Mass customization of antenna assemblies using metal additive manufacturing

Abstract

A method, system, and device provides components of an antenna assembly. Digital information representative of one or more characteristics of an antenna element of antenna assembly may be received by a processor. The processor may further receive a specification for the antenna element. The processor may adjust digital information representative of the antenna element to adjust the physical parameters of the component to meet the specification. The antenna assembly may be fabricated with the adjusted physical parameters.

1 - 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A method, comprising:
 receiving, by a processor, digital information representative of one or more characteristics of an antenna assembly comprising a plurality of antenna elements;   receiving, by the processor, a specification for the antenna assembly;   adjusting, by the processor, the digital information representative of the antenna assembly to adjust physical parameters of the antenna assembly based on the specification for the antenna assembly; and   fabricating the antenna assembly with the adjusted physical parameters.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein fabricating the antenna assembly includes one or more of:
 an additive manufacturing process;   a three dimensional printing process; or   a three dimensional printing process that prints the antenna assembly using a metal or a metal alloy.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the characteristics of the antenna assembly include one or more of a frequency, a frequency range, a bandwidth, a gain of the antenna assembly, a gain of each antenna element within the antenna assembly, a beamwidth, a polarization, and a number of antenna elements in the antenna assembly. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the physical parameters of the antenna assembly is one or more of:
 a length, a width, height, a thickness, or an angle of the antenna assembly;   a length, a width, height, a thickness, or an angle of one or more antenna elements within the antenna assembly;   a number of antenna elements within the antenna assembly; or   placement of the one or more antenna elements within the antenna assembly.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the processor, digital information representative of one or more characteristics of one or more antenna elements of the plurality of antenna elements within the antenna assembly;   receiving, by the processor, a specification for the one or more antenna elements within the antenna assembly;   adjusting, by the processor, the digital information representative of the one or more antenna elements to adjust physical parameters of the one or more antenna elements based on the specification for the one or more antenna elements; and   adjusting, by the processor, one or more physical parameters of the antenna assembly to electrically match the adjustment to the adjusted one or more antenna elements.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the specification for the one or more antenna elements includes one or more of a frequency, a frequency range, a bandwidth, a gain, a beamwidth, and a polarization. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the physical parameter of the one or more antenna elements is one or more of a length, a width, a thickness, or an angle. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 tuning, by the processor, one or more of the plurality of antenna elements such that it is electrically matched to the antenna assembly.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the antenna assembly further comprises one or more of a radiating element, a radiating element array, a combiner, a polarizer, an orthomode transducer, a connector interface, a filter, a diplexer, a switch, a magic tee, a circulator, a twist, a bend, a mode converter, a transmission line, a coupler, or a rotary joints; and
 wherein the one or more of the radiating element, radiating element array, combiner, polarizer, orthomode transducer, connector interface, filter, diplexer, switch, magic tee, circulator, twist, bend, mode converter, transmission line, coupler, or rotary joints are adjusted, by the processor, based on the specification for the antenna assembly.   
     
     
         31 . A system, comprising:
 a database storing digital information representative of one or more characteristics of an antenna assembly comprising a plurality of antenna elements;   a processor that executes instructions stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, the instructions comprising:
 receiving the digital information representative of the one or more characteristics of the antenna assembly, 
 receiving a specification for the antenna assembly, 
 adjusting the digital information representative of the antenna assembly to adjust physical parameters of the antenna assembly based on the specification for the antenna assembly; and 
   an additive manufacturing device configured to fabricate the antenna assembly with the adjusted physical parameters.   
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the characteristics of the antenna assembly include one or more of a frequency, a frequency range, a bandwidth, a gain of the antenna assembly, a gain of each antenna element within the antenna assembly, a beamwidth, a polarization, and a number of antenna elements in the antenna assembly. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the physical parameters of the antenna assembly is one or more of:
 a length, a width, height, a thickness, or an angle of the antenna assembly;   a length, a width, height, a thickness, or an angle of one or more antenna elements within the antenna assembly;   a number of antenna elements within the antenna assembly; or   placement of the one or more antenna elements within the antenna assembly.   
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 31 , the instructions further comprising:
 receiving digital information representative of one or more characteristics of one or more antenna elements of the plurality of antenna elements within the antenna assembly;   receiving, by the processor, a specification for the one or more antenna elements within the antenna assembly;   adjusting, by the processor, the digital information representative of the one or more antenna elements to adjust physical parameters of the one or more antenna elements based on the specification for the one or more antenna elements; and   adjusting, by the processor, one or more physical parameters of the antenna assembly to electrically match the adjustment to the adjusted one or more antenna elements.   
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 34 , wherein the specification for the one or more antenna elements includes one or more of a frequency, a frequency range, a bandwidth, a gain, a beamwidth, and a polarization. 
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 34 , wherein the physical parameter of the one or more antenna elements is one or more of a length, a width, a thickness, or an angle. 
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the antenna assembly further comprises one or more of a radiating element, a radiating element array, a combiner, a polarizer, an orthomode transducer, a connector interface, a filter, a diplexer, a switch, a magic tee, a circulator, a twist, a bend, a mode converter, a transmission line, a coupler, or a rotary joints;
 wherein the one or more of the radiating element, radiating element array, combiner, polarizer, orthomode transducer, connector interface, filter, diplexer, switch, magic tee, circulator, twist, bend, mode converter, transmission line, coupler, or rotary joints are adjusted, by the processor, based on the specification for the antenna assembly.   
     
     
         38 . A device, comprising,
 a memory device including digital information representative of one or more characteristics of an antenna assembly comprising a plurality of antenna elements, and   a processor that executes instructions stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, the instructions comprising:
 receiving a specification for the antenna assembly, 
 adjusting the digital information representative of the antenna assembly to adjust physical parameters of the antenna assembly based on the specification for the antenna assembly, and 
 transmitting the adjusted digital information for fabrication of the antenna assembly. 
   
     
     
         39 . The device of  claim 38 , wherein the characteristics of the antenna assembly include one or more of a frequency, a frequency range, a bandwidth, a gain of the antenna assembly, a gain of each antenna element within the antenna assembly, a beamwidth, a polarization, and a number of antenna elements in the antenna assembly. 
     
     
         40 . The device of  claim 38 , wherein the physical parameters of the antenna assembly is one or more of:
 a length, a width, height, a thickness, or an angle of the antenna assembly;   a length, a width, height, a thickness, or an angle of one or more antenna elements within the antenna assembly;   a number of antenna elements within the antenna assembly; or   placement of the one or more antenna elements within the antenna assembly.