Smart Surfaces That Bend Radio Waves
Samsung's patent describes a special surface made of tiny cells that can change how radio waves bounce off it, directing them precisely where needed.
Original patent title: “Multi-layer reconfigurable surface for an antenna”
Samsung's patent describes a special surface made of tiny cells that can change how radio waves bounce off it, directing them precisely where needed. Granted to Samsung Electronics Co in 2023 with 22 claims and 5 forward citations, and it is expected to expire in 2041.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent describes a 'reconfigurable intelligent surface' (RIS) made of many small 'unit-cells'. Each unit-cell has a conductive top layer with a specific pattern, like an inverted L-shape, that reflects radio waves at a set angle. Crucially, there's a middle layer with material whose electrical properties can be changed, like its dielectric constant. By altering this middle layer, the surface can precisely control the phase, or timing, of the reflected waves. This allows the surface to steer radio signals, like those from a Wi-Fi router, to a specific receiver, improving signal strength and coverage. For example, a surface could be placed on a wall to redirect a weak Wi-Fi signal around an obstacle to your phone.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Surfaces that only reflect waves without changing the phase of reflection.
- Surfaces that actively transmit or amplify radio waves instead of just reflecting them.
- Surfaces where the dielectric properties of the middle layer cannot be tuned.
- Reflective patterns that are not sub-wavelength (smaller than the wavelength of the radio wave).
- Systems that do not use a conductive material for the first layer.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
Key facts
What made this novel
The innovation lies in using a tunable dielectric material in a middle layer to precisely control the phase of reflected waves across a surface composed of many such elements, enabling sophisticated beamforming without active antennas.
The Patent Drawing
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Smart building surfaces for improved cellular coverage
Wireless backhaul signal boosters
Future Wi-Fi extenders
Metasurfaces for directed wireless communication
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This technology is key for future wireless communication, especially in dense urban environments or inside buildings where signals can be weak or blocked. By intelligently redirecting signals, these surfaces can boost network capacity and reliability for technologies like 5G and beyond, and potentially for Wi-Fi in homes and offices.
Filed
July 23, 2021
Granted
December 12, 2023
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Samsung, as the assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →, is actively developing and integrating this technology into its product ecosystem. Other major telecommunications equipment manufacturers and startups in the wireless infrastructure space are also researching and developing similar reconfigurable intelligent surfaces for next-generation networks.
Market impact
This patent contributes to the development of a new class of passive or semi-passive wireless infrastructure components. It enables more efficient use of the radio spectrum and could lead to improved signal quality and network performance, potentially reducing the need for more active base stations in certain scenarios.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent describes a 'reconfigurable intelligent surface' (RIS) made of many small 'unit-cells'. Each unit-cell has a conductive top layer with a specific pattern, like an inverted L-shape, that reflects radio waves at a set angle. Crucially, there's a middle layer with material whose electrical properties can be changed, like its dielectric constant. By altering this middle layer, the surface can precisely control the phase, or timing, of the reflected waves. This allows the surface to steer radio signals, like those from a Wi-Fi router, to a specific receiver, improving signal strength and coverage. For example, a surface could be placed on a wall to redirect a weak Wi-Fi signal around an obstacle to your phone.
The clever bit
The innovation lies in using a tunable dielectric material in a middle layer to precisely control the phase of reflected waves across a surface composed of many such elements, enabling sophisticated beamforming without active antennas.
What it does not cover
- Surfaces that only reflect waves without changing the phase of reflection.
- Surfaces that actively transmit or amplify radio waves instead of just reflecting them.
- Surfaces where the dielectric properties of the middle layer cannot be tuned.
- Reflective patterns that are not sub-wavelength (smaller than the wavelength of the radio wave).
- Systems that do not use a conductive material for the first layer.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
Patent enters public domain
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Strong
Citation count
16/40
Early citations
Claim breadth
15/20
Broad claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
20/20
Granted within 5 years
Assignee scale
20/20
Major company or institution
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$82K – $262K
Midpoint $164K · 14.8 yr remaining · industry ×1.4
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Claim text not yet imported for this patent
The original legal language
Original claims
22 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Saab, S., Hashemi, M. R., Abu-Surra, S., & Xu, G. (2023). Smart Surfaces That Bend Radio Waves (U.S. Patent No. 11,843,171). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11843171/multi-layer-reconfigurable-surface-for-an-antenna
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Smart Surfaces That Bend Radio Waves cover?
Samsung's patent describes a special surface made of tiny cells that can change how radio waves bounce off it, directing them precisely where needed.
Who owns patent US 11843171?
Samsung Electronics Co owns this patent, granted in 2023.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on July 23, 2041, when the invention enters the public domain.
What is patent US 11843171 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 5 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
This technology is key for future wireless communication, especially in dense urban environments or inside buildings where signals can be weak or blocked. By intelligently redirecting signals, these surfaces can boost network capacity and reliability for technologies like 5G and beyond, and potentially for Wi-Fi in homes and offices.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Surfaces that only reflect waves without changing the phase of reflection.
Same assignee
More from Samsung Electronics Co
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