligned with a rectangular port of the diplexer plate.

An efficient, low-profile, lightweight fixed-beam (constant angle of departure) aperture antenna. The aperture antenna includes an array of horn radiators coupled to a waveguide diplexer by means of a stripline distribution network. The stripline distribution network is embedded in a printed wiring board (PWB), which PWB is sandwiched between a radiator plate (incorporating the horn radiators) and a diplexer plate. The aperture antenna may further include a backside ground plane made of metal. The diplexer plate and backside cover plate are configured to form the waveguide diplexer. Each horn radiator has a respective circular opening at one end adjacent to the PWB. The diplexer plate includes an array of circular waveguide backshorts which are congruent and respectively aligned with the circular openings of the horn radiators. The radiator plate further includes a rectangular waveguide backshort which is congruent and aligned with a rectangular port of the diplexer plate.

Provided is a dual-band multimode antenna feed for a high-frequency band and a low-frequency band. The feed includes four high-frequency waveguide ports, where each high-frequency waveguide port is connected to a respective high-frequency input/output waveguide. Each high-frequency input/output waveguide includes a high-frequency waveguide aperture facing a first section for mixing electromagnetic modes in the E-plane. The first section is connected to a second section for mixing electromagnetic modes in the H-plane. The feed further includes a low-frequency waveguide port connected to a low-frequency input/output waveguide. A filter is arranged inside the first section to be transparent for plane wave modes exhibited at lower frequencies and reflecting for plane wave modes exhibited at higher frequencies.