Systems and methods for ultra-ultra-wide band AESA

• US 10,224,629 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2016
• Issued: 03/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: West, James B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Dao L
• Application Number:
  US15/160,959
• Publication Number:
  US 20170338558A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• Field of Search: 342157, 342372, 342373, 342375, 343824, 343844, 343893
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/286 substantially flush mounted with the skin of the craft
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0025 Modular arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/062 using dipole aerials; H01Q21/067, H01Q21/068 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/20 the units being spaced along or adjacent to a curvilinear path slotted waveguide arrays H01Q21/005; circularly or helically slotted waveguides H01Q21/0062
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/2682 Time delay steered arrays

Abstract

In one aspect, the inventive concepts disclosed herein are directed to an antenna array system employing a current sheet array (CSA) wavelength scaled aperture. The CSA wavelength scaled aperture can include a first frequency region associated with a first operating frequency band and a second frequency region associated with a second operating frequency band. The first operating frequency band can include one or more current sheet sub-arrays having a respective plurality of first unit cells scaled to support the first operating frequency band. The second operating frequency band can include one or more current sheet sub-arrays having a respective plurality of second unit cells scaled to support the second operating frequency band. The CSA wavelength scaled aperture can include one or more capacitors each of which coupled to a respective first unit cell of the first frequency region and a respective second unit cell of the second frequency region.

Claims

1. An antenna array system comprising:

a high frequency sub-array including a plurality of first unit cells scaled to support a first operating frequency band having a respective maximum operating frequency f1, the first operating frequency band representing a full operating frequency band of the antenna array system;

a plurality of medium frequency sub-arrays arranged around the high frequency sub-array, each medium frequency sub-array including a plurality of second unit cells scaled to support a second operating frequency having a respective maximum operating frequency f2 smaller than f1;

one or more first capacitors each coupled to a respective first unit cell of the high frequency sub-array and a respective second unit cell of the plurality of medium frequency sub-arrays;

a plurality of low frequency sub-arrays arranged around the plurality of medium frequency sub-arrays, each low frequency sub-array including a plurality of third unit cells scaled to support a third operating frequency having a respective highest frequency f3 smaller than f2;

one or more second capacitors each coupled to a respective second unit cell of the plurality of medium frequency sub-arrays and a respective third unit cell of the plurality of low frequency sub-arrays; and

a processor for controlling operational parameters associated with the plurality of first unit cells, plurality of second unit cells, and the plurality of third unit cells.

2. The antenna array system of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of transmit/receive modules (TRMs), each TRM associated with a respective first unit cell, a respective second unit cell, or a respective third unit cell.

3. The antenna array system of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of time delay units, each time delay unit associated with a respective first unit cell, a respective second unit cell, or a respective third unit cell.

4. The antenna array system of claim 1, wherein the high frequency sub-array, the plurality of medium frequency sub-arrays, and the plurality of low frequency sub-arrays are arranged according to a non-planar configuration.

5. The antenna array system of claim 4, wherein the one or more first capacitors and the one or more second capacitors include non-planar capacitors.

6. The antenna array system of claim 1, wherein the one or more first capacitors or the one or more second capacitors include interdigitated capacitors.

7. The antenna array system of claim 1, wherein the one or more first capacitors or the one or more second capacitors include active electronic variable capacitors.

8. The antenna array system of claim 1, wherein the one or more first capacitors include a lumped passive capacitor metallurgically coupled to the respective first unit cell and the respective second unit cell.

9. The antenna array system of claim 1, wherein the one or more second capacitors include a lumped passive capacitor metallurgically coupled to the respective second unit cell and the respective third unit cell.

10. The antenna array system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of first unit cells, the plurality of second unit cells, and the plurality of third unit cells include crossed dipoles.

11. The antenna array system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to activate at least one of the high frequency sub-array, the plurality of medium frequency sub-arrays, and the plurality of low frequency sub-arrays for receiving or transmitting a radio signal.

12. The antenna array system of claim 1, wherein the high frequency sub-array, each of the plurality of medium frequency sub-arrays, and each of the plurality of low frequency sub-arrays is associated with a separate printed circuit board (PCB).

13. A current sheet array wavelength scaled antenna aperture comprising:

a high frequency sub-array including a plurality of first unit cells scaled to support a first operating frequency band having a respective maximum operating frequency f1, the first operating frequency band representing a full operating frequency band of the current sheet array wavelength scaled antenna aperture;

a plurality of medium frequency sub-arrays arranged around the high frequency sub-array, each medium frequency sub-array including a plurality of second unit cells scaled to support a second operating frequency having a respective maximum operating frequency f2 smaller than f1;

one or more first capacitors each of which coupled to a respective first unit cell of the high frequency sub-array and a respective second unit cell of the plurality of medium frequency sub-arrays;

a plurality of low frequency sub-arrays arranged around the plurality of medium frequency sub-arrays, each low frequency sub-array including a plurality of third unit cells scaled to support a third operating frequency having a respective highest frequency f3 smaller than f2; and

one or more second capacitors each of which coupled to a respective second unit cell of the plurality of medium frequency sub-arrays and a respective third unit cell of the plurality of low frequency sub-arrays.

14. The current sheet array wavelength scaled antenna aperture of claim 13, wherein the high frequency sub-array, the plurality of medium frequency sub-arrays, and the plurality of low frequency sub-arrays are arranged according to a non-planar configuration.

15. The current sheet array wavelength scaled antenna aperture of claim 14, wherein the one or more first capacitors and the one or more second capacitors include non-planar capacitors.

16. The current sheet array wavelength scaled antenna aperture of claim 13, wherein the one or more first capacitors or the one or more second capacitors include interdigitated capacitors.

17. The current sheet array wavelength scaled antenna aperture of claim 13, wherein the one or more first capacitors or the one or more second capacitors include active electronic variable capacitors.

18. The current sheet array wavelength scaled antenna aperture of claim 13, wherein

the one or more first capacitors include a lumped passive capacitor metallurgically coupled to the respective first unit cell and the respective second unit cell, or

the one or more second capacitors include a lumped passive capacitor metallurgically coupled to the respective second unit cell and the respective third unit cell.

19. The current sheet array wavelength scaled antenna aperture of claim 13, wherein the plurality of first unit cells, the plurality of second unit cells, and the plurality of third unit cells include crossed dipoles.

20. A method of providing an antenna array, the method comprising:

providing a high frequency sub-array including a plurality of first unit cells scaled to support a first operating frequency band having a respective maximum operating frequency f1, the first operating frequency band representing a full operating frequency band of the antenna array system;

arranging a plurality of medium frequency sub-arrays around the high frequency sub-array, each medium frequency sub-array including a plurality of second unit cells scaled to support a second operating frequency having a respective maximum operating frequency f2 smaller than f1;

coupling each of one or more first capacitors to a respective first unit cell of the high frequency sub-array and a respective second unit cell of the plurality of medium frequency sub-arrays;

arranging a plurality of low frequency sub-arrays around the plurality of medium frequency sub-arrays, each low frequency sub-array including a plurality of third unit cells scaled to support a third operating frequency having a respective highest frequency f3 smaller than f2;

coupling each of one or more second capacitors to a respective second unit cell of the plurality of medium frequency sub-arrays and a respective third unit cell of the plurality of low frequency sub-arrays; and

controlling, using a processor, operational parameters associated with the plurality of first unit cells, plurality of second unit cells, and the plurality of third unit cells.