Patent ID: 8723731

Claim:
A circularly-polarized antenna comprising: a conducting ground plane; a radiator comprising a plurality of conducting segments, wherein the plurality of conducting segments are: separated from each other by a first dielectric medium; separated from the ground plane by a second dielectric medium; disposed on a surface of a hollow dome; and symmetrically disposed about an antenna axis of symmetry orthogonal to the ground plane; an excitation system disposed between the ground plane and the radiator and disposed at least in part within the hollow dome, wherein the excitation system is electromagnetically coupled to the radiator, wherein the excitation system comprises: a conducting exciter patch; a first excitation source; a second excitation source; a third excitation source; and a fourth excitation source; wherein: the first excitation source, the second excitation source, the third excitation source, and the fourth excitation source are symmetrically disposed about the antenna axis of symmetry; the phase difference between the second excitation source and the first excitation source is 90 degrees; the phase difference between the third excitation source and the first excitation source is 180 degrees; and the phase difference between the fourth excitation source and the first excitation source is 270 degrees; a first printed circuit board comprising a first rectangular region having a first side, a second side, a first edge, a second edge, a third edge, a fourth edge, and a first board axis of symmetry, wherein: the first edge and the second edge are parallel; the third edge and the fourth edge are parallel; the first edge and the third edge are perpendicular; the first edge is parallel to the ground plane; the third edge is orthogonal to the ground plane; and the first board axis of symmetry is perpendicular to the first edge and intersects the center of the first edge; and a second printed circuit board comprising a second rectangular region having a third side, a fourth side, a fifth edge, a sixth edge, a seventh edge, an eighth edge, and a second board axis of symmetry, wherein: the fifth edge and the sixth edge are parallel; the seventh edge and the eighth edge are parallel; the fifth edge and the seventh edge are perpendicular; the fifth edge is parallel to the ground plane; the seventh edge is orthogonal to the ground plane; and the second board axis of symmetry is perpendicular to the fifth edge and intersects the center of the fifth edge; wherein: the first printed circuit board is orthogonal to the second printed circuit board; the first board axis of symmetry is coincident with the antenna axis of symmetry; and the second board axis of symmetry is coincident with the antenna axis of symmetry.