If someone has made an invention to make life easier or to alleviate one’s living condition then the security of the patent for that invention is needed. According to the World Intellectual Property Organization, a patent is an exclusive right of a person for producing something that offers a new solution to a problem. Furthermore, a patent provides the maker with protection for their invention, and this protection usually lasts for 20 years. One privilege of a person who has a patented invention is that the invention cannot be sold, distributed, used or commercially made without the inventor’s consent. This right is usually enforced in a court, which means that there is a hold for patent infringement or violation. On the other hand, a court may not grant a patent right to the inventor if it is contested by another party. Thus, the patent serves to protect both the inventor as well as the invention.
The Problem
The electromagnetically operational micro-truss was invented by Daniel Gregoire and James Shaffner. According to United States Patent and Trademark Office, the invention comprises a grid of interlinked elements and a metallic coating that selectively coats the grid. The invention was made as a solution to the problem with antennas, which are observed as cumbersome. As described in the website of USPTO, this invention will replace the cumbersome millimeter-wave frequency antennas, which are bulky structures. Such include horns, helical coils, dish antennas, waveguides, and other huge non-conformal structures. Another problem that it seeks to solve is the problem with moving one communicator and radar application where a steerable reception or a steerable beam is needed. This invention has phased array antennas, which are functional for beam steered application, which can in turn be steered electronically without moving the antenna. Thus, it will be faster, more precise and more reliable than motor-driven mechanical antenna steering.
The Solution
The invention is used in a NASA operation where the scientists have to get packaged configuration in space. Geometrically non-linear truss structures with a snap through behavior are illustrated by using an arc length approach within a predetermined element analysis (Hrinda 1). According to Padula, Adelman and Bailey, the received power in a radiometer system is the combined electromagnetic emission going to the antenna radiation pattern from all directions weighted by the antenna radiation pattern (Padula et al. 3). The antenna performance structure of most importance for a radiometer is the amount of energy received from all other directions. For other large antenna applications, the side lobe level and gain are the performance parameters that are of utmost importance.
Another application of the said invention was explained by Brandon Bouwhuis. Micro-trusses back then were used as sandwich panels during the mid nineteenth century and had increased in usage during the Second World War, particularly with the famous British Mosquito Aircraft (Bouwhuis 3). The Apollo Program also used the sandwich panels, which are composed of two thin face sheets and a honeycomb core (Bouwhuis 3). Sandwich panels. since then, have been developed with stochastic and periodic cellular materials as their cores. These sandwich panels are now used by aircrafts, automotive and defense. For instance, an aircraft needs high bending stiffness and strength while taking into consideration the cost and a lesser overall material.
Detection and discrimination of objects or surface features mean detecting and recording radiant energy that is reflected or emitted by object or surface materials (Aggarwal 24). Various objects return different bands of the electromagnetic spectrum. This depends on the property of material like the structural, chemical and physical, surface roughness, angel of incidence, and the intensity and wavelength of radiant energy (Aggarwal 24).
Remote Sensing is a multidisciplinary science, which includes a combination of different disciplines such as optics, spectroscopy, photography, computer, electronics and telecommunication, satellite launching and others (Agarrawal 24).
According to Google, which cited another patent electromagnetic radiation structure, remote sensing is used used to reflect, receive, collect, or emit radiation within the electromagnetic field. It is also used in terrestrial science, surveillance and exploration, and terrestrial and space-based communication. This invention is akin to the patented invention being discussed. According to Google, from the patent report, this is used to measure the shape of a flexible electromagnetic radiation structure. The measurement system includes the multiplicity of local sensor, a central censor and a measurement processor. Each of the local sensors is configured to sense the position of a portion of the flexible electromagnetic radiation structure. The central structure is then aligned to identify its overall shape of the electromagnetic radiation structure. the measurement processor shows the ability to combine sensor data from the local sensors and sensor data from the central censor to give a precise measurement of the shape of the flexible electromagnetic radiation structure.
According to Free Patent Online, an electronically operational micro- struss structure may be molded into different shapes feasible to bear structural weight and provide an antenna, a conformal antenna, a holographic antenna, a frequency selective surface or other electromagnetic devices. The micro truss structure consisted of interwoven elements of grids and the metallic coating exclusively coats the grid. This metallic coating is aligned to resonate electromagnetic energy. In another material, a method for using an electromagnetically operational micro-truss structure utilizes a micro-truss structure with interconnected elements of grid and with metallic coating selectively coating the grids. This process further resonates electromagnetic energy using the metallic coating.
The invention was further explained by Free Patent Online, that the micro-truss structures give a high impedance surface upon which the metallic coating is applied. The micro- struss structure consists of non-metallic material such as plastic, a composite, a ceramic, a polymer or other non-metallic materials. A holographic antenna can be created by making a conformal antenna, particularly by steering surface waves along episodically differing high impedance surface provided by the micro-truss structure. According to Free Patent Online, an inequitable metallization of the micro-truss structure makes the structure a high impedance structure composed of a periodic array of metallic bent crosses covered with the metallic coating. This is a structure capable of holding up surface waves. As explained in Free Patent Online, different sizes of metallic bent crosses can be made to make a holographic antenna, which increases its flexibility. Another part of the micro-truss structure is the conformal antenna. According to Free Patent Online, conformal antenna consist of the patterning of a metallic coating, which also has a high- impedance surface and is capable of supporting surface waves. The metallic coating bent crosses have relative sizes. Thus, a wavelength of a growing surface wave decreases with a size of each of the metallic bent crosses in a periodic array. In addition, the antennas can be used to mix antennas into a vehicle of structure. The structured antennas provide flexibility of design, reduced weight, and increased strength and can easily be molded into shapes with complicated curvature. Furthermore, Free Patent Online cited that when this antenna is used in an aircraft, it is more advantageous when the size of the antenna aperture is less restrained. To aid in the process of the invention, a prototypical multilayer electromagnetically operational micro-truss structure should first have metal coating and a second metal coating layer, which should be configured to form a structural frequency in a particular surface. Its shape filters the electromagnetic radiation.
Electromagnetic Principles
According to Mirza, electromagnetism is a branch of Physics, which comprises energy and electricity and the interaction and relationship between them (n.pag.). It was discovered in the 19th century and has a broad use and application in today’s Physics.
Electromagnetic is the science of electromagnetic fields. Objects which are charged electrically produce electronic field. The examples of these are radio waves, x-rays, ultraviolet waves, radar waves, heat, light, short waves, microwaves, and gamma rays (Mirza n.pag.). The continuous change of the magnetic field produces electricity, which is called “electromagnetic induction”. Likewise, magnetic field is produced by the movement of electric charges.
Faraday Induction is the basic law of electromagnetism. This phenomenon was discovered in the 19th century. It led to the formulation of the theory of relativity by Albert Einstein (Mirza n. pag.). Based on this theory, electric and magnetic fields can be converted into one another with a relative motion (Mirza n.pag.). Electronic magnetism is also adopted in quantum physics where light grows as a wave and interacts as a particle.
Electromagnetism is the assumption of a combination of the expression of an underlying force which is called “electromagnetic force”. This force is observed when an electric charge is moving which produces magnetism (Mirza n. pag.). There are two laws of Faraday. From daenotes.com, the first law of electromagnetic induction states that whenever conductors are placed in a changing magnetic field electromagnetic force or emf is produced. The second law of electromagnetic induction states that the induced emf is equal to the rate of change of flux linkages.
It was proven that simple electricity can produce magnetism and vice versa (Mirza n.pag.) A practical example of this is an “electric transformer”. The exchanges take place inside the transformer that produces electromagnetic waves. A great information about these waves is that they don’t need a medium to proliferate though their speed is in considerable slow paced when travelling in a transparent substance (Mirza n. pag.).
Delpierre and Sewell explained that electromagnetic induction is caused to flow in the circuit in which the coil is attached (n.pag.). The size of the current depends on how fast the magnet moves in or out of the coil, and the number of coils in the loop.
Electromagnetic waves were discovered by James Clerk Maxwell. It was configured that wave form of electric and magnetic equations have electric and magnetic fields which had wave-like nature (Mirza, n.pag.). The factors that differentiate it from each other as electromagnetic waves are frequency, amplitude, and polarization (Mirza n.pag.). For instance, a laser beam is consistent and is only of only one frequency. There are also different frequencies for different types of waves. Radio waves have a very low frequency while gamma rays and x-rays have a very high frequency. Electromagnetic waves can propagate at a very long distances even if there are obstacles such as huge walls or towers because they are not affected by it (Mirza, n.pag.).
Electromagnetic waves involve the flow of energy, which means they also carry momentum in the direction of motion. Although it may be confusing that these weightless, mass-less, non-material fields or alteration in fields have momentum, and this momentum is carried by electromagnetic waves that can be measured (Mirza n.pag). The simplest instance that momentum of electromagnetic waves is involved is when the waves are absorbed or scattered from an object. Since the wave has momentum, some of this momentum is transferred to the object which collides with. Radiation pressure is used as the force per unit area that can be exerted on the object during the collision (Mirza n. pag.).
Claim 1
The claim 1 of the invention is as follows: The invention claimed is a electromagnetically operational micro-truss structure comprising: a micro-truss structure comprising a grid of interlocking elements; and a metallic coating selectively coating the grid, the metallic coating configured to resonate a electromagnetic energy, wherein in the metallic coating comprises an antenna.
The claim covers the materials needed for the invention to work. It has specifically stated what materials will aid in the optimum use of the invention. It also underscored the use of electromagnetic energy which is the primary thing needed in the invention. Claim 1 also describes how each part should be identified and how they differ from one another based on how they function. Claim 1 also showed that electromagnetically operational micro-truss is an invention which is altered to be more efficient and effective.
Claim 1 covers a broad description of the invention by only providing a short description of the parts. Claim 1 is explained in sequence as well the parts of the invention. The invention is an improvement of an existing device. The first device which was a model that made a change in the invention was the solution for optical constraint on micro-truss processing. This invention aimed to have a better version of it using the electromagnetically operational micro-truss. The latter use the plurality of radiation beams which is somewhat the same with the invention that uses as well beams to realign frequencies taken from the antenna. Another example is the micro-truss foam fabrication which uses radiation-sensitive materials which should also be configured. This invention is a better version of the invention; however, this idea of having a part of the disclosure is the same as the invention reiterated.
Works Cited
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Bouwhuis, Brandon. ‘Microstructural Strengthening Mechanisms in Micro-Truss Periodic
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Delpierre, G.R. and Sewell, T. “Electromagnetic Induction”. Web 25 April 2015
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Hrinda, Glenn. ‘Snap Through Instability Patterns in Truss Structures.”2015. PDF file.
<http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20100016317.pdf>
Padula, Sharon, Adelman, Howard and Bailey, M.C. “Integrated Structural Electromagnetic
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< http://www.wipo.int/edocs/pubdocs/en/patents/450/wipo_pub_l450pa.pdf>
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<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.>
