Phased array antennas for high altitude platforms
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An aircraft comprising:
- a fuselage (230);
wings (232, 234) coupled to the fuselage;
a plurality of planar phased array antennas (106, 132, 134, 210-218, 260) coupled to a transceiver (104) and fixedly attached to the fuselage or at least one of the wings, the plurality of planar phased array antennas including a first planar phased array antenna (132, 210-218) having a first normal vector (220-228, 262, 264) and a second planar phased array antenna (134, 210-218) having a second normal vector (220-228, 262, 264), wherein the first normal vector is not parallel to the second normal vector, wherein the first planar phased array antenna (132) is configured to receive (702) a first signal corresponding to a communication link (336), and wherein the second planar phased array antenna (134) is configured to transmit (704) a second signal corresponding to the communication link; and
the transceiver, the transceiver configured to couple to a feeder link antenna (110), the feeder link antenna configured to receive (952) flight path data associated with a flight path via a communication uplink, wherein a flight controller (112) is configured to operate the aircraft based on the flight path data.
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Abstract
An aircraft includes a fuselage, wings coupled to the fuselage, and a transceiver. The aircraft further includes a plurality of planar phased array antennas coupled to the transceiver and fixedly attached to the fuselage or to at least one of the wings. The plurality of planar phased array antennas include a first planar phased array antenna having a first normal vector and a second planar phased array antenna having a second normal vector. The first normal vector is not parallel to the second normal vector.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. An aircraft comprising:
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a fuselage (230); wings (232, 234) coupled to the fuselage; a plurality of planar phased array antennas (106, 132, 134, 210-218, 260) coupled to a transceiver (104) and fixedly attached to the fuselage or at least one of the wings, the plurality of planar phased array antennas including a first planar phased array antenna (132, 210-218) having a first normal vector (220-228, 262, 264) and a second planar phased array antenna (134, 210-218) having a second normal vector (220-228, 262, 264), wherein the first normal vector is not parallel to the second normal vector, wherein the first planar phased array antenna (132) is configured to receive (702) a first signal corresponding to a communication link (336), and wherein the second planar phased array antenna (134) is configured to transmit (704) a second signal corresponding to the communication link; and the transceiver, the transceiver configured to couple to a feeder link antenna (110), the feeder link antenna configured to receive (952) flight path data associated with a flight path via a communication uplink, wherein a flight controller (112) is configured to operate the aircraft based on the flight path data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method (700) for communicating via a phased array antenna system, the method comprising:
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receiving (702), via a first planar phased array antenna (132) fixedly attached to an aircraft (1202), a first signal corresponding to a communication link (336); and transmitting (704), via a second planar phased array antenna (134) fixedly attached to the aircraft, a second signal corresponding to the communication link, wherein a first normal vector (220) of the first planar phased array antenna is not parallel to a second normal vector (222) of the second planar phased array antenna; receiving (952), by a feeder link antenna (110), flight path data associated with a flight path via a communication uplink; operating (954), by a flight controller (112), the aircraft based on the flight path data; and receiving (956) service coverage data associated with the flight path via the communication uplink. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A vehicle comprising:
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a plurality of exterior surfaces (122, 124, 230, 232, 234, 1246, 1248); a plurality of phased array antennas (106, 132, 134, 210-218, 260) coupled to a transceiver (104) and fixedly attached to at least one of the plurality of exterior surfaces, the plurality of phased array antennas including a first phased array antenna (132) having a first normal vector (220) and a second phased array antenna (134) having a second normal vector (222), wherein the first normal vector is not parallel to the second normal vector, wherein the first phased array antenna (132) is configured to receive (702) a first signal corresponding to a communication link (336), and wherein the second phased array antenna (134) is configured to transmit (704) a second signal corresponding to the communication link; and the transceiver, the transceiver configured to couple to a feeder link antenna (110), the feeder link antenna configured to receive (956) service coverage data associated with a flight path via a communication uplink. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
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Specification